Summer scent -- Pour Monsieur original?

[rtb178]

So, at the end of the summer, I'm now looking for a summer scent. After some research, I decided that I want something spicy, oriental, yet light. Citrus, but mellowing into something a little warm, but without being too leathery or heavy.

My research sent me toward Chanel pour Monsieur. What do you all think? I was able to sample the Concentree, and I think I like it. Quite a lot of cinnamon in the drydown, with maybe a little too much vanilla. I like that it wasn't too, too sweet. It doesn't strike me as summery, however.

I guess I have two questions: 1) is the original more wearable in the summer? and 2) Where do I find this stuff? I'm having trouble telling which of the two versions is actually for sale. Anyone know a site, preferably with a good price, that clearly delineates?

Thanks everyone.

 

[Featherweight]

If you're in the states, Macy's sells it, at least on the east coast they do.

Guerlain's vetiver is a bit more summery to me, but that's just my opinion - Chanel PM is loved by many on this site as a great all-around frag.



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[rtb178]

Hmm. Was at a Macy's, but the bottle said it was "concentrated," which seems to be a different formulation. Maybe that's wrong, and the concentrated is the same as the original.

 

[Edward 1689er]

I have PMC and really like it (very similiar to Tiffany for Men). I haven't tried PM, as it is very hard to find in stores. Perhaps over the internet? I have read many say that PMC is a totally different fragrance than PM, and should have been named differently to avoid confusion.

 

[rtb178]

I have PMC and really like it (very similiar to Tiffany for Men). I haven't tried PM, as it is very hard to find in stores. Perhaps over the internet? I have read many say that PMC is a totally different fragrance than PM, and should have been named differently to avoid confusion.

This is what I've read as well. I like the PMC well enough. Just can't decide whether it works in the heat of the summer. Think I should order a decant, or wait til next summer.

 

[StylinLA]

This was a pursuit of mine for awhile, so I learned a lot.

The original style Chanel Pour Monsieur is seemingly still made and sold in Europe. It can often be found on websites, but it is a tricky search.

Clerks and SAs do not tend to make the distinction between CPM and CPM Concentree. The original is a greenish color in a tall square bottle. Concentree is yellowish in a tall rectangular bottle.
People in general tend not to notice the "Concentree" in small type on the bottle or box. As Edward_1689er said above, they are quite different and should have been given different names. At the very least, they should not have nearly hidden the word "concentree" the way it is on the bottle and box. It should be part of the title.

If I were to order online, I'd try to pin down what I was looking for quite specifically over the phone with an SA for the site. Just because the little picture is the square green bottle, I would not assume that's what they will send you. (After a long search for this, I am a bit cynical).

I have run into the original in an old perfume store here in Los Angeles, but have never, ever seen it in a mainstream department store, or even the Chanel Boutique in Beverly Hills.

It is considered one of the ultimate men's scents, but my brief test and everything I've read seem to indicate is it inordinately short lived.

Tiffany for Men is oft considered similar to CPM and is easily found and reasonably priced.

If you're intrigued by this, The Perfumed Court can and will make the distinction and sell you a small decant. That might be a good way to go. It's not a super pricey frag, and if you get 5ml or so, you could give it a few test wearings. I think it would probably be pretty good in the summer. One of the ultimate lighter men's frags. Perfume critic Luca Turin tends to think it's like the gold standard for men's frags.

Personally, I'm a bit averse to heavy citrus frags and especially annoyed by stuff that doesn't last. That I can tell, few citrus frags have any kind of "legs."

 

[Danuhoh]

IMHO, I think PM or PMC are both too heavy for summer. You should look at their Allure line for a lighter, summer type fragrance.

 

[tls1]

StylinLA has it right. I had been looking for a bottle of this for over a year in the US. I happened to get lucky and find a bottle at a small shop in Chicago and the owner said it's virtually impossible to get the original anymore--he thought Chanel was not making it anymore due to some of the IFRA regulations, but I don't know that to be the case.

I recently tried a tester of the PM after shave balm, which you can find pretty easily at stores like Macy's. Based on my comparison, the shave balm is more like the PM than the PM Concentree, so it may be a good substitute even if it isn't a perfect match.

I think PM is great anytime!

 

[Aaron01]

Chanel PM (original) can be found rather easily in Canada, which is where I bought my bottle when I had it. I think I've seen it in a couple stores here, but some of the Chanel for men scents can be very, very hard to find, like PM and Egoiste

 

[Featherweight]

IMHO, I think PM or PMC are both too heavy for summer. You should look at their Allure line for a lighter, summer type fragrance.

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