Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
172 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
A bracing blast of black pepper meets the almost-effervescent snap of hedione, creating a sensation akin to breathing in just after cracking pepper over soup. The artemisia arrives almost immediately, tempering this heat with something green and herbaceous, preventing the opening from becoming purely fiery. It's alert, somewhat sharp, genuinely alive.
The composition softens considerably as the gaiac wood and amber establish themselves, warming the fragrance from its initial brightness into something considerably more sensual and enveloping. The lavender emerges as a grounding force, adding a subtle soapy-herbaceous undertone that paradoxically makes the fragrance feel more intimate rather than more "clean." Leather becomes detectable, soft and subtle, adding an almost creamy depth to the woody base.
What remains is primarily amber, sandalwood, and leather—a warm, skin-close embrace that leans decidedly sweet and woody without becoming saccharine. The gaiac wood becomes more prominent here, contributing a faintly smoky, almost tobacco-adjacent character that adds sophistication. This base is stubborn and graceful in equal measure, clinging subtly for hours without ever feeling like it's demanding attention.
By Man arrives as something decidedly unbothered by the 1998 zeitgeist of precious florals and thin aquatics. This is a fragrance for those who find comfort in contradiction—soft enough to wear casually, austere enough to command attention. The opening salvo of black pepper and hedione creates an almost champagne-like sparkle, a crystalline sharpness that immediately distinguishes it from the cloying masculines of its era. Yet this isn't a fragrance bullishly aggressive; instead, the artemisia—that green, slightly bitter herb—tempers the pepper's heat, whispering of herbs crushed underfoot rather than spice rack intensity.
What makes By Man compelling is how its woody-amber heart refuses easy categorisation. The gaiac wood brings a smoky, slightly medicinal warmth, whilst the amber and ambrox add a resinous sweetness that feels almost creamy against the skin. Lavender threads through the composition with restraint, adding a faint herbaceous soap-like quality rather than the soapy-clean trope you'd expect. The leather emerges gradually—not as loud biker jacket leather, but as soft, broken-in suede, something intimate and personal.
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4.0/5 (630)