Jōvan: It's What Attracts.
Cheesy slogan, but in such a good way. Yesterday I stopped by a friend's house and reunited with old chums, one of whom was smitten with my cologne. He immediately remarked on how great I smelled and prodded me to divulge its name. At first he guessed Brut, but a few minutes later switched to Jōvan Musk. Which surprised me because this guy is my age, and guys my age generally ignore anything by a fragrance line as outmoded as Coty's über-retro Jōvan brand.
This little incident was beneficial to me in one way, however. It prompted me to write about the classic Jōvan Musk for Men. What a nice little scent it is. It opens with a burst of soapy floral notes, a little like Sung Homme, but with more black pepper and musk. The flowers are also better defined, with a definite soapy carnation, soapy sunflower, and soapy geranium accord wafting through soapy spiciness. Jōvan smells very soapy, rich and clean, but dries down differently depending on the weather. On warm, dry days, and with very little exercise, it ends up smelling soapy-musky in an soapy-indolic way, as though the soapy floral notes are informing the animalism of the musk without committing their natural sweetness to the brew. On cooler days you may find this scent smelling soapier, cleaner, like freshly-washed laundry. Did I mention this stuff is soapy?
Jōvan Musk is very inexpensive and can be found anywhere. It's tempting to give it a five star recommendation, as the scent itself is quite original and solid, and with the right application and skin chemistry, could be the ultimate '70s-style musk for a nostalgic person. It takes a bit of unrefined swagger to compel postmodern women that sweet 'n sour muskiness is sexy, and for that you need to be the whole package. If you use your studio apartment as a studio, this musk is for you.