Tsar by Van Cleef and Arpels (1989)

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

This is another in a series of bargain fragrance reviews, scents that may be found online or at discount stores for US $25 or less. Leave a comment below for your chance to receive a sample, shipped anywhere in the world, free!

Summary: Van Cleef and Arpels’ late 80’s fougere offering, Tsar, was the house’s second of their four men’s fragrances and their most successful. Directly related to other sweet and aromatic fragrances of that period such as Jazz and Eternity, Tsarhas stuck around these last 25 years and despite its complex list of classic notes, still feels easy to wear and relevant today.

Perfumer: Philippe Bousseton.

Try this if you like: A scent that develops and unfolds over time; classic fougere fragrances (think lavender, leather and oakmoss); a bit of herbs and spice in your fragrance’s drydown; a sweeter scent that doesn’t smell like Rabanne One Million; 80s throwback scents.

Pros & Cons: First of all, Tsar is a classic fougere with a hefty dose of more traditional notes like geranium, carnation, leather and oakmoss. As a “modern fougère” however, Tsar offers up a sweetness usually lacking in older vintage fragrances. Tsar seems to retain a hint of the original Van Cleef and Arpels for Men (now discontinued), especially in the drydown. Despite being a fougere, the lavender is quite subtle and almost imperceptible.

Notes: “Top notes are artemisia, coriander, lavender, green notes, neroli, bergamot, rosemary and cinnamon; middle notes are carnation, juniper berries, tarragon, orris root, jasmine, caraway, lily-of-the-valley, rose, geranium and pine tree; base notes are leather, sandalwood, tonka bean, amber, patchouli, musk, coconut, oakmoss, cedar and vetiver.”—Fragrantica.com

Reminds me of: Houbigant Fougere Royale; Gres Cabaret; YSL Jazz; Giorgio Wings for Men; CK Eternity; Joop Nightflight.

Designer’s Description: “Created in 1989, Tsar heralds a strong and definitely unmistakable identity. The Art Deco period of the Twenties with its style of refined, pure lines is revisited in the Tsar bottle. Smooth and shiny as a precious gem, it sports a deep green as bright as emerald. A woody and aromatic rich fragrance. A timeless perfume with sheer elegance.”—Vancleefarpels.com

Number of times tested: 500+ over the last 25 years.

Number of sprays applied for this review: Two sprays to the back of the hand from a vintage EDT bottle I purchased.

Fragrance strength: Eau de Toilette

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex) Tsar opens with a hefty dose of herbal lavender, citric geranium and airy juniper made fresher by the addition of neroli and bergamot. I am immediately reminded of a glass of gin or YSL Jazz at this stage. But Tsar’s opening also offers a modern sweetness that we find in scents from that period such as Giorgio Wings for Men or Polo Sport. Within 20-40 minutes the more herbal midnotes begin to blossom with tarragon, rosemary, carnation and cinnamon peeking out. Here the aroma loses its sweetness and shows its complexity. There is also a slightly grassy, green edge throughout the development while the drydown is fascinating with perceptible facets of coconut, amber, leather, and woods.

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting) Today’s two sprays lasted … a good 8-10 hours.

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) Tsar is quite a big scent and projects its sillage for a good couple of hours.

Note about the packaging: There are four bottles to be aware of: The original Tsar is housed in the same bottle shape as the current offering, an art deco rectangle, but in a solid green, opaque pate that recalls a semiprecious stone or marble. Next, the Eau de Tsar flanker was released in the same bottle, but translucent and pale green. In the late 90’s the scent was rebottled in a totally different, transparent, striated glass bottle with gold base and top. Recently, the bottle was replaced with the original, but this time it is a transparent, dark emerald green. The box, however, has remained largely the same, a green, rectangular paper box.

Where can I buy it? Found online for as little as $10 USD for a 30 ml original EDT.

The Bottom Line: Something happened in the 80’s; a revolution in men’s fragrance occurred. Aroma shifted away from the rich, earthy, spices and herbs of the previous two decades and towards the more modern aquatic, ozonic and gourmand aesthetics. Tsar sits comfortably in this transition period, straddling its 80’s predecessors and hinting at what was to come in the 90’s and 00’s. Launched just a year after YSL Jazz in 1988 and a year before CK Eternity in 1990, Tsaropens modern and closes classically. What I mean is that the opening notes offer a familiar sweetness that many will feel suits modern sensibilities while the drydown is much more traditional and of its time. This is a kind of “best of both worlds” scent and as such, is not to be missed!

Upon initial application and through its midnotes, Tsar strongly recalls Giorgio Wings for Men, another awesome bargain scent that I reviewed here. Look at Wings’ list of notes:

“Top notes are lavender, green notes, neroli, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are coriander, clary sage, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and geranium; base notes are tonka bean, amber, musk, oakmoss and cedar”—Fragrantica.com.

Tsar is more complex and definitely richer with its earthier basenotes. But look at what’s missing in that list. Between the late 80’s and early 90’s quite a few notes disappeared from perfumery either due to regulations or zeitgeist. How often do we see coconut, carnation or caraway these days?

So, if interested in exploring a fragrance reflective of a modern turning point in perfumery, seek out Tsar. I can’t speak for the current reformulation, so seek out the opaque bottle. An inexpensive 30 ml should do the trick!