Chanel Antaeus EDT Review – Everything You Need To Know
Antaeus.
Chanel’s most masculine fragrance.
Chanel Antaeus was released in 1981. It is based on aromatics, wood, and leather. It lasts six to eight hours on the skin with moderate projection. In this review, I will describe its smell and performance and if it’s worth it.
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Table of Contents
What Does Chanel Antaeus Smell Like?
Chanel utilizes animalic notes to give Antaeus its ultra-masculine nature. Some of you may cringe when you hear about the use of animalic notes. Yet, it is easy to wear and approachable. Chanel has fine-tuned the use of castoreum.
Right off the bat, the opening is a leathery castoreum (animalic notes). It can be dominant at first and makes you feel like it will be the only smell for the scent. Yet, as the fragrance develops, fresh aromatics peak from the background.
At this point, it is a balancing act between fresh and animalic tones. It took the aromatics some time, but they provided a good balance.
Once in the dry down, castoreum is still strong, but there are earthier additions. These are oak moss and woody accords. They contribute to the masculine nature but take the scent in a different direction. It was never a dirty scent for the entire wear but rather old-school and masculine.
Chanel Antaeus notes:
TOP NOTES
- Myrrh
- Clary Sage
- Coriander
- Bergamot
- Lime
- Lemon
MID NOTES
- Rose
- Thyme
- Basil
- Jasmine
BASE NOTES
- Castoreum
- Oakmoss
- Patchouli
- Labdanum
Performance
Antaeus lasts six to eight hours on the skin with moderate and consistent projection. The first couple of hours, it pushes out to an arm’s length before receding to a light ambiance of a foot or so.
The sillage is as good. The depth of the notes has a way of sticking into the air and creating a long, dense scent trail as you move around. This performance is with three sprays.
This is cool weather wear. Best for the fall, winter, and early spring. The warmer it gets you’ll have to moderate your sprays. Antaeus gets significantly more intense around you, potentially making you or those close to you nauseous. You’ll have six months of wear in a four-season climate.
As for the occasions, it is all. Because of its unique and quality aroma, it’s great for formal occasions when you want to stand out. But be careful in close-quarter settings or wearing it for a date. With Antaeus especially, you need to moderate your sprays for the occasion and… wear it with confidence, or it will wear you.
Lastly, mass appeal and likability are not great. This is a scent you wear for yourself and no one else. Less experienced noses are not going to appreciate the animalic nature. Half the people will enjoy your masculine aroma; the other half will want you to shower. Just wear it with confidence and for yourself.
Final Words
Because of this fragrance’s uniqueness, there aren’t any clones of the fragrance. The final burning question is, is Chanel Antaeus EDT worth it? Yes, this is an excellent way to spice up your collection. It’s a welcome deviation from the typical blue fragrances, aquatics, and sweet colognes that are so popular.
This isn’t a great next step if you’ve only had blue fragrances. But it is a great beginner’s unique or masculine fragrance. This comes from the quality of notes, yet never comes off as too animalic.
After you try Chanel Antaeus EDT, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.