CHANEL
Antaeus EDT

1981

PERFUMER
Francois Demachy
Jacques Polge

Bergamot
Lime
Lemon
clary sage
coriander
myrrh

Thyme
Basil
rose
Jasmine

labdanum
Castoreum
Oakmoss
Patchouli

Coincidentally, I wore a vintage Antaeus alongside a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels Pour Homme. And whereas the Van Cleef seemed to have turned and gone bad, this Antaeus came across as one of the better preserved vintage miniatures in my collection.

Antaeus smells very traditionally masculine and spicy, but also with a fresh out of the shower type of hint. Without that weird musky or aquatic tinge that you often get in modern scents in this style. Somehow it’s clean out of the shower and rugged and bold at the same time.

The scent reminds me of white pepper with a slight green aromatic tinge. But when smelled up close, it’s surprisingly not as sharp, almost resinous (which may just be the aging). It opens rather bold, with some animalic edges. Antaeus is known for the castoreum and you definitely get that rough, slightly animalic edge in the opening here. I also get the connection to Les Abstrais Des Cendres in the opening clearly. If you’re looking for a modern take, the Les Abstraits is worth looking into.

However, where Des Cendres stays greener, almost bitter, vine-like green, this vintage batch of Antaeus grows mostly in the spicy direction. That being said, it doesn’t grow sweeter, as many older fragrances do over time. To me, this is the epitome of ‘masculine’ fragrances. It’s a reference point for what I view as a typical (now retro) masculine scent profile, alongside a Dior Eau Sauvage. And while this will likely never be a style that I gravitate towards, it’s hard to not appreciate Antaeus. As I remarked on earlier, this particular Antaeus that I wore feels like it’s in excellent state, despite being what I presume a rather old miniature of it. It performed very well, while staying fresh. A little gem to have tried, even if it’s not the type of fragrance that I’d be looking to purchase full size bottles of myself.