Released in 1981
Classified as a Woody Chypre
Nose behind this scent is of course the legendary Chanel in-house perfumer Jacques Polge, who's been behind numerous classics from this house over the past few decades.
Antaeus is the name of ancient Greek demigod. Strong, like a god, and gentle as a man, Antaeus belongs to those perfumes of expressed individuality and strong character which emphasize masculinity, what was a trend in 1980-ies.
Top Notes: lemon, lime, coriander, myrtle, clary sage, and bergamot Heart Notes: thyme, basil, rose and jasmine Base Notes: patchouli, castoreum, labdanum, and oak moss
The opening for me is uplifting, its very bright, a splash of brightness if you will, and its also clean, but not clean in a soapy or citrus way. This bright and cleanness only last for a few seconds, after which the scents starts becoming heavier and bold, your introduced to the animalistic vibe so famous in this scent with a smokey leather and castoreum, which is an animalic note derived from a beaver. The note of castoruem, is animalic in nature but isn't overly funky at all, its not fecal smelling or pungent, don't believe this to be like civet note in Kouros, though both fragrances are in the same ball park, of the old school powerhouse scents, the castoruem note for me is a much lighter animalic note, though it is still bold. I've smelt castoreum in different scents, such as Interlude Man or Beaver from Zoologist, and they all slightly different in each fragrance, but the note adds a very bold animalic aspects to each of the scents. Now along side the strong and bold animalic notes of leather and castoreum are in the background the note of jasmine and a very subtle rose. It's the combination of the powerful and beastly animalic notes, and the gentle and elegant floral notes of jasmine and rose which just transforms this scent into a masterpiece, its absolutely divine. Like the name suggests, its strong and gentle at the same time.
Released in 1981 but still smells unique today, it does not smell dated or old. If it was released today, it would still be considered a masterpiece. A timeless classic. It has a old school vibe, due to the type of powerhouse fragrances released at that time, however it does not come across dated in the slightest.
Performance on my skin was moderate unfortunately, not as beastly as many people have talked about for this scent, which makes me wonder if this has been reformulated or if it may just be my skin. Projection was in the moderate range, with longevity around 8 hours.
In terms of seasons, this would be perfect for fall and winter, and mostly a night time scent for formal occasions. However, i enjoyed this scent a lot, and could see this being someones signature scent, this would suit a 35+ gentleman perfectly as a signature scent.
Overall rating will be a perfect 5/5. This is unique and fantastic, an amazing blend of beastliness and elegance, arguably Chanel's best mens fragrance.
