Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Nostalgic Dad

Is your dad still stuck in the seventies or eighties? Does he still listen to music on his eighties boombox? Do computers scare him? If this is your dad, I highly recommend that you give him fragrances from his past. Many colognes that are oldies but goodies are still being sold. You can usually find them in discount fragrance stores, perfumeries that specialized in rare fragrances or online retailers. I highly recommend these nostalgic fragrances for your dad . . .

Antaeus by Chanel (1981)

Antaeus is a strong, luxurious and very, very sophisticated scent. The beginning notes of this woody-chypre fragrance is lemon, lime, coriander and clary sage. Its middle notes are thyme, basil, rose and jasmine. It finally ends with patchouli, castoreum, labdanum and oakmoss.

Aramis by Aramis (1965)

Aramis is considered to be a fragrance masterpiece. This classic yet modern fragrance has a universal, timeless appeal. It begins with artemisia, bergamot, cinnamon, gardenia. Its middle notes are pelargonium, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, and its base is leather, oakmoss, amber.

Aspen by Coty (1989)

This fragrance takes me back to my college years. I always wore this alpine aromatic scent. I should have known that I had good taste back then; it won a FiFi in 1991, and Luca Turin, a well known scent scientist, gave it four stars. Aspen is classified as a refreshing, spicy, lavender and amber fragrance. This masculine scent blends woodsy, citrus and spicy notes.

Brut by Faberge (1964)

Brut always reminds me of a hardworking man. This masculine scent blends citrus top notes with a spicy woodsy base. Lavender and amber are also included in this fragrance.

4711 by Muelhens (1792)

Created in 1792, this fragrance was the original eau de toilette. 4711 begins with orange oil, peach, basil, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are cyclamen, lily, melon, jasmine and bulgarian rose; and its base notes are patchouli, tahitian vetiver, musk, sandalwood, oakmoss and cedar.

New West by Aramis (1988)

If this list did not include this classic and rare fragrance, it would not be complete. This unusual lemon peppery and rare scent always leave me in awe. It is hypnotic. New West begins with calone, bergamot, geranium leaf and mint. Its heart is rosemary, oregano, lavender, bay leaf, nutmeg, sage and juniper and it ends with patchouli, sandalwood, cedarwood, moss and musk.

Old Spice by Proctor and Gamble (1938)

Men have love this "oldie by goodie" for years. It is always reasonable price and smells terrific. This cologne is the original man's man fragrance. According to the Fragrance Foundation Fragrance Directory, Old Spice has "top notes of Italian bergamot and Californian lemon[, which is] blended with florals of carnation, jasmine and rose. The heart is spicy and warm. Amber, rich vanilla and opoponax notes define the incense/spice base and are blended with East Indian sandalwood, ylang [ylang], nutmeg, lavender and patchouli to give it its spice/fougère character. The drydown reveals warm, sensual musks. Touches of Haitian vetiver and Yugoslavian oakmoss serve to complete this complex distinct and definitive fragrance."

Pour Monsieur by Chanel (1955)

The first and only men's fragrance made during Coco Chanel's lifetime, this highly sophisticated fragrance blends lemon, mandarin and cardamom into a woody base. This old beauty may not be available in many stores. You may want to try its 2001 version, Concentree, if you cannot find it.

Pour Monsieur Concentree is more intense than the original version. It has top notes of petit grain, lavender and mandarin orange; its middle notes are nutmeg and cardamom; and it dries down to opoponax, vanilla, oakmoss and vetiver.

Royal Copenhagen by Royal Copenhagen (1970)

I love this cologne. I highly recommend it to all men who want a great smelling, masculine and nostalgic fragrance. Royal Copenhagen is classified as an oriental and woody scent. It blends orange, lemon, jasmine, moss and amber notes.

Santal Imperial by Creed (1850)

This 200 plus year old classic is a soft and earthy fragrance with a spicy base. This fragrance is considered to be a "universal" eau de toilette. Its main ingredient is Indian sandalwood.

Source: Fragrancex.com, The Fragrance Foundation Fragrance Directory and Fragrantica