In fact, what sweetness there is, is only there to stop the tamarisk note from getting out of hand, nothing more.

Aggressive and mean, Envy was a success - because of its faults - and not despite them. And they are what make it so distinctive and memorable.

And of course it was a big success, which goes to show that a safe perfume isn't always the most lucrative one. The floral is a magnolia bouquet, made sour by sharp lilac, fugitive hyacinth and fake citrus. There's also cold iris and a green accord based on shiny muguet leaf. It's like green l'Eau d'issey, which is set on a base of scorched earth that clearly derives from Sinan. On the other hand, what is different about Envy is - it doesn't try to smell nice. By flouting the idea that it 'should always smell good' Envy places itself firmly in the difficult - or Expressionist camp - along with some of Roudnitska's work, Sécrétions, Poison etc. I don’t consider myself to be a hype man by any stretch of the imagination, which makes the next statement all the more profound. I believe Envy for Men is one of the greatest fragrances ever made. And keep in mind I’m not saying this out of nostalgia. As far as I remember, Envy was never very big in Australia. The fragrances I remember when growing up were Drakkar Noir, Usher and One Million. By the time I tried Envy for myself, it had been long discontinued.