Safari

Few masculines from the early nineties still feel this considered. Ralph Lauren Safari, an eau de toilette released in 1992, is a woody aromatic built around lavender, oakmoss and leather, and it wears like a well kept country jacket. It smells expensive without shouting, green and dry rather than sweet, the sort of thing that reads as quietly grown up.Fragrance NotesTop: Lavender, Bergamot, Aldehydes, Coriander, Green Notes, Artemisia, Lemon, NeroliHeart: Tarragon, Carnation, Cinnamon, Rose, Jasmine, CyclamenBase: Leather, Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Musk, Cedar, Patchouli, AmberFull note breakdown on Fragrantica.The ScentThe opening is bracing and herbal. Bergamot and lemon flash bright for a moment, then coriander, artemisia and green notes pull everything into cool, aromatic territory, with lavender sitting right in the middle of it. There is an aldehydic lift in the first minutes that gives the whole thing a groomed, almost soapy cleanliness before the herbs take hold.As it settles, the heart turns floral and lightly spiced. Carnation and cinnamon add a warm, old school spice, while rose and jasmine keep it from getting too austere. The real character arrives in the base, where oakmoss and leather do the heavy lifting over sandalwood, cedar and patchouli. This is where Safari earns its reputation, a dry, mossy, leathery finish with a touch of amber that feels tailored rather than loud.Reviewers who know the era often place the opening close to Aramis New West, another citrus and aldehydic aromatic from the same years, though Safari plays it cooler and more restrained. The real difference sits in the base, where a creamy sandalwood keeps the oakmoss and leather smooth rather than harsh, holding its shape well across a full day. Current bottles, made under tighter modern limits on oakmoss, read a touch lighter than vintage ones, though the core lavender and dry woods remain intact.When to WearThis is a cooler weather scent that comes alive in fall and through spring. The green, mossy character suits daytime and the office, and the dry leather gives it enough backbone for a long day outdoors. It is not a beach fragrance and it is not built for peak summer heat. It layers easily under a wool coat or tweed jacket, reading as groomed rather than perfumed, which suits meetings and dinners just as well.Who Is It ForFor someone who likes classic, structured masculines and finds most modern fresh scents a little thin. If you appreciate oakmoss, leather and a bit of herbal bitterness, and you want a fragrance that reads as understated and mature, Safari is squarely aimed at you. It also makes a fine introduction to vintage style masculines for anyone curious about where a lot of today's aromatic woody scents actually came from. It also suits anyone who tried the big Aramis powerhouses of the seventies and found them too heavy, since Safari keeps a similar mossy backbone without the aggressive weight.If you like Safari, the same era gives you Azzaro Pour Homme and Drakkar Intense, two aromatic fougeres that share its lavender and mossy backbone. You can browse the full Ralph Lauren range, or explore more of our aromatic and fougere collection for scents cut from the same cloth.Safari is available as a decant in 3ml, 5ml, 9ml and 15ml sizes.