Parera, Varón Dandy, 100 ml. or 3.4 oz. Flacon, Eau de Cologne, 1923, 1970, Bardalona, Catalonia, Spain ..

Varón Dandy by Perfumeria Parera is a historic Spanish masculine fragrance launched in 1923, known as a classic, barber-shop chypre-oriental scent. It features a woody and spicy aroma with notes of lavender, citrus, moss, and cinnamon, often described as bringing a "vintage," "old-school," or "gentleman" feel to the wearer. 

The perfume house Perfumeria Parera was founded in the Catalan town of Badalona in 1912. Its founder, Joan Parera Casanovas, had a simple and patriotic vision of the brand.

He wanted to create inexpensive Spanish fragrances that were not inferior in quality to the best French perfumes. The Spaniards deserve the best perfume in the world .. just compare this vision with the ideas of Charles Revson and Estée Lauder! He had the idea of "world-class elegance at a low price made locally."

Parera created enough famous fragrances .. just to name the most famous of them: Cocaina en Flor, Tentacion, Gong, Aqua Profunda, Giovanda... But the brand's most famous fragrance and its main star was, of course, Varón Dandy cologne.

Varón means "a man" in Spanish. But besides, this fragrance gave the feeling that you are stepping up a notch, to become better version yourself; with this aroma, they promise, you become closer to real polished gentlemen. Look at the posters and the old labels – the black top hat, white gloves and swagger stick, symbols of high society that have become a part of the fragrance logo. On some posters, a monocle is added to them.

“No es dificil conocer el perfume que emanan estas chisteras”, - said one of the advertising posters, - “It is not difficult to recognize the aroma emanating from these top hats.” In Spain, the fragrance was so popular that for a while it was labeled "Spanish Banner". For a hundred years, Varón Dandy survived the flight of King Alfonso the 13th, and the republic, and the civil war, and two military dictatorships, and the return of royal power.

There is a lot of lemon-bergamot freshness, which is continued by geranium and jasmine in a white and spicy environment, turning the fragrance into an old-fashioned almost chypre. Sultry hot chypre, burning oriental chypre. The main emphasis on spice is cinnamon and carnation in abundance. They ignite the floral heart with a hot white flame that burns the rose almost to the ground, while the vibrant spicy geranium and animal-tinged jasmine get their few hours of perfect glory.

Varón Dandy lands in a warm and sun-drenched oriental forest. A woody accord of cedar and sandalwood, oak moss and patchouli, warmed by an oriental accord of amber, coumarin and benzoin, that is, on the border of chypres and oriental-spicy colognes.

Add castoreum and leather to move towards Knize Ten. Lessen spices and add labdanum and lots of rose to get closer to Chypre Coty. Take away the oriental accord and most of the spices and get a modern Eau de Cologne Chypre Jardin de France, an inexpensive and little known cologne of the same vintage feel.

According to some reports, earlier in the composition there was much more oak moss and animalic shades, but even in its current state, Varón Dandy has enough character, stamina and fire to be called a real man.

Top notes are Bergamot, Petitgrain, Lavender, Lemon

Heart notes are Geranium, Jasmine, Carnation, Cedar Wood, and Sandalwood
Base notes are Oak Moss, Amber, Musk, Tonka Bean, Benzoin, and Coumarin

Offered here is a bottle of this much revered cologne in the 1970 iteration, in a lovely green splash bottle ..