Nostalgia is not familiar territory for me, but at this time of the year it feels like a proper bit of indulgence. So it was that I stumbled fatefully into the back of the cologne cabinet, and down a memory slide that brought me all the way to the holiday season of 1993. After graduating from the typical guy’s starter set of ‘Cool Water’ and ‘Curve’, the classic ‘Eternity’ by Calvin Klein, and a brief foray into the rightfully and quickly discontinued ‘Zino’ by Davidoff, I’d landed on ‘Safari’ by Ralph Lauren for the holiday season, and my first return home since leaving for college that fall.
It is said that most fragrances don’t last beyond a decade or so, but I’ve not found that to be true. It helps that my bottles are stored in a dim cabinet and kept relatively cool, so there isn’t much of the wear and tear that usually breaks down cologne. Still, thirty years is a pretty substantial stretch, but somehow ‘Safari’ still help potency, and as I sprayed it on, I was back three decades ago… back to a happy time, to a hopeful time, even as it was fraught with the romantic drama as befits an 18-year-old freshman in college.
With proclaimed notes of eucalyptus, lavender and vetiver, this is a traditional cologne accented by opening sparks of bergamot and lemon. It manages to be both fresh and rich, and the original batch is still holding onto its power. Accordion to recent reports, the newer ‘Safari’ bottles are a bit more watered down – the usual story on most fragrances these days. Potency is out and light is in, and that’s a bummer. Thankfully, I have two bottles with a bit left in each – enough to see me through the next thirty Christmas seasons if necessary.
