Gender Bender

Gender Bender: Pi by Givenchy (1998)

05/07/15 08:07:35 

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

This is another in a series of fragrance reviews that asks, “How does fragrance transcend gender?” Leave a comment below for your chance to receive a sample, shipped anywhere in the world, free!

Hello and welcome to my new column here at Fragrantica: “Gender Bender,” an exploration of aroma, gender and scented freedom. Though by no means do I personally prescribe to fragrance having a gender, sociocultural stereotypes about masculinity and femininity often prevail at the fragrance counters. Join me as I explore some of my favorite 20th century masterpieces of perfumery in my quest to address the familiar question, “How does fragrance transcend gender?”

Summary: A classic 90s release from Givenchy, Pi experimented with a sweet and powdery, boozy, gourmand vanilla/almond accord set against a more traditional, herbal/woody composition and the result is mouthwatering, still relevant, and completely affordable. Having previously examined Kenzo pour Homme as a mossy, green aroma transcending gendered fragrance norms, we now turn our attention to an oriental gourmand. Perfumer: Alberto Morillas

Try this if you like: YSL Manifesto, Angel, L’Instant, Shalimar, or Must de Cartier;oriental aromas with strong vanilla basenotes; amaretto, almonds or marzipan; powdery sweet scents.

Pros & Cons: A powerful and long-lasting brew of surprising depth and richness in a quirky bottle; definitely one for almond lovers. As Pi is a vanilla bomb, those that are wary of powdery gourmands might be easily put off; and as the scent has undergone reformulation, I can’t speak to the quality of current bottles. The lack of florals and fruit, and the addition of woods, allow this vanilla to stay grounded and warm.

Notes: “Woody Oriental; Top: Mandarin, Galbanum; Heart: Infinium; Base: Benzoin, Iron Wood” GivenchyBeauty.com. Fragrantica lists an earlier pyramid of “basil, rosemary, tarragon and mandarin. The heart encompasses neroli, geranium, lily of the valley and anise, while base notes include: vanilla, tonka, cedar, benzoin, almond and yellow sugar.”

Reminds me of: Joop! Le Bain, Hilde Soliani Orgasmo, YSL Body Kouros, Gaultier 2,Kenzo Amour, Guerlain L’Instant, L’Artisan Havana Vanille, Calypso St Barth Lea,Castelbajac (2001), YSL Cinema, Montale Sandalsilver.

Designer’s Description: “A magnetic fragrance that embodies exploration and discovery, Pi inspires every man to explore uncharted territories. Heady notes of mandarin and musky Galbanum are soothed with Infinium (an barley-based note) and soft woods to create a truly masculine dry down. Pi is a fragrance dedicated to adventurers in search of new territories, explorers of the infinite and sensational experiences. The man who wears Pi is a pioneer. He is masculine, yet sensitive. A man of action who always exceeds expectations...Further than infinity.”—GivenchyBeauty.com

Number of times tested: 100+ over the last 17 years.

Number of sprays applied for this review: A single spray to the back of hand from a vintage bottle I purchased online (2002).

Fragrance strength: Eau de Toilette

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex): Pi is indeed linear and without much change during its evolution. Rather than taking its wearer on a journey, Pi immediately wraps one in a fuzzy, warm blanket of gourmand goodness.

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting) Amazing! I can get a good 8-10 hrs on me with only minor application.

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) Pi is a powerful head-turner in its first 2-3 hours and then becomes a comforting, though still very much present, skin scent thereafter.

Note about the packaging: Pi is still housed in its original sculpted, pyramidal glass bottle but original bottles see the pi sign at the bottle’s front bottom while newer bottles see the sign larger in size and towards the center top. Likewise, the new box is plain white while the original had a gold/brown design on its front.

Where can I buy it? Found online for as little as $35 USD for a 100 ml tester.

The Bottom Line: For many women, their explorations of fragrance began with some iconic vanillas: Shalimar, for example, or maybe CK Obsession, or perhaps Vanilla Fields. And judging by the history of 20th century men’s fragrances, this genre pretty much belonged to the female market. As I earlier noted in my Ciara review, however, the late 80s and 90s saw some development in this regard; fragrances like the sweet Joop! Homme and aquatic Eternity for Men played with our expectations of what these gendered genres could offer. In the late 90s, as more and more lines began to blur as to what constituted masculine and feminine at the fragrance counter, Givenchy released a modern masterpiece worlds apart from its 1993 and 1995 men’s launches of Insense and Insense Ultramarine, respectively. I’d love to know the story as to how Pi came about; do leave a comment below if you have the inside scoop on its creation. Having long been a lover of all things vanilla, my first meeting with Pi was complete kismet. One sniff and I knew that I was destined to fall in love; it was like reuniting with an old friend. At the time, my vanilla staples were Joop’s exquisite and quite similar Le Bain, Must de Cartier, Coty’s Raw Vanilla and L’Artisan’s now sadly discontinued Vanilia. I had flirted with the vanilla of Comptoir Sud Pacifique and offerings from Bath and Body Works, but always found their creations a bit too sweet, although CSP’s take on cacao is still in my wardrobe (Amour de Cacao). But Pi’s vanilla was slightly different, slightly warmer, toastier, like almond extract used in baking. In the mid-90s, I hadn’t much considered the aroma of almonds; and it seems neither had the perfume industry. Something exciting must have happened around 1988, as quite suddenly almond started to appear. Have you tried Etro’s yummy Heliotrope (1989) yet? I find this quite interesting as from what I can tell it was almost 100 years earlier that almond was effectively employed in another heliotrope fragrance…from Guerlain—Heliotrope Blanc (1890). Ironically, Guerlain just so happens to have recently released a close cousin to Pi— L’Homme Ideal. And though I quite liked it, I found it a pale comparison to Pi, especially in terms of longevity. Anyhow, between 1988 and 1998 the note would start to become more and more popular: Dior Hypnotic Poison, for example, makes great use of the almond note. And that’s about all there really is to tell about Pi. Warm, vanillic, almondy, slightly woody, great longevity, not too cloying, easily affordable and one of Givenchy’s best. Now, if only Givenchy would follow Dior’s lead and offer us a parfum version…

Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison Perfumer/owner at Kings Palace Perfumery, Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison is also the creator ofThePerfumeCritic.com and has contributed to Perfumer & Flavorist, American Society of Perfumers, Basenotes, Fragrantica,Playboy, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health, The New York Times, Forbes, NowSmellThis, and BeautyAddictMag. Marlen is a professor of humanities with over 15 years in international academia; his research can be found in peer-reviewed publications ranging from Qualitative Research in Psychology to Language Learning in Higher Education.

Having lived in the USA, UK, Japan & Finland, Marlen currently resides in Washington, DC where he works both part-time at The Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian and as a professor / faculty supervisor for Southern New Hampshire University’s online graduate programs in Writing and Literature. Learn more about Marlen at www.MarlenHarrison.com.