As the cashier at Walgreen’s rang up my sale, I watched the cash register’s display. Stetson — $2.00. (Big sale at the fragrance aisle.) Stetson Black — $2.00. Charlie — DO NOT SELL. The cashier yawned and continued to toss items into my bag. Tabu — DO NOT SELL. I glanced up at her, but she seemed unconcerned and pushed my bag toward me. The last time I got a “do not sell” from the cash register, it was for a recalled bottle of Love’s Baby Soft. What has to happen that’s so bad that a bottle of drugstore perfume is recalled?
I happy to report that none of the bottles of perfume I bought that day burst spontaneously into flames or ate holes in my skin. In fact, Stetson may be my best two-dollar investment ever.
Coty, under a new sub-brand, also called Stetson, launched Stetson in 1981. Stetson is marketed to men, and the half-ounce bottle I have is labeled “aftershave” and features a blocky print of a cowboy on a horse. The cowboy is lassoing other horses, and in the background is the suggestion of mountains and trees. But the picture on the Stetson bottle doesn’t have much to do with the juice inside the bottle. In fact, it might be a better match with Tauer Lonestar Memories. If I were designing an image to match Stetson’s smell, I’d have the cowboys sitting around a table and playing cards. In skirts.
The Stetson website lays out some of the Stetson lore. It says that Stetson went out west but didn’t like the cold and damp. “So, in 1865, Stetson set out to make the hat that could tame the American west.” If you look past the multi-million dollar advertising campaign starring Tom Brady (see above, right) and remember that Stetson was a clothing designer, Stetson cologne starts to make a lot more sense.
Basenotes lists Stetson’s topnotes as lemon, lime, bergamot, and lavender; its heart as patchouli, jasmine, and vetiver; and its base as amber and tonka. If I were to guess at Stetson’s composition, I’d give it topnotes of lemon and tonka; a heart of lavender, carnation, patchouli, tonka, and amber; and a base of more tonka and amber. The warm, spicy vanilla scent of tonka permeates Stetson, but a sprinkling of lemon and lavender remind you that Stetson is supposed to be refreshing. Sometimes its gentle patchouli floats up, and sometimes I never smell it. Stetson only lasts about half an hour on my skin, but it’s a wonderful half hour, satisfying and surprising.
Gentlemen, please forego this morning’s three dollar latte and buy yourself some Stetson instead. Ladies, you get out there too and round up some Stetson. You won’t be sorry. I’ll see you back at the ranch.
See also: Lady Stetson.
Note: images (Matthew McConaughey and Tom Brady for Stetson) via Images de Parfums.
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I tried to buy a bottle of Tabu at Walgreens around Christmas time this past year and got DO NOT SEL. The manager said whoever owns Dana recalled the bottles b/c of improper labeling. Weird.
Why have out if you can't sell it?
Maybe my bottles had the same issue. I don't care much about the labels, though, as long as the juice is still all right.
LOVE Stetson! (would never have tried it without reading Tania Sanchez' great review) It really agrees with me. I've tried it side by side with Chanel No. 5 and I prefer it. Unbelievably, it shares similar notes. Also with Cuir de Russe. I'm wearing it right now and the special spicy cola/leather smell just makes me happier than any other perfume besides Dior's Dune. Unfortunately, it's a little embarrassing to tell people what I'm wearing.
My dear Hubby wears Stetson and he gets complements. It lasts forever on him too. Come to think of it, I've never smelled the ladies (on skin). Have to give it a try.
At the price, it certainly can't be beat, and I'm glad you love it! Maybe if you give the name a French slant–you know, Eau de Stetson–it will be easier to say….
Have you tried your husband's Stetson on your skin? You might really like it. I like it better than I like Lady Stetson.
How about Eau de Chapeau de L'ouest?
You hit the nail on the head! Only when I read our description of the notes did I realize what made Stetson so ladylike – it's the lemon/lime/bergamot! Lemon/tonka is a great combination, and Stetson is a really fun scent. Have you tried any of the flankers? I kind of liked the ozonic-sugar Untamed.
I haven't, and I do wear several men's fragrances. Thanks for the tip!
Nice review. Thanks!
I am have been waffling about picking some Stetson and Stetson Black up. I guess I will be shopping the CVS fragrance aisle this weekend.
PS. The Stetson website has a free sample offer for Stetson Fresh.
Perfect!
Let me know how you like it.
I've tried Stetson Black, and I wasn't wild about it. I'll have to look for Untamed–thanks for the tip.
At $2, it really can't be beat, even for an unsniffed purchase.
I wonder what Stetson Fresh is like? I also wonder who the noses were behind these scents.
Or I could simply pronounce it in a French way, “It's called “Stay-sohn.”
I like that, too.
A cheap thrill is a wonderful thing, outdone only by a SUPER-cheap thrill. I may have to pick some up for the heck of it if I can deal with the shame of it (yes, even in Rite-Aid I get purchase anxiety).
I bet you're the classiest guy in the whole drugstore. And, heck, if it's good enough for Tom Brady (yeah, right) or Matthew McC (yuck) there's nothing to be ashamed of.
I've been on a cheap drugstore fragrance bender lately and loving it. Stetson, Halston Z-14, Grey Flannel-I think they're all more interesting and unique than anything my local mall offers. Stetson is really fun and completely unisex, IMO. Great review!
Thanks! I definitely want to spend more time trying drugstore scents.
“Perfumes: The Guide” says “Aspen” is quite good, too.
I bought stetson black for an ex bf. I like it! It smells good and not as cheap as it is sold for.
I also bought aspen at Christmas for my brothers when we were growing up. There are alot of good drugstore scents that get little credit.
Yet another one to put on the list!
I like plain Stetson better, but I can see where Stetson Black would be great for the right person.
So true.
Funnily enough, I was at my neighbourhood discount store today and saw a Stetson giftset that had the cologne and aftershave for $9.99. I remembered this article but talked myself out of it, reason being that I didn't really have a use for the aftershave (and the BF isn't into fragrance at all so I can't give the extra to him) but I just might have to go back now after reading the article again. All the notes sound good to me!
Angela, per your suggestion, I tried Stetson (for women) and loved it.
Today, I tried Stetson Fresh and loved it, but it disappeared right off my skin in a matter of two hours. And fragrance usually stays forever on me. It started out ozone/oceanic, with light fruity top notes, to my nose, it develops in a very linear way.
I'm sitting here trying to smell it out on my wrist and very little remains……
Regular Stetson (for men) doesn't last long on me, so I wouldn't hold out much hope for Stetson Fresh, either. Oh well. Sometimes I actually prefer it when a cologne wears off quickly so that I can wear something else!
You can use the aftershave just like cologne! I wonder if they have the half ounce, $2 bottles, too? I'd feel bad spending $10 on something unsniffed, but $2 is fine.
Hey, that's a great way of looking at it. Or Stetson Fresh could be layered with something else, too?
Maybe it would be a good one to keep in the refrigerator to splash on when it's really hot outside.
Well, I live in Toronto, so no Wal-Greens fragrance sale here (that sounds awesome though, if I didn't already own Tabu and Charlie as well, I would've stocked up). Anyway, I didn't go for the $9.99 gift set as both bottles of the aftershave and cologne were 100 ml and there's no way I'd ever use both up. But I was at another discounter today where they had testers and I love it! To my nose and on my skin, I get an almost Shalimar Eau Legere effect with the bergamot, lemon and vanilla being quite pronounced. Still ended up with a 100 ml because it was all they had, but spent $7.99 so I saved a couple bucks. Suffice it to say, thanks for a great article and recommendation!
I'm glad you like it! It doesn't last long on my skin, so having 100 ml and being able to spray with abandon might be good.
that's what perfumery is all about: the stuff, whether expensive or ridiculously cheap, what matters is the juice, and stripped of all marketing, price tag, and appearance of the bottle, it has to be good, it has to capture your attention and conjure feelings, defying all snobbery
i love the sudden surprises that perfumery offers, just like stetson. unfortunately, i've never smelled it, and guess it's not available in europe. i guess if ordered, the postage would be more expensive than the fragrance proper 
I share your feelings about perfume, although I have to admit that I'm a sucker for a pretty bottle.
Stetson's not available in Europe? Wow! You should try it. The shipping cost won't be that bad (but this is someone who buys PG Tips from Britain, which my husband says is like buying Lipton's) and it might become chic over there. I'm of both minds on the cost issue. Whilst I love the smell of Stetson, the cheapness puts me off a bit, at the same time the cheapskate part of me revels in being able to spritz to my heart's content… However, if the juice were housed in something like the Kenzo Amour bottle I'd be perfectly content.
I completely understand your split feelings over Stetson. I love a nice bottle and a classy reputation, too.
I wonder if there are some great drugstore perfumes in Europe that we don't have here?
My Walgreen's only had the $11.99 size, which went over my cheap unsniffed limit. So I came home and found someone on ebay with smaller bottles of both Lady Stetson and Stetson. I've been devouring Perfumes:the Guide and picked up a Vanilla Fields while I was at it.
Getting that book was dangerous – my list of things to try, which was already being added to almost daily reading this blog, has about quadrupled and I'm only halfway through. Sigh.
How do you like Vanilla Fields? I sympathize on the “to try” list. Mine is pretty big, too.
At my Walgreen's, most of the fragrances are in a locked case behind a cash register. But on one of the side aisles in a small display of small bottles, and that's where I found the stash of $2 perfumes. Just an FYI in case your Walgreen's does things the same way…
Yeah, I went to 2 different Walgreens and found that aisle but the only stuff was pretty weird, so rather than waste gas I just came home and shopped online.
I'll follow up on the Vanilla Fields when I get it. Sounds a little scary but could be great!
Reposted to remove long link:
On July 7, 2008 bklyn fragrance lover said:
You can get a sample from the company here http://tinyurl.com/2odzlh . After reading your article I went to CVS and tried on Stetson. I liked it. I never would have thought.
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Bkln fragrance lover, I know just what you mean! If I hadn't have reviewed Lady Stetson (and hadn't read the Lady Stetson review in Perfumes: The Guide) I never would have tried Stetson. I'm glad I did.
My boyfriend wears Stetson and he is a cowboy, a real born on a ranch in Montana, plays the fiddle, hat everyday cowboy. I read him the review from The Guide and he loved it, it made him feel fancy. I love it on him and I love how it lingers everywhere in the house.
Now I'm just plain burning up with jealousy!
Vanilla Fields is not what I thought it would be at all – I was kind of expecting sweet but it isn't -it smells like it has a lot of dried grasses in it or something. It's a little cheap and pewey at first, like the bargain bottle I got is a little off, but that goes away pretty fast. This stays very close to the skin and is quite odd – the vanilla wafts in and out of the hay. Hard to explain – you may want to give it a go if you can find a little bottle. I think it will be a good autumnal.
Meanwhile, both Stetson and Lady Stetson are turning a little too soapy for me, but I'll try everything again next week when my P is over and my chemicals get back to normal.
That's interesting that you can actually smell the “fields” in Vanilla Fields. I'm really curious now and will have to find a bottle. Thanks for letting me know what you think of it.
Lady Stetson is soapy on me, too, but regular Stetson not as much.
After I was done posting I remembered “fields” – duh.
I'll be interested in hearing what you think of it.
I'll let you know!
I wore it again and this time it was more flowery. Sweeter, but not teeny-bop. Weird.
Flowery–that kind of sounds like a field, too. I definitely need to try this one.
Hello, I've been a lurker for quite some time now. However, I just had to post a comment to say how much I've enjoyed this site. It's been a great learning experience for me. I've never given much thought to perfume but now I'm hooked. So, when I saw this I thought I'd try out the Stetson since it's easily available. So far, I like it…very warm scent. (I'm still learning how to use words larger than four letters when describing perfume – lol:) I've no clue about notes, etc…hoping my next post can be a little more descriptive) Also, on the stetsoncologne.com site, they are offering a free sample of the Stetson Fresh so go sign up for it. Thanks for all the great reviews!
I'm so glad you like the site! It's such a great way to get to know fragrance and also to find a community of people who feel the same way about it.
For people like me without formal training in perfume, reading blogs and smelling smelling smelling everything I can has been a great way to get to know perfume.