No.132 Anateus

Antaeus, created by Jacques Polge for Chanel in 1981, is a rich dry-woods classic whose complexity has led some perfume enthusiasts to argue it is too intricate to dupe convincingly. Eden's No.132, styled simply as Anateus, takes on that challenge with a note pyramid that lines up closely with the original, clary sage, coriander, bergamot and citrus on top, rose, thyme, basil and jasmine in the heart, and a mossy, patchouli and labdanum base standing in for Antaeus's oakmoss and castoreum foundation. Community reviewers describe the original as rough yet elegant, very dry and distinctly unsweet, with an opening that has been compared to hugging a bear, and this alternative captures that bold, no-nonsense masculinity well in its early stages. Where it settles for simplicity is in the base, the animalic castoreum depth that gives Antaeus its vintage, almost dangerous edge is toned down here into a more wearable mossy-patchouli warmth, trading some of the original's intensity for everyday practicality.