Let’s just get the bad news out of the way now: Brut no longer comes with a darling little necklace glued around its collar. The good news is that English Leather still has its wooden cap. As for how the fragrances have held up over the years, I can’t say, since I haven’t smelled the old versions. But, in my opinion, both fragrances still have their charms.
A quick visit to Brut World informs us that Helen of Troy Brut is the “Essence of Man.” Brut World doesn’t give a lot of information about the fragrance, except to describe its ten products, six of which are forms of deodorant. But it does provide a long list of features defining the Brut Man, including: “He has conviction, but is never convicted.” (Always reassuring.) “He has been the hundredth caller.” (Not sure if this means he’s won at a game show or what.) And my favorite, “He prefers things shaken, not stirred. But he will stir for others if that’s what they like.”
Fabergé launched Brut, created by the aptly named Karl Mann, in 1964…