Ralph Lauren Safari EDT Review 2025: $35 Old-School Masterpiece That Still Smells Like Money!

Picked up Ralph Lauren Safari for Men EDT (125ml) for $35 at Burlington, and I’m kicking myself for sleeping on this 1992 classic for so long. The bottle is pure old-school elegance: heavy glass with a faux-leather cap and gold accents that screams “granddad’s cologne” in the best way regal, mature, and timeless. Created by master perfumer Dominique Ropion (the nose behind countless legends), notes are a laundry list of 90s freshness: lavender, bergamot, aldehydes, coriander, green notes, artemisia, lemon, and neroli up top; tarragon, carnation, cinnamon, rose, cyclamen, and jasmine in the heart; leather, oakmoss, sandalwood, musk, cedar, patchouli, and amber in the base. First spray is a crisp, spicy lavender with sweet bergamot and a clean, almost soapy freshness that instantly feels professional and masculine. On skin it sweetens just enough to balance the spice, cinnamon adds warmth without overpowering, and the aldehydes give it that classic barbershop polish. After wearing it for days, performance is excellent for an EDT: strong projection for the first hour, moderate wake for another 3–4, then a gorgeous woody-leather skin scent that lasts 8+ hours. The dry-down is smooth cedar-sandalwood with subtle leather and oakmoss, mature, refined, and never dated. This is the definition of old-school masculine done right: clean, spicy, woody, and confident without trying to be trendy. It’s not youthful or playful, if you’re under 30 you might find it “dad cologne,” but if you’re 30+ and want to smell like a well-groomed gentleman who golfs and smokes cigars, this is perfection. My wife loves it on me (“you smell expensive and clean”), and random compliments rolled in from people who “recognize it from their dad but love it.” Bottom line: Ralph Lauren Safari EDT is a $35–50 timeless masterpiece that smells like $150 vintage luxury. If you love spicy lavender openings, clean woody hearts, and leather-oakmoss dry-downs that scream mature masculinity, blind-buy the biggest bottle you can find. Safe for office, dates, or daily wear, massive longevity for an EDT, zero regrets. This is dumb-reach gold for grown men. 0:00 - $35 Burlington Find & 1992 Classic Unboxing 0:48 - Dominique Ropion Notes & Leather-Cap Bottle 2:05 - First Spray on Paper (Spicy Lavender!) 3:12 - On Skin Impressions 5:02 - Multi-Day Wear: Projection & Woody-Leather Dry-Down 7:20 - Final Verdict & Mature Masculine Ranking