Hello again,
I’m back with a side-by-side review of 2 classic fragrances – 1-12 and Z-14 by Halston!
I purchased both of these colognes at TJ Maxx in February on reputation, alone, and immediately fell in love with 1-12 while Z-14 took quite some time for me to wrap my head around. Both are bright, aromatic fragrances while the former is a lemon-centric, basil-forward scent and the latter a more woodsy-citrus cologne that dries with notes of leather.
With only a few sprays of 1-12, I feel as though I’m instantly refreshed – wrapped in crisp, clean linens. From it’s first exposure to air, 1-12 is a lemon and basil powerhouse, clinging to skin and clothing alike and pleasantly projecting for several hours. Over time, the presence of pine and oakmoss appear with jasmine and musk, not too far behind! To finish, a pleasant touch of tonka bean emerges and the fragrance disappears, leaving behind just a hint of spice. For me, this is a perfect cologne for a quick refresh after a long, hot day or before an impromptu get-together.
My initial experience with Z-12 stands in stark contrast to its analogue as its lemon and basil immediately disappear from sight (or is that smell?) and quickly the fragrance rapidly transitions from a pleasant orange-spiced leather into an off-putting, medicinal drydown period. After a good deal of time, the cinnamon and coriander give Z-14 some much-needed life and vetiver, cedar, and geranium. Z-14 certainly takes some getting used to. However, if used as a fabric or room refresher, the fragrance develops a fairly interesting profile that I can only describe as ‘moist towelette’ – that’s not to say I actively dislike it, but I prefer not to remind myself of long flights and or cheap BBQ and don’t reach for it very often.
1-12
- Concentration: Eau de Cologne
- Primary: Basil, Lemon, and Bergamot
- Secondary: Pine, Jasmine, and Oakmoss
- Tertiary: Tonka Bean, and Musk
Z-14
- Concentration: Eau de Cologne
- Primary: Orange and Leather
- Secondary: Patchouli, Cypress, and Jasmine
- Tertiary: Musk, Vetiver, and (for a moment) Oakmoss
Side-By-Side
- Sillage: The projection of 1-12 is tremendous, for its price, whilst Z-14’s presence quickly turns medicinal.
- Longevity: Both colognes perform similarly, in this area, given their respective concentrations of parfum – while not all-day-wear fragrances, they are perfect for a few hours before lunch in the morning or for a late-afternoon refresh.
- Versatility: Having 2 colognes is always better than 1! But if you had to choose, 1-12 is hands-down a much more complex fragrance and certainly more pleasing to the senses.
- Originality: These fragrances and those like them may have seen their heyday come and go in the late 1990’s, but they remain fun and unique, to this day. They bring a level of sophistication with their sharpness that can be quickly relaxed, given their versatility.
- Packaging: Halston packages 1-12 and Z-14 in identical packaging and bottles – once out-of-box, you either remember where you put each last or check the fine print on the label underneath every time you spray! I can see why similar packaging for similar colognes makes sense, but when there is zero disparity between the two it can become a bit frustrating.
- Price: At ~$10 to ~$15 each for 100ml of juice, these are some supremely affordable fragrances! I will keep my Z-14 around as an air freshener until it’s gone, but I would absolutely buy 1-12 again!
- Overall: For their prices, respectively, I think both are a great deal – from originality to sillage – but I would absolutely choose 1-12 over Z-14 every day of the week! I would purchase both to see which you may like, because if you don’t like one you can just use it as an air freshener that lasts!
- Score: 8/10 (1-12) and 5/10 (Z-14)
Thanks so much for reading!
