Charles Jourdan Un Homme

Anise, Bergamot, Lavender, Lemon, Marjoram, Tarragon.
Carnation, Cedar, Cinnamon, Geranium, Jasmine, Patchouli.
Amber, Leather, Moss, Musk, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean.

This 1980 creation fetches some pretty fair prices on the bay. Over the years, I have had numerous bottles of it in splash, spray and concentrate. I systematically sold them all, then picked up a 100ml spray about 6 months ago with a low-ball bid. I didn't think I'd win, but placed the bid anyway just in case folks were unawares that day. There were and I won a terrific masculine for peanuts.

Charles Jourdan Un Homme is a study in classic lavender-floral construction. It's essence is soapy lavender accented by carnation and geranium. These are the mainstays of Un Homme with the others accounted as a supporting cast.

This is a clean smelling masculine that may or may not be too mature for those under 30 years old. I'm not referring to it as dated, but the aroma will no doubt be associated with a different time and place. Let's just say it is a mature scent and that reference is said with good intentions.

Un Homme opens with a spicy citrus accord influenced by lavender, subtle green herb and a hint of licorice.

This is a very competent introduction and after enjoying it for about 5 minutes, the carnation and geranium begin rising from the heart. The anise and Tarragon subside completely on me, but the marjoram remains.

The lavender begins to assert itself during the middle transition and evolves into a soapy rendition. This clean aura permeates the entire composition. It remains a clear accord and never becomes caustic as some have a tendency to do. It's very nice and smells appropriate for almost any venue. It's too accommodating not to be.

Extended drydown affords very mild hints of moss, leather and wood tones. Un Homme never succumbs to them and stays true to the lavender-floral theme until the end. Sillage is average and longevity is about 5 hours on me. Thumbs up from Aromi for Charles Jourdan's classic Un Homme.

Comments

Newport by Caswell Massey

Bergamot, Mandarin, Lemon, Lavender, Geranium, Muguet, Rose, Ambergris, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk. After wearing Newport by Caswell Massey a few times and then reading what others had to say about this recent formulation, I found some of the opinions harsh. I have no way to compare it to the heralded vintage formula, nor can I use memory as I've never tried the original. Enter the current version. I do agree with some reviews that this rendition does not bring about the sense of beach and salt, but there's a long line of fragrances that fail to represent their depictions. However, Newport isn't so far off the mark that it's a complete misrepresentation. I can imagine wearing Newport ( or something similar ) in a beach setting. It smells classic due to the way Citrus, Lavender and Geranium are implemented. It's assuredly retro, but it seems to have that intangible I like that keeps me sniffing. Newport, at least on my skin, is top heavy in the sens...

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Lanvin L'Homme

Lord knows the world has enough fresh woody citrus fragrances. It's a hackneyed genre of masculine perfume, having been done to death by countless designer firms cranking these things out since the 1990s, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Lanvin L'Homme, released in 1997, is one of the early woody citrus releases, but it (along with Essenza di Zegna) stands out because it's one of the best. That may sound like it's not saying much, but Lanvin L'Homme really is excellent. I won't get into a long treatise about all of the notes contained in this and how they evolve. Lanvin L'Homme is sparkling, spicy, woody, transparent and dry. What I love about this scent is how brilliantly it uses vetiver - the vetiver gives Lanvin L'Homme a woody, dry and somewhat bitter smell, but it also manages to create an effect of sustaining the citrus top notes for several hours. This results in a fragrance that smells fresh and cheerful from beginning ...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog