The Orchid Man Frapin 2015

Frapin, just the word makes me swoon quickly, as L'Humaniste is one of my favorite fragrances. After my recent forays into the world of Aventus, I then read about The Orchid Man. Okay, I thought, you have to try that one too - in for a penny, in for a pound.

It starts off with a fresh, slightly sharp note of bergamot and pepper. Jasmine quickly makes its presence known and skillfully softens it with its floral influence. Then, oakmoss and patchouli gradually come into play. It becomes slightly "woody," greener. I feel lightly and subtly reminded of fir/spruce. But this is not a negative aspect and remains beautifully discreet in the background.

Patchouli skillfully transitions over amber to a well-perceived leathery note. By the way, the leather could also be tobacco. However, I can't quite share the descriptions of the heart and base notes. I find that what remains is a leather/tobacco note, subtly freshened by pepper and fir forest.

All in all, a lovely fragrance, of which I was initially unsure whether I really needed it in my collection. However, after a friend of mine raved, "What do you have on that smells amazing?", I finally decided to get The Orchid Man.

Small tip: Layered or mixed in a ratio of 3:2:1 (Orchid Man : Al Haramain : Shawq), a wonderful variant is created that reminds one of Aventus.