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Thierry Lecoule

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Cabaret Homme Grès 2004 Eau de Toilette

7.7 / 10 28 Ratings

A popular perfume by Grès for men, released in 2004. The scent is fougèreartig-spicy. It was last marketed by Lalique Group / Art & Fragrance.
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Main accords

Fougère

Spicy

Woody

Green

Fresh

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Bergamot

Coriander

Juniper berry

Rosemary

Basil

Pineapple

Heart Notes

Lavender

Jasmine

Lily of the valley

Base Notes

Amber

Musk

Oakmoss

Tonka bean Clove

Clove

Patchouli

Sandalwood

Tarragon

Vetiver

Perfumer

Pierre Bourdon

Ratings

Scent

7.728 Ratings

Longevity

7.424 Ratings

Sillage

6.324 Ratings

Bottle

6.430 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 10/22/2024.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Cabaret Homme After Shave Lotion

Drakkar Noir Eau de Toilette

Christopher DiCas

Reviews

4 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/21/2017

MichVaillant
13 Reviews

MichVaillant

Very helpful Review 5

Somewhere between a fougere and an aromatic

Cabaret Homme is quite underrated, although it is hardly groundbreaking. It is somewhere between a textbook lavender/juniper/leather fougere a la Drakkar Noir and a coriander/sandalwood aromatic such as RL Safari or Cartier Pasha. Think of it as a much better Caesar’s Man, or a not-as-good Givenchy Xeryus, and you will get the picture.

Cabaret Homme possesses the baseline quality level you would expect from a Gres fragrance; so, I cannot see it disappoint anybody, even the seasoned aficionado, from a quality perspective. Disappointment, if it happens, would follow from a perceived lack of originality and “wow factor”. Obviously, the more you are familiar with the above listed fragrances, the more likely such a disappointment. For me the one thing that sets it apart from any of the others listed above is a “just right” amount of spiciness, which neither overwhelms, nor gets lost among other aspects/notes.

This would be a great buy at a reasonable price, but at the current (Summer 2017) prices, it is not a competitive buy; especially if you are buying blind.

05/22/2015

ColinM
516 Reviews

ColinM

Helpful Review 4

Tsar reloaded

So after YSL came up in 2003 with that fantastic time-machine called Rive Gauche pour Homme, here’s Bourdon composing one year later another decidedly old-school, completely non-fashion fragrance for Grès. The quality isn’t really comparable in my opinion, but neither was the price, as I guess Cabaret was way more cheap; the inspiration though, that was quite similar. Cabaret pour Homme is basically a sort of fruitier, slightly more “contemporary” take on Van Cleef & Arpels' Tsar: that same type of formal aromatic fougère structure, played with a couple of added or, say, “renovated” chords – notably fruits, a floral-green whiff, also something like amber or labdanum “warming” it up a bit, with also a subtle sort of tobacco-incense aftertaste. At once fresher and warmer. Take Tsar and imagine it sweeter, a bit younger and more “informal”. Basically like putting a baseball cap and a Supreme t-shirt on your grandpa. Openly “uncool” and slightly naif: I love that. The quality isn’t really top-notch for me, but it isn’t totally bad either; Cabaret smells nice and versatile, “manly” in a slightly dated way with just a hint of warmth and modern tints.

Also, it has a sort of really well-played feel of “luxury” which is as much fake as enjoyable, like a well-made counterfeit Rolex replica. Actually it’s fascinating as it smells at the same time heavily cheap on some nuances, but somehow the overall look is good and the composition seems clever enough to “disguise” the cheapness. Anyway I can see why this is overlooked, as it sits right in the grey nowhere halfway a classic aromatic fougère and a more modern “office-safe” woody-spicy-fruity-smoky scent for contemporary men; but it’s at once too modern and too sweet for fans of classic fougères, and surely still too outdated for the average contemporary taste. And there’s the “appealing-to-nobody” trap. It’s a shame because it is instead a really decent and enjoyable blend of these two inspirations, which makes you feel wearing something mannered, classy and mature enough but with a more relaxed, playful, less “austere” vibe. Miles away being a creative piece of art or a “compliment getter”, but give it a chance if you stumble upon it.

6,5-7/10

08/06/2020

8Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Sailor2

Translated · Show original

Sailor2

Very helpful Review 11

A Cabaret Without an Audience - Fougère with Washboard Abs

As a surprise, I received a sample of Cabaret Homme, which I liked so much that I thought: This textbook Fougère fragrance by Grès deserves another comment!

Grès was founded in 1942 by Alix Gres as a fashion brand. Originally named Germaine Krebs (born 1903), she chose to adopt the name after her husband, the Russian painter Serge Czerefkov (egreS, gres, Grès). Alix Gres initially found success with fashion in Paris. She returned from a trip to India in 1956 with olfactory impressions that, with the help of perfumer Bernard Chant, led to the creation of her own fragrance called "Cabochard" (Stubborn) in 1959 (setting a new trend of "Chypre with leather"). There is a well-executed reissue of Cabochard from 2019.

In the 1980s, she first had to sell the perfume house, then the fashion house (the latter was discontinued). Grès was part of Escada in the 90s but was sold in 2001 to the Art & Fragrance group (Lalique Group). This includes brands like Alain Delon, Bentley, Jaguar, and Lalique. The publicly traded Lalique Group is based in Zurich.

Cabaret Homme was released in 2004, a year after the women's version. The nose behind Cabaret Homme is Pierre Bourdon. His works include Kouros (1981), Green Irish Tweed (1985), Bois de Portugal (1987), Cool Water (1988), Jil Sander Sun (1989) - all within a decade! Hats off. In 2015, Pierre Bourdon even established his own perfume line with five fragrances.

I certainly wouldn't have thought to test Cabaret Homme. My first impression was: 90s fragrance! While this isn't true, I have this subjective category for certain distinctly masculine scents (often with an after-shave vibe) - regardless of the year of release - like Percival. However, upon closer inspection - or let's say sniffing - Cabaret Homme reminds me of the soapy subgenre from the 80s with Drakkar Noir (‘82) or Xeryus (‘86).

Cabaret Homme is a masterfully balanced Fougère fragrance. An olfactory journey from the fruity-soapy masculine top note to the soapy-aromatic-woody drydown. The composition seems so unique to me that I couldn't describe it without a glance at the fragrance pyramid. Top notes: “Pineapple, Basil, Bergamot, Coriander, Rosemary, Juniper Berry” - yes, I believe all of that, the berry-fruitiness with pineapple is great. Everything is harmoniously balanced, lavender joins in along with some floral notes. Nothing groundbreaking, but pleasant (to me, somewhat too sweet). There is warmth and a certain sensuality. On one hand, “old-school man,” on the other hand, modern-fresh. Longevity is average, sillage is moderate but fitting.

Experts have explained that while aquatic or ozonic notes were dominant in the early 00s, Tom Ford - then at LVMH - revived traditional masculine fragrance notes/lines. Grès joined this traditional direction with Cabaret Homme. However, they also wanted to be modern, hence an advertising image with a washboard stomach à la Fierce, which had just been released (the advertisement is easy to find; I submitted it here a week or two ago, but it has not yet appeared under the fragrance).

Cabaret Homme is a creation for the man who knows what he wants in life, and seduction is part of his personality - haha, this was somewhat similar to the marketing nonsense for the women's version (translated here to Cabaret Homme). In another forum, someone deciphered why Cabaret Homme remains so under the radar: For classic Fougère lovers, the fragrance probably seems too sweet and modern. For mainstream taste, which seeks an office-safe everyday scent, this creation is too retro (and the brand Grès is unknown to many men). So to speak, a cabaret without an audience. At first, I also set my sample aside until I discovered how uniquely retro yet pleasantly suitable for everyday wear the fragrance is.

There is also Cabaret Homme After Shave, deodorant, and shower gel. The bottle design is reminiscent of Must de Cartier [women's version] (and of a red curtain in a classic cabaret). The name? Fits perfectly into the “Cab-” tradition with Cabochard or Cabotine from Grès.

Cabaret Homme is truly an individual choice. With it, “man” wears a fragrance that is definitely not found on every corner.

03/11/2012

9Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Gentilhomme
120 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Gentilhomme

8

Welcome, Bienvenue, Welcome...

...to Cabaret, at Cabaret, to Cabaret...
Hmmm...this little water didn't make it easy for me from day one.

Purchased in the low-price corner of a department store, my expectations weren't too high. The packaging and the bottle justified its existence among all the < 15 € bargains, and the Grand Dame of draping, Alix Grès, would surely turn in her grave at such a sight...or so I thought at first.

Until then, I knew from the house of Grès the two wonderful women's fragrances Cabochard and Quiproquo (the latter, by the way, also marketed 1:1 as the men's fragrance Grès pour Homme or Homme de Grès) and the spicy-woody Grès Monsieur, but Cabaret surprised me quite a bit... the pineapple note is special, but in its development with the other ingredients, it is very pleasant. I perceive the remaining ingredients only rudimentarily, apart from a soft sandalwood accord.

Well then, despite its cheap-looking exterior, Cabaret Homme is definitely worth a try.