Chamade Homme Guerlain 1999

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8.2 / 10 195 Ratings

Chamade Homme is a popular perfume by Guerlain for men and was released in 1999. The scent is spicy-floral. It is still in production. Pronunciation

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Main accords

Spicy

Floral

Woody

Leathery

Green

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Black pepper

Italian bergamot

Heart Notes

Violet leaf

Hyacinth

Nutmeg

Base Notes

Vetiver

Leather

Precious woods

Perfumer

Jean-Paul Guerlain

Ratings

Scent

8.2195 Ratings

Longevity

7.6141 Ratings

Sillage

6.6142 Ratings

Bottle

7.9143 Ratings

Value for money

6.819 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 23.08.2023.

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions

12/24/2020

6
Sillage 7
Longevity 7
Scent

Mörderbiene

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Mörderbiene

Top Review 18

Troppo Gentile

Chamade Homme is a very quiet fragrance that seems quite static, despite some development. Behind a pale spicy woody door hides a chypre-like framework.
At first, there's something pale spicy citrusy before pale spicy florals take over to lead into an unmistakably pale spicy base. Overall, it is difficult for me to isolate individual notes in Chamade Homme, consciously I can actually only make out powdery violet.

If I smell Chamade Homme, I am in the head quickly with "Gentile", another men's fragrance, which, however, is more open with his kind about his naming, because he is called as he is: 'nice'.
A fragrance that lets you hope for more - because the brand has actually consistently produced fragrances full of character, because the stated fragrance notes are actually promising.
A fragrance that offers less, which is just also somehow pale spicy, which is ultimately a clearly too nice Fougère. Chamade Homme can be considered from a scent-technical point of view, so to speak, as a Chypre equivalent to this - and vice versa.
Both are fragrances for the gentleman, for whom perfume is a necessary accessory that should not be given superfluous attention.
For the gentleman who perfumes himself to be perfumed - because one makes that just occasion-related so.
Or even for a lady - it would probably not notice anyone.
Chamade Homme would be a candidate for the job interview and the supervisory board meeting (Confederates excluded, there one wears other).
Chamade Homme is so smooth and colorless that I can't find it bad. Troppo gentile just.

And just so I can still somehow get my act together: Natale gentile, dear ones!

11/22/2013

5
Bottle 5
Sillage 7.5
Longevity 10
Scent

Apicius
220 Reviews

Apicius

Top Review 13

Quality Prevails!

Funny, I look at this data set so often - whenever I choose Chamade Homme as my scent of the day. But it never occurred to me that I still have not written an English review about my favourite and most worn perfume. I truly consider Chamade Homme one of the best (if not the best) gent's colognes that we have today.

Jean-Paul Guerlain who we know as the creator of Chamade Homme has made a considerable number of fragrances during his life: many ladies' perfumes but a lot of remarkable gent's colognes as well. If we look at this perfumer's life, there is an arc of increasing perfectionism and true craftsmanship: from his brilliant take on Vetiver that outperformed any other, and that maybe only a courageous young man was able to compose, to Habit Rouge's soft and refined yet masculine interpretation of red, then digging deep into the world of chypres and fougères, beginning cautiously with Eau de Guerlain, a humble start in the family tradition of Eaux that could not be more respectable. Then, much more confident, continuing with Derby, an almost rough green leather chypre, very distinctive. The nineties brought Heritage as one of Guerlain's bread and butter colognes, and then – Coriolan, later renamed L'Âme d'un Héros: a light and complex fragrance with a tart herbaceous character that maybe came out ten years too late. Had J.-P. Guerlain passed his zenith as a perfumer with that release?

Apparently there was the monetary freedom that a well-run business could provide: the freedom of taking all time necessary when developing a new gents' cologne. Yet, Coriolan may have been an exception. While being well composed it now occurs to me as a concept that had not been investigated to the very end. Its herbaceous side was maybe too prominent, too much emphasized – it appears to me exerted rather than relaxed and cool.

But some time later, in 1999, Chamade Homme came out – as far as I know only available in a gift set together with the ladies' Chamade at first - and thus, obviously not aimed at being Guerlain's cash cow. Chamade Homme has been blamed for not being that much different from Coriolan. I have read quite a few reviews where it was put aside since it admittedly does not have that distinct statement of a precisely defined direction that its herbaceous predecessor has. Yet, it appears to me as the goal that was finally achieved after Coriolan's maybe too eager launch.

To conclude his arc of productivity so far, J.-P. Guerlain once more set an exclamation mark with the splendid dark violet chypre Arsène Lupin in 2010. However, Chamade Homme's well-thought-out concept of refining scents with the means of a cologne could not be topped. For me, it marks the peak level.

I should be explaining now how it smells but whenever we look at the best of perfumes, any mentioning of fragrance notes or even perfume classifications must mislead the reader. We all have our inane concepts when we read words like leather, chypre, jasmine and so on. If we read them we inevitably try to figure out how the perfume is supposed to smell. However, if a perfume is truly unique, complex and perfectly balanced – our imagination will not even come near to the real fragrance sensation.

Of course, such is the case with Chamade Homme. What does it really say if I state that the complex top notes have also an herbaceous appeal but not as distinct as Coriolan? And yes, some Jasmine may also be included, or anything else that adds a slightly indolic touch to the heart with its most discreet florals. That the base note could very vaguely be described as a soft and noble leather dissimulates the fact that no leather can smell that much refined. A very faint and elegant version of Guerlinade may play an essential role as well: honeyed, resinous but somehow shaded and nevertheless masculine.

Much more important than the actual fragrance notes is the way that Chamade Homme is composed. It is a true Eau de Parfum with a classic development of head, heart and base notes and a longevity of well over 12 hours.

Generally spoken, fragrances are best detectable when freshly applied – soon the notes fade, one by one more or less quickly. Many perfumers are able to compose fragrances that are simply amazing at first sniff. But they cannot overcome the law of nature. The loudness will soon fade, and an enthusiastically composed top may soon give way to a much more quiet and very often also bland base: big bangs drying down to insignificance.

Chamade Homme begins the other way round. The top is complex up to the point that it is difficult to find a certain statement in it. The notes seem to even have difficulties to interact with each other. It may come as a somewhat uninspired blend of nothing special – just a gents' perfume, too much of everything and quite outdated compared to today's puristic approach by Ellena and others. Chamade Homme presumably can never be love at first sight, and those perfume lovers who are usually determined by their first impression may be done with it at this early stage.

Soon however, the slightly chaotic top notes start to settle and to get soothed by that highly refined kind of Leather-Guerlinade. Although also this fragrance calms down in a way it nevertheless becomes all the more attractive with every minute. This is the chypre effect for me: somewhat arbitrary top notes must be stridden before the more attractive heart and the final peak comes in sight.

A perfect Chamade Homme day ends with a grand evening. Being applied in the morning, it may look as if the fragrance is gone by late afternoon – but only to pull itself together towards the end of the day. Occasional whiffs, faint but powerful, tickle ones attention every now and then. They are then fully blended together with one's own bodily odour, transferring it into something exquisite and sophisticated. Excuse me for saying so but it makes one want to defer the usual after work shower, and not to change one's shirt!

Maybe one should not consider a rather high-priced Guerlain exclusive an everyday fragrance, but that's what Chamade Homme really is, in the best meaning of the word. Wearing it over a long period of time will make one grow into that fragrance, and to detect all the not so quite obvious beauty in it. It may not be as grand and sophisticated as the later Arsène Lupin which therefore is the better choice for a night out. But it has the ability to become one's signature scent – and it has become mine. It is elegant yet discreet - far away from today's mass marked musks or woody purisms. And there is absolutely no ingredient in it that could by any means get on one's nerves. I cannot imagine ever getting enough of it.

Chamade Homme was distributed in different flacons over the years. I still own mine in a bee bottle, with a pump balloon sprayer! This packaging was maybe not so popular with the male audience, and eventually the bee bottle was replaced by the wooden square flacon. I have never heard that this went along with a reformulation, and so I can recommend Chamade Homme without any reservation. As one of Guerlain's exclusives it is only available at the Maison Guerlains. Fortunately, Guerlain has ceased its hard-to-get policy recently as more and more Maison Guerlain boutiques are being placed in department stores and perfume chain stores. Look out!

12/23/2019

7
Sillage 9
Longevity 9
Scent

Smellscent

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Smellscent

Discreet and elegant aromatherapist

Preface:
This is probably a controversial topic, to which there are many different approaches in this excellent forum: Consistency of personality and scent

My opinion on this topic is that fragrance preferences always mean a certain "outing" and in a certain way allow conclusions to be drawn about personality traits... You could also say: "Show me which perfumes you use and I'll tell you who you are" (It has already happened that someone wants to define him/herself as someone who is not actually him/her by means of a fragrance...:-D )

Why do I mention this in connection with Guerlain CPH?

[Irony ON: It could be, for example, that a rabauken-like go-getter type á la Rambo, Terminator, etc. wants to give himself another ego via CPH. For example, who often and gladly hits the table, who is rather aggressive by nature, who often beats up his fellow men, who is always stressed and hectic, who is somehow constantly out of shape, etc., but who doesn't want to change his character traits: Irony OFF].

Heads up! CPH should not hang up on the above-mentioned persons in order to emphasize their rather unpleasant personality traits.

CPH seems to me to be more suitable for someone who is at peace with himself and wants to have a positive effect on the people around him through his sense of well-being on and with this fragrance. For this purpose, CPH provides a fascinating scent bow, which is unparalleled and really wants to be discovered... The term "aromatherapy" comes to mind very often in connection with CPH... in the sense of an aroma-enhancing scent, which compensates for the above-mentioned character deficits, I could indeed imagine CPH really well! Perfume as medicine: With CPH I could imagine that. (As, for example, discreet music sprinkling in subway stations should contribute to a calming and de-escalating mood).

The smell:
First of all, there is the fresh, but not too fresh, flowery prelude, rather short lasting.

A distinguished, rather dark-toned floral pattern, probably dominated by the violet, is now spreading. Whether I smell hyacinth there, I do not know, because I do not know them.

Now the Drydown: Fine skin-tight scented cinema that lasts quite long and that others probably only notice if they fall below a certain minimum distance! Floralitätö, enriched with fine woods, vetiver and leather, reminiscent of fine soap. A bit of old school, yes, but not everything old is bad, right? A refined, wonderfully floral-woody fragrance that is present from the start, changing only gently towards vetiver leather. All in all, I find CPH quite exciting and very well maintained. I would say that CPH is not a 08/15 fragrance that you just put on because you can't think of anything else.

Compared to the 2005 Derby, CPH is the finer, the more elegant, perhaps even the more "intellectual", although the drydown for both is quite similar
If someone is explicitly looking for an "Anti-Wummser", CPH is surely the right address for him.

Durability: I find good
Sillage: I find outstandingly reserved

Conclusion:
YES! A very finely crafted fragrance with signature scent potential, which will certainly be used as a bottle in the medium term, if I manage to purchase it in line with Guerlain's sales policy. Apparently, however, it is now available in selected national and international shops as a 1999 edition
Price?: Unfortunately it is already high, but it contributes in an advantageous way to a manageable number of flacons ;-) The principle that quality ALSO has to do with price is somehow transferable to perfumes (sigh)

03/02/2014

10
Scent

Greysolon
74 Reviews

Greysolon

The heartbeat of scent

A few weeks ago I received a generous decant of Chamade Homme from a very kind -and very generous- Parfumo friend. From the first spritz all I wanted was to live in Chamade’s scented bliss. Unfortunately, I’m not endowed with a sense of moderation or restraint so it was only a matter of days before the last drop of Chamade gurgled at the bottom of the atomizer. No problem, just get on the world wide web, where you can obtain anything your heart desires, and order a full bottle, right? Wrong. Unless you live in Europe, getting your hands on a full bottle of Chamade is difficult and expensive. Such is the reality of indulging in the world of luxury goods on modest means. On the other hand, if this is the only time I get to experience this beautiful fragrance then at least my nose can die happy. One saving grace is that the original Chamade (pour femme) is widely available at a moderate price and shares several points in common with Homme. Since my wife loves the pour femme version I have the pleasure of experiencing it vicariously when she wears it.

I have a theory about how Chamade works its magic. The crisp, almost bitter green notes combine with black pepper and vetiver to create an aromatic, slightly prickly background that tweaks and innervates the nose heightening its sensitivity to the floral and leather accords. That interaction keeps Chamade vibrant for hours. In my imagination it also causes the scent of hyacinth and burnished leather to pulse from the fragrance, as the name Chamade suggests, like the flourish of a drum roll or a palpating heartbeat.

Earlier I referred to Chamade’s fairly substantial price tag (€180/$250). However, beware of reviews leading you to believe that Dior Fahrenheit might be an inexpensive substitute; you will be sorely disappointed. Admittedly, the two share a similar, distinctive green note but any further comparison will lead you down the wrong path. Fahrenheit doesn’t have anything close to the depth, beauty or complexity of Chamade.

Once again, thank you to my friend who shared Chamade so generously.

01/14/2019

7
Sillage 8
Longevity 8
Scent

Minigolf

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Minigolf

Helpful Review 5

When the first bumblebees fly....

...they're probably flying on Chamade Homme too. In the foreground is a fresh, spring-like powdery floweriness of violets, hyacinths and probably also daffodils. Like "made" for small, chubby, nectar collecting fur animals.
But there is an ingenious, time-honoured perfume art behind it, which always inspires many noses. And Guerlain is a master at it. Not for nothing has this "fragrance house" been around for almost 200 years.
A joyful tuning, liquid "treasure" is also this fragrance.
But not only the fine flowers make "Chamade Homme" so unmistakable, the whole combination plays an equally important role. Beginning with an irresistibly fresh, powdery citrus note, peppered with some pepper, it skilfully introduces the "theme" of the fragrance. All the spring flowers are eagerly awaiting their appearance. Slowly they dare to go ahead, only to take over the direction fresh and cheeky. And they'll keep it for a while.
Wouldn't be there the woods and the fine "Erdigkeit", that don't want to be content with its small Nebenrolle in the 2. act. Although they do not displace the "cheeky three", they become more and more important and are almost on a par with them in the third act. And thus create a harmonious complement.
Still fresh, still blossom spring, but more and more moved to light forest. And still a "delicacy" for bumblebees. Full spring in the greening forest...