The whole concept of L’Homme Ideal fascinated me, especially the “L’Homme Idéal Cologne | Guerlain” flanker that I have owned and already reviewed, so I tried a sample of the progenitor of the series. I state I am not fond of Amaretto liqueur because it makes me nauseous when I smell it or try to taste it. But L’Homme Ideal betrays its almost alcoholic aspects at all points of progress, and it does so in a way that I find very pleasant, engaging, and above all, accessible for my taste. Besides, the scent is still much different from a designer fragrance.
L’Homme Ideal is fabulous from the very beginning. A creamy, aromatic, and sour accord unveils when the juice touches my skin and expands in the air, with a subdued bitterness underneath. From the start, the almond is there as a background note, which then develops and takes over more so through the mids. The creaminess comes from the honeyed citrus blossoms, perfectly balanced by the tiny bite of herbaceous and balsamic edges of the rosemary needles. There is a hint of sweetness, but it’s not a sweet fragrance at all.
The initial blast calms a bit, and a rich and bitter almond accord oozes and grows slowly yet continuously. The slightly bitter and sweet accord dominates the composition and takes the cologne in a completely different direction. I love how bitter, nutty almonds and sweet roasted tonka beans blend in the heart. Not marzipan like, it is neither the gourmand cherry almond we meet in #Lost nor the powdery floral almond we get in #poison. Instead, the bittersweet nuance of toasted almond fools me into thinking I’m wearing wet and aromatic pipe tobacco, with a sort of booziness reminiscent of a liqueur. Probably, the tonka bean fuses with the almond to give L’Homme Ideal a wonderful smoky, caramelised tobacco nuance. Of course, something hints at dustiness without fully engaging in it. The more I wear it, the more I like it.
After it dries down and settles in, it becomes very comforting with a more manly slant. The bottom comes to me full of woodiness, more woody than leathery. The heavy dose of almond doesn’t obscure the subsequent smooth and thin leather and dry cedarwood layer, and the vanilla and musk amplify the sweetness further. Rooty vetiver on the base also gives it a bit of earthiness that I treasure. It’s not smoky vetiver but again green and clean. Finally, what survives is a sweet almondy light suede, somewhat smoothly musky and earthy.
I am puzzled about the low rate because this is a good thing, perhaps not groundbreaking, but still good. I feel comfy wearing L’Homme Idéal for chilly summer nights and autumn evenings. The fragrance lasts all day and never turns obnoxious, with moderate sillage, making it suitable for the office. That’s all. I look forward to testing “L’Homme Idéal L’Intense | Guerlain”.
I base the review on a decant I have owned since August 2018.
Spiff 4 years ago
