3
Helpful Review
Challenge & Intrigue
Preface: My experience with this scent is largely the same as Harrock's review below. I'm newer to fragrances and expanding my palette. This is my first review!
TL;DR - Lalique Pour Homme (Lion EDP) was challenging to start, but became something wonderful. Vintage, clean, bright, and relaxing.
First impression:
Smelling the bottle, immediate thought is "jeez this smells like old man." Girlfriend & others made the same comment verbatim. Initial spray is aggressively vegetal. Slightly astringent, there is a sharp and bitter green-ness to the fragrance that really doesn't do the entire experience much justice. I get very little citrus, completely muddled out by a loud, dry rosemary battling with the florals, moss, and soft wood undertones. I didn't find it enjoyable at first, but it relaxes fairly quickly (~5-10 mins.) Underneath, I could sense there was something friendlier waiting to make it's way to the forefront. I got a whiff of something distinctly familiar, perhaps some of the sandalwood + patchouli, which reminded me of a similar combination in Encre Noir A L'extreme (one of my firsts and favorites) albeit taken in a much different direction. This gave me some hope!
Mid & dry-down:
The rosemary calms down and makes way for all the wonderful brightness it masked prior. The lavender and jasmine start to sneak through, and the gorgeous floral presentation is carried in a bed of waxy, powdery, and soapy smoothness. There is no real spice here to me beyond what the rosemary had introduced initially. It is distinctively dry and clean, which is where I assume people pick up the barbershop vibe. The soapiness is soft and creamy, but with some slight bitterness as if you had gotten a few suds in your mouth. Semi-sweetness starts to waft in and out, which I associate with a bit of the vanilla in the base.
The fragrance becomes pretty intimate rather quickly for me, but in a natural sort of progression, losing much of the flowery brightness as they blend into the soft sandalwood and moss for the remainder of it's progression. The remaining notes hold onto some life for quite a while, albeit close to the skin. Overall, it just leaves you feeling bright and fresh. I found it to be quite uplifting and soothing.
TL;DR - Lalique Pour Homme (Lion EDP) was challenging to start, but became something wonderful. Vintage, clean, bright, and relaxing.
First impression:
Smelling the bottle, immediate thought is "jeez this smells like old man." Girlfriend & others made the same comment verbatim. Initial spray is aggressively vegetal. Slightly astringent, there is a sharp and bitter green-ness to the fragrance that really doesn't do the entire experience much justice. I get very little citrus, completely muddled out by a loud, dry rosemary battling with the florals, moss, and soft wood undertones. I didn't find it enjoyable at first, but it relaxes fairly quickly (~5-10 mins.) Underneath, I could sense there was something friendlier waiting to make it's way to the forefront. I got a whiff of something distinctly familiar, perhaps some of the sandalwood + patchouli, which reminded me of a similar combination in Encre Noir A L'extreme (one of my firsts and favorites) albeit taken in a much different direction. This gave me some hope!
Mid & dry-down:
The rosemary calms down and makes way for all the wonderful brightness it masked prior. The lavender and jasmine start to sneak through, and the gorgeous floral presentation is carried in a bed of waxy, powdery, and soapy smoothness. There is no real spice here to me beyond what the rosemary had introduced initially. It is distinctively dry and clean, which is where I assume people pick up the barbershop vibe. The soapiness is soft and creamy, but with some slight bitterness as if you had gotten a few suds in your mouth. Semi-sweetness starts to waft in and out, which I associate with a bit of the vanilla in the base.
The fragrance becomes pretty intimate rather quickly for me, but in a natural sort of progression, losing much of the flowery brightness as they blend into the soft sandalwood and moss for the remainder of it's progression. The remaining notes hold onto some life for quite a while, albeit close to the skin. Overall, it just leaves you feeling bright and fresh. I found it to be quite uplifting and soothing.
Amouthforwar