APOM Homme Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2009

Many of you will know this: Summer arrives, the fabrics become skimpier, and the burning hot sunbeams on the skin lead to a peaceful, non-fatiguing sedation that often comes with a senselessly daft smile on the face. A bit like the opiate-like, blissful satisfaction after sex, only that the desire for it rises proportionally with the feeling, and it seems as if the people around you suddenly become much more attractive.

APOM is a fragrance that somehow reflects all of this. It has something of warm sunbeams on the skin and spreads a not dissimilar feeling. APOM is quite lush - just like the heat. A super juicy, thick, sun-colored orange blossom creates a unique vibe with the cedar that can certainly polarize but has recognizability. The base consists of a cosmetic-like cream amber and a diffuse, slightly powdery-dry fougère note.

At first glance, one might indeed simply describe APOM as a well-groomed cream scent or just as a sweet-floral fragrance. That alone could become boring if Kurkdjian weren't such a talented perfumer who adds just enough dirt and wickedness to make it sophisticated and never too obvious. After all, orange blossom is not only fittingly creamy for cosmetic amber but also somewhat indolic and has slightly dirty aspects on its own. The aforementioned, never too prominent fougère accord is dry, a bit herbal, somehow "clean-dirty," and brings the fougère-typical "well-groomed masculine charm" with it. This leaves little doubt that it is a men's fragrance, but it happens in the background. Modern, without shouting and fuss.

All of this seems fundamentally too warm, too lush, and not least too projecting for a summer fragrance, and I admit, at 30 degrees, I rarely reach for APOM. However, there are weather conditions and moods where no fragrance suits me better. Sometimes it’s those slightly sultry but mild summer evenings. Other times it’s the few super sunny but not too warm days of the year. And it’s usually more of a date or a meeting with friends than a too formal occasion.

My first comment on APOM pour Homme was dated December 19, 2015. Probably not the happiest time of year to test it. Since then, I have gone through several samples and initially bought a decant until I recently snagged a bottle. At times I found APOM too nice, which isn’t quite right. Sometimes it smelled creamy to me, sometimes even citrusy. It deceived and deceived me, and while I always thought it was good, it took a long time for my nose to understand how it smells and for my brain to realize that it is indeed A Part Of Me.