Pour Homme (1978) (Eau de Toilette) by Van Cleef & Arpels

Bottle Design:
Pierre Dinand

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Pour Homme Van Cleef & Arpels 1978 Eau de Toilette

Version from 1978

8.2 / 10 276 Ratings

A popular perfume by Van Cleef & Arpels for men, released in 1978. The scent is spicy-leathery. The longevity is above-average. It was last marketed by Interparfums.
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Main accords

Spicy

Leathery

Woody

Chypre

Smoky

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Myrtle

Bergamot

Juniper

Nutmeg

Lavender

Sage

Heart Notes

Clove

Rose

Artemisia

Carnation

Cedarwood

Vetiver

Patchouli

Base Notes

Leather

Chypre accord Musk

Musk

Frankincense

Labdanum

Sandalwood

Perfumer

Louis Monnet

Ratings

Scent

8.2276 Ratings

Longevity

8.2222 Ratings

Sillage

7.8210 Ratings

Bottle

7.5223 Ratings

Value for money

7.551 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 10/09/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Pour Homme (1978) Lotion Après-Rasage

Pour Homme (2025)

Léonard pour Homme Eau de Toilette

Magie Noire Eau de Toilette

Antaeus Eau de Toilette

Santos Eau de Toilette

Reviews

29 in-depth fragrance descriptions

12/13/2012

8Scent 5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Drseid
828 Reviews

Drseid

6

Some Classics Never Die...

*This is a review of the vintage juice.

VC&A pour Homme (vintage) opens with a sublime orange and bergamot tandem laced with various well-blended culinary herbs and spices. Joining the immediate top notes in the early heart and hanging around for a good duration is a very strong leather and oakmoss tandem rising all the way from the base, with patchouli and hints of easily identifiable rose and carnation in support. As the oakmoss and leather recede in the late dry-down, some of the well-concealed base notes reveal themselves including a very nice amber and sandalwood combination joining the patchouli that is slightly sweet. Projection is above average and longevity is below average.

The first thing that came to mind as I tried VC&A pour Homme (vintage) on skin was I have smelled this before... It did not take me long to realize that what I was smelling was a very similar presentation to Bijan for Men (vintage). I would go as far as to say the two could have been near-identical twins with their respective oakmoss and leather driven powerhouse presentations making themselves known from the near get-go. That said, while the similarities in the early development can't be denied, the scents later diverge with VC&A pour Homme (vintage) showing a more smooth slightly sweet and polite presentation than the ever-potent and raw Bijan for Men (vintage) that gets even rougher as time passes if that can be believed. Of the two I prefer the more dynamic Bijan on just about all levels (both subjectively and technically), but both are incredible scents that can stand with the best of the powerhouse releases of the past (let’s not insult them by comparing them to the current stuff). My primary (albeit minor) gripe with Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme (vintage) is the relatively shoddy longevity I get with it. By relatively shoddy, I am not talking a few minutes and then poof, its gone, but rather 4 to 5 hours, which on my scent friendly skin is below average. I wish it lasted longer, but while it is present VC&A pour Homme is a definite winner and a distinguished powerhouse for the more refined gentleman, earning an excellent 4 stars out of 5 in vintage form.

02/27/2022

9Scent 8Longevity 6Sillage

Elysium
896 Reviews

Elysium

Helpful Review 4

Loud And Proud Soapy Rosy Leather

Pour Homme turns 40, even a few more. Indeed, it was launched in 1978, along with masterpieces such as Azzaro pour Homme Eau de Toilette, Ghibli, and Lagerfeld Classic Eau de Toilette. That doesn't mean they're alike, but they all smell as plentiful as the powerhouse 1980s. If you try them together, you will recognize the same footprint, fullness, strong fougère, chypre, nearly barbershop, and oriental atmosphere. And Pour Homme is an old school cologne, but with a classic vibe and utterly modern reformulation. It's soapy, it's green, it's luxurious, and it's masculine. Don't let the bottle fool you into thinking this will be a variant of "Tsar (Eau de Toilette) | Van Cleef & Arpels", because this one came a decade earlier, and they are two colonies apart from each other. Pour Homme is darker, warmer, more powerful.

On par with Tsar, the fragrance opens with an outburst of aromatic, harsh green, and spicy tones, with just a smidgen of tart citrus. I detect many herbaceous notes, savoury marjoram, a grass that I adore for savouring dishes, a hint of juniper, and the velvety sage. The lavender is subdued and not as prominent as in Tsar. The initial stage is bitter, sour, and austere, with a thin veil of basil and cumin. I own a recent bottle; therefore, I can only imagine how stronger it was when it hit the market back in the years.

The initial blast lasts a while before turning into a creamy and soapy accord. Here I get the clean smell of the beauty soap bar, and the Gothic rose reminds me of Camay. The more it enters the heart territory, the soapier it gets. There are plenty of roses, dusty, not like the Middle and the Far East perfumes, but in a way that masterfully blends with earthy patchouli and leather. I bet the soapiness of the rose comes from a great addition of fatty aldehydes. Green galbanum and carnation make the background. Despite the riot of blossoms, the cologne remains within the masculine territory.

I get the leathery, mossy, and amber accords in the dry-down. The coconut note does not come alone and perhaps contributes to the overall scent. The already dark and decadent atmosphere settles into something even more shamelessly virile in the background. Then the rose finally gives its hold on the composition to reveal a rough base, with leathery, animalistic, and amber shades made of intense castoreum, the musk of oak and earthy vetiver. And the incense is so smoky, comfy, and a bit churchy. It might seem like there is too much laundry moss. Still, when I use it entirely, oakmoss, juniper berries, lavender, tobacco and cedar all come together into a fruity complexity that is very rewarding, and the laundry moss doesn't consider.

In summary, a soapy, spicy formula enriched with aromatic herbs, wood and leather. Yes, there is a significant luxury soap element, but that to me is what makes it so enchanting. These aldehydes enhance everything, including the incense base. I find it perfect for the cold evenings of late Autumn and throughout the winter for my taste. More formal than casual events, it develops in a massive projection within the first hour, then becomes a perfume on the skin, with moderate longevity. It's unique and relatively little known to the masses, a long way from the extravagant modern gourmand sweetness. It is a source of compliments, and when I wear it to work I often hear people say "What a good smell you have!"

I base my review on a 100ml bottle I have owned since December 2017 (BC 01h06h010, 2017-01-10).

-Elysium

11/26/2022

9Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

manlyscents
96 Reviews

manlyscents

Helpful Review 4

A very dark affair.

It opens with rose, carnation, lavender, and various spices including cloves. Dries down to a slightly soapy leather and patchouli.

VC&A PH is Leonard Pour Homme without the castoreum and with more flowers. It also reminds me of Arrogance PH without the invigorating spice that makes Arrogance so badass. I'm not sure which notes cause this, but my nose picks up the same mustiness here that it gets from Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel. I can't say that I love VC&A PH, but I do enjoy wearing it on cold, dark nights... and as dark as they come, for that matter.

The last reformulation projects really well and last hours and hours on my skin. No complaints on that front.

Masculinity Level: A tragic Nosferatu.

11/05/2013

8Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Miaw2
339 Reviews

Miaw2

4

Classic stuff

Despite many 80's and 90's fragrances being reformulated lately, VCA Pour Homme remains almost the same as it used to be.

I recently bought it and immediately remembered the old times: smells woody, intense and masculine.

Along with Azzaro PH, this fragrance is one of my favorites "old school" if i could categorize that way.

The opening is a little strong but the drydown is absolutely wonderful with a nice coconut note that gives it a creamy aspect. At the end it smells like a luxury soap with a great rose note combined with leather and some resins.

Sillage, projection and longevity are great.

Definately a must have!

08/14/2018

MasterLi
375 Reviews

MasterLi

4

An old classic..

This one is special. It reminds me of the old, masculine style of perfumery. This is almost the quintessential barbershop fragrance. To me it's a leathery fougère . It's also mossy and has the rose, vetiver, lavender and carnation. It's very sophisticated and done in an exceptional style of perfumery, from arguably one of the best decades in perfumery.

This fragrance, like Tsar, which was released over a decade later, is very masculine and refreshing. In fact, I find this has a barbershop quality much like Rive Gauche pour Homme. You get a very masculine blend of dark herbs, spices, oakmoss & vetiver etc. and it's wonderful. I like it very much.

If you are a fan of the old style of masculine classic perfumery, this is one to try out. Good for the price too.

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