For Him Zara

For Him is a fragrance by ZARA that has been around for several years. Since its launch, it has undergone several reformulations, in which the packaging, the bottle, and the fragrance have changed. What I'm about to review today is the 2015 version, whose packaging and bottle are like those used for Gourmand Leather N° 0059, Rich Leather N° 1555, Exclusive Oud, and Ambré Noble as well. I am shocked to see how few reviews there are about this perfume, as this is a real treat. It has a glorious combination of warmth and spicy that many say is like "Armani Code / Black Code (Eau de Toilette) | Giorgio Armani" fragrances. Again, I am surprised about how this juice is criminally underrated.

For Him opens fresh and a little extra sweet, but a nice sweetness, not cloying or headache-inducing, with a wave of peppery lavender and some crunchy citrus, there's grapefruit bitterness and the softness of bergamot, and a hint of warm cardamom that keeps the sweeter notes at bay.

As the initial blast subsides, a powdery veil of iris oozes and envelops my body like baby powder after a soothing bath. The dusty accord is more like talc and not lipstick on my nose. I feel warmth all around me, and the soft lavender tone persists for a while. In the middle phase, I seem to also catch a little coffee powder, the dusty nuttiness of unground beans.

Eventually, the scent settles, and this is where it gets even more enjoyable. I get musky and vanilla coumarin in the base that mixes with the sensual sandalwood. The more it reveals the base notes, the more addicting it is. Creamy, slightly nutty, and smoky, a little dry thanks to the cedar shavings, with an intriguing touch. Presumably, because of the coumarin, toasted, it eventually exudes notes of Amaretto, a charming, bitter almond. I am fascinated by how they included tonka but with very little sweetness, making it unique nowadays and insanely sexy without being annoying. There are no hints of ambroxan, nothing sweet and a little salty, just powdery sweetness.

For Him is a perfume that can be worn during the day and in the evening. It does not oppress in any way, shape or size, and makes it better in the cold months. The autumn and winter seasons are perfect, in my opinion. Yesterday, December 26th, I was wearing it, and I got a lot of attention. All the people I met hugged me and told me how good the scent I had was. It is not strange? Neither designer nor niche, just a cheap perfume from ZARA. It works well and lasts successfully. It lasts several hours with an excellent initial showing. The powdery note stays close to the skin and on clothes for a long time.

I base my review on a bottle I have owned since August 2017.

-Elysium

I recently acquired this fragrance blind during a small private only purchase, expecting it to be a Dior Homme cover.
(See fragrance twins)

With such rather unknown fragrances, especially from Zara, which releases new ones faster than Terence Hill eats beans, there are often few reviews and opinions on the individual releases, making it hard to know if the descriptions are accurate.

And here was once again a case where I was very surprised, and I am also very happy because it is a truly unexpected, fun fragrance for me. :)

It clearly opens with a scent profile that we know from Gaultier's Ultra Male! This exaggerated, fruity, almost overwhelming but then still attractive top note of pear.
But this image then somewhat blurs into the more down-to-earth Dior Homme DNA.

However, this fruity kick in the top note, which then moves into the heart and remains, comes from pear and the other fruits in Ultra Male.
Here it somehow arises from the mix of grapefruit and lavender, or the other notes. The base is also thick, powdery, sweet, dense, and becomes really sensual with the fruity note. Just like in Ultra Male.

The grapefruit then reminds me at times of Coach for Men... oh wow, I just see that, like in Ultra Male, pear is mixed with bergamot... ;) So probably not a coincidence...

"For Him" is an interesting blend of two fragrances that I would NEVER have layered myself, but it works unexpectedly well.
What comes out is a Dior Homme that has a certain twist, smells cheekier and more youthful, a bit more party-like if you will.

A cynic might say, either Zara cloned Dior Homme and got it wrong, or cloned Ultra Male and got it even worse.

But to be honest, I am really a bit excited because I find it a fun mix that lifts my mood, and I will definitely wear it more often.

Grapefruit has also recently become one of my absolute favorite notes; I just find it pleasant, authentic, and interesting in the many combinations. :)

I can definitely recommend this bargain, especially if you see it rolling around somewhere cheap.
It is more of a sweet, youthful fragrance, but if you like Ultra Male, Dior Homme, and Coach for Men, you will surely enjoy this one! B)

PS:
I now believe this cool fragrance lives on in "Gourmand Leather N° 0059" from Zara! At least the two are quite similar...