Corium

In the past, I was only marginally interested in fragrances. In the 80s, I was happy to have found my two signature scents, Jules and Antaeus.
But at some point, it became increasingly difficult to get Jules. Everywhere I inquired, I was told that it had been discontinued.
Only through various trips to France was I able to keep myself afloat - well, supplied.

However, it became more urgent; I needed something new.

The search turned out to be extremely difficult. All the fragrances offered to me in the perfumeries around me had the same citrus top note that I really didn't like. No saleswoman was able to present me with anything comparable to Jules.

Basnotes couldn't help me either; I simply couldn't find my way.

Then I met someone in an internet forum who was involved with perfume both privately and professionally, and through him, I discovered XPEC, Oud Cuir d’Arabie, and Iskander for myself, and Alamut and Loukhoum for my wife.

So there was indeed much more in the realm of fragrances than what I had known until then.

Then I stumbled upon Parfumo by chance, and from then on, there was no stopping me. Within a short time, Fougére Royal, Rodier pour Homme, and also Kenzo pour Homme (which I had never heard of before, let alone consciously smelled) came into my possession. Many fragrances I have tested since then did not appeal to me, but many did.

Now, however, to Lalique pour Homme Lion:

I did not come across this fragrance through reading, browsing, or direct recommendation.
I participated in a Parfumo riddle and was able to answer a question. The noble donor was FryBender. From the list of samples he offered, the Lalique seemed the most interesting to me.
When the sample arrived (and what a large quantity it was), something happened that has almost never happened to me before. I liked the scent immediately. With almost all other fragrances that I like and wear, I needed some time to make the purchase decision.
I consider the scent to be very masculine. And that is extremely important to me. I do not like to smell fragrances on myself that I could also imagine for women. I love the separation of the sexes.
(But if a sweet floral scent were to appear in my collection tomorrow, I would simply follow Konrad Adenauer and not care about my chatter from yesterday).
Today, however, I like scents that seem to be made for men, and that is the case with Lalique Lion. Animalistic, robust, and yet fresh describes it quite well.
I consider the recognizability to be high, and the price-performance ratio to be very good. The bottle, with the lion worked into the back (I actually know Lalique more as a manufacturer of precious glass vases and similar glass items), is quite impressive.
Without Parfumo, without participating in a riddle, without FryBender, I would never have come to know this wonderful scent. My thanks go to all the aforementioned helpers.

I want to advocate for this fragrance.

To me, it smells like the little brother of Fougère Royal by Houbigant.

Not quite as zesty but still.
Not quite as herbal but still.
Not at all as complex but...

O.K., I only had a mini sample (1.2 ml in a spray) but I couldn't find any of that oniony, soapy scent, the smell of men's locker rooms, gasoline, and burnt tires.

This fragrance has something that I usually only know from the many "gourmand" scents, but without being truly sweet. For me, it is so far the only one of its kind - as someone who likes sweet scents only on women, not on myself.

This scent is so delicious that, like with no other fragrance, I constantly catch myself sniffing at my own skin. I also always spray a generous amount on my rather hairy forearms, which are often left unshaven in my generation (I am in my mid-40s). That’s where the scent lasts the longest.

Normally, I expect a fragrance to have some kind of edges and character. This one, in my opinion, does not have them, but strangely, I don’t miss them at all here. I perceive the scent as completely harmonious.

If it were a bit more intense, it would last a bit longer; then I would have given it 100%; as it stands, it remains at 90%.

I have been searching for a fragrance for a long time; in my memory, the bottle resembled a fan, and the liquid was green; the name was Macassar by Rochas.
The memory of the bottle was wrong. Green was indeed Macassar back then!

Then I discovered Bel Ami! And there it was again, the memory of that time!

A comparison of the fragrance pyramid showed similarities in the following points:

Bergamot, jasmine, clove, patchouli, vetiver, cedar, oakmoss, coconut, and leather.

That's enough! I am convinced that the two fragrances are very similar (I just can't verify it anymore since Macassar seems to be discontinued).

In my search for an autumn-winter perfume, I came across Bel Ami, inspired by tips and research on Parfumo.
A great scent. With edges and corners; not simple but simply great.
It has surpassed many incense fragrances in comparison. Now it belongs to me!

Addendum: A positive memory is no guarantee for lasting enjoyment. I sold myself short. Ultimately, I didn't like the scent on me after all. Although it actually meets all the criteria I like and that are important to me. What can you do? I still consider it good and unusual, but I have parted ways with it.

I really have to agree with Dannyboy.
In the last few weeks, I have compared everything I came across that was related to roses with Black Tie. It does not smell like rose, in my opinion! It also does not smell like the geraniums I could find.
I also dislike the smell of geranium and would like to encourage those who feel the same to still try Black Tie. It smells different.
I will soon specifically search for a rose geranium (at a nursery). Maybe that is really what Black Tie smells like.
I find it quite astonishing that most people here really smell rose. How is it possible that the perception of scent can be so different?
It often happens to me that I know a scent but can't figure out what it is. If someone helps me out (it can also be a fragrance pyramid), I can usually agree immediately. Not here!???
It is definitely a flower and beautiful besides. Furthermore, it is not sweet, masculine, and even my family likes the scent on me. Currently, it is one of my absolute favorites.