Methabolica

With Parfumo, I not only learned that my previous fragrance taste has a name (sweet-oriental), but also that there are niche fragrances beyond the big brands and that they are not just found at Rossmann and, above all, not all are unaffordable for the middle class. I discovered Harry Lehmann with his store "Parfum nach Gewicht" in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Here, only the scent matters. Not the exterior or the hype of advertising. Away from the assembly line. Towards individuality. Or so I thought...

At Harry Lehmann, I tried 5 or 6 fragrances in a heavy leathery and fresh summery direction. None of them really knocked me off my feet. "Do you have something sweet-oriental?" There it was again... The old pain of boring habits in which one feels so secure. I smelled the cap of the 5-liter glass flask of Bahia. It was love at first breath.

On the S-Bahn, I gave myself 3 sprays and was completely satisfied for the moment. I had never smelled such a strong and intense fragrance. Mugler bombs or other men's EdPs can pack it up. Extreme sweetness. But not the cozy, comfortable Mugler sweetness. Rather the colorful Bolly Wood sweetness of the Orient. At the same time, it reminds one of the 80s/early 90s, when you bought chewing gum for 10 pfennigs to get the stickers or treated yourself to Hubba-Bubba. I had never been overwhelmed by bubblegum before. This one did it. I can't really detect a scent progression. The fragrance only loses intensity over time. On my first day, I felt myself with a total of 6 sprays in 3 hours. Overdosed, comatose... I had no sense of the dosage of such a highly concentrated and intrusive scent. The entire gym smelled of it. Embarrassing... Even the next morning, more than 10 hours after the last application, the scent was present. As if I had applied a Mugler 3 hours ago.

From the very first moment, I had associations with Joop Homme. Yesterday, I did an arm-to-arm comparison. Joop Homme is spicier, a bit sharper. While Bahia offers me nothing but sweet bubblegum. Spicy-sweet? I smell sweet-oriental. Nothing more. What a shame.

Conclusion: A fragrance that I bought out of necessity because it reminded me of something familiar and I found nothing better that day. You could perhaps call it "Joop Homme Intense Eau de Parfum." However, the scent progression of Bahia is really boring. The longevity and sillage are unbeatable, and this pure chewing gum smell is fun. For me, it might be more of a "fun" fragrance like my cotton candy essence. This will not be my last Harry Lehmann, and I am optimistic that I will find a favorite scent there. Unfortunately, this one is not it.