Rgc

I do not understand why this has not caught on with more people. I know it is difficult to get in the USA but England and the EU? It's like 99 pounds for the bottle at Harrod's and at that price this is a steal. Yes, it is a vetiver and you have that running throughout the composition but the initial hit of spices (clove and cardamon?) is stunning. Even as that hit quiets down the spices still round out the vetiver in a very complete way. This all leads to a soft, woody finish that last a good bit of time. Maybe a little vanilla and a tiny bit of smoke there too. The bottle and the cap are outstanding and quite heavy, just plain quality. Such an easy choice for me, especially on days I am not sure what I want to wear as this never disappoints me and I would find it hard to believe anyone would find it offensive. I have to thank Houdini and Les Oderants crew for drawing my attention to this perfect vetiver.

First hit on my skin is spicey/pepper with smoke. This backs off a bit but the pepper remains as the labdanum takes to the stage and supports the whole scent. And then, for me, the patchouli comes to the front and mixes nicely with the labdanum (pepper in background). Very solid and respectable scent. I would say it is masculine in the traditional way which id good with me. I am not a big labdanum fan at all (Le Lion was a no go for me), however, this is nice. Maybe not bottle worthy for me but nothing to object to at all.

Grabbed a vintage bottle of this as I have a love affair with Hermes men's perfumes. I love and own Equipage, Equipage Geranium, Bel Ami Vetiver. Love vintage Bel Ami but have not tried the recent release. That said, this one was a disappointment. It is not that it is bad per se, but it let me down as the main thought that kept hitting me is that this smells like a department store men's fragrance counter. Not one of today that is populated by blue shower gel fragrances or those that are overly sweet (often with vanilla) scents, but more of a traditional light woody scent you would find in the 90's. That time between the power houses of the 70's-80's and the Blue/Iris/Sweet of the 2010's-Now. So there it is, basic woody spice scent with a little citrus at the top and a slight amber at the bottom that is all a skin scent with in thirty minutes to an hour after application.

It is decent department store fodder that smells vaguely nice but now where near Hermes other male centered creations. If you wanted something in the same vein but better maybe reach for a vintage Tuscany Per Uomo (although I hear the newer ones are acceptable too) or if you have the chance Tuscany Per Uomo Forte.

First, I know I am not the target market for this perfume and that's ok. I still wanted to write a review of what I had experience in testing it out as I was given a generous sample by a young lady at a fragrance counter. But lo and behold @Porfiria had the exact same experience as I did.

"For me is so sweet I can smell only the big combo of liquors cherry, not realistic cherry and a big explosion of Hedione. Tobacco? No trace on my first sniff even in second and so on.
The drydown is soft, smooth and pleasant

More feminine than masculine but talking with some friends they argue the opposite, so… Do I buy the full bottle? No, even this time it’s not my cup of tea."

Yup, could not have said it better myself.

Truthfully my skin chemistry and this did not react well as I was told I smelled of insect repellant. I did not get that. To me it was a mediocre sweet/spicey woody musk. Nothing that outstanding except for it's longevity. It lasted and had decent projection all day long.

I am not the market this is aimed at, that I know. However, I can appreciate decent perfumes when I come across them and for what they want for this one I could never suggest it.