Versace is a pretty interesting
fragrance house in the designer market. I'm admittedly not a big fan
of the majority of their offerings. While they smell pleasant, they
don't really stand out much or do anything unique. However, oddly
enough, the Versace fragrances which I found to be the most
interesting and outstanding were also the ones which tend to be
relegated to the bargain bins at TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Ross, or other
similar discounters. I'm mainly talking about The Dreamer, Blue
Jeans, and L'Homme, which was Versace's first masculine fragrance.
Since I haven't had a bottle of the former two for a few years and
don't remember their note breakdown or development too vividly, I can
only review L'Homme.
Versace released L'Homme in 1986. As one
would expect, it does indeed smell “older,” in the sense that you
won't smell too many modern designer fragrances like this. At the
same time, it doesn't smell like it came from any particular era. It
does borrow a little from 80's powerhouses, but also has some accords
which are very reminiscent of French fragrances from the 40's, 50's,
and 60's. I can't think of too many fragrances which resemble Versace
L'Homme beyond a few fleeting similarities, so it is also quite
unique.
L'Homme starts off with a very dry and
bitter lemon, mixed with petitgrain. This accord doesn't smell like a
citrus fruit, but is rather more like a mix of the rinds and the citrus flowers.
This is very reminiscent of classic French perfumery, such as Eau
Sauvage, Moustache, Chanel pour Monsieur, or Monsieur de Givenchy.
There's a green and herbaceous quality coming from the basil as well,
which helps temper and sweeten what would otherwise be significantly
more bitter and harsh.
The accords from the top note don't
dissipate too quickly, but smoothly blend in with the heart notes.
The fragrance becomes very spicy, quite powdery, and a tad sweet.
Cinnamon is the most dominant player at this point, paired with a
brightly spicy sandalwood and patchouli. Honey and leather also show
themselves, but they don't smell dark. They provide a slightly sour,
uric, and playful animalic nuance, though it mostly smells like the
glove soft leather of a pair of Italian shoes. There's also a hint of
florals, one of the main ones of which is supposedly rose, yet it smells like a blend of a
few flowers which are difficult to identify individually.
As the heart notes transition to the
base, the fragrance is given a bit of powdery sweetness from vanilla and
tonka. The sweetness is tempered by cedar, which also complements the
cinnamon, sandalwood, and patchouli. A tad of greenness and depth
appears when some fresh, raw, unsmoked tobacco makes itself more
apparent.
I don't notice any oakmoss in the
drydown, even though most note breakdowns list it. Perhaps it was
toned down, if not removed, during reformulations?
Although Versace L'Homme has more in
common with classic French perfumery, it performs like a powerhouse
from its own era. This is easily among one of the longest lasting
fragrances I own. I can't even gauge its longevity, since it lasts
for a while even after enduring a shower.
It's not a brash or obtrusive
fragrance, since it's not all that dark or sweet. However, it still
projects fairly loudly for 5 or 6 hours, and leaves behind a
noticeable sillage. Even when it starts to rest closer to the skin,
it never really becomes a skin scent.
If Versace is to be remembered for
their fragrances, it shouldn't be for ones like Eros, pour Homme, or
eau Fraiche (none of which are fragrances I dislike; I just don't
think they're interesting or unique). It should be for a fragrance
like L'Homme.
