Havana

I always liked the house of Aramis. As a little boy Aramis was my prefered musketeer. I started to like fragrances when, at the age of 10, I received my first after shave as a gift in the form of a magnificent 200 ml splash bottle of Aramis. Due to my thick beard at the time, it lasted more than 2 years. Since then Aramis always has a reserved space in my fragrant heart. In my opinion, Havana and Tuscany compete for the "Best Aramis Fragrance" award since more than two decades ago. There is nothing wrong with the Aramis cologne, Perfume Caligraphy, 900 and JHL but my nose got enchanted with those two scents long ago. Provided I have already decided to wear an Aramis scent, how do I choose between the two of them?... well when I dress up or have an evening with friends, Tuscanny is the winner. At leisure, in the confort of my own house, I do not resist to the wonderfull tobacco, boozy, woody and leathery accords of Havana. Besides loving it, to better understand and qualify this fragrance, I need to reflect a little and not just let my imagination fly along with the fragrance. Can Havana be considered a fougère? - Yes probably, because there are greens, tarragon, herbs, mosses and caraway. But a boozy fougère ? At least something of its previous life, that began in the twentieth century, still endures in 2018. Havana is joyfully performant but it's neither heavy nor tiring. It's probably a market herency shared with the best perfumes of the 90's. There are two accords in which I do not differ from other Havana lovers. I get a wonderful dry tobacco scent and some booze as well (due to caraway?). But while most people seem to see Havana as an warm scent, to me it stays somewhat camphorously cool from start to finish, and ever so pleasant for us to enjoy it on our own. Let's see the math for Havana: - Scent opening: 9.0 - Scent drydown: 9.0 - Longevity: 9.0 (10 hours+ with 3 sprays) - Sillage: 8.0 (up to 6 feet for 2.5 hours of projection with 3 sprays) - Uniqueness: 9.5 (unique, very well blended, giving me some faint vibes of Montana Homme and not similar to anything else I am aware of) - Versatility: 8.5 (almost everywhere, but with better choices for clubbing and formal events. Perfect for leisure at home. Don't use it while working out or in the beach) - Wearability: 9.0 (high during Spring and Autumn,... quite adequate during Winter or Summer as well, but avoid extreme heat or cold). - Compliments: 8.0 (It's almost an universal pleaser but not a compliment magnet) - Quality: 9.0 (my judgement - does not suggest even a small vibe of being cheap or synthetic. It does smell expensive; with a little better performance it would deserve a 10.0) - Presentation: 8.0 (discrete but nice. Excellent cap and sprayer.) - Price: 9.5 (100 ml non tester for 20 Euros + VAT) Average: 8.77 / 10.00 - between 7 and 8 = above average; - between 8 and 9 = recomended; - bigger than 9 = don't miss it; Advice: A fragrance from the 90's but quite pleasant and up to date. It does attract a positive attention but just a few compliments . As a reward for picking this gem you will get an above average performance even with the current formulation. Do not blind buy it, as it is a bit earthy and boozy. Try it first. Noteworthy: This perfume is also an example of how Lauder cares about their customers having relaunched Havana due to numerous requests. Music; Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody"

اراميس هافانا 1994 "ذاكرة المكان" ’’إذا كنت تريد أن ترحل مرة أخرى ، فحاول على الأقل ، أن تذكر كيف كنا هذا المساء.’’ " مائة عام من العزلة" ماركيز كوبا تلك الدولة البعيدة الواقعة في منطقة الكاريبي وعاصمتها هافانا وارتباطها بالعديد من الأحداث الثورية بقيادة زعيمهم المعروف فيدل كاسترو والثوري الأرجنتيني شي جيفارا. دولة مغمورة ومنسية ومنغلقة على نفسها في أغلب الأحيان.ربما بسبب الأمبريالية الأمريكية.(امبرررية توسعية على قول عادل امام) "الزعيم". نسمع كثيرا عن فخامة السيجار الكوبي ومدى ارتباطه بالثراء وكونه الأغلى عالميا ، ويصنع يدويا ، تشتهر به كوبا ويعتبر من الموروثات الثقافية والإقتصادية لهذه الدولة النائية.وعنصر هام لجذب السياحة. عطر اراميس هافانا المعروف هو ايضا من العطور المنسية ليس باصدارته الحاليا ( جنتل مان كوليكشن) ولكن بعبوته الاسطوانية القديمة صنع سويسرا، فلم اجد الكثير عن المعلومات عن هذا العطر وقد اكتفى البعض بتشبيهه بالنسخة الحالية ولكن هيهات ، فالمقارنة غير عادلة وغير منصفة لجمال وحبكة النسخة القديمة.فهو اكثر كثافة ورونقا من النسخة الحالية التي اعتبرها جيدة ايضا . عطر هافانا ذو طابع كلاسيكي شيبري يذكرنا بعطور الثمانينات ، فيه سحر وخيال منقطع النظير قلما نجدا لها نظير من العطور الحالية فالعطر جميع العديد من التناقضات والمجموعات العطرية في قالب واحد ، فهو تارة عطر رجولي حاد فخم وتارة اخرى عطر ناعم فواح رومانسي ومرة اخرى عميق ويذهب بك الى اماكن بعيدة بين مزارع التبغ الكوبية وهنا ظهرت فلسفة مؤلف العطر (غير معروف ايضا). نبدأ الان مع صافرة البداية فمقدمة العطر صاخبة اسبايسية مع لمسة حادة من السترس المدخن واللافندر واليانسون تظهر في الافق أوراق التبغ والجلود بصورة ملحوظة.التبغ هنا تبغ السيقار الكوبي بالطبع ، المقدمة ثقيلة بعض الشيء ولكنها تنبئ بالوحش المختبيء بداخلها. قلب العطر تغرد فيه نوتة التبغ وحيدة ولكنها ممزوجة بلمسة رائعة من الريحان وزهرة القرنفل ، ستستمر طويلا ربما الي اكثر من 8 ساعات ، قاعدة العطر : وما احلاها من قاعدة ، بأمكاني تأليف كتاب حول قاعدة هذا العطر فهي بحق شيء لايوصف ، رحلة في زمن مضى حفل بالعديد من الذكريات ، مشرقة كاشراقة شمس الصباح البهيجة ، ما اروعها ما هذا الفن والابداع والمهارة ، وهنا اتحدث بعد ان يهدا العطر 10 ساعات من المقدمة وليس بعد ساعتين او ساعة ونصف كالعطور الإستهلاكية الحديثة، انه بمثابة عطر اخر حيث تظهر مجموعة اكوردات من النوتات الكثيفة والمنعشة في نفس الوقت حيث التبغ والجلود والباتشولي وجذور السوسن والراتنجات وشراب الرم ومزيج من الكومارين والالدهيدات النادرة التكوين ونوتة الاوك موس الكلاسيكية الدافئة واجمل ماشممت لنوتة الصندل الهندي فقد اضافت ليونة ومرونة " ياللروعة". الرائحة تتنوع هنا فهي ارضية تارة وحلوة عذبة سويتية عشبية تارة اخرى لوجو هذا المزيج المتجانس.عطر متعدد الأوجه والمكونات فهو احتفالية مبهجة على شواطئ الكاريبي. عطر ليس للأستهلاك العالمي نعم فهذه الاشياء لم يعد يصنعونها واصبحت ذكرى منسية ، بل هو لفلاسفة العطور الذين يغوصون في معنى ومضمون علم الشم ، باالتأكيد من افضل عطور التبغ على الإطلاق . Havana Aramis for men / 1994 Vintage 10/10 اطيب الأمنيات ، وتقبلو تحياتي العطرة. الى لقاء اخر ،،، المراجعة للنسخة الاسطوانية القديمة الاسطورية

I received my new flacon of HAVANA this afternoon, after literally not having smelled that fragrance in 25 years. It had once been one of my "rotation" frags when I was in my thirties. That had been a palmy, adventuresome, libidinous time in my life, and HAVANA had often been its olfactory soundtrack. In those days, I knew nothing of olfactive families, and it's only now that I see: HAVANA is a fougère. A spicy fougère, but a fougère nonetheless. I'm pretty sure the formula I owned back then, in its iconic ultramarine-blue glass conga drum, had been in Eau de Parfum strength. This new EDT re-issue I received today still smells hella good... but it is lighter, less contrasty, less rewardingly unctuous than the jus I slathered on back then. The warm, peppery tobacco quality is here now in a very subtle, ultra-refined capacity... not as robust and 3-dimensional and "brûlant" as it used to be (some here have intimated that HAVANA had always been a "fun" fragrance... as in: somewhat festive and a little charmingly vulgar: you picture a Dad in an open-buttoned Hawaiian or Guayabera shirt flipping burgers for the family in the backyard on a summery Saturday afternoon. Is that a diss? It doesn't have to be.). I've always loved the Art Deco feather/frond imagery on the emballage, suggestive of handpainted men's Italian silk neckties of the 1940's. But this new re-issue EDT is still gorgeous and stylish and handsome. I like it best when the opening "fougère/lavender" brilliance has subsided, and you can meditate on that deliciously suave tobacco/spice signature. The cigar imagery is the reference here, and the fragrance has a dusky, papery quality in far drydown that I adore. As always, HAVANA is not a frat-boy's number... it seems to suggest a kind of "I've made it in life" augustness best suited for the over 30-man. Maybe even the over-35 or over-40 man. And that's OK-- not everything is for the kiddos. Full marks, and bravo to Aramis/Arden for bringing this lovely stuff back-- and crazy-affordably. Astrologically? I picture the Fire signs wearing this.

VINTAGE REVIEW: Never having tried the reformulation, this review is for a bottle of the stuff I bought in the late 1990s, in the awesome blue-green bottle with the heavy cap. I've used it sparingly all this time, but am renewing my appreciation for it. The vintage is, indeed, a tobacco bomb. This stuff is POTENT. Normally, when I put on something from mainstream houses like Aramis, I'll use four or five sprays (or more, for the weaker fragrances) in recognition of the lessened potency of modern formulations. I made this mistake with vintage Havana, with the result that my lady was able to smell it easily from down a flight of stairs, through a closed door, and down the hallway to my study. I had forgotten that two sprays had always been enough (which is why my bottle still contains a decent amount after all these years). The tobacco is smooth and delicious, borderline harsh but absolutely amazing. There's no sweetness to it, like you would get from something like Chergui or Insurrection II Wild. The patchouli is definitely there, but not so in-your-face that it detracts from the overall experience. The oakmoss is also quite potent, and to my nose the Christmas tree fir note is much more noticeable than any cinnamon. It's an awesome combo. The scent doesn't really evolve for me and I don't remember it being terribly dynamic when I first picked it up, but I'm perfectly satisfied with what you get from the opening. I'm still getting about six hours out of this despite its age. Definitely my favorite tobacco scent. I'm beginning to sample higher-end frags and am looking forward to finding tobacco like this again, but for now I'm wearing this gem much more frequently as it ages... I know I'll be mightily disappointed when my bottle finally runs dry... EDIT: After wearing it for a few hours and actively seeking it, I do detect the cinnamon note. Could be that it only emerges after the other middle notes; it's definitely subtle to me, not nearly as noticeable as in Z-14 or Witness, for example.

I get the impression that, as others too have attested, a number of these Aramis Gentleman's Collection fragrances, at least in their recent formulations, do well with age. That has been my experience with Devin. I bought Havana a few years ago, but I haven't used it that much, as I've always found it to be not a statement fragrance or an assuming one exactly but, let's say, a credible one, with its own character, and deserving of an appropriate context in which to wear it, which in my case doesn't come along very often. That said, when I first bought Havana, I didn't find it entirely convincing or appealing. To me it smelt like a fragrance that had a lot going for it but had probably been much impaired by reformulation. Not least, I found it mossy (and soapy), and I liked that, but to me the moss smelt a little thin or shallow (and clean), almost as if lying there forming one conspicuous layer of the fragrance without fully engaging with the rest of it. Well, I've worn this tonight for the first time in probably a year and to me it seems better integrated than it used to. The performance, though perfectly adequate, is still unexceptional, but the scent seems like more of a cohesive, classy, old-skool barbershop experience that has Aramis written all over it. Actually I've just worn this to the supermarket and there was a guy there wearing quite a lot of something very similar to this and at least very closely related to Aramis, so that I wasn't always sure whether I was catching his scent or mine; at no point was the experience anything other than great. For me this is primarily a cool- (not cold-) weather fragrance suitable day or night but, though not austere or abrasive, perhaps a little complex (and exuberant?) for many casual daytime contexts. I'm more inclined now than I used to be to consider this a good choice for a warmish summer night; it's soapy but also kind of fresh, not stuffy, and won't have everything smelling at all as if it's been left out in the rain too long.