Le 3e Homme de Caron

***** Top: The opening is a flurry of yellow-green notes with an underlying hint of pink: some sweet and tangy lemon (or so I read, yuzu) supported by orange (both bergamot and mandarin are listed somewhere, but I’m not exactly sure... the effect is a syrupy citric medley). There are some sharper edges too: likely something mildly anise-like to my nose (it might be tarragon), establishing a musty barbershop fern accord with mutedly sweet, natural lavender that you may recognize as coming from the legendary Caron Pour un Homme, with its raw edges softened towards soapiness. Heart: Sharp, even strident greenness of coriander and vetiver come to the fore after the initial top notes settle, but dominating the heart thematically are flowers: a peppery carnation paired with a sticky jasmine note, the latter of which seems to have a notable indolic facet (this means the hint of body-odour that lurks in ripe white flowers). This could be an illusion (the musk asserting itself, or, as Thomaso7, above, suggests: civet?) Anyway, the skank is more insinuated than spelled out, sensually suggestive of sex (cooling sweat or saliva on skin) rather than skat, and melds well with the not-quite-dirty musk used as a base by Caron in both Pour un Homme and Yatagan... a rind of candied citrus and a ghost of powdery sweetness is still evident in the skin scent. Base: The smoothly played base is an old-school vetiver warmed by tonka bean, dry vanilla and musk. My bottle doesn't list oakmoss, but it does smell mossy. Clove and cedar add an edge of camphor to the tart-sweet/cool-warm mix. The 'steam-iron' or 'snuffed candle' scent of aldehydes, lends a hint of waxiness, a worn-in/lived-in touch like the memory of a casual smoker. Every stage of this fragrance is bevelled, translucent and luminous. When all is said and done, the smell on the sleeve of my shirt produces a mix of soothing beauty and uplifting keenness braced with just a little machismo. As you will note from the contrasts played out in the reviews below, this results in some cognitive dissonance!... The persistent tang of the yuzu opening seems like a stimulating freshness just out of reach, the heart an almost femme tenderness of flowers in the midst of a sultry summer evening mixed in with that body-conscious breath of skank. Despite its heavy use of citrus, it’s not a ‘light’ fragrance, but somewhat aggressive in its density. It feels complex yet linear, and, with its solid projection and excellent longevity, can be a little relentless if sprayed too heavily. Lightly applied, its quality shines. Objective: As a citrus-lavender fougere, it is datable but too well made and blended to be reducible to a cliché. I would say it relevantly transcends the limits of its origin and genre, especially in the age of reformulations. Sometimes this reminds me of something from an earlier vintage, like Eau Sauvage or Chanel Pour Monsieur, for instance, and other times it recalls the risky approach to masculinity that was emerging in the late 70's and early 80's (the aromatic fougère continuum from Azzaro Pour Homme, Paco Rabanne, or even Kouros) assertively masculine, but also creative, with a hint of vulnerability. I can see this appealing to niche lovers because it uses high quality materials to produce an unexpected and memorable impression. To sum up, this is a clashing-yet-smooth, stealthily addictive and highly dependable hybrid of an aromatic citrus chypre, a spicy/soapy/green fougere with a heady dose of woody-floral-musk and a deftly delivered hit of skank. It makes me want to reach for stylish, well-cut clothes and a cigarette (and I don't even smoke...) Like others in the Caron 'Holy Trinity' the ingredients are of very good quality and thoughtfully blended so as to continue giving gratification deep into the well-paced drydown; there's really not one false note or suggestion of cost-cutting from the bottle to the sprayer to every phase of its development. If you are one of those people who cares about longevity and sillage, my bottle (which is a few years old now, a 2014 or 15 batch, and has opened up a bit) has very strong projection and superb longevity. Something I'd confidently put in powerhouse territory (by today's standards, certainly), although I prefer a light wearing myself. Subjective: Like all the Caron masculines I've tried, it takes some getting used to... This one ('number three') maybe most of all, but it's quickly becoming my favourite. I find its social complexities (gender-bending or tough-yet-sensitive? Come-hither or barbershop?) suit the film-noir ethos of the movie, "The Third Man," with its mystery and moral ambivalence, quite well. The overall feel is best held together by purposeful tailoring (choose a suit that fits you well enough that you can slouch in it and still look elegant), while its mix of dissonant notes makes the most sense to me in cool weather. Wear it in selfish reverie and make like nothing’s going on.

Sharing a Bottle of Champagne at the Barbershop with Alain Delon..... Le 3e Homme de Caron reaches perfection on so many different levels for me that it is something of a struggle to review this timeless and truly great fragrance. First of all, the associations with Carol Reed's film noir adaptation of the novel of the same name by Graham Greene are loose but have some relevance. More directly, however, is the fact that the perfumer has in some way achieved a more modern rendition of fragrances that may have been familiar to the international characters in the war-torn Vienna setting of this story. And this is quite an achievement. Moreover, the suggestion of a 'Third Man' is at the root of what this fragrance is about: not overtly masculine, not dandified, but something else...A fragrance for an elegant, slim, good-looking man, perhaps? The first metrosexual scent, perhaps? (But very solidly removed from the current crop of blandly asexual fragrances on the market.) Undoubtedly, for anyone interested in such classic English fragrance houses as Floris, Penhaligon's, Geo. F. Trumper, Truefitt & Hill, and Crown Perfumery - the kind of fragrances that would have been more familiar at the time of The Third Man - the question that may be on your mind is how much do these fragrances give off an unwanted 'dandified' vibe (and how can their cost be justified with such often weak longevity and projection)?....Similar questions may come to mind about some of the earlier fragrances from that famous house across the channel, Creed. Very often such fragrances may seem to be more risk than payoff. And this is where Le 3e Homme de Caron comes in..... The opening of this fragrance smells like nothing else so much as the opening of a bottle of champagne, but the very evident beauty which is there from the outset and through the life of the fragrance is still masculine, refined and - dare I say - gentlemanly, with a degree of very definite charm. While not a dandy fragrance it does suggest at least some of these old English fragrances, but yet has enough of the French barbershop-feel about it to redeem it. It is without doubt a fragrance that you have to live up to a bit, and wearing at least a shirt and tie is the norm for me when when I wear it. The development of Le 3e Homme is rather linear - others have commented on this - but it is so enjoyable over a reasonably long period with good projection that this is no trouble. In fact, it is one of those fragrances that you will have to struggle to stop yourself from sniffing - it is that good. So, in short, Le 3e Homme de Caron is a fragrance that I would highly recommend. It is extremely versatile but is at its best in Spring and Autumn days when there is a bit of heat in the air. Lastly, it is also one of those rare fragrances that asks you "Are you really handsome and classy enough to try this?" I decided I am and never looked back....

*** UPDATE *** I managed to get the earlier release, the one with the color spectrum band on the box and tall smoky glass flacon. I prefer this to the current release, as it is not as loud, while richer in notes variety. The newer formulation is still very good. You may enjoy both or prefer either one. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When I first sprayed this on (recent formulation), I was overwhelmed. The aroma came across rather strong and almost suffocating. The combination of lavender, bergamot, bitter citrus, and coriander accompanied by vetiver, oakmoss and galbanum brings to mind a sweet resin or wax. I guess maybe I've smelled too many lavender scented candles in my day! Either that or it's some kind of opoponax/resinous mimicry? I'm a bit confused about the notes depiction of this fragrance, because another trusted site has a different set of ingredients that does not include coriander or clove. Then I discovered the reason why -- this fragrance was reformulated since its introduction in 1985. The original 1985 list of notes includes bergamot, rosemary, lavender, anise, geranium, rose, jasmine, carnation, amber, musk, oak moss, patchouli, cedar, tonka and vanilla. But then a 10-year-old ingredients list mentions lemon, bitter orange, bergamot, coriander, lavender, vetiver, oak moss and galbanum. However, for the current release oddly enough Caron lists only Italian lemon, bergamot, coriander and vetiver (which has to be an oversimplification). Into the dry down, the intensity does eventually subside. The lavender, bergamot, coriander and oakmoss remain prevalent. As it settles, I get an impression... a faint echo of Chanel Pour Monsieur Concentree. Like distant cousins. I tried this fragrance a couple of times and just couldn't get past the "sweet wax" impression and decided I would get rid of it. I very much enjoy Caron Pour Un Homme (vintage) and the only thing I detect similar between it and Le 3rd is the lavender. CPuH is much more gentle and understated and softened by the vanilla. But a friend of mine became quite animated about my giving it more time. "Don't give up on it--it's a masterpiece, just give it time!" So I did... And I gradually changed my mind. I don't know if it's something to do with "olfactory familiarity" or simply air getting into the bottle to let it tone down a little (maybe both), but I'm warming up to it more. It's in my "like" category and may just make it to "love" one of these days. 7.9/10.

I was watching a video of Leonard Bernstein describing Beethoven’s compositional style. To paraphrase: “Though he was not a good melodist nor a good harmonist nor a good orchestrator, his works are works of genius. How? It was the form. In Beethoven, every single note that succeeded the prior note was the right note. Invariably. How he did it, no one knows, because he struggled: he scratched out, he beat himself up, he never left his rooms, he was constantly in agony, always saying he was merely touching the tip of the iceberg. And yet every single note in his works checks out, no matter how unpredictable, they are always right. No one had that, not even Mozart. It’s like he had a direct telephone line to God.” Sometimes I get a similar feeling with a perfume. Le 3e Homme de Caron is one such beauty. From first spray to final drydown, every single note that follows the previous one is the right note, the perfect note. The entire composition flows seamlessly, like an inevitability. Like it was wired to us directly from Heaven. To put it in context, it swam upriver when masculines were thumping their hairy chests with macho bravado, belting their husky baritones and revving their muscle cars. And it didn’t go the way of water and woods, those aquatic-antiseptic-alien-hyper-synths that were to sweep the fragrant ecosystem the following decade. This was a different sort of creature, in a category that is historically bereft of exemplars (the floral masculine), and done in such a way that only Caron could (Françoise Caron was creative director, to boot). It’s floral, yes, with carnation and geranium and jasmine and rose (?) at the heart, but it’s a spiced up and green floral. To paraphrase Tania Sanchez, its message is pretty simple: “I’m beautiful before I’m anything else, masculine or feminine.” Now, you have to love cloves (eugenol) and anise (anethol), because the perfect blend of one or both of these warm spices with that dreamy Caron lavender in the opening is a marriage made in heaven. This is a mood lifter that makes you say with a big smile on your face: IDGAF today, I’m just gonna feel good! But the real magic lies in the backbone: sultry and warm animalics that run through the bright opening and the floral heart and flow into the semi-sweet, earthy, musky dry-down for which it’s so well known and loved. Among my all-time favorites.

Gorgeous and a successful blind buy for me. Normally I don't buy blind because it never works out. But, between my passion for Caron pour un Homme, the five star review in the Guide and how stupid cheap it was ($22 for 4 oz delivered), I cracked. While I was waiting for it to arrive, I worried that I almost certainly wouldn't like it. Clove? Not a fan. Fougere? Not a fan. Barbershop? Just no. Classic masculines? Uh uh. I sprayed it on paper first and left it to settle. An hour later I was back to find something subtle, unique, meltingly soft and quite unisexily beautiful. Today I'm wearing it on skin and am enjoying the heck out of it. I think the note pyramid is pretty accurate but also largely irrelevant. This is one of those fragrances that is so well blended it smells only like itself and not like the notes that compose it. The opening I would describe as "sweaty lemon sorbet." I know that doesn't sound very good but it's so soft and caressing, I find it lovely. It get's sweeter, softer and possibly more floral as it settles. I know that lavender or clove are there but I can't really pick them out. This is one that you pretty much have to try to see if you'll like it. Truthfully that's true of all perfumes but this one even more so. Even if you don't like any of the notes or classic masculines, you might love this. Every fragrance fan, male or female (like me), should give this a try. Edit: Sillage and longevity are crazy good for something this natural smelling and inexpensive. It just keeps getting better - sweeter and softer. Second Edit: I keep looking at all these reviews saying that it's a classic masculine and best suited for a "mature gentleman" and shaking my head. Perhaps this is obvious, but that is purely their associations and underestimates how unique this fragrance is. If a mature gentleman is wearing it, it will smell like a mature gentleman and maybe people will experience it as a classic barbershop. When my seventeen year old son wears it he smells very fresh but also warm and slightly sweet, classy but unique and youthful. When I (a middle aged woman) wear it, it smells more floral, spicy and soft. In Tania Sanchez's five star review in the The Guide, she says that she's never smelled it on a man and seems to believe that it's simply too beautiful. It's for everyone who appreciates beauty.

This might be the perfect fall fougere. Every note, from start to finish, is marvelous and perfectly executed. I say fall fougere because it is one of the deepest and darkest of fougeres you can find, despite having ample doses of pink and white florals. The opening notes of lavender, bergamot, anise and herbs is divine. That lavender... oh that lavender... it makes me weak at the knees. It is so smooth, fresh and vibrant, and pleasantly floral, it smells better than anything I've ever managed to grow in my garden. The top notes give way rather quickly to the heart notes, which are the stars of this perfume. I get plenty of jasmine, and also what seems to be carnation and rose. The floral notes are less about a particular floral or two and more about the overall 'effect' of florals. What Francoise Caron gets perfectly right with Troisieme Homme are just how well-rounded these florals are. Their floral qualities and their indolic qualities, particularly the jasmine's and the carnation's, speak at nearly the same volumes. It's this execution that gives TH the effect of "darkness and depth;" there are no huge springtime bursting and bright notes here, all flower and no indole, there are equal parts. This gives TH a warming effect one wants for the fall. No less is this achieved by the superb base notes that gradually take over during the dry down, propping up the floral heart hour upon hour until they seem to swallow them whole. The base has plenty of tonka, woods, patchouli, mosses, and musks to go around for hours. It is rich, deep, earthy, only-so pleasantly sweet, and superiorly evocative; you won't want to stop smelling it. How I miss the days when perfumes were executed like Troisieme Homme. The layers of it are so expertly built: light, airy, fresh and refreshing, at the top; and maintaining a lot of those qualities into the middle while gaining noticeable depth, warmth, texture, and complexity; then finally proceeding to the bottom, where it is all about that depth, warmth, texture, and complexity without ever becoming burdensome or cloying. TH feels like warm, supple, and soft wool jacket on a chilly day, so comforting you find yourself pulling it tighter around you to feel its embrace. A true gem, first among equals, in that classic fougere style.

one of my favourite fragrances for gentlemen! inspired to a famous movie, le 3 homme de caron is so damn classy, balanced and well crafted. it's aromatic with a nice composition of herbs and spicies. u can get lavender, coriander, clove, jasmine, anise, vetyver and oakmoss which gives a retro taste to it, and i get that sort of coca-cola vibe. basically it's all about herbs and spicies, never pushy, never offensive, old-fashioned but in a good way. i wear it with no problems, i think people under 30 can find it a bit dated but if you love the world of parfumes you cant say it smells bad or cheap. i prefer to wear it in all seasons except for summer, for formal and casual situations, better with a good outfit. le 3 homme de caron reminds me another masterpiece, chanel pour monsieur concentree(not the new edp which is a bit different): both have this beautiful herbal-spicy combo, the chanel one is less spicy and more oakmossy but both are great. i dont know if le 3 homme is discontinued, i noticed that the prices of all the fragrances from caron are increased and the remaining pieces are less and less, at least in italy... modern vs vintage: i also have a vintage bottle and i dont detect major differences between old and new formula, the scent profile and the performance are the same. maybe the old is a bit more mossy but not enough to seek only for the vintage. le 3 homme de caron è forse il mio preferito di quelli di caron un fantastico blend di erbe e spezie. la lavanda, il muschio, l'anice, il vetyver e il muschio di quercia caratterizzano questo profumo old-school ma affascinante al tempo stesso. a me ricorda chanel pour monsieur concentree(non la versione edp che è leggermente diversa). scent-8,5 longevity-8 sillage-7 uniqueness-8,5 versatility-7,5 backup bottle? yes compliment factor-7 presentation-7 my vote-8,5 in one word-impeccable alternative- chanel pour monsieur concentree, santos de cartier concentree.

VERY IMPORTANT..THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE VINTAGE NOT THE CURRENT VERSION.... I was in one of my favorite store's shopping for a fragrance, by the corner of my eye I came across Le°m3 de Caron. My heart was pounding cause it was a Vintage bottle which only cost me only $45usd....what a steal of a GEM !!! I went on eBay and the lowest price for a 100ml edt was around $140.00 so I knew I had a collector's item. W O W...........YOUR IN HEAVEN !!!! ♥♥♥♥♥ The current version isn't as intense as the vintage....maybe Caron had no attention to keep the original version...but WHY??? When I sprayed it on my skin, what an amazing opening aroma of cloves, lavender. After a bit a real deep aroma of coriander and woodsy notes of oakmoss giving it an overall herbal/sweet LUXURIOUS, ATTRACTIVE masculine aroma. In the Vintage bottle I'm not able to pickup any citrus notes what so ever! The heart of this juice is UNBELIEVABLY CLOVES in harmony lavender making it ABSOLUTELY shoulders above the rest. To compare this creation is like comparing another potrait to the Mona Lisa....the other one might be excellent but its not a MASTERPIECE. The Vintage bottle is!!!!. Longevity and Silage are both of high quality which lasts well past 8hrs. Overall thoughts, If you DON'T think this frag is worth acquiring...well I can tell that bar none there's nothing that comes remotely close in the last 2 decades that could stand beside Le°m3 de Caron. Yes, there are many excellent fragrances from various brand's but nothing like this one!!! The vintage frag is highly worth it if you can acquire this fragrance and you won't regret it what so ever. This is a gorgeously fragrance which I will treasure every ounce. IN A WORD.....SPEECHLESS !!!!! Rating, A+++++ or ☆☆☆☆☆ SIMPLE THE BEST!!!!

I always forget how good this is until I put it on again...and remember why I bought a back-up-bottle. Normally, I'd wait until a cool day in March, but I thought I'd try it as a winter citrus, and what a treat it is. Lemon, orange, musk and lavender offer a traditional barbershop opening albeit with aldehydes that remind me of certain compositions by Chanel (both traditional 'masculines' like Chanel Pour un Homme and the original Egoïste, and classics designed for women like No. 19...) There is that bright, waxy/smoky, basically 'luminous' thing aldehydes bring to the fore that is an interesting complement to a naturalistically vivid citrus freshness. Then the clove kicks in adds both warmth and cool, painkilling remove, while indolic-smelling (read: tastefully skanky) jasmine keeps things interesting. That contrast is key, from my perspective, to 'getting' this fragrance... The clove is a touch rugged (think of Old Spice) in its sharpness and brutal, numbing qualities, almost rendering the perfume abstract, while the smell of decaying florals offer a 'worldly' presence that stops just short of being aggressive, grounding the composition in the here and now, even if never quite down-to-earth. The drydown is multidimensional: keen but comforting, powdery-clean yet smoothly old school with cedar, vetiver, a very dry moss effect, and musk. The funny thing is that it seems very classically masculine while never really losing that gender-bending 'Chanel' feel...Very nice performance too! For me, it's a perfect fougère in the way a French 75 is perfect as champagne cocktail...both may seem a little vintage at first, but there's nothing fusty or stuffy about the pleasure they produce.

From my vintage mini, I gave a modest splash of Caron Le 3e Homme on each forearm and rubbed the excess into my skin. First came a soft wave of something woody and herbal, with a very odd note reminiscent of old-fashioned Band-Aids or bandages. Nothing sterile or synthetic, and not quite as one-dimensional as the “Band-Aid note” that synthetic oudh is often perceived to contain. As the fragrance warmed on my skin, it suddenly seemed familiar, and I realized I was smelling a component of vintage (and modern!) Yardley Lace, a dark undertone, seductive and a bit dirty (and somehow reminiscent of the breath of a healthy child) that can be caught beneath Lace’s floral prettiness and which is missing from modern perfumes. I suspect this is oakmoss combining with something else, something floral. There were snatches of something green and herbal, and a dry wood-smoke feel that seemed it could easily step sideways into a clearly-perceptible leather, or in another direction, into a tarry-pitch burned odor -- but never did. And then, in a matter of minutes, the scent with all its complex trailing elements, had disappeared into my skin. (My very dry, freshly showered skin, that is.) All that was left was that vague floral-oakmoss (?) impression and the tiniest bit of a cola or rootbeer note; fortunately, this stuck around for more than an hour. This was a vintage mini, and I suspect that although there was no repulsive odor of damaged top or heart notes, time had compromised the fragrance’s longevity. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this scent, which I found quite masculine in intention but also very wearable (for me, as a woman), very unusual in its final effects.

To my great surprise, I've found my new signature scent. As mentioned below, despite the lack of a leather note, the vetiver and oakmoss seem to create a gentle leather-like accord (perhaps closer to suede?) with some of the other notes. The citrus blend is very subtle in this - combining with the lavender, clove and that leather accord to create what I can best describe as a "spiced fougere" - all of the components are by themselves quite subtle, but they combine to present a very distinctive scent that is not intrusive but is definitely assertive. The clove worked into the more classic fougere structure is a stroke of genius (at least for those who like fougeres as well as clove notes ;) I have many scents that feel formal or casual (or definitely closer to one than the other), but this one is truly a wildcard and impossible to pidgeon-hole in that manner. It is certainly refined, but also a little dangerous, it makes me confident as well as deeply contented. It has that sweet-sour tug-of-war that I so enjoy in the Pasha line, but those are extremely "formal" scents to my nose. Pasha and its excellent friends are to me crisp work suits, where as this is a comfortable blazer and my favorite loafers. I agree with Santos89, this is very much a classy French interpretation of the 80's screaming loud, hairy-chested powerhouses - actually quite sedate and polite - extremely versatile in comparison to the Kouros, Santos and Antaeus category of testosterone megaphones. And there's always an indescribable, subconscious connection we all have to certain scents - I've made this connection with Third Man.

Bought this in 2021 due to it’s apparent similarities to Bel- Ami which is what I believe to be a Masterpiece and all time Classic. In my opinion there is no similarities, other than the spicy nuances the two share. Upon initial spray and sniff I was very disappointed. It wasn’t what I expected. Smelt like an old lady Fast forward to the next day I gave this a full wearing... WOAH I WAS MIND BLOWN... At last I understood the beauty of this fragrance after getting wafts in the air I predominantly get Lavender, Clove and Amber. Very Classy & Chic. Definitely not a mass appealing fragrance however it does smell put together, refined and handsome 🤨 I’d classify this as a Floral-Chypre. Nothing Quite smells like it but if you enjoy fragrances such as: Chanel Pour Monsieur EDP , I think you’d enjoy this. It’s Masculine but a confident Women could rock this as well IMHO. Rant: Most of so called “ love at first sniffs” become boring overtime (what I came to realize ie. LNDL, Eros, ADG series) it’s the ones that you don’t initially love that become your most cherished. I could say the same about Bogart Signature for instance. Although it does smell like a jar of pickles in the opening the dry down was MASTERCLASS. Highly recommend for those that are into old school masculines. Anyways... LONGEVITY(8hrs) and PROJECTION ( 2hrs) *4-6 sprays* Projection is prominent for 2 hours Moderate to Close projection from 4-6 hours Becomes a skin scent at hour 7-8 This quickly became One of my favourites! top-five all time at the moment.

This is my favorite fragrance- it is so beautiful. It's also one of the hardest for me to describe. Most fragrances remind me of place, or memory, but I don't get that with The Third Man. It opens with a full, ripe, heavy lemon- but don't think bright citrus like you do with Summer fragrances or colognes (though this is one that can be worn year round). Vanilla soon joins it, along with clove and spice and lavender and florals and musk. There's quite a bit going on here. The clove especially is interesting and hovers throughout the life of the fragrance. Something I haven't seen mentioned, but certainly get, is reminiscent of smokiness/ashtray (in the most alluring way possible). Sillage is moderate, and it lasts 8+ hours on me. I find that I keep discovering something new about this every time I wear it. It is so versatile, classy, mysterious and melancholic. This is by far the frontrunner for favorite amongst my friends. However, I wouldn't say this is a safe blind buy. I liked, but didn't love it at first, and my wife has never come around. It has grown on me, and continues do so. I highly suggest you try this- it is so unique, beautiful, and under-appreciated. I recommend you check out the fantastic Third Man movie as well (which features the best soundtrack of any movie ever made). Thanks @alphairone for encouraging me to get this- this is one for life.

This is so understatedly lovely, and I'm throughly impressed by how timeless it is. it could be worn by a Parisian dandy in 1925, an ad executive in 1955, a socialite in 1985 and a Brooklyn hipster in 2005 and never smell dated or out of place. Even more curiously, there is a LOT going on in this fragrance (bergamot, lemon, florals, leather, cloves) but all of it works together to create a whole that is the seamlessly greater than the rather awkward (on paper) sum of its parts. A bright citrus is the opening top note, just loud enough to make sure you are paying attention to what follows. The next hour is a conversation between the spices, woods and oakmoss. Subtle jasmine is the intro to the base of this gorgeously composed gem, and there's a delightful powdery, resinous drydown, with just enough projection for you (and anyone lucky enough to get close to you) to notice how amazing it smells. This is marketed as a masculine, but I can't possibly be the only woman who finds this to be an elegant fragrance for just about any occasion, so either gender should definitely give it a try. I'm usually a devotee of larger, louder, quirkier scents, but this is far too wonderful for me to ignore. Beautiful craftsmanship is in this case, just enough.

First impressions. Starts with a sweet and spicy accord that creates an association with the sweeter/warmer side of the barbershop genre (lavender, cloves). But it also has a hefty dose of something indolic in it, be it jasmine or civet. The end result is a kind of "golden glow" that also has "bracing" qualities and is somewhat restrained, gentlemanly. The delicate balance between the spicy/herbal and animalic notes is similar to the one in Givenchy Gentleman (1974) or Antaeus. Unfortunately, for me, the animalic side of the Caron's composition creates an association with bad breath odour. And I seem to get an impression of a middle-aged, slightly overweight, well-groomed man from the 80s, who has a light brown leather briefcase, a heavy golden watch, possibly a comb-over and a handkerchief to swipe his sweaty forehead with. Don't know what to do with it. As it progresses, the sweetness gets amplified (relative to the other notes). In the drydown, the "bad breath" accord disappears and the remaining base notes remind me very much of the sweet beeswax/castoreum dry-down of Antaeus. Quite clean, but also very organic and warm. I quite like this phase, but the beginning is more "interesting" than "wearable" for me.

This is such a comforting but complex fragrance. It's got the three big notes (lavender, vanilla and musk) of Pour un Homme from the same house; but this is no mere flanker scent. The lemon in this is as substantial as anything else in it except for the lavender; plus it has some warm florals in it too, and also oakmoss, cedar, and vetiver with the musk for the drydown. I almost never compare fragrances to other things, but this one evokes such a strong and beautiful sense-memory in me I can't help it. This is a sunny early-autumn day in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I lived in the 1980s: the lavender, vanilla, and musk evoked for me the venerable nineteenth-century buildings everywhere, but the bright lemon evokes the cheerful Indian Summer weather, even as the days are becoming noticeably shorter. It brings forth the odd balance of the comforts of becoming more mature alongside the promise of the beginning school year. This is an elegant but happy daytime scent for the equinoctial seasons, probably best worn by someone over thirty-five. Although you can't get it for the incredible bargains you can find on-line for Pour Un Homme, it's still reasonably priced given the high quality of the ingredients.

Over the holidays I was preparing an Indian meal... I don't often do this, so I was trying to be as dutiful as I could to authentic aspects of the recipe, which involved toasting spices and grinding them in a mortar and pestle. I made a surprising discovery: freshly toasted and ground coriander seeds smell nothing like commercial ground coriander you buy in a bottle at the market... Instead, there is a startling range of odours: a warm, hay-like dustiness, and a sweetness that resembles dried flowers with with an almost syrupy, candied edge, and finally the acid, citric bite one typically associated with both fresh coriander (cilantro) and the commercial ground coriander sold in stores. This is the smell of Caron's Third Man, almost exactly... For all its classic fougère trappings, its heart is a secret soliflor. Clove is still very present as well of course but I could not escape this newly formed impression as I wore it today. It is quite brilliant the way that other notes -- citrus, lavender, jasmine, carnation and clove in particular -- support and extend the impression of the coriander...in the waft of dense but deft sillage, it all becomes a softly blurred abstraction.

Hi Gernsie, Please see my note below regarding the ingredient pyramid (Fragrantica's is inaccurate) -- there is indeed a massive clove note. Also, as one comment below queries, aldehydes are indeed present. This accounts both for what many identify as a champagne-like starched-linens freshness at the opening and the subtle smoky 'snuffed candle' effect you may notice as your bottle matures. I would take exception to the notion that this has been heavily reformulated... Earlier versions (as with all the classic Caron masculines) had a dirtier musk note, and obviously this formula (which still smells very mossy, IMO) no longer has real oakmoss, but instead some substitute like evernyl or veramoss. As you note though, despite the astringency of the opening it is still a very well-blended fragrance. I wouldn't consider it butchered at all. Finally, I think you'll find longevity increases as your bottle ages; A spray I tried from a fresh bottle at the Caron Boutique in 2015 seemed to wind down after 4-5 hours, but both bottles I currently own (circa 2014 and 2018) are very powerful and long-lasting now.

This is one of those fragrances that I've always been aware of without ever really coming into contact with. I think I sprayed it in a shop once perhaps? Anyway I have now and I've got to say it's superb! To me it still has the main two components which made the original Homme so iconic and popular, the interplay of vanilla and lavender, however, as minimal and playfully 'nothing' as that fragrance is, this has way more heft without overstepping into one of those cloying, annoying fougere types but also not too dainty and elegant as to undermine the masculinity. It's a mossier, spicier version of the lavender centered perfume, with a drydown and soft, vanillic and meditative as the original. Let’s talk about the opening though, it sparkles with a labdanic effect, which gives the whole thing a luxurious feel, it’s a kind of creamy middle ground between Chypre and Fougere. I love it. I've seen it in a million peoples collections who I know like all this sort of business that I do, so it shouldn't come as such a surprise that a Caron perfume is great. I need it in my life, get in my wardrobe!!!

An unforgettable fragrance for me. This was my go to for nights out when I was in college. Yah, I know - what was wrong with me! My friends were all about Cool Water and Drakkar when I wore this. It was and remains an amazing fragrance. While the above mentioned have become a bit dated this one is actually more difficult to nail down - time-frame wise. For me the lemon in this is beautiful and reminds me of the superior tangy/dry lemon rind note in Rochas Moustache. Along with the orange and lavender it makes for one of the brightest openings in the Caron Homme line (as well as Yatagan and Yuzu Man) - and that's saying something! The combination of that lemon with moss and corriander really make it green earthy and invigorating. There's enough vetiver and clove to soften the lemon dryness while giving it a particular masculine edge. Great fragrance after all these years I just like it more and more. One of the better lemon/lavender/coriander openings in the fragrance game!

I had bought a bottle 2 years ago and although I already liked the fragrance back then it was more a like because it was different than most fragrances I own. I respected it, but I still found it a bit alien, like Guerlain's Habit Rouge and to a lesser degree Guerlain's Vetiver. This Caron is less sweet and cloying than Habit Rouge and I am starting to like it more and more (and with it I am starting to dislike current fragrances even more and more. The hell with all the blue freshies). The tonka bean and vanilla in the dry-down are very well blended, I do not get this synthetic murky smell that most current fragrances with amber/ambroxan and/or vanilla in their base have when smelling up close. I am not sure if I would ever wear this at the office, but that's only because I know that my younger nose did not not appreciate this type of outspoken scent and I don't want to offend anyone.

Classic barbershop fougere for distinguished mature gentlemen. It's like a high quality bay rum blended with expensive soap, and a touch of powder. The dry down clearly has Caron's DNA which I detect in all their fragrances that I've either owned or tested. This beauty is mainly about the clove and lavender, which to some people find to be "dated" notes in a fragrance. I disagree. Although it's clearly a classic composition, it's timeless. Keep in mind, Le 3' does have something animalic going on in the background, civet maybe? But it's very faint and by no means is overpowering. It's not nearly as animalic as the testosterone booster Yatagan, another legendary masculine fragrance from the Caron house. I'm almost certain Third Man is used by upscale barbers throughout Paris, Rome and London. That's exactly what it is. The smell of a fresh shave in the classiest of classy barbershops.

Now this is male perfumery. Usually in the perfume industry us men are treated inferiorly and arrogantly, but here this is reversed. Caron knows how to make men smell good and I am overwhelmed with the fact that they put great effort in this task. The vintage juice is slightly better but the new one is also very identical. If you can get both please do so, you will never regret it. This not only smells great but it also taught me many things about how a man should wear and use perfume. Not for gaining attention but for smelling great. On this account this the most fashionable fougere ever. It starts citrusy and then dries down in a musky, sweet, floral way reminiscent of pouring romantic florals on aftershave. Collector or not get it, wear it and learn from it. After that you will understand that 75% of fragrances aiming men consider you a blunt bloodless stereotype.

There is an initial bright flash of citrus. It is gone in a minute. The middle notes come through quickly. The clove makes the lavender shimmer. This is not the soft and luxurious vanilla lavender blend found in Pour un Homme but something like a spicy and aromatic reworking. The lavender is removed from the spotlight quite quickly in Le 3e Homme. It remains for some time quietly lurking in the shadows but it is not the everlasting lavender of Pour un Homme. The clove continues, blending with coriander. Warm, buzzy and aromatic. This is an interesting fragrance. It shifts subtly from time to time. Sometimes disappears altogether. Then creeps back into perception. I find Le 3e Homme to be at its prettiest during its stable final movement. The middle notes have mostly given way to a smooth, rich blend of vetiver and oakmoss. A delicate spice remains.

Overall Rating: * * * * * (masterpiece) Longing, pure longing. Not longing for another, but rather for a version of oneself. Here is the ancient myth of Narcissus, which is after all the root of all fashion. No review of Le Troisieme can possibly do it more justice than that of Tania Sanchez, Luca Turin's great collaborator and co-author. She described it as: “...a disastrously beautiful boy who turns every head in the street, even if his hair is overgrown, his grubby clothes fit badly, and he’s oblivious to the attention as he goes about his ordinary life–he breaks more hearts running out innocently to buy milk than we ordinary mortals manage to bruise in a callous lifetime.” And oh how we all long to BE that boy, the effortless heartbreaker in ill-fitting clothes. Le Troisieme Homme gives the illusion, for at least a few hours, that we can.

Le troisième homme de Caron. Un classique selon moi, forcément vintage, d’une époque que je ne pense pas avoir connue, ou alors enfant. Une eau qui joue sur les limites : très masculine (il suffit de consulter sa "pyramide"), et pourtant très féminine aussi... Ambivalence des films d’après-guerre, avec stars au menu (Orson Welles...). Après la noirceur, la rédemption par ce lumineux parfum! A porter avec retenue et tenue. La classe ! Le troisième homme de Caron. A classic, according to me, "vintage", which comes from a time it seems to me I never knew, or perhap's in my childhood... This fragrance plays with masculinity (look at the pyramid...) and feminity... After war movies ambivalence, with stars (Orson Welles...), in european towns... After darkness, sweet redemption with this luminous fragrance! Class! 8 /10

Having only recently had a chance to obtain a nice-sized decant of Kouros, I now feel I understand The Third Man a little better... Both are fougère compositions with beautifully blended citrus, waxy aldehydes, lavender and a strong jasmine facet, both feature vetiver, carnation, vanilla, cool-spicy cloves, coriander, oakmoss and musk as active players in their pyramids, and both have something that smells like civet (indolic jasmine certainly plays a role). Kouros is heavier, more urinously-sweet with its honey accord but also much skankier. The Third Man is lighter and more wearable, more lucidly harmonious in its floralcy (almost musical), and less defined by the drama of its contrasts. Kouros is more indelible, but The Third Man is, I think, more dependable. Both are wonderful pieces of perfumery.

For me - this stuff is 'second to none'. Le 3 Homme was one of the first bottles in my collection. I never would have thought from all the macho-masculine fragrances I had my primary aim at, and still have today - that my number one choice would be this, the Third Man, a floral fragrance. On the reformulated juice: it is quite linear. The notes you get few minutes after the initial heavy blast, mostly will stay the same all the way. I detect some sort of common vibe to Pour Monsieur by Chanel - a minor vibe. Once the sprayed area of the skin comes to a contact with excessive amount of water(or sweat) the aura of a gentleman might be compromised. Therefore, its a good idea to use it with caution in a hot environment. On the other hand - its perfect for cold/winter/snowy times.

Sheer perfection. This is the paragon of masculine fragrances. It just lifts my spirits, imparts vigor, makes me feel alive and confident, ready to face anything. I love the aroma of cloves and when combined with lavender, there is this synergy that just radiates on my skin. The dry down is the pièce de résistance, it all coalesces into this mildly sweet, earthy, comforting base of tonka, oakmoss, and vetiver. From opening to skin scent, an undercurrent of simmering, animalic musk, suggestions of civet or castoreum, well-behaved, obedient, but enough to put a tiger in your tank. This is timeless (pay no mind to any other reviewers who suggests it is dated or rather 'mature'). Be adventuresome, be fearless, have character, and wear Le Troisième Homme Caron. 10/10

I had an opportunity to try the new formula of Le 3, and it's very similar to the older version but more transparent. As with the newer version of Pour un Homme, the difference between the two seems to be in the musks, which are more prominent in both vintages and more animalic. The other comment I had about Le 3; the unusually tenacious citrus note reminds me very much of Guerlain's Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat. There is a peculiar quality to this particular lemon, it almost has the dusty-dry feel of the little rolls of candy we call "smarties" in the US (there are other candies by that name elsewhere that are not the same at all). A little chalky, a little bitter/sour, and yet unmistakably citrusy. I've definitely warmed up to Le 3, but it took a few wearings.

Le 3e Homme (The 3rd Man) by Caron is an aromatic, leathery scent inspired by the character Harry Lime played by Orson Welles in Carol Reed’s legendary noir film The Third Man (1949). The aromatic notes include Italian bergamot essence, French lavender essence, Egyptian geranium essence and oak moss. The leather is accompanied by Bay St Thomas essence, nutmeg essence, and Spanish cistus absolute. The aromatic leathery accord creates an enigmatic effect that is as captivating as it is mysterious. Le 3e Homme is a triumph of perfumery that is as reassuringly classic as it is thoroughly modern. If Chanel ever do the unthinkable and stop making their immortal Pour Monsieur, then Le 3e Homme would be a strong contender to be next in line as my signature scent.

In my opinion anyone who takes perfume seriously should have this in their collection. I prefer the edition in the flacon shown above. The first release was in a different shaped bottle with grey/rainbow striped packaging and I find it very astringent/tart...so I think they may have altered the formula at some stage and I prefer the latter version. Personally, I would describe this as a citrus fragrance on a dense musky base. The old Caron base-fonds were wonderful and you can smell the effect of them in this fragrance. If you like this fragrance you should definitely try Caron Pour un Homme Le Soir. It is an exact edp format of this fragrance and has nothing to do with the Pour un Homme line-up. Le Soir should be a flanker of Le 3e Homme.

I get mainly coriander, cloves, lavender, anise and a bunch of animalic notes with a sweet vanilla/tonka base. The closest parallel for me is Jicky, and it also has a similar aristocratic vibe. I would also compare it to Guerlain Heritage (which is much sweeter and denser), Kouros (which is much more in-your-face, monolithic, pissy and, well... 80s) and Paco Rabanne Pour Homme (like Kouros, more traditionally masculine). But in essence, it is an animalic and fuzzy fougere. I would say "dirty fougere", but it also has a clear structure and appears quite dandyish. Anyway, the artistic vision is there and it's not something you can forget easily. Don't expect to like it straight away, this is more like a long term relationship material.

Wonderfully striking, balanced and unique! What a gem! The House of Caron does it again... Always unique, and quite unlike anything else out there on the market. The Third Man is a perfectly balanced masculine floral. Yes, a (masculine) floral... (Dior Homme take note!). This is how it's meant to be done! Everyone sees something different in this, a fizzy, mossy, aromatic, enveloping cloud which is unlike anything you've smelled before! Even with a hint of champagne in the opening! I mostly get beautiful indolic Jasmine, dry Lavender and tons of Oakmoss. You gotta love 80's masculines! Overall, a perfectly balanced, unique and intriguing fragrance. This is how a male floral should be done. Top class. Elegant. Unique. Well done Caron!

@ Mikeaveli, The note list for Le Troisième Homme here on Fragrantica is a bit off... Not sure why. I've read different things in different places, but I think it's safe to say it's something like this: Top: Yuzu, Anise (or Tarragon?), Bergamot, Mandarin Heart: Lavender, Clove, Geranium, Jasmine, Carnation, Coriander Base: Tonka, Musk, Moss (analogues), cedarwood, Vetiver I've read other things, and may have missed notes (it's very well blended), but these are the notes that stand out the most to me. By all accounts, this has survived reformulation quite well...Earlier versions were mossier and had a dirtier musk that Caron used to use, but the current version is very well balanced and a strong performer. I hope that this helps!

To me Le Troisieme Homme is another Caron masterpiece - the gentler and more approachable cousin of the sword-like Yatagan (to shamelessly quote my own review - sharp and aggressive, evocative and attention grabbing, piney, resinous, smoky). There is a fresh citrus and lavender top that is missing in Yatagan, and then for the rest of the time it is the jeweled letter opener next to the Yatagan sword. Le Troisieme Homme is milder with a more ambery tone, a touch of clove and indolic jasmine in the middle, and more sweet balsam in the base, but the notes are otherwise similar. I love them both - when I am feeling like conquering the world I prefer Yatagan, when I am in a gentler mood I prefer Le Troisieme Homme.

There are several houses of fragrances that bring to mind "class" for me. Lalique, Dior, Creed, Xerjoff. For me, Caron is in it's own category which I would call "enchanting elegance". There is something so timeless and ethereal to all of their fragrances. And Le 3'Homme is no different. On first spray, you may say to yourself what have I just done - especially if you are under 30 years old. However, when Le 3'Homme quickly settles, you are left with a sublimely, classy concoction of aromatics and dry spices with just a touch of fresh citrus that perfectly liven the fragrances and will lift you out of the doldrums of cold weather. Beautiful fragrance and perfect for classy functions or the office.

This is the juice!!!!!! I cannot believe how underrated this scent is. The opening draws you right in with its medicinal, cough syrupy scent. Once the cloud of citrusy, medicinal mist subsides, the spice of the cloves and pepper kick in. It is at that midpoint that Caron's signature lavender appears briefly and then joins back into the aromatic jam session. Finally, the dry down to this fragrance is simply gorgeous where all the elements to this fragrance are nestled down into a bed of earthy vetiver and oak moss. This scent is flawless from beginning to end. Le 3' Homme is pure class and still holds up in distinction and originality. This is not a scent to sleep on. Full bottle worthy!!!!

الرجل الثالث من كارون هو عطر شيبرة حمضيات زهري رجالي كلاسيكي بلمسة فوجير العطر بالنسبة لي هو خليط من أوو سوفاج و جاز من إيف سان لوران (و إن كان أصدر قبل جاز) العطر يفتتح كشيبرة بالحمضيات مع لمسة فوجير باللافندر، ثم ينتقل لقلب زهري أبيض مع لمسات فوجير من الكسبرة النوتة المميزة في جاز مع الجيرانيوم، و الاختتام بقاعدة طحلبية مع لمسات من الفيتفر و المسك أقرب عطر لهذه الرائحة هو عطر لاليك بور هوم (الأسد) و إن كان اصدار كارون أكثر كلاسيكية و في ذات الوقت أقل كثافة و حدة عطر كلاسيكي ذكوري للرجال فوق الثلاثين، أراه يصلح للمناسبات الرسمية و العمل في النهار في كل الفصول الأداء للعبوة التي لدي و هي قديمة دون المتوسط بثبات يصل ل 6 ساعات مع فوحان محدود جدا بسبب مشكلة بالبخاخ التقييم 4.35/5

Gorgeous...although the first time I tried it, I was a little "uh-oh - there's BO" - well yes, there is a little bit of "body" to it, at least in the beginning - but fear not kiddies, the Oakmoss and Lavender combination is utterly delightful. And I adore clove in fragrance. I would also swear on a stack of Bibles and other Holy Texts that there is Patchouli in this as well. One night I went to bed wearing 3' Homme and dreamed of purple swirls and awoke to patchouli - amazing stuff. I think the house of Caron works wonders for fragrances marketed to men - that's where their strength lies. Where Yatagan is incredibly brilliant and brash; 3' Homme is a gentle and pensive sort.

Dude, respectfully, no., this is not exactly the same as Lagerfeld classic, which is an amber-heavy oriental with a lot of vanilla and tobacco. Le Troisieme Homme is a citrus-lavender-clove-based fougère composition. I suppose they have aldehydes, a bit of powder and some tonka in common, but not much else beyond a certain ambiguity in terms of traditional notions of masculinity. And Le 3 is a much stronger performer than the current version of KL. And don't even get me started on old man smell, for heaven's sake. The first time I smelled this was on a young woman at the Cooper Hewitt in NYC... It certainly did not smell old man on her.

There is something very old school about The Third Man. In certain ways, it does remind me of Eau Sauvage or Chanel Pour Monsieur, but there is a chalk or clay-like note in it that makes it different. This note gives it a sweetness that balances out the lavender and citrus. To me, this scent straddles the line between classic and modern. It is classic barbershop, but the sweetness/creaminess make it more current. I think The Third Man is unusual and alluring, but very easy to wear. This is one of my favorites because there is never an inappropriate time to wear this. For me, this one is an essential. Love this stuff.

Fantastic fragrance. It opens with a creamy citrus/bergamot and what smells like licorice tinged lavender, with something fresh and floral (geranium?), and as it dries down it gets slightly mossy and herbal, like a toned down, more up beat Azzaro Pour Homme. This is compared to Chanel Pour Monsieur Concentree/Eau De Parfum. It is very similar, but Pour Monsieur EDP has a strong vanilla in the dry down, which gets somewhat cloying to me, whereas Le 3e Homme gets more classic manly with a hint of moss and labdanum. Interestingly, Evernia Prunastri is not listed on the ingredients on the box.

Finally realized how to use this cologne. As usual, i alway test and wear fragrance by spray on arms and dip my nose close to it to smell. And this 3rd man was too strong and a bit off putting. But tonight before going to bed I sprayed it and did not dip my nose to it, forgot about it, then few minutes later kept smelling something deliciously beautiful, it was the scent trail of 3rd man. And the aroma floating up while I am writing this review. This stuff is gorgeous! There should be instructions on when, how, and imagery to have in mind to best enjoy each fragrances. Haha.

The discreet and very secretive Akiko Kamei, like many Japanese people in many other fields, perfectly understood the spirit of French culture and taste, better than most of my compatriots I fear, and with her own cultural genius reinvented the clacissism of traditional French men's perfumery (the yuzu note is quite sublime here). Le 3e Homme, seemingly so simple yet so elaborate, is a constant wonder to me. An aromatic chypre so utterly Caron, and a lesson in the art of living: as was said long ago, it is simple elegance that charms us.

Caron Le 3e Homme (1985) - floral fougere - Perfumers #akikokamei and #francoisecaron create a unique take on a fougere and this was in the 80s! Starts with Citruses mixed with aromatic Lavender, Coriander, and Rosemary. Then, the fun starts. Florals come into play: Carnation, Jasmine and Rose. The jasmine giving off an animalic and civet note that works well with the fougere top (see: #jicky ) The base resemble a classical a Chypre of Oakmoss and Patchouli, but they mix a dose of Vetiver and Tonka bean that supports the fougere accord.

Love this — I couldn’t tell you exactly *why* this is Classy but it just is. Believe the reviewers who say they Clove is a prominent note: it’s not listed here but I definitely smell it in there. It’s a “sunny day” frag for me and I agree it can be “the smell of good luck” if you just believe it can ;-) It’s also unusually versatile — I find it suits a cool Winter day just about as well as it does a Spring day. Bought my bottle online sometime between 2018 and 2020 (when it was cheap) never tried the original vintage...

In the opening, it's almost too astringent. Herbs, oakmoss, spices. The bitterness. The funk. It is refreshing in the beginning, but almost wears out its welcome. As it dries down, the animalic side of it starts to come up more. To my surprise, in the midway, probably aided a bit by my own BO, it started to smell like the opening of Kouros -- herbal, soapy, spicy, sweaty. The very drydown is yet mellower, reminding me more of Antaeus. A very nonlinear fragrance that starts out deceptively simple, yet keeps you guessing.

One of the few fragrances that I smell and can’t tell. A whirlwind of notes and memories quickly roll in front of me but I just can’t capture any of them. Do I sense a rose? If it is truly a rose, then it’s a dusty, grey one. Do I see delicate carnation and creamy jasmine blooming in the shadow of the oak tree? An exotic vetiver? Is that an all dry-lavender-down? Honestly I don’t care. I just rejoice wearing this elegant and quiet fragrance in its sombre looking (vintage) bottle. ****(*)

Lemon sherbert opening which, while it smells nice, I don't want it on my skin. The dry down is great but the opening, pffff. It's like a bag of lemon sweets that have been left on a sunny dashboard. The vanilla is the strongest lasting note on my skin and together the lemon and vanilla drown out everything else. It sort of smells like a coke float, when you put ice cream in coca cola. If I didn't have New York Intense I might love this more, but NYI does it way better.