Pour Un Homme de Caron L'Eau

Sparkling lavender, refreshing lime, minty geranium, with a very light vetiver ambergris dry down. Simple, elegant, ephemeral excellence on display here from Caron. Everything smells completely realistic and natural. A subtle but high quality fragrance. This is a true l'Eau flanker- the original toned down, refreshed, with a touch of modernization. Its quite a beautiful thing, but it comes with a bit of a caveat: no amount of extra sprays would turn this into something it is not. It wears like an EDC, transparent, light, and refreshing. Do not buy this one if you are looking for something that screams off the skin. One final thought-If you love Pour un Homme, I think you'd love this one too. If you thought the original a bit too fusty, you just might enjoy this one, as it retains the DNA but succeeds in updating the formula.

A bottle arrived from Paris yesterday. This is exceptionally beautiful but it is not a projection monster by any means. A really sparkling lavendar opening shifts into the more floral aspects of lavender (with the geranium), rather than the more herbal (thyme, woods) in the classic PUH. There is a breath of freshness not found in the original, but well handled, without falling for some of the modern freshie clichés. This sits on a slightly warmer base of amber (Caron's website says ambergris, but probably more likely ambroxan) and tonka notes with some vetiver as well. It has more affinity with PUH than the Sport flanker which used a few strident citrus notes and ginger, and the base feels more modern with the amber notes replacing the vanilla. I just wish they had released this in an edp concentration.

i think people are being very harsh about the longevity and sillage. i would call it 'subtle'. i bought this to be an everyday perfume i could wear to class, and it's perfect. the first hour it smells beautiful with strong lavender balanced by the lime. after that it settles into a skin scent where the lime fades and the vanilla comes through. there is also a fun undercurrent of saltiness from the ambergris. but i'm into my 3rd hour of wearing it now and i still get lovely whiffs of lavender that feels almost like my skin has a nice subtle glow. very nice. i think people get caught up in what they wish this frag was rather than what it is.

As a second review, this still stands head and shoulders above anything the new in-house perfumeur Jean Jacques has done for the brand. Smelled today in spring time this is just a delight - it's so clever, but understated, in one breath it is like the classic PUH, in another it reveals an interesting new facet. The Fraysse family may have not been perfect in terms of looking after Caron, but they understood what Caron was and William was just at the start of turning it around.

A modern classic. Huge 5* Now discontinued, which surely must be a mistake by the usually brilliant brains behind the house of Caron. However, its father survives, i.e. the original 'Caron Pour un Homme'. RIP and may you be an inspiration to others!