Horizon

Ok, so when ya hear the term " Hidden gem" they're reffering to Guy Laroche's Horizon! This fragrance smells great! Very fresh, fruity and herbacous. I wanted this bc Ive really been getting into classic aldehydic fragrances, and I figured Horizon might be a "tough wear" bc its supposedly a classic "kitchen sink/aldehydic" type of fragrance, yet I get no (noticable) aldehydes, which means that the aldehydes are probably blended and used in a very modern way. Now, I definitely do NOT mind that the aldehydes are subdued bc it simply smells THAT GOOD! The star of the show has to be the Mandarin Orange (with the peel), mint and Patchouli, along with sea salt and hints of green notes. Its (almost) like sniffing the peel of a slightly over-rippened mandarin orange.You can pick up on a tiny bit of aldehydes, but again, its barely noticable and only of ya know aldehydes are actually there and it's probably only used to give this a "fresh/sparkley" effect. The intoxicating Mandarin (peel) is present through the life of the fragrance which seamlessly blends in with the beautiful sandalwood, cedar and Patchouli base. Decent performance, lasts about 6-7 hours with moderate projection, and is still detectable on clothes the next day. Now, I suggest over spraying a bit bc although Horizon starts off somewhat strong, It dies down and gets smoother within 30 mins or so. And since its an edt, over spraying may be warranted if for example, ya want it to last an entire work shift. Now, ya can go anosmic to this within the first 2 hours, but trust me, its definately noticable to folks around you. As a matter of fact, when I asked a co-worker to let me know if she could smell Horizon on me about 5 hours after application bc I could not smell it, she asked if I had a cold bc she could very clearly smell it on me😉 The kicker is that Horizon only costs me $9.96 for a 1.7oz splash bottle! Also, This does NOT smell dated or "Old Man-ish" at all and definately can be considered a mature, modern fragrance! This one is quite unique and definately worth "gate keeping". I really do enjoy it quite a bit and was surprised at just how great it smells as well as how good the performance is, ESPECIALLY considering what the brand has done to our BELOVED Drakkar Noire. 8.5 outta 10 fragrance imo and thats out of a 70+ bottle collection! Fantastic find and definately recommended! I've already grabbed a back-up bottle before this GEM gets discontinued, and suggest any fragrance enthusiasts do the same! Thanks to whomever took the time to read my thoughts on Horizon! 😉 --------UPDATE- 3 weeks later-------- Maaaaaaan! This stuff is really ADDICTIVE! It's truley becoming one of my fave fragrances (even when compared to my "high-end" designers!) It's such a juicey Mandarin Orange peel/Patchouli forward fragrance. The aldehydes are super well blended and give this a sparkling effect which is awesome.. Quite unique and a LOVE for me😍😋

I got rid of this one years ago because it made me feel like I was the guy in the film, The Blair Witch Project...the one who had his nose in the corner of the basement while his girlfriend was being killed near the end of film...I just hated it. It was so fucking DANK. A musty old forgotten house, hidden deep within the pine barrens, where some really bad shit went down. Piney, musty and a little pissy. At the time I bought a 1.7 oz bottle off Ebay for a few bucks. I believe I later gave it away to a friend at work. Fast forward 7 or 8 years later, I've had this gnawing urge to go a 2nd round with this beast. Kicked around the thought for years, in fact. So what do I do?? I go back on Ebay and order a new 3.4 oz bottle, lol (legit thought process, right?). Turns out I'm glad I did. After an exaggeration realization, I've come to actually enjoy Horizon a great deal this time around, so I'm assuming that my nose has matured more with age. That said, I feel a little guilty writing such a harsh review on here, which still exists if you wanna keep scrolling down a good ways. But ultimately I decided to keep it because that was my honest review at the time. It's funny how time can change your olfactory perception on scents. I've come to the conclusion that I was allowing my imagination to run wild with Guy Laroche's Horizon. It's a deep, woody and soapy pine driven prototype aquatic for the early 90s that deserves respect and recognition for being extremely daring for its release time. It's most certainly still dank in my eyes, but in the most comforting way possible. This is a scent that you wear for yourself and no one else. A scent of comfort with an artistic drive that’s more interesting and challenging than a Kenzo PH. Tired of blue mall releases? Here's a Spring challenge that won't cost you hardly anything to dip your toe in (just hope The Loch Ness Monster doesn't bite it off). Although like me, it could take a more mature nose to truly appreciate this anomaly. Horizon currently sits on my favorites shelf.

★★★★★ This was one of the few times I blind bought a fragrance, but at the price of 9$ it gets really tempting, plus it has been a target for me in a while and I couldn't find a tester anywhere as it's long gone. I'm at a loss for words. The overall effect of this very clever Aromatic Green / Aquatic composition achieves niche quality, since the result is terrifically unique and "out there". It starts with a minty fresh aldehydic opening and lavender reminiscing an oceanic herbal splash, which is unbelievably refreshing and pleasing. Five minutes later, pine needles help in the overall outdoorsy and masculine character.The oceanic element takes a back seat while an underlying sweetness (probably the cyclamen or something fruity) takes over, I'm finding hard to explain since this is a very busy fragrance, and not in a negative way. For most of its lifespan, it holds a camphorous character, almost soapy, almost smoky and herbal (probably due to the lavender and moss). If you forget about the note pyramid, it evokes that oceanic feeling, and can stray from green to aquatic. Very unique, summer/spring fragrance of masculinity with a longevity of 8 hours on my skin (great for a summer fragrance) and after the intense opening, a moderate sillage, As it can be very medicinal if over applied, I discovered that spraying it in the air and walking through the "cloud" gives the most appropriate and desirable effect on my skin. The dry down is that of a classic retro fougere, but without losing its summery green/aquatic character. Thrilled from this blind buy, definitely intending on keeping it and enjoying it in the warmer days, both day and night! It is not a "safe" smelling fragrance due to its complexity and authenticity as a cross-genre fragrance. The other aquatic fragrances of that era (Acqua Di Gio, L' Eau D' Issey, CK One etc.) lack character in front of this unique gem and are most certainly more safe, which is why they succeeded and they still dominate every department store to this day.

Having been a big fan of Drakkar Noir for many years, I really wanted to smell other scents by Guy LaRoche. This one for some reason, was nearly impossible for me to find here in the NE United States. Thank you very much to Action for the lovely decant-great swapping with you!... If Drakkar Noir is the "bad boy", Horizon is his outdoorsy younger brother. Bright, sporty, athletic and green. This has many notes listed (as does DN) but they are so well blended; that ultimately, there are notes that come and go during its development, but it is overall very "green" and warmly fresh... The opening is very bright, with citruses, sharp herbs and some dry florals. It reminds me of a clear summer day without a cloud in the sky...green meadows, herbs growing, lush leaves and fresh air. As it begins to dry it becomes somewhat softer and warmer-carnation and geranium make it manly and floral while caraway adds a hint of warm spiciness to the green pine needles and remaining flowers-here it is sweet but refined, smooth and sexy. The drydown is all man. Forget about the usually generic combination of the listed basenotes, this is woody but not at all common, mossy but not overly thick, musky and leathery-but not in a brutish way: more of a smooth and sexy way. The amber and patchouli are swirling around in there too, but are not really oriental; they just add to the overall rich (but not heavy) feel here. This is very aptly named as it reminds me of where the sea meets the sky on a bright clear day-superlative! Sillage: excellent Longevity: above average Overall: 4.75/5 There was also a Drakkar (original) but I have not been able to find that either; since it was discontinued in favor of continued production of the Noir. If you like complex fragrances wellmade and elegant, with an overly green, natural feel get this. Can't find it right away...keep looking, as this is worth the search! Horizon is currently one of my new favorite fragrances!

Horizon is a confused scent that has no idea in which direction it really wants to go. It's a hodgepodged lost child who's strayed away from his parents at the mall, sitting on a bench and crying while looking for a home. I've bought some weird blind buys in my day, but this one is the worst of them all. What I get from this fragrance is an old abandoned house nestled deep within the middle of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. As you walk into the house you can smell the moisture from the rotting wood, and the piss that some passerby had taken in the corner a few days prior. Dank, musty and pine ridden. The sad thing is, Guy Laroche's house was about 10 to 13 years late on Horizon's release date. This should have been an early 80's release, not a 93 release. No wonder this thing got swallowed up so fast in the early 90's aquatic pioneering craze. Some might say that Horizon is a part of that same phase, but I would argue that in order to claim that notion, one would have to make an argument that Pacco Rabanne PH deserves the right to carry that same title due to it's wet base, but Horizon falls flat in the end. Folks, this damp and musty basement fragrance should not be tied to an aquatic relation...period. This scent is a true aromatic all the way. Hats off to anyone who can pull it off. Feel free to pop my ballons, but I won't be wearing this offering any time soon unless my nose evolves greatly in the future.

I bought this for my husband after discovering it hiding on a back shelf at Dollar Tree. This fragrance came out the year we graduated from high school, and I remember those sillage-monster colognes from those days quite vividly. As a woman my tastes in perfumes are forward in thought, and I don't care for the heavy perfumes from that time that announce you are home to the neighborhood. But that's for me... I don't like men who smell like they've bathed in cologne, but a scent of man is appreciated and noted. A lot of the recent men's colognes seem to really border on unisex, and even though I'm young in spirit, I want my husband to smell like a MAN. (and he prefers something that clearly confers his masculinity too). I've been a loss at a new cologne to buy him, and them this one calls me FROM A DOLLAR STORE, and ohmygod it was like the heavens opened up and gave me the perfect smell. This cologne starts off sweet, but ultimately dries down into this amazing whirlwind of scents, a mix of woodsy and aquatic, this incredibly complex scent that screams MAN and if he overdoes it, you will run far, far away. But a small dab, and it's GAME ON, husband. He can wear this every day and night, and it will have me following him close behind. This cologne is a masterpiece of complexity, and I'm So glad I found it. I would've glad paid $80 for a bottle of this elixir.

Of all the fragrances I see this compared to, I'm surprised I don't see more people making the link to older masculine colognes like Pino Silvestre and Agua Brava. Or even to Drakkar Noir, which was basically an evolutionary derivative of those fragrances with the added freshness of dihydromyrcenol. The opening is an aldehyde lover's dream. A soapy mix of cyclamen and jasmine flanked by lavender and pine. A zesty, salty mandarin note with a mix of calone-y minerals give a marine feel underneath everything. The heart is almost herbaceous, like thyme or oregano. The pine is ever present and shifts from a soapiness to a woodiness. I don't get much leather, though oakmoss and geraniol are known to do this when in the presence of patchouli, so I can imagine some people getting it. I imagine some overcast sky over a rocky cliff with pine trees' gnarled skeletons reaching out above the shore where the waves are crashing below. It's intense and dark in a way that only perfumes of this time seemed to achieve. This is one a niche house could put out with one more "wow" ingredient in the opening and people would be all over, but because it's cheap and old and not in scarce supply it gets a shrug from most. Well, more for the rest of us I suppose...

Tried this because it was very cheap with good reviews. It starts off very strong, soapy and floral but fresh. It is heavily floral/herbal throughout but stays incredibly masculine with some sour, green and spicy notes. Progresses nicely, complex and interesting and stays strong. There is a sour note I love that fades but never disappears. Late on it has leathery, musky notes but still retains the floral ones and it smells beautiful. It seems to me that there are a lot of opposites in this: strong/subtle, fresh/heavy, cool/warm, floral/masculine, sweet/sour - and it seems very well balanced. This is a heavy hitter - you can practically see the sillage trails. Projects strongly for more than 6-8 hours and continues to project moderately well beyond that. Lasts forever - It is strong on skin for in excess of 10 hours. You can still smell it the morning after. 2 little sprays of this are plenty. It could easily be cloying and overbearing if you were to use too much. Used cautiously I think this is fantastic stuff. Can't believe the quality of it for the price I paid. I'll be stocking up. The only better scent I've found for this sort of money is Montana Parfum D'Homme.

---2nd edit----Woah, every time I revisit my bottle of horizon Im more and more impressed! so I first purchased my bottle of Horizon back in November 2024, it had moderate longevity and projection, plus id go anosmic to it pretty quickly. I hadnt used it in a couple months bc of the weather cooling down and so I wanted to use my more Fall/Einter appropriate frags, but ended up choosing it today (was craving it). Its really macerated very nicely! Its stronger smelling, and lasts much longer now and I couldnt be happier bc my only gripe was the "Ok performance". Also, im no longer going nose-blind as much, idk if its bc some of the notes are more pronounced now like the aldehydes which I pick up just a bit more of, but only in that Horizon seems "Fizzier",now, yet its still NOT really aldehydic as youd only pick up on the aldehydes if ya know its in the notes. Man, just when I thought Horizon couldnt get any better! Just ordered my 3rd back-up 2.5oz bottle, lol. This stuff smells really great! I love it! One of THEE BEST cheapies around hands down! 9 outta 10 frag imo!

I love Horizon, I bought it in '94 but never wore it, it was a little too mature for me at the time, so it sat unused in my closet until summer '08, well Im on my second bottle now, that ought to tell you how much I like it. Horizon is different than other colognes I'v smelled before, its fresh, a little soapy and a bit dirty with lots of green and floral notes, slightly aquatic with a hint of mint. I can wear this everyday, I especially like to wear it when its raining out, also in the fall/winter (even though its more of a summer scent). I love how its a little dirty, just the right amount, with out being to dirty. When I wear this its reminds me of a dark cloudy/rainy summer day (Possibly in the UK). It goes on a little soapy, but dries down pretty quickly and smells even better, it also last a fairly long time. I If you are looking for something a bit different and a cologne not to many other guys wear or have ever heard of, then buy this, its a one of a kind, GEM!

I gave a bottle to my dad for Father's day last year. He used to wear Drakkar Noir, so I thought he might enjoy trying this one from Laroche. My thoughts on this one were that it smells masculine--citrusy, herbal, and definitely FRESH! The blue bottle with the water/ice rivulets definitely fits the scent. A nice option for daytime, in warmer weather. I don't find it particularly adolescent OR mature, so a man of any age could give it a try (especially for the price, and ease in finding this online.) Verdict: He loves it, and he said he gets TONS of compliments when he wears it. I'm very happy, considering my investment was only $7. For reference, my father is in his 60's. He has nice taste and appreciates quality, but has never worn anything expensive or formal (in clothing or fragrance.) His other colognes I remember from childhood were Ralph Lauren Chaps, Joop! Homme, English Leather, and in the 90s Liz Claiborne Mambo. Happy spraying, everyone!

I was very lucky to receive a bottle of this that smelled just like it was supposed to! I love it sooo much! It's got a very vintage soapy, but also salty vibe that I quite enjoy. It's like a barbershop by the sea and I am all here for it! If you don't like older fragrances I do not recommend this to you. If you've ever smelled Paco Rabanne Pour Homme I find a similarity between the two though I do enjoy this one quite a lot more. It is very rare to find a bottle of this that isn't slightly off, but if you find it then I believe it to be worth it! It's one I wear because I like it, because I don't believe most people would find it particularly amazing. It doesn't smell bad by any means but it certainly isn't sweet or super modern. It's a 90s take on a marine barbershop! It's awesome! Not super sea-like either, but it does have a twinge to it. If this was a song it would be Freight Yard by The Garden. You'll either hate it or love it.

It's summer night and the tempreature is around 18 Celsius, and I'm wearing Horizon. I just put on it from a little sample and went out to meet my friends for a drink, didn't even know which fragrance was it. I first thought it was XS by Paco but now I realized it's actually this old Horizon. I always thought about Horizon as the melancholic male perfume (sibling of Ungaro III in this regard), fragrance of the rainy days. Boy, it's amazing now! It's fresh, I get a fresh breeze from time to time, but not icy or citrusy. Very natural, and elegant too! I'm wearing white shirt and it's a perfect combination, I feel neat now :) I surely recommend it for anyone, although it's not like any modern male scents, maybe too discreet or subdued for those who are only into new young fresh scents, not "sparkling" freshness, it's not "sporty". I'm so happy for it now! Going to wear it much much more often! :) Try it!

''What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams.'' An absolute and wonderful Creature from the Black Lagoon. Horizon by Guy Laroche is a captivating soapy-floral, fresh-spicy and masculine scent. It opens up with bitter green notes which enfold into a leather-herbal musk with lingering spices to entice your senses. It's both green and aquatic with an elusive touch. A monster with infinite power. Old school yet modern. Dark but fresh. When I wear Horizon, I think of the ocean. I think of the amazon and thunderstorms. This is one of my favorite scents to wear during the Summer next to Kenzo Pour Homme which share similar characteristics. It also works well during rainy hot Summer days. The silage is wonderful where as longevity is beast. I get 10+ hours.

I am still revisiting a few of my 1990s favorites, for old times sake. I took a plunge on a newer bottle of this salty, minty, ginger(?)-like goodness that has aquatic traits without being an aquatic. It was pretty groundbreaking for its time: you may notice a whiff of rubber and this was years before A*Men, whether it was intentional or not. That said, I can see why people think it's 'meh' without the context of what was happening in the fragrance world of 1993, already well-written about in other reviews here. Horizon is a very intriguing fragrance that deserves a sampling. It smells even better to me now than it did back then, given the current sea of sugary amber and oud in today's market. It is certainly distinctive and mildly powerhouse, and could actually qualify as niche today. Batch # UN119

---edit---Dang, I own the splash edt of Horizon, but I'm beginning to think that the spray edt smells a bit different than my splash bottle bc I see so many folks her saying that this fragrance is very intense, green and herbacous and "pine needley" in the opening? Also that it reminds some of celery?? Also that performance is around 8 hours on skin? I get NONE of those accords in the opening and about 6 hours on skin. Yeah, its got a strong opening, but I get very little green herbs or a sour accord. My splash is slightly acidic/juicey Mandarin orange with the peel. Im such a fan of this scent that although I already have a back-up splash bottle of Horizon, I may have to try the spray bottle to see if I can sense a difference.. anyone know if there is any difference?? Ty!

Got a full bottle for ~10 bucks CAD. Is it worth it? Definitely. Is it a crowd pleaser? Definitely not. This stuff is unique, something you'd expect from such a massive list of notes. I started out really not liking it, but came back and I have started to enjoy it a lot. It opens up without an alcoholic scent that you would normally get for this price, but smells salty, fresh and surprisingly, quite sour. Projects moderately, never exceeding arms length, but lasts for a good 8 hours. To me, it's almost like Irish spring soap mixed with salty, stagnant water left outside for too long, in a sorta good way. If it were a higher price I'd say don't blind buy, but it's ten bucks, fire away. Price: 10/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 7/10 Smell: 8/10 Bottle: 9/10 Overall: 8.2/10

My thoughts on this one have changed a lot over the past few months. Something clicked after obtaining Horizon accessories (soap, spray&stick deo, and the shaving foam). As expected, they go very well with the cologne but - believe it or not - are all a bit brighter, a little less medicinal, and more pleasant. In fact, I have been using the foam as an effective moisturizing fragrance--its consistency is slightly dry compared with Barbasol shaving cream and so closely resembles Avon's excellent after shower body foam from the early '60s (also highly recommended, btw). In short...I now "get" Horizon, which I did not in my earlier review. It may become my warm weather go-to scent - - it's now firmly in the upper half of my all time top 10.

my old pastor used to wear this, many memories. great for outdoor work, colder mornings, and going out to casual events. redux review: Its like a nice dew-y Sunday morning, its spring, its 60 degrees, your sitting on the couch watching TV while waiting for your grandfather to take you to church. You go outside and its nice, not cold but not warm. Skip a little, your at Sunday school, listening to the pastor talk about some random storys from the bible, it smells nice, like coffee and cold air. that's what this fragrance is, its a big green waterfall in the spring. if it had better performance it would be better, but I still wear this from time to time, usually for yard work. this is the cheapest fragrance ever, get it.

Such a beautiful and distinctive fragrance. I've had several bottles over the years, and using my vintage one now (which also seems to have lost some of its potency over the years) get a green piney superior iteration of MB Legend Spirit with good performance and suitability for year round use. Unfortunately, Horizon also appears to be discontinued and so it's incumbent on anyone with an interest in 90s classic fragrances to try it out asap. UPDATE: I was mistaken. It's lost none of its potency. In cool weather it projects well and with great longevity and sillage like the beast I remember from the 90s. Manly indeed! Love it and not at all outdated. Totally signature scent worthy, if you can find it.