HiM

THE ZEN SCENT - SO CALM AND DELICIOUS We are all used to appreciating or valuing more an EDP than an EDT. Hanae Mori proposes an EDT and an EDP that are very similar in both scent and performance. Strangely enough, both bottles and prices are also quite similar. The EDT version is a tiny bit more subtle than the EDP version. The fragrance is quite versatile and it suits women as well. I would judge this fragrance to be more unisex than masculine. It does fit well in mid-season - Autumn or Spring, day or night. It has got a wide weather latitude and it's quite safe to use it on Summer nights and Winter days. I already asked a handful of people for identic vibes or look-alike fragrances. No one gave me any positive answer. There is an Iris middle note that blended with the top lemon and lavender, plus the bottom notes of dark chocolate, amber and cedar, create some (faint) resemblance with the current version of Dior Homme, although I don't consider it a dominant vibe. As no one around me shares my opinion I'll wait for some fellow reviewer to share the same opinion I have. The fragrance opens with a creamy sweet accord of lemon and black currant with a touch of lavender. The lavender does persist for the second phase where you notice some flowers scents - mainly iris - in a semi-sweet background (is it the awakening of an early vanilla note?). The bottom notes are very rich and responsible for the sweet aura around this scent. Vanilla, tonka and chocolate take over and do play a major role during the drydown, supported by sandalwood, amber and cedar fainter notes. It does have a nice longevity (8+ hours with 3 sprays), but an average sillage (3~4 feet) and average projection that lasts between 2 and 3 hours. You won't get either darkness or animalic vibes. You'll get a sweet zen lull for long hours that will make you feel good and secure. It's almost an unisex fragrance and a very sexy fragrance indeed! Let's see the math of HM for men: __________________ - Scent opening: 8.5 (very very good - my judgement) - Scent dry down: 8.5 (very very good - my judgement) - Longevity: 8.0 (8 hours+ with 3 sprays) - Sillage: 7.0 (about 3 feet for 3 hours with 3 sprays; projects for 2~3 hours); practical skin scent till the 8th or 9th hour. - Uniqueness: 9.0 (unique, very well blended giving me some vibes of other fragrances like Dior Homme, but similar to none; Hanae Mori EDP is out of this equation) - Versatility: 9.0 (almost everywhere, but with better choices for clubbing and formal events. Don't use it while working out or on the beach) - Wearability: 9.5 (high during Spring and Autumn,... quite adequate during Winter or Summer as well, but avoid extreme heat or cold). - Compliments: 8.0 (It's a universal pleaser, without being 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: 8.5 (discrete but very nice. Excellent cap and sprayer.) - Price: 10.0 (100 ml tester for 21 Euros + VAT) __________________ Average: 8.64 / 10.00 - between 7 and 8 =above average; - between 8 and 9 = recommended; - bigger than 9 = don't miss it; My opinion: This is a calm, relaxed, versatile, alluring fragrance. It's almost a "don't-miss scent". For this price, you must have a try! Music: The Beatles - "Norwegian Wood" (The Bird Has Flown)

Sub-30 dollars for 100ml? Check. Bottle that is quality and stylish in it's simplicity? Check. Smells infinitely more expensive than it's price tag? Check. Alright, well, we've hit all the marks for a fantastic cheapie! This and Hanae's other male offering "HM" are the only two sub-40 dollar designer EDPs that have impressed me this much. Sort of a category unto themselves but I digress. Upon first spray I get an immediate blast of musk, pepper and cardamom. Possibly some bergamot. It's slightly sharp and doesn't have the smoothest take off. However, the flight is turbulence free. After the drydown I get cinnamon, cedar and musk with a hint of tonka to sweeten up the composition. Late into the drydown, it's all wood and amber with the musk still lingering. I must say, this is one of the most agreeable musk based fragrances I have ever tried. Keeping with the aviation theme of the review, this sticks the landing as well. I will say, this definitely has a Japanese vibe to it (a slave to it's projected market), like a lot of Issey's do, if that makes any sense. Not a con, just an observation. Longevity is good (6-8hrs) while the sillage creates a nice cloud for a good 2hrs before becoming closer to the skin. For the price range, I think this is above acceptable performance. Stellar, actually. I think this is perfect for winter and especially fall. I think you could get away with it in the spring and summer as well but I'd have to test it in a hot environment to say with a certainty. The way the musk behaves in this fragrance gives me the impression that it would be okay but not optimal. I'm going to say probably above 25 and more casual but could work in some formal situations if not too serious. Overall, this is a winner for me. I love it. Update: Smelled Gucci PH II recently and this is a dead ringer at a third of the cost. While I will try the Gucci out of sheer curiosity, I could just as easily say "Why bother?".

Thanks to the reviews of my fellow Fragranticans, I recently blind bought HiM in EdP concentration and I absolutely LOVE it. I love fragrances that either reflect my mood, or elicit an emotional response and my first reaction to this beauty was a feeling of comfort and confidence. A wonderfully complex elixir that goes through a number of transitions on my skin, with excellent longevity and respectable silage, the overall theme is one of woody warmth and "dignitas". To my mind, HiM is pure masculinity, but it is the masculinity of a refined and elegant cosmopolitan gentleman, able to adapt to any social situation with grace and poise (rather than the brute, sweaty masculinity of a bare chested lumberjack). This is currently on heavy rotation in my collection, and it even gets compliments from the toughest audiences. I believe the components are entirely natural and extremely high quality, at least according to my own limited experience (and something someone once told me). The dry-down is awesome. That said, I do believe it could be worn by a woman, since the notion of fragrances being gender specific is pretty old-fashioned. Although woody notes are traditionally viewed as masculine in many cultures, possibly due to their close resemblance to the scent of certain male pheromones, I know one lady who wears this layered with Balmain Ambre Gris and Molecule 01/Iso E Super and the effect is like an aura of seductive mystery. I have a fairly short attention span and my preferences are ever-changing, but HiM seems to fill a void in my fragrance wardrobe - in some ways it reminds me of the first Gucci Pour Homme, which I also wear for its sublime woody beauty, but HiM feels like it's something I've been looking for for ages: a seductive and magnificent fragrance that exudes spicy, woody somehow magical, magnetic, warmth, and dignified confidence. Love it.

I made an account after viewing this site for years solely to review this. Read if you're on the fence. I'll make this short. I love fragrance and have a lot of them. I'm not a snob about niche or designer. I got Gucci Pour Homme II around when it came out and it became one of my signature scents immediately. It was so unique. I used the bottle up. I loved that smell so much. Years later I'm better off financially to get more bottles. I discovered this and saw the comparison to the Gucci. Of course due to snobbery people tore things about it apart that weren't exactly the same. Well duh- two diff frags. Anyway, I really loved that Gucci but not enough to pay 200 bucks (gtfo scalpers). I was really upset to find out that it was discountinued because.... why?! So based on general consensus I blind bought it. EDT but who cares. I can talk about longevity, projection, notes, whatever. But plenty of people have done that. I can tell you this: I sprayed it on my skin, and on my hoodie. The wafts from my hoodie solidified it for me. Reminds me exactly of Gucci Pour Homme II. If I didn't know and you told me it was GPHII, I would easily believe you. I am in love with that scent and now this one. No use explaining anything else. I wanted to convince people like me on the fence because of all the back and forth reviews. If you liked GPHII enough that you wanna smell it again, get this. Mine was 25 bucks I think for 1.7oz. If exact notes matter and you can tell the subtle nuances, yeah there are some slight differences. But I haven't smelled GPHII in over a decade probably and if I can immediately remember the smell based off of HiM, then they did a damn good job. The reason I posted this is because of the smell/memory link. And this raised a lot of memories from GPH that I haven't experienced in years. Get it. It's really nice.

What a lovely scent! This is absolute must have for people who love Gucci Pour Homme 2. But there needs to be made some distinctions regarding this comparison, as many people say they smell identical (they certainly do not) GPH2 is a cool, masterfully refined and blended, fresh (not aquatic) rendition of the Tea scent in which the Tea is center-stage, all attention drawn to it. It's stillness, quietness and tranquility. This scent is delicate. Hanae Mori HiM is an aggressively spicy, warm, yet still smooth rendition of the tea. However in this case, the tea takes a middle-seat, and the spice is the star of the show here. The tea is of course very noticeable, however it is not the main attraction like in GPH2. It's meant to sing in harmony with the other spices. With HiM you'll get a lot of cinnamon, and a lot of Amber. A fantastic warm scent that is tasty. Almost like it's a perfume version of the best Chai tea of exotic spices. In the end, this is a must have for lovers of GPH2. While to me, GPH2 is the clear winner here as far as scent goes, it simply does not perform as well like HiM does, and sadly has been discontinued. HiM however is cheap, it lasts a very long time, especially if you get the EDP (I recommend this one instead of the EDT), and is a good alternative to GPH2 if you can't find it, it's too expensive, or you're turned off by the performance. You could definitely say HiM is a GPH2 Intense, or extreme. A very safe blind buy for sure if you love tea based scents, or even spicy cinnamon amber scents. Highly recommend. Scent: 8/10 Silage: 9/10 Longevity: 9.5/10 Personal Appreciation: 8.5/10