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

This one really grew on me. I have the EDP version btw. I had never gotten a chance to try Gucci Pour Homme II, but I have always heard how fantastic it was and the nose behind it, Karine Dubreile-Serini, is also one of my favorite all-time perfumers. I got this last year and at first I couldn't stand it, something a bit abrasive in the opening, but I did enjoy the drydown. After a few months and trying it a few times I really started to "get it". It's a beautiful creation and since trying some other frags inspired by GPH2, I have really grown to love HiM. It's like a darker take on the GPH2 DNA, almost gourmandy, and better suited for the cold months. Longevity is solid 8 hours. There is a note I don't love up close that seems to fade rather quickly and I think that's what I had trouble getting past when I initially got the frag. Easy 8.5/10 for me, I am going to pick up a bottle of the EDT to compare on the coming months. I have heard they are basically identical, but it is a little cheaper. Update: I now have Gucci Pour Homme II, and this is the only fragrance that captures the opening of it, but also completely amps it up! That beautiful dark sweet violet, almost plum-like, note can be found in HM HiM and GPH2 only. The life of the fragrance is just like the opening of GPH2 and it stays on that spot for most of the time it sticks around. This fragrance has long been rumored to be discontinued but it is currently available for sale directly on the Hanae Mori website.

Quickly becoming an autumn classic. The cinnamon in this is very smooth, a warm spicy aroma that blends so beautifully. It's the perfect fragrance for a cool, clear fall day in November. Imagine visiting your parents house and dear mom has an autumn wreath on the front door, you pause for a moment and take a distant sniff, the warm cinnamon, amber and slight detection of cedar bounces in the air, putting a smile on your face. Ahh yes, home. That's HiM Hanae Mori. Keep in mind this takes time to develop, it might seem weak at first, so avoid adding more sprays. Let it settle and develop, and you'll be awarded with a mind tingling, crowd pleasing, comforting, happy kind of aroma. For some reason when I smell this fragrance I think of Thanksgiving. Kind of like when I smell Burberry London it reminds me of Christmas. In fact, I can see HiM being the perfect companion to wear to the family Thanksgiving dinner or when watching the Macy's parade with the family before the football games. If applied wisely and not over-sprayed, it will not offend anyone. It's a very safe scent IMO. The longevity is excellent on skin and stays on clothes literally until you wash it off. At $20 to $30 or so online it's one of the best bargains you can get. For me, it's one of my fall favorites and I just might make it my Thanksgiving signature scent.

Applies soft with pink peppercorn and glowing amber cinnamon warmth. Body has heady humidity. Base of cedar and musk blend without being overbearing. Good complexity while mostly cozy warm cinnamon in a not cloying or gourmand way. Nuanced like spices in a bazar by a hot stove. Doesn't scream "holidays." Piney brightness with woody base. The way this deviates from Gucci Pour Homme II is it's less complex and doesn't have the fresh blue chord. This leans more warm and cozy. Sultry and romantic. For dates, not clubbing. Densely radiant. Realizing it reads deeply Autumnal - almost painfully so. Becomes more refined as it dries down. Surprised how long it keeps impressing me. Welcomingly hot and sensual. 1ST REVIEW: A loving version of Gucci Pour Homme II that opens sweeter/brighter. Cinnamon/spice pair with fresh blue notes and sing. Uplifting, warm, energetic. Comfort of vanilla without being cheesy. Gucci Pour Homme II is more intense, deep, and spicy while this is fresh and sweet (without being cloying/sugary). I detest sweet vanilla, so the fact it’s so tastefully represented here is adorable. Growing base notes of amber and musk balance sweetness. Dry down becomes identical to Gucci Pour Homme II, except less nuanced and only barely less strong. Impressive length and projection. Easy to love without being common/boring.

This is one of the staples in my collection and one of my best blind buys as well. HiM Hanae Mori is such an unassuming scent, simple and yet alluring. I could pick up the cardamom, the cinnamon, and the fig but there's also a hint of tea or a tea vibe on the dry down ( however I didn't see tea listed as one of the notes) which was gorgeously masculine and comforting, simply perfect as office scent or when you just want to stay cozy at home, sipping some hot tea with cardamom. If some folks are comparing this with the discontinued Gucci Pour Homme II, which I haven't put my nose on yet, ever, then Gucci Pour Homme II must be a beautiful manly fragrance. I also have 10 ml decant of Nikos Sculpture Gods Night which was described by other reviewers as the closest to GPHII but as far as scent quality, performance and longevity, HM is way ahead according to my nose. In case this gem got discontinued, I am pretty sure it will be a collectors item as well. With that price point and amazing scent quality, I would give this wonderful but humble juice an overall score of 9.5/10 “Let us spread the scents of peace and kindness. The two most beautiful fragrance in the world that will cost you nothing and will get you a totally different kind of compliments” 🙏

Magic in a bottle, Straight into my top 5 you go, and that's only after 3 wearings. This is how a man is supposed to smell, with out seeming to try too hard for attention, that's not saying that this is a weak frag, it's not, this has quite decent sillige and I got way over 12 hours of longevity. its the way this is blended that makes this so good, maybe a bit messy on the top but after 20 mins the amber makes an appearance, and the journey begins. the amber and spices with a touch of cinnamon come through much clearer, and as you start drying down, the Tonka starts sweetening the fragrance, followed by the wood's" which is like holding a pile of firewood in your arms" and is the star of the show, and still the amber gives out gentle wafts that are so pleasing. I'm personally gonna have to give this a 9 outta 10, its that good. Blind buy worthy for sure if you like frags like, Perry Ellis m or Burberry London,I haven't tried Gucci pour homme 2, but it looks like I'll be getting that also. Just make sure it is the edp version, the brown bottle, as in the picture above,as there seems to be quite a lot of reviews below that sound more like, HM edt, the white bottle, where this is, HIM edp..

@evan.deans good review! I couldn't agree with you more plus mine of course hehe. This has its own scent, it has a similar vibe with gph2, but if you are buying this and expecting an alternative or clone, your about to be let down majorly. This has a fall vibe for sure. I used up 3/4 bottle last fall. It has great silage to. I pump hard and when walking in to the office my boss was about 40 yards behind me and said "good morning, I'm just following your scent trail" and he's not in to fragrances like I am But the longevity of that lasts about 8 hours on me tops. I really feel like the cinnamon and Amber are the main players here playing on a field of woods underneath them while making a little bit of smoke while playing hard.. The dry down is divine. Like I said earlier, it shares a vibe with gph2 and that's it's a relaxing scent that most everyone is going to like. I consider this a safe blind buy scent that's very very versatile for fall time and you will see what I'm saying. It's not much so just try it.. I will be replacing this bottle once this one runs out. Get the edp version. That's what this review is based off of at least I do believe there is two versions

I bought this recently after doing a little research. While I have no comparison to Gucci Pour Homme 2 I still think this is an extremely good pick up for the price. This is definitely better suited for colder rainy days or cooler summer nights. I work in a Cafe and I could swear I have smelt this before. It reminds me of a wet autumnal day in a dimly lit setting, wet leaves blowing in and setting on a damp wooden floor. Then add a brewed loose leaf chai tea with a spoonful of rich thick honey and you set the scene. I also own CH Prive which I feel gives off a very similar vibe but without such a strong boozy whisky note. However, I actually think this is a better quality scent and lasts a little longer. It does, however, have a slight boozy note and reminds me a little of Goldschlager cinnamon schnapps vibe which I personally love but others may find it unbearable in its dry and woody sharpness. Overall I can imagine this being a great autumnal fragrance and after a little bit of a tangy sharp opening this really dries down to a very pleasant snuggly scent which makes you feel cosy and warm. Scent 8/10 Longevity 7/10 Projection 7/10 Silage 7/10 Price 9/10

Begins like Gucci Pour Homme II then goes into a Spicebomb-ish direction (I've got the EdT). If this sounds good to you then I'd say it's worth blind buying if you can get it at a good price and don't have something similar. The quality seems at least reasonably good and longevity/projection are excellent. UPDATE: The far drydown is dominated by the amber but I do get some clear wood, spice, etc., and it's not too sweet. The Gucci Pour Homme II element is still present but less obvious. I wouldn't wear this in hot weather but I think it can work in all other conditions. No, originality is not a strong point, but if you happen to really like this idea, I think it would be an excellent purchase at a decent price. Not sure why an EdP would be necessary! UPDATE: I know have the EdP and it's quite similar so I wouldn't suggest spending a lot more for it. I have come to really appreciate this fragrance, as it's complex and the synthetics are done well. No, it's not in the same league with the vintage greats, for example compare it to Versaille Pour Homme, but unless you only wear vintage, this is one to at least sample.

HiM Edp has this nice, but surprisingly light opening of violet, cinnamon and amber. Just a touch of green, spice and sweet each, it really is wonderful. As the fragrance progresses violets greenness fades but never completely disappears, spice and sweet burst forward along something that reminds of tea. Seems like HiM has stronger middle rather than opening and dry down. Aforementioned dry down mostly the same as middle but milder version of it. Overall the fragrance has sweet and mildly spicy aura with some greenness around the edges. As many have said it does have tea like smell but I guess it’s just something that is like tea but isn’t actually or is there tea in this? Edp version has great longevity, I can smell it most of the day. I find it’s sillage to be just right, it’s not massive but neither is it skin scent, for me that’s perfect. I think this will do well most of the year, hot weather and really cold are too much for it but everything between works. HiM is more on the casual fun side of things and that’s the way I like it and cause of it I usually get nice big smile on my face when I smell this!

Thank you all for your spot-on reviews- I ordered this based on them and so glad I did. HiM has already been described as warm, cinnamon, and lightly gourmand. I find it similar in DNA to Pure Havane. My take on HiM is that it is more Pure Havane Lite than anything else- although there is no tobacco in the note breakdown, the combination of notes remind me of it. This is office friendly, going out friendly, dressing up friendly, and casual friendly. It sits close to the skin, not very loud, and charming. I have the EDP and it has the strange quality of initially coming across as light, airy- almost transparent- though it is a warm scent. It seems as though it will be a fleeting fragrance. However, as it sits on your skin, it gains body and strength and lasts for hours. As with Hanae Mori HM, the value of HiM is off the charts. They are very different, but, at the price they are going for, you simply can't buy better fragrances for the money. Highly recommended.

This is a little hidden gem of mine. The dry down is pretty good for a designer. The opening and first 25 mins on my skins are a little rough, it’s synthetic, but only if you smell it directly to your nose. Otherwise it wafts gorgeous notes of cinnamon, woods, spice, cardamom. I don’t get the GPH2 reference, that’s a tea note frag, not cinnamon forward like this. This is darker. This is a mass compliment getter too. Everyone knows I have an extensive mostly niche collection, but I keep a handful of designers and this is one of them. Though it is almost gone, I won’t replace it. I’m going to get BORNTOSTANDOUT - smokin gun next, it will satisfy that boozy, woody, cinnamon craving I get, but it the upmost highest quality. 7/10 i recommend this scent. It’s one that started my journey to where I am now.

This stuff is absolutely fantastic. One of the safest casual winter fragrances I've ever smelt. This time, when I say "safe", I don't mean "boring" like many other safe fragrances, which is why this gets big points for me. It's smart but not too formal, spicy without being old school, and performs perfectly without being too much. Can smell it after 24 hours on my skin. Definitely in the same vain as V&R Spicebomb, but I prefer HiM. "Smooth" is a perfect word for this. My favourite dumb reach winter fragrance, never gets old, and always feels appropriate no matter what the situation. It's not my all the time favourite scent, but it's simply safe, unique, and nice! Perfect blend of classic and modern. I'm 24M and love this. And for that price, you can't go wrong!

EDT Review Warm, slightly woodsy, slightly spicy Gucci PH 2. I bought this based on it's comparison to Gucci 2 and was intrigued by the comparisons with what I saw predominantly as a fresh, light spring scent. Was it just marketing and the colour of the bottle that made people see this as a cooler weather scent? In short, No. It has the same tea note as Gucci 2, but adds woods and spices making it a bit heavier, stronger and more suited to cooler weather. As others have said, kind of a Gucci 2 Intense or Eau Extreme. A warmer woodsier version. It's a bit sweeter too in the drydown which perhaps makes it feel slightly lower quality, but that's subjective. Good value everyday cooler weather fragrance!

Love this, really glad i purchased it before its price went way up (if I recall I got it for around 30 USD a few years ago) and a lot of my love for it is partially because i got it so cheap and it was very worth that amount. The scent itself is very warm. It actually leans the most gourmand of anything I own or would wear (I don't normally do gourmands). to me this is a fall evening smell and it's also my go-to for date nights lol I am surprised to see "musk" listed as an ingredient as in my experience everything I see with musk as a note, I end up being noseblind to everything except the musk note.

As Calitrav says this fragrance is UNIQUE mine for example is EDP I bought in 2013 I have the same bottle the older it gets the better it is a night out beauty lots of compliments nobody knows what it is people ask which brand always say is a secret used to have HM in don’t remember very well but I think HIM is way better I’m gonna spend a few bucks will buy a bottle and keep in mind just 3 or 4 sprays no more is very very long lasting specially when get in touch to clothes a hidden gem don’t know if latest batches change the quality for the worse if somebody knows I will appreciate the comment!!