Bel Ami

Revisited Bel Ami today. [Batch: 15 September 1994] Always been fascinated by the fragrance industry’s interpretations of “leather” - an idealised tribute to a finished product that (thankfully) smells nothing like a tannery. In Morocco I once got lost and found myself in a very stinky part of Marrakech - where there were lots of tanneries. The stench was overwhelming and I couldn’t identify it until a friendly local gave me a tour of his tannery. Hides were soaking in putrid vats of liquid that smelled worse than the most disgusting faeces you can imagine, skins of tanned leather were drying in the sun, and the fecal stink was so intense it made my eyes water and permeated my clothes and hair for days. Which was very unpleasant. And embarrassing. Whenever I think of “leather” that odiferous memory from Morocco springs to mind unbidden. The process of making “leather” out of dead animal skins is very smelly. Putrid in fact. Thankfully Bel Ami smells absolutely nothing like that. Presumably our fascination with leather derives from the history of European perfumery, when master perfumers would sell perfumed kidskin gloves and other fragrant leather accessories drenched in concentrated perfume (in addition to powders, unguents and pomades). Hermès - which is correctly pronounced “air-mess” by the way - pays tribute to its pedigree and its beginnings as an upmarket saddlery in many of its men’s fragrances, such as Bel Ami, Equipage and Rocabar -whose name is from a striped horse blanket (“roc à barres”). Bel Ami is very classy, redolent of refined, understated and unpretentious elegance.. In the words of Chiswell Longhorn, “Etiquette is for those who lack breeding as fashion is for those who lack style” Bel Ami is pure style. Individual, self-assured, and the epitome of elegance, Bel Ami isn’t “in your face” and doesn’t try to impress. It doesn’t have to try. It’s not a formulaic, stereotypical men’s Chypre, and unlike most other men’s fragrances of its time. Bel Ami feels like flying first class: there’s no cramped discomfort, unnecessary clutter, or other people’s elbows in your space - it’s a luxurious, high quality, enjoyable experience. It’s not easy to translate a sensory experience into words, so will limit myself to my impressions. The citrus and sage in the opening are fairly soft and so harmoniously synchronised with the aromatics and floral notes that the evolution is seamless as resin, woods, leather and oakmoss take the stage in the dry down. Bel Ami is like browsing in a high end boutique and evokes a classic gentlemanly aesthetic, like a Chesterfield armchair. Or a Perfecto. The 1994 vintage isn’t all that different to the current version of Bel Ami. The DNA is the same as is the effect, although the latter doesn’t quite have the same “depth”, if that makes sense - the only real difference seems to be that the later incarnation contains less oakmoss Bel Ami is a beautiful Chypre of superlative quality and one of my all-time favourites. Like a Perfecto - stylish, unpretentious, elegant and sexy. Not try-hard wannabe “Sex Panther” sexy but an effortless kind of sexy like a self-assured, young Marlon Brando. Wearing a Perfecto. Versatile too, it could be worn for any occasion and, even though it reminds me of gentlemanly elegance, it could by worn by anyone anyone regardless of the configuration of their crotch. The current version is just as lovely as the vintage, and is strikingly different to just about everything on the market today. A legend whose reputation is very well deserved.

(Vintage 1986) This was a very great blind buy, better than I expected. Katie Pucrick on her YouTube review of Bel Ami (vintage) I believe, compared it to Tom Ford Private Blends, "they want to announce themselves, laud and proud", she said. Thinking of Tuscan Leather perhaps, whereas Bel Ami is more smooth, herbal, spicy fresh. My first impression was, where's the leather, this smells dark, I got the styrax right off, some nice blending of oakmoss, and then some nice Mediteranian herbs and spices, reminding me of vintage Azzaro Pour Home, or vintage Equipage. Bel Ami also reminded me of another recent discovery, Tom Ford Man Extreme. So I thought this is a great fragrance, but similar to what I have and know... Then, wooow, the LEATHER kicked in, wowy-wow. Yeah, this is the best leather; aromatic, rich , oily and smooth. I like the review just below describing notes not listed, butter with salted caramel, that's what I'm getting, making an accord with the rich leather. Also Jack twist review said accurately that it's in-between Equipage and Knize 10. I thought it was going to be a heavy fragragrance, but it's not, because of some fresh herbs, spices and light citrus. It can be suitable for cooler Summer days or nights, and of course great for Fall and Winter. There is a timeless beauty to it. I have two great vintage classics, Givenchy Insense, and Hermes Equipage, now this will take it's place with those two. Note: For anyone interested in purchasing a vintage shaker bottle, I received a 100ml tester for $175. from sweet baby perfume plus.com. The tester bottle comes with cap and looks just like the regular bottle, 1/2 the best eBay price... Some of the citrus and herbal top notes where faded from my vintage 100 ml compared to the fresher decant vintage I received earlier. When ordering a a 20-25 year old vintage bottle you take that risk of some having lost a bit with age. Still good, and love the beutifull antique bottle, dark and classy. PS: I got the 2006 vintage, and it is quite good, the leather is dark and rich, not as buttery rich as the 1986 BA. It is a very comfortable wearable classic. I thought the 2006 vintage Bel Ami would be a shadow of the original, but no... It is rich spicy,dark. It could stand alone on the wood, spices, and Balsamic notes, and yet it has an aromatic dark leather that is very noticeable, but well blended in to the whole. I stole a bottle on eBay auction for $75, but they are still less than half the price of the original 1986... Rating: 1986:. 10/10 2006:. 9.25/10 2016: 8.75/10 God bless. John 3:16

Sniffing from the atomiser it’s sweet, floral, sharp, citrusy and a bit resinous. There's a rather unpleasant urinous note. If I was smelling this in a shop, I’d quickly move on and wouldn’t bother testing further. The very initial opening, after spraying on skin, before the alcohol has dried off properly isn’t nice at all. It’s less sweet and floral, but more animalic and sickly. I would swear there’s castoreum in it. Definitely reminiscent of Knize Ten and the opening of Chanel Antaeus. Within five minutes everything changes and it becomes completely different. It’s no longer sickly and pissy. The sweetness dies down and it becomes dry, woody, smokey and leathery. I’m aware of the citrus, but it’s not a citrusy scent. It seems every time I sniff it, I smell something different, but mostly woods and leather. Gucci Guilty Absolute smells like a new pair of shoes, but Bel Ami is a vintage leather bag. I also get waxy polish and then pepper. It feels very dark and extremely masculine, but there is a slightly sweet, floral undertone to balance the earthy spiciness. As it dries down more it becomes dusty and powdery, but with the leather and woods, particularly cedar, still in evidence. Eventually I begin to notice a little amber sweetness and feel the floral elements a bit more, but it never approaches being feminine. Eventually it becomes somewhat herbal and the bitter oakmoss starts to dominate. The far drydown is like old man’s talcum powder. Hermès Bel Ami is perfectly balanced. Dark, leathery, woody, smokey, bitter, herbal and spicy with just enough florals and sweetness to stop it being harsh. It's soft and powdery, but also sharp and textural. It's butch and rugged, aswell as gentlemanly and refined. I'd say it's most suitable for autumn and winter, but also wearable on cold nights in spring. I wouldn't want to wear it in the heat though. It's probably going to appeal mostly to older men. Projection is strong, but not overpowering for a good few hours and it's still detectable on skin after twelve hours. It's exactly the kind of perfume I love, masculine, sophisticated, mature and complex. Within a couple of hours of sampling for the first time, I ordered a bottle and a sample of Bel Ami Vetiver. It has already become one of my top three favourites. I'd definitely recommend sampling before investing in a full bottle, but if you like "old school" masculine and realistic leather scents, you really need to try this. Just don't judge it in the first five minutes.

I have been smelling on this unique master work since early 80s, because that was my dad's signature scent. And it smelled head spinningly beautiful in those decades, still used to be a bit heavy for me to wear it at my classmates birthday parties at that age in highschool. Around 2000 it started to smell slightly different, still full BelAmi DNA, but slightly lighter and just a tinest bit less characteristic, yet it was still one of my biggest olfactive heros and this new lightness allowed me to wear it in my college years in full confidence. I love that unique and heart conquering leather accord switching between shoe polish and burnt match smell, where you can find in no other leather perfume for sure, smells so authentic, raises my heart beat instantly, and to lighten it up and render the whole concoction even more desireable, there are these three combinations which also makes this scent so mesmerizing IMO, first duo is the the classic 70s fougere formula: the carnation-patchouli combi (backened up with styrax and amber, which frame the carnation so perfectly, still never falls back into being cloying thanks to the enticing clary sage on top), that gives to the heart of that addictive perfume a very dandy type of "special occasion" cologne character, then as second comes the jasmine-vetiver duo into the play, which gives the fragrance a whole new ambience like day dreaming while falling asleep on a south pacific shore, enhanced by the oriental cardamom for sure, and as third, a very french touch enters the game: the incontestable basil-orris root duo, the furniture vernish like classy orris root absolute aired up with dark and cool minthyness of basil, all tied together so fabulously with undefeatable oakmoss base, with a small surprise of waxy coconut accord in those heart notes, that somehow intrigues your nose at first, but in a very good way, like a smart gold colored grout between the black marble tiles as an alluring contrast, and all these exclusive and almost wall to wall thick compounds have been refreshed so masterfully by those first class bergamot and (IMO burnt) mandarine peel notes. I mean, they really did some hell of masterworks in the past as perfume didn't they? I still spray it on my pillow some nights before going to sleep, and I believe that it allows me to travel to some undiscovered paradises in my dreams. Breath taking work of an olfactive master piece, timeless and simply perfect.

A leather scent from leather goods company:Hermes. A spicy sweet leather that will lose its sweetness at the end. The leather is masculine, a little harsh and bitter like oil. This leather is accompained by a sweet scent like vanilla and coconut. But this sweet scent decreases as the time passes. I can feel spicy notes of cardamom and a little cloves in it. Bel Ami is a classic perfume but indeed it's not oldschool and outdated. It reminds me Moschino pour homme, Xerjoff homme and "M" Puredistance as well. . "هرمس" ، برندی که کار اصلیش تولید محصولات چرمی مرغوب هست حتما باید چندتا نماینده چرمی بو هم بین عطراش داشته باشه که بل آمی یکی از بهتریناشه. . رایحه ی عطر نسبتا خشن هست اما نمیشه گفت کهنه یا خیلی کلاسیکه چون این نسخه، نسخه ی به روزرسانی شده توسط جناب النا هست و حتما کمی سعی شده با ذائقه ی امروزی تطابق داده بشه. . استارت رایحه با لیمو زده میشه. ولی این لیموترش تر و تازه که زورش به سلطان عطر یعنی چرم نمیرسه کم کم به حاشیه میره و عرصه رو برای خودنمایی نت اصلی مهیا میکنه گرچه بیراه نیست اگر بگم لیمو تا آخر عطر به صورت یه هاله کمرنگ حس میشه. سبک بوی چرمِ عطر آشناست، مثل بوی یه جفت کفش چرمی نو توام با کمی حس کهنگی و تلخیِ نفتی طور. اما این حسِ چرمی به تنهایی چرخ رایحه رو نمیچرخونه، بلکه یک شیرینیِ وانیلی نارگیلیِ برجسته و در کنار اون دارچین و میخک با حس تیز ادویه ای هم نقش مهمی رو در شکل گیری رایحه ایفا میکنن و از ابتدا تا اواسط رایحه حضور پررنگی دارن. رفته رفته سایه ای از بوی خاکی و تلخِ وتیور به رایحه اضافه میشه و وزنه ی تلخی رایحه رو سنگین تر میکنه. به مرور حس نفتیِ چرم درترکیب با وتیورِ تلخ و خاکی، افسار رایحه رو به دست میگیرن و شیرینی کذایی رو به پس زمینه میبرن و تا لحظه آخر باصلابت قدرت نمایی میکنن. . . نکته ی جالب درمورد این عطر برای من اینه که درعین قدیمی بودن، بخاطر اینکه سبکش مثل خیلی از کلاسیک های مردونه فوژه یا آروماتیک نیست تکراری به نظر نمیاد و کلاسیک بودنش رو فریاد نمیزنه و همچنان قابلیت استفاده داره بدون اینکه بازخورد منفی از بابت قدیمی بودن بده. قبلا درمورد شباهت رایحه ی موسکینو پورهوم با این عطر گفته بودم. اینجاهم میگم که عطرایی مثل ام پیور دیستنس و سرژف هوم تو همین فضای رایحه هستن.