1899 Hemingway

This an excellent oriental that is easy to wear and keeps away from the typical pitfalls of so many in its genre. At no points is it heavy, overbearing, or excessively powdery. While it exudes a classy, quiet sophistication, 1899 is ultimately an amiable composition that avoids encumbering itself with an unnecessary sense of formality or ostentation. It opens with a deftly balanced accord of juniper, cinnamon, pepper, vanilla and iris. The juniper is sweet and airy and sort of hovers over the top of the other notes. The iris, of the plasticky, lipstick variety found in Dior Homme, plays the background and provides a solid compliment to the spiciness of the cinnamon and pepper. The first couple of hours are sweet, airy, lively, spicy, and even aromatic. There is nothing dense or plodding about 1899, nothing oppressive or dull. It is enlivened with a particular light vibrance owed to the skill of its perfumer, Gerald Ghislain. It's a great way to start things off, and the quality of this composition is evident right from the start. The opening accord persists for some time, and as the middle stages develop, a soft vetiver emerges and the vanilla moves more toward the front of the composition. The vetiver adds depth and serves to temper some of the sweetness of the base notes (vanilla, amber). This is where the fragrance finally rests, in a comforting combination of vanilla, amber, iris and vetiver. A day-time comfort scent; lively and sweet; cozy, but not sleepy. This has quickly become one of my favorite oriental fragrances. I find it so easy to wear at pretty much any time of the day. A lot of times, I find that rather than wearing orientals, orientals have a tendency to wear you if you're not careful. They can become oppressive, their opulence intrusive and overshadowing. That's never the case with 1899, and if you've been put off by orientals for the reason I just described, but like the idea of their basic structure and notes, this could be a great choice for you. Longevity is very good, as I typically get anywhere from 8 to 10 hours. Projection is perfect, with about an arms length of radiance for the first 5 hours. Regarding gender, I would classify this as a masculine scent, leaning toward unisex. In relation to Spicebomb, the sweetness of the opening accord is quite similar, and I understand why the comparisons have been made. I'll admit, it's the first thing that came to mind when I tried 1899. And both feature prominent cinnamon notes in their heart. But that's where the comparison ends. 1899 is altogether lighter, livelier, and stays on the side of florals and woods, whereas Spicebomb moves toward tobacco and leather. In my opinion, it's also more sophisticated and well-composed than Spicebomb (which I've owned, and like). They are really not that similar in the end. To summarize, 1899 Hemingway is a great offering from Histoires de Parfums that can be worn easily during the day or night. It features an excellent structure and balance of notes and may be the perfect fragrance for someone who likes their orientals on the lighter, more approachable side versus the denser, more formal. Fantastic!

1899 smells exactly like C.S. Lewis' description of an adventure on Malacandra: "Nothing comes back to me more vividly in my dreams... especially the early morning smell in those purple woods, where the very mention of 'early morning' and 'woods' is misleading because it must set you thinking of earth and moss and cobwebs and the smell of our own planet, but I'm thinking of something totally different. More 'aromatic' ... yes, but then it is not hot or luxurious or exotic as that word suggests. Something aromatic, spicy, yet very cold, very thin, tingling at the back of the nose - something that did to the sense of smell what high, sharp violin notes do to the ear." This is a perfume of quiet sophistication, steering away from the bombasity of its cousin, Spicebomb, without becoming formal, ostentatious, or overbearing in its own way. It starts with the aromatic spice of bittersweet cinnamon and the warmth of pepper, which are deftly balanced against both the cooling and airy presence of juniper, as well as touches of waxy iris and hesperidic bergamot. Into the middle stage it retains this crisp vibrance whilst a soft, fresh vetiver and creamy, vanillic, ambery notes move toward the front - the former serving to temper some of the sweetness while the latter helps it to become a more comfortable daytime scent. The base of the scent has suede-like texture to it which furthers the composition's cozy feel. Masculine, long-lasting, moderate sillage, ok value, 9/10 scent

This is a very lovely juxtaposition between warm and gently green. It's soapy, comfortable, and inviting. When I first smelled it, I immediately had a vivid image of a man in a small boat on a lake, on an overcast day in the late 19th century. I remembered a children's book taking place at a pond with a toad and a frog in penny loafers and brown coats. A very nostalgic energy. I don't get much granularity or separateness from the spicy notes but rather a slightly green aromatic accord blending with the base. Every note in 1899 seems to be in the same volume family as its peers; no head-turning sharp notes, super deep base qualities, or discord. It's not a 100% seamless blend but rather all the chosen accords are familial without smelling similar; if anything, it's a touch of warm quiet elements here and a touch of cool quiet ones there, amounting to a homey neutrality. I detect a bit of sweetness at the top that smells like orange blossom. It has a warmly gentlemanly, outdoorsy, subdued loveliness. I really enjoy that it deliberately avoids textural shocks or high contrast, creating the aforementioned personality. Overall it's a great example of mindful character perfumery, and I think it would wear best as a bedtime fragrance that leans masculine. It's not a full bottle for me due to it being a bit too masculine for my taste, but I'll feel unending joy when this is adapted into a soap.

Masculine but refined. Smells like Juniper, vanilla and wood. A 'light green' smell - natural notes, multilayered. Reminds me of eating a perfect fig - the right mix of sweet and tangy and earthy. EDIT 4/2026 - After 3 years I can safely say this is now my GOAT . Easy to wear, versatile, fresh, a little spicy and mysterious , a compliment getter - and not well known, It's been my go to whenever I want to smell great for myself and for others. No nose blindness and it lasts a decent amount of time. Projects well but is not overpowering. Is different on everyone's skin, but I receive a lot of compliments when I wear this. People have asked me what I'm wearing saying they love it - it smells 'elegant' 'masculine' and 'unique'. Appreciated by women and men, interestingly. I consider this a versatile fragrance. It suits anywhere and anytime. I consider this my signature scent as I have worn it the most out of everything I have bought in the last year. Histoires makes great perfumes. The allusions to Ernest Hemingway for this perfume do fit well, it is something of a scent for raconteurs, adventurers and men with je ne sais quoi... hard to pin down but a bit of a stand out. Don't know what spicebomb smells like but not really interested in finding out... it can't be better than this!

Holy shinola...I received this in a swap with one of my favorite Fragranticians on the planet. She sent this to me along with a few other fragrances and I have been so consumed with the others that I forgot about this one. Will give it a full wear tomorrow and report back... Review: Wow, this is niiiiiiice. "1899 Hemingway" goes on very fresh and green...like "Lalique - Le Parfum", but it quickly and expediently gets its spices up and becomes a warm, spicy fresh vanilla! It has a nice intimate scent-bubble that leaves a nice trail behind you that goes about 5 feet max. I don't have any of the "Spicebomb" fragrances and probably never will, but if this smells close to them...then they are definitely a great fragrance line. Others in this fragrance review area have said that if you have one then you don't need the other...so I'll hold off on even thinking about trying out the "Spicebombs". "1899 Hemingway" is enough for me. =] Anyhow, "1899 Hemingway" is a nice, light but spicy, smooth vanilla that I can see getting a backup bottle of. If it lasts the workday today, I'll consider placing it on my short list of fragrances to buy this year. I'm all about vanilla and if this one proves that it has the lasting power to go all day...it will be one of my regulars.

For years I sat on, and pondered, the idea of purchasing spice bomb and the extreme release. Something kept holding me back and I think it was that my perception was that it was too youthful (again, my perception). That didn’t negate the notion that I found it to be intriguing and pleasing. I just wasn’t sure that mid 30s to now early 40s if it was something I felt I could really convincingly pull off. I had seen this touted by many as an alternative for those looking for the same vibe but more maturely and eloquently done. I agree with that I am elated that I blind bought this one. This is precisely what I was looking for. This projects moderately off my skin with about 3-4 sprays and longevity doesn’t disappoint. For myself it’s an all day, and well into the evening scent. I’ve recently been pretty dismayed at trying some samples from another niche brand I was 1,000% certain I’d be head over feet for. This one made up for the disappointment I felt with my recent fragrance haul when I realized those that I’d been most anticipating fell short and became no’s for me. This juice is stellar and I’m so happy I pulled the trigger though I hadn’t gotten my nose on it beforehand. An absolute love.

This one is gorgeous! This is how amber-vanilla should be done. Multifaceted slightly boozy (yes, I do get clear aromatic rum but very balanced), slightly herbal with touch of spices, cinnamon being the easiest to detect. For me it leans slightly feminine, the prettiest feminine vetiver I've come across, but can absolutely be unisex. Juniper berries top is very attractive, but blends in a sexy and seducing way with amber. This scent also feels very alive, enveloping and cosy, even bergamot here is warm. Reminds me hot sweet and spiced rum toddy, very cold weather appropriate. Brings on a picture of cold Parisian winter night with romantic date in a jazz club and long walk along the Seine. Update 29/05/21: Testing it now in cool pre-summer day, there is a distinct honey note that comes through quite early on and warm weather makes it slightly sweeter and more lively. Surprise as I thought it to be dedicated for cold weather, but looks like it works cross-seasons. Its less dry, and boozier than Rehab. More elegant, sweeter and ambery than Spicebomb. I personally consider it quite different and of far more interesting composition that Tobacco Vanille.

Wow, this is such a great rendition of the perfume archetype that is the boozy, sweet spice cologne. 1899 is so round, almost creamy, rich, boozy, soft, balanced. I had tried two other perfumes from Histoires de Parfums that I didn't really like, so I wasn't expecting much, but this blew my mind a bit. Underrated gem, I can't recall seeing any popular fragrance-centered YouTube channel review this one. Get your hands on it if you can, I do believe this is blind-buy safe, and unisex too! Let me elaborate on my use of the word balanced: it is just as sweet as it is spicy, smoky, fruity, woody, boozy, powdery, ambery. It's at the crossroads of all of these and none of them really jumps out or screams at you. Everything is soft and smooth, round and agreable, rich yet humble. I'm so happy to have discovered this! Probably my best blind-buy ever actually. I find this to have an extremely similar DNA to Tea for Two by l'Artisan Parfumeur, more so than to Spicebomb. The sweetness and smokiness are almost exactly the same, I would say 1899 has more facets and a bit more depth, while Tea for Two focuses on gorgeous smokiness.

Edit : bought a bottle. Updating my thoughts. I have been trying to find a Spicebomb alternative that fixes the one issue I have with the original... it contains one of my least favourite notes:- saffron (though they actually do a good job with it) The opening of 1899 has a similar spicy peppery profile to that of Spicebomb, but constructed a bit differently. There is noticeable juniper with the spices, and a bit of cinnamon and dusty amber reminding me a little of Boucheron Jaipur. This dries down into it's own thing, turning into a more classic styled powdery amber & iris fragrance once the top notes have died off a little. From start to finish it's also not overly sweet which I appreciate. This is ultimately a standalone fragrance doing its own thing, but you can see where it pulls a little inspiration. Another I tried in my search for a Spicebomb alternative was Rehab. Its got that gross initio bubblegum- saffron in the dry-down, ick. Much prefer what its copying. Definitely not getting fat electrician like some comments further down. In fact I'm having trouble finding the vetiver here.

I'm genuinely obsessed with this scent. I fell in love with a sample of it this past summer, and now in the winter it is easily at its peak. The bright opening of bergamont and juniper blend nicely with the black pepper to make an aura of refreshing spiciness. But there's something in the middle notes that I simply can't get enough of. It is cinnamon forward but mellowed by amber and vanilla. There's something in the bright top notes that plays so nicely into the cozy later notes that creates the perfect fall/winter scent of a new wreath: piney, fresh, and the warmth of spices from your morning tea. I'll concur that the projection leaves a little to be desired - this /delicious/ formula can only be improved by giving it more time to live and develop. But honestly ... I'll just continue buying the travel size and keeping it in my bag so that I can reapply during a bathroom trip. This scent very quickly became a signature of mine based on the positive response of people around me, so it'll absolutely be a year-round scent for me. Overall 9/10, points off only for sillage/longevity.

This is gorgeous. Probably my favorite fragrance. It's really sweet, warm, elegant, lots of cinnamon, a bit powdery, but also masculine with the spices and woody notes - a perfect combination of everything, easily unisex. People around me don't seem to like it, though, because apparently almost nobody around me likes cinnamon. That still doesn't stop me from wearing it, though, because I love it too much. This is clearly a fall/winter fragrance, and I can't wait to wear it again in colder months. It's so comforting and relaxing that I even sometimes spray the fragrance on before going to bed. There have been some comparisons with the Spicebomb, and although I've never tried Spicebomb, I had a Spicebomb clone - Oriflame Manful. The scent profile is kind of similar as far as the sweetness goes, but the Manful smells lighter, fresher and fruitier to me. I don't think there's a comparison in terms of quality, 1899 just smells a lot richer. The performance is good, and the fragrance lasts a solid few hours. All in all, this is a great, quality fragrance.

I made a trade and received a few Histories de Parfums samples as a generous gift. I was unfamiliar with this house before, but all that I have tried have been excellent quality and beautiful scents. 1899 Hemingway is no different. A wonderful blend of warm black pepper and juniper opens up with a slight citrus to round it off. Before long you begin to notice that this will be a ‘warmer’ type of fragrance, as the cinnamon quickly heads round’ the bend. Seeing the vetiver and amber as a base for this confirms that this might be a good scent for a night on the town in a cool autumn, spring (?) or perhaps winter (?) night. The heart is the cinnamon with a sweet floral and orange mixture. It’s very nice - one might even say a bit elegant. The warmth of this continued on me for several hours with the amber, vanilla and vetiver rounding off the experience. I would definitely recommend giving this a shot. This isn’t cheap by any means, but I wouldn’t say that it’s greatly overpriced. I wouldn’t feel too much guilt about buying a full bottle myself.

Nose Note #872 Is Histoires de Parfums an another niche brand, that does a lot of dupes like Roja Dove, Boadicea the Victorious, Vilhelm Parfumerie, Nishane, Montale, Mancera and many others, you name them? Because this is Spicebomb, deadass... It's a more transparent, a little less sweet, slightly weaker, a tad bit less soapy (in my understanding) and maybe a little less spicy version of Spicebomb. Like Spicebomb was an EDP and this is an EDT, that would be a perfect explanation. But man... Depending on availability this can cost more than double the price of Spicebomb!!! A weaker version of Spicebomb for more money! I guess you could say this smells a bit more natural and a tiny-miny more niche that Spicebomb (but that's more of a marketing trick, because you are paying more and it's a small niche brand). Seriously, it's Spicebomb, don't be fooled... Honestly, Nuke / Eau de Spice clone by Fragrance World is not much different from the original thing and this, but check the price tag... Just saying 8.5/10, I still love the DNA a lot though

This is delicious - I love it for a woman's fragrance. 1899 has a kind of transparent sparkling cinnamon and top notes of juniper over a beautiful white orange blossom and Iris. In that sense it reminds me of a Creed fragrance in structure. I notice how Creed often plays with feminine and masculine notes and this reminds me of that; it's just a touch more ambery than it needs to be IMO. I get why club soda was mentioned, but on me it's more of a ginger ale, because I smell Ginger mixing with the amber. How the notes read to my brain: Cinnamon (transparent throughout) Juniper (top notes only) Ginger (spicy fresh) Amber Orange blossom (aromatic, not heavy) Iris (rooty) Vanilla and anything else.. I don't really smell vetiver bergamot or pepper at all.. but my nose plays games with bergamot and is always interpreting it in different ways. One spray on my chest is enough. 1899 is kind of gourmand to me, like a virgin cocktail. I get off-notes of sweet tobacco, sandalwood and coconut too around the mid/drydown. Anyone else smell that?! mmmmm.

This is the scent that actually made me interested in fragrances. I got this as a sample in BirchBox in 2013 and it was different from anything I had ever smelled before. I really didn't even care for fragrances then but this was so incredibly beautiful that it got my attention and started my journey. Eleven years later, after collecting many different fragrances from Tom Ford, Initio, Creed, Dior, etc. this is still my all-time favorite. I have two 120ml bottles. I will never be without this. This is quintessential Renaissance Man in a bottle. The neroli, iris, vetiver, amber combination is both ethereal and masculine. Hemingway is the perfect representation -- pure literary refinement in one hand and a bolt-action rifle in the other. A true masterpiece. I have Initio Rehab which is very good. These are like fraternal twins. I am glad to have it. But 1899 is the best. While I did get this at discounter (www.aurafragrance.com), this is the only fragrance I would actually pay full retail for if I had to. It's that good.

1899 is an amber based fragrance with a heavy dose of spice and a splash of evergreen (notes say it's juniper). The first time I put this on I loved it. I've gone through dozens of fragrances and keep coming back to this because it's so pleasant. The evergreen note makes this feel very versatile, much more than it would be without it. There's a tiny bit of powder that feels like it fits well here. I don't get any citrus but it probably just gets lost under the evergreen. To my nose, this is definitely a lot like Spicebomb, but it's considerably fresher. The evergreen note that brightens this up considerably. It also frankly smells smoother and higher quality than Spicebomb. But if you hate Spicebomb's spice level, you will probably hate this. The spice+evergreen combo presents as quite masculine to my nose (but women wear it if you like it, of course). I enjoy this every time I spray it and the only time I'd hesitate to wear this would be in the dead heat of summer. Even then it's honestly probably fine.

This is so well-constructed. There's a full 180 between a bright and energizing opening and a nice tobacco-centric drydown. I understand why that note isn't listed since there's probably no actual tobacco absolute here, but the cinnamon/vanilla/amber/vertiver combo reads very "tobacco," so comments to that effect are 100% on the mark. Everybody's saying this smells like Spicebomb, and unfortunately I don't have any experience with Spicebomb because I'm not interested in owning a fragrance bottle shaped like a hand grenade. I always felt like it would look dumb on my shelf, so I never saw the point of sampling it. But this one is spectacular, and if Spicebomb smells like this, I'm excited for anyone who decorates their house with guns and knives and shit (I've got a couple of cousins in that demographic), because there's apparently a great fragrance out there that will fit right in with their decor. I'll gladly settle for this one, though. TL/DR: Love this; might buy my cousin Spicebomb for his birthday

As with many of HdP's offerings, I am delighted with the superb quality, size selection and overall scent profile. The presentations are fine and the gimmick I understand but fail to attribute to the intended character/era. That's all good and fine, we're here for the juice. 1899 opens up very spicy, woody and bright. A bit of a powdery edge from the iris but not of the lipstick variety found in your Dior or Pradas. Cinnamon kicks in for the drydown followed by an ambery vanilla. It's really gorgeous, albeit not the most original. It has a familiar profile to quite a few other scents but that's not a bad thing. It's done to perfection here. All ages, all situations on this one. Crowd pleasing and sophisticated all rolled into one. Cooler temperatures. The performance is the one downfall of this as others have mentioned. I get 4-5 hours of longevity with a half hour or so of good sillage... Your mileage may vary but for me that is unfortunately not good enough for the price tag. Love the scent though.

Ernest Hemingway is one of my favorite authors. That's not the reason why I have this fragrance. It was given to me by Luckyscent as part of a promotion. I wish I could say otherwise, but this is the truth and I want to be known as someone who is always authentic and honest when it comes to my reviews. If you don't have that you don't have anything. I'm also going to make this short and sweet. 1899 is a great fragrance, but it smells so similar to Rehab that I cannot tell which is which. Unfortunately I have had Rehab for over a year and is currently one of my favorite fragrances. It's almost impossible for me to write a review about 1899 because of this. I will say this. If you are a fan of Rehab or anything similar you are not going to be disappointed. The longevity is very good and it’s almost comparable. Cheaper! That's a plus. I'm sure someone else who has not been exposed will write a great review about a great fragrance.

This is one of those juices that stand out as soon as you pop the top. It's woody, spicy, sweet. The amber is finally not soapy or overdone. Its resinous, and while I don't think there is tea here it feels like that because it has that chai spiciness to it, but with an appropriate sweetness that offsets the spice. Finally someone got it right- a spice that doesn't smell too masculine or 'sweaty'. The cinnamon pushes that vetiver and juniper into almost like a live cedar/spruce woodiness, which is so nice! This is like a sweet and spicy walk in the woods- god I can't stop smelling it. ADDICTIVE. I want to bathe in this smell. FINALLY a great spice that a woman can wear. Very unisex too- I could see a man wear this easily, and a badass woman rock it. There are so many facets to this fragrance- I'm in love. Similar to Yesterday Haze by IA, but I like this better. It's more like a fragrance and not a room scent like YH.