Cologne Officinale

Okay so I need to temper my review here because I could have the potential to wax lyrical about this one and I'm aware that this fragrance may not be everyone's cup of tea nor is it by any means breaking any new ground but I think that is precisely why I adore it. When folks (usually me) say stuff like...'they don't make um like this anymore.' It's usually about some bleary old vintage Men's bollocks. There have been attempts by indy perfumers and brands who are fans of a certain era and style of perfume to evoke classic masculine tropes with varying degrees of success. I get the intent and I'm here for it but the execution is more often than not, left wanting. Not in the case of Cologne Officinale. I'm assuming the name is referential to a sort of Italian style of perfumery because it has the fresh 'Amalfi' vibes coupled with the requisite 'soapiness' often described in Italian perfumery. What's not very 'Cologne' about it is the lack of white florals, or waxiness and it's not a fleeting perfume by any means. Citrus accord is bittersweet and long lasting, instantly fresh and arresting but has a depth and quality to it. The next phase is a growing mossy note/accord and some degree of 'push' and floracy from like a hedione effect, a la Eau Sauvage. The comparisons should end there though because this does have a distinctly different vibe thanks in part to some of that green galbanum, although it's not as present or green as something like that Les Abstraits one I love or other masculine focused recent efforts but is on a par quality wise. This really feels like it could be an 80's Men's vintage 'Sport' flanker thing but with all the top notes intact and a modernised feel. This is precisely why I will give it some creativity points because it feels somewhat modernised and not just a copy or hommage to fusty old bizz, which it so easily could be mistaken for. Make no mistake though, even with this there's no surprises in Cologne Officianale other than it's being released in 2023 by a brand which for me have never really done much I'm interested in. Top marks to Heeley for recognising the need for something like this in this era of dreck and rehash, yes I'm saying that about a WOODY, MOSSY, CITRUS, COLOGNE FOR MEN....but good is good, and this is VERY GOOD. Also reasonably priced for a niche perfume and something I would wear the shit out of in the same way I do an Eau Sauvage or a Cerrutti 1881 so a 100ml bottle is something I can see in my future for sure.

Quite often, perfumes come with a long, descriptive, semi-poetic PR blurb supposed to describe the scent’s universe, the perfumer’s intentions, etc. And quite often, the text reads amazing and the scent actually smells like every other perfume released that year (I’m looking at you, Burberry Hero Eau de Parfum). But sometimes, you smell a new perfume and the text fits (almost) perfectly, and you can tell the brand and the perfumer nailed their initial mission. This is what happened when I smelled Cologne Officinale by James Heeley. I was a bit apprehensive. I love Marseille, I love Provence. I have so, so many memories down there, and a LOT of them include smells. Memories of summers spent in my grandmother’s house as a kid, 1h away from Marseille, in the Provence countryside (the house was hidden in the famous “maquis”). The smells of her garden, of the maquis itself, burnt by the intense summer sun during the day, and resting at night, emitting different smells at different part of the day. The smell of basil, of lavender – of course – of rosemary, of sage... These scents are now burnt in my memories forever, 25 years later and 15 years since my last ever visit there. Cologne Officinale is not ground-breaking, and I don’t think it was meant or designed to be. It doesn’t break any rules, it doesn’t want to offend or set a new genre. But what it does, it does very well. James Heeley created a fougere in the style of the 70’s, and did it very well. It starts fresh, luminous, joyous with the basil at the top. Then, the famous “Savon de Marseille” accord comes alive after 20min or so. Not as literal as in Marseille from Comme des Garcons (which does it very well, but that was Quentin Bisch’s sole intention, to recreate the Savon de Marseille scent) or as “clean” as in Exit the King by Etat Libre d’Orange (which I like, but the cleanliness is almost oppressive in that one). It does it more in a figurative way, as an “idea”, as something you are reminded of when smelling Cologne Officinale. Hints, basically. I don’t particularly detect the “oriental amber evoking the fusion of Provence with the vibrance of the Orient” described in the base, but I don’t mind. Cologne Officinale is an extremely well-crafted time capsule bringing back to happy memories in the Provencal maquis. Well done James, and merci.

I am a 51 year old man. My journey in fragrances started in the eighties with colognes like YSL pour homme, Globe Rochas and Armani eau pour homme. I experienced every major shift in man’s colognes after those with eg Kouros, Fahrenheit, Acqua di Gio and then the so called niche brands of Frederic Malle, Fueguia etc. Cologne Officinale by James Heeley feels like I am coming home after this journey. I am immediately flashed back to my teenage years when men around me smelled fresh of mostly a mix of aromatic herbs and oak moss. Interesting point is that over the years I repeatedly tried again these first colgnes but they never entirely lived up again to that feeling/expectation. I also got that feeling for a moment after wearing Cologne Officinale for the third time or so and found that perhaps indeed a man never walks in the same river twice as it is not the same river and he is not the same man. For a moment because it moved beyond that and it is now my favorite frangrance. It definitely has a 70’s structure but it bridges quite well to today. It does not feel dated. This is a great achievement bij Heeley and it is the first full bottle that I ever ordered from this house. If you have been like me always searching for that 70’s cologne that has not been reformulated beyond recognition or has lost it’s quality due to shelf live then this could be it. A true fresh but new 70’s cologne. This vibe and the quality is seriously there and I have not found it since those first fragrances since.

Great scent, this is my first bottle from the Heeley brand. Very curious to try more from their line. I love the smell of Rosemary and this is something that is very apparent to me during my wearing of this. Rosemary and soapy facets is what I mainly get. I do get amber in the late dry down but can't seem to pick out the Lavender and everything else mentioned in the notes breakdown as its blended very well. Great scent for the summer, I get about 8 hours longevity. On me its a pretty moderate wear, not a huge projector and I'm okay with that as something heavy I can't see lasting too long in the 100+ degree heat of summer in Vegas. Great modern release I've purchased as most of my collection are either vintage/discontinued

Wow!!! Thank gawd there is new cologne scent that screams buy and I will deliver!!!! Amazing bright green Basil aspect (mostly) on top of soapy slightly dark and earthy oakmoss. Think of Hermes Concentre D’Orange but mostly bright basil that actually screams for hours and hours. Blind bought and definitely the best buy this year. I totally don’t get the numbing reviews below. If you want an above average cologne and smooth green basil is your thing you’ll need this... if you love old school barbershop colognes and need it with a wallop to compete against Sauvage EDP, parfum or elixir etc this is it...

Heeley fragrances are always high quality, well balanced and longer lasting than you'd expect for the natural feel of them. No exception here. This is nothing terribly new in fact it's quite old school barbershop like but he's really nailed it here in terms of balance so it never goes too sharp like some barbershops soapiness can, and not too urinal cake or overly mossy like the old fashioned stuff used to be, the herbal elements and great use of galbanum here hint old school without totally taking it there. This isn't cheap, but if you like italian cologne style fragrances you'll likely love this.

This is a beautiful synthesis of old and new styles of perfumery. There are the bones of a very classic men's fragrance in here and this smells like whatever my Grandfather used to wear in a very good way. There are also some airy, modern elements mixed in; never so much as to smell ozonic or oceanic but enough to keep things smelling fresh and light. Projection and duration are nothing too special, but the green anisic opening and the mossy drydown are both artfully done and well worth having in a collection.

The guy who likened this to a humid soapy post-shave towel was absolutely bang on. This smells incredible. It's so photorealistic infact that it's almost as if I feel a steamy warmth coming off my skin when wearing this

Green, herbal, and soapy. Imagine something like a traditional Eau de Cologne but remove all the citrus and white florals. A simple and smart idea well executed. Will probably end up my favorite release of 2023.

I like this so much. It's smooth, masculine, and refreshing. Handsome older man vibes. Smells of shaving soap in a very warm and alluring way. Wow, I'd love to lean in close to a man who smelled like this.

This is a sleeper that will get more attention in years to come. Bright herbal fougere that smells a bit more clean and soapy than most. In the best way.

1992. The hand towel hanging in your dad's bathroom. Humid and soapy and stubble-snagged. Spicy aftershave shaded by a sour wisp of mildew.

This isn't a Cologne - despite the word being featured on the label - as others have stated, it's an EDP.

Smells fantastic. Very easy to wear.

A very pleasant, if not particularly original, perfume that delivers the same fresh, uplifting charm as Chanel Pour Monsieur, or dare I say it, Dior Eau Sauvage. It’s a style I genuinely enjoy, though in my case it does feel a touch redundant, given that I already own both of those benchmarks. This is the kind of thing that seems to work just about anywhere. Perfectly at home in the gym, yet equally appropriate for a wedding on a hot summer’s afternoon, whether you’re there as a guest, or the groom. Longevity is surprisingly impressive for this genre, which is no small feat considering how fleeting modern versions of its peers can be. If you don’t already have any of its counterparts in your rotation, this would be a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the wardrobe.

To be frank, Cologne Officinale opens as a complete mess - and a rather dated smelling one at that. Though supposed to be a base note, oakmoss pierces through even with some of its pissy qualities. My 1978 bottle of Loewe Pour Homme comes across as more modern in comparison. It takes the ingredients in CO a good 30 min to figure out who goes first. Only from that point onwards CO can be described as a modern take on a fougere (certainly not cologne): transparent, herbal, soapy clean - and at this it excels, becoming a pleasure to wear. From a storm in a water to glass to calming, tranquil sea. James Heeley pulled off other seemingly impossible stunts like a white linen incense (Cardinal). Hats off to the House of Heeley once again.

Well isn’t this all kinds of wonderful. Soapy herbal, green and clean, classy and classic masculine aftershave type fragrance. My nose picks out basil, lavender and rosemary the strongest. Long lasting too. Now I found what this reminds me of! This is a contemporary version of Cerruti Men 1881. The Cerruti is nice but does smell a little outdated, whereas this smells classic but not outdated. This is not as bitter. Alas, this "facelift" is four times more costly than the Cerruti. Still, Cologne Officinale is so easy to wear and versatile, I would have already purchased a 50 ml bottle of this - if only they sold those...

almost barbershop vibes than azure coast vibes. I think this is supposed to be a land terrain inspired not so much aquatic here.. I really recommend sampling because of the opening. Its very enjoyable, office safe, classic that the basil + rosemary + amber/oakmoss give a more modern twist to it. As far as oakmoss fragrances goes, In the 2-3 feet range projection, great for all year around more emphasis on spring/summer profile. You won't offend anyone with this fragrance. I think i would of enjoyed this more with a gin or alcoholic vibe w/ a sprinkle of lime or grapefruit but that's just me.

It's unusual to have a summer cologne with absolutely no citrus in it, but that's what Heeley has provided here. This is a refreshing, happy fragrance that wears easily and is perfect for warm or hot weather. It does not project heavily (it is a cologne, after all), but it lasts unusually long, likely because of the fact that there's no citrus in it. Wearing this feels like a breeze is blowing even on stifling days.

This is a fresh, herbal fougère-type fragrance. Although it’s labeled as an eau de parfum, based on the performance, it behaves more like a cologne. It’s very weak on my skin. I doused myself with eight sprays and could barely detect it after two and a half hours. A shame, really, because it’s a pretty nice scent.