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.

Purchased a sample from Lucky Scent. This fragrance leans fresh and bright with some hints of soapiness. IMO, it smells like candy, sorta in the Smarties neighborhood. Performance is just okay, and the price is high. I don't recommend a blind buy and suggest sampling first.

Opening of basil and galbanum, bitter and licorice scented. Lavender and sage join the herbal freshness. Very anisic overtones and a touch piney. The lavender, sage, and rosemary are bright and strong. A mossy amber drydown. Very masculine leaning. Ok if you like men's herbal colognes. Very light.

However, it’s too sweet — at first like a mist you’d expect; a mist reminiscent of 1881, Lippizan (Lippizan slightly lower), Boucheron PH. But it quickly shifts into something a bit playful.

Bitter green galbanum contrasted against smoky sage and sweet basil. Lavender and Oakmoss are hiding in the background, adding softness and wetness respectively to the scent's profile.

Its a fine perfume but it does not work for me personally. The opening smells like a fresh shave at a nice barbershop. After dry-down it gets more intimate. Much too masculine for me.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I like the scent but the performance is weak and it didn't last long on me. 4/10

No keen on this one. Comes across dirty which I certainly was not expecting and in a way I don't like. I think it's how the amber blends with the herbs. Had a similar vibe with Amber Kiso although can't recall if that had aromatic notes with the amber.

I'm finding Heeley does these mediterranean inspired, coastal fresh fragrances very well. This brings two notes together that I love for their uniqely green and natural aromas- basil and galbanum. The herb boquet that sits beneath it is biting and fresh, giving an aromatic lift and volume to the top notes. There's a really beautiful synergy between them all. I get an umistakably clean and almost soapy accord, but individual notes feel just distinct enough to remind you there are layers here and this is a step above other perfumes in this style. Quite often what I like about my favorite perfumes is what they DON'T include in their note list, and this is a great example of a simple, "herbal cologne" in EDP concentration that manages to keep it's identity crisp and refreshing through it's lifespan. I don't get any animalic, musty growl from the lavender, not a lot of extra coumarin, and not a lot of warmth or sweetness from any amber, although after some time you can detect a subtle baslamic resinous quality in the dry-down. Mostly though I detect a similarly bitter oakmoss tying everything together and contributing to the soapy feel. I'm actually reminded of ELDO's Exit the King, and I'm realizing this would be the perfect replacement for something in the same style but more refined and natural. The release notes suggest Savon de Marsaille (a traditional french soap) and turkish bath houses called "Hammam" were points of inspiration for this feeling of cleanliness, and I think they've captured it well. You'll have to like a bare-bones, sharp and herbal experience, but often that's the only thing I can stand in high heat so I'm inclined to but a full bottle. It will be a difficult decision though, because it reminds me of cheaper colognes I've smelled before, although the execution is very good and the soap accord is a bit more modern.

A collaboration with the Marseille based fashion and design store "Jogging," run by photographer Olivier Amsellem, Cologne Officinale is a traditional Fougère barbershop fragrance. A second version of it is available in that store too with just a different label. It should transport you to the town of Marseille in the South of France, the old "harbour to the world," especially the north African region and the area around Marseille, the Provence. This inspiration is to me perfectly pictured. The aromatic fresh green and rustic mediterranean herbs of sage, thyme, rosemary & lavender as part of the Provence are mingling with an arabic oriental warmth, all dominated by a huge cloud of soapy creamy musk, reminiscent to the traditional French soap in Marseille, the famous "Savon de Marseille." The soft creamy soapy facet adds a contemporary and relaxing touch to it. Longevity & projection are fine. With its retro connections to the 70'ies and 80'ies it could remind you of that typical well known bathroom atmosphere, the mirror still fogged up, with dad's After Shave, some shaving foam & creamy soap. I just love it, a marvelous idea greatly executed.

I would classify this as an Aromatic Fougère. From a few comments below: Cologne is a genre, a style and is not always related to the fragrance concentration! Very good alternative to discontinued YSL Pour Homme La Collection. PH performs better with best quality ingredients (the oakmoss in particular) to my nose but Cologne Officinale is very good. This is for confident men above 30, a manly fragrance for more dressed up occasions. I still have YSL PH almost full so I can compare. If you love this style and other scent profiles like Rive Gauche also from YSL, Aramis Tuscany Per Uomo so you'll probably like it. It's a love for me considering its ressemblance to YSL PH.

The green is so sheer -as tart as a pinch - that I keep being fooled into thinking I smell citrus high notes. Guess not. The smell is fine, natural and bright but to me (at first spray) undistinguished from a lot of other fresh scents for men (though it doesn’t sink in to the genetic pool of “freshies.”). You’ll always smell clean, squeaky even, wearing this as I don’t think there’s much in the way of “bass notes”.

Testing a sample vial. Damn, this really does smell like a hot, humid bathroom, post-shower and shave. Steamy basil, rosemary, and lavender barbershop juice. 100% my kind of thing. Love this, just wish it came in a 50ml option. I already have too many fougeres and barbershops to justify a large bottle... 8.5/10

i tried a sample of this and 1725 side by side and i find it difficult to spot a huge difference. two beautiful fragrances with that ultra clean/fresh floating on a cloud type of vibe. i find it also a tiny bit similar to MFK masculin pluriel but less so than 1725. 9/10

A minty & green mossy fougere The dry down has lavender, ambergris, & woods I get some of the sage but can’t distinguish the rosemary, overall a clean & simple but likable masculine scent Medium sillage several hours with 3-4 sprays

I love how the tenacious green aromatic notes give you the impression of a sharp and bright juicy citrus on the dry down. Go easy on the sprays though - it's stronger than you think.