Hommage a l'homme Voyageur

The 3D bottle is blue as the tint of deep Ocean, blue like the waves of the Atlantic at night, blue like the Riband won by the Normandie, the ole French passenger liner to have broken the speed record for a transatlantic crossing... but that is all about the blue in this scent. Hommage Voyageur is not just another aquatic scent in the world, it is a story that is completely different from the original Hommage à l’Homme, it has way more in common DNA wise with Encre Noire than being a flanker of L'Hommage à L'Homme. It is a wonderfully crafted take on ashen spices, that feels utterly smart and luxurious, it is a dark, rich, and smooth uncompromisingly woodlike fragrance. A scent that powerfully revolves around three manly notes, with the woody, earthy and animalic elements in the foreground: patchouli, vetiver, and papyrus. Albeit they are part of its heart yet dominate the scene since the very beginning. The perfume hugs your skin with a fragrant and medicinal aroma of green cardamom and just a very little hint of bright and powdery bergamot, together they create a delicate balance of citrus, spice and sweet resinous blend. The opening here is superb. Following this dynamic opening, things gently become carefully subdued and muted. Vetiver's woody, arid quality dominates, accented by papyrus earthy dryness. Nuances of patchouli and it's dark edge pierce through but never distracting from the overall composition. I pretty much get a dirty, dry, and sort of dusty patchouli, rounded out by smoky and leathery notes, with a cedar wood accord as well that adds its unmistakeable pencil sharpener and inky gleaming timbre almost present in Lalique trademark works. Noteworthy, there is indeed something else that just hit me... I swear it saffron, like how it smells when you pick up the dried strands of that precious spice and inhale deeply! So captivating, this leaves me wondering whether saffron has been inadvertently omitted from the notes listed... otherwise, the perfumers did an astounding job recreating that accord with all the other notes! I know for sure that Nathalie Lorson, for instance, recreated the vanillic accord in Zara Deep Vanilla using other notes, but vanilla. In the base, warm ambergris offers a touch of sensuality and a deep sweetness mirrored well with an albeit subtle and velvety vanilla note. This never becomes sweet, rather the amber and vanilla expertly round out the edges, adding to its depth and smooth feel. Oakmoss further embellishes the musky and rich earthy tonalities of the fragrance, pairing well with aforementioned vetiver. This mix-up of vanilla, papyrus, and moss is subtle, spicy and absolutely divine, To me, this new extension to the Lalique line stands apart from its predecessor Hommage a l'Homme. They smell nothing alike in my opinion, which is a good thing. Same name, same bottle, yet each stands alone as a separate fragrance, neither leaning on nor referencing the other. Hommage Voyageur is a foreign journey into the Orient... generative, emotional, and open to discovery. Lastly, to conclude, Hommage Voyageur is fairly linear and where this would perhaps be a criticism in most cases, it isn’t here as the fragrance smells so darn lovely that one really doesn’t want it to change much at all. Longevity is fine, I sprayed it on generously and after a few hours, I can still smell it. If, however, you are looking for a projection/sillage monster then this is not for you. This one is subtle and classy, intimate, like a whisper. Just perfect for work, I recommend this for cool seasons, spring and fall are ideal if you are looking for a non-floral, non-citrus, non-sweet cologne.

Wow... What an interesting and unique fragrance this is. "Interesting" and "unique", words quite synonymous Lalique's brand identity, certainly come into full appreciation here. The original Hommage is here, but only in name. Make no mistake, this is an entirely different scent with only faint DNA similarities with the original, which in my honest opinion, is how flankers should be done. I'm quite tired of flankers being literally the same scent with an added note of incense or something. Voyageur opens and closes entirely the same. It's a linear scent that changes very little during its short lifetime of only 5 or so hours. Normally the linearity of scents are a bad thing, but in this specific case I couldn't imagine it working any way other than being linear. The scent is so unique and strange that you actually prefer it to be linear. Note I said "strange" as a descriptor of this scent. Let me explain why that is. Immediately on spraying you're greeted with an ice cold metallic note that immediately transports you to somewhere you've never been. This scent is honestly incredible. It's otherworldly, futuristic, and stoic. The problem lies in that the scent is so ahead of it's time that it smells like it belongs in the future. An era we haven't really stepped into yet, or an era branched off in a different timeline. This smells like a fantasy land that we read about, watch in the movies, but faced with real life, becomes a bit "strange" or out of place. In essence, we're just not interesting enough. Melodramatic? Sure. But I'm just being truthful. This scent smells like the movie Gattaca. That's honestly the best description I can make for it. The advertisement photo of the fragrance of the well dressed businessman next to a fully riveted steel ship in a seemingly "other" rendition of the present is right on. The art Deco style glass is spot on, as it feels like an art deco type of futuristic steel obsessed society but a future as envisioned by the people of the 20s. It's a film noir in the future. It smells like the League of Extraordinary Gentleman. It's a cold, metallic, extremely stoic modern ocean scent that is incredible but difficult to wear only because it's such an amazing scent profile that it would only really reach its potential in that "other" rendition of modern society. I love this, but unfortunately I don't have a submarine to catch in order to save the world, or a billionaire to impersonate in order to achieve my dreams of going to space in my futuristic society based on eugenics. In short, it's fantastic, but nearly impossible to find an occasion wear. It's crack cocaine for collectors. What a scent indeed. Fragrance: 9/10 Sillage: 1-2hours Longevity: 5+ hours. Personal Appreciation: The future in a bottle.

I've been waiting to try this fragrance since long before it was released and I can't believe it's taken me until now to finally get my nose on and subsequently purchase Lalique Hommage A L'Homme Voyageur. The main reason was that the release of this scent coincided with the withdrawal of Lalique from Selfridges in the UK meaning that Lalique could only be found in the remotest boutiques and even then many didn't carry the new fragrances like this one or Encre Noire Sport. I managed to find this in an ornament shop which sold Lalique glassware and several nice fragrances from Lalique and Bentley. The opening of this was just a yes for me straight out of the bottle, I found it to be a masculine poem of notes which invoked a list of fragrance comparisons in my mind but nothing, the same or copied as you'd expect from Lalique. The citrus brightness of the opening then woods of vetiver and cypress with oakmoss it actually evoked Vintage Halston Z14 or TF Italian Cypress. That was my impression on the first wear but with each subsequent wear this fragrance changes and the main event now is the unforgettable and smooth signature of patchouli adding the earthy smokey effect of birch wood at times. Another comparison would be to Guerlain Heritage or even Lubin Idole. This fragrance coupled with the smokey smell of cigar smoke on my coat actually conjured up Creed Aventus for a brief moment. Very interesting and subtle stuff from Lalique the drydown is a pleasant combination of amber and patchouli which is chunky but smooth and the citrus top notes actually last a long time before retreating. Personally, I think this fragrance is another success story from Lalique and very nearly something I love unconditionally. The only reason I don't and have slightly less enthusiasm for it than I did at first sniff is because wearing HL'HV a few times my 'love' has mellowed & dwindled to just a 'like'. Lasting power is okay and silage too, Lalique have added a really decent fragrance to an already strong lineup.

The name is a mouthful but the scent is a smooth operator! It took four full wears for me to finally appreciate what this is - which is rare for Lalique as I usually love them from first spray! This fume is all about the depths and nuances of patchouli - if you don't appreciate that then stay away (instead of posting dozens and dozens of hater reviews)! To my nose, this is a celebration of patchouli - it is thick, dense, humid, slightly plastic at times, and somehow smooth like a fresh leather jacket. It would be foolish to say that there isn't a connection to Encre Noire as the dark and smoky vetiver in that is present in this fume as well, but is is heavily accented by the slightly off cousin, nagarmotha! It's a very dark green concoction that sometimes feels like being drowned in a sea of foliage (not like the Happening though - that movie was terrible). I cannot help but think over-inflated egos and ridiculously expensive tailored suits when I smell this - it would be a perfect accompaniment if that was your deal. I will rock the hell out of it in my t-shirt and jeans any day though. The heart notes last for three hours or so before transitioning into a slightly warmer and airy amber and oakmoss tinged patchouli. I can't help but think of a fluffy wool sweater at this point (from leather jackets and snazzy suits...) as it is far less austere and daunting. The scent begins to take on the freshness of a cool breeze in a warm forest with the oakmoss gaining power against the strength of the patchouli - the amber and oakmoss duo creates the perfect balance. Hours later, there is a honeyed oakmoss note (paired with a very attractive white musk) that is very reminiscent of that found in Bergamote Boisee with equal beauty and quality! This went from a like to a love with this final wearing - I'm glad I own this classy beauty! I hope we all find some good, solid ground to thrive on! Day 47 - Swimming Listening to: Tool - Disposition

I just blind-bought this after reading the reviews here. I already own the original Hommage A L'homme (to review later) and also Encre Noir. I love both those. So, onto this, my new fragrance. It arrived this morning at a bargain price from eBay for 100ml. Already I am in a state of confusion here. The first thing I do after buying a fragrance is to check the batch code. I notice here on Fragrantica, it says that this was launched in 2014. However, after checking my batch code on checkcosmetic.net, it very clearly states that my bottle is from September 2013. How can this be? I'm puzzled. I only sprayed this on my arms about 90 minutes ago so no doubt I will update this review later. Anyway, my first impressions are thus: A strong opening. It offers a blast of very sharp, cold citrus wrapped in a vetiver blanket with a dusting of patchouli powder on top. I totally get the sour smell, which initially made me think that the fragrance had gone sour. Not so. I'm guessing that could be the papyrus, although my nose isn't familiar with it. The sourness has now disappeared and the overall scent is becoming lighter and a little creamy but still quite strong. I have to say that I'm really liking this. It's certainly no flanker and has an element of mystery to it. It feels like it could be a multi-seasonal fragrance yet here in the UK we are approaching Autumn and it feels perfect for this type of (inbetween) weather. I'm really loving Lalique. They've never let me down and continue to impress me every time. Oh, and for the record, when I first sprayed this, I immediately got a blast-from-the-past moment which was reminiscent of Boucheron Pour Homme flitting through my senses, which made me smile. It doesn't remind me of Boucheron now, but on application, I did get an initial "zing" of it, just for a few seconds.