Etre Homme

Opens with a mix of spices (mostly cloves and nutmeg), freshened by a shy citrus, and carnation. At that stage, it veers a bit towards an impression of dry tobacco leaf reminding me MH Feuilles de Tabac. The heart will morph into a beautiful, creamy sandalwood (or is it rosewood?) supported a hint of white florals. The sandalwood will stay until the base, where it will be joined by a majestic olibanum note, as well as pine, patchouli and a hint of tonka. A far relative of Valentino Vendetta Uomo. The previous reviewers nailed the description of both the scent and its performance, which is... abysmal. Overspraying might increase somewhat the longevity, but projection will fall to a skin scent after the initial spice symphony, without any possible appeal. Still, I'll give a love rating for this one, in view of the current bargain bin pricing on ebay, but would suggest not to spend more than $50 on a bottle.

Smells very nice. Very Masculine and spices. The scent is not identical but it is similar in style and feel as Hermes Bel Ami Vetiver. If you like Bel Ami Vetiver, this will be loved.

This fragrance opens as a rich bouquet of perfectly balanced exotic spices and a slight hint of incense. I detect a waft of coumarin, gradually increasing in intensity until an obscure (to me) floral note creeps in. After about fifteen minutes it becomes a skin scent. This is really quite skillfully blended. Too bad it lacks the confidence to project it's majesty.

There are some delightful fragrances where their releases were somewhat out of step with time, nearly immediate casualties of the marketplace, languishing in overstock online, waiting to be rediscovered. One such fragrance is Etre Homme from Lancetti, a spicy, ambery fougere that wouldn't have been out of place at least a decade or two prior to its launch, given the appearance of the mythic IFF Epicene Gamma base. This base formed the crux of such classics as Hermes Equipage, Cacharel Pour Homme, and Opium Pour Homme. This melange of allspice (pimento), nutmeg, clove, and clary sage which, according to Jamie Frater, of Fraterworks, 'without the need to balance individual spice materials.' Also, according to Frater, IFF finally discontinued this captive base, leaving fragrances to 'now be reformulated to accommodate the loss.' Etre Pour Homme also includes a facet similar to that of Aramis Havana or Miller Harris Feuilles de Tabac: a dry tobacco leaf, even though the notes pyramid suggests no such accord. It dries down to a creamy sandalwood/cedarwood and chewy labdanum that embraces the skin intimately. It was one of the last of its kind, really, and while it wears discreetly, its sillage offers ongoing pleasure, especially if one is willing to apply onto their clothes. The fate of such fragrances seems bleak with the aforementioned discontinuation, so it's good to know that in the meantime, something like Etre Pour Homme still sits for sale online at a reasonable price. I apologize for adding to the FOMO, but one could do worse, especially with the options currently available in the marketplace.