Programme Homme Cologne

Launched alongside the men's skincare line of the same name, Programme Homme suffered by being sold exclusively at the Lancôme counter. The same counter that was dedicated to women's skincare and fragrance. It failed to reach the audience it deserved by being limited to this location instead of being sold at the men's fragrance counter. As a result, it disappeared, along with the grooming products, after six or seven years. Bottles often fetch a pretty penny nowadays, but patience led me to an affordable bottle and I must say, this is quite a handsome scent. Imagine a round and refined fougere-chypre hybrid with a dry, aromatic Mediterranean quality (lavender, basil, caraway, pine), leading into the vigor of geranium, and ensconced in a bed of lovely moss and resins. The effect is that of sun-kissed lowland vegetation and blue sky optimism. Somewhere deep into the dry down, I detect what I am convinced is castoreum, resulting in a delightfully lambent and sensuous skin scent. These days I am cautious not to inflate my enthusiasm so as not to elicit some FOMO hysteria, but Programme does calibrate my joy receptors.

Thank heaven this one only takes a single spray to project all day, as I'm down to my last few sprays. If Lancôme brought this one back, I believe it could sell. Definitely near the top of my 5 all time favorites. Best way to describe is by comparison - think of a softer and more sophisticated Quorum by Puig.

I got a deal on a NIB 7.5 ml mini bottle for $30. it's been on my radar for a few years and reviews are very promising. I'm the one who first thinks it's in the neighborhood of Enrico Coveri, Casaque, Francesco Smalto, and Borsalino. Some of these you can score for half the price of Programme or less. This is good, just not great, and it's way overpriced.

At first it does smell a bit like a smoother version of Quorum, as EnoughScents said, but after a couple hours it's more like the original Davidoff scent, with obvious castoreum and a great, balanced blend in that 80s "masculine" style. I'm not sure which one I like better but most likely it will come down to what I'm in the mood for on any given day.