Leonard Pour Homme

Been wearing a moderate application for almost six hours now and I am seriously impressed. The opening is fairly classic citrus ouverture that - like a dancer in the 1890s doing the Can Can at the Moulin Rouge (I lived just down the road as a student in Paris) raises her leg to reveal teasing glimpses of the petticoats beneath the skirt, so does this creation hint at the depths and sophistication that are to come, as the mid-notes announce their arrival with an aromatic floral fanfare before the conclusion of the symphony, with a somewhat animalic vibe which I presume is castoreum (although a far more pleasant rendition of castoreum that enhances the leather-ness of the whole, if that makes sense. Apologies, I bought this as a blind buy and am enraptured. Edit July 2, 2021 Mortified at the thought that a previous incarnation of me wrote such pretentious wankery. Edited it to remove the most embarrassing drivel. Anyhow, Today I decided to wear Léonard because it’s been far too long. It sure is a complex, but pleasing, blend of very disparate notes into a symphony (a word I use far too often but it is a suitable analogy that conveys the idea of different instruments with different sounds that come together in harmony). And that symphony has a traditionally “masculine” vibe, (even though such classifications are archaic nowadays). It could of course be worn by anyone regardless of the configuration of their crotch. Some years back I was walking by the beach in summer where the children of a very loud family were playing and after one couple walked past them one of the boys yelled “he’s wearing perfume” in a childish mix of astonishment and horror. Had that gentleman been wearing Léonard I doubt the odious little brat would have said the same thing. In any case LPH is an interesting, multifaceted, harmonious mosaic redolent of gentlemanly sophistication with facets that are spicy, aromatic, floral (not a girly floral though), animalic via a hint of castoreum, tobacco, oakmoss and a rich leather note, which is probably why the dry down reminds me of Bel Ami. LPH is timeless with a robust individuality. A classic.

Love the bottle. A statement of confident, yet elegant, masculinity. The sprayer, somewhat larger than most nowadays, is metered for a generous, (manly?) application. Léonard is a storied French design house established in 1958, regarded as a living national treasure ( Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant ) famous for innovative designs and a revolutionary technique for printing fabric, among other things. Hugely popular in Asia. Leonard Pour Homme is perhaps an allusion to the label’s leather goods. An aromatic overture, botanical with citrus and lavender, heralds a multifaceted, woody leather note, a resinous ambergris and cistus, a rich tobacco, the subtle warmth of castoreum and the deep resonance of oakmoss, that practically “shimmers” on the skin. It is intoxicating and I find myself savouring the effect. Leather in perfumery has always fascinated me. A fantasy accord that recreates the smell of the man-made luxury products central to the history of European perfumery. The skin of dead animals tends not to smell all that great in nature. The leather in Leonard Pour Homme is evocative of a saddlery, a Chesterfield or the interior of an Aston-Martin and reminds me of Bel Ami. Not an analog, but a similar leather note. And, like Bel Ami, it doesn’t smell like “perfume”. If you like Bel Ami, you will almost certainly like this. . Leonard Pour Homme is an elegant leather-oakmoss fragrance that belies its age and era, with respectable performance and decent longevity. Edit: The dry down really is sublime - smells like cured white-gold ambergris.

This is a dry and powdery aromatic floral. Definitely old school and very nearly unisex in it's spicy and floral middle notes drying down to a light, leathery woodsy and smoky floral. Leonard is one of those retro houses that always intrigues me... Definitely suggest you try before you invest in an expensive vintage bottle. Update: After trying a few more times, the dry, chypre, femininity is really striking to me, and coming to the forefront. Powdery iris, carnation and lavender really seems to take hold and own a lot of the composition. Longevity and sillage is really quite good... I'm trying to imagine this in 1980 when it was created, and can only think that Leonard was going after a mature old school chypre wearing market with this frag. Under *no* circumstances is this remotely a contemporary fragrance as we know it today. This is for chypre lovers, and collectors of curious and unique houses who's better days have, unfortunately, passed them by... I remember being so entranced by Leonard at 13 or 15 in the 80's with Balahe and Leonard (Femme) in the yellow and white packaging...The bottles, the juice were all divine and exuded a unique class. Update2: I really kind of love this now. I actually wear a small dab to bed at night and find the herbal aromatic aspects soothing. To me, this really doesn't scream leather: I would describe it in this order aromatic, floral, leather, fresh spicy, woody, balsamic... in short a magnificent old school juice!!!

A radiant, punchy, deep red carnation on a black sport coat is how Leonard Pour Homme opens, Deep and swarthy, this creation of Ron Winnegrad (also responsible for the legendary Dunhill Blend 30 and the iconic Lagerfeld Cologne) is one that displays the shadows of manhood and the liminal space between a proper gentleman and the erogenous no-no zone. It nods to genteel classics that were handsome but shed little in the way of sensuality, but this is 1980. We want to be unapologetically sexy. So, Ron whipped up some hot leather, warming oils, and a "grr" to follow the "purr." Aromatic herbs, particularly thyme, with lavender, straddle this hobby horse, wrangling the leather with its tasty pungency and bitter finish, rendering it all a bit more "in touch with nature" as was also de rigueur during this age of fragrance. However, the refinement cannot completely tame the beast with come hither glances. What at once might seem demure might actually want to take you by the hand to enter the deep, dark, delicious night. The dry down is cedar and tannins saddlery, discreet lust in the woods—trunks, roots, and the melancholy fuzz of dried flowers and herbs dusted with rice powder. This is one of my all-time favorites from this era, surpassing even Antaeus (shock and horror!).

I agree that there's hint of VC&A... When I first sprayed it on my skin, I picked up a deep masculine herbal/spicy aroma which gives way to a softer gentle warm vib of carnation. I can't help it but I do pick a touch of rose as well!! The aroma of leather combined with cedar and oakmoss makes it so much more attractive. To complete this STUNNING JEWEL of a fragrance is amber and patucchli which gives it that overall animalistic quality. Longevity and Silage are both very high lasting well past 10hrs.. Final thoughts, I only wish today's fragrance's are held to the same high quality of fragrance's like Leonard Pour Homme, Orginal Gucci and Bel Ami from Hermès and many other's. I was surprised to find this Gem in the same boutique that I always test different fragrance. I expected to see more reviews...my guess is that this juice is hard to find and it might be too old school. My honest opinion...you couldn't get me to switch this amazing fragrance with any fragrance in the last 5-10years. This stuff is @#$!*& wicked...if you want to try something that stands apart of most frag's this juice would be a definite. What's there to rate...five gold ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐