Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme

I'd like to clear up some confusion about the Concentrated Cologne "version" of this fragrance. It's been widely assumed in online forums that the boxes designated "Concentrated Cologne" were a different, more intense version of VC&A PH. This is false. The boxes marked "Concentrated Cologne" are simply the original versions of the fragrance from when it was released in the USA. One side of the box was in French, and VC&A decided to translate everything into English for the other side of the box, including the phrase "Eau de Toilette". Instead of directly translating it to "Toilet Water", which some people would find off-putting, they Americanized it into "Concentrated Cologne", which is basically what an eau de toilette is...a more concentrated version of an eau de cologne. This is why the bottles themselves make no mention of it being more concentrated whatsoever. It was just used on the box for sales to Americans. The original formula bottles do, however, feature "85°" or, later, "85% Vol" under the logo. This does not signify a more concentrated juice, as the current version as of 2018 is still 85% alcohol according to the bottom of the box. The reason that the "Concentrated Cologne" version smells different, is because it is pre-reformulation, and after the first big reformulation they removed "Concentrated Cologne" from the box, leading people to believe the CC boxes were a flanker of some sort. It's also worth noting that it's the most complex and beautiful version of the fragrance; almost totally different from the current formula. Hope this helps. 11/5/18 EDIT: I have recently discovered there are actually THREE different formulations that are featured in the 85° and 85% bottles. I'll go over these, as well as give breakdowns of all the formulas I'm aware of. The very first formula is the one with 85° on the front of the bottle, and Concentrated Cologne on the box. The only way I can describe the original formulation is MEATY, oakmossy, animallic, dark. No soapy rosy notes like later versions. I've actually had two separate people tell me they smell beef in the original formula, and I agree. This version smells the closest to Leonard Pour Homme. The second formulation has 85% on the bottle, and Concentrated Cologne on the box. Very similar to the original, but with the beef turned down significantly. The soapy notes very slightly creep in here. This is my personal favorite formulation and the perfect balance of all of the iterations of VC&A PH. The third formulation has 85% on the bottle, and DOES NOT have Concentrated Cologne on the box. This is the first major reformulation which accentuates the soap, rose, lavender, juniper, etc. Much more effervescent while still retaining that mature gothic vibe. The fourth formulation easy to spot as the bottles look just like the first three minus Paris and 85°/%. These are usually distributed by Adipar and are similar to the third formulation with reduced longevity and projection. A true letdown, in my opinion. *NOTE* - the photo Fragrantica is currently using is of a fourth formulation bottle in a fifth formulation box. This sort of thing often happens when designs are changed but there is still a surplus of boxes or bottles left over from the previous versions. The fifth formulation features the new label design with "pour homme" (all lowercase) above Van Cleef and Arpels. I have not personally smelled this version, but the reviews I have read online have all been generally negative. The sixth, and current, formulation loks just like the fifth, but with the P and H capitalized in "Pour Homme". This stuff projects like a beast and lasts forever, but the formulation has been altered drastically to the point that it's almost a different fragrance. No detectable oakmoss or dark spices. Soapy rose for days. An airy quality that isn't unpleasant at all. I enjoy this formulation quite a bit, however it is a reinterpreted version at this point and I still reach for the second formulation bottle most often.

THE GENTLEMAN PLAYBOY Serge Gainsbourg was a famous French playboy known for his good taste in choosing his female companions and his perfumes. His most famous girlfriends were probably the very beautiful Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin. He was also an unconditional fan of Van Cleef & Arpels Pour Homme. He really had very good taste! Just two or three sprays make the air denser than almost any other perfume. Make no mistakes in choosing this scent. Just a few scents are as manly as this one. And it's quite good! It's really damn good! It starts with juniper berries, cheekily tamed by lavender and very distinct bergamot. The spices appear a little later but are quite persistent. They seem like friends who came for a short social visit and then stayed until dinner. The soapy musk asserts itself about an hour later with the help of unctuous labdanum and offers the persistent spices a pleasant lounge where the notes of sage, mugwort, nutmeg, cloves and especially oakmoss can interact with each other in varying degrees of intensity. The highlight occurs in the base phase of the fragrance. The contrast created by the citrus notes in the top note, a labdanum-centred heart and an almost animalistic moss, shape the strong olfactory impression of a chypre, here paired with an intense leather and some sandalwood. The leather note is restrained but, thankfully, not too much. All this is done in a very refined and only slightly animalistic way. The performance is huge, but without causing any kind of boredom. It is a fragrance that is placed somewhere between a gloomy, dark ambience and a mysterious, woody-green aroma. Although it contains only legally permitted substances, it has been addicting many noses for over 40 years, including mine. With a little luck, your nose will be addicted too. I know of no other perfume made by the perfumer of this Van Cleef & Arpels, but I can convincingly exclaim: - God bless you, Louis Monnet for this precious gem! Rating of a wonderful and powerful old-school fragrance: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ - Opening: 10.0 (Admirable... bergamot, spices and a hint of juniper berries). - DryDown: 9.5 (Heavenly chypre accord with strong leather, sandalwood and resins). - Longevity: 9.0 (3 sprays last up to 10 hours) - Sillage: 8.0 (6 feet sillage and up to 2.5 hours projection with 3 sprays) - Exclusivity: 9.5 (still almost unique after all these years; I notice some similarities with the much younger and much more expensive Roja Enslaved) - Wearability: 8.0 (not suitable for warm weather) - Versatility: 8.0 (you can use it almost anywhere, but I recommend it as an evening fragrance; good for a night out or casual wear. Avoid the beach and the gym). - Praise: 8.5 (you will get more compliments than average). - Quality: 10.0 (Fantastic) - Presentation: 8.0 (Simple, effective and stylish) - Price: 9.0 (I bought my last bottle in 2016 for €34/100ml; Currently only god knows how much a flask can cost) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Overall rating: 8.86 / 10.00 - between 7 and 8 = above average; - between 8 and 9 = recommendable; - greater than 9 = definitely not to be missed; My opinion: This is one of those masculine perfumes that I consider timeless and a true olfactory work of art. I usually consider perfumes to be gender-neutral, but this one is "For Men Only"! If you find a bottle in a shop at a reasonable price, just buy it blindly. Music: Francis Lai - "A Man and a Woman" or "Un Homme et Une Femme".

Pour Homme turns 40, even a few more. Indeed, it was launched in 1978, along with masterpieces such as Azzaro pour Homme EAU DE TOILETTE, Ghibli, and Lagerfeld Classic EAU DE TOILETTE. That doesn’t mean they’re alike, but they all smell as opulent as the powerhouse 1980s. If you try them together, you will recognize the same footprint, fullness, strong fougère, chypre, nearly barbershop, and oriental atmosphere. And Pour Homme is an old school cologne, but with a classic vibe, and utterly modern in its reformulation. It’s soapy, it’s green, it’s luxurious, and it’s masculine. Don’t let the bottle fool you into thinking this will be a variant of Tsar EAU DE TOILETTE, because this one came a decade earlier, and they are two colonies apart from each other. Pour Homme is darker, warmer, more powerful. On par with Tsar, the fragrance opens with an outburst of aromatic, harsh green, and spicy tones, with just a smidgen of tart citrus. I detect a lot of the herbaceous notes, savoury marjoram, a grass that I adore for savouring dishes, a hint of juniper, and the velvety sage. The lavender is subdued and not as prominent as in Tsar. The initial stage is bitter, sour, and austere, with a thin veil of basil and cumin. I own a recent bottle, therefore I can only imagine how stronger it was when it hit the market back in the years. The initial blast lasts a while before turning into a creamy and soapy accord. Here I get the clean smell of the beauty soap bar, and the Gothic rose reminds me of Camay. The more it enters the heart territory, the soapier it gets. There are plenty of roses, dusty, not like the Middle and the Far East perfumes, but in a way that masterfully blends with earthy patchouli and leather. I bet the soapiness of the rose comes from an abundant addition of fatty aldehydes. Green galbanum and carnation make the background. Despite the riot of blossoms, the cologne remains within the masculine territory. I get the leathery, mossy, and amber accords in the dry-down. The coconut note does not come alone and perhaps contributes to the overall scent. The already dark and decadent atmosphere settles into something even more shamelessly virile in the background when the rose finally gives its hold on the composition to reveal a rough base, with leathery, animalistic, and amber shades, made of intense castoreum, the musk of oak and earthy vetiver. And the incense is so smoky, comfy, and a bit churchy. It might seem like there is too much laundry moss, but when I use it fully, oakmoss, juniper berries, lavender, tobacco and cedar all come together into a fruity complexity that is very rewarding and the laundry moss doesn’t consider. In summary, a soapy, spicy formula enriched with aromatic herbs, wood and leather. Yes, there is definitely a significant luxury soap element, but that to me is what makes it so enchanting. These aldehydes enhance everything, including the incense base. For my taste, I find it perfect for the cold evenings of late Autumn and throughout the Winter. More formal than casual events, it develops in a huge projection within the first hour, then becomes a perfume on the skin, with moderate longevity. Unique, and relatively little known to the masses, a long way from the extravagant modern gourmand sweetness.

♡THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE♡ So deep & full of beauty. PREMIUM PERFUME COMPOSITION, UNMACHED. AMEN. Arrogant harsh powder... yes! Singing its magnificent song.. After trying so many perfumes, I always come back to this Everclassic Masterpiece! For Men Van Cleef & Arpels Eau de toilette - 1978 Olfactory family: Chyprée Louis Monnet, creator of Pour Homme by Van Cleef & Arpels The composition according to Interparfums who are the lincensee for the jewelry house revolves around three main accords. There are fresh and aromatic notes with thyme, basil, juniper, marjoram, tarragon, clove, hay, tobacco, sage. Then there is a "masculine floral heart": jasmine, tuberose, rose, ylang, galbanum; finally, the third main facet is woodsy with notes of patchouli, vetiver, cedar wood on a leather background, oakmoss, castoreum, cistus labdanum. Louis Monnet, a perfume bestseller and then goes away ... Some perfumers have a longevity in the absolutely exceptional profession. They are known to all perfume lovers and are sometimes particularly prolific. Others, however, sign one or two compositions and do not talk about them anymore ... No one often knows what is the reason for this absence. Is it a choice or a combination of circumstances? Be that as it may, they at least have the merit of having enriched our perfume department with an odor that succeeds them. Such is the case of Louis Monnet Louis Monnet is a perfumer whose main perfume we will remember, but not least: the iconic Pour Homme by Van Cleef & Arpels. Created in 1978, it is one of the most beautiful fragrances of this renowned jeweler. This is a tribute to the dandies of the 1920s, a fragrance that is both classic and timeless. Pour Homme by Van Cleef & Arpels is far from pretense, and has the art of being noticed without ever being noticed; an image that seems to fit perfectly with the personality of its creator. For Men by Van Cleef & Arpels is characterized by a very elegant floral accord, nuanced with wood, spices and leather. This wake sometimes elegant and discreet, sometimes more powerful and manly, is the happiness of refined men for 40 years now. Thus, Louis Monnet has made only one great fragrance, but we must recognize that its longevity is absolutely exceptional. THE SONG OF SWAN, Mr. Monnet BRAVISIMO! The Legend! (Hulio Popović - Čovek od čelika)

Just two or three sprays make the air thicker than almost any other perfume. And it's good! It's really damn good! It starts with juniper berries, cheekily tamed by lavender and very distinct bergamot. The spices appear a little later but are quite persistent. They seem like friends who came for a short social visit and then stayed until dinner. The soapy musk asserts itself about an hour later with the help of unctuous labdanum and offers the persistent spices a pleasant lounge where the notes of sage, mugwort, nutmeg, cloves and especially oakmoss can interact with each other in varying degrees of intensity. The strong dish takes place in the base note of the fragrance. The contrast created by the citrus notes in the top note, a labdanum-centred heart and an almost animalistic moss shape the strong olfactory impression of a chypre, here paired with an intense leather and some sandalwood. The leather note is restrained but, thankfully, not too much. All this is done in a very refined and only slightly animalistic way. The performance is huge, but without causing any kind of boredom. It is a fragrance that is placed somewhere between a gloomy, dark ambience and a mysterious, woody-green aroma. Although it contains only legally permitted substances, it has been addicting many noses for over 40 years, including mine. With a little luck, your nose will be addicted too. I know of no other perfume made by the perfumer of this VC&A Pour Homme, but I can convincingly exclaim: - God bless you, Louis Monnet! ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Overall rating: 8.86 / 10.00 My opinion: This is one of those masculine perfumes that I consider timeless and a true olfactory work of art. I usually consider perfumes to be gender-neutral, but this one is "For Men Only"! If you find a bottle in a shop at a reasonable price, just buy it blindly. Music: Francis Lai - "A Man and a Woman" or "Un Homme et Une Femme".