Yohji Homme

People who have never tried Yohji Homme should be aware that its near-mythical reputation is based on the original version, composed by Jean-Michel Duriez at Patou. Olivier Pescheux had to work around new IFRA restrictions and did not have access to all the original's bases, so the 2013 reissue of Yohji Homme is more of a careful reconstruction than a reformulation. The differences in ingredients are apparent from the start. The vintage opens as a classic aromatic fougère, with a blast of lavender and a pronounced anise accord. The current version mostly lacks the anise and leans towards thyme instead of lavender, giving the scent a more herbal facet all the way to the drydown. As the opening fougère notes fade into the background, Yohji Homme presents its signature accord. The fragrance (especially the vintage) is somewhat of a changeling, shapeshifting from minute to minute, moving your focus from its major components (coffee, rum, licorice) to its minor ones (herbs, spices, woods, leather) and back every time you take a new sniff. From the heart onwards, the notes in the two versions are more or less the same, but the textures notably diverge. Vintage Yohji achieves a near-perfect blend, giving you the impression of smellling a genetically engineered hybrid of coffee bean and aniseed, infused with rum and coated in licorice, served on a sheet of smooth leather. The dry, barren composition pulls the fragrance towards the cold, but at the same time the gourmand notes give it incredible warmth, putting the fragrance in a place of permanent tension. This is what made the original Yohji Homme so brilliant. Unfortunately, this juxtaposition is almost completely absent in 2013 Yohji. The reissue assembles the same notes and blends them well, but it doesn't achieve the original's smooth austerity. It has a warmer, livelier character, a mixture of gourmand notes on a carpet of bustling woods and greenery. The texture is more powdery and evokes ground coffee and fine potpourri, giving the fragrance an ever-so-slightly saccharine touch, as several reviewers have already noted. Overall, 2013 Yohji is about as faithful a reconstruction as we could get, given the circumstances. It may lack the compositional refinement that made the original one of the best masculines ever, but it's still an outstanding fragrance. Needless to say that neither version of Yohji Homme is a crowd-pleaser. This is a seriously mature, avant-garde composition - if you're just looking for a nice gourmand, you'd probably be happier with other fragrances that share part of Yohji's DNA (e.g. Rochas Man, Lolita Lempicka). But if you're open to something more complex and refined, this reissue of Yohji Homme is a great start.

really good reconstruction. It is different, I grant you that, but well done non the less. The biggest difference for me is the rum note which on the new version is at the heart of this scent and slowly disappears to a musky base, where as in the old version the rum and spices follow through the scent from the heart into a woody base. To me the musk dry down gives this a similar vibe to YSL Body Kouros, although slightly fresher and more in a fougere style. Both the original and reformulation are bottle worthy, and when they linger in the air they smell really similar, difference is detected up close. Low to medium sillage but long lasting. Just like Yohjis clothing you wear it for yourself.

My friend bought a bottle for me from UK, and I was very excited because I would test the new formulation after so many years. I have 2 back-up bottles from the year 2005. This is my favorite fragrance since I met this wonderful juice. IMO the new formulation is different from the vintage juice. The old one always changes my mood, I love it so much that I can not describe. For the first day of trying the new formulation, I am not impressed. I was very happy for the re-release but I am a little bit disappointed. I will update my opinions after a couple of more wearings.

To me, this is a fantastic scent. It is ultra spicy and zesty. Its quite a unique smell as well. The opening could be too much for some - it's definitely one of the spiciest fragrances I own - however, it dries down to such a beautiful and soft, semi-sweet smell. Quite comforting. I'm really enjoying this scent. 8/10

Licorice and leather together in perfect harmony. Love!! Bought it as a good masculine for women, but it was love at first sniff for my husband, who has now commandeered the bottle. I've never seen him this enthralled by a fragrance!