J•H•L Aramis (1982) Custom Blended Cologne

J•H•L (Custom Blended Cologne) by Aramis

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8.1 / 10 163 Ratings

J•H•L (Custom Blended Cologne) is a popular perfume by Aramis for men and was released in 1982. The scent is spicy-oriental. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is being marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.

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Perfumer

Bernard Chant

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Bergamot, Orange, Pimento, Lemon
Heart Notes	Clove, Rose, Fir, Cinnamon
Base Notes	Labdanum, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla

Ratings

Scent

8.1 (163 Ratings)

Longevity

8.5 (122 Ratings)

Sillage

8.0 (117 Ratings)

Bottle

6.8 (116 Ratings)

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 09.05.2019

Interesting Facts

The scent was created by Estée Lauder for her husband. His initials were JHL (Joseph H. Lauder).

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Reviews

08/27/2018

7.0 8.0 8.0 9.0/10

Minigolf
0 Reviews

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Minigolf

Very helpful Review 13

Bernard's legacy...or, Chant's not forgotten

There are only a few perfumers whose compositions I admire as much as Bernard Chant.
It was, along with two or three others, a "milestone" in modern fragrance history. His creations are present, rich in content, unique and bear a clearly recognisable "signature".
And J.H.L. is one of them. Here, spices play a very important role, which have been incredibly cleverly combined with resins and flowers to create a fragrance with a very mysterious aura. Almost androgynous, but very powerful, the larger-than-life "spirit" of an olfactory genius still seems to be present.
And probably only out of respect for its creator "J.H.L." seems not to have become a victim of the fragrance reformulation rage yet.
Everything still seems to be in the right place here.
Already the warm spicy introduction of the fragrance offers the prospect of a perfume for cool seasons. Dark orange glowing.
What appears to be a bit rough in the further course (especially clove),
is spun quite quickly by green resins of the fir, the flowery-spicy aroma of a wild rose and the almost glowing powderiness of cinnamon.
And J.H.L. isn't a pussyfooter. Nevertheless, at no time is it intrusive or penetrant.
Quite simply because the fragrance is not "static", has no "linear" course.
Rather, it is as if it were playing with its ingredients and always producing new variations of itself, without really smelling "different".
Small nuances in the emergence or retreat of fragrances always make it interesting for the nose.
You want to follow them.
Then the "substructure" of the fragrance ( patchouli, sandalwood, "balsams" ) can soon be guessed without displacing the other "Wandelsterne" of the perfume.
He blends in without being "conformist." Leads a life of its own without displacement.
Supports the entire fragrance and complements the composition.
Before you know it, you are in the middle of the action as a carrier and you can no longer unwind. Want to know more, follow the fragrance trail without reaching an endpoint.
With each spray on again and again anew, always a tiny little bit different, depending on weather or mood.
Bernard Chant LEBT continues in this fragrance.

03/01/2016

6.0 7.0 8.0 8.0/10

MasterLi
367 Reviews

MasterLi

Helpful Review 2

Manly Spice...

This is one I like quite a bit. It's a variation on Estee Lauder - Cinnabar, which is a spicy oriental floral, and a contemporary or YSL - Opium. This is the male version of those fragrances.It is rumoured that Estee Lauder herself created this fragrance for her husband Joseph H. Lauder, hence the fragrance name JHL.

The level of spice in this fragrance is not something I see in many designer fragrances these days. There is such an array of different notes here it is almost overwhelming. Mainly, Carnation and Cinnamon. Those two dominate this fragrance for me.

I could see this one being worn in the cooler months. I don't see it being something to wear in the heat of summer. Except on cooler nights. It has a tenacity and robust quality which I admire very much about it. To me it's a great example of a spicy fragrance for men but still with a refined quality about it. Not "over the top" in any way.

I think this is still a great fragrance which can be worn today, however there is a slight dated aspect to it, but not as bad as other fragrances of the same era. Many of the best fragrances of all time were created in the 1970's, and for men I think JHL is a great example of a fragrance which is classy, elegant and refined. A really nice one IMO.

12/18/2012

10.0/10

Drseid
670 Reviews

Drseid

Helpful Review 5

A Fabulous Carnation and Rose Concoction...

Vintage JHL opens with a whiff of aldehydes (nothing overpowering, I assure you) before quickly transitioning to a beautiful mildly cinnamon and all-spice laced carnation and rose combo, with maybe just a hint of bergamot thrown in for good measure. The spiced floral accord remains through the heart notes, now joined by jasmine support that sweetens the accord, but never "too sweet." The spiced carnation and rose finally recede as the primary base notes of sandalwood and patchouli emerge to sweeten the scent just a tad further as they take the fore, while the spiced floral tandem hangs around well in the background, at this point just barely detectable but crucial to the scent's success even in the base. Projection and longevity are both superb.

Vintage JHL is a truly outstanding scent in every way. The cinnamon spiced carnation and rose combo is absolutely captivating, and speaks of extreme class and sophistication. I view this as a perfect scent for dressing up in a fine suit and tie. The scent is sweet, but unlike so many others that go too far and become cloying; JHL goes right to the limit, but masterfully never crosses that line and remains very wearable and easily accepted. The projection and longevity here also need to be emphasized as this is a true powerhouse of a scent... As an aside, when I first put vintage JHL on, I thought it reminded me a bit like my beloved vintage Floris No. 89, and there are definitely some similarities between the two masculine floral scents to my nose, at least. That said, upon closer inspection, vintage JHL is smoother, more refined and sweeter than vintage No. 89 (No. 89 relies on rough dry vetiver support, while JHL turns to a smooth sweeter sandalwood and patchouli... and of course there is the carnation). I never thought I would say this as vintage No. 89 is very dear to me and is an absolute all-time favorite of mine, but I prefer vintage JHL to it by a small margin. In short, vintage JHL is one of the best scents I have sniffed to date and easily deserves its classic status. I'll give this outstanding juice a well-deserved 4.5+ out of 5 rating.

Edit: I have now bought a re-release bottle of JHL to compare against my vintage juice... I find the re-release a very competent one, but there are some differences. The vintage juice is smoother, richer and rose is much more prominent. The re-release definitely tilts much heavier to the carnation, it is also more powdery (although not overwhelmingly so, never fear). Longevity and potency are still just as superb as with the vintage juice. I prefer the vintage juice of the two and can't go back having experienced it first, but those starting afresh with JHL with the re-release are not giving up much, and you save a ton of cash. I give the re-release a still very strong 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5. Bravo Aramis for bringing this one back, and in such great shape!

12/04/2012

4.0 9.0 9.0 9.0/10

Gold
468 Reviews

Gold

Helpful Review 3

Sexy Spice-Bomb (for everybody)

Reviewing the latest re-edition (2010):

Take Cinnabar, shake, shake, shake, add a few drops of Youth Dew, shake again... and what you get is this fragrance - marketed for men. I'd like to meet a guy who can pull this one off... - personally, I wouldn't mind owning a bottle of this myself, because it is a bit spicier and darker than Cinnabar "for women", some clove was added, the level of pimento raised. Very attractive and cheaper than the female scent. Love it!

07/14/2012

jtd
484 Reviews

jtd

Greatly helpful Review 6

Cinnaboydew

I don’t have a lot to add to what others have said about JHL, and certainly nothing particularly clever, but I would like to add my applause. What a great fragrance for men, and thank you, Aramis for re-releasing it. I would love to smell this on a young person who might discover complexity, plush and density from this fragrance from another era and sensibility. I don’t mean to be cynical about the state of most men’s designer fragrances these past few years, but JHL stands resolutely apart from them. It’s funny, actually. My real complaint about most men’s designer scents is that there are so many, and they vary from each other in such small ways that they smell the same even to people who are looking for distinctions. And yet look at JHL. It’s Cinnabar and Youth Dew with some carnation! Given this slapdash approach but brilliant result, I suppose I can hardly level the ‘sameness’ complaint against current men’s designer scents.

JHL is a beautiful example of Estée Lauder’s transplantation of French sensibility to American perfumery. It’s a rich combination of many ingredients (hesperides, culinary spices, balsams, florals, amber), beautiful evolution over time, and coherence from start to finish. JHL is a tribute from Lauder to classical perfumery, but the way she overlaps genres (spicy, amber, floral) gives us something that likely would not have come from France. Kudos for not sparing the voluptuousness in a men’s scent! We like a little lavishness too!