Greysolon
Very helpful Review
5
Heart of man. Or is it heart of whale?
L’Homme de Coeur is the fourth Divine fragance I’ve tried and, so far, my least favorite. Partially, that’s my hang up. Two prominent notes develop in L’Homme de Coeur: iris and amber gris. Since none of us like each other very much and it’s those two against me, I’m getting no heart from this man. By the time L’Homme de Coeur fully develops, I find the iris and amber gris overdeveloped for my tastes.
L’Homme de Coeur opens with juniper berry, cypress and a mystery note which, on first wearing, I took to be a mild galbanum. Nothing listed in the notes seemed to account for it. There was angelica, but I only knew of it as a flavoring for several brands of liquor. A little research was in order. It seems that angelica essential oil can have a mild celery note with a carrot-like sweetness. That seemed to fit perfectly with what I was smelling. The overall blend of cypress, juniper berry and angelica stay pleasantly herbal green and aromatic rather than becoming medicinal or liquor-like.
Speaking of notes requiring a little research: if you're wondering about Liatrix Odoratissima listed in the base notes it's commonly known as Deer’s tongue or Vanilla plant. It was once a common source of courmarin/vanilla flavoring. Thanks Wikipedia!
As L’Homme de Coeur develops, the woods, mainly sandalwood, move front and center. The perfumers at Divine seem to prefer an airy, slightly sweet, resinous sandalwood and this was accentuated as the iris entered the mix. I’m not a big fan of iris but at this point in the development the balance between the iris and sandalwood is really wonderful. But Divine fragrances develop over a long period and amber gris has yet to enter the mix. When it does, any sense of balance achieved with the fragrance is, for my tastes, lost and the entire fragrance takes on an odd cast. The iris and and amber gris don't blend and end up sticking out of the texture. Sigh...
That aside, L’Homme de Coeur shares the same high quality of craft and unique qualities that I’ve found in all Divine fragrances: long development and a sense of restraint without sacrificing a unique character or adequate projection.