HugoMontez
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HugoMontez
Timeless masterpiece
1993 was almost 30 years ago and, at that time, perfumery was changing. Masculines were trying new grounds, with a new freshness. Dihydromyrcenol was a new thing, with Cool Water and Drakkar Noir's popularity, and even Calone was already being used in some masculines ( "Kenzo pour Homme (Eau de Toilette) | Kenzo" or "New West for Him (Skinscent) | Aramis" ) .
But Rochas, and Gilles Romey, who did 5 years later the excelent "Rocabar (Eau de Toilette) | Hermès" , worked on a masculine counterpart of Eau de Rochas ( A classic chypre-citrus fragrance for women that it's still iconic and a bestseller of the brand).
But looking for the Homme version, the fragrance is one of my favorite fresh citric fragrances out there and the reason of it it's because it has one foot on the classic woody citrus masculine concept (Eau Sauvage or Chanel Pour Monsieur) and the other in a unique and complex resinous field.
Gilles Romey did a great job and this is probably one of the best citrus out there along with Eau Sauvage and Chanel Pour Monsieur. Its basically a lemon and verbena combo with a woody-resinous accord in the base, manly made with myrrh. Adds a bit of sweetness and brightness and amplifies the performance. Very distinctive and convincing. Being able to put myrrh in a citrus based scent without making it too sweet and oriental, is a masterfull job and i appreciate that a lot.
Performs really good (i have the old formula from the early 00s but i wore decants of the newer stuff and it's really close and well performer also) and has a refreshing yet gentleman aura around it. Easily recomendable and a must buy, really.
A fragnrace that never goes out of style without being to predictable.
5/5
EDIT: i almost forgot to mention that this is a super inexpensive fragrance on online discounters, which is a plus and another reason to have it in your collection.
But Rochas, and Gilles Romey, who did 5 years later the excelent "Rocabar (Eau de Toilette) | Hermès" , worked on a masculine counterpart of Eau de Rochas ( A classic chypre-citrus fragrance for women that it's still iconic and a bestseller of the brand).
But looking for the Homme version, the fragrance is one of my favorite fresh citric fragrances out there and the reason of it it's because it has one foot on the classic woody citrus masculine concept (Eau Sauvage or Chanel Pour Monsieur) and the other in a unique and complex resinous field.
Gilles Romey did a great job and this is probably one of the best citrus out there along with Eau Sauvage and Chanel Pour Monsieur. Its basically a lemon and verbena combo with a woody-resinous accord in the base, manly made with myrrh. Adds a bit of sweetness and brightness and amplifies the performance. Very distinctive and convincing. Being able to put myrrh in a citrus based scent without making it too sweet and oriental, is a masterfull job and i appreciate that a lot.
Performs really good (i have the old formula from the early 00s but i wore decants of the newer stuff and it's really close and well performer also) and has a refreshing yet gentleman aura around it. Easily recomendable and a must buy, really.
A fragnrace that never goes out of style without being to predictable.
5/5
EDIT: i almost forgot to mention that this is a super inexpensive fragrance on online discounters, which is a plus and another reason to have it in your collection.
2 Comments
Metallic cedarwood
Francis Kurkdjian said one time that this was his favorite creation for the designer/mainstream market. I kinda like it but i find Narciso Rodriguez for Him and Le Male much better fragrances.
But this one is funny cause it plays a semi modern tone in 2002. A woody and fresh masculine. Not sweet, not gourmand, not citric, not Fougère. Very dry, fresh and woody.
It starts off with a lot of saffron and a bit of something citric and slightly sweet but not juicy. They say mandarin orange leaf. I don't know for sure but it's probably that. The saffron is the key cause it gives this slightly metallic edge to the composition. After a while, the cedarwood became more proeminet, the fragramce became drier and the musk adds creamy-floral and soft sweetness to the overall scent.
It's not a complex scent but it's kind of unique. That fresh metallic cedarwood along with the white musk in the base works very well. Great for casual and office wear. I tend to wear it on summer nights. It's not a great performer, since it lasts around 3-5h max, and it just projects moderately, during the first hour, essentially. But thats why i enjoy wearing it during summer nights. I just need it to last 3-5h.
The smell it's unique and very updated so, if you like this woody scents that reminded me of lumber and hammers, you have a good option here. Funny enough, the saffron helps this one being a kind of a predecessor of Baccarat Rouge 560, that came out many years later.
Overall, a very enjoyable woody-fresh scent but since it's discontinued for a while, i will not pay much for a bottle of it. I'm glad i have it, cause i enjoy wearing it from time to time, but it's nothing groundbreaking or a must sniff.
3/5
But this one is funny cause it plays a semi modern tone in 2002. A woody and fresh masculine. Not sweet, not gourmand, not citric, not Fougère. Very dry, fresh and woody.
It starts off with a lot of saffron and a bit of something citric and slightly sweet but not juicy. They say mandarin orange leaf. I don't know for sure but it's probably that. The saffron is the key cause it gives this slightly metallic edge to the composition. After a while, the cedarwood became more proeminet, the fragramce became drier and the musk adds creamy-floral and soft sweetness to the overall scent.
It's not a complex scent but it's kind of unique. That fresh metallic cedarwood along with the white musk in the base works very well. Great for casual and office wear. I tend to wear it on summer nights. It's not a great performer, since it lasts around 3-5h max, and it just projects moderately, during the first hour, essentially. But thats why i enjoy wearing it during summer nights. I just need it to last 3-5h.
The smell it's unique and very updated so, if you like this woody scents that reminded me of lumber and hammers, you have a good option here. Funny enough, the saffron helps this one being a kind of a predecessor of Baccarat Rouge 560, that came out many years later.
Overall, a very enjoyable woody-fresh scent but since it's discontinued for a while, i will not pay much for a bottle of it. I'm glad i have it, cause i enjoy wearing it from time to time, but it's nothing groundbreaking or a must sniff.
3/5
Another Quentin Bisch weird creation done right!
Kenzo Homme Intense is a woody marine fragrance with a salty yet slightly sweet aroma from the fig accord. Very long-lasting, with good projection.
When it came out, last year, i liked it but it didn't convinced me. I tried multiple times at stores during last summer but i found it not interesting enough. I never get the "pickle" facet that many do, but it smelled weird.
During this year, i came across a good deal on a small bottle and i ended up buying it. After trying it for the first time as a full wear experience, everything made sense to me. The fresh and salty woody accord with the fruity fig aroma turned to be a refreshing and even sensual experience.
Quentin Bisch is becoming the Alberto Morillas for the 21st century. With an interesting vision of the modern perfumery, making use of good synthetic materials and creating some of the best fragrances out there, but also some of the most forgettable. Some of the new JPG flankers are very redundant and the same applies to 1 Million flankers that he did. The Parfum version was a potential good fragrance if it was created with more budget. But things like Scandal pour homme or even CH Bad Boy aren't that bad. Actually, i thing that those fragrances are great for young guys with good twists on massive market ideas. But the highlights to me are the fragrances that he's doing for Marc-Antoine Barrois. B683 is fantastic, Ganymede is also excellent and I'm really intersted to try Encelade. He utilizes woody-patchouli synthetic molecules to give substance, modernity and intersting nuances to a fragrance. Bois Imperial follows the same path.
This Kenzo is a ode to the original (and one of my all-time favorites) fragrance that came out in 1991. A woody aromatic and marine scent. With lots of pine needles and a sandalwood base. Super relaxed, growned up and avant-garde. It was the second fragrance utilizing Calone, after Aramis New West. It was Quentin's signature at some point in his life and he took that woody marine idea and made it modern and fun.
It is modern in the way that it's a new twist of something more classic, not in the way of being a copy cat of other new masculines that goes in a sweet direction or in the Sauvage trend. It feels strange, weird but fun, like the PR robot bottle. Thankfully is a much better creation than Phantom is. Fig is a note that i really appreciate, specially when it's used the leaf or woody aspect. Philosykos, Hermès Un Jardin En Mediterranée or even Atelier Cologne Figuier Ardent are some of my favorite of this genre. But here, the fig is a fruity accord, giving brightness, sweetness and a young relaxed / laid back experience.
It's a very recomendable fragrance with a good price, good performance, and nice smell. Wear it during summer time and you'll find joice.
4/5
When it came out, last year, i liked it but it didn't convinced me. I tried multiple times at stores during last summer but i found it not interesting enough. I never get the "pickle" facet that many do, but it smelled weird.
During this year, i came across a good deal on a small bottle and i ended up buying it. After trying it for the first time as a full wear experience, everything made sense to me. The fresh and salty woody accord with the fruity fig aroma turned to be a refreshing and even sensual experience.
Quentin Bisch is becoming the Alberto Morillas for the 21st century. With an interesting vision of the modern perfumery, making use of good synthetic materials and creating some of the best fragrances out there, but also some of the most forgettable. Some of the new JPG flankers are very redundant and the same applies to 1 Million flankers that he did. The Parfum version was a potential good fragrance if it was created with more budget. But things like Scandal pour homme or even CH Bad Boy aren't that bad. Actually, i thing that those fragrances are great for young guys with good twists on massive market ideas. But the highlights to me are the fragrances that he's doing for Marc-Antoine Barrois. B683 is fantastic, Ganymede is also excellent and I'm really intersted to try Encelade. He utilizes woody-patchouli synthetic molecules to give substance, modernity and intersting nuances to a fragrance. Bois Imperial follows the same path.
This Kenzo is a ode to the original (and one of my all-time favorites) fragrance that came out in 1991. A woody aromatic and marine scent. With lots of pine needles and a sandalwood base. Super relaxed, growned up and avant-garde. It was the second fragrance utilizing Calone, after Aramis New West. It was Quentin's signature at some point in his life and he took that woody marine idea and made it modern and fun.
It is modern in the way that it's a new twist of something more classic, not in the way of being a copy cat of other new masculines that goes in a sweet direction or in the Sauvage trend. It feels strange, weird but fun, like the PR robot bottle. Thankfully is a much better creation than Phantom is. Fig is a note that i really appreciate, specially when it's used the leaf or woody aspect. Philosykos, Hermès Un Jardin En Mediterranée or even Atelier Cologne Figuier Ardent are some of my favorite of this genre. But here, the fig is a fruity accord, giving brightness, sweetness and a young relaxed / laid back experience.
It's a very recomendable fragrance with a good price, good performance, and nice smell. Wear it during summer time and you'll find joice.
4/5
Coca-Cola for the skin.
Versace Blue Jeans, former Versus Blue jeans, was created for the mass market side brand of Versace, named Versus. It vanished some years ago due to a new direction that the brand wanted to go. This is the only fragrance for that side brand that is still available along with it's counterpart Red Jeans.
It's a classic composition, reminiscent of 90's style of fragrances but with it's own personality. In a way, it's like Joop! Homme (1989) for sunday mornings. Both are
very sweet (ethal maltol) but this is a more relaxed, laid-back composition, more understated and suitable for young guys out there. Today i find it more growned-up. Like a guy who was very funny and crazy at adolescence and now it's older but still with some open mind and young personality.
It starts off with a coca cola vibe (hence the bottle design, perhaps), but not ultra realistic rather fizzy and candy-like, due to the synthetic lime and maltol used here.
The effect is decent and affable but not great. I find Michel Almairac, Magnetism for Men (Escada, 2004) perhaps more accurate on the Coke vibe. Anyway, there's lavander and tonka underneath the citruses but they never became strong enough to turn this fragrance into a Fougère.
The fragrance doesn't change much and the drydown it's basically the same without strong citruses and with a clean relaxed feel more accentuated. There's some powdery florals around but nothing very distinguishable.
The scent itself is pretty much a low budget scent done for a younger crowd and with a funny fizzy opening. It kinda works well even for a more mature guy. It's a good sunday morning companion or even a sunset summer fragrance. Apply after a shower and you'll feel fresh and clean, with a fun sweetness. I have a Versus bottle but there's no big differences to the more recent Versace ones. It last you a good 6-8h with medium projection.
Jean-Pierre Béthouart did a decent job here but made a better scent 2 years after with the tobacco blossom based scent, The Dreamer. A favourite of mine that although inexpensive, offers you a more unique and better experience.
3/5
EDIT: after talking with a friend that studied perfumery, he said that they used a big dose of benzyl salycilate in this one, which is perceived to some as having a floral smell, and to others, as a musky smell. I clearly detect some floral aspects here, so it might be the Benzyl Salycilate.
It's a classic composition, reminiscent of 90's style of fragrances but with it's own personality. In a way, it's like Joop! Homme (1989) for sunday mornings. Both are
very sweet (ethal maltol) but this is a more relaxed, laid-back composition, more understated and suitable for young guys out there. Today i find it more growned-up. Like a guy who was very funny and crazy at adolescence and now it's older but still with some open mind and young personality.
It starts off with a coca cola vibe (hence the bottle design, perhaps), but not ultra realistic rather fizzy and candy-like, due to the synthetic lime and maltol used here.
The effect is decent and affable but not great. I find Michel Almairac, Magnetism for Men (Escada, 2004) perhaps more accurate on the Coke vibe. Anyway, there's lavander and tonka underneath the citruses but they never became strong enough to turn this fragrance into a Fougère.
The fragrance doesn't change much and the drydown it's basically the same without strong citruses and with a clean relaxed feel more accentuated. There's some powdery florals around but nothing very distinguishable.
The scent itself is pretty much a low budget scent done for a younger crowd and with a funny fizzy opening. It kinda works well even for a more mature guy. It's a good sunday morning companion or even a sunset summer fragrance. Apply after a shower and you'll feel fresh and clean, with a fun sweetness. I have a Versus bottle but there's no big differences to the more recent Versace ones. It last you a good 6-8h with medium projection.
Jean-Pierre Béthouart did a decent job here but made a better scent 2 years after with the tobacco blossom based scent, The Dreamer. A favourite of mine that although inexpensive, offers you a more unique and better experience.
3/5
EDIT: after talking with a friend that studied perfumery, he said that they used a big dose of benzyl salycilate in this one, which is perceived to some as having a floral smell, and to others, as a musky smell. I clearly detect some floral aspects here, so it might be the Benzyl Salycilate.
Simply elegant
This is a great scent. And very under the radar, like the whole line, actually.
Its seems a very simple composition, and, in a way, it is. A classic combo of Patchouli and cedarwood but with a twist. A fresh and green note of pine needles. The same used in the whole masculine line.
It reminds me of Cartier Roadster. They both share that elegant, woody patchouli drydown, with a fresh herbal/green opening. This one, instead of mint, uses pine needles to fresh things up.
The fragrance acts like a cologne but without a strong citric element. It lists bergamot as a top note but i can't smell much of it. But the pine makes it a really cooling scent and very sophisticated.
The projection is not great but it lasts 6-8h. Really good option if you want something different for summer and spring time.
3/5
Its seems a very simple composition, and, in a way, it is. A classic combo of Patchouli and cedarwood but with a twist. A fresh and green note of pine needles. The same used in the whole masculine line.
It reminds me of Cartier Roadster. They both share that elegant, woody patchouli drydown, with a fresh herbal/green opening. This one, instead of mint, uses pine needles to fresh things up.
The fragrance acts like a cologne but without a strong citric element. It lists bergamot as a top note but i can't smell much of it. But the pine makes it a really cooling scent and very sophisticated.
The projection is not great but it lasts 6-8h. Really good option if you want something different for summer and spring time.
3/5
