By Dane
I've always avoided Pour Un Homme. I'm not sure why, I think must be a subliminal thing that happens when a fragrance is based solely on two notes, neither of which interests me. How naive. The last thing you should base assumptions on are "notes". With PuH, however, things are exactly as advertised - lavender and vanilla.
PuH starts off with really jarring, medicinal lavender. Fairly soon thereafter the vanilla creeps in and perfectly balances the lavender. On its own, lavender isn't something I want to smell. Vanilla also isn't high on my list. There's a reason why this fragrance has remained so popular though...the two in combination do something magical. The lavender's herbal sharpness disappears, leaving only the citric, floral elements. The vanilla's sweetness disappears and leaves the soft, gentle powder. A gently, animalic musk unites them and somehow manages to keep them on the skin for an incredibly long time. With vanilla alone, that would be easy, but not with lavender, which usually fades very quickly.
A beautiful, striking, and surprisingly modern composition.
Year: 1934
Perfumer: Ernest Daltroff
Notes: Amber, Musk, Lavender, Vanilla, Essence of Lavender, Absolute of Lavender
