By Thomas
Just the word “Gentleman” serves to define our comparative perceptions of class. “Loud” and “coarse” are generally taken as lower-class descriptors than “quiet”, “smooth”, and “discreet”, and this is especially true in fragrances. Generally speaking, the quieter and smoother a fragrance is, the more easily you part customers from their lucre, but you also run the risk of being bland or worse – the emperor’s new perfume.
L’Instant pour Homme starts with a fruity-green whisper and builds from there. Eventually I can discern a peachy-vetiver scent which is more appealing than it sounds. After a while a curiously mild anise joins the party (well, more like afternoon tea in the garden…).
Once tea’s over, the fruit vanishes as well, and (of course) sandalwood takes center stage. Sandalwood is the very scent of discretion, in this case it’s mildly camphoraceous which keeps my interest, but just barely. Speaking of barely keeping my interest, L’Instant has nearly no throw at all (which is essential for being a discreet gentleman) and vanishes sooner than I expected (lunchtime, on average). Not exactly over-staying his welcome, to put it more gently.
L’Instant is not your every-day, all-season, wear-with-anything scent. It doesn’t play well with jeans, for instance. And for me it doesn’t work at all in the summertime. But once in a while, when the weather’s crisp and I feel like wearing something from Savile Row, L’Instant seems to fit.
Year: 2004
Perfumer: Beatrice Piquet, Sylvaine Delacourte
Notes: Citrus and Star Anise Crystals, Peppery Elemi, Jasmine Petals, Mysore Sandalwood, Lapsang Tea, Bitter Cocoa Beans, Hibiscus Seeds, Patchouli Flowers,
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