Armand Basi Homme (2000)
by Armand Basi

Armand Basi Homme

I hold a soft spot in my heart for masculine orientals. Calvin Klein Obsession for Men and YSl Opium pour Homme were two of my early favorites in this category but those are powerhouse scents and there are times I want that oriental feeling but without the volume turned up to full. For those times I turn to Armand Basi Homme which was created by Olivier Cresp in 2000 for the Spanish designer. Armand Basi Homme is like switching from the hard-rock radio station to the adult contemporary station on your radio. There is still some music that rocks but there are some more soothing quieter moments to guide you through your day. M. Cresp has created an oriental which manages to capture all the construction hallmarks of the class without taking over the room. This scent is closer in style to Obsession for Men than Opium pour Homme. If you like the feel of Obsession I think it likely you’ll like this one, too. The top of Armand Basi Homme blows in on the lightest of spices particularly an application of cardamom and cinnamon mixed with a lavender. The floral component shifts in the heart to lily of the valley along with the sweeter of the spices nutmeg and tonka. When I first wore this it felt like this scent was headed firmly towards gourmand territory but the base stays pure oriental. The base takes a woody turn with a mix of cedar, guaiac and sandalwood. The sweet theme of the heart is echoed in some presence of vanilla but the base is a woody wonderland most of all. Because the volume is turned down Armand Basi Homme tends to be a closer wearing scent than other orientals but its longevity is quite good despite being so close wearing. So for those days when your scent radio is more attuned to Matchbox 20 than Blink-182 give Armand Basi Homme a spin on your scent radio dial.

I love this fragrance - since I first picked it up at an airport in 2000. The Cardamon is brilliant and its a lovely fresh smell that stays with you for many hours. I like to mix it with a bit of Jo Malones Pomegranate Noir. I made the mistake of getting In Red - awful; stuff. I went back to this one again very recently - unfortunately only limited availability in the UK.

This would be a classic aromatic fougère if there were oakmoss in the base, but it's close, anyway. It's fresh, upbeat, but rather light, with noticeable, but not very prominent sillage. This is a good scent for an informal day of fun, or for a time when you want to feel energized, but not hyped. I would say this is mellow, but alert; you've got all its attention, and it's got yours.

Semi sweet musky woody light oriental. Has a bit of a powdery quality to it much like PS Design (which is awful) but this is done well. More so reminds and feels to me the an older brother of Rochas Man without the coffee or mocha notes. Since it's light on my skin I'd wear this to events like weddings or a casual dinner party. I like it but it needs to live longer.

The opening is a beautiful accord of spice, lavender, and aromatics. This opening lets it be known that this is not your usual modern designer affair, Armand Basi Homme opens uniquely and substantially: a good way to begin … now, if only the middle notes were a good way to proceed! The spicy / floral mid notes seem to go synthetic. Not as bad as I’ve seen in many other fragrances, but certainly a bit annoying. It’s an unnecessary weakness, because it doesn’t even seem to fit with the rest of the fragrance. The base is very nice. Cedar, gayac, and sandalwood provide a smooth, satisfying, but short-lived base: sometimes I get an almost incense-like feeling from the base and other times it seems almost oud-like. All told, Armand Basi Homme is a nice fragrance, unique and pleasant, but with marginal longevity.

Pleasant vanilla frag along the lines of Le Male and 360 White, with just a nod to Black Code along the way. Cuba Gold also comes to mind.

I bought a bottle (very reasonably) from Thrax and can't say that I regret it one bit. Probably wouldn't go out of my way to get another bottle, no, but fans of Le Male and 360 White really ought to look into this affordable vanilla/tonka frag.