Balenciaga pour Homme (1990)
by Balenciaga

How does one say "Baby Kouros" in the Scandinavian Pygmy dialect?

Balenciaga PH seems to me to be a toned down Kouros with some of the more potent and rough edges smoothed over. I like to wear the YSL on occasion and in small spritzes, but the Balenciaga seems to be a fragrance that has more versatility and isn't as polarizing.

They are not the same mind you, but there are definite similarities and I like that Balenciaga is the more wearable of the 2. I received very good longevity from this juice and the sillage was exceptional as well. A definite powerhouse that has gone the way of the dodo. Too bad........

Trebor and foetidus have explained it well, so it would be redundant for me to go through the accords. Bottom line is I like it and am happy to have it in my rotation.

I miss Balenciaga Pour Homme terribly and I pray that they consider re-issuing it. I wore this a lot during the mid-1990s and I regret not buying backup bottles. It's one of the most potent fragrances I've ever experienced, as well as the most unique and strange. The initial patchouli blast attacks you with face-punching brutality right out of the atomizer and dries down to what I consider a bizarre and almost moldy-smelling green moss accord. Basically, Balenciaga Pour Homme is a green, mossy patchouli sledgehammer with unbelieveable longevity and sillage. Hard to believe you could buy a big bottle of this masterpiece for like $15 at Marshalls just a few years ago. Two huge thumbs up for Balenciaga Pour Homme.

Balenciaga Pour Homme: i dont smell anything when i first spray it on..coz my brian gets numb on first whiff..isnt that how you feel whn you have morphine..? so i have heard.. :) Civet..civet overdose with a dash of aldehydes, and honeyed floral notes.. i simply loved this one. when i first received it, it was in a splash format (mini)...the macho that i am, i splashed a decent amount on my palm and dabbed it one liberally around neck and forarms...whoa! for those who have tested this would know exactly how that feels. it's a experience to say the least. very intense notes of honeyed florals and aldehyde with a liberal dose of vanilla (not pods..more like the ice cream itself) with an strong overdose of civet giving it a "bite". the notes may sound like it's leaning towards gourmand, but it's surprisingly not! it stays on pretty gritty for the firts hour or so thereby turning into a remarkably soft floral with a unique combination of Sandalwood, Vanilla, Incense and civet. it was an experience indeed and i enjoyed this scent every last bit :) where is my back up bottle..wouldnt ever wanna be without this one. for a quick reference, it smells like Ted Lapidus for men mixed with Kouros...now, hows that :) only difference, the basenotes is more like Lapidus pour homme than kouros.
This is for someone who likes scents like Lapidus Pour Homme and YSL Kouros.

After all the hype surrounding Balenciaga pour Homme, I just had to try this stuff and ended up getting a mini.

I’m not going to mince my words here, but this stuff smells VERY SIMILAR to Kouros (but with the urinal cake / detergent smell toned down significantly). It’s just as masculine and sophisticated, but the honey, caramel and incense notes make it a lot smoother to wear. However, for what Balenciaga pour Homme makes up for in the drydown, it loses in terms of longevity – it’s still strong stuff (with great sillage) but I wouldn’t say it’s as ‘nuclear’ as Kouros.

Other reviewers have been wondering why this one was discontinued and I think the answer is pretty obvious. Balenciaga pour Homme was never in the same league as YSL (in terms of fashion influence and sales) and this offering was probably seen as a blatant Kouros rip-off (no matter how much of an improvement it was). I’m sure that, at the time, most consumers would have preferred purchasing the ‘original’ rather than some ‘high quality imitation’ (I mean, even the bottles are very similar!).

Although this should never have been discontinued, the writing seemed to be on the wall at the time (and the executives at Balenciaga acted accordingly). Personally, I prefer this to Kouros and, here's hoping Balenciaga will someday have the good sense to re-release this in its original formulation.

[Original submission date: 25 May 2008]

This has THE booziest opening I've ever encountered. It's probably banned at A.A. meetings.
I'm lying.
No, not about the opening. About my neutral rating.
This has got to be either a thumbs up or down, but you have to decide which.
If you like JHL, chances a you'll love this. On the other hand, if you feel you raided your grandmother's cabinet, stay away.

Especially if your grandmother was a patchouli addicted hippie.

This is Givenchy Gentleman falling down drunk at U.C. Berkeley.

I once wore this to a party at work and someone walked in and asked who had sprayed Black Flag in the room. I never wore it again. I liked the fragrance, but I did not want to suffer that kind of humiliation again. Perhaps too outre for its own good.