Reviews of Bel Ami (1986)
by Hermès

Has Hermes ever produced anything better than this in the last 25 years -- a moot point imo. There are no shocks for me here -- a lovely rich leather mixed with spices ending in a glorious vetiver mix. Hermes have now packaged all their perfumes in rather clunky and ugly bottles -- the only individuality left is in the scents themselves.

This review is for the vintage Bel Ami in the 'cocktail shaker' bottle.

If I could give it 6 stars I would, and it's really my pleasure to be writing what I can as a testament to this beautiful fragrance. Bel Ami is the epitome of elegance, highlighting 3 of my favorite accords (leather, sandalwood and vetiver).

When I first got a sample from a good friend of mine I fell in love almost instantly. I was able to detect those 3 beautiful notes almost right away, though this isn't to say Bel Ami isn't well-blended. There was a major surprise for me in that with its incredible longevity it morphed into this gorgeous vetiver akin to MPG Route de Vetiver (vintage) on my skin - though softer, warmer.

Longevity is superb - sillage is just about perfect with a few sprays to key areas. It has been said that Bel Ami doesn't take many risks... it doesn't need to. I think it works best for formal/semi-formal but I've worn it with a t-shirt and jeans and loved it just the same. This will be a "holy grail" fragrance for many people. I put it right next to L'Instant PH, Creed BdP and Vetiver Extraordinaire for "versatile elegance with tolerable opulence". 5/5

While Bel Ami hails from the 80s it is much, much different from the sterotypical 80s powerhouse fragrance. In fact it's only Bel Ami's distinct masculinity and bold sillage that would cause it to be grouped as an 80s scent, most of which were fougeres and herbal-infused woody/florals. In reality it's unique and borrows from the past while also being timeless. Bel Ami is as unique and successful today as countless other niche fragrances - perhaps it is this very uniqueness that keeps/kept Bel Ami from being a big, popular designer fragrance. While it is typical of the high quality that characterizes Hermes fragrance, Bel Ami does not blend in with the other designers at the mall department store.

There is a massive difference between the original Bel Ami, which is found in a bottle that resembles a cocktail shaker. The new formula Bel Ami is in the same tapered rectangular bottle that Hermes is offering nearly all their fragrances in. The new Bel Ami is a simple leather chypre - competent but nothing outstanding. The unique citrus/leather accord is gone and one need not get too excited about the fragrance. I would rate the new formula as neutral - it's a good, inexpensive leather chypre but that's about it.

As for the vintage Bel Ami formula - one needs to seek it out! It starts with a burst of citrus backed with spices such as cardamom and even a touch of cumin. The citrus/spice combo hints at the timeless Eau d'Hermes while being much richer - perhaps resulting from the florals lurking underneath the topnotes. Within 30-40 minutes the citrus and sharp spices recede into a smooth herbal-backed leather accord which is eventually joined by sandalwood. The spice/leather/wood progression harkens to vintage leather fragrances such as Lanvin Scandal and the vintage Cuir de Lancome. Once again, Bel Ami presents classic accords with a modern twist that sets it apart from its predecessors. The leathery/sandalwood base lasts for a long time, giving Bel Ami about 8 hours of longevity.

Bel Ami isn't for everyone, and I can only recommend anyone give it full wears before judging it. I know my vintage bottle is a precious presence on my shelf.

I started wearing this powerhouse from 1988. I was completely in love with it and many many older women (and some men) during that time would sidle up to me and say... "That is an incredibly masculine scent you're wearing it's so sexy!"
I just last year broke open the first and then the second (and last) of my old style, round bottles from the 90's that I'd been saving and revisited and fell in love with it all over again.
It IS a strong, powerful, reasurring scent and initially can come across as having no subtlety.
BUT, allow it to work it's magic over a few hours, over a week or two's usage and you'll find that its incredibly resinous, woody, smokey, leathery, castoreum and beeswax heart and base do NOT add up to brash but actually ...
religious, archaic, literary as well as powerful, manly, bold....
it's hard to explain... u need to firstly not be someone who only loves ozonic or marine scents but other than that... its also a pretty serious scent. Seriously sexy, seriously into books (the name is also a direct homage and reference to Guy de Maupassant's novel) and seriously unafraid to be smelled wherever you go.
I have always preferred it to that other 80s powerhouse comparison Antaeus. It is the drier, more disciplined of the two and, (sic) unlike Antaeus, has a rigorous tight poetry to its power.

Today I just got a bottle of the new reformulated Bel Ami from the Hermes Boutique.
It IS different, but it's somehow still Bel Ami.... there are definitely certain things I love about it MORE and some things I MISS....
There is less of a lemon blast at the top (that I might miss) but that nice resinous Bel Ami quality emerges more quickly and more beautifully to my nose.
Definitely on the whole... it has managed to keep its personality strong and powerful. And yet, it feels like its moved quite well into the 21st century.
Only time and use will tell if I am as much or less or more in love with the new touchup but so far SO GOOD.
A heavenly scent still....

Starts out really fresh, lemony and citrusy, (ala YSL Pour Homme or Versace L'Homme) then settles into a spicy leather (ala a classier Halston Z-14). The ride includes florals (ala Givenchy Insense) and yet it's all men's territory, while retaining a sensitive and floral aura. This powerhouse is rich and sweet...a good comforting scent in cool autumn days. Also a good starter leather scent for newbies...Way smooth and classy.

Hermes Bel Ami

Hermes introduced Bel Ami in 1986 and according to many websites and posters on Basenotes was reformulated recently. I believe the bottle I have is the old formula because one area of agreement in the new formulation is there is more citrus on top. On me, the bottle I have is more a mix of pepper and what I would call cardamom but cardamom has a sort of lemon character to it and so it might be lemon but it feels like a dried lemon. After the spice fades a raw cedar note appears like a newly hewn piece of wood has been heaped on the olfactory fire. Then the leather shows up and this is a quite beautiful and deep leather and it lasts for a long time. Very slowly the well-balanced base of vanilla and patchouli mix with the leather and by the time all three are on equal footing the transformation is elegant and sophisticated. If the alleged re-formulation is more citrus prominent and less pepper and lighter lemon, like I experienced, I could see that I might not enjoy that as much as what I just wore. I hope that it isn't another case of changes made for the worse, as the version I'm wearing is beautiful.

Bel-Ami is definitely a male fragrance. The scent is great but do not overspray it since it is very heavy and long lasting,
According to me this fragrance is very suitable for in winter.

Bel Ami is a leather chypre scent which opens with a citrus/herbal accord dominated by bergamot tempered with lemon, petitgrain and a slight orange (mandarin?), there is a hint of herbal green as well; the heart is a floral wood accord with a jasmine center and some slight orris and carnation overlaying the woody tones of vetiver, cedar and patchouli. Lest you think that Bel Ami is a woody floral scent be aware that this is a base-note dominated fragrance. The base is leather. The leather in Bel Ami owes its character primarily to a birch tar and castoreum accord which is lightly sweetened with labdanum, tonka and vanilla and a slight oakmoss/storax undertone.

I find Bel Ami to be a very wearable and "friendly" leather scent, of great distinction.

I love the smells of real leather, but I often am repulsed by “leather” notes in fragrances: After all, leather notes in fragrances are synthetic re-creations of genuine leather aromas. Bel Ami is one of an extremely few strong leather fragrances that I do not have adverse reactions to, but that is only one of the reasons that I think it’s an excellent fragrance. I don’t get the sharpness in it that some talk about: The citrus opening, to my nose, is very well done and is not one of those many that have that Lemon Pledge note. The middle notes are rich, refined, and deep, but what I really like about it is the strongly floral middle notes. Even with the patchouli / green notes / vetiver, the carnation and jasmine excel. The carnation comes through with a beautiful clarity and preciseness that lifts the entire fragrance to a higher level. The dry down is the dry down of a typical 80’s power scent, except that it has the addition of a potent and excellent leather. Assuredly it is a strong fragrance with strong output (I am told that it been reformulated and it is not as powerful as it used to be). It is not for the faint of heart or, probably, it is not for the young; but my “Beautiful Friend” is truly a refined, elegant, masculine, and classic fragrance.

They don't make them like this anymore! The 70s-80s seem to produce my favorite fragrances and this is one of them.

Bel Ami is a very masculine fragrance that bleeds sophistication, I think it best suited for romantic evenings or winter days.

The opening is remarkably similar to Yatagan, I believe this is due to the presence of wormwood, after that it changes into a very different leathery-herbal scent with a touch of lemon to top things off. The balance between the lemon and herbs seems to shift throughout the wearing and constantly brings you in for closer sniffings.

This will see heavy rotation in my wardrobe. An easy 5 stars for this one.

Certainly one of the classic of the uber-fragrance era of the 80's. Classy, masculine and powerful. Not for the faint of heart, but if you can carry it off it is a keeper.

The EDT from the top of the bottle is sharp and smells of lemon furniture polish. The topnotes are rather harsh - there's definitely some lemon and waves of black peppery heat (which is probably helped along by the alcohol). It feels warm on the skin, too - I've seen pyramids on this scent that say cardamom and I woudn't be surprised. The heart of this fragrance is a massive wave of warm and spicy sandalwood and tobacco - this radiates and is only noticeable as it warms on the skin - I read once in 'The Emperor of Scent' that there's a compound called Osyrol that smells of sandalwood and was accidentally discovered by a chemist who dumped something down the sink and flushed it with hot water. There might be some flowery notes in there, but they're hidden well. As it dries, the sandalwood and tobacco persist, joined by the warmth of pepper and other spices. This has massive sillage and seems to last forever on my skin - I've gone to bed with it on and woken up the next morning with it still there. It's a warm, safe, comforting fragrance for cooler weather. It's the favorite scent that I own right now.

This scent makes me feel like I can take on the world. True, the topnotes are a little overpowering, but about around 20 minutes, you have a spicy, leathery, manly aroma with just a hint of lemon to make it more wearable. The trick is to wear very small amounts, and definitely apply to skin.

I just bought this scent a few days ago. It is absolutely lovely. Perfect depth. And it is what you usually calls not in your face - but definitely noticeble. That describes this scent perfect. It is masculine, elegant and playful. Just like I want my scents to be. Hermés is definitely my favourite brand from now on.
benb

It took me a few weeks to get accustomed to Bel-Ami. It is sharp, potent, direct, and very spicy. The sandalwood notes in it remind me of the interior of old Buddhist temples and the hundreds of years of accumulated incense odors that have seeped into the wood. Nevertheless, the lemony notes add just the right touch of freshness. So, now it has become one of my favorites, but I know it isn’t for everyone. It is probably the polar opposite of something like Issey Miyake or Chanel Allure Homme Sport.

An absolute powerhouse is right. Unreal stuff - smells so powerful, not for the faint of heart. A powerhouse 80's scent - Kouros, santos de cartier, in the same line. A great purchase - but very expensive.

One of my favorite leathers, it's as if someone made a slightly toned down version of JHL and added a leather note to it. Classic and masculine, a must if you love leather.

Another '80s powerhouse, Bel Ami has the added distinction of being unique. A spicy leather with some floral notes, Hermes calls this their "bedroom scent". Long lasting, with great sillage and of typical Hermes quality, it can be an acquired taste for some. Me, I loved it from the get-go. Any fragrance enthusiast owes it to himself to at least sample it.

Bel Ami is a wonderful spicy floral scent. It’s in a class of its own in my wardrobe. Rich and deep floral notes mingle with rich and masculine spices. This is great for formal wear, casual wear, anything. It exudes a kind of confidence that really can’t be found amazing. Every time I wear Bel Ami the memory of that day is tattooed into my memory. That’s how amazing it is. I also have one of those special edition leather travel editions.

This is my favorite scent, period. Love at first sniff! To help, I generally enjoy unique scents, and I principally favor Hermes, Dior, and Chanel offerings. This bold fragrance reminds me of frankincense, and, as such, deserves to be venrated on the high altar of fragrance. It also has a very Eastern feel. Not for the office or clubs--too sultry; too daring.

Great scent. last all day and get many compliments. Wear it at office or out on town. Truly, a masculine scent

All I can say is it's a Classic. I payed $100
at Nieman Marcus. It does smell like Creed Portugal. That's a good thing.
I can't say More.

Bel Ami among the very unique Hermes fragrance family is a knockout. I first experienced this irresistable rich and leather fragrance when I first met my parnter. Leather, amber and ylang ylang this fragrance is unmistakeably sexy, warm and confident. Like most Hermes fragrances Bel Ami is elegant and confident. Great for colder weather seasons.

What's with all these thumbs-down here?
Bel Ami is a very nice flowing Chypre. Yes, it has an offbeat mix of florals and leather. That is what makes it so appealing. Maybe someone sprayed on a little too much.
So, maybe I didn't exactly love Bel Ami at first sniff. Maybe I even repelled when I first opened the box and let it hit my hand. Maybe you shouldn't wear it to the office - I do. I'm wearing it at the office right now. Hope they won't boot me out. Sure, it's more of a night out scent. But nothing smells quite like this.
When the weather is cool enough Bel Ami is really cool.

So elegant, so warm, so confident. I wore this to my graduation recently, and it lasted all day. It has such a classic, woodsy, musky scent that few can duplicate nowadays. Glad I didn't have to plunk $100 for it at the local Nordstrom. >8-)

This was an all-time favourite of mine in the late 80's and still is - perfect fo rthe leather/spice/oriental fan like myself. I have seen this fragrance repeated in Commes de Garcons unisex fragrance as well.

Perfect spicy leather scent!!! Luxurious and excellently blended. To my mind, one of the most masculine scents ever. Greatest for evening special occasions in colder temps.

What a beautiful scent. A nice Chypre/Floral/Leather scent is nothing like Anteaus very very different the leather notes are so nicely soften.
The scent does NOT have the lethal edge that Anteaus which can hit you over the head like a bat. The scent is very subtle stays close to the skin. It is unique how the leather is blended with smokey like notes not a heavy notes but you can smell it in the background which reminds me of oak leafs being raked and burned on cool crisp autumn day.
A very classy scent and I am totally glad to have added this to my collection. Just a while ago I smelled from the bottle big mistake, I'm sure this is what turned me off to it years ago you need to smell this one on the skin.
The scent is so subtle that it is wearable for both dress and casual in cool fall weather. The bottle I received from Scentiments is fresh stock, I can tell by the box.