Bulgari pour Homme (1995)
by Bulgari

I share zztopp's observation about this scent for I too thought this is one of JC Ellena's ethereal interpretations of tea - translucent, deceptively light and highly evocative, reminding me of a morning stroll through a pine grove. But I was mistaken. BVLGARI POUR HOMME was created in 1995 by Jacques Cavallier, fresh from delivering his brilliantly constructed L'Eau d'Issey. And like L'Eau d'Issey it punches above its weight, delivering a level of sillage and longevity beyond the norms typically expected of such fresh scents. On my skin it wears closer, lasting a respectable 5-6 hours with 5 sprays. But I can understand why others might complain over its apparent lack of staying power - who wouldn't want a good-smelling scent to last longer?

I find myself reaching for this whenever I'm undecided about which scent to wear. While it is far from exciting, Bulgari pH is a superbly balanced original (better than the Extreme version), conveying a sense of calmness and coolheadedness that is necessary in my line of work. Truly a class act.

I recently reviewed the occasionally excellent Bulgari Por Homme Soir, but its habit of allowing the excellent accords it produced to disappear intermittently diminished my regard for its overall quality. Bulgari Pour Homme on the other hand, has no such issue. There was a delightfully parched feel to the opening, and it never left my skin, even towards its expiry some six hours later. There is a brief freshness in the top notes, but it is not zesty, or distracting enough to deviate the fragrance from the simple woody, and lightly spiced accord that is its backbone. It has a reasonable longevity, contained sillage,and the potential for effortless formal wear.

Tried to give this one a chance wore it a few different days. When it dries down it has a subtle incense smell to me, pleasant I guess, not what I want from a frag though. Didn't last that long either, would not buy a full bottle, definitely try before you buy...

This is the most contemporary professional scent I've encountered so far, with an elusiveness that fascinates me. The last few times I had to wear a suit (which are few and far between!) I felt obligated to wear Bulgari Pour Homme because to me it smells like the Platonic ideal of an expensive, flawlessly tailored and pressed suit. Or maybe the idealized smell of freshly laundered linens at the most expensive hotel in the city, the very first time you walk in the door to your room. The best I can come up with is that it's a moderately sweet, but clean, grayish fabricky musk that is hard to detect when you're searching for it, but always transparently there in the background. I don't know about tea, and if there is pepper in there, I don't really even notice it. Very classy overall, and quite safe in that it wouldn't offend, though perhaps tricky in that I suspect it smells stronger than the wearer is aware of. The bottle and box are both very fitting...gray, transparent and simple with silver accents. It's really a steal at the prices you can get it for online.

This is truly an elegant fragrance. It's sillage is perfect if you don't want everyone around you to be smelling you.....its for a more intimate interaction. The progression from the top notes to the middle and base is where the magic happens. The cirtus/floral/tea notes of the top give way to the spiciness of the pepper and cardamom of the middle...then for a perfect finish, light musk in the base. You can easily call this a gentleman's fragrance....perfect for any occasion.

Thumbs way up.

Crisp, clean and sophisticated it most certainly is but, with regards to longevity, even a dying mayfly can outlive a generous application of this…