Reviews of Helmut Lang Men (2000)
by Helmut Lang

This is a woody floral for men. And an absolutely superb one.

Any many who enjoy floral fragrances will love this. All this stuff about it being buttery is missing the point by a long way. The initial top notes are a heady blast of well tempered lavender, rosemary with a hint of tangy orange. Jasmine is particularly noticable in the top. There are distinct notes of Cedarwood in the heart notes lending it something of an edge.

But it is the drydown which is where this fragrance truly excels. Yes there is vanilla, but there is also a sweet rose note well blended with it (akin to the drydown sweet rose note in Hammam), alongside which are noticable sweet accords of Patchouli (patchouli leaves I think because of the lightness of it?) and a particularly nice clean Sandalwood.


Now, here's the interesting bit. This is sold as an EDC concentration, which would lead you to think it was going not last long. Nothing could be further from the truth. It lasts for a long time, longer than many EDTs I have. But it appears to wear close to the skin - almost to the point that you think that it's gone. What you notice though is that it is still gently projecting for hours. If, like me you put a monitor spray on the back of your hand, hours after you put it on you'll notice this lovely vanilla rose accord suddenly as your hand passes your face. What this also indicates it that it is you are projecting this lovely soft and gentile aura around you.

Is it a fragrance for a gentleman? Yes of course it is! It oozes classes and refinement. If people can consider the cloying mess of overly sweet vanilla that you find in the drydown of Pour Un Homme by Caron a gentleman's fragrance, then this most certainly is. And it's better too, better blended, more subtle and in its own way unique.

A big thumbs up. This one's a keeper.

It's not as powdery as others have noted, the sandalwood ensures that it retains sufficient edge throughout to avoid it disappearing into a full on powder.

I adore this fragrance.

A man who has just washed with fine soap, applied a heavily starched shirt and is liking melted butter from his fingers.

Divine

Helmut Lang EDC

I have worn this several times now...something about it seemed familiar yet strange at the same time, so I have been trying to figure it out. At first I thought there was an ozone or aquatic note in the top, but today I finally understand it...soap. HL in the EDC concentration has soapy aldehydes up front. I should point out that HL EDC is a clean musk, but it is not what I would call a white musk. It is sweet musk with soap. In other words, the musk part of the scent is not one of the soapy musk aromachemicals that is familiar in many white musk offerings such as Body Shop White Musk. Furthermore, I can wholeheartedly state that this soap and sweet musk combo has been thoroughly mimicked by Le Labo in their new release for Los Angeles, Musc 25. When I first tried HL, I really didn't like the top notes. Now that I have a bit of insight, I can't say I am still convinced that I will like it in the long run, but the recognition increases my comfort in wearing it. Besides, the whole reason I became fascinated by this fragrance is for the drydown.

The drydown is a very simple but gorgeous vanilla powder musk which is the closest thing I have ever smelled to my beloved pre-reformulation Coty Wild Musk. HL wears a little differently, though--when I sniff my arm, I can barely smell it. However, as I move around, I catch rather strong whiffs of the fragrance. Apparently this is one of those fragrances where distance matters. It takes an hour at least for the aldehydes to subside, and for the duration, the sweet vanilla powder remains. The drydown of HL fills some pretty big shoes from my fragranced past. I loved CWM, and so HL seems to be a viable substitute. The first couple of times I tried it, I thought it might be very weak and short lived because of its EDC concentration. It is indeed a subtle scent, but the EDC longevity is really not bad--4 hours at least after a liberal application.

I find it amusing that since this is now a discontinued fragrance, it is fetching rather high prices on the online auction and retail sites. Ironically, maybe in this case, Le Labo is the more affordable alternative.

This is exactly as stated with "Basenotes says..," indeed a buttery and musky concoction with an added baby fresh vanilla powder for good measure. Nice.

The first time you smell this, you will love it. It has a deep, buttery, slightly vanilla smell. Its almost warm and has a real depth to it. The musk is only faintly there in the background. Ignore all the negative reviews here, if you like slightly sweet vanilla /woodsy based EDTs, then you will be ,as Monkey Man Matt stated, 'blown away' by this gorgeous liquid. I can highly recommend this, you have to try it before you die !!!!

The initial notes are somewhat confused - a little sweet, a little woodsy - you're not sure where it's going to go. Within about 20 minutes the most lovely accord develops that is at once rich and minimalist. Though not exactly 'butter', the fragrance invokes butter by having a lightly vanilla sweetened heliotrope note which is then balanced with a touch of musk and mild florals. The only man's fragrance that is similar in style and composition would be Dior Homme, though Dior Homme is more delicate and complex..

I'm not usually concerned with other reviews, but on the life of my family I swear there is nothing in Helmut Lang whatsoever that smells the vaguest bit like Old Spice. I know olfactory judgments are unique to everyone, but if someone detects Old Spice in HL it might indicate that their ability to appreciate fragrances is massively and utterly different from that of the average person.

If I could give 10 thumbs up, I would.... now that I've finally received a few samples of Helmut Lang you can bet I will be investing not only the EdC, but the EdP and parfum versions as well.

I liked this much mainly becuase it is distrinct from the types of fragrances being sold in most department stores. However--and the reason I don't wear it too often--a woman collegaue hated it it. Too strong and too powdery with a stale tinge. She's simple. I know. But, be judicious if you wear this in an office.

this is an amazing scent. ultra creamy and musky at the same time. never smells synthetic...and ALWAYS smells different depending on the mood. I love CUIRON by them as well....BUT i think this is the easier scent to wear on a daily basis. I wear this probably more than any other fragrance in my collection, and i never get tired of it. great stuff.

This was one of those love at first sniff fragrances for me and I have been using and appreciating it for over three years now. It’s a very special scent because of its simplicity, elegance, sensuality, and beauty. Helmut Lang is not very complex and relies primarily on musk and powder to deliver its sensual message. It opens with a blast of disarray dominated by aromatics, but it quickly settles down to a subtle lavender and rosemary accord that smells like a freshly laundered shirt, except that a freshly laundered shirt is not so powdery. It’s a wonderful opening—fresh, clean, and powdery—rather bright, reticent, and sensual all at the same time. The middle moves to florals—subdued and not at all “flowery”—with jasmine, rose, heliotrope, and lily of the valley forming a reserved, mixed, undifferentiated bouquet. These middle florals provide an open, fresh feeling, possibly helped by a reduction in the amount of powder in the accord. The powder reasserts itself in the base notes, and, with the powder, the sensuality again comes alive. The base is superb: woody, musky, powdery, but it is extremely transparent and it hovers close to the skin. Even with all this soft musk and powder, somehow the scent is constructed so that I don’t find it threateningly feminine. I find that Helmut Lang doesn’t put out a lot of sillage, but it does retain a strong presence close to the skin, and it has wonderful lasting power even if it is only an EDC. This is a very sensual fragrance and it performs in a totally fulfilling way. I think Helmut Lange Men is incredibly special.

Butter and musk. Musk and butter. I'm serious -- that's what I get here. It's almost a savory gourmand on my skin -- well, if you want to eat butter and musk, I mean. Of all the frags I've sampled, I've found that only Santa Maria Novella has produced a musk (its Muschio) that seemed so virtually edible. Still, SMN's version is sweet and creamy, while this one is masculine and powdery while at the same time seeming exasperatingly gourmand. Far more wearable a frag for most, IMHO, than the dirty leather-plum boy, Cuiron.

I love it. Soft, subtle, musky, and sticks close to the skin. As well, for an EDC, it has great longevity. Like Lang's fashion, it's not something that will make a statement from 100 yards away, but it does create a personal, quiet, subdued, and yet very distinctive experience. It's getting harder and harder to find, but definitely worth the search (as is the EDP version and Lang's other scent Cuiron).

Nice stuff: subtle, warm and unique. So unique that, on me, it smells like a Manhattan. I like that.

I wear the After Shave. Smells just like Mennen Skin Bracer, which is fine with me.

A sophisticated, fairly simple, and pleasantly predictable fragrance. It is a great casual or even formal scent. I like its frankinscense-like quality, and it is not in-your-face like, say, Cuiron. Smooth, reliable, and different.

This is a great and very unique powdery musk fragrance. Very soft, and very alluring. It’s a very comforting fragrance.

Helmut Lang really grew on me over time. I am not sure if I have the men's version (I have the eau de cologne) or if there even is a men's version. Helmut Lang smells musky, period. I like musks very much, but this one is different. Initailly, it smelled like this VERY old, rancid cologne in a black ceramic bottle that I found when cleaning my grandfathers house after he passed away. After reading that my future husband Jude Law wore it, I tried again. It does smell old-fashioned, powdery and musky. Perhaps like it's from a different time. It has a hint of sweetness to it. That is why Helmut Lang is modern-- it's retro style scent butts heads with all the modern crap focus groups keep sending our way via Macy's. Love it!! Stubborn, sexy, and subtle!

The perfect office fragrance. Has that clean, just laundered shirt smell. Superb.

I just spritzed the EDP version and must say that it is very powdery in the drydown with a distinctive musky note that is reminiscent of BY's animalic note but not quite so synthetic yet not subtle by any means. The woodsy feel is actually a powdery musk drydown that could be mistaken for cedarwood though it is definitely more musky in character due to the richness imparted to the scent itself. It is precisely this character which puts the scent squarely in the skin bracer type fragrance, one that should be worn on the skin to complement the body chemistry. It is not one that provides an abundance of sillage, but rather, imparts a masculine aura around the wearer. I keep wanting to smell this scent because of its buttery, creamy richness. :o
On a sidenote, i have to slightly disagree that this one smells like Melagrano in the sense that i find certain artisinal houses tend to make their scents very bold and loud (helps to justify the price tag) but that is where it is a mistake for this type of scent. Helmut Lang has managed to tone down the SMN Melagrano and Parfume d'Habit overtures considerably and yet maintain the buttery allure quite nicely, not overpoweringly so. It's all about balance! To get my meaning totally, try some Melagrano or Parfum Habit on one wrist and spritz some Jovan White Musk on the other. You can instantly tell the difference in intensity and richness. Now spritz the Helmut Lang EDP onto the crook of your elbow where the vein lies on the same arm as the Jovan White Musk (the other arm is useless with the Melagrano/Parfum Habit as it will overwhelm your EDP.) After 5 minutes, the richness should appear and you can compare it with the synthetic cadence of the Jovan. Quite extraordinary eh? Now that's balance and what you're paying for in the EDP. A scent that is just right!

I like this fragrance alot. I don't smell the musk, its covered so well by the woodsy, powdery sweetness. Im surpised the other expert "noses" didn't care for it. It's a subtle fragrance, every once in a while when i turn my head, ill catch a whiff of it. The simple packaging is nice too. They are putting the quality in the product, rather than make an ornate bottle with a mediocre fragrance inside. Big thumbs up from me, I HIGHLY recommend it. 05/14/04

One of may all-time favorites. Similar to the Helmut Lang eau de parfum, which I do not see reviewed here, but this is lighter and spicier. Both are basically unisex scents, and this has a sweetness to it that may be why it has gotten negative rewiews here. To me it is just a beautiful, light, sweet-musk, clean-smelling scent, very smooth and slightly spicy. After a few hours, the sweetness is gone, and what is left is a musky-spicy scent that just seems to go so well with the body's natural odor, instead of covering it up.

Tried this on for the first time the other day and it completely blew me away. Very surprised to see all the bad reviews it has gotten, cause to me this smells absolutely marvellous. Never been a big fan of musk, but the way they´ve managed to incorporate it in this juice is really appealing. The scent carries (also to my nose) a powdery quality and is incredibly subtle, almost provocingly discrete, yet always noticeable and present. The lightness makes it more of a formal scent, daytime, office and casual wear for this gem of a fragrance