Heno de Pravia (1955)
by Gal

A classic, inexpensive Spanish eau de cologne easily available in its country if origin as well as in many Latin American countries, made by Gal, a subsidary of Antonio Puig. The line is complemented with a stronger eau de cologne, soap, deodorant and talcum powder.


In Spanish, "heno" means fern, "fougere" in French, so I wonder if this is what the original fougere smelt like. Since I can't tell if this is so, I am resorting to notes I know of and I can easily perceive.

Initial notes are hesperidic-like, their main characteristic being that they are kind of sparkling. As it develops, it settles down to notes similar to the ones found in woody scents, later changing to a mixture of green -amberine notes.

As in all eaux de colognes, longevity and sillage are limited, but sometimes - I can not recall when or why, if it is because of weather conditions, accidental layering or foods eaten - I feel a very unique beeswax drydown lasting a very acceptable time.

An update to my previous posting. Yes, it still burns, but I have become enchanted with this scent. It has a slight baby-powder/clean soap quality but there's something else that is just lovely. This is far, far from power. This is humility and sweetness. I never smelled anything like it. It makes me smile.

This is an excellent Spanish Cologne which I have regularly brought back from holidays in Spain. It has a fresh herbal character of unisex nature by todays standards. In my mind it is closest to, but a little stronger than Guerlains Eau Imperiale. The packing could be more attractive, I believe. But then it might cost quite a bit more than it does.The smallest bottle I have seen was probably 200 ml.