Ho Hang (1971)
by Balenciaga

A distinguished and delightful citrus-aromatic oriental, epic and exotic. My Dad'd generation comes to my mind, a pool of daring and willing professional men with an enormous love for the good life, the good work, the parties in the grand hotels, music and travels. Ho hang is measured and well balanced, is a fresh, aromatic oriental with any trace of excess or cloying olfactory perception. Cedarwood, citrus, basil, vanilla and tonka are the key elements. Lavender and rosewood are perfectly combined. The top notes are citrus, green and aromatic with their basil and good amount of lavender. In a while the transition towards the woody heart is accomplished. The geranium is perfectly inserted in order to be blended with citrus and aromatic elements with its restrained but perceivable touch of floral sweetness. The perfect combination of natural elements (floral, citrus, herbal, woody) is endly enveloped by a smooth bed, an oriental base featured by vanilla, labdan, benzoin and tonka with its touch of smoky masculinity. Ho hang, an old concept of left over distinction.

11th April, 2011. (Last Edited: 12nd April, 2011.)

Ho Hang is a wonderful spicy oriental that is not commonly worn or even known about these days. It belongs to the same category of scents such as JHL, Pierre Cardin, Patou pour Homme and Ricci-CLub. Applied too heavily Ho Hang can be very cloying and overly sweet. Applied with a light hand it is a sublime oriental masterpiece.

The opening is a lively fresh citrus accord consisting mostly of Lemon and Bergamot tempered with Orange, Lavender and Basil. The heart of Ho Hang is a floral and woody blend of Geranium, Cedar and Patchouli over a background of Carnation and Rosewood. The oriental base is rather sweet and somewhat powdery being mostly a Vanilla and Amber accord overlying some textures of Tonka, Musk, Benzoin and Labdanum.

This is a rich and floral, spicy oriental that hearkens back to the early '70s when mens fragrances were much richer and more textured. It doesn't smell too retro for its own good however; applied contentiously it is a surprisingly relevant scent for today.

28th January, 2011.

"Ho Hang" -- interesting name for an interesting spicy oriental. Like others have expressed, this cologne is a pleasant surprise. It is perhaps a little dated now and I don't think the younger generation would relate so well to its "old school" nature. But for my "old school" nose, Ho Hang offers a pleasing sophistication and distinction. Sillage and longevity are both excellent. Careful, though, not to overdo or Ho Hang could easily become cloying.

7th January, 2011.

Wow, very nice. It is hard to believe this came out of the '70s. This is a woody oriental, but not a heavy one. There are citrus topnotes and other aromatics blended in perfectly to make this a nice "aromatic oriental" There is no syrupy sweetness, just the right sweetness to make this likeable by most.

This would be a great "anytime" scent, and definitely fine for the office. Power and sillage are moderate. Longevity is good.

OK, maybe no one will rate this a 10/10, but it's just so nice to find a fragrance that smells so nice, and is seemingly so versatile. A big thumbs up from me.

13rd October, 2009.

It will get that, hmm, i have smelled this accord a thousand times by now accord. has a very lively, lemony, spicy/herbal accord (think PDN NY, Eau Suavage). Lemon and hints of orange come of pretty easily. but it doesnt turn orangy, the mood is still very lemony with a woody accord of spices and flroals. i mainly smell geranium with a woody twist. basenotes gets a bitter sweeter and powdery with vanilla and incense. overall, if you appreciate scents like R de Capucci, PDN New York et al, thn this will find home with you almost immediately.

29th September, 2009.

Don't let the strange name fool you - this is a classy, masculine scent in the Equipage tradition (this came out around the same time and may have been influenced by Hermes' classic). If you are into old school men's fragrances this should be on your to-do list. This one starts out with an orange blossom and wood accord. Once the tonka/vanilla kicks in the whole thing attains a slightly smoky leather vibe, smooth and creamy. Sillage is not great but longevity is decent. The bottle is a classic as well, similar to Moustache's. You'd do well to pick up either this or Equipage to round out your collection. Ho Hang is suitable for the office or the steakhouse and you won't have every other dude on the subway stealing your thunder.

7th June, 2009.