JHL (1982)
by Aramis

For years JHL was my go to winter fragrance. It was the "more mature" Aramis scent. Now that it is back and available, it is like finding an old friend. Sure, by today's standards it seems a bit "old fashioned" but in a world dominated by "Acqua di this", "Blue that" and "Black the other", JHL is a unique fragrance that gets noticed and stands out.

21st December, 2011.

I like cinnamon on toast once in a while, but not on my chest. Intially, I found JHL repulsive and returned my blind-bought bottle. But over time, as I assembled the Gentleman's Collection, I thought I'd give it another try. I'm glad I did. JHL is a cinnamon-carnation explosion that will either make you cry like a baby or gasp in horrified ecstasy. I find the cinnamon-carnation/floral heart of JHL compelling, but I grow tired of it after a few hours. JHL doesn't develop much over time to my nose. It softens as it settles into the base, but the heart notes beat on and on. I'll give this potent monster a thumbs up because it is an interesting, compelling change of pace scent for me and is unlike anything else in my wardbrobe.

27th November, 2011.

Finally, a fragrance for men who are too embarrassed to wear Opium (for women) and Cinnabar. JHL does indeed smell a lot like Opium and Cinnabar. It could be their love child. In fact, I can see the ladies wearing this as a substitute for their beloved Opium/Cinnabar and nobody would know different.

So is it any good after all these years? Yes, fantastically so. Aramis reintroduced their entire line recently and JHL is still wonderful. It's completely out of step with everything in men's fragrance and rest assured, the boys down at the office won't be wearing this. JHL is a thunder horse of carnation, cinnamon, and amber with touches of rose, fir, pimento and patchouli. Kind of reminds me of a bolder and denser Equipage at times. It's not as boozy as it used to be, but smells stronger than ever so use extreme caution on the trigger.

20th April, 2011.

There's nothing like eating a big bowl of spicy chili and wearing JHL to clear out your sinuses. Wow, this is STRONG. And what's with the "old lady" jokes about JHL? If you don't like it, fine. No big deal. I can't help it if you smell like an old lady when you wear this.

JHL is unlike most 80s powerhouse fragrances because it's not fueled by big leather and moss notes. JHL is all about harsh, dry spices, which flatten any sweet base notes that might qualify this as an oriental. This is from the Youth Dew and Cinnabar school of power scents, propelled by tear-inducing cinnamon, clove, carnation and patchouli notes. JHL never really evolves, but rather calms down after several hours, though not by much.

Oh, by the way, JHL smells great. I love it for its potency, its spiciness, and the fact that it's unlike any other fragrance in my wardrobe. It's unique even among the crowded field of 1980s power scents. It's definitely not for everyone.

And potent it is. JHL is a real show stopper. It's loud and has booming sillage, so apply this with a great deal of caution. If you like strong fragrances, then JHL should be on your must-try list.

MY RATING: 8/10

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

After reading some of the great reviews here, I was shocked to find, that JHL is old fashioned in the worst possible way.
Old corpse, laying silently in a coffin, in a badly ventilated funeral home. One of the viewers looks like a sumo wrestler who tried to cover his body odor with some oil. The rest of the people are old ladies with wilted flowers and cups of rice pudding in their hands.
I don't find JHL masculine at all. Old lady, maybe. Even then it will be too much.
If you need a frag with no freshness whatsoever, JHL is the final stop. It will choke you like a giant, old, stagnant pillow.
Horrible!

2nd April, 2011.

My best friend had this when it first came out. His mother was WAY into Lauder scents, Cinnabar in particular, which is why he probably had it. I was always with the two of them together, so maybe they cancelled one another out, which might explain why I wasn't exactly bowled over by JHL. My tastes have changed and nowadays I way dig spicy orientals. Opium, and Coco are two of my favorites...and now I'm developing a hankering for Cinnabar. There is something primal about the latter. So, if JHL is so similar to the three mentioned (and I remember it being thus) I don't need any. But there's no way the reintroduction can be as good as the original. It just doesn't happen that way.

30th March, 2011.