Reviews of Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin (2000)
by Lolita Lempicka

This is basically a very sweet gourmand woody oriental scent with a generous dollop of anise or licorice on top and a good deal of sweet powder underneath. Wearing Lolita Lempicka, I’m immediately reminded of Yohji Homme, perhaps because of the licorice note, or perhaps because the two scents are built on a similar sweet, powdery, woody base. Unfortunately, it’s a base that’s both overused and extremely cloying to my nose.

At first it seems as if the cool, bittersweet licorice accord might actually manage to balance to crude base, but instead it loses ground steadily, until after an hour, when it’s completely overcome. The base is as loud as it is banal, and projects for yards around me when I wear it. I can report that it’s also murder to scrub off, and I still smell it after raking my skin raw with a stiff brush and hot water. Too bad – without that nasty foundation it could a’ been a contender…

I love the anise smell f this and it always has an effect on every who i come in to contact with. The violet then hits after a little while longer and brings, to me an opulence to the scent. The lasting smell is vanilla and as one of my favorite smells, it makes this a real favorite of mine.

A very strange congeries of notes in this, but it really works as a fresh, invigorating scent for me. Violet and basil with anise and licorice in the top is a bit odd; rum and orgeat (that almond-flavored syrup they mix with fizzy water to make Italian sodas) with sandalwood and tonka is kind of outrageous in the middle; and praline with cedar, vetiver, and vanilla is not entirely unheard of, but pretty rare in the base note. A lot of surprises in this one. Is it a gourmand or a fougère? I think it's a bit of both — but licorice, praline, rum, and orgeat definitely sounds like something to eat and drink to me... The funny thing is that I'm not usually partial to gourmand-type scents, but for this, I'll make an exception. On a nice mild or slightly cool day, this is simply... What? Delicious!

I almost like this fragrance enough to buy it, but not quite. It's just a little too strong with the licorice, and there's not quite enough sweetness to counterbalance it for my liking. I was hoping this would be a candy-like implementation of licorice, but it's actually more "minty fresh" to my nose. It doesn't smell bad by any means, but I prefer sweeter fragrances than this when it comes to gourmands and pseudo-gourmands.

I haven't tried the Fraicheur version of this fragrance, but I would probably like that one more.

I came across Lanvin Arpège pour Homme and that's actually a decent alternative to Lolita Lempicka if you are looking for a much lighter fragrance. It has hints of anise or licorice (toned wayyyyy down), but it's woodier with a bit of incense, and more candy-like.

A very warm, edible comforting scent, I received a small sample bottle through a trade. One of my daughters applied the whole bottle to my carpet so I can't test it with a full application. The licorice and anise notes are particularly noticeable and complement each other very well.

I'd say Lolita is not as over powering as A*Men.

The first scent that hits you is Liquorice.

So if you're happy to small like Humbert Humbert give it a try.

I'm not normally a big licorice/anise fan so wasn't expecting to like this, but was pleasantly surprised. The vanilla and woods complement the anise nicely and keep it from being to sharp and biting. The anise also isn't obviously present too too long, and this turns into a unique vanilla more than anything else. Very pleased with the lasting power of this, too. Though I wouldn't call this feminine or perfume-y, I did wonder briefly if women could pull it off due to being a little more sweet than usual -- some probably could, but I do think this remains a clean masculine scent if smelled blindly.

The downside is use is likely limited to about the same settings where I'd wear A*Men -- predominantly evenings out and cooler weather. It's probably too sweet and rich (and sensual?) for daily and/or office wear, let alone hotter weather. Also not too sure how appealing it would be to those beyond perhaps their 30's.

I'd say the unique bottle design complements the scent well -- if you find it interesting and appealing, you'll probably like the scent too, but the bottle's lavender color doesn't strike me as matching the scent directly at all.

Thumbs up for being different and somewhat challenging while remaining very wearable. Personally quite happy to have this one around, and is probably my favorite vanilla drydown encountered so far.

I love the smell but it's too weak. Even if you pour a lot, the smell remains very faint. And if you apply a ton of it, you will just start sneezing. It doesn't have great sillage and has decent longevity. It smells of a spicy aniseed.

A rich sweet anise/licorice note. If you are tired of wearing stuff like Rochas Man or A*Men (where are both amazing, I'm not bashing them) then give this one a try. Great for a night out in a crowded room. Amazing stuff.

The perfect scent for clubbing. But please don't drown yourself in this beautiful little miracle, it is very strong (in a good way).

It starts of pretty sweet and strong (liquorice) with Absinthe and Aniseed. They once asked me what I was drinking, they said I smelled like booze, it was 5 minutes after spraying LLAM.

After 15 - 30 minutes it translates into a more softer, almost feminine smell (I think that is were the Violet comes in to play with the Praline). But be patient, the most beautiful part has still to come.

Then the Vanilla and Aniseed meet, in a pretty silence way. It is not loud, but it is strong, sweet and very sexy. And it lasts forever. 1 spritz in the neck, and one on each arm, and I can go for > 24h. If I spray some more, I can take a shower the next day and still smell LLAM on my skin.

You can get female attention with this frag easily (18 - 28), but don't over-spray, it will get you negative attention. My no. 1 scent for clubbing. For other events I think this frag is a little too sweet and liquorice.

This probably generates more interest from both men and women than any other frags I use, except perhaps Vintage Tabarome

Everyone wants to know what it is as it seems surprisingly underused

one of the few frags which generates interest from perfect strangers ( amixed blessing perhaps??)

I get lovely longlasting musky, tobacco vanilla drydown which just goes on and on and on...without sickliness

recommended highly

I'm not a fan of ouzo or licorice. I could never suffer myself to consume either. That said, I found this scent oddly intriguing at first, until the anise crept its way into my nose. If I could learn to enjoy the anise, this would be a great scent for me. But I can't.

The vanilla and cedarwood are very pleasing at the drydown. So if you like licorice or ouzo, give this one a shot.

ALOT of anise in the opening, but if you like that particular note, it's not a problem. Dries down to something very similar to Luten's Douce Amere, but more muted. Very pleasant, moderate sillage, longevity is pretty good. Sweet but not cloying. Reminds me of licorice or a root beer float! I've been complimented by the opposite sex many times b/c of this scent. I wear this for the ladies, and for myself when I don't need to feel very masculine. I'm wondering how this would smell on a woman...

The fairy glade at midnight. Rustle of ivy leaves. Under pallid moonbeams, the Prince of Elves (an enchanting, mysterious fellow) meets the Goblin King (grotesque, sickly, and slightly mad). It is not clear whether they will attack each other or embrace each other. The tension is real, even if it is all a rather too conscious exercise in eccentricity. A touch disgusting, let the strange revels begin! (de Charlus)

I sampled this scent at Perfume Pizzaz and I was hoping that I would find it to be sweet as many as others but I didn't. When I first smelled it, all I could smell was mint. So I sat it down and went back to it 5 minutes later and seen no difference (maybe because I had smelled so many scents and forgot to sniff the coffee beans). So I went back a week later and resampled it again and found the same smell, Mint. Maybe it was a bad bottle? I really wanted to but it but was thrown off from that smell. I may still purchase if I can get the sweet smell out of it.

I consider myself a huge fan of fresh/citrus/aquatic scents, and before this scent, the only gourmand scent I ever tried as A*men.

Skeptical at first, I've found myself in love with this very unique, sharp and seductive fragrance. It smells like Absinthe and the first time I wore it it reminded me of the song "I Smell Sex and Candy" by Marcy's Playground.

Long lasting, strong and sweet but not dominating, absolutely wonderful!

First time i wore it, "wow u smell soooo goood" this is another good one for makin em wet..

Starts off with lots of Anise/Licorice smell, crisp sensation in the beginning. Then after about half n hour, transforms into a Rum,Vanilla,Tobacco drydown which lasts for ever. My all time favorite scent.

Mmmmm...this is the perfect smell for me-very unique and pleasent....very romantic and with it's own character.
The notes are perfect ballanced - top anise notes, perfect morphing into the sweet base...I wear this perfume with big plasure...and people very often ask me what kind of perfume I wear...

I love this fragrance!!! It is perhaps my favorite, although I am relatively new to fragrances. It is strong and provocative. I find the anise note soothing and my girlfriend finds it very attractive. This fragrance started me towards gourmands and sweet orientals, and away from watery "blue" frags. It could be too sweet for some, I guess you either love it or hate it, and I LOVE IT!!!!! (Can't you put up more than one thumb? We've got FOUR of 'em up over here on this side of the screen!)

One of the best gourmand scents, sweet and edible, but very comfortable and smooth. Not a very pretentious fragrance, I find it suitable for casual wear. Overall, it's very nice, but not as good as Rochas Man.

I wanted to like this and I did at first but after wearing it a full day I was actually nauseated by it. Too sweet and rich for me.

An addictive scent. I wore it on my wedding day.
Renato

This is a fragrance of contrasts. I absolutely cannot stand the weird opening of aniseed, absinthe and more aniseed. But be patient and this turns into the most beautiful drydown of any men's perfume. Now where's that chemistry set so I can separate the topnotes from the basenotes...??

Overly licorice/anise version of Le Male in my opinion. Nothing special. Really suprised by some of the glowing remarks. Hypnose for men is in the same vein and I think it does better. So is 212 Men Sexy and Couduroy by ZIHR.

First blast is green and anise, very strongly. The next stage I get is a lovely tobacco-like texture that melts into Praline and Vetiver over vanilla musk. Ignore the au Masculin bit: Women can definitely wear this too and it's far nicer than the little-girl women's version.

This is a great fragrance never goes unnoticed on me always receives plenty of compliments but you have to let it get passed the top notes after about 45 Mins its an entirely new scent

All I smell in this scent is anise. It smells almost exactly like Ouzo and makes me very nauseous. It makes my head spin, and not in a good way. I gave it three fair tries and it made me feel punch drunk and ill everytime. Make sure you test this one before you buy it.

it's the signature scent of my boyfriend. i didn't liked it from the first sniff, i felt something rather harsh in it, but now i like it for its uniqueness.
i also recently discovered that anise scent soothes my stomach pain, making this fragrance very useful sometimes ;)

Anise, anise anise, anise, anise.
Thats all I get I'm afraid.
Well there asre otehr notes in there but there is also Anise (did I mention that already?)

The aniseed and absinthe predominate, not unlike LLempicka for women. It is long-lasting and very original. Might be a tad strong for some. If it is too much, one might prefer Kenzo Air instead. Both with aniseed, but Air is much more easy in crowds.

very unique. The absinthe presents a very strong anise note and its rounded out a little by mainly green woods and a fair amount of vanilla. Great for a cool autumn day. Or everyday if your reclusive.

This fragrance is so much fun. I love anise but this one, dumb is it may sound, makes me feel like wearing new clothes, turnning every day to a little party. It's the 1st fragrance that I don't give a damn if others find it sexy, it just makes me feel so f* cool.

Bought this after sniffing it in a department store, i sprayed it on my hand expecting not to like it. I then spent the next hour looking like a complete idiot with my hand glued to my nose, i knew then and there that I had to go back and buy it. It's so sweet and powdery without being cloying, not to heady, just a wonderful fragrance.

the only gourmand fragrance i own, and one that i enjoy wearing when the mood takes me.

the opening salvo reminds me of cough candy sweets with a hint of menthol. the dry down veers towards a sweet (but not sickly) chocolate vanilla. every now and then, i get a breeze of the aniseed, but this settles into a very comforting scent.

this may carry the moniker 'au masculin', but i think of it more as a unisex fragrance. no problems with the staying power. it's neither overpowering (unless you coat it on), or shortlived.

a unique scent which will have a niche appeal. certainly worth trying if you come across it.

2 me it smells a lot like The Dreamer by Versace (that i'm not fond of), however it's sweeter and much better in some ways.

Randolph is accurate. I went to the store counter to smell lolita and as soon as i smelled it i thought good and plenty. if that is the smell you are going for, then this one is for you! imho it is way too sweet and it reminds me of going to the movie theatre as a kid, sticky floors, popcorn, and standing in lines...

Probably one of my biggest fragrance disappointments, so far. In many ways similar to Douce Amere, I thought this would be an ideal (and cheaper) alternative to that marvellous Lutens creation. While I can’t complain about the scent itself, its longevity is pathetic. Maybe it’s my skin (or maybe I got a dodgy bottle) but, from reading some of the reviews, I’m obviously not alone here. After about 15 minutes, I could hardly detect it on my skin!

Even stranger still, I previously tested this at a department store and its longevity seemed pretty good at the time. Go figure…

I really don't appreciate all of the anise. Lempicka starts out way too sweet. It smells almost exactly like Good 'n Plenty candiy right out of the bottle. It mellows out eventually, but the anise still ruins it for me.

The second gourmand I ventured into after A*men. Had the aftershave first (discounted purchase) and didn't think too much of it (no longevity). And then!!! What I found in the Edt was what I was looking for in the aftershave. 15 minutes after application it kind if "disappears" on my skin but when it comes back...beauty for those us who believe in Oriental.
The rest has been said already.

The top notes are candy sweet, but don't be put off, as it evolves into a much drier scent, with anise supported by notes of vanilla and powder. Longevity is solid, but I wasn't impressed with sillage.

Sweet, sexy, and extremely evocative. This is one of the only colognes that actually has a powerful affect on other people when I wear it. Just the other day, I had a lady at work remark that I smelled so good she wanted me to sit next to her the whole day just so she could continue to smell this. Sadly, I'm finding that most stores aren't carrying it anymore.

The entry is pretty much anisee and very strong for a minute or two. If anise/liorice is a huge turn-off for you, then Au Masculin is surely not your fragrance.
Once you make it through stage 1 though, the anise settles down quite a bit and blends nicely into a wonderful fresh, yet at the same time gourmand scent.
Very unique scent, currently my favorite tied with Rochas Man.

Too much anise for my tastes. I hear others talk about how it works on them, but I for one can't stomach it. Neutral on this one for that alone.

I bought this on a whim because A)It was on clearance B)I love the womens' scent on my girlfriend.

This is quite possibly my best purchase. I find it shares a lot of notes and spirit with Editions Malle L'eau D'hiver which is a very good thing. I also respect the fact that the men's and women's scents are quite similar. It's gourmand without being overtly gourmand, as to say, you know that you're wearing foody notes but it doesn't feel pretentious.

The fragrance is powerful but at the same time extremely delicate, its very full and almost narcotic, much like its sister "Hypnotic Poison" it goes on heavy and you just want to let it overwhelm you.

The first time I wore this to a club two girls I hadn't met previously invited me back to their apartments based on how I smelled. For 35 dollars canadian you really can't find a better deal....perhaps this is a signature scent?

I absolutely adore this stuff! It makes me feel like a sexy Good N Plenty :). I know it's all in my head, but I actually feel a bit more confident when I wear this. The scent just oozes appeal. It's sweet without being cloying, and it has great staying power, even after a night of dancing and sweating. Everyone should at least try this one once.

Just opened the box (big one) - the bottle - great - the fragrance - unique lovely aniseed (not too much) but fresh!! - some candy in the middle - this is a great men's fragrance - now I'm getting violets - very special this one!!

This is possibly the tastiest men's scent I've yet smelled. I got a mini for the husband from ebay, and now I can't seem to resist the urge to dab a bit of it on his neck every time I walk by. This is gingerbread in a bottle... but gingerbread with a hint of vanilla and another hint of "damned sexy." What can I say? It's just hot, and incredibly edible. (Men, if you want to be edible, you've heard my words...)

Of the many notes, the two that dominate this fragrance in my opinon are the Anise and vanilla. For those who dislike these ingredients.. avoid. Lolita is a very precious, deliciously smooth powedery blend that is slightly reminiscent of scents like Arpege and Le Male.. but retains a uniqueness that merits its own presence in a fragrance wardrobe. This gourmand also manages to retain an organic earth-like quality with hints of violet and barley water.. Sweet but not cloying at all... With excellent longevity and sillage.. i can often smell this fragrance on my shirt a day later. With an extremely well crafted bottle, Lolita is a fragrance that captures both innocence, seduction and the mystical.. in a bottle. I have received "incredible" feedback on it.. and have yet to smell it on another male.. One of my top 10 fragrances.. no question.. do yourself a favor and at least sample it.

Such a strange name. Wonderful gourmand opening—I can smell the violet, the praline, the anise and licorice. Sweet—very sweet. A luscious aroma: It is definitely gourmand but to me it’s not ‘gourmandy’ in the sense of A*Men or Rochas Man or even Hanae Mori. For some reason I don’t have the feeling that I am wearing food. The middle notes, too, are charming—comfort-like notes of anise and praline with an echo of the opening violet and a rum note to promote masculinity. Again there is a gourmand feel to it—but it seems more natural than gimmicky. The vanilla moves in with the base, and an acceptable vanilla it is; it melds perfectly with the green notes in the base to form a fitting, long-lasting ending to this totally delightful fragrance. This is a believable fantasy. This is a highly wearable scent.

This is the only one which give me the flashes of old sweet memories, may it's the effect of aniseed and cedarwood. very soft, very perfume!

Yikes. I had to spray this one when I finally saw it in a boutique, if for no other reason than it seemed so different than anything else I've sampled before. I think my expectation was the understatement of the year. In the opening I was captivated, enchanted, amused, and then about 10 minutes later I was simply sick. The notes seem to run in opposite directions from one another very quickly, creating a sickening contrast of heavy cotton candy and nutty woods. I wish I could give a better description than that, but the notes simply homogenized on my skin into a monster I didn't want to deal with. I waited for it to settle before really judging it, and I do think it gets less irritating as time goes on, but by that time I'm sick of the whole concept of the frag. Very bold, interesting, and unique, so for those reasons I give it a neutral, but otherwise I simply cannot tolerate this scent.

I like the Fraicheur version better but this is good in its drydown, which compensates for the sugary excess of the top. Licorice candy is the key note here. The spray version has a very well engineered vaporizer which makes for proper applying.

I adore the licorice! The unabashed gourmand quality of this one is disarming and totally approachable.

I love it - similar to B*Men, but find B*Men easier to wear...the Lempicka has just a bit too much licorice for me and has an almost bitter edge to it. But incredible longevity and sillage and now that Yohji Homme has disappeared, this comes pretty darn close (though missing the coffee note).

The top notes are very intense and disturbing: strong anise (like medicine), a flower and something like liquor, but fortunately it lasts about five minutes or less. The base note is more stable, with a gourmet vanilla note (not the classic oriental vanilla one) and a wood, that remembrances a bit of Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male, without the orange notes. A gourmand style parfum.

Lolita Lempicka au Masculin is a very comforting fragrance, due to its gourmand notes. The barley and aniseed notes are very prominent. The drydown of this wonderful scent is similar to Le Male without the heady stuffiness.

Wow. Very unique stuff. The top notes are kind of fantasy invoking, which can be a drawback, but is a major plus for me. A friend of mine, who worked in a cigar store, told me that it reminded him of licorice and his favorite vanilla cigars. Girls tend to dig this fragrance, at least in my experience. Definately worth a shot.

This is a pleasant fragrance. A sweet fragrance with a nice anise touch. I find it to be somewhat synthetic smelling. It’s great for casual wear, and won’t easily offend. I much prefer Yohji Homme and Douce Amere, which are similar, but worlds better.

Lolita is very similar to Body Kouros by YSL, but without the incense and eucalyptus in that one. Instead LL has a very strong licorice aroma that was quite unique when it came out. Since then we've had Mat;Very Male, KenzoAir and several other launches based on licorice/anise, but to this day I feel that LL does this the best. It's projection isn't the greatest on me, but it lingers around the skin for quite some time. I think that Lolita together with A*men and Rochas Man will stay at the top of the gourmand genre for years to come.

I finally got this fragrance and I've been getting a number of interesting comments from people. I liked it but wasn't too sure before until recently the weather got cold here in Australia and I happend to test it out on my skin and it was much better this time. It's definately sweet and heady which makes it perfect for the colder seasons. Some would argue it' perhaps too 'feminine' and yes I did get numerous comments about this scent being a bit 'girly.' A friend of mine shouted 'someone smells like a chick!" and recently someone else said 'something smells nice...it smells like the cosmetics sectin at David Jones(Australian department store)" Dispite these comments I still personally like it as this is actually marketed towards men and gender of a smell is only an idea created by the marketing people...

nice smell shame its so faint and lasts all of about 5 minutes!

Way too much anise for me!!!!!

Its thumbs up only if you like to smell like chocolate/caramel!!and i know girls luve chocolate so........

Annick Menardo is definitely my ultimately favourite perfumer with her "hypnotic poison" masterpiece...She also created this one which happens to be a very familiar smell...It reminds me of the caraway cookies my grandmother used to make...It can be a bit cloying if you apply too much but that's only due to the violet....(why would you ruin such a beautiful composition by using the most boring ingredient in perfumery ie.violet!!!). It would have been the best without it but still Is really good!!!(I much prefer it to Rochas Man)....

Very sweet, romantic, yet powerfull. Smells much like Le male, but I like this one more. I just can't wear it anytime, sometimes it gives me a headache. I think it is only for some occasions, such as for clubbing. Certainly it doens't go unnoticed - trust me!

I don't like this fragrance,smell like a candy with anis seed made in my country.

I love this cologne...every since I first purchased it two years ago I have been wearing it...it is one of those underrated colognes that is enchanting and haunting for the people you pass by on the street as well as the people you have intentions for...my favorite scent. I am waiting to see what she (Lolita) will come out with next.

Personally, I would have to rank it one of the best mens scents of 2000. You've got to admit it took balls to incorporate the same notes of the womans scent into the fragrance! Where as most fragrances for men and woman just share the names but not notes. The bottle is also ingenious in its interpretation of the womans. A very stand out of the crowd scent.