Monsieur Léonard (1992)
by Léonard

Monsieur Léonard is a well made men’s aromatic fragrance that sort of bridges the 80’s and 90’s. The aromatics of the opening (sage, coriander, and lavender) are given, rather than herbal or green emphasis, a fresh and vibrant ambiance. Their lack of “herbalness” allows the bergamot and the basil to form a delicate, fresh, citrus / green accord that so naturally and lightly pleasant. This fresh accord has very good longevity—I’m used to flash in the pan citrus openings, but this one has some nice staying power. The heart of the scent is floral, but it doesn’t seem to be—it is not at all flowery. The middle is not a very potent force in the progression of Monsieur Léonard. Maybe because of the extended top notes, the scent seems to move directly from the top to the bottom. At any rate, the florals of the middle are caught up with the musk, cedar and amber of the base. The combination is an attractive accord—it’s not very strong; it certainly doesn’t throw very much sillage; and, as light as it is, has an old school vibration to it. The base suffers from lack of longevity, so the gains made in the opening are lost in the middle and base—especially in the sillage department. The base does become a skin scent that stays musky and ambery for an hour or two.

I see Monsieur Léonard as a transition scent. It contains very identifiable characteristics of both the 80’s and the 90’s. It is classically constructed of classical notes, but its emphasis on the primacy of the top notes, its muted accords, its conglomerate concoctions of the middle and base, and its lack of longevity are quite typical of the scents that would come to rule the nineties. If only the makers had given up the natural smelling notes and moved to abundant and annoying synthetic accords, this might have been more successful. As it is, they made the mistake of producing a very nice scent.

Originally submitted April 2007

10th December, 2010.

Fresh, green, and aromatic, and definitely has all the hallmarks of a fougère. At first this has a bit of soapiness about it, but in a good way. That soon subsides, however, and we are left with a very nicely blended and balanced classic-style fragrance. This isn't exactly demure, but it's not wildly groundbreaking either. Nice for the office (after it dries down a bit), or or a casual afternoon's social moment. Good longevity, moderate sillage after the initial burst.

19th March, 2010.