Ô de Lancôme (1969)
by Lancôme

Ô is not "fresh" like modern citrusy/green/aquatic scents are fresh. It's "fresh" like an extremely watered down version of a classic green chypre - that is, not very fresh at all. The topnotes of citrus and cut grass are agreeable enough, but the development on my skin is in the direction of musty, powdery, stale, sour, sharp, anything but "fresh". This is like the evil twin of some great chypre of yesteryear, the pale, skinny, crooked, whiny evil twin, the Gollum of chypres. It smells like "old perfume" and flowers that didn't smell very good to begin with rottening in a vase. It gets a neutral rateness for classic style and originality and because it might work with someone else's skin chemistry than mine.

O pour Homme is green, fresh, a bit floral but not sweet. It develops a grassy character. This is a light chypre. Some have called it cold, harsh, sharp – I don’t find it so frosty. It is cool and quiet. It may have rosemary and vetiver in it. I don’t detect any ginger. Nothing extraordinary here, but it is pleasing.

I usually do not care for Lancome, but I like this scent. It's very....French. I'm not exactly sure what it is that conjurs "Frenchness" for me....perhaps the fact that it was given to me by a Parisienne who, on that same day, taught me how to make Coq Au Vin from scratch. But even though it's a French memory, without it, it still reminds me of something a French woman would surely wear: sophisticated, sexy and very feminine while being fresh & fun...it takes you with ease from day to night. Just close your eyes....ah...summer in Paris ....

I still remebember the day my father and i bought her this fragance for mothers day about 12 years ago. I didnt know that this was a unisex fragance, but now that you tell me i think im borrowing a little bit from her.

A personal favorite as unisex scents go -- it's crisp, fun, and very wearable all around. Doesn't last too long, though, so be forewarned.

I used to sneak some of my Mom's occasionally, not knowing that I was by no means the only guy to do so. Still haven't met but one other guy who occasionally wears Shalimar, though.

This scent is so much like Clarins' Eau Dynamisante fragrance treatment. I prefer Eau Dynamisante to this one, it has better staying power, more 'natural' smelling notes, and seems to keep more of the notes in balance over extended time. Definitely a great unisex product!