Patou pour Homme (1980)
by Jean Patou

Patou Pour Homme.

I honestly hesitated writing a review of this for a long time because I needed to get to know it. I needed to be able to decipher Patou Pour Homme and eliminate, if necessary, any comparisons. I had to find the right time to wear it, places to spray it, and all sorts of other things.

Well, now I'm going to review it from my own perspective - not from the hype or praise of some of our other excellent reviewers.

For me, Patou Pour Homme is an extremely rich and decadent oriental fragrance for men. It opens up on my skin with noticeable lavender and tobacco (yes, I smell tobacco) notes complimented by spices, pepper, and a cooling petitgrain note. The oily tobacco note reminds me of Havana by Aramis, sort of. There's also a dark leather note thrown in the mix. Overall, the feel is sort of like a big, oily, masculine Mitsouko. There are no unpleasant or "pissy" notes to turn people away - just raw, strong masculinity at its finest.

After an hour or two the top notes settle down and Patou Pour Homme gets drier and a little spicier. The patchouli and clary sage rear their heads and echo the top. It's a smooth transition. At this point I'm somewhat reminded of *vintage* Bel Ami by Hermès.

Then, soon enough, the base kicks in - my favorite part. Oakmoss, sandalwood, and a BIG labdanum note set off the grand finale. Overall, the transition from middle to base and the lasting base takes a while, and it is SO enjoyable. The usage of chypre and fougère elements are part of what makes Patou Pour Homme so fucking good.

Now, that being said, is Patou Pour Homme the best men's fragrance ever? I dunno, but it's definitely my favorite fragrance. It definitely belongs in the top ten. At first when I tried it my expectations were somewhat let down. It didn't make me swoon and I hadn't found my "holy grail". Go figure, Patou Pour Homme is a fragrance that grows on you over time. I discover something new every time I wear Patou Pour Homme, and it's most certainly in my top 10.

As a final note, I don't find Patou pour Homme to be worth the astronomical prices on eBay and Basenotes, but every guy should at least try it. If you can find a decant, get some - it should last you a while.

23rd June, 2011. (Last Edited: 1st October, 2011.)

Jean Patou Pour Homme has an enormous reputation preceding it, and for once, this is a fragrance that lives up to it.

The opening is light, slight and herbal, and devoid of any citric freshness. Its a familiar accord, old school, but it is the transparency of the notes that is remarkable. Each note is clear and easily distinguishable. The addition of sandalwood and especially cinnamon, bring JPPH to a burnished and warm peak.

It is extremely potent, not in a vulgar genital waving sort of way, but in a controlled, consistent and effortless manner.A single spray to the chest is sufficient to keep me entertained for a whole day.

The walnut burr patina evident on the box, is an appropriate indication of the polished and desirable liquid contained within.

5th April, 2011.

I thought I'd point out that the Estonia site has the following pyramid, which is a bit different:

Basil, clary sage, lavender, petitgrain oil.

Carnation, cinnamon, pine needles, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, jasmine, geranium.

Amber, leather, moss, tonka bean, vanilla, castoreum.

2nd March, 2011.

Just ridiculous! This may sound insane, but this masterpiece is almost TOO nice to wear. Each time I go to put it on it's like "No, no ,no you're wasting it! Save it for better time," as it is hard to find. (What fiend discontinued this?!) But what better time than now? All I can say is this: You will NEVER find a more perfect men's fragrance! If you can find this jewel, buy it. And wear it when you wanna knock 'em dead. Priceless. Period! (As a side note: This layered with Bond no. 9 Fire Island tones down its sheer elegance to a more multi-situational suitability.) Wish I had two more hands so I could give this four thumbs up! Even Rick James, may he RIP, I think would agree!

21st December, 2010.

An incredibly well-blended frag for men that resonates throughout the day - you get the sympony of the overall accord yet can pick out individual notes, all the way from its opening through dry down. Worth spending $$$ to experience a masterpiece. Indeed, others have voted likewise, as today's Ebay lists a 3.4 oz spray bottle with an asking price of $540 from an English seller.

16th December, 2010.

It is a rare moment when I jump on the bandwagon with a crowd claiming a perfume to be "the best" in any category, but there's really no way around the simple and clear fact that Patou Pour Homme is on the short list of greatest masculines ever produced. Personal taste may dictate that it's not your #1 favorite masculine, but if it's not in your top-3 I suggest the following: put your sample away. Then spend a couple years sampling hundreds of other fragrances before coming back to PPH. This is not a fragrance for someone new to perfume or without a taste for the bold.

There is little to add to the actual note reviews that precede this one. With your nose planted into your wrist you will note the what is so amazing about PPH's construction: the major notes of each phase (lavender into patchouli into labdanum/sandalwood) seemingly progress independently from the accompanying notes of the phases (citrus, herbs, pepper, incense, leather). As the perfume progresses the various notes mingle in and out with each other. And while this intricate dance progresses forward if one wears PPH a general monolithic aroma of herbal/woody/leathery warmth surrounds you. The progression moves slowly over many hours and winds up in a leathery base that I believe to be the intersection of sandalwood and amber.

It's taken me nearly two years of sampling and wearing to get my head around PPH for long enough to articulate this review. Given the rarity it's a special-occasion fragrance for me, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't look forward to those occasions as much for wearing PPH as the occasion itself. Thumbs UP.

31st August, 2010.