Versace l'Homme (1984)
by Versace

It seems to me that whenever a name brand decides to release their first fragrance it usually ends up being their best as I feel this is the case with L'Homme. It may not ever become a timeless classic but it sure isnt ar from it. Even if you don't like it, it should serve as a reference as to what well made perfumes should smell like. and be made of. Reformulations often kill the legacy of great perfumes because the new commer cannot ever connect with a scent of yesteryear for the lack of living samples so they only have the elders points of view.

5th January, 2012.

Know anybody who wears this? Yeah, me neither but that's not to say they shouldn't be as L'Homme is a splendid and unique but not compelling fragrance. Soft with ginger and citrus, L'Homme is not as hairy-chested as most make it out to be. Sure, there's an unidentifiable note that pokes like a thorn but it gives L'Homme some character. The ginger is also unique as I'm unaware any men's fragrance that built its foundation on ginger prior to '84. My only issue with L'Homme is that it doesn't progress much and one can get bored by it if you have a short attention span. Gucci Envy for Men followed in L'Homme's footsteps and has since outpaced L'Homme. Still, L'Homme deserves respect for being the first.

9th November, 2011.

Versace L'Homme is a classic and it deserved this qualification in the course of the years on the side of fragrances from the same age as Armani Pour Homme or following as Boucheron Pour Homme, Egoiste and others. In the same vein of Gucci Envy (but less sugary and more balanced), Photo Lagerfeld (but denser and more complex), Equipage (but less leathery), Parfums de Nicolai  Baladin (but less aromatic, sharp and leathery) and Askew by Humiecki & Graef (but less pricey, fruity-laethery and synthetic) Versace L'Homme is a complex fragrance that shares some characteristics with the aromatic fougere, others with leather cypre and finally others with the woody oriental scents. It's a stiff, surly and funereal juice, masculine and autoritative as an High Court's Judge. The juice itsel, in its final outcome, smells as an oily  grassy-lemony, incensey, slightly leathery and aromatic fluid with mild features of amber,cinnamon, rose and vanilla and the woodsy  restrained consistence of cedar and carnation. The opening is in line with the green aromatic of the 80's and is strong in herbs and citrus with an initial earthiness and dustiness of patchouli  and incense and the indolence of rose rising from the middle. In this phase the fragrance is appalling. The smoothness in the meanwhile is ready to stand, waking up some mildness. The cinnamon starts sweetening the elements together with some woods and florals. The note of jasmine starts soaring in the air in the middle of the dust while the balsams begin to envelop the elements in a dense and silky embrace. The last is woodsy because of a further smoothening note of moss and due to musk and cedar. The silkiness is enhanced by that sort of shadowy and opaque touch proper of leather wares and suede but the dry down is properly smokey, boise' and incensey and just an hint leathery. I've heard the fragrance is now discontinued and eventually it would be a great pity. This scent could even smell to some oppressive in certain stages of the development but it remains a classic and serious piece of art. Any dispute about.

11th October, 2011. (Last Edited: 14th December, 2011.)

I rememeber when this scent came out- the roaring 80ties and Gianni Versace at the summit of his fame.Warm, sensual somehow sweet and soapy.It opens quite fresh (lemon!), in the middle notes you feel sandalwood, cinnamon, cedar and patchouli and the base notes include oakmoss, vanilla and leather.The ingredients a very well put together.
The fragrance is a classic and good but I personally dislike the soapy warm part of this fragrance-it´s not edgy, not weird- cedar, patchouli, amber etc. ?! at a certain point give this scent a soft, sticky, smooth and a bit greasy touch.The opening already gives you a sign : it´s fresh but quickly turn into this mellow, soapy sweet and slippery something and I see these vain, too good looking and slipper as an eel adonis types of the typical Versace advertisments in their colourfully painted shirts.....it´s their scent and it belongs to a certain era and a certain type of man.Versace realized perfectly his vision and it´s his signature and this I appreciate-the scent bears his hallmark! But nevertheless the scent meanders along and the rough edges are missing......

28th August, 2011.

This is the only fragrance by Versace that I have tried that I actually like...And I like it alot. It shares a lot of similarities with the magnificent Chanel Egoiste (NOT the Platinum version). Versace l'Homme was released in 1984 and Egoiste 4 years later (1990). Might the perfumers of Egoiste been influenced by this fine frangrance? Both share a citrus opening. Both have spicy cinnamon and rose in the middle. And both have a drydown consisting of vanilla, amber and sandalwood.

When Versace l'Homme enters the middle to base phase, it begins to remind me quite a lot of Escada Homme (1993). Escada is less spicy (much less cinnamon), but the common base elements of vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli and musk makes me wonder if Escada wasn't also influenced by this fine fragrance.

I enjoy wearing Versace l'Homme. It has decent sillage and average longevity. Although Versace l'Homme is very similar to Egoiste, it does not match the masterpiece created by Chanel. Still, it is a wonderful fragrance and regular part of my rotation.

25th June, 2011. (Last Edited: 30th July, 2011.)

Some claim there was a very bad reformulation. I think I have the original formulation, if there are two or more. The problem with it, for me, is that it has that patchouli/amber/cedar combination that just seems to destroy my sinuses. There are a number of fragrances like this, and perhaps the most popular is Envy for Men. Anyway, I do like how the ginger is handled here, and if that combination was just toned down I might like this one, but as it stands I can't tolerate it. It has a bit of a creamy quality, for those of you who would like to know. It is natural smelling and strong. It may lack some dynamism, but it's hard for me to say for sure because I find that combination so offensive and difficult to endure. I'll have to stick with my diluted version of One Man Show for this kind of green fragrance. Green Jeans is different, though. There is no patchouli or ambery quality, nor is it at all creamy (OMS isn't creamy either), nor is it spicy. The focus in GJ is on the herbal and red pine notes. It's a bit synthetic at first but the drydown is quite nice. I'd say you can think of l'Homme as a woody version of Envy for Men.

18th April, 2011.