L'Homme de Coeur (2002)
by Divine

If you're looking for something stunning or obstentately opulent you should better avoid L'Homme De Coeur. Instead, if discreet elegance and refinement is what you're after I guess you could really be positively surprised by this composition.

A serious contendant, or at least an alternative, to the most popular Dior Homme (to me there is no match between the two as I largely prefer this one over the Dior but that's another point). Iris, woody notes and juniper are the main ingredients of this concotion and are actually enough to create a perfectly balanced blend that easily stands at the top of this kind of fragrances together with the most popular names.

The overall effect is the same of listening to a singer with one of those faint voices but with an unmistakeable vpoiceprint. A sort of mascuilne version of Peggy Lee. L'Homme De Coeur is a good example of a contemporary masterpiece aimed at everyday's wearing and still maintaining an incredible dose of uniqueness. Subtile perfection.

3rd August, 2011. (Last Edited: 5th August, 2011.)

This is mildly intriguing because it showcases a prominent smell of over-heated, electrical cables combined with synthetic, alien, almond topped coconut macaroons fresh from the lab.

Very synthetic, plastic-smelling and odd - it smells more like one of those Mark Buxton compositions for CDG... only much worse.

10th July, 2011.

A bergamot and cypress opening that drifts into a big fresh iris and has a lovely musk/vetiver finish. Tres bon.

4th March, 2010.

An iris scent for men that’s modern without being trite, Divine’s L’Homme de Coeur is exactly what Dior Homme should have been. After a brief citrus fanfare L’Homme de Coeur reveals a doughy iris that reminds me a bit of Maurice Roucel’s Iris Silver Mist for Serge Lutens. In this case the iris is spiked with a dab of lively juniper – a very clever touch that offsets and lightens the velvety texture of the iris. L’Homme de Coeur’s iris rests on a foundation of lightly sweetened crisp woods that keeps what could have been an overly thick scent surprisingly clear and buoyant.

None of this projects too much, so L’Homme de Coeur works mostly as a skin scent on me. It sweetens gradually as I wear it, but always remains quite cool, drying down after three or four hours to a soft woody (cypress?) and vanilla base. This is a very dignified and discreet scent that would be easy to wear on almost any occasion. It’s not sexy or romantic, but it’s very, very civilized. L’Homme de Coeur belongs beside Iris Bleu Gris, 28 La Pausa, Iris de Nuit, and Iris Silver Mist in the upper echelon of iris fragrances.

25th January, 2010. (Last Edited: 6th March, 2010.)

It’s so simple. If you like iris note in masculine scents you will love L’homme de Coeur. Otherwise don’t even bother to try it. Clean, sweet, ethereal, powdery iris along with juniper and musk create a noble, non offensive scent that stays really close to the skin. You will never get the feeling that your scent “is wearing you” with this one. I only wish it had a little more longevity, but I am willing to compromise as this is a general Iris defect. Really nice bottle and clever refill system.

19th October, 2009.

I quite like this, it starts out smelling of 'wet' sweet flowers (maybe rose). Over time it becomes powdery and fresh with a peppery note that appears in regular bursts.

In the opening I thought it was very similar to Ungaro III, so I tested the two alongside one and other. They are a little similar early on but diverge soon enough, though both have the wet floral note with a touch of pepper. For the most part I see a closer resemblance to Erolfa. Testing the two together I feel that the pair is indeed pretty close. The Divine has a little saltiness but far from as much as the Creed. The Creed is certainly fresher and has none of the Divine’s powderiness.

L'Homme de Coeur holds up quite well during the day and doesn’t eventually become musty (which I half expected) remaining pretty fresh until the end.

19th September, 2009. (Last Edited: 20th September, 2009.)