Arpège pour Homme (2005)
by Lanvin

Allow me to say that I could not get this fragrance off my body fast enough to circumvent the scent-anguish racing towards my brain.

My apologies to those who find this pleasurable. I am persuaded to think that the anti-christ was the house nose for this juice and the next time I see a bottle of this, I will, no doubt, sprinkle Holy Water on it.

My first whiff of it was pleasurable: light powdery vanilla with more than a tinge of pepper. The more wearings I had, the more I grew to love it. Sillage is strong and longevity is amazing. As long as you don't apply too much, I think it smells rich and decidedly classy; I often feel obliged to put on my best looking outfit whenever I wish to wear Arpege pour Homme. Some of you might wonder if it truly deserves to share the same name as Lanvin's 1927 classic but I say 'Give it a try'. Unless you happen to hate sweet scents, you'll find it bears the Arpege heritage rather well.

Yes it's sweet. But that should just encourage us ladies to give this one a try. I think it's a very nice woody fragrance with a bright and sweet top that isn't too much (this is not L de Lolita Lempicka or Aquolina Pink Sugar). There is a watery accord in the top notes that some might find offputting, but this sees to pass off completely to let the woods shine out. And there's none of that 'aftershave accord' that haunts so many masculine frags and puts me off wearing them in public.

I think this is a very nice woody feminine. I like it better on me than the women's version of Arpege.

Well, someone finally did re-use the "Lauder Pleasures" Nectarine accord, and made it spicier, problem is they made it sweeter as well, and pleasures was already too sweet.
Try again.

On the scent itself, it is a nice sueded-Tangerine-Vanilla thing.
If you don't mind sweet scents and want something fuity/citrust/spicy that all come together smooth, I'd suggest this.

Very powdery sweet in the beginning, not fruity or vanilla sweet, its just feminine sweet. Its nauseating to me and very powerful. My dad used to wear it after it was given to him. I cant stand it.

Bright opening—strong in pepper and citrus with just enough nectarine to round out and give fullness to the accord: It’s sweet – needlessly so, I think. As the pepper and the nectarine disappear, the powdery, nutmeg spicy, floral mid notes begin to take over – it’s quite warm in tone and quite lasting, but I am disturbed by an off smell in the background. It seems like violet but no violet is listed, so it’s probably the hay note from the maté that turns me off. That note lasts about twenty minutes before the scent reorganizes itself into its renewed pleasantness. The dry down, too, is rich and long lasting dominated by patchouli, various woods and tonka. The drydown is very nice, but I don’t find anything especially unique in it: It alone is not enough to make up for that off note that I experience in the heart notes. Arpège is warm, masculine, and versatile fragrance, but for me it lacks interest and even without that off-note that is probably my aberration, I would vote it a neutral. I really don’t think it is worthy of the great Arpège name. (Edit of May 12, 2006 review.)