Hypnôse Homme (2007)
by Lancôme

I'm shocked at the reviews that describe Hypnose as cheap smelling.... I can understand not liking it, but it does NOT smell cheap. I don't find it too much like LeMale, either (which I don't like). The heart of lavender, vanilla, and amber are strong and stay throughout the development and into dry down. Catching a whiff of myself as I sit at the office brings thoughts of eating rich chocolate, or perhaps drinking a rich liquor.

I agree with the comment that there are really no 'age groups' for fragrances, but those complex, rich scents are associated with more mature men. Hypnose seems at home on a date to a fancy restaurant and then back to your place and not a college frat.

An eau fraiche version was just released.... If anyone likes Hypnose but finds it too overbearing I'd look in this version. Unlike other fresh versions of colognes, this one really does seem to be just a lighter edition of the original.

EDIT: this is waaaaay better than JPG...I bought a bottle for cheap and I can't get enough. Closer to Lolita Lempicka and just much better. Older and more assured, less 'wannabe'. This is the Le Male for the older, more mature, 'I have good/better taste' crowd.

yet another JPG le male wannabe. It's been 12 years and now some scent houses want to 'redo' le male...i don't get it. Either way much cleaner and sharper than le male...I can't decide if I like this or Zihr Corduroy better.<br>I'll say, if you can't stand JPG le male's unnecessary dirty musk, then try one of the other 2 i mentioned. and if you love le male but don't want to spend the money, then go with 100% Love by s-perfume.

This is an elegant, sensuous scent for a man. Versatile enough for day or evening. I think it's one of the better newer mainstream releases. It's not "cutting edge", but very well balanced and appealing. I'm a fan of Maurice Roucel, and this did not disappoint!

In the store i felt it smelles quite unique and a little sharp to the nose but i liked it. I bought a big bottle at perfumania and once applied to my skin it smelled old and stuffy like an unclean room full of wet towels. Im not totally bagging on the fragrance because i felt it i was nice in the store. It could very well have just be its reaction on my skin that gave it this smell that never did dry down or fade. It lasted awhile so that would be a plus if it smelled nice. Bottom line is you form your own opinion on what you think smells good but just please try it on yourself before buying it as i am now stuck with a 60 dollar paperweight.

Fasten your seatbelts, because Hypnose is in for a rough ride.

This scent would be exquisite, with it's electrifying and vibrant bergamot / mint opening, coupled with a mandarin and cardamom whiff, on a heavy and empowering note of lavender. It would be stunning, with the amber bleeding through the heart of bergamot, and the patchouli flirting with the mint, while the musk accentuates the cardamom and mandarin. It would be a genuine treat; a sense-sizzling, sex-appealing, summer-time snowcone of sugary sweetness, except it's already been done. A lot. Too many times, in fact.

What we have here is a Le Male; a dash short on the synthetic sweetness, only to be accentuated by a fresher accord of spices. Not quite as synthetic and choking as Le Male, but definitely much sharper on the nose, in a very citrus, lemony way. Oh my, what else do we have here... Au Masculin? Yes; void of the licorice and vanilla base, and instead, fond of light woods which allow the top notes to direct the drydown of the scent. Which is strange, considering the pyramid for Au Masculin doesn't resemble the structure of Hypnose (Le Male does, though. They both share bergamot, mint, cardamom, lavender, amber, and a little musk; albeit very synthetic in JPG's rendering).

How then, do we arrive at such a conclusion? The answer is simple; while the top notes of Hypnose are somewhat related to Au Masculin, and the base is not, keep in mind that the top notes control the drydown in a scent where the heart and base are so weak, and the top notes are so strong. With Au Masculin, the progression is noticeable; your cedar and vanilla beat lighter top and heart notes out of the way and demand attention. Even to the heavy-hitting heart notes of violet (stronger than lavender), there is a very noticeable change. However, with Hypnose, the base notes are so weak, that the top notes remain dominant. There is no real progression, until it begins to fade away -- and that's the only real change.

Amidst all of this, I do think there was some creativity involved. Hypnose stands out as a fragrance with a very long-lasting top, which controls the fragrance and drives the heart and base to feed it, rather than eventually settling and being replaced by other scents. I somewhat like it's monotony, because for what it is, it's well done. I would never buy a bottle; the diabetes-inducing sweets aren't my forte, but for someone who likes sweet scents that make Boucheron's Jaipur seem bitter, I recommend this one.

I had rather high expectations from this one, but I was utterly disappointed. This is one of the most common and cheap-smelling fragrances I've ever encountered. There's just nothing special about it, nothing enjoyable, not to mention anything refined or sophisticated. The only positive thing about this fragrance is the bottle, which I have to say is splendid. If you want something really complex and highly sophisticated, go for THE masterpiece of perfumery, Ungaro III (or Ungaro I if you can find it).