Je Suis Un Homme (2006)
by Etat Libre d'Orange

Few instants after the first blast and over  my mind jumps a reminiscence of the original Vetiver Guerlain, the power of hesperides is notable and on the side of bergamot, lime and orange i catch a touch of not listed vetiver (the herbs and the following woodsy notes produce probably that effect), cloves, cinnamon, a bit of laundry detergent and a whiff  of incense. The olfactory sensation of the last note is may be brought to mind by the notable chord of cloves and cinnamon with its dustiness, anyway this conventional citrusy and angular opening introduces a certain level of dust that i don't dislike at all. I detect the boozy vibe of spices that are macerated and liquorous. The smell soon evolves towards a sort of smoother and leathery base that manteins the dusty pungency of spices-incense and the citrusy mould of the orange. I don't smell a particular testosterone feel, just an averagely attractive  leathery and musky outcome with an orangy and liquorous temperament and with the bold touch of patchouli. A traditional beast, classy in execution but a bit too faint in duration.

25th November, 2011.

I thought I’d really enjoy this one when first applied. It has an overpowering citrus and bergamot opening. However within 15 minutes this fades and becomes predominately patchouli and clove, heavy on the clove.

25th July, 2011.

After the quite conventional citrus / bergamot opening, Je Suis Un Homme turns to a classic bitter animalic leather frag with a slight modern twist. Maybe not what you would expect by one of the most controversial brand ever but yet a very interesting composition with an impeccable touch of class. Recommended!

Je Suis Ce Que Je Suis.

6th May, 2011.

Man. Spiced.

This stuff is genius. It's all spice, all man, all power, all kinds of sacking the city, stealing your girlfriend, and smoking a cigar in the no-smoking section with a smile thereafter. It's like Viagra that doesn't stop in four hours. It's not for the timid, but the brave should just get some.

27th February, 2011. (Last Edited: 14th April, 2011.)

The strident name is unfortunate for a scent so bleating and mild, leaving Je Suis Un Homme a hubristic sissy to some noses. In fairness, the fragrance is really quite respectable within the genre, which, as a cologne, means judged on how it accommodates its flighty citrus materials. Where Eau de Guerlain relies on musks, and Eau Sauvage on vetiver, Je Suis Un Homme finds longevity in a patchouli-leather accord that lasts for many hours and suggests a biker's jacket once worn, and worn once. This accord becomes increasingly scorched-smelling and it reminds me of those coiled paper strips embedded with gunpowder pellets that I used to play with as a child and which could be individually detonated with a forceful swipe of a young pyromaniac's pocket money coinage. There are certainly better citruses and better patchoulis out there; yet I can imagine desiring this once a year.

28th January, 2011.

This has a classic cologne opening, followed by cinnamon and leather and a quite boozy musky accord. It sounds a very traditional masculine that I would normally not like -- but I thought it was very nice and considering the continued dearth of decent masculines to choose from, you could do a lot worse. Longevity and sillage were great on me.

30th December, 2010.