Amor Pour Homme by Cacharel, 2006

Edit 4-26-2012 What was I thinking. This scent is rather harsh and on my skin it works a bit weird, after a while it smells like body odour...I am not kidding. This is one of many fragrances I no longer like. My earlier review: I do not detect any rose note in this fragrance, but do I care? Scentemental wrote an eloquent review and obviously his nose is much better than mine, but I really like this fragrance very much. "In its contemporaneity *Amor Pour Homme*, and Cacharel itself, assumes that those who will buy this fragrance will probably have never tried *Cacharel Pour LHomme* nor will really want to." I actually tried the original, owned a bottle in the 80's and loved it, because it wasn't that outspoken, cloying and powerful as other 80's fougeres (Drakkar noir, Polo, Paco Rabane, Trophee Lancome and even Lacoste original) To my nose Amor is a very 'neutral' and extremely ordinary fougere. It isn't innovative, doesn't smell different and is easily to dismiss as a generic, boring scent. But I simply cannot come up with one fragrance that smells like this one. I feel this fragrance, of all the fougere-like fragrances I tried, is the ultimate average, it seems to strive for an average of all good things. Amor smells pretty timeless, whereas the original Cacharel Pour Homme is easily recognized as an 80's fragrance. I want to make an analogy. Some audiophiles have a certain auditioning rule: if the hifi-set audiotioned in the store doesn't sound that special, if it doesn't really stand out, it most likely will be the best choice. The hifi components that did sound spectacular at first may irritate, cause listening fatigue when living with it for a longer period. Not a strong analogy I guess, but what I am trying to say is that when I'm wearing a fragrance for a longer period the balance must be right, I have to feel at ease with it and not get annoyed by a certain distinctive note that is claiming its attention. To me Amor is a great every day fragrance, nothing more and nothing less.

Amor Pour Homme strikes me as urban in nature and delivery. The pyramid says citrus and tea, and I get those but the accord has a slight metallic tinge to it. I rather like it its a bit sharp and it has and attractiveness about it. I dont get much spice, just tea, citrus, and a bit of metal in a nonaggressive accord. The mid notes dont offer me any spice either, and no roseI get green in the middle level but nothing floral. Up to this point, the scent is pretty linear: tea, fern, and metal Its enjoyable in an abstract urban way. The base brings on a refined vetiver note along with some sweetenersprobably tonka; I dont get a rosewood note and I find the whole base accord mostly generic anonymity and quite light. Theres not a lot to intrigue me about this fragrance: Its not very interesting, but its an acceptably good scent. Its nicely assembled, and it doesnt strike me as particularly synthetic until the end of the drydown when the metallic note becomes too pronounced; but even this is not unpleasant. Amor Pour Homme is substantially linear and it doesnt last very long. I dont understand the name, because it doesnt seem sensual or romantic. I think that it would work best as a day scent. (Edit of 16 October 2007 review.)