L'Homme by Roger & Gallet, 1982

A fellow Basenoter was asking me about this so it inspired me to write a review. He mentioned it reminded him of Azzaro Pour Homme which came out about four years earlier and I imagine was a huge success in Europe. It's pretty plain to see why Roger & Gallet came out with L'Homme. Not only to compete with APH but to throw down their gauntlet in the late 70's early 80's arena of Powerhouse Mens Fragrance. Look at what was just coming out of the gate: Antaeus, Kouros, Trussardi Uomo, Polo, Calvin and Azzaro. We're talking Titans here. In fact, I'm surprised there wasn't one called "Titan"! It's very interesting that R&G, purveyors of super light classic colognes, managed to come up with one of the very best Powerhouse Mens Frags. Maybe it was one of the best because it still managed some understatement. I think it's actually better than Azzaro, which is still a top seller. It's more complex and warmer. It's kind of the love child of Azzaro PH and Calvin. The thinking mans powerhouse. So of course R&G had absolutely no clue as to how to market it. They had very odd ads in mens magazines. They looked like L.L. Bean ads. And you had to send away for the cologne and just take their word for it that it smelled good. Because you sure as heck couldn't find it anywhere in the United States. Anyways, take my word for it. This stuff is fantastic! Just make sure you get some new, because all the vintage I've acquired was vinegar.