L'Humaniste by Frapin, 2009

As spring approaches this masterful classic aromatic fragrance moves once again to the front of the list. L' Humaniste is a peppery fresh aromatic fragrance that is so well balanced it is difficult to categorize the scent. There are bits of citrus rind at first with a mix of pepper, cardamom, bay and nutmeg. Bits of juniper twigs dot the mid section of this potpourri of elements. All these spicy bits rest on a warm woods base that supports a fresh effervescent quality that is renewing to smell. L'Humaniste is one of my favorites of a large group of aromatic fragrances that contain many of the same elements. I believe that this one stands out because of the the Frapin house ability to blend subtle ingredients of flavor into a harmonious conclusion. Excellent.

This is a very good crispy citrus fragrance that successfully avoids classic eau de cologne vibe, with the underlying spice aromas. Moderate projection and sillage since it is a citrus fragrance default, but still very good in the genre. Recommended for spring/summer/office wear.

With L'Humaniste you get an can an initial blast of citrus and gin. For the first hour or two it maintains the "prickly" sharpness that the gin/juniper give out but all the while there is a creaminess in the background. The creaminess amps up as the fragrance dries down. Given the horrible longevity of 1270 I was surprised on repeated wearings this one has quite good longevity (with 5 sprays). I actually got a compliment (from someone who was admittedly very close) over 12 hours after application. That being said good sillage only lasts about 4-6 hours, but overall I'm satisfied with the performance. This is a scent that on paper and first-sniff might seem generic or "done before" but it is surprisingly well blended and has a satisfying bright/fresh quality to it. 4.5/5

I remembered what a distinguished place AEDES shop in New York had reserved for L´Humaniste. Once again presentation and marketing has a lot to do with the fact that this perfume while quite pleasant it is rather "pedestrian" as dollar&scents put it. I wouldn't consider this a masterpiece. It's longevity is poor on me and it's projection after a couple of hours is minimal. Compared to other offerings from Frapin, L´Humaniste is to me a trick to include in their collection a perfume to cater for perfume lovers who would go for light and modern interpretations of spiced up hesperides, rather than Frapin's other more olfactory offerings. In this Frapin succeed alas L'Humaniste doesn't fulfill my high expectations based on the rest of their collection. L'Humaniste is a watered down version of something that could have been much greater if Frapin hadn't want to play it safe. How about trying next a boozy-hesperides-spices concoction?

A spring/summer winner. A beautiful peppery, gin-spiked citrus that doesnt get talked about too much around these parts. This isnt a buttery smooth composition, in fact it's almost sharp and fizzy, just like a gin and tonic - but it works quite nicely in this case. If you're unfamiliar with this one, picture a better version of Chanel Aluure Edition Blanche. Where that particular fragrance gets creamy and cloying, L'Humaniste takes a different approach with the gin, to ensure it doesnt get too sickly sweet or creamy. With Edition Blanche, the fantastic opening notes dissappear quickly, but with L'Humaniste, that tart citrus stays present throughout. A citric gin & tonic with a gentleman's vibe. Refined, fairly close to the skin, and signature worthy for warmer months. Very good. 8/10

L'Humaniste by Frapin - One is initially treated to a spicy citric melange. Tangy and tart lemon, bittersweet bergamot, bayberry, with its slightly green, berry fruitness and a whisper of mint, the fruity acerbity of pink pepper, the woody sharpness of black pepper and the wonderful spiciness of cardamom, all converge to present a delightful, somewhat bracing, opening. Transitioning to the herbal middle, nutmeg, with its sweetish, cinnamon-like character, along with a boatload of thyme, with its sweetly medicinal spiciness, usurp the opening, and interplay with the captivating, elusive citrus-rose of peony. This vibrant blend floats on a bellowing cloud of juniper, with its pine-like, terpenic character. Segueing to the modulatory base, oakmoss, with its dank, foresty element, commingles with the somewhat invigorating juniper, and coaxes the juniper's dry and unsweet aspects to present a gin-like aura. A faint tonka bean imparts its balmy, vanillic shadow. A marginally fresh drydown ensues. This commonplace composition is by and large a skin scent, with average longevity. Its commonness just makes it another scent in its genre, in essence, pedestrian.

Beside our personal preferencies (oriental, aquatic, chypre etc etc), sometimes I think we all should give a chance to perfumes who usually don't catch our interest or attention, and maybe we could happen to like what we didn't expect to.

 That's exactly what happened to me with L'Humaniste. As I'm usually into, leather, oriental, edgy and bold perfumes, at a first sniff I was just about to dismiss L'Humaniste as one of the millions citruses cologne avialable on the market, but I decieded to give it more attention discovering an incredible and quite deep fragrance. A superior quality is notiecable throughout, form the citrusy-peppery opening (maybe not so original but magistrally executed), through the spicy (cardamom) middle phase (where juniper and gin play their main role), to the fresh and mossy drydown. Sober and discreet but with personality and most important of all, masterfully crafted. A great summer fragrance.