Molinard Homme I by Molinard, 1996

I really enjoy this one, and from the look of things here, I may be one of the few. It kicks off with a big shot of myrrh mixed with orange, which I think smells great, vaguely acidic and sweet in a resinous way. Quickly, the chypre elements come through, eventually followed by green herbs and a hint of lemony lavender and some sawdusty sandalwood. For a while, it sort of reminds me of Santal Noble (a nuanced sandalwood chypre) with extra herbs and all that myrrh added. Eventually, the myrrh dies down, leaving a fantastic 80's-smelling woody chypre with a sweet resinous core and a great mix of green herbs and sweet spices filling out the smell. Honestly, I'd put Homme I up against any of the notable 70's/80's masculine woody chypres. It has character and uniqueness, but with a respect for history and a nose for subtle quality. I think it gets short-changed critically because it's cheap, but stands out as a great value when taken on its own merits. Maybe if it had been discontinued and you could only buy it on eBay for ridiculous prices, people would like it more...

Someone slapped on lots of baby powder at the golf course...i like it though. FORE!

Myhrr (galbanum) is the predominant note of this perfume. it is present from the get go and persist during the whole development as the canvas on which the rest of the perfume is painted. It opens with a strong lavender and mint accord backed by pelargonium, very herbal and honestly, not exactly to my taste, but swiftly turns into this patchouli/vetiver/cedar accord that is glorious against the myhrr background that give suberb support to this accord. The pelargonium unfortunately spoils the effect somewhat. The whole perfume is really very pleasant, I would give this perfume 5 stars if it wasn't by that pelargonium note that is too intrusive to the patchouli/vetiver accord, so it gets only 4 stars in my book, but a thumbs up regardless. Decent sillage and longevity.

Molinard I is more of an aromatic than a woody scent. Lavender and cloves are what seem to stand out the most to my nose. I was introduced to this fragrance by a sales assistant shortly after testing Santos de Cartier. She described it as being a very classic fragrance, one which would appeal to those more mature men that seek conservative fragrances for their wardrobe. I don't agree with the classic reference, however this fragrance is conservative. It's very basic in its approach, being somewhat one-dimensional, and having poor longevity, which is another downfall. Molinard I is not signature material, however the scent itself is very soothing. Funny as it might sound, this fragrance would make an excellent bed-time scent. The lavender and soft woods would bring with it a peaceful night's sleep. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for this fragrance, I do believe it would be a lot more well-known had it been packaged differently. The bottle is so plain that I would have walked past this fragrance and dismissed it entirely had I not been introduced to it by the pushy sales assistant.

Starts of really nice with a green woodsy feel and a light oakmoss and light vetiver base. However, it is very boring and fleeting. Not amazing or even nice enough to wear.

This opens with a fresh, minty-green chord. It develops along powdery and fresh lines, a bit grassy, a bit ozonic. I dont care for this sort of scent, and I dont find this rendition in any way interesting.

A nice, typical masculine from Molinard. This is a kind of hybrid between chypre and fougère, without being either: it has the lavender and oakmoss of a fougère, but lacks the expected tonka bean; it has the oakmoss and patchouli of a chypre, but none of the chypre top note of bergamot. Still it does very well as a quiet, unassuming sort of scent, perfect for the workplace, where those sorts of values are appreciated. It does equally well if one is in a contemplative mood, or is in need of soothing reassurance. Well made and pleasant, but not meant to be exciting. That's cool by me, sometimes sometimes it's exactly what I'd like.

Boriing, out of mood, already scent. Thumbs down !

Syrup? I don't get "sweet" at all. This is a lovely vetiver frag with tons of wood and mint -- very refreshing, very Provencal. I can't believe it doesn't get more play here on the board.

Aunt Jemima's Maple Syrup.
Sweet, with some floral notes lurking in the background. Utterly boring.