Why is Sung Homme so unpopular?

[MOONB]

My own review of this scent is as scathing as others I've read, and although it has its own fan base, Sung Homme doesn't seem to have ever gained much traction since its release in '88. I'm surprised they still make it, really. Anyone know what the issue is with this fragrance? I picked up a 3.4 oz bottle cheap offline because I'd like to give it another chance, see if I can't warm up to it after all. I've seen it compared to Montana, Irish Spring soap, and Quorum, although with the exception of a soapy brightness off the top, I don't see much of a comparison to any of those things. Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Riley]

To me its your classic 80's scent. It has strong projection and longevity. It's top notes are sharp and very arromatic. You notice right away how synthetic the ingredients smell but it seems to work for this frag. There is so much going on it capitivates your attention. But settles down to a nice, soapy vibe. Bonus, it can be found so cheap these days.

[PerfumeCollector]

What do you mean unpopular????

23 Positives/8 Neutral/9 Negatives reviews here in Basenotes.
In Fragrantica 33 likes/love against only 4 dislikes

I would not call that unpopular by any means, on the contrary, an almost 60 percent approval against only a 23 percent dissaproval here and almost 90% approval in Fragrantica, to me that means popular by any standard.
It is one of my favorite fragrances and you can read my review.

You may not like it but that does not mean is unpopular. Please, do not confuse your preferences with the preferences of the rest of the people.

[Ralph]

You notice right away how synthetic the ingredients smell

You do indeed. That did it for me, really. Just seemed like bubblegum air-freshener.

[MOONB]

What do you mean unpopular????

23 Positives/8 Neutral/9 Negatives reviews here in Basenotes.
In Fragrantica 33 likes/love against only 4 dislikes

I would not call that unpopular by any means, on the contrary, an almost 60 percent approval against only a 23 percent dissaproval here and almost 90% approval in Fragrantica, to me that means popular by any standard.
It is one of my favorite fragrances and you can read my review.

You may not like it but that does not mean is unpopular. Please, do not confuse your preferences with the preferences of the rest of the people.

Yeah, the reviews it gets are generally positive, but if you read across threads here on BN and really read all the reviews on Fragrantica, people aren't in love with Sung Homme. As I acknowledged above, it does have its fan base. But popularity doesn't necessarily mean how much people like/love a fragrance - in this case I'm referring to the fact that it's been around for 23 yrs, and is rarely discussed, and shows a surprisingly small number of reviews here on BN. Then Ralph referred to how synthetic it smells - and he seems to join the list of those who find it unsavory . . . I'm wondering if I just got a bad bottle when I tried it. Does it have a very odd note in it that contrasts against the "freshness" of its opening? I thought there was a staleness in there that was very unpleasant.

[petruccijc]

Because it does not smell good IMO.

[The Bark]

Q: Why is Sung Homme so unpopular?

A: Because there's only 36,403 scents to choose from, 1,500 of those being new to the market just last year.

Q: Where's Waldo?

A: Exactly.

[Pollux]

Because it does not smell good IMO.

Because it feels imbalanced, sort of like a battle among aromatic molecules in which the winner is a 1980's-clad boldness. Ever tried Krizia Uomo? Feels like it. I like them, but I cannot state at all that the blend is balanced, subdued, gentlemanly, or what you like. It is a beast.

[MOONB]

Q: Why is Sung Homme so unpopular?

A: Because there's only 36,403 scents to choose from, 1,500 of those being new to the market just last year.

Q: Where's Waldo?

A: Exactly.

By this logic, Kouros, Green Irish Tweed, and Le Male should be just as unpopular.

[The Bark]

By this logic, Kouros, Green Irish Tweed, and Le Male should be just as unpopular.

Or maybe they just stand out in the crowd more. It's kind of hard to be noticed when one is but a wallflower - and not a particularly great one at that.

Sung Homme will forever be known to me as "stud" because of my roommate in college. My brother wore it as well. I liken it to drinking Budweiser all those years ago. I have a bottle of it, used it back then, but tastes change - especially after trying thousands of things between then and now. You couldn't pay me to drink Budweiser now and I probably won't be wearing Sung Homme anytime soon, either. Neither stand out in the crowd, though they can still be appreciated for what they are.

[NDN-01]

Because it feels imbalanced, sort of like a battle among aromatic molecules in which the winner is a 1980's-clad boldness.

This is my feeling. Although I like it well enough, I rarely reach for it. The overall feeling of it reminds me of those scented pinecones that Wallyworld piles up by the door at Christmas time. Actually, I think that is what ruined Sung homme for me. The smell of those pinecones is so strong that you can smell it in the parking lot and taste it hours later after leaving the store.

With that all said, I do like to wear it around Christmas time occasionally and I avoid that pile of Wallyworld smut as much as possible.

Regards,

...NDN-01!!!

[DuNezDeBuzier]

I have it and like it but during each and every application I pause, chuckle and wonder whether it could possibly be a bit more... more... more...




PURPLE

[Pollux]

IMHO, it is one of those scents that one has in one's w'drobe because of nostalgia, curiosity or just the feeling of trying to understand something that is at odds with one's taste or with present-day styles.

[Grottola]

Well, for one, lack of marketing. Also, lack of distribution. Besides Ulta, I can't really find it in department stores. Just fragrance shops.

The bottle is also pretty dated. It doesn't really bother me, especially considering the juice is PURPLE, my favorite color.

[Chasing the Dragon]

I actually enjoy this one. I don't know why it isn't more popular, in my opinion it is miles better than some of its better known contemporaries such as CK Obsession or Drakkar Noir. I suspect that if it were discontinued, its cult following would be bigger than it is.

[Renato]

As one of the very few here who absolutely loves Sung Homme, I am continually utterly mystified by the negative comments about it. I know that there are love it/hate it type scents around - and I can usually see the reason why the polarisation exists. But for the life of me, I can't fathom any reason why it is so disliked.
Regards,
Renato

[MOONB]

It's definitely not as widely distributed as it could be. But it's very easy to find online. The bottle is a Pierre Dinand design, modeled after the 1920s/30s Art Deco look. I actually think it's a gorgeous-looking bottle. It has a bit more flair to it than the feminine Sung bottle, too. Not sure how I feel about the purple juice. Guess it's okay in a different sort of way.

I'm still trying to understand this though. Some of you are saying that it doesn't really smell all that good. Some are saying it does smell good (enough), but for some hard-to-define reason, isn't something that is often worn. Maybe because it's retro, maybe because it's a bit unbalanced, or maybe because it's just too synthetic.

Chanel No. 5 is not a wear-it-everyday sorta scent, it's retro, it's blatantly synthetic, and I've read here and elsewhere that it's a bit too strong for quite a few noses, which could be construed as being a bit unbalanced also. Yet it's considered a bonafide masterpiece.

No one has ever called Sung Homme a masterpiece, as far as I can tell, yet the criticisms match something as fabled as Chanel No. 5.

What gives?

[PerfumeCollector]

it's been around for 23 yrs.

You just said it, it's been around for 23 yrs. In an industry so fickle in which perfumes are discontinued every day "just because" specially if it shows a sign of selling maybe not as good as it used to, lasting 23 years is a real feat, it demonstrates that is not unpopular. Believe me, if it was not popular it would have been withdrawn from the market so fast it would have left your head spinning

[MOONB]

You just said it, it's been around for 23 yrs. In an industry so fickle in which perfumes are discontinued every day "just because" if it shows a sign of selling maybe not as good as it used to, lasting 23 years is a real feat, it demonstrates that is not unpopular. Believe me, if it was not popular it would have been withdrawn from the market so fast it would have left your head spinning

That's a good point.

Sung Homme might be cheap enough to produce that the company figures it's no biggie to keep producing it (and the rest of the Sung fragrances) to top off all the wedding dress profits with a little extra cashola. That doesn't necessarily mean the sales are in any way stellar. If they were, I wouldn't be seeing that many 1.7 oz bottles of Sung Homme at Marshalls and TJ Maxx for $9.

But then again, it's obviously selling just well enough to stay alive. Maybe even better than that - I just don't know. I think the fact that it is 23 yrs old is what makes it interesting to me.

[hednic]

You notice right away how synthetic the ingredients smell.

Very true.

[Pamplemousse]

Because it's Korean?

[MOONB]

Because it's Korean?

It's not Korean.

[PerfumeCollector]

Because it's Korean?

Alfred Sung is a Canadian, born in Shanghai and raised in Hong-Kong

[Bigsly]

I find it unbalanced. However, that is often "cured" by dilution, so I'll probably get around to doing that one of these days.

[MOONB]

I find it unbalanced. However, that is often "cured" by dilution, so I'll probably get around to doing that one of these days.

When something is unbalanced, there's usually an offending note or notes . . . I wonder if you can put your finger on what is causing the imbalance?

[Bigsly]

Yes, it's too sweet, but I'm also thinking the patchouli might be a bit much too.

[scentimus]

I have not wore it in awhile and o wonder why it is even still being produced.

[perfaddict]

Thankfully (i think!) my nose does not know the difference between natural or synthetic. It only knows what smells good and what does not. SH may be unpopular, but i like it a lot.

[Pamplemousse]

It's not Korean.

I did kind of know that, but I couldn't resist..

[MOONB]

I did kind of know that, but I couldn't resist..

Got it.

Just got the bottle of Sung Homme yesterday afternoon. I've worn it a couple times now. I can say with confidence that my BN review is inaccurate. I think the bottle I initially tried a year ago was compromised from being in a discount bin too long, and was off. Also, my testing it alongside Halston Z-14 was a big mistake.

This stuff DOES smell like the original Irish Spring soap. Quite a lot, actually. The synthetic soapy blast off the top is very fresh and green in an ambiguous, kinda cheap way. The excessive soapiness ironically saves Sung from smelling like total crap, and eases into a very soapy and creamy carnation, cinnamon, and musk drydown. I detect almost no middle notes. Maybe a touch of black pepper in there. Very sharp, but nice. This doesn't fully match the current version of Irish Spring, but since there hasn't been all that much of a change to the formula, it doesn't matter. I like wearing this after showering with that soap. They go well together.

All well. Live and learn.