Versace l'Homme (1984)
by Versace

Excellent classic which still packs a punch today.

Definitely not of this era. Spicy citrus with barbershop & anamalic undertones. Excellent value for money

Thumbs up!!

*This review is of the vintage original formula of Versace L'Homme.

Versace L'Homme opens with relatively bright, clean, lemony bergamot citrus with a hint of underlying floral carnation before transitioning to its heart. As the composition enters its early heart, it turns slightly soapy as significant mossy-green oakmoss from the base joins the now co-starring carnation that takes on a slightly dry, dusty element, enhanced by a cinnamon spice infused supporting woody sandalwood and cedar duo, and sweetened by just a touch of vanilla and soft aromatic patchouli. During the late dry-down the floral aspects gradually recede, as the composition turns its focus to an unveiled, relatively soft leather hiding in the base that couples with the woody remnants and the now more prominent dry vanilla that adds light dusty powder through the finish. Projection is above average, but longevity is excellent at around 12 hours on skin.

Wow, there is a lot going on here as one can see from the more objective lengthy note breakdown above. At its core the composition is a relatively dry, dusty, woody perfume bolstered by significant oakmoss in the base. That said, the oakmoss never really is the focus, but rather used more as a binder to the relatively dry woods, floral aspects, and even the leather later-on. There is an almost soapy, grassy green nature to the perfume that presents much more prominently on paper than on skin. On skin, however, the dusty, woody elements are much more pronounced with the composition significantly less green. At the end of the day Versace L'Homme is a bit of a departure from the powerhouse compositions of the 80s, as it is much more well-behaved and never too brash. It is not really a barbershop type of perfume, but I suspect it will appeal to perfume enthusiasts that enjoy that classic composition style. The bottom line is the approximately $50 a 50 ml bottle on the aftermarket Versace L'Homme is a "very good" to "excellent" 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5 rated throwback perfume that relatively successfully combines an amalgamation of ingredients to yield a perfume that bucks the typical 80s powerhouse mold without veering too far astray; earning a solid recommendation to vintage perfume lovers looking for something with a bit more polish and less bravado than the super-bold powerhouse offerings that dominate the era.

Versace l'Homme is an old classic that, even in its modern version is a rich ginger oriental of Aramis like demeanour; not in detail but they have the same kind of wood panel finish.
Although most reviewers like it, l'Homme divides opinion - between smells great and smells like cologne guy - so I think it should have a sign on the back saying Warning! Not Advised for the Under Fifties. That should deal with the negative reviews.
Good, but old fashioned.

3*

Modern FB

Definitely a must have! The batch I have is manufactured by Giver SA. That's the vintage scent. It starts out lemony, spicy with a slight ting of ginger, petitgrain. It then goes in a cedar, sandalwood type scent, mixing well in the drydown with the leather, oakmoss and labdanum. It's classy. Lasted 8 hours on me with decent sillage, definitely a cooler weather scent. Very, very nice.

A gorgeous spicy, creamy, yet seductive barbershop scent...if you can remain patient for the dry down to occur. I admit the initial blast of Versace L'Homme is odd. It opens up with lemon, musk, and a coarse green collision of moss roughed up in passing through the lemon and musk. It will remind one of something lemon scented that you associate with a restroom cleaner. A yellow/lemon scented urinal screen or the spray disinfectant called Glybet.

Once this dries this fragrance transforms into a nice mix of dusty sandalwood and cinnamon. Vanilla concealing some patchouli inside thickens the scent giving a little sweetness and shaving cream tones with a little help from the musk. Old leather coming off in light hints. The lemon and moss perform a disappearing act to my nose. This is another conservative men's scent from the 80's that was done really well with a odd first impression. I can tolerate the intro of Versace L' Homme...Kouros I can't. Go light on this in warm weather if you must wear it, this is a thick and heavy scent.