New L'Homme Ideal flanker from Guerlain - L'Homme Ideal Extreme

[DolceThaDon]

That seems to be a common thing I have noticed - where fragrances that are called EXTREME or INTENSE are anything but. However that is the expectation we have - hoping for a powerhouse, but getting something with no edge or bite.

Well, I believe that intense, extreme flankers for the most part are just supposed to be deeper, warmer, darker takes on the original fragrance NOT stronger versions of the original which is what many seem to be under the impression of.. For the most part it has nothing to do with performance! Most of the intense, extreme releases of the last decade pretty much prove my point as the vast majority do not perform any better than the original fragrance but are usually just a deeper, warmer, darker version of the original secentwise..

[Cevenol]

Close to blind buying this, sounds maybe up my alley as a vintage guy, I like LIDGE and I liked the edp but it was too sweet is this really less sweet still as I heard? I’d love to hear thoughts from the vintage forum regulars but if Brook and Hednic like it it’s a good sign

[Brooks Otterlake]

Close to blind buying this, sounds maybe up my alley as a vintage guy, I like LIDGE and I liked the edp but it was too sweet is this really less sweet still as I heard? I’d love to hear thoughts from the vintage forum regulars but if Brook and Hednic like it it’s a good sign

This is pretty sweet, at least initially.

[Twilight99]

This is one of my more successful blind buys. I do not think it is overly sweet. To my nose it is just fruitier in the opening. After wearing it several times I enjoy it more and more. It’s only the performance that I think could be better, but you can always use more sprays.

[FragFrog]

I'm still only owning the Cologne.

Maybe I'll get another one of the L'Homme Ideal line.

I liked the Sport version too but it seems it's discontinued already.

[The_Cologneist]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but did Cool actually ever hit the online discounters ie: Fragrancnet and Fragrancex? If not, I doubt we'll see Extreme unless we pay insane shipping costs.

Yes, it did. You had to be really on it though to get a bottle. fortunately someone gifted me a bottle, which i am eternally grateful for, as it's my favorite from the line, after L'Intense.

[The_Cologneist]

I skipped page 4 on here, but did anyone post a review yet?

[Twilight99]

This is one of my more successful blind buys. I do not think it is overly sweet. To my nose it is just fruitier in the opening. After wearing it several times I enjoy it more and more. It’s only the performance that I think could be better, but you can always use more sprays.

So now I am starting to get better performance from this. It seems the bottle needed a little time for maceration to really bloom. I am also starting to get very good compliments. This perfume is really starting to be my new favourite, and it deserves to be talked about more. I also think I need a bigger bottle.

[Larry Hoover]

I eventually sold my bottle. There's this sour note in the mid somewhere which I couldn't stand. The mix of tobacco, a fruit accord, and the tonka-almond sweetness just didn't work for me. I still think the EDP is the best of the bunch.

[The_Cologneist]

i’m wearing today for the sample and it’s certainly an interest in fragrance. I am using my microphone to dictate this first impression right now so excuse any typos.

first, I finally opening to be quite nice I would even go as far as: gorgeous. At first it reminds me of Bentley for men intense, but then I reapplied the fragrance it it reminded me more of Fahrenheit mixed with the Ideal dna, and a big dollop of oud. But as it dries it becomes more musky and even sweaty it doesn’t smell there like a weird Amber was a salty note. almost getting the smell of butter. its slso not east to describe with words. this fragrance is a mess at this point, well see how it dries down.

[mrcologneguy]

Bought it, love it, reviewed it in BN’s directory. Buy it. I paid a high price from Harrods, but they do ship to U.S., and the service was good.

[The_Cologneist]

Previous first impression, I was using my phone's mic to text, and text a little at the end without my reader's on.

My overall impression of this one is not very good. I can see why people have said some negative things, and some have even sold or swapped their bottle's. I think the opening is outstanding.. it reminds me of L'Intense mostly, from the Ideal line, which in turn, reminded me of Bentley Intense. There's a noticeable oud essence to my nose, but I think it's just the almond. The middle creeps in fast and it gets really weird. It smells like Minestrone soup for a minute, then it smells like sweat, then it smells like butter, then it rests at like a salty amber, and not ambergris, I'm talking about the resinous kind of amber. The smell completely clashes and at this point it's quite repulsive to me.

Although it's probably the most interesting of the line thus far, or at least since the original, and the EDP. Where those 2 are more complex, and the rest of the line has been just safe. I can see a lot of BN'ers liking this, because it's "weird".

Although I have smelled a lot of frags today. Varvatos Oud was my sotd, another first for me. I was decanting 4 different frags earlier all of which got on my hands, so maybe I just need to give my olfactory senses a break. I'm gonna try this one again in a few days and see if my opinions have changed.

[FragFrog]

So now I am starting to get better performance from this. It seems the bottle needed a little time for maceration to really bloom. I am also starting to get very good compliments. This perfume is really starting to be my new favourite, and it deserves to be talked about more. I also think I need a bigger bottle.

Ha, I just read the whole thread again and your earlier posts sounded more like it's not the best purchase you've done.

I just blindbought it, because it was discounted to 62 Euros for the 100 ml.

Hopefully I'll like it, too.

[Twilight99]

Ha, I just read the whole thread again and your earlier posts sounded more like it's not the best purchase you've done.

I just blindbought it, because it was discounted to 62 Euros for the 100 ml.

Hopefully I'll like it, too.

Yes, I definitely came around on this one. It happens. First impressions are not always right. I just ordered a 100 ml bottle too, but it cost me 90 Euros on sale here in Norway. I miss shopping in Germany. I am looking forward to hear your opinion.

[FragFrog]

Yes, I definitely came around on this one. It happens. First impressions are not always right. I just ordered a 100 ml bottle too, but it cost me 90 Euros on sale here in Norway. I miss shopping in Germany. I am looking forward to hear your opinion.

I'm really curious about it.
I think I will at least like it, there wasn't a really bad one in the line so far.

[The_Cologneist]

I'll probably write a review soon, which differ a bit from my initial impressions, now since wearing it a little more. It definitely has some Bentley Intense vibes though.

[FragFrog]

I'll probably write a review soon, which differ a bit from my initial impressions, now since wearing it a little more. It definitely has some Bentley Intense vibes though.

I've heard one reviewer - was it Persolaise? - who said he got a cognac like vibe with it.
Bentley Intense is also a "boozy" fragrance.

[speckmann0706]

It’s now available from USA sellers on eBay for reasonable prices glad to see this.

[FragFrog]

Yes, I definitely came around on this one. It happens. First impressions are not always right. I just ordered a 100 ml bottle too, but it cost me 90 Euros on sale here in Norway. I miss shopping in Germany. I am looking forward to hear your opinion.

I am wearing Guerlain L'Homme Ideal Extreme for the second time today and unfortunately I have to say that I don't like the scent at all.
It smells very "synthetic", harsh, stinging on the nose and has a tendency to cause a headache.
I can't understand the praise at all and I certainly won't keep the bottle.

To me, it smells like Thierry Wasser tried to somehow incorporate a bit of the fruity note in the older PdM Herod batches in the opening and later a bit of the honey and cinnamon note from PdM Oajan into the typical L'Homme Ideal DNA, but both are much better quality in direct comparison.
I see that new Guerlain on par with some newer YSL releases of the "Y" line, though they smell much more pleasent and "mass pleasing".

Close to the skin, L'Homme Ideal Extreme smells a little bit better than in the sillage, where it leaves an undefined and diffusive "parfumey" mish-mash smell of plastic fruits (think of a freshly opened bag of gummy bears) combined with a sour leather and slightly sweaty gunpowdery scent (might be the pepper and the other "spices"?). It's almost disgusting and for my nose very annoying.
In the late drydown you get more of the tobacco and of that milky and slightly chocolatey sweetness, which isn't "dark" at all, moreso it has a certain cloying quality which in combination with that fruity notes seems like it wants to do something like BR540 does - hence the red cap?

I regret the purchase and also that I sprayed it on myself again today.
I didn't think this would happen to me with a mainstream Guerlain from the L'Homme Ideal line as I liked them all.
For me it is by far the worst of the line and I wouldn't recommend anyone blindbuying this.

I would pick something like Armani Code Absolu (which may go into the same direction) over this any day.

[Twilight99]

I am sorry it wasn’t to your liking. To me this is the best release of 2020, but it seems different people get very different impressions from this. I hope you can sell your bottle without losing to much.

[FragFrog]

I am sorry it wasn’t to your liking. To me this is the best release of 2020, but it seems different people get very different impressions from this. I hope you can sell your bottle without losing to much.

Please don't worry about that. It just happens.
I can even return the bottle if I don't want to sell it, that wouldn't be a problem.

Maybe I'll give it a third try because I really wanted to like it.
The bottle and the juice look great.

If that matters, my batch is 0C01.

Apparently you didn't enjoy it that much in the beginning too - but it wasn't a scrubber for you when you first tried it?

[Twilight99]

Apparently you didn't enjoy it that much in the beginning too - but it wasn't a scrubber for you when you first tried it?

I did like it immediately. It was just underperforming in the beginning.

[FragFrog]

I did like it immediately. It was just underperforming in the beginning.

Ok, I get good longevity and projection out of it - but not as good as with the Cologne.

Just smelled the teststrips I sprayed yesterday.
The Extreme is almost gone from the paper, the Cologne is more noticeable.
And Herod is still very prominent.

[Arij]

This was my fragrance of 2020. Wasser hit it out of the park.

Take half of Ideal EdT, give it an opening reminiscent of a contemporary YSL M7, with a dry-down invoking Versace The Dreamer.

Ideal signature cherry on top, slight plum creeping behind
Almond in mid accorded with a soft heliotrope (subdued compared to Gucci Cologne)
Enter a dash of Cuir Intense pairing into a dry tobacco and benzoin base a la Dreamer

Strong open, quick three-tier but identifyable composition
Simple dry down w/ moderate sillage & longevity for Fall/Winter
Firmly echoing Ideal EdT quality/perfomance

If you like: L'Homme Ideal EdT, Yves Saint Laurent M7, Versace The Dreamer, Olfactive Studio Chambre Noire

[speckmann0706]

Waiting a bit for prices to come down even further before I bite on this one. $90+ is still a bit imo these usually go below $70 with time at the discounters.

[sylvain]

I'm surprised to see some talking about bad performance, I tried it some days ago, two sprays on my wrist, and it won't leave my clothes, and it really projects, it's crazy

[Twilight99]

I'm surprised to see some talking about bad performance, I tried it some days ago, two sprays on my wrist, and it won't leave my clothes, and it really projects, it's crazy

It is a bit strange. I only had problems with bad performance with the first few sprays. But now that I've had the bottle for a little while, it has really opened up and projects really good.

[mrcologneguy]

L’Homme Ideal Extreme is Fragrantica’s Men’s Fragrance of the Year. Just FYI, it really is a good one. Currently has better availability online. Adding a backup soon.

[Jcelello]

Where are you finding it for purchase online? I can’t seem to find a single domestic (US) source.

[FragFrog]

L’Homme Ideal Extreme is Fragrantica’s Men’s Fragrance of the Year.

Yeah, because it's a Guerlain.
If it was a Paco Rabanne, it would have been bashed extensivly.