Jean Patou Pour Homme
Having had the chance to wear this product a number of times since its release, it is high time to review it.
Herbal green and fresh green - that is the first impression I get when then opening blast hits me. The fresh side introduced by a fairly restrained petit grain, which permeates the greenery very
discretely. Draped over this like a gossamer veil is a whiff of oregano that rounds off the unique impression theses top notes make.
The middle notes introduces a lovely jasmine, which links the top and the heart notes, and soon it adds floral notes: firstly a very beautiful geranium that, in all its distinct presence, is
mixing in extremely well with the other notes. A similarly impressive carnation completes the floral dyad beautifully. Both florals are of a discreetly natural beauty.
There is still more to that phase in the development: a delightful woodsy aroma of pine needles that, however, remains more in the background after its original appearance.
The base sees a gentle tonka arise that is not particularly sweet, accompanied by a slightly mossy castoreum they gives the final moment a bit of a - nonetheless quite gentle - bite. This touch
of sharpness counteracts the tonka well.
On me this is not a development that never comes in sequences of clearly discrete stepwise developing phases, but the stages merge into one another in a very fluid manner.
I get moderate sillage, very good projection and around four hours of longevity on my skin.
So far this scent - very suitable for spring evenings - sound very nice but not really deserving its stellar reputation, but with PPH it is the absolutely sensational quality of its ingredients
as well as the astoundingly beautiful blending that raises in into the zenith of iconic fragrances. Although it is often called a floral chypre, this is more of a brighter and beautifully elegant
composition. An elegant chypre is a rare thing indeed. The longevity is not optimal but this is the price we sometimes pay for prime natural ingredients. One of the great classic master pieces of
perfumery. 4.5/5.
THE NEW FORMULATION of 2013
The opening has a fresh bergamot-driven characteristic - not without being a bit restrained - and is mellowed by a fair dose of galbanum. He greenness I am also getting is a mix of tarragon with whiffs of a grass-like aroma. The result is a pleasant, but certainly not a WOW opening.
Lavender is present here too, and in the drydown it adds jasmine - not bad - and a rose impression that is really quite unimpressive in its lack of complexity.
Towards the end amber - average - and a soft patchouli- are appearing, but on my skin they are quite bland and never develop any individuality of note.
The sillage is moderate, the projection adequate, and the longevity is six hours.
The top notes are the part hat are well done in this spring day scent, but the rest never transcends the impression a certain level of blandness.
Compared to the original, the sandalwood, the gorgeous geranium and the oak moss are missing, partly due to being IFRA-sanitised. The new formulation is no longer a floral chypre, but a floral with a questionable attempt to mimic the chypre ingredients - hence the rather generic patchouli towards the end.
By itself it is all right. As a re-interpretation of an iconic classic, it falls short indeed. At least the new bottle design is notably different from the original one, and thus providing a visual indicator that this is indeed a different fragrance and not misleading us into believing it is the famed original version. 2.75/5.