Fragrance Reviews

Costume National Homme

01/14/10 06:11:21

By: Mark Behnke

Costume National has been one of the more successful clothing designers who have made the foray into fragrance. Laurent Bruyere created the first four fragrances for Costume National. Scent was followed in close succession by Scent Intense, Scent Gloss and Scent Sheer. These fragrances were all inspired by the tropical flower hibiscus and he used it in interesting combinations.

The most successful of these, for me, was Scent Intense. It is one of my favorite floral amber fragrances. Sadly Laurent Bruyere passed away in 2008 and since then only two scents have been released by Costume National: 21 in 2008, and at the end of 2009 the first male-marketed fragrance from the House, Costume National Homme.

Dominique Ropion is the perfumer behind Homme and it is an inspired choice which nods back to Costume National's fragrance beginnings. This is because M.

Ropion was Laurent Bruyere's most frequent co-creator, working together with him on eight different fragrances. The most well known of these is Thierry Mugler Alien. In many ways Homme is a classic bit of Ropion construction and there are some elements from two of my favorite overlooked fragrances by M. Ropion; the Kenzo pair of Jungle L'Elephant and Jungle Le Tigre.

Many of the notes and accords I like from both of those have found a new home in Homme.

The top of Homme begins with a lovely tart twist of grapefruit before M. Ropion makes some inspired choices from the olfactory spice rack. First into the mix is cardamom and it is smooth and appropriate in progression from the citrus beginning. The next spice to appear is cinnamon, and this is a pronounced cinnamon which is reminiscent of the chai accord in Jungle L'Elephant. Thyme and clove follow the cinnamon rapidly and the spicy heart of Homme is everything a spice fragrance lover like me could ask for. Homme is an eau de parfum and this stage of Homme's development persists for quite a while. The base is a well-balanced mix of labdanum, patchouli and sandalwood but the spices never quite disappear completely, just recede to the background behind the basenotes.

Homme has excellent longevity and average sillage. While Homme is marketed to men I can see women who enjoy a spicy fragrance also enjoying it.

Dominique Ropion has crafted one of the best fragrances in the entire Costume National fragrance line and it is also one of the best he has done, too.

Full disclosure: This review was based on a bottle purchased from Barney's New York.

Photos: Costume National, Laurent Bruyere (© Hajime Watanabe/whatwedoissecret.org), Dominique Ropion.

Author: Mark Behnke (Somerville Metro Man)
Fragrantica Writer

Mark Behnke is based in Somerville, MA, a suburb of Boston, and is the writer for Fragrantica. By day, he works as a research chemist in a pharmaceutical company. By night, he has been a consistent poster on the forums at Basenotes.net under his nom de blog, Somerville Metro Man. You can also follow Mark on Twitter @SomMetroMan if you're curious to find out what he wears on a day-to-day basis.

CourtrightHer

Thanx Mark, well written. I will certainly make a point to stop into Barney's to take a sniff. Seems intriguing. Maybe it should go on my bday wish list.

Jan
18
2010

Andy Austin