Hanae Mori HM

In 1996 a sea change in masculine colognes took place with the introduction of Thierry Mugler's A*Men. A*Men was a boldly constructed fragrance which was built upon a central core which contained notes of coffee, chocolate, and caramel.

There had been fragrances that had used these notes previously but the combination created what would feel like an edible olfactory experience and ushered the gourmand class of fragrance into the mass-market consciousness of many men. One drawback of A*Men was that it was a powerhouse fragrance and that power would keep it from being an everyday kind of fragrance, for most men, because of that intensity.

One year later Hanae Mori would take the chocolate of A*Men and use it as a focal point to create a wearable all-purpose fragrance which has some of the same genetics that were present in A*Men. The result of this is HM.

HM begins in an entirely different way then A*Men as it uses a bright lemon note to start things off. This is a refreshing opening which is then joined by the classic lines of lavender.
The lavender is a nice complement to the citrus and it leads to a heart which is a floral mix of jasmine, rose and iris.

The jasmine is the predominant note and it never gets too sweet. It stays well balanced and that allows the sweetness inherent in jasmine to usher in the chocolate accord of the base. Here is where HM turns into the territory staked out by A*Men.

The chocolate is a rich milk chocolate accord and it is joined by a healthy dose of vanilla and as the base develops further a sweet amber makes its presence known.

Much like A*Men, HM spends most of its development on my skin in the last gourmand phase as it moves through the citrus of the top and the floral in the middle fairly rapidly. Once it arrives at the chocolate the scent lingers and mellows and seems to last a very long time.

HM is a subtle fragrance that carries average sillage and this makes it a good choice for the workplace.

If you are a man who loves A*Men, or any gourmand, HM is an ideal toned down version that can be worn without fear of being overwhelming. The only thing you have to worry about is smelling so good someone might want to take a bite.



Full Disclosure: This review was based upon a full bottle received for this purpose.