Year: 2002
Notes: juniper berry, cypress, angelica, iris, liatrix, vetiver, ambergris
Released three years before Christian Dior's iconic Dior Homme, L'Homme de Coeur is a masculine woody iris. However, when the two are compared, L'Homme de Coeur is fresher, drier, earthier and more aromatic.
Commencing with a coniferous green opening, from the juniper and cypress pairing, the top notes are buoyant and a tad peppery. The angelica provides an earthy and herbaceous prologue, before the iris approaches centre stage. But unlike the heavy sweetness of the iris in Dior Homme, the iris in L'Homme de Coeur is cleaner and more ethereal.
Although the iris in L'Homme de Coeur is also dry, it isn't as vegetal as Serge Lutens' Iris Silver Mist and nor is it as austere as Maître Parfumeur et Gantier's Iris Bleu Gris. Instead, it has more of a sensual presence, with only the slightest hint of any powderiness. The reason for this could possibly be due to the liatrix, which smells like a combination of tobacco, hay, coumarin and tonka bean. As a result, there's a certain element of warmth that its niche peers clearly lack.
Resting on a minimalist base of vetiver and ambergris, the iris becomes woodier over time. However, it's during the banal drydown where one's interest severely wanes. With the iris almost completely gone, all that's left are faint remnants of what went before with some salty vetiver. Furthermore, its performance isn't satisfying enough to justify being labelled an Eau de Parfum – largely being a faint skin scent, for most of its duration, and lasting for less than four hours.
While one admires L'Homme de Coeur for its noble rendition of iris, it's simply too transparent and discreet for one to fully enjoy. Yes, it's still pleasant, but it could have been more potent and less apologetic.
Commencing with a coniferous green opening, from the juniper and cypress pairing, the top notes are buoyant and a tad peppery. The angelica provides an earthy and herbaceous prologue, before the iris approaches centre stage. But unlike the heavy sweetness of the iris in Dior Homme, the iris in L'Homme de Coeur is cleaner and more ethereal.
Although the iris in L'Homme de Coeur is also dry, it isn't as vegetal as Serge Lutens' Iris Silver Mist and nor is it as austere as Maître Parfumeur et Gantier's Iris Bleu Gris. Instead, it has more of a sensual presence, with only the slightest hint of any powderiness. The reason for this could possibly be due to the liatrix, which smells like a combination of tobacco, hay, coumarin and tonka bean. As a result, there's a certain element of warmth that its niche peers clearly lack.
Resting on a minimalist base of vetiver and ambergris, the iris becomes woodier over time. However, it's during the banal drydown where one's interest severely wanes. With the iris almost completely gone, all that's left are faint remnants of what went before with some salty vetiver. Furthermore, its performance isn't satisfying enough to justify being labelled an Eau de Parfum – largely being a faint skin scent, for most of its duration, and lasting for less than four hours.
While one admires L'Homme de Coeur for its noble rendition of iris, it's simply too transparent and discreet for one to fully enjoy. Yes, it's still pleasant, but it could have been more potent and less apologetic.
