WHAT I SMELL: Allure Homme opens with a fresh and intoxicating herbal mandarin and lavender that is peppered with hints of brown sugar. It goes on sexy, invigorating and completely approachable. The perfume soon mellows a bit from its’ exciting entrance, but it remains delightfully confident in it’s persona. As the perfume continues to settle, the tonka and a light vanilla are the radiant center and help to create a smooth and creamy aura that begins to radiate ever so subtly. After some time, the perfume matures a bit with a buzzing pepper coming into play along with a soft, but sweetened patchouli. Allure is neither for the young or the old, but for any man who just wants to smell clean and fresh…and just fantastic.
From the Chanel website:
Difficult to define, impossible to resist. Crisp and clean, warm and sexy, ALLURE HOMME is the expression of a man’s charisma and inner strength. A fresh, spicy and woody composition that reveals the presence of the man who wears it.
Vigorous, fresh top notes of Mandarin and Coriander, subtly spiced, blend into clean, intense notes of Cedar. Venezuelan Tonka Bean and Cistus Labdanum combine for a sensual trail that’s heightened by Black Pepper from Madagascar.
Top notes: Lemon, Peach, Ginger, Mandarin Orange, Lavender and Bergamot
Middle notes: Pepper, Cedar, Patchouli, Vetiver, Brazilian Rosewood, Rose, Jasmine, Gardenia, Freesia and Anise
Base notes: Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Coconut, Sandalwood, Amber, Benzoin, Leather, Musk and Oakmoss
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Allure Homme is aptly named. But I can’t help but call this fragrance a “go-getter” as there’s some real positive energy in the perfume and that when you wear it, it makes you feel as if you really can accomplish anything.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ALLURE HOMME: affirmative, energized, easy-to-wear
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ALLURE HOMME: I only found one review online, but the site was so full of obnoxious pop-ups that I won’t subject anyone to it. I did find plenty of reviews for Allure flankers, but since this was introduced over 20 years ago in 1999, I guess it’s not that surprising that the buzz about Allure has long since passed. Too bad, it’s such a wonderful perfume.
BOTTOM LINE: Allure Homme is a good anytime perfume, which means it can be dressed up or down depending on your mood or situation. And no matter how it’s used, you’ll always smell fresh and fantastic. Plus, it’s not an “in your face” perfume which means that you’ll leave a quiet trail behind you when you wear it without offending anyone. A perfume doesn’t always have to be groundbreaking to be wonderful. Allure Homme is a perfect case in point.
- Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Amber Woody
- Nose: Jacques Polge
- Classification: Leans masculine
- Expense: Starting at $80 for 50 ml eau de toilette
WHAT I SMELL: Jersey’s opening consists of a soft, cottony lipstick tinged lavender that is soon met with a warmed, lightly brown sugared and caramelized vanilla. The vanilla isn’t heavy nor overly sweet, and as such it’s the perfect companion for the powdery lavender that resides on top of it. At this juncture, Jersey feels as if it’s made from cotton which has been milled and then folded into a bottle. As the perfume continues to develop, the lavender and vanilla begin to add a bit of cream that softens the perfume and turns it from the muslin towards a lightly sweet lotion. And basically that’s it; Jersey is a simple…no make that…Jersey is a simply beautiful perfume.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Dreamy lavendered cottoned clouds.
WHAT I SMELL: 31 Rue Cambon goes on cool with a peppered bergamot that’s fizzy, but fixed within the pepper. The florals come quickly with a beautifully creamy and waxy ylang-ylang. The perfume seems to exist in the middle; not too light and not too heavy, but riding this really easy wave of florals that as time goes on becomes accented with tinges of the pepper. But that soon dissipates and the perfume moves completely to the creamy. Here, 31 Rue Cambon is incredibly pretty as the ylang-ylang gives a bit of leeway to allow for the rose to come forward. And here they sit in harmony with each other in the most beautiful of ways. After some time, the perfume moves to a cool iris and begins to powder and expand and sweeten just so slightly giving the perfume a light lipstick vibe. Not too far after, a patchouli makes a lightly sharpened entrance and the perfume becomes more woody and edgy. There’s also just the lightest of leather that appears as the perfume becomes drier and more rooted in the straw. Looking at what I just wrote, it seems 31 Rue Cambon makes quite the journey, when in fact it’s all so seamless that it really just glides along with incredible ease.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A handmade henequen purse. Classy in a laid back kind of way.
The Scented Hound 