leather | The Scented Hound

Today we’re going old school. I rarely find an Hermes scent that I don’t love, and this is not an exception to that rule. Bel Ami is a man’s cologne. There is nothing feminine about this scent. And when I say that its old school, it conjures up images in my head of Cary Grant wearing a tux on the Riviera. It is one of those scents that is distinctive, long lasting, powerful and one that I always get comments on when I wear it (all good). So what’s so special about it? I think it’s the wonderful combination of the patchouli and leather that really stick out. Which is funny, because I am typically not a fan of either in most scents. But add the cardamon and amber and something magically happens. I highly recommend this for men who love real manly man men’s colognes. Just remember, a little goes a long way with this scent.

From the Hermes website:

Irresistibly charming and masculine. An audacious mix of cardamom, amber, patchouli and leather.

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: leather, patchouli, amber, cardamom
Classification: Masculine
Expense: Moderate – Approximately $110 for 3.3 oz.

One of the hardest things about loving scents is that since you are dealing with something that cannot be seen, you have to sometimes take a leap of faith and purchase a scent that might sound interesting to you and hope that it works out. I don’t remember where I read about this fragrance but it really piqued my interest; a rose fragrance for men! I asked for and received a bottle for Christmas. I am happy to say that I am in love with this fragrance. When initially applied you smell the rose, but then as it starts to dry you have a very warm leather scent. I was worried that it would be too feminine, but it isn’t in the least. It is one of those scents that you won’t smell for a while and then all of a sudden you’ll catch a whiff of the warmth of the scent. It really is a happy surprise! Also note, that this is an eau de Parfum rather than cologne. And for a parfum it’s pretty reasonable in cost.

The following is from the Les Parfums de Rosine website:

The man who wears it belongs to a new generation of men: sophisticated, multi sensorial and free to choose his own elegance. Rose d’Homme is made with the famous “rose note” created by Rosine. It belongs to the olfactory family: Woody rose.

The perfume was created by Marie-Hélène Rogeon and François Robert in 2005.
It is sophisticated, surprising and vibrant. Rose d’Homme is not composing on a classical structure Head/Heart/Base. The Vetyver-Lavender base is combined with the opulent Rosine Rose and: Citrus, Bergamot, Patchouli, Vanilla, Herbal notes, Jasmine, Tangerine and Leather.