What a great surprise, and allow me to sincerely thank user “easyfish” on Basenotes for the sample of this ultra-rare – and ultra-forgotten - little gem. The opening is fantastic: a graceful, manly, slightly sweet herbal-smoky-leather accord with a peculiar and irresistibly elegant soft and velvety substance (not the usual “raw” leather you often get in vintage masculine scents; rather sharp, clean, soft finished leather), a fresh-balsamic breeze, subtle fruity hints, and a “classic” fougère base of patchouli, woods (mostly vetiver) and the leather accord. Dusty shades and earthy echoes complete the look of Masculin. Think of the discreet European elegance of Bally leather goods and shoes, Masculin perfectly translates that into a perfume. What amazed me is how the opening was similar to vintage Bel Ami: perhaps lighter, brighter and sweeter, and also less complex here, but truly quite similar – how can you not be sold to that? Then it progressively moves away from the Hermès, leaning towards herbal-woodier territories, finally reaching a cozy and totally refined drydown with gentle smoky leather-vetiver-herbal notes. Terribly pleasant, sophisticated and solid, with a quite distinctive fresh, understated, bright yet smoky refinement, and quite different from many other masculine scents of its era – mostly for this kind of “modern” sweet-ambery-aromatic “roundness” juxtaposed to its invigorating herbal-balsamic freshness (which is more “herbal” than predictably “piney” as it was in fashion back then). Discreet, mild and elegant close-to-skin persistence. Hard to find, completely underrated, totally worthy a “rediscover” for me.
8/10
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