Homme
Aaron Terence Hughes (2020)

Absolutely stunning and monstrous! The longevity is absurd with this one, ranging from 12-24+ hours. Projection is nuclear for the first few hours then calms down to a nearby bubble. I'm sure the scent trail is lovely.

It opens a little weird - I think it's the Orris butter coming out in full strength. It's not unpleasant, but it's a wall of aroma that you better be prepared for. There is zero citrus for balance (apparently the blend did not allow for a top note as it turned into a celery-like aroma).

Around 10-15 mins later is when this really begins to get wonderful. The tonka boils out of the blend, grabbing you by the nose. Iris begins to show itself well, bringing in a powdery feel, but not a "dry" powdery feel. It's ridiculously smooth, and has a violet-like quality. Amber also starts to show up, but the heart is dominated by an Iris, tonka (HEAVY on the tonka), and amber mixture.

The drydown resembles the heart, but the Iris pulls back after about 8 hours and leaves a touch of warm, smooth, powdery feeling. The drydown is still tonka dominant, with some vanilla. The amber is still around, and the woody notes are present, but act more to support the sweetness. I do not get an outright "wood" accord in this one, which I think is a testament to how well blended this is. Do NOT think this will smell like your standard amber and wood mix.

I cannot understate the strength of this fragrance - it is an absolute BOMB of aroma. My skin makes gourmands really bloom, and Homme comes very, very close to gourmand territory. The Orris/Iris helps balance everything out, but if you're sensitive to strong aromas, I'd keep the sprays to 1-2. It will choke out a room if you go heavy on the sprays, with you being the first victim.

The best part is how incredibly pleasant this perfume is. It just smells GOOD. It's quite unique, yet familiar. If you like Iris, violet, and sweet drydowns, this is perfect. Maybe some people will have better luck getting the wood notes to pop out, but on my skin it's sweet-forward.

I'm going to enjoy getting to know Homme more, it's deceptively complex.