Reviews of Globe by Rochas
I bought a mini 15ml splash bottle a couple of months ago. At first, i found it similiar to Insensé (that fir balsam, more precisely) but a bit weak, although, i decanted to a sprayer and now i can fully appretiate it. It's fantastic. It doesn't have the florals and freshness of Insensé, but it shares the green fir balsam.
Ellena told that the briefing for this fragrance was something like "i want a fragrance that it's smelled right when one enters the room". I dont think it is that potent, but even Ellena didn't want it to be. He seemed to be a bit frustrated with the result because, at the time, the market had changed and this type of fragrances were not the ones who people reach for. Later on, the guy from Rochas admitted to Ellena that he was wrong.
But, although the fragrance is a bit old fashioned for the time, it's not the type of fragrance that nowadays it will be perceived as dated because it doesn't feature strong patchouli, oakmoss, animalics or dirty leather. It's all very "natural", with a french sophistication and the touch of Ellena.
He changed his style after this one, with the Eau Parfumeé for Bvlgari in 1992, but this one has some mild and fresh spices that he later start to use in high amounts. The coriander and cumin are very well blended, never too strong and heavenly melted in sandalwood and fir balsam.
The result is a longlasting woody spicy fragrance with some florals (carnation is quite evident) and greens. Soft, charming, inviting, divine. A fantastic fragrance that can be worn at every season and that i will have to find a bigger bottle to enjoy it for more years.
Ellena told that the briefing for this fragrance was something like "i want a fragrance that it's smelled right when one enters the room". I dont think it is that potent, but even Ellena didn't want it to be. He seemed to be a bit frustrated with the result because, at the time, the market had changed and this type of fragrances were not the ones who people reach for. Later on, the guy from Rochas admitted to Ellena that he was wrong.
But, although the fragrance is a bit old fashioned for the time, it's not the type of fragrance that nowadays it will be perceived as dated because it doesn't feature strong patchouli, oakmoss, animalics or dirty leather. It's all very "natural", with a french sophistication and the touch of Ellena.
He changed his style after this one, with the Eau Parfumeé for Bvlgari in 1992, but this one has some mild and fresh spices that he later start to use in high amounts. The coriander and cumin are very well blended, never too strong and heavenly melted in sandalwood and fir balsam.
The result is a longlasting woody spicy fragrance with some florals (carnation is quite evident) and greens. Soft, charming, inviting, divine. A fantastic fragrance that can be worn at every season and that i will have to find a bigger bottle to enjoy it for more years.
Globe is a dreamy, contemplative, not-so-outspoken experience, with nuance that can be easily dismissed or scoffed at in modern times. Similar to Hermes Rocabar, this one requires a few wears before it can be truly appreciated.
Conifers, flowers, and resins: I feel at home.
Conifers, flowers, and resins: I feel at home.
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A floral fougere and a true gateway scent, one of many fine men's fragrances from the class of 1990. The herbal aspect could have been the inspiration for Cerruti 1881 and to my nose makes Globe unmistakably masculine although I agree with many earlier reviews in the sense that this could be worn by a person of any gender.
The predominantly floral bouquet at the heart of the composition is wonderful, especially when coupled with a traditional but very well done base of leather, woods and a pronounced hit of vetiver. A marriage made in heaven one might say.
This is a powerhouse as befits its year of release, but one that if applied sparingly would work well on most occasions, certainly in the office or at a more formal affair.
Sadly discontinued some time ago, this lesser known creation for men from Rochas is a majestic floral which 30 years after release provides a fresh blast from the past. Highly recommended.
The predominantly floral bouquet at the heart of the composition is wonderful, especially when coupled with a traditional but very well done base of leather, woods and a pronounced hit of vetiver. A marriage made in heaven one might say.
This is a powerhouse as befits its year of release, but one that if applied sparingly would work well on most occasions, certainly in the office or at a more formal affair.
Sadly discontinued some time ago, this lesser known creation for men from Rochas is a majestic floral which 30 years after release provides a fresh blast from the past. Highly recommended.
O, what irony
That globalization wood
Fell this base of tree
That in travesty
Discontinuation wood
Befall its timber
Lest good Cedar Oyl
Escape Earthly destiny
"Et tu, Cedramber?"
For only Karma
Wood dare a smile, knowing she
That on other Globe
Where Cedramber trees
Please others' other senses
Cedrol bears the knife
Of blood brotherhood
Spoken first and foremost by
Imagination
Where in larger Truth
Beauty recapitulates
Volatility
As permitted by
Schrödinger's periodic
Isles of Innocence.
Take me then, Fake Wood
To distant star and forest
Show me Beauty now
And Truth thereafter
When some cedric oxide lie
Speaks Truth once again
Brave Pocahontas
All our jokes and lies then lost
But truths remembered.
That globalization wood
Fell this base of tree
That in travesty
Discontinuation wood
Befall its timber
Lest good Cedar Oyl
Escape Earthly destiny
"Et tu, Cedramber?"
For only Karma
Wood dare a smile, knowing she
That on other Globe
Where Cedramber trees
Please others' other senses
Cedrol bears the knife
Of blood brotherhood
Spoken first and foremost by
Imagination
Where in larger Truth
Beauty recapitulates
Volatility
As permitted by
Schrödinger's periodic
Isles of Innocence.
Take me then, Fake Wood
To distant star and forest
Show me Beauty now
And Truth thereafter
When some cedric oxide lie
Speaks Truth once again
Brave Pocahontas
All our jokes and lies then lost
But truths remembered.
juxtapose the more bracing elements of a fougere (artemisia, pine) with florals and you have an androgynous effect that becomes its own thing.
'globe' is not the tepid midpoint compromise that more feckless unisex scents can become . It is a bold speculative leap into new territory.
fantastic and worth sampling if you're a fan of either traditional fougeres or spicy rose-carnation scents. Just as Atlas himself is a bridge, 'Globe' marries its halves with panache.
'globe' is not the tepid midpoint compromise that more feckless unisex scents can become . It is a bold speculative leap into new territory.
fantastic and worth sampling if you're a fan of either traditional fougeres or spicy rose-carnation scents. Just as Atlas himself is a bridge, 'Globe' marries its halves with panache.
The end of the 1980's and beginning of the 1990's was a tumultuous time for masculine perfumery, as schools of thought became divided over the future direction such perfumery should take. Many houses jumped on the new "clean and fresh" bandwagon made popular by Davidoff Cool Water (1988) and Calvin Klein Eternity for Men (1989), but some went in floral directions all their own, while some just kept in the same stiff oakmoss or animalic powerhouse rut that had started up in the late 70's, and a few combined the two. Rochas seemingly was the latter case here with Globe, and joined that ultra-elite but completely unsung short-lived evolutionary spur of masculines known as the floral powerhouse. Those who follow close to their perfume history of the period already know that Balenciaga tried this with Ho Hang Club (1987) and then again with Balenciaga Pour Homme that would release alongside Rochas Globe in 1990. Parfums Salvador Dali would also have a dark take on this idea with their debut masculine in 1987, while Paco Rabanne would join in with Ténéré (1988) alongside Bogart's Furyo, and Azzaro with Acteur (1989). Most of these mentioned would rush in with a strong rose note as their prominent floral, and some would have a heavy animalic base that made them growl alongside other powerhouses of the day, while others would come across as old-school chypres in their finish. Globe seeks to separate itself from this pack by downplaying rose and focusing more on a balanced floral bouquet led by artemisia, balsam fir, and finishing in a crisp, almost modern clean base. Globe is the clean and sober Antaeus (1981) for men that want to come across powerful without seeming predatory, as it has a similar labadnum and leather punch in the base without as much dirty castoreum getting in the way.
Globe opens with artemisia, and lots of it. There's a bright bergamot jolt too, spiky coriander, sweaty cumin, token lemon, and a dusting of galbanum to keep it sharp and green. The cumin is not very strong and you have to search for it, but it turns up after some sniffing. I feel it was added to "man up" the scent rather than add the sexy funk it usually imparts on a scent, so it's a rhythm player instead of a lead instrument. The middle is where the floral character is most present, which brings us around to carnation, geranium, jasmine, muguet, rose, marigold, with the balsam fir as mentioned and thyme keeping this from being too dandy. By this phase, anyone not okay with a masculine floral is running for the scrub brush, as the opening is fairly classic 80's while this heart is where the weirdness for this brief upstart genre begins. Again, this isn't a rose-dominated floral composition like it's peers, and draws comparisons to something like Givenchy Insense (1993), which was probably the last straggler out of the gate for this style, and also the "cleanest" of the bunch. Globe rests more between this clean and the muscular gym rat approach of the early 80's, especially in the finish. Base notes are par for the course if this was a 1980 release, featuring cedar, token labdanum, sandalwood, token leather, musk, barely perceptible patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, and very muted castoreum note. Once the day is through, a person wearing Rochas Globe will feel as though they are wearing a lighter and friendlier Antaeus holding a bouquet of flowers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but brings nothing new to the table outside of the attempt to "clean up" the styles it merges. Globe feels like a good compromise between the conventions being left behind in the 80's, the daring, yet failed floral direction taken by some of it's rivals near that decades' end, with just a slight nod of respect to the new "fresh" direction more widely-accepted in it's time.
Globe won't impress the person who has well-versed knowledge of 80's masculines and a wardrobe full of nothing but, as even though it was released at the cusp of the 90's decade, it is indeed firmly planted with both feet in the beginning of the previous one. It's only bit of real fascination for this kind of person is it's own moving of the florals forward in the mix, and cleaning up the dry down so it's own animalic subtext is just that: subtext. It will come across to the lover of the aforementioned Antaeus or Yves Saint Laurent Kouros (1981) as an anemic floral bridge between that alpha-male style and the washed-out tones of the "fresh revolution", a compromise in a bottle they can't get behind. Other more adventurous palettes (and lovers of gender-flirting florals), will find this exceptionally unique like many of the others in it's small category, and a real contender for the niche market if re-introduced because of course, it's very discontinued. The average Joe with no taste for this particular era or style will just find Globe bizarrely sharp and uncomfortably dry, without the benefit of a reference point to label it as "old school" or "modern", since such is the relative obscurity in which it lives. I think it's a great scent that benefits from it's florals as a more-wearable version of the 80's style it mostly apes, making it a more "comfortable" powerhouse for the office or meetups with strange new friends, when you wanting something that isn't run-of-the-mill, but won't downright alienate anyone getting within sniff distance. I like a scent that draws out questions from people, and this will certainly do it. Stick to mid-temperatures for this one however, as it is too stiff for heat and not rich enough for cold. Also, for those seriously looking into full-bottle purchases, there is no difference between first edition and later releases of Globe besides the metal band around the bottle.
Globe opens with artemisia, and lots of it. There's a bright bergamot jolt too, spiky coriander, sweaty cumin, token lemon, and a dusting of galbanum to keep it sharp and green. The cumin is not very strong and you have to search for it, but it turns up after some sniffing. I feel it was added to "man up" the scent rather than add the sexy funk it usually imparts on a scent, so it's a rhythm player instead of a lead instrument. The middle is where the floral character is most present, which brings us around to carnation, geranium, jasmine, muguet, rose, marigold, with the balsam fir as mentioned and thyme keeping this from being too dandy. By this phase, anyone not okay with a masculine floral is running for the scrub brush, as the opening is fairly classic 80's while this heart is where the weirdness for this brief upstart genre begins. Again, this isn't a rose-dominated floral composition like it's peers, and draws comparisons to something like Givenchy Insense (1993), which was probably the last straggler out of the gate for this style, and also the "cleanest" of the bunch. Globe rests more between this clean and the muscular gym rat approach of the early 80's, especially in the finish. Base notes are par for the course if this was a 1980 release, featuring cedar, token labdanum, sandalwood, token leather, musk, barely perceptible patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, and very muted castoreum note. Once the day is through, a person wearing Rochas Globe will feel as though they are wearing a lighter and friendlier Antaeus holding a bouquet of flowers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but brings nothing new to the table outside of the attempt to "clean up" the styles it merges. Globe feels like a good compromise between the conventions being left behind in the 80's, the daring, yet failed floral direction taken by some of it's rivals near that decades' end, with just a slight nod of respect to the new "fresh" direction more widely-accepted in it's time.
Globe won't impress the person who has well-versed knowledge of 80's masculines and a wardrobe full of nothing but, as even though it was released at the cusp of the 90's decade, it is indeed firmly planted with both feet in the beginning of the previous one. It's only bit of real fascination for this kind of person is it's own moving of the florals forward in the mix, and cleaning up the dry down so it's own animalic subtext is just that: subtext. It will come across to the lover of the aforementioned Antaeus or Yves Saint Laurent Kouros (1981) as an anemic floral bridge between that alpha-male style and the washed-out tones of the "fresh revolution", a compromise in a bottle they can't get behind. Other more adventurous palettes (and lovers of gender-flirting florals), will find this exceptionally unique like many of the others in it's small category, and a real contender for the niche market if re-introduced because of course, it's very discontinued. The average Joe with no taste for this particular era or style will just find Globe bizarrely sharp and uncomfortably dry, without the benefit of a reference point to label it as "old school" or "modern", since such is the relative obscurity in which it lives. I think it's a great scent that benefits from it's florals as a more-wearable version of the 80's style it mostly apes, making it a more "comfortable" powerhouse for the office or meetups with strange new friends, when you wanting something that isn't run-of-the-mill, but won't downright alienate anyone getting within sniff distance. I like a scent that draws out questions from people, and this will certainly do it. Stick to mid-temperatures for this one however, as it is too stiff for heat and not rich enough for cold. Also, for those seriously looking into full-bottle purchases, there is no difference between first edition and later releases of Globe besides the metal band around the bottle.
If you're looking for vintage Chanel Antaeus, why not consider Rochas Globe? I have a few iterations of vintage Antaeus and Globe's dry-down is surprisingly identical. But more on that later.
Globe begins the party with one of the most spice-laden openings you will find. Heavy with Artemisia, Coriander and light Bergamot; Globe immediately dates itself as a 80s fragrance. The problem is it came out in 1990. Out of step and fashion, certainly. The journey progresses from the spice cabinet to the garden and what a wonderful journey it is! Floral bouquets of Carnations, Geranium, light Rose, and subtle pine surround your senses. Outside of Givenchy's Insense, which I don't care for, this could be the most floral masculine fragrance I've ever encountered. But here's the key, it's all gentleman and nowhere is a lady in sight. Then the powerful Antaeus drydown begins cedar, leather, sandalwood and a dose of labdanum. Clearly manly territory here and the movement from the garden to the den never seems forced or harsh but all very natural.
Globe, though discontinued, is widely available and pretty reasonably priced at that. How can you go wrong? You owe it to yourself to try Globe and let the magic unfold.
8/10
Globe begins the party with one of the most spice-laden openings you will find. Heavy with Artemisia, Coriander and light Bergamot; Globe immediately dates itself as a 80s fragrance. The problem is it came out in 1990. Out of step and fashion, certainly. The journey progresses from the spice cabinet to the garden and what a wonderful journey it is! Floral bouquets of Carnations, Geranium, light Rose, and subtle pine surround your senses. Outside of Givenchy's Insense, which I don't care for, this could be the most floral masculine fragrance I've ever encountered. But here's the key, it's all gentleman and nowhere is a lady in sight. Then the powerful Antaeus drydown begins cedar, leather, sandalwood and a dose of labdanum. Clearly manly territory here and the movement from the garden to the den never seems forced or harsh but all very natural.
Globe, though discontinued, is widely available and pretty reasonably priced at that. How can you go wrong? You owe it to yourself to try Globe and let the magic unfold.
8/10
I like Globe but I'm afraid it never really excited me. We often complain about the current state masculine designer fragrances but, back then, the situation wasn't really *that* different. Yes, more diversity, fewer (if any) restrictions on ingredients and better textures but, in the end, most masculines were just slightly different takes on the ol' dominant genre known as fougere. Globe makes no exception for me. A sweetish floral fougere with an eye on the past and one on the…present. I would have loved to be able to say *one eye on the future* but this is not the case in my opinion. During the first lustrous of 1990, we experienced several more seminal fragrances than Globe which probably settled a better landmark for the masculine perfumery to come. Egoiste, DK Men (aka Fuel For Men), Le Male, CK Eternity, Comme Des Garcons Original EDP and several others. Not to talk about under the radar gems such as Insensè, Ungaro II or Ocean Rain or even the first niche offerings such as Femminitè Du Bois, Lorenzo Villoresi Uomo and Amouage Ubar to name only a very few.
Those were years of transition and ferment during which Rochas Globe represented just a minor release that wasn't able to properly stand out. Good but deservedly under the radar in my opinion.
Those were years of transition and ferment during which Rochas Globe represented just a minor release that wasn't able to properly stand out. Good but deservedly under the radar in my opinion.
Globe is one of the lost boys from the 90s. Guerlain Heritage (the only one of the bunch still in production), Jacomo Anthracite, Givenchy Insense, Paco Rabanne Tenere. Diverse trends led to the perfumes of the 90s. The fougères from the 70s, the power frags from the 80s, the remapping of the terrain by Davidoff Cool Water. The fragrances themselves have a range of olfactory qualities and don't smell alike, but they are a cohort, and they were launched into similar markets. There are a plenty of opinions as to why this set of fragrances didn't take hold, and an equal number of opinions as to the meaning of their failures.
Assuming all of the above forces and trends, let's just take a look at the perfume.
Globe didn't jump out at me the first time I wore it. I certainly have fallen for perfumes at first sniff (Insense, 1969, Egoiste, Liaisons Dangereuses.) These perfumes back up their promises with the goods. If what you're selling is (capital-B) Beauty, you better be ravishing. I've had to work on some of the more meaningful perfumes. (Aromatics Elixir, Cristalle, Vol De Nuit.). Not every perfume offers the same thing, and my love or value of a perfume isn't be based strictly on the first impression. In fact, it's the challenging perfumes that bring me back. Uncertainty can be delicious.
The perfume that Globe brought to mind when I first tried it, is Baldessarini, a perfume I don't particularly like. I find Baldessarini a sweet nothing'. All I get from it is a lingering sweetness. There were some vague perfumes coming out at this time, with blurred qualities. Vaguely sweet. Vaguely fresh. Vaguely water-like. Some conquered this era and were able to pursue minimalism. Case in point is Jean-Claude Ellena, currently the in-house perfumer for Hermes, whom many cite as the creator of Globe. (Wikipedia and Now Smell This. Fragrantica and Basenotes cite Nicolas Mamounas, the perfumer who created Byzance, Mystere and others for Rochas, as the perfumer who composed Globe.) Many perfume houses misunderstood the impetus for minimalism and instead created wan, pale, diluted perfumes.
I missed the point when I looked at Globe through the lens of Baldessarini. With Globe, Rochas offered not so much minimalism as subtlety. Globe is a sweet floral chypre, with a medicinal tone that ties the balsams to a peppery carnation, offering not so much an exact scent as a feeling of chilled sweetness. It suggests the apprehensiveness of an overcast day. Will the cover break, or will it rain? Globe smells like glare and the palor of light through clouds, and connotes weather in the same way that Hermes Equipage does. Equipage is more crisp and incisive, but both share a coolness that I associate with a cool season or climate. Also Like Equipage, Globe has grown on me and I've come to appreciate its virtues over the years. I wonder how Globe would fare if it were released today.
Why Globe was discontinued is an open question. Luca Turin groups Globe with the 'lost boys' I mention above, suggesting that they were too good or too pure to survive an era that called for cleansing and reparation from its men's fragrances. I won't disagree. Shame, though. Globe would have been a great alternative to so many of the sport/fresh/aqua fragrances of the 1990s. It rang a few of the proper bells, being chilled and smooth, but didn't come with the mark of being a Cool Water clone.
Assuming all of the above forces and trends, let's just take a look at the perfume.
Globe didn't jump out at me the first time I wore it. I certainly have fallen for perfumes at first sniff (Insense, 1969, Egoiste, Liaisons Dangereuses.) These perfumes back up their promises with the goods. If what you're selling is (capital-B) Beauty, you better be ravishing. I've had to work on some of the more meaningful perfumes. (Aromatics Elixir, Cristalle, Vol De Nuit.). Not every perfume offers the same thing, and my love or value of a perfume isn't be based strictly on the first impression. In fact, it's the challenging perfumes that bring me back. Uncertainty can be delicious.
The perfume that Globe brought to mind when I first tried it, is Baldessarini, a perfume I don't particularly like. I find Baldessarini a sweet nothing'. All I get from it is a lingering sweetness. There were some vague perfumes coming out at this time, with blurred qualities. Vaguely sweet. Vaguely fresh. Vaguely water-like. Some conquered this era and were able to pursue minimalism. Case in point is Jean-Claude Ellena, currently the in-house perfumer for Hermes, whom many cite as the creator of Globe. (Wikipedia and Now Smell This. Fragrantica and Basenotes cite Nicolas Mamounas, the perfumer who created Byzance, Mystere and others for Rochas, as the perfumer who composed Globe.) Many perfume houses misunderstood the impetus for minimalism and instead created wan, pale, diluted perfumes.
I missed the point when I looked at Globe through the lens of Baldessarini. With Globe, Rochas offered not so much minimalism as subtlety. Globe is a sweet floral chypre, with a medicinal tone that ties the balsams to a peppery carnation, offering not so much an exact scent as a feeling of chilled sweetness. It suggests the apprehensiveness of an overcast day. Will the cover break, or will it rain? Globe smells like glare and the palor of light through clouds, and connotes weather in the same way that Hermes Equipage does. Equipage is more crisp and incisive, but both share a coolness that I associate with a cool season or climate. Also Like Equipage, Globe has grown on me and I've come to appreciate its virtues over the years. I wonder how Globe would fare if it were released today.
Why Globe was discontinued is an open question. Luca Turin groups Globe with the 'lost boys' I mention above, suggesting that they were too good or too pure to survive an era that called for cleansing and reparation from its men's fragrances. I won't disagree. Shame, though. Globe would have been a great alternative to so many of the sport/fresh/aqua fragrances of the 1990s. It rang a few of the proper bells, being chilled and smooth, but didn't come with the mark of being a Cool Water clone.
Genre: Fougère
Jean-Claue Elléna's* Globe strikes me as one of the very few essays in the post Cool Water/Green Irish Tweed fruity fougère style that's worth smelling perhaps the only one that improves upon the two originals. Elléna's brilliance in composing Globe was to graft the aromatic fruity-green fougère accord from Green Irish Tweed and Cool Water onto an immense white floral bouquet. These two blocks are seasoned with cardamom and coriander and set atop an arid, raspy cedar, sandalwood, and patchouli foundation, intended perhaps to make the composition more recognizably masculine.
The structure is brilliant and original, and why anybody at Rochas thought J. Q. Public would buy it is beyond me. Globe doesn't press any of the familiar male fragrance buttons until well into its musky vetiver, sandalwood, and labdanum drydown. That it projects robustly and leaves more sillage in the air than most men are probably accustomed to are additional strikes against it. In its day, Globe represented a brave (and almost certainly doomed,) attempt to broaden the horizons of male perfumery. Had it been released as a unisex niche fragrance I suppose it might still be with us. Were it introduced today, in synch with the mini-trend of floral designer scents for men, as embodied in Kenzo Power and Fleur de Male, would it survive? Idle conjecture, all of it, but I'm glad of the opportunity to wear Globe and to wonder.
* One whiff of Globe gets me wishing that Elléna would compose something this complex, layered, and original for Hermès. Do the Hermès art directors demand pallid, invertebrate scents from him, or is the stylistic dead end of minimalist one-liners something he's pursuing of his own volition? Globe offers ample evidence that he can do differently. (And better?)
Jean-Claue Elléna's* Globe strikes me as one of the very few essays in the post Cool Water/Green Irish Tweed fruity fougère style that's worth smelling perhaps the only one that improves upon the two originals. Elléna's brilliance in composing Globe was to graft the aromatic fruity-green fougère accord from Green Irish Tweed and Cool Water onto an immense white floral bouquet. These two blocks are seasoned with cardamom and coriander and set atop an arid, raspy cedar, sandalwood, and patchouli foundation, intended perhaps to make the composition more recognizably masculine.
The structure is brilliant and original, and why anybody at Rochas thought J. Q. Public would buy it is beyond me. Globe doesn't press any of the familiar male fragrance buttons until well into its musky vetiver, sandalwood, and labdanum drydown. That it projects robustly and leaves more sillage in the air than most men are probably accustomed to are additional strikes against it. In its day, Globe represented a brave (and almost certainly doomed,) attempt to broaden the horizons of male perfumery. Had it been released as a unisex niche fragrance I suppose it might still be with us. Were it introduced today, in synch with the mini-trend of floral designer scents for men, as embodied in Kenzo Power and Fleur de Male, would it survive? Idle conjecture, all of it, but I'm glad of the opportunity to wear Globe and to wonder.
* One whiff of Globe gets me wishing that Elléna would compose something this complex, layered, and original for Hermès. Do the Hermès art directors demand pallid, invertebrate scents from him, or is the stylistic dead end of minimalist one-liners something he's pursuing of his own volition? Globe offers ample evidence that he can do differently. (And better?)
Globe is a delight! I ordered a tester at a low price to try it out and I am glad I did. I love the floral/herbal opening. In my opinion it is safe to wear day or night. I am wearing it today to the office and two of my co-workers already gave me compliments.
Nails the masculine floral Globe is beautiful. It's very much a floral scent, but it's neither wimpy nor in-your-face. The jasmine, artemisia, and coriander opening is teetering on a highwire, wobbling over clean-fresh and musky-dirty on either side but it never falls off. The brisk, herbaceous character smells very natural and the projection is all quiet confidence, lasting 6-8 hours even on my greedy skin, longer on fabric. The 1-ounce splash I bought is a flat globe. The world is flat! This is a keeper.Pros: Unique, refreshing, naturalCons: Discontinued, will be seen as 'dated' by many
A bergamot, coriander, geranium, artemisium, cumin, jasmine and rose opening leads to a herbal-floral-green mix that is quite unique. Later thyme adds more of the green part, and vetiver and wood are coming to the fore in the base notes. it sounds as if this fragrance tries to be everything, but nonetheless it is quite convincing is achieving this. The top notes break through later on, and the wood remains more in the background. Average silage and projection, but poor longevity of less that two hours.
A dissonant jumble of sweet white florals, bitter herbs and leather; as if someone had taken a feminine fruity floral and mixed it with an 80s macho powerhouse. I find the resulting stew a bit stomach-turning. I agree with tvlampboy that it is related to Givenchy's Insense (and I don't like that either). Anyone struggling to find that, however, should give this a try.
Very unique leathery floral scent quite heavy on tagetes. Interesting stuff.Its thick and soft, very natural smelling. It is very herbal, musky and slightly smoky. It doesn't remind me that much of any other scent, but I get small whiffs from Fahrenheit (old formulation) and Jazz by YSL.Aromatically forest-y, very vegetal juice. Odd smelling overall; for instance I get a weird accord out of this that manages to remind me of some vegetable stew (with rosemary and tarragon) and mustard(!)Still available, but only exclusively and so expensive.
A bright, fresh floral offering that opens with brilliant greens and dries down to a luscious musky base. This is a kissing cousin to Givenchy's Insense, really, and even more distantly related to Paul Sebastian's Brownstone.Why Rochas discontinued this I'll never know. I assume it was an interim fragrance -- somewhere between the "big power frags" of the Eighties and the watery wimps of the Nineties.A pity.
Globe has a primarily green / herbal opening which is blended with citrus, but the citrus isn't obvious to me–just enough to lighten, sharpen, freshen up the green notes. Every once in a while I catch the unusual fruit note that others have mentioned–a kind of dull sweet-but-sharp note that I don't know what to make of. I believe that this is the kind of scent that quickly causes olfactory fatigue because it disappears after several minutes, but, if I avoid it for ten minutes, it's there again. The accord has a heavy aromatic ambiance that seems fresh even though it doesn't have the generic fresh notes I have come to expect. The upshot is that the opening lasts for quite a long time, even though I lose it now and then. I find it an enjoyable experience.The middle notes have less force and character–thyme (especially) and fir dominate over a smooth floral: It is nice, and it's quite a bit 80's because it develops a little bit of that 80's cologne tang–not strong, but there. This stage lasts for a while, too, but it is a little less enjoyable than the top because it is not an especially interesting accord. Actually it's boring, but the boredom does at least one positive thing–it prepares me for the dry down. The base is mostly non-spectacular, with a tiny bit of off thrown in. All things considered, Globe has an attractive opening that has real substance and likeability, but from there it goes in unimpressive directions. It's not a bad scent at all, but there are so many better.
It took me quite awhile to decide on this cologne. So, I left it alone for a year or so...and I'm now rediscovering it again. I like it! It's getting hard to get but it's worth the try...it's very fresh, unique and different. Joshaugustt
This was a big one for me on late 1990, early 1991.The bottle design is simple and timeless (I love frosted glass) and the fragrance has , IMHO, not Fig, but something that smells like Dates (!) as one of its notes.Very sensuous. I got a lot of attention with this one.
Globe has a beautiful presentation - a globe naturally. The scent has a odd fruity odour - I think it is fig. Very unusual.