Reviews of Homme de Grès by Grès
Homme de Gres is a citrus aromatic chypre fragrance released in 1996. The scent opens with a burst of lemon, bergamot, herbal pettigrain and green basil. It is these notes that edge into an aromatic accord reminiscent of Capucci pour Homme and YSL pour Homme. The heart notes are labdanum, neroli, jasmine, benzoin, lavender and peach. Basenotes are classic chypre fare with oakmoss, sandalwood, amber, leather and musk. While woody and mossy, the base notes are slightly dirty with the musk and leather notes adding depth to the overall citrus aromatic nature of the fragrance. The lavender note does not steer HdG into fougere territory.
Homme de Gres is somewhat unusual in that it was released in the 1990’s, whereas other classic citrus aromatic chypres, such as Monsieur de Givenchy, Armani Eau pour Homme, YSL pour Homme, Chanel pour Monsieur and Capucci pour Homme, were introduced in the 1950’s - 1980’s.
HdG works well in the spring, summer and fall. The fragrance works well for casual, office and semi-formal occasions. The scent is a moderate performer with classic chypre longevity, projection and sillage.
I prefer classic citrus aromatic chypres, such as Homme de Gres, to the aquatic legions that passed them by in the 1990’s. I highly recommend Homme de Gres for those who enjoy classic citrus aromatics that stand the test of time, even if like Homme de Gres, they are stylishly late to the genre party. Two thumbs up.
Homme de Gres is somewhat unusual in that it was released in the 1990’s, whereas other classic citrus aromatic chypres, such as Monsieur de Givenchy, Armani Eau pour Homme, YSL pour Homme, Chanel pour Monsieur and Capucci pour Homme, were introduced in the 1950’s - 1980’s.
HdG works well in the spring, summer and fall. The fragrance works well for casual, office and semi-formal occasions. The scent is a moderate performer with classic chypre longevity, projection and sillage.
I prefer classic citrus aromatic chypres, such as Homme de Gres, to the aquatic legions that passed them by in the 1990’s. I highly recommend Homme de Gres for those who enjoy classic citrus aromatics that stand the test of time, even if like Homme de Gres, they are stylishly late to the genre party. Two thumbs up.
On first spray I get a gorgeous melange of astringent citrus, green notes, and neroli. The strong bergamot note is restrained by the greens creating a balance that I greatly enjoy. The dry-down is still citrusy and herbaceous, but also sandalwoody and mossy.
The opening reminds me of a more herbal Capucci PH. The dry-down is like a more citrusy Loewe PH. This is halfway between a citrus aromatic and a chypre. It would have been considered fresh and contemporary in the late 1960s, but was completely out of place when Grès launched it in the mid-90s. Hats off to Grès for daring to release this when men had already been wearing Cool Water and Eternity for years.
Projection is moderate but longevity is good.
Masculinity Level: Pacino's coked-up detective in Heat. Though we never actually see him take drugs.
The opening reminds me of a more herbal Capucci PH. The dry-down is like a more citrusy Loewe PH. This is halfway between a citrus aromatic and a chypre. It would have been considered fresh and contemporary in the late 1960s, but was completely out of place when Grès launched it in the mid-90s. Hats off to Grès for daring to release this when men had already been wearing Cool Water and Eternity for years.
Projection is moderate but longevity is good.
Masculinity Level: Pacino's coked-up detective in Heat. Though we never actually see him take drugs.
ADVERTISEMENT
Here's another stunning masterpiece that has been sadly discontinued. The citrus is bright, petitgrain verdant and shining, neroli is natural, jasmine nuanced.
While moderately better, I find that it is the olfactory equivalent of the refreshing bitters that are imbibed in the Mediterranean, a treat for the sense, a palate cleanser in a world of excessive fatty sweetness.
Reviewer JFrater (on Fragrantica) makes some great observations at some of the sophisticated elements included in its composition, including pyralone in the sultry base, an aromatic tobacco/leather aromachem, and the inclusion of some animalic tones that become more apparent as it continues to dry down. Lest we mention the generous dose of oakmoss which harmonizes it all ingeniously.
What a knockout. 10/10.
While moderately better, I find that it is the olfactory equivalent of the refreshing bitters that are imbibed in the Mediterranean, a treat for the sense, a palate cleanser in a world of excessive fatty sweetness.
Reviewer JFrater (on Fragrantica) makes some great observations at some of the sophisticated elements included in its composition, including pyralone in the sultry base, an aromatic tobacco/leather aromachem, and the inclusion of some animalic tones that become more apparent as it continues to dry down. Lest we mention the generous dose of oakmoss which harmonizes it all ingeniously.
What a knockout. 10/10.
Homme de Grès (1996) is a simple but satisfying citrus chypre in a style that became popular with men in place of the barbershop fougère (or "fern") sometime in the mid 20th century, up until the fougère became popular again thanks to the success of scents like Brut by Fabergé (1964), Speidel British Sterling (1965), and Avon Wild Country (1967). Some of you may be saying "but the date for Homme de Grès is 1996", and then wondering if implications of that means this scent was out-of-step with the times, and you would be correct in so doing. Homme de Grès is an odd one for sure, a straight-up-and-down citrus chypre (or "of Cyprus") made in a style not common since Yves Saint Laurent created their original Yves Saint Laurent pour Homme (1971) as a bookend of sorts, but it wasn't the only citrus chypre released after the halcyon days had gone, as Italian houses like Armani or Gianfranco Ferré also had masculine citrus chypres into the 80's. What makes Homme de Grès stranger than them is the fact you could still get away with a fairly straightforward chypre in the 80's thanks to the "wild west" nature of the market at the time; but by the mid-90's we were already seeing abstract freshness and a desire for synthetic minimalism take hold, so more aesthetically "natural" styles like this were too stodgy and mature. Still, I can see the logic behind reviving the citrus chypre as a simple yet elegant solution to the public demand for fresher fragrances, since the very nature of a basic chypre with its bright bergamot, crisp oakmoss, and warm labdabum seems almost a perfect fit without the need for fancy molecules or blue dyes. I'm probably giving Grès too much credit though, since the brand was far in decline by the 90's.
The opening of Homme de Grès is straight out of the Capucci pour Homme (1967) and Revlon Charlie (1973) playbook; masculine and feminine market unofficial siblings that present much the same idea with a bit of tasteful modulation for their target markets, introducing themselves with a sharp bergamot oil opening, offer something a bit like a dried fruit (juicier in the Revlon), and propelled by green notes. Galbanum is the name of the particular green player in them and so the same proves true here, but basil also joins the opening, adding a deeper bitter quality that travels through to the heart. Labdanum joins a dry indolic jasmine and a lactonic peach note left over from the opening with a bit of benzoin, before lavender seeps in and gives Homme de Grès another unique twist. The lavender makes it straddle chypre and fougère lines a little, but the former wins out as notes of oakmoss, sandalwood, costus, and a bit of isobutyl quinoline that helps add a leathery touch like in Capucci pour homme. Thanks to the huge dose of bitter greens and labdanum, Homme de Grès also crosses paths with the early 80's Yves Saint Laurent pour Homme Haute Concentration (1983) flanker. All told, you get a simple and totally unsweetened academic cypress accord, like the name "chypre" suggests for those unfamiliar with perfume genres, marrying bright herbal citrus with woods and mosses to make a clean but serious scent profile that chooses an obvious masculinity over the usual understatements of the 90's decade. Wear time is good at over 7 hours and pure unfettered chypre exercises feel very summery to me, but wear Homme de Grès anytime you have a hankering for it except in maybe a club or romantic setting.
Homme de Grès was absolutely crushed as expected by stuff like Acqua di Giò pour Homme by Gorgio Armani (1996) and Curve for Men by Liz Claiborne (1996), both scents that foreshadowed the future of the masculine perfume market, and likely the last thing anyone wanted in 1996; it shows by just how much Homme de Grès stayed in the market long after the house pulled the plug on the stuff, only recently being something you'd have to go in the aftermarket and pay a pretty penny to get. Grès perfumer Gérard Anthony also created the legendary Azzaro pour Homme (1978), alongside a few other favorites among vintage fans, so the way this turned out comes to no real surprise knowing who made it. Grès perhaps felt like they owed Anthony some business, as they had very shamelessly aped his work in Azzaro pour Homme with their own Grès Monsieur (1982) a decade before. In short, Homme de Grès is a fragrance that represents the furthest-most extreme of the brand's predilection for conservative masculine scents, as Cabaret de Grès Homme (2004) would be at least partially forward-thinking thanks to perfumer Pierre Bourdon. Most Grès masculine perfumes seem exactly of their time or maybe just a tad behind it anyway, since men's fragrance was never a big draw for the brand; and this being one of the last truly oakmoss-focused masculines in this style before regulation started closing that particular door is nothing if not par for the course with Grès. The fact Homme de Grès is from 1996 and not 1966 or 1946 makes it all the more delightful to me, but I'm weird. Overall a good textbook aromatic citrus, and one that used to be relatively available and cheap, but you know how that goes. Thumbs up.
The opening of Homme de Grès is straight out of the Capucci pour Homme (1967) and Revlon Charlie (1973) playbook; masculine and feminine market unofficial siblings that present much the same idea with a bit of tasteful modulation for their target markets, introducing themselves with a sharp bergamot oil opening, offer something a bit like a dried fruit (juicier in the Revlon), and propelled by green notes. Galbanum is the name of the particular green player in them and so the same proves true here, but basil also joins the opening, adding a deeper bitter quality that travels through to the heart. Labdanum joins a dry indolic jasmine and a lactonic peach note left over from the opening with a bit of benzoin, before lavender seeps in and gives Homme de Grès another unique twist. The lavender makes it straddle chypre and fougère lines a little, but the former wins out as notes of oakmoss, sandalwood, costus, and a bit of isobutyl quinoline that helps add a leathery touch like in Capucci pour homme. Thanks to the huge dose of bitter greens and labdanum, Homme de Grès also crosses paths with the early 80's Yves Saint Laurent pour Homme Haute Concentration (1983) flanker. All told, you get a simple and totally unsweetened academic cypress accord, like the name "chypre" suggests for those unfamiliar with perfume genres, marrying bright herbal citrus with woods and mosses to make a clean but serious scent profile that chooses an obvious masculinity over the usual understatements of the 90's decade. Wear time is good at over 7 hours and pure unfettered chypre exercises feel very summery to me, but wear Homme de Grès anytime you have a hankering for it except in maybe a club or romantic setting.
Homme de Grès was absolutely crushed as expected by stuff like Acqua di Giò pour Homme by Gorgio Armani (1996) and Curve for Men by Liz Claiborne (1996), both scents that foreshadowed the future of the masculine perfume market, and likely the last thing anyone wanted in 1996; it shows by just how much Homme de Grès stayed in the market long after the house pulled the plug on the stuff, only recently being something you'd have to go in the aftermarket and pay a pretty penny to get. Grès perfumer Gérard Anthony also created the legendary Azzaro pour Homme (1978), alongside a few other favorites among vintage fans, so the way this turned out comes to no real surprise knowing who made it. Grès perhaps felt like they owed Anthony some business, as they had very shamelessly aped his work in Azzaro pour Homme with their own Grès Monsieur (1982) a decade before. In short, Homme de Grès is a fragrance that represents the furthest-most extreme of the brand's predilection for conservative masculine scents, as Cabaret de Grès Homme (2004) would be at least partially forward-thinking thanks to perfumer Pierre Bourdon. Most Grès masculine perfumes seem exactly of their time or maybe just a tad behind it anyway, since men's fragrance was never a big draw for the brand; and this being one of the last truly oakmoss-focused masculines in this style before regulation started closing that particular door is nothing if not par for the course with Grès. The fact Homme de Grès is from 1996 and not 1966 or 1946 makes it all the more delightful to me, but I'm weird. Overall a good textbook aromatic citrus, and one that used to be relatively available and cheap, but you know how that goes. Thumbs up.
Wondering, is Homme de Grès a better fresh leather variant of Eau Sauvage than the actual flanker Eau Sauvage Fraîcheur Cuir itself?
Perhaps.
Perhaps.
Stardate 20170831:
I wish I knew what the main accord is in this. It is shared by Capucci PH (vintage) and is the main "leather" accord of Burberrys for Men (1st version 80s)
Artemesia? Galbanum? Vetiver? Labdanum?Costus? or a mixture of some of them?
This accord, which many call leather, is not something I like. I find it too dry. Burberrys for Men, while a masterpiece,is not in my top 20.
Homme De Gres (and Capucci too) have solved this problem by adding citrus, herbal and amber elements to the composition. The dryness has been balanced out.
It is still available online for $40 and you should get it before inventory runs out.
I wish I knew what the main accord is in this. It is shared by Capucci PH (vintage) and is the main "leather" accord of Burberrys for Men (1st version 80s)
Artemesia? Galbanum? Vetiver? Labdanum?Costus? or a mixture of some of them?
This accord, which many call leather, is not something I like. I find it too dry. Burberrys for Men, while a masterpiece,is not in my top 20.
Homme De Gres (and Capucci too) have solved this problem by adding citrus, herbal and amber elements to the composition. The dryness has been balanced out.
It is still available online for $40 and you should get it before inventory runs out.
Now this fragrance harks back to another time in structure and is nothing like what you would find on the shelves today. No sugary sweetness here!
After a few sprays upon the skin the scent smells quite harsh with bitter herbal lemony citrus notes. But the beauty of this fragrance is how in opens up and takes you on a olfactory journey. Wait twenty minutes and the scent starts to unfurl and soften with the introduction of lavender and jasmine floral notes. This starts to make the scent more aromatic as slowly the bitter herbal citrus melds with the lavender and floral notes on a underlying bed of leather.
Eventually the herbal mossy lemony citrus starts to fade and the floral jasmine notes start to come through more and the scent starts to become more woody. So you can smell a lovely herbal floral woody scent on a leathery base. Quite beautiful (reminds me a bit of Carons third man scent).
The scent is beautifully crafted in how the different notes are introduced and then meld together quite beautiful. Every-time you sniff the scent you are picking up a new different aspect. I am impressed how all these different notes all come together to create a alluring beautiful scent.
I get several hours of longevity and the basenotes seem to linger on the skin for ages where modern fragrances they just seem to disappear.
After a few sprays upon the skin the scent smells quite harsh with bitter herbal lemony citrus notes. But the beauty of this fragrance is how in opens up and takes you on a olfactory journey. Wait twenty minutes and the scent starts to unfurl and soften with the introduction of lavender and jasmine floral notes. This starts to make the scent more aromatic as slowly the bitter herbal citrus melds with the lavender and floral notes on a underlying bed of leather.
Eventually the herbal mossy lemony citrus starts to fade and the floral jasmine notes start to come through more and the scent starts to become more woody. So you can smell a lovely herbal floral woody scent on a leathery base. Quite beautiful (reminds me a bit of Carons third man scent).
The scent is beautifully crafted in how the different notes are introduced and then meld together quite beautiful. Every-time you sniff the scent you are picking up a new different aspect. I am impressed how all these different notes all come together to create a alluring beautiful scent.
I get several hours of longevity and the basenotes seem to linger on the skin for ages where modern fragrances they just seem to disappear.
In 1923 Roger and Gallet came up with a wonderful scent, Le Jade, which matched lime (the green in the clever name) with oak moss, providing a bracing scent far more masculine than feminine, but looking forward to such oak moss dominated perfumes as Bandit and Femme.
Gres took the oak moss from their classic Cabochard, and substituting lemon and bergamot for the lime, created their ultra-sophisticated and masculine Homme de Gres in the mid-1990s.
Homme is quite simple, but tres bracing and uplifting. Perfect for summer wear, either office or sport, and a good choice to splash on for early evening wear. A winner and sadly discontinued. You can still find it on Ebay. Worth a buy.
Gres took the oak moss from their classic Cabochard, and substituting lemon and bergamot for the lime, created their ultra-sophisticated and masculine Homme de Gres in the mid-1990s.
Homme is quite simple, but tres bracing and uplifting. Perfect for summer wear, either office or sport, and a good choice to splash on for early evening wear. A winner and sadly discontinued. You can still find it on Ebay. Worth a buy.
A citrusy-herbal-woody fragrance. Excellent in my mind! It smells wonderful (mostly masculine I would say). It is 'fresh' and at the same time provides body to the scent. It also changes a bit over time, starting citrusy, continuing into herbal with tarragon...perhaps.. and then into woody territory. Reminds me of some Guerlain, but still distinct. It has quite good sillage and last for a long time.
Solid. Maybe a bit boring, but terribly solid: citrus, sharp bitter green notes, oak moss, a barbershop accord of lavender and freshly cut woods. A really conventional fresh fougère for men in the same league of Yves Saint Laurent pour Homme, but with a hint of uniqueness lying in the unusually loud tone of the green notes, which smell sour and sharp as hell, enhanced by the astringent citric bitterness and the raw feel of woods, and cleverly rounded by something powdery-musky, almost animalic too, I guess due to lavender (you can really smell a ton of it here) and mossy notes. Really simple, sophisticatedly dry, virile and mature, probably not memorable, but a perfect piece of old-school self-confidence in a (fantastic!) bottle.
7/10
7/10
(This is discontinued so I did my first blind buy, bought a bottle on ebay)
The review by Vetiverlover describes this fragrance perfectly for me. There is nothing I dont like about it, very versatile in that it will work well all year round although I think it might be better as a fall/winter scent. I like its attitude, a really nice masculine scent. Its not a shouter, yet not too understated. Some people might object to the late dry down as being somewhat harsh, it has its share of tobacco/smoke...but I still like this aspect too. I paid $52 including shipping for 75ml w/box on ebay, a good value in my opinion. (Thanks to Basenoter JackTwist for putting this on my radar during his chanel pour monsieur review)
The review by Vetiverlover describes this fragrance perfectly for me. There is nothing I dont like about it, very versatile in that it will work well all year round although I think it might be better as a fall/winter scent. I like its attitude, a really nice masculine scent. Its not a shouter, yet not too understated. Some people might object to the late dry down as being somewhat harsh, it has its share of tobacco/smoke...but I still like this aspect too. I paid $52 including shipping for 75ml w/box on ebay, a good value in my opinion. (Thanks to Basenoter JackTwist for putting this on my radar during his chanel pour monsieur review)
Herbal and I love it. It is a beautiful scent and lasts forever on me. Fresh, summery and perfect for the Miami heat. I went to the post office this morning and was asked by a young woman what I was wearing. She had never heard of it, and said she would buy it for her boyfriend. I sprayed 3 times only, neck and wrists. So the projection is first class. I will be wearing it very often.
Hommes de Gres is fantastic - unique, & completely masculine: bitter citric & herbal top; citrus, woody & leathery dry-down with a little smoke. A happy, natural, totally self-assured & comforting scent that is great for the office, just after the gym, or for a night on the town. Good projection & silage, but not a shouter. Woods & leather. Compliments a-plenty. One of my all-time favorites. No - it's not a "contemporary" scent, but more a classic, old-school one. Not sweet at all. I'm so disappointed it's been discontinued!
Homme de Gres opens with a slightly bitter herbal lemon combo that establishes the theme for the scent early on. These notes hold from start to finish, but joining them in the scent's heart is a nicely done powdery lavender that builds over time. In the base, a leathery undertone adds a further dimension to the powdery herbaceous lemon/lavender combo. Homme de Gres is a bit more than a skin scent, but it is no projector either. Longevity and strength are quite good (as is the sprayer on the bottle, for what its worth).
When I first smelled the herbaceous green lemon opening I was really into Homme de Gres big time. It kind of reminded me of some of the better qualities of herbal lemon scents like vintage YSL pour Homme, then when the lavender based powder joined in, I even got a slight reminiscence to the great Patou pour Homme Prive... Unfortunately the powder continued to build until it became too much, before diminishing a bit later-on in the dry-down. That is where Homme de Gres lost a lot of its positive momentum and its comparison to those two great scents among others. Still, this is a very good scent in its own right and I am happy to have a bottle in my wardrobe. Even though it is discontinued, bottles are available on eBay for reasonable money. I suggest if you like powdery herbaceous lemon scents you pick one up while you still can. I give Homme de Gres a very solid recommended, and a 3.5 out of 5 star rating.
When I first smelled the herbaceous green lemon opening I was really into Homme de Gres big time. It kind of reminded me of some of the better qualities of herbal lemon scents like vintage YSL pour Homme, then when the lavender based powder joined in, I even got a slight reminiscence to the great Patou pour Homme Prive... Unfortunately the powder continued to build until it became too much, before diminishing a bit later-on in the dry-down. That is where Homme de Gres lost a lot of its positive momentum and its comparison to those two great scents among others. Still, this is a very good scent in its own right and I am happy to have a bottle in my wardrobe. Even though it is discontinued, bottles are available on eBay for reasonable money. I suggest if you like powdery herbaceous lemon scents you pick one up while you still can. I give Homme de Gres a very solid recommended, and a 3.5 out of 5 star rating.
What a wonderful cologne with hints of herbs I would say...in 1970-s. Just can't say it's timeless.
I like scents that are not sweet,this herbaceous lemon fragrance is an ideal everyday office scent.
Take Blenheim Bouquet, add some aromatic herbs, and a small amount of powder, and you have an idea what HdG smells like. This is wonderful stuff. It's a crying shame this is discontinued, though it seems quite easy to still find it on the internet. A big thumbs up from me.
While my other "lemony" scents -- Boucheron pour homme, Lacoste, Z-14 -- are bright, loud, happy fragrances that play best in the light of day, Homme de Gres is serious without being somber or stuffy. It slips easily from day into night, and sets a mood for intrigue and romance, not giggles. Plus, the moderate sillage works well in a crowd, adding to its suitability for a wide range of occasions. I'll be buying back-up bottles before this discontinued wonder becomes genuinely scarce.
WOW! Simply love this one. it's dry, powdery, herbal, lemon based scent with hints of dried lime peel too. i cant help but compare it to Dior's Eau Sauvage. more like an amplified version of the classic. the use of herbs is exactly the same (for reference). accords get softer towards mids and base and still retains the lemony freshness. The base has hints of leather and vetiver. a timeless classic. if you see one, grab it..!
A little smoky, a little leathery (birch tar?), but mostly herbal and citrusy. This is edgy enough to be bracing, but not enough to be annoying. The best thing about it its is straightforwardness. It gets to the point and keeps to it. It is not linear; rather, it develops quite nicely. Even so, it sticks to its theme and is consistently lemony.This is great for warmer weather, but the smokiness makes it appropriate for cooler weather or evening wear as well.
Now THIS is what a lemon and wood scent is all about. A much richer and darker (to be comparative to things I know) of Lacoste (original) but not as playful, more sincere. This is amazing throughout all the stages of the scent. I would say that this is an excellent fragrance for anytime you wish to impress at anytime. Sadly discontinued, finding a reputable source for more might prove difficult.
A beautiful and manly scent. One of the few "reserved scents" that is warm yet serious. Similar to one of the the old Givenchy fragrances I used to own but somewhat more wearable in warmer months and by younger people. GET IT WHILE YOU CAN.
This one is new to me and I like it. I think all of the reviews have got it right...and each review adds something different. If you read all of the reviews...you'll know exactly what you'll be getting. For me, it's a nice, new dry chypre that is fresh, powdery, and has nice staying power. Joshaugustt