Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin
Eau de Toilette, Lolita Lempicka (2000)

A simply glorious masculine from the year 2000. Annick Menardo did a wonderful job with this one. The longevity is eternal and I catch glimpse of the scent well into the next day. The bottle is kinda cool as well. A must for anyone who likes licorice

10/10

A crisp -but slightly bohemian- Gourmand Amber with a green, outdoor feel; it could have been worn by a famous garden designer visiting a rich client for the first time, or maybe a businessman working a deal in the clubhouse bar – after under-playing a round of golf with a likely customer.

This fragrance offers a smooth blend of florals with a subtle hint of anise in the background, which isn't overpowering or dominant in any way. The anise combines with the vetiver base to provide a solid foundation for the florals to stand on. The initial burst of lemon and lemon verbena fades quickly, giving way to a pleasant purple floral scent that sits close to the skin. A light woodiness and soft spiciness from the anise add some depth to the fragrance.

The only downside is the lack of projection. However, this might be perfect for those who prefer a more subtle scent that stays close to the skin. Overall, it's a pleasant fragrance that's worth trying if you're a fan of floral scents with a hint of spice.

Oh Anise, shoo-be-doo, how I love you, Anise, shoo-be-doo...

Anise, anise...and more anise, but there is sort of a rooty licorice in abundance here. However, this isn't a cloying Brach's gum drop anise here, it's not heavily sugar-coated, but on the contrary, has some rather green elements to counterbalance it: wormwood, basil, and a lovely inedible ivy note keeps confectionary impressions in check and render this opening as more of a Chartreuse-like cordial.

The heart reveals more of the violet (which always pairs well with anisic notes) and eventually dries down to a bourbon vanilla and tonka, with woodier elements of cedar and labdanum coming to the fore after a few hours. The base is the most sensual and intoxicating phase, lingering for quite some time, braised with a nutty praline.

This particular bottle/formulation is becoming more difficult to obtain, so seek it out while there's still a chance...

I somehow lucked out and got a 100ml 2001 vintage with the built-in sprayer for around $30.

Man this is amazing stuff.

The opening of Au Masculin immediately brings a few different things to mind. You certainly get a green ivy-vibe, an herbal twist, and some definite booziness which brings to mind absinthe, Jägermeister, and Chartreuse. However, from the outset the powdery vanilla and tonka of the base can be smelt loud and clear.

The clash between greenness and powdery coumarin sweetness immediately reminds me of barbershop fougère fragrances. It also instantly calls a few other 90s and early 2000s staples to mind: Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Male (1995), Versace’s The Dreamer (1996), and Armani’s Code (2004). Yes, Au Masculin definitely smells like a product of its time, and that fresh, clean, powdery, cologne-like barbershop vibe remains throughout the life of the fragrance.

Personally, I quite like that part of the fragrance, as I own and love The Dreamer and quite like Le Male and Code. Smelling it instantly takes me back to the late 90s and early 2000s – the scents that people wore, the optimism and hope, the vibrancy of the times. It’s like a little time machine to a happier, simpler time. However, if you aren’t all that keen on fragrances like that, you might not enjoy Au Masculin.

Soon, through a veil of booze and vanilla, the licorice begins to emerge. This is where it begins to differentiate itself from stuff like Le Male. On skin, there is a bitter but candy-like licorice vibe that really does smell like a bag of freshly opened licorice wheels. This blends perfectly with the herbal touches (which retreat in the drydown) and the emergent vanilla-praline-tonka bean powder base.

The closer you get to skin, the more bitter, herbal, green, and licoricey the fragrance smells, while in the air you get a rich, dense, creamy vanilla kind of scent with a touch of licorice and those clean barbershoppy flourishes. I love the smell so much; it reminds me of a thick, creamy shaving foam mixed with vanilla ice cream and licorice syrup.

In the deep drydown, the sweetness starts to fade a bit as the woods appear out of a fog of powder and vanilla, but unfortunately the greenness is nowhere to be found at this stage, just a humming warmth. That warm, woody, vanillaey, powdery sweetness is all that remains on skin for hours and hours.

Performance is strong but not overwhelming, and I find Au Masculin to be very long-lasting.

Definitely pick it up if you find it! It is wonderful, and I wanna hit myself for ignoring this for so long.

9.5/10

Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin

All the notes align just perfectly for my taste on paper, but on my skin they don’t translate the same. Up top I do get the lovely anise and violet and it is so wonderful to my nose! I wish it would just stop there and stay there! Unfortunately, on me the tonka bean comes in and basically washes over everything for a while; and while a little tonka is good, I don’t want it that strong on me. Finally, there is some relief with the cedar but the vanilla kind of keeps that tonka vibe going. I would wear this to work as it’s very safe, not much projection and not offensive. To me wearing this out for an evening would get lost so I don’t. Honestly while this probably is best when it is a bit cooler, I think it could be used in the summer even. On me it lasted about 4 hours at arm’s length, then skin scent for an hour or so then gone completely. Stayed fairly close to me even with 7 sprays around my neck, chest and arms. I think this one could definitely be a unisex fragrance. It’s nice enough and I’ll use up my bottle, but won’t be replacing it when it’s gone.

As always, your result may vary!