Reviews of Yohji Homme by Yohji Yamamoto
Coffee, anise, and lavender, compressed and polished into a glassine unity. The notes are recognizable but also transformed. Usually earthy and sometimes even rough, they are no such thing here. Urban, sleek, minimalist. The smell can be elusive up close, but in the air it drifts up in subtle ribbons, as if the molecules are strings that gradually lift off the skin until they untether and float into the atmosphere.
I’m thrilled to report that I’ve scored a unicorn: an unsprayed, 100-ml bottle of OG Yohji Homme. Launched in 1999 by Japanese fashion house Yohji Yamamoto, when its fragrances were still under the Jean Patou label, it was designed by nose Jean-Michel Duriez, probably with support from legendary Patou in-house perfumer Jean Kerleo. Yohji Homme attained mythical status and a cult following in the early 2000s, later cemented by Luca Turin’s rave, five-star review in his first Guide with Tania Sanchez (2008).
Honestly, the juice is pretty freaking incredible. I haven’t been able to stop sniffing it since I got it a few days ago (I’ve worn it twice at night, once for a formal dinner and once before bedtime). Today’s my first full-day run with it. It has a complex, three-part structure consisting of 1) an anisic fougère that lightly treads on 2) gourmand territory and ends on 3) a dark, chypre-like base. The first time I smelled the opening it reminded me distantly of Davidoff Zino and Azzaro Pour Homme — the former, due to the lavender-rosewood; the latter, because of the lavender-anise. But all reminiscences end immediately, as Yohji begins to unfurl its secrets and take an utterly unique path toward an unexpected destination.
After the initial aromatic burst featuring bergamot, lavender, anise, and coriander, it gains in depth and warmth with cinnamon, a more prominent rosewood, and a delicious licorice accord that functions as the pivot to transition from fougère to gourmand. I can discern geranium (or is it carnation?), but whatever florals are present are subtle and quickly subsumed by the irruption of its base protagonists, the real stars of the show: a boozy rum that takes you for a spin, a rich coffee that provides sturdy comfort (and prevents a hangover) and a fine grain, worn-in, brown leather that is only slightly sweetened by high-quality tonka beans and a creamy sandalwood. Heaven.
Yohji Homme was a pioneer and is the perfect gourmand for those of us who don’t usually like gourmands. It’s merely gestural in this regard, in no way evoking anything truly edible. Rum and coffee: two of the best aromas in the world, especially to someone from Guatemala, like me. I have now found my holiday season holy grail: light, fresh, spicy, warm, boozy, semisweet, suave, inviting, and effortlessly interesting. No wonder it’s a legend.
Honestly, the juice is pretty freaking incredible. I haven’t been able to stop sniffing it since I got it a few days ago (I’ve worn it twice at night, once for a formal dinner and once before bedtime). Today’s my first full-day run with it. It has a complex, three-part structure consisting of 1) an anisic fougère that lightly treads on 2) gourmand territory and ends on 3) a dark, chypre-like base. The first time I smelled the opening it reminded me distantly of Davidoff Zino and Azzaro Pour Homme — the former, due to the lavender-rosewood; the latter, because of the lavender-anise. But all reminiscences end immediately, as Yohji begins to unfurl its secrets and take an utterly unique path toward an unexpected destination.
After the initial aromatic burst featuring bergamot, lavender, anise, and coriander, it gains in depth and warmth with cinnamon, a more prominent rosewood, and a delicious licorice accord that functions as the pivot to transition from fougère to gourmand. I can discern geranium (or is it carnation?), but whatever florals are present are subtle and quickly subsumed by the irruption of its base protagonists, the real stars of the show: a boozy rum that takes you for a spin, a rich coffee that provides sturdy comfort (and prevents a hangover) and a fine grain, worn-in, brown leather that is only slightly sweetened by high-quality tonka beans and a creamy sandalwood. Heaven.
Yohji Homme was a pioneer and is the perfect gourmand for those of us who don’t usually like gourmands. It’s merely gestural in this regard, in no way evoking anything truly edible. Rum and coffee: two of the best aromas in the world, especially to someone from Guatemala, like me. I have now found my holiday season holy grail: light, fresh, spicy, warm, boozy, semisweet, suave, inviting, and effortlessly interesting. No wonder it’s a legend.
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Starts off like a light, musky, citrusy clean 80s or 90s masculine scent. The nuttiness of the anise-licorice and mocha comes in next. That seems to be the real heart and soul of this scent. It continues on that way but later a musty leather kicks in and pushes this into a mature territory that's older than what I'd like to smell like.
Doesn't project but you can smell it on your clothes or skin when you get close and longevity lasts all day.
Doesn't project but you can smell it on your clothes or skin when you get close and longevity lasts all day.
In an alternate world, Yohji Homme could have been a brilliant Fougère. Substitute licorice for lavender, rum & coffee for coumarin and patchouli and musk for oak moss. A counterintuitive bone structure for an entire olfactive genre, but so is a classical fougere(or Chypre for that matter), if you really stop to think about it.
What I mean is, this scent is a titan and could have easily been as big a hit as something like A*men, which rightly has 23,000(and counting) flankers and more imitators, given the right circumstance.
It's sad that the Patou version is disappearing. People are using their bottles and even now the top notes on my bottle are starting to disperse. But this ephemeral nature only makes me love it more. Wear it while you still can!
What I mean is, this scent is a titan and could have easily been as big a hit as something like A*men, which rightly has 23,000(and counting) flankers and more imitators, given the right circumstance.
It's sad that the Patou version is disappearing. People are using their bottles and even now the top notes on my bottle are starting to disperse. But this ephemeral nature only makes me love it more. Wear it while you still can!
It's as if one took a particularly statuesque model and recast its overall form as a mannequin. Make no mistake, I mean this as the highest compliment to the nose behind this classic. Its charms are syncretic and it stands as a unique innovation on a tried-and-true genre.
It has the soul of a fougere, but with these
delectable, unnaturally potent boozy-gourmand notes added in. (I, for one, almost always love seeing anise notes but respect that they are a polarizing, acquired taste)
The finishing white musk is just as freakish (& gorgeous because of it) as the gourmand element though of course it is incorporated seamlessly. To pursue my earlier comparison,
the bones of the drydown are about what you expect but transmuted just enough to keep things thrilling.
The scent balances the line between familiarity and novelty perfectly and its position makes this uncanny scent one I love revisiting.
Timeless.
It has the soul of a fougere, but with these
delectable, unnaturally potent boozy-gourmand notes added in. (I, for one, almost always love seeing anise notes but respect that they are a polarizing, acquired taste)
The finishing white musk is just as freakish (& gorgeous because of it) as the gourmand element though of course it is incorporated seamlessly. To pursue my earlier comparison,
the bones of the drydown are about what you expect but transmuted just enough to keep things thrilling.
The scent balances the line between familiarity and novelty perfectly and its position makes this uncanny scent one I love revisiting.
Timeless.
Yohji Homme by Yohji Yamamoto (1999) came at a time when the gourmand was just starting to pick up steam on the men's side of the fragrance spectrum, and as one of the final products of legendary perfumer Jean Kerleo before he left Patou (who created Yohji Yamamoto's scents at first), this gets a big push by collectors and enthusiasts. It's an unlikely hero to the fans of Kerleo to be fair, as most of his past masculine scent work seemed to be arguably more traditional in construction, or at least built upon tradition. Yohji Homme was frankly as much the opposite of traditional men's perfumery as one might get in 1999, even compared to the citric ozonics and aquatics of the day. Yohji Homme as the male counterpart to Yohji (1996), a feminine gourmand that also can be labelled unisex in some ways, didn't seem to take a hard-line stance on it's own gender assignment, which is perhaps part of it's appeal. We were in a new age of deliberately-marketed unisex perfume thanks to the success of Calvin Klein's cK1 (1994), but both Yohji scents made by Kerleo could be enjoyed interchangeably by either sex despite who they were "meant for", as I see quite a few men sing praises about the perfume plus vice-versa with women and this. It should also be of important note that this was touched up by perfumer Olivier Pescheux to meet IFRA standards after Patou gave up the license and Yohji Yamamoto relaunched these on his own in 2012 (only to see them discontinued one more final time a few years later).
Yohji Homme opens with bergamot, sage, juniper berry, cinnamon, cardamom, and a very famous licorice note. Some folks cite lavender as being in this, but I can't really detect it myself amidst all the spice and herbs. The middle is quite boozy with a rum note that then later hands you coffee for the hangover it will give you, and geranium lingers in the background before it all dries in a bootstrap type of leather, with soft musk and patchouli keeping it warm and sensual. Cedar is the final detectable note here, and it's another drying counterpoint, keeping the musk and rum from being cloying. It's a much better-balanced and blended gourmand than many later ones created in it's wake, particularly more commercial ones like Spark by Liz Claiborne (2003) or Bod Man Body Heat by Parfums de Coeur (2007) that both go strait for sweet and warm with no mercy. Yohji Homme instead plays off it's own mystique, being sweet at times, then dry and earthy, seductive with it's warmth but also light enough on it's feet for diplomacy in an office setting. It's far from a generalist scent but it has enough angles to do more than smell pretty, no pun intended. I feel this deliberately acts like a tease on skin, making you satisfied with the first impression, but also contemplating what it would do if you got closer to the person wearing it; the stuff walks that fine knife's edge between casual and romantic. Wear time is about 7 hours, so just below average, but sillage is well detectable throughout that time. Best use is spring through fall in cozy scenarios.
Yohji Homme's cedar and fairly heavy synthetic white musk note interplay also recalls Jõvan Ginseng N.R.G. (1998) even if they are worlds apart in construction otherwise, plus Avon would seemingly take a stab at Yohji Homme with a gourmand/fougère hybrid called Intrigue (2001), replacing some notes with barbershop staples and going both way darker/drier and more clearly defined as masculine, removig much of the charming subtlety of the idea Kerleo presents here. Yohji is a fine scent, and is quite literally the perfect gourmand for somebody who doesn't -really- want that typical gourmand feel of coming across as baked goods or a fruit basket when wearing it. I'd say this is one of the better blended, sophisticated, and balanced scents not only of it's genre, but of it's decade, standing apart from all the mega-linear "ocean in a bottle" scents that were littering the fragrance counters in the late 90's, being a close rival to Rochas Man (1999) in that regard. It's not for every person, but Yohji is a fascinating showcase of bright spice, dry woods and leather wrapped in soft musk that will keep you sniffing. So far as I can tell no aesthetic changes were intentionally made by Pescheux when he adjusted Kerleo's original formula, since there is little talk of difference between them from fans, so any version will do. Try a mini-sized tube before you spend a vast sum for a full bottle, which is comically also a tube, just much larger. Thumbs up
Yohji Homme opens with bergamot, sage, juniper berry, cinnamon, cardamom, and a very famous licorice note. Some folks cite lavender as being in this, but I can't really detect it myself amidst all the spice and herbs. The middle is quite boozy with a rum note that then later hands you coffee for the hangover it will give you, and geranium lingers in the background before it all dries in a bootstrap type of leather, with soft musk and patchouli keeping it warm and sensual. Cedar is the final detectable note here, and it's another drying counterpoint, keeping the musk and rum from being cloying. It's a much better-balanced and blended gourmand than many later ones created in it's wake, particularly more commercial ones like Spark by Liz Claiborne (2003) or Bod Man Body Heat by Parfums de Coeur (2007) that both go strait for sweet and warm with no mercy. Yohji Homme instead plays off it's own mystique, being sweet at times, then dry and earthy, seductive with it's warmth but also light enough on it's feet for diplomacy in an office setting. It's far from a generalist scent but it has enough angles to do more than smell pretty, no pun intended. I feel this deliberately acts like a tease on skin, making you satisfied with the first impression, but also contemplating what it would do if you got closer to the person wearing it; the stuff walks that fine knife's edge between casual and romantic. Wear time is about 7 hours, so just below average, but sillage is well detectable throughout that time. Best use is spring through fall in cozy scenarios.
Yohji Homme's cedar and fairly heavy synthetic white musk note interplay also recalls Jõvan Ginseng N.R.G. (1998) even if they are worlds apart in construction otherwise, plus Avon would seemingly take a stab at Yohji Homme with a gourmand/fougère hybrid called Intrigue (2001), replacing some notes with barbershop staples and going both way darker/drier and more clearly defined as masculine, removig much of the charming subtlety of the idea Kerleo presents here. Yohji is a fine scent, and is quite literally the perfect gourmand for somebody who doesn't -really- want that typical gourmand feel of coming across as baked goods or a fruit basket when wearing it. I'd say this is one of the better blended, sophisticated, and balanced scents not only of it's genre, but of it's decade, standing apart from all the mega-linear "ocean in a bottle" scents that were littering the fragrance counters in the late 90's, being a close rival to Rochas Man (1999) in that regard. It's not for every person, but Yohji is a fascinating showcase of bright spice, dry woods and leather wrapped in soft musk that will keep you sniffing. So far as I can tell no aesthetic changes were intentionally made by Pescheux when he adjusted Kerleo's original formula, since there is little talk of difference between them from fans, so any version will do. Try a mini-sized tube before you spend a vast sum for a full bottle, which is comically also a tube, just much larger. Thumbs up
Freshly resinous
Je Ne Sais Quoi Pour Homme is
So quite Yohji-san.
Je Ne Sais Quoi Pour Homme is
So quite Yohji-san.
Sadly for me the scent does not perform or last very long at all, I had high expectations. Perhaps the bottle I have might be a bit faded or compromised.
To me this seems like a weak gourmand scent.
To me this seems like a weak gourmand scent.
I would count this as possibly the best thing in my collection. I have the feeling that, at the moment, I don't know enough to appreciate it properly. Luca Turin's review of it is insightful, and I find myself going through the same stage of discovery with every use of YH. For instance: spraying some into the cap and then straight on to my arm helps separate out some of the notes. The cap seems to trap the lavender, while skin seems immediately to bring out some of the more gourmand elements.
As well as combining the accords well (perfectly?), there is a terrific balance of light and shade, warmth and coolness. In very hot weather, I'd be more likely to want to wear this than something like l'Instant de Guerlain EDT, my present staple, due to the cooling and relaxing effect of the lavender. But in cold weather, the roasted' aspect of the coffee and spices that Tanya Sanchez writes about comes to the fore.
It's hard to say what you can expect from YH, as the notes don't tend to behave in a uniform way on me. It's not unknown to have the coffee, liquorice and spices take over at the start, and for the lavender to be prominent in the dry down, a reversal of the usual pyramidal progression. There is definitely something of the Gestalt in YH, whereby the accords want to jump out and compete for attention. As a result, it's hard just to let it be and do its job; a bit like intermediate musicians want to isolate and replicate their instrument's part in the context of a band.
Again, YH seems to be out of production. Bottles of the 2013 vintage are currently going for as much as the 2005 on Ebay and elsewhere. I have a full 50ml bottle and most of another one left, and I live in terror of not being able to find others. Worth trying? If you can get hold of it.
One last comment: Is it a fougere? Turin and Sanchez have this done as a liquorice fougere. However, the lavender is the only fougere staple ingredient that I can find. So either a single point of overlap is sufficient for this claim, or they are talking more about structure, or the way accords work together, or some other aspect that I just don't yet have the mileage to understand.
As well as combining the accords well (perfectly?), there is a terrific balance of light and shade, warmth and coolness. In very hot weather, I'd be more likely to want to wear this than something like l'Instant de Guerlain EDT, my present staple, due to the cooling and relaxing effect of the lavender. But in cold weather, the roasted' aspect of the coffee and spices that Tanya Sanchez writes about comes to the fore.
It's hard to say what you can expect from YH, as the notes don't tend to behave in a uniform way on me. It's not unknown to have the coffee, liquorice and spices take over at the start, and for the lavender to be prominent in the dry down, a reversal of the usual pyramidal progression. There is definitely something of the Gestalt in YH, whereby the accords want to jump out and compete for attention. As a result, it's hard just to let it be and do its job; a bit like intermediate musicians want to isolate and replicate their instrument's part in the context of a band.
Again, YH seems to be out of production. Bottles of the 2013 vintage are currently going for as much as the 2005 on Ebay and elsewhere. I have a full 50ml bottle and most of another one left, and I live in terror of not being able to find others. Worth trying? If you can get hold of it.
One last comment: Is it a fougere? Turin and Sanchez have this done as a liquorice fougere. However, the lavender is the only fougere staple ingredient that I can find. So either a single point of overlap is sufficient for this claim, or they are talking more about structure, or the way accords work together, or some other aspect that I just don't yet have the mileage to understand.
With the exception of the outrageous and incomparable Angel, I am not a fan of gourmand scents. I can't understand why someone would want to smell like he/she has just stepped out of a kitchen.
So, I was skeptical about liking Yohji Homme. No fear, the gourmand warnings were exaggerated. However, what I do get is minimal. Coffee and lavender drying down to a fougere with a whiff of leather in the background. Dry, nice, sophisticated, but hardly a masterpiece as so many great Basenote reviewers find it to be.
It disappears on my skin very quickly. If it had more depth, more longevity, the scales might have been tipped toward a positive review. As such, however, I can admire what it wants to be, not what it is. I would have sent it back to the labs with a nod of encouragement that it is on the right track, but has more work to do before it achieves what it points to as its unique goal.
So, I was skeptical about liking Yohji Homme. No fear, the gourmand warnings were exaggerated. However, what I do get is minimal. Coffee and lavender drying down to a fougere with a whiff of leather in the background. Dry, nice, sophisticated, but hardly a masterpiece as so many great Basenote reviewers find it to be.
It disappears on my skin very quickly. If it had more depth, more longevity, the scales might have been tipped toward a positive review. As such, however, I can admire what it wants to be, not what it is. I would have sent it back to the labs with a nod of encouragement that it is on the right track, but has more work to do before it achieves what it points to as its unique goal.
This review is for the re-released version from around 2012.
Three L's totally dominate here: Liquorice, Lavender and Leather - in that order. This is sometimes referred to as a gourmand, no doubt because of the liquorice. The note list is spot on to call this Liquorice rather than anise. The note reminds me exactly of the raw root liquorice my childhood mate used to bring back from Southern Italy; initially nothing much, but when you scrape your nail against it you get a pungent, savoury, earthy, bitter aromatic smell/taste. A mature, complex multifaceted treat for the palate.
The Lavender exists in perfect harmony with the Liquorice. This might be one of the best blended fragrances around! The blend is like listening to a DJ mixing two tracks, perfectly matching the rhythm and speed so that its hard to notice where one track is fading out and the new one is fading in. The Lavender adds to the dry herbaceous liquorice goodness. It also gives the classic "fougere with a twist" backbone to the scent, dragging the liquorice further into the scents development.
The Leather is far more subtle. I probably wouldn't call it without the note list. Also the rum is subtle and discreet, so this certainly isn't a boozy scent - rather - this is an understated, classy modern classic. Very well representative of Yohji Yamamoto as a brand actually: More likley to be your favourite designers favourite designer (favourite fragrance critics favourite fragrance) than actually achieve mass appeal and high volume sales. This could easily get crowded out by more brash confident scents. This one is destined to go under appreciated but nevertheless exudes quiet confidence and genuine class.
It finally dries down to a lightly spicy, warm wood, slightly oak-mossy clean quiet finish. A master-class in terms of blending. An unmitigated triumph? maybe not quite: performance is on the weak side. The overall composition of this re-release is a little 'thin'. I can image the original release is 'thicker'. Theres a very slight chlorinated / swimming pool type background note that may be due to enforced reformulation. Nonetheless its a pleasure to know this understated, under appreciated gem
80/100
Three L's totally dominate here: Liquorice, Lavender and Leather - in that order. This is sometimes referred to as a gourmand, no doubt because of the liquorice. The note list is spot on to call this Liquorice rather than anise. The note reminds me exactly of the raw root liquorice my childhood mate used to bring back from Southern Italy; initially nothing much, but when you scrape your nail against it you get a pungent, savoury, earthy, bitter aromatic smell/taste. A mature, complex multifaceted treat for the palate.
The Lavender exists in perfect harmony with the Liquorice. This might be one of the best blended fragrances around! The blend is like listening to a DJ mixing two tracks, perfectly matching the rhythm and speed so that its hard to notice where one track is fading out and the new one is fading in. The Lavender adds to the dry herbaceous liquorice goodness. It also gives the classic "fougere with a twist" backbone to the scent, dragging the liquorice further into the scents development.
The Leather is far more subtle. I probably wouldn't call it without the note list. Also the rum is subtle and discreet, so this certainly isn't a boozy scent - rather - this is an understated, classy modern classic. Very well representative of Yohji Yamamoto as a brand actually: More likley to be your favourite designers favourite designer (favourite fragrance critics favourite fragrance) than actually achieve mass appeal and high volume sales. This could easily get crowded out by more brash confident scents. This one is destined to go under appreciated but nevertheless exudes quiet confidence and genuine class.
It finally dries down to a lightly spicy, warm wood, slightly oak-mossy clean quiet finish. A master-class in terms of blending. An unmitigated triumph? maybe not quite: performance is on the weak side. The overall composition of this re-release is a little 'thin'. I can image the original release is 'thicker'. Theres a very slight chlorinated / swimming pool type background note that may be due to enforced reformulation. Nonetheless its a pleasure to know this understated, under appreciated gem
80/100
So I have finally the opportunity to review this "taking the world by storm" cult fragrance which today I test in greater depth on skin in its original formula and that previously I've "inhaled" superficially in the wrongest of the ways (as sprayed on a paper in huge perfume department, yet having contemporarily on skin and under nose 2 or 3 different scents). All has been already told about Yohji Yamamoto Yohji Homme. Conceptually "oriental" in inspiration this little gem manages to decipher in olfactory terms all the japanese abstract minimalism which is everything but pale simplism. This fragrance is introvert and "meditative". No doubt about the assertion this is a masterfully crafted and balanced composition combining in a skilful formula sharp aldehydic/fougere green tones, a light (translucent) powdery muskiness (vaguely a la Must de Cartier Pour Homme), perfectly modulated gourmandish/boozy/spicy synthetic elements (anisic coffee-cocoa/sweet cinnamon), dark bitter-herbal licorice, a "tonka/vanillin" exotic whiff, hyper subtle leathery echoes and (I'd add) vague salty-soapy-aldehydic patterns close to the ones we get in several scents from IL Profvmo (Pioggia Salata, Nymphea, Citron Sauvage, Fleur de Bambù). Overall is constantly sharp, light, elegant (with a steady undertone of western glamour sophistication), salty/mild, leathery-spicy in a soapy/velvety harmonious way. My long trip in Japan (few years ago, going also around for several remote regions) induces me to catch in here a sort of silent and melancholic, peaceful and somewhat abstract japanese pureness, anyway combined with a western urban modern versatility. I outline the Yohji Homme's uniqueness despite a bunch of scents could be picked up for several of their particularities, scents as Chanel Allure Homme (for a kind of greenish-anisic-rosey-tonkinian-poudre languid/chic/acidic spark), Carven Homme (for its hyper suble musky-spicy leathery rendition), Canali Men (for its greenish-floral-leathery subtle complexity), Eau de Rochas (for its citric-musky aromatic freshness) but on a certain extent also S.T. Dupont Homme and Helmut Lang Eau de Cologne Pour Homme with its perfectly appointed "coton-candy" lavender-cedarwood powderish/eliotropic final "white glare". A main accord of cedar-lavender-anise-bergamot provides a spark of extreme languid sophistication. Licorice provides a kind of dark-spicy-herbal tone (rendered out spicy-boozy-crispy by rum and dry spices) while I can't deny to detect, along the dry down, a sort of fluidy-incensey trail (or anyway it can be just an impression reinforced by a steady, though light, spicy-resinous lingering saltiness). Finally what I love of this fragrance is its velvety (somewhat floral-musky) poudre background full of variegate nuaces, overall perfectly enclosed in to a light olfactory amalgam quite versatile and timeless. A fragrance which deserves for real all its fame, a solution for a modern man soberly elegant and never banal.
My review is based on the original version, although I am given to understand that the recent reissue is quite similar to the original one (oh I wished other houses did that too). Yohji Homme is one of the 2 or 3 "cult" scents of contemporary perfumery (say, post-2000s) which is highly worth its fame and praise. It is, in fact and without doubts, the unique and timeless masterpiece everyone talks about. If you read Turin's guide to perfumes, his review of Yohji Homme is perfect. Like a really few else recent fragrances (I think of M7, a couple of Costume National, Cuiron), it basically smells like nothing else: just pure, white, futuristic synthetic elegance. Yohji is basically a sophisticated woody-spicy scent, with a transparent, polished but warm and dense texture of gourmand notes, slightly creamy and powdery, with also something floral (it smells like iris to me, apart from the lavender note) elegantly contrasting with a dark, boozy subtle undertone of licorice. Above all of this, a rarefied white fog of pure, artificial freshness, some odd but tremendously fascinating plummy and plushy abstract notes providing and irresistible and refined sort of "white glow" all over. What makes Yohji a masterpiece, besides smelling so (so!) great, is the incredible perfection of the composition: it is a complex scent with a lot of echoes, notes, nuances, from spices to sweet notes, a lot of "new" and never-smelled-before going on all over, but still it is so thin, compact, subtle and transparent, almost "zen" and peaceful in a way. It is like that new wave of experimental "cuisine" with those chemist-chefs which stuff recipes and lots of complex flavours in tiny pills. But apart from all of this, it's enough to say that Yohji smells simply gorgeous, addictive, compelling and unique like a really few other scents.
9/10
9/10
Genre: Fougère
2008:
Yohji Homme has a fascinating bittersweet opening, alcoholic and aldehyde driven. I can't recall anything like it. It quickly evolves into a woody sweet accord with well-blended coffee and anise accents: a bit like a balsawood dowel soaked in coffee with sambuca.
The woody notes grow more and more prominent and the coffee floats in and out until, inside of an hour, the whole thing just up and disappears on me. I suspect anosmia here, which is sad indeed, since by all reports what I'm missing is delightful. What I can perceive of Yohji Homme is very promising, but the quick exit leaves me unfulfilled.
2010:
My earlier experiences of Yohji Homme left me unsatisfied (see above), largely because I could not detect the scent after about an hour's wear. I've recently had the opportunity to re-sample Yohji Homme from a new source, and am happy to report that this time I can smell the drydown. A good thing, too, because that drydown makes all the difference.
I'll echo the estimable pluran in his assertion that Yohji Homme is not quite the gourmand scent so many have described it as. While Rochas Man, Lolita Lempicka au Masculin, Body Kouros, and any number of the other scents that riff off of Yohji Homme's coffee, anise, and rum accord set those notes atop a sweet, vanillic woody oriental foundation, Yohji Homme stands apart in its use of much cooler, drier fougèrestyle base notes. Yohji Homme's genius lies in the internal contrast between its sweet, warm, foody notes and the brisk, refreshing aromatics of the fougère construct. Its uniformly sweet gourmand successors all miss the point and wind up smelling ponderous, two-dimensional, and cloying by comparison. Now I get it.
2008:
Yohji Homme has a fascinating bittersweet opening, alcoholic and aldehyde driven. I can't recall anything like it. It quickly evolves into a woody sweet accord with well-blended coffee and anise accents: a bit like a balsawood dowel soaked in coffee with sambuca.
The woody notes grow more and more prominent and the coffee floats in and out until, inside of an hour, the whole thing just up and disappears on me. I suspect anosmia here, which is sad indeed, since by all reports what I'm missing is delightful. What I can perceive of Yohji Homme is very promising, but the quick exit leaves me unfulfilled.
2010:
My earlier experiences of Yohji Homme left me unsatisfied (see above), largely because I could not detect the scent after about an hour's wear. I've recently had the opportunity to re-sample Yohji Homme from a new source, and am happy to report that this time I can smell the drydown. A good thing, too, because that drydown makes all the difference.
I'll echo the estimable pluran in his assertion that Yohji Homme is not quite the gourmand scent so many have described it as. While Rochas Man, Lolita Lempicka au Masculin, Body Kouros, and any number of the other scents that riff off of Yohji Homme's coffee, anise, and rum accord set those notes atop a sweet, vanillic woody oriental foundation, Yohji Homme stands apart in its use of much cooler, drier fougèrestyle base notes. Yohji Homme's genius lies in the internal contrast between its sweet, warm, foody notes and the brisk, refreshing aromatics of the fougère construct. Its uniformly sweet gourmand successors all miss the point and wind up smelling ponderous, two-dimensional, and cloying by comparison. Now I get it.
Yohji Homme (Original Formula)
Many things have been said about Yohji Homme including, obviously, that's basically a fougere with smooth boozy-gourmandic facets. Lavender prominent with spicy elements, woody and bittersweet but, most of all, with an incredible balance and an overall classicism inherent to it. It's able to smell modern and traditional at the same time. Casual and elegant, sophisticated and easy to like. I'd dare saying this represents perfection in an unambitious and unpretentious genre mainly targeted to younger crowds. I'm generally not a fan of these type of compositions but Yohji, especially when compared to other fragrances playing similar themes, destroys boundaries and elevates itself to the *classic* status.
Many things have been said about Yohji Homme including, obviously, that's basically a fougere with smooth boozy-gourmandic facets. Lavender prominent with spicy elements, woody and bittersweet but, most of all, with an incredible balance and an overall classicism inherent to it. It's able to smell modern and traditional at the same time. Casual and elegant, sophisticated and easy to like. I'd dare saying this represents perfection in an unambitious and unpretentious genre mainly targeted to younger crowds. I'm generally not a fan of these type of compositions but Yohji, especially when compared to other fragrances playing similar themes, destroys boundaries and elevates itself to the *classic* status.
There is little to be added to what some reviewers mentioned previously. A touch of top freshness that night immediately morphs into the anise-licorice drydown that is beautifully balanced. Added are some boozy rum and a hint of coffee, and this is the longitudinal core note of this scent. In the base sandalwood and a very soft leather - reminding me a bit of Farina's Kölnisch Juchten - is added, but the anise-licorice note remains ever-present. This is beautifully blended, smooth without being especially sweet and is never cloying. Clearly a gourmand, but a restrained, elegant but warm composition that's even lighter than my reference light gourmand Casual Friday. Rich but not pushy, is is an unusually versatile gourmand fragrance that in my case can even be worn - sparingly - at work. Adequate silage and projection, and on my skin with a very good longevity of nearly six hours. One of the few great elegant gourmand masterpieces.
*This is a review of the original release.
Yohji Homme opens with a deliciously well-blended combination of sharp bergamot citrus, lavender and the beginnings of a slowly growing licorice-like anise and slightly sweet rum tandem that at this stage takes a back seat to the citrus. In the early heart the anise and rum take the fore as the citrus all but disappears quickly, while joined by faint hints of carnation and cinnamon. During the superbly transitioned dry-down, the anise and rum finally dissipate, revealing a leather spiked powdery cocoa-like coffee base with just the faintest additional sweetness from supporting tonka bean. Projection and longevity are both very good.
The original discontinued release of Yohji Homme is a truly fabulous gourmand. The rum note mixes with an extremely well-implemented anise note perfectly, coming off as absolutely delectable. Transitions throughout the scent's development are deftly handled to the point of the scent morphing from its boozy heart into its leather and powdery coffee base seemingly out of nowhere. This kind of structure can only be achieved by a master nose at the top of their game and I suspect as others have mentioned in other reviews that Jean Kerleo who had just left Jean Patou before its release was indeed responsible for a good part of Yohji Homme's core structure... That said, credit needs to be given to Jean-Michel Duriez who officially is the nose behind this reference gourmand. As an aside, Yohji Homme is supposed to be re-released shortly after the posting of this review, and I confess I am eager to see if it is left relatively well-intact. If indeed it is, gourmand fans (and fragrance lovers in general) can certainly rejoice, as in its original form at least, Yohji Homme is just about as good as it gets in the gourmand genre, earning a strong 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5.
Yohji Homme opens with a deliciously well-blended combination of sharp bergamot citrus, lavender and the beginnings of a slowly growing licorice-like anise and slightly sweet rum tandem that at this stage takes a back seat to the citrus. In the early heart the anise and rum take the fore as the citrus all but disappears quickly, while joined by faint hints of carnation and cinnamon. During the superbly transitioned dry-down, the anise and rum finally dissipate, revealing a leather spiked powdery cocoa-like coffee base with just the faintest additional sweetness from supporting tonka bean. Projection and longevity are both very good.
The original discontinued release of Yohji Homme is a truly fabulous gourmand. The rum note mixes with an extremely well-implemented anise note perfectly, coming off as absolutely delectable. Transitions throughout the scent's development are deftly handled to the point of the scent morphing from its boozy heart into its leather and powdery coffee base seemingly out of nowhere. This kind of structure can only be achieved by a master nose at the top of their game and I suspect as others have mentioned in other reviews that Jean Kerleo who had just left Jean Patou before its release was indeed responsible for a good part of Yohji Homme's core structure... That said, credit needs to be given to Jean-Michel Duriez who officially is the nose behind this reference gourmand. As an aside, Yohji Homme is supposed to be re-released shortly after the posting of this review, and I confess I am eager to see if it is left relatively well-intact. If indeed it is, gourmand fans (and fragrance lovers in general) can certainly rejoice, as in its original form at least, Yohji Homme is just about as good as it gets in the gourmand genre, earning a strong 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5.
I purchased this with great anticipation after hearing about the fougere/licorice theme but I was so disappointed. I get an overarching blast of acrylic reminiscent of those badly ventilated korean nail shops that are dotted along the high street. Charmless and head-ache inducing. RIP
Yohji Homme starts out with a citrus blast accompanied by a coffee smell that fades out real fast. Trough time, as the fragrance goes on, the rum appears mixed with the star anise, giving a particular sweet smell. Overall a good light scent that stays on the skin for actually a long time.
The bittersweet, brilliant, and now discontinued, Yohji Homme pushes the inedible fougère theme to its very brink and then teeters there with absolute control, eyeing up the gourmand abyss below. This artful pivoting depends on a clutch of grown-up ingredients demanding care and restraint coffee, liquorice, cocoa, rum all delicious, but none simply so: liquorice, used so assertively here, is both food and palate cleanser. Likewise, coffee smells wonderful but tastes bad (because bitter) and our enjoyment comes from gathering its aroma in our mouth and exhaling it through our nose via the throat. Yohji Homme's taut arrangement of notes around the amber glow possibility of food, without ever surrendering its herbaceous-soapy character, is the standout feature of this quiet, dark, and fiercely cerebral scent.
A quiet, conservative take on gourmand notes expertly placed into a woody context. I agree with what Live Jazz has to say about this one. Most often, gourmand fragrances are too sweet or too bombastic for me to wear regularly. Every once in a while I might get in the nostalgic mood required for me to wear A*Men, but other than that, it's a genre I mostly avoid. Body Kouros, Rochas Man, Pi, etc. are just too cutesy, too sugar-and-spice for me to wear as personal fragrances. Yohji Homme occupies its own space in my mind.
It's drier, woodier, and not nearly as sweet or loud as the fragrances others have mentioned in this thread. In fact, it's an altogether different take on gourmand notes and can't really be compared to them. The coffee and anise notes are fantastic - dry enough to be almost herbal, but rich enough to subtly change throughout the duration. The rum adds a subtle, natural sweetness. The base, to my nose, is mainly a dry patchouli with the coffee (almost cocoa at times) and an herbal tinge. If anything, it reminds me a bit of Lutens Borneo at the far end of its life span. Longevity is good, but it stays close, which to me is a god thing with this sort of fragrance. A very big thumbs-up. I'm glad I grabbed a bottle while I could.
It's drier, woodier, and not nearly as sweet or loud as the fragrances others have mentioned in this thread. In fact, it's an altogether different take on gourmand notes and can't really be compared to them. The coffee and anise notes are fantastic - dry enough to be almost herbal, but rich enough to subtly change throughout the duration. The rum adds a subtle, natural sweetness. The base, to my nose, is mainly a dry patchouli with the coffee (almost cocoa at times) and an herbal tinge. If anything, it reminds me a bit of Lutens Borneo at the far end of its life span. Longevity is good, but it stays close, which to me is a god thing with this sort of fragrance. A very big thumbs-up. I'm glad I grabbed a bottle while I could.
This initially smells like a hospital room. After the dry down...it smells dry. This is either way too subtle for me or it's just not my cup of genmaicha.
Yohji Homme is Japanese to a fault. It's so interesting, but so concerned about social standing that it refuses to speak up or speak out of turn, even though everyone in the room is obviously fascinated with it and would like to hear more. The licorice here is more herbal than sweet, and the coffee and rum make uncommon allies but perfect accents. Call me American, but if this had stronger presence in terms of projection and lasting power it would have been among the greatest scents of all time, and I mean that.
Edit: I have now spent a good dozen days out and about with the first formula (having found my previous review to be that of the remake) and it's everything I wanted it to be. Projection is cool and aura-like, inoffensive but not so meek as I had experienced the first time around. The original is absolutely redolent of fennel and geranium, so much so that on my skin all else in the construction seems to be mere scaffolding. In this light I now see that the Visionary by The Gap was a cheap, pared-down-to-the-bones imitation (no wonder I liked it) and that Perry Man most likely tried to hone in on the formula in the same way that that house's 360 series were all copycats of very prominent and likable scents. The real draw for me with this (slightly) older stuff is that it actually lasts all day on my skin, which is a true rarity in my collection and a solid amelioration of my least favorite aspect of the reissue.
An unwavering five stars for the original, 4.5 for the lovely but fragile sequel, and a promising 'To Be Continued' for the resurrected version, which I look forward to trying.
Edit: I have now spent a good dozen days out and about with the first formula (having found my previous review to be that of the remake) and it's everything I wanted it to be. Projection is cool and aura-like, inoffensive but not so meek as I had experienced the first time around. The original is absolutely redolent of fennel and geranium, so much so that on my skin all else in the construction seems to be mere scaffolding. In this light I now see that the Visionary by The Gap was a cheap, pared-down-to-the-bones imitation (no wonder I liked it) and that Perry Man most likely tried to hone in on the formula in the same way that that house's 360 series were all copycats of very prominent and likable scents. The real draw for me with this (slightly) older stuff is that it actually lasts all day on my skin, which is a true rarity in my collection and a solid amelioration of my least favorite aspect of the reissue.
An unwavering five stars for the original, 4.5 for the lovely but fragile sequel, and a promising 'To Be Continued' for the resurrected version, which I look forward to trying.
pluran's review of Yohji Homme fragrance is definitely the best assessment on this page; this is a totally unique and unbelievably good fragrance.
Yohji Homme is a Crème brûlée in a leather jacket. No, I'm not talking about smelling any leather notes.
I am not generally a fan of sweet scents or "gourmands", however I find Yohji Homme to be a sweet scent for men done right. Slightly sweetened warm booze, cinnamon, licorice, anise, and vanilla create an absolutely intoxicating aura that glows off the skin. Almost like a Crème brûlée, as I had stated before. Never too sweet, just smooth all around. Such a comforting, wonderful scent. I actually like that this creates a sort of pleasant aura of scent closer to my skin rather than having monster sillage, as it fits this scent well. It is never cloying, and it lasts a long time.
Quite a shame it has been discontinued, but if you can find a bottle for a good price - get it. The bottles are tall and long-lasting, and the scent lasts and smells amazing as well.
Yohji Homme is my favorite sweet scent by far, and one of my favorite fragrances, period. However, I can relate to Bigsly - I must be in the mood for this one to wear it, but when I do, it is spectacular.
Yohji Homme is a Crème brûlée in a leather jacket. No, I'm not talking about smelling any leather notes.
I am not generally a fan of sweet scents or "gourmands", however I find Yohji Homme to be a sweet scent for men done right. Slightly sweetened warm booze, cinnamon, licorice, anise, and vanilla create an absolutely intoxicating aura that glows off the skin. Almost like a Crème brûlée, as I had stated before. Never too sweet, just smooth all around. Such a comforting, wonderful scent. I actually like that this creates a sort of pleasant aura of scent closer to my skin rather than having monster sillage, as it fits this scent well. It is never cloying, and it lasts a long time.
Quite a shame it has been discontinued, but if you can find a bottle for a good price - get it. The bottles are tall and long-lasting, and the scent lasts and smells amazing as well.
Yohji Homme is my favorite sweet scent by far, and one of my favorite fragrances, period. However, I can relate to Bigsly - I must be in the mood for this one to wear it, but when I do, it is spectacular.