Mainstream Monday – Sniffing A Popular Perfume

I gave Lacoste Pour Homme a try because I was surprised at how much I loved Lacoste Pour Femme, a wonderful and soft ambrette musk with awful branding/marketing. Maybe Lacoste Pour Homme would be a pleasant surprise too. It wasn’t.

This is an EDT/mainstream men’s fragrance, so the alcohol content is high. At first spritz, I’m reminded of an alcoholic, his preference is rum and gin, and he oversprays himself in boring, generic aquatic-apple fragrance to cover the smell of spiced rum and gin that always lingers (or because he likes cologne). Not a good thing. I’m actually grossed out by this fragrance initially. With time the spice rum stays around but it mixes with this ozone-clean apple-sheer musk that is volatile and fizzy. The ozone-apple-musk settles down and vanilla is added to the spiced rum. And then of course, we get the mandatory spicy cedar that is required in 90% of men’s mainstream fragrance. They dry-down of spiced rum, vanilla, and cedar isn’t bad but it is very generic.

Here’s the deal. This fragrance wouldn’t be so bad or at least it would be more memorable IF it didn’t have that “clean” ozone-apple-musk strand of notes. A spiced rum with vanilla and cedar actually seems good, right? Lacoste Pour Homme reminds me of sampling fragrances in the men’s fragrance department. You spray on this sporty aquatic, you spray on this bland woodsy cedar, and then you spray on a spicy scent that the SA says “is perfect for fall”. You leave covered in a little of everything and happy with none of it.

Notes listed include plum, apple, juniper, spices, musk, and Jamaican rum. PERFUMER – Claude Dir

Give Lacoste Pour Homme a try if you feel a little indecisive and can’t make up your mind which men’s fragrance to buy! With this one, you’ll get a little of everything! 🙂 Or if you like fragrances like Kenneth Cole Reaction for Men, Azzaro Onyx, Tommy Hilfiger Tommy for Men, and/or DKNY Be Delicious for Men. I have to say that the lasting power of Pour Homme is impressive. It wears and wears. And I tested this on my skin. Maybe it smells better on men? It isn’t awful, but I think if you want a spicy-fruity fragrance, there are better things out there…

Prices range from $52-$69 depending on size and are available at Macy’s. Also, Lacoste Pour Homme is available at discounters like Fragrancenet.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – If this fragrance was a person, it would probably at the bar, drunk on spiced rum & gin and tonics trying to get their swagger on and making a complete fool of themselves while wearing a boring mainstream aquatic-apple cologne that they’ve been wearing since high school. Harsh? Yes, but not a terrible fragrance. And I do like the hefty bottle…

Want more reviews? Try…

Basenotes (member reviews)

Fragrancetalk (a guy’s perspective and a video review)

*Post contains affiliate links. Thanks!