September … I’m not ready, can’t get my head round it.
My son is in New York City. I’m a little jealous but very pleased he’s doing this trip without me. It’s a combo of holiday and seeing how he’d feel being there a bit longer term. We shall see. In any case, I’m enjoying it vicariously: pics of fancy breakfast, hearing about X and Y; seeing things I’m familiar with through his eyes. His experiences will probably get conglomerated into a post along with mine from my London visit in mid-September.
But today, I’m taking a look at the three Caron masculines that got thrown in with my Hiram Green Hyde sample order.
First off, I’ve got to say Caron isn’t my house. I know some readers adore things like Nuit de Noel, but most Caron feminines don’t work particularly well on me … bar Bellodgia, but that’s long gone.
The Caronade just doesn’t sing on my skin.
But the masculines, well, they sort of work better.
I got Le Troisieme Homme, Yatagan and L’Anarchiste and I’ve really enjoyed playing with them.
In reverse alpha order, for no good reason, I started my sampling with Yatagan.
Fragrantica labels this a ‘aromatic green’. It was released in 1978 (or I’ve seen 1976) and oddly it’s the only one still available on the Caron site — at least that I could see. To me this an old school gent fragrance. Notes include pine, galbanum, basil, watercress (really?), lavender, mint, artemisia, oak moss, oak, patchouli, castoreum, incense and musk.
On me, this starts pine, basil and mint – herbal in a good way. The middle is woody pine with a bit of lavender. The drydown is musky wood. The most interesting bit is the top but the base is suave and smooth. I’ve said before I don’t love lavender in perfumes but in this it’s a part of something and doesn’t really stand out. My only grumble is how short-lived it is on my skin (maybe three hours).
Next up is Le Troisieme Homme from 1985, according to Fragrantica (which for some reason doesn’t make sense to me – I would think 1985 might refer to a reformulation – but I can’t find other info). Per Fragrantica, this is a ‘woody aromatic’. Notes include lavender, Amalfi lemon, bergamot, anise, rosemary, coriander, carnation, geranium, jasmine, rose oak moss, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean, cedar, patchouli and musk.
This starts lavender and citrus on me, and again the lavender is fine – very nicely done. It morphs into that plus anise and carnation – spicy and powdery. It immediately made me think of Bellodgia as this is where it pretty much stays on me. Yes, the herbal notes make a showing, but the longest lasting bit has a strong anise/carnation aspect. Really enjoyable and longer lasting than Yatagan (even though I sprayed it on my right wrist, on which things usually disappear more quickly). This feels more appropriate for a well-dressed dandy.
Finally, L’Anachiste. Supposedly released in 2000 (again, the timing doesn’t make sense to me) this is a ‘woody’ fragrance. Notes list includes mint, African orange flower, cinnamon, vetiver, cedar, guaiac wood, sandalwood and musk.
On my skin, the top of mint and orange flower isn’t really pleasant. The mint overwhelms and the whole show is weird-sharp and made me sneeze.
It calms a bit in the middle, with the cinnamon, vetiver and woods giving it some heft – and about an hour in the vetiver takes over – well, vetiver over the woods – and it reaches a bit of balance that smells pleasant.
The drydown is scratchy woods. That isn’t as bad as it sounds but it isn’t outstanding. Of the three, this is the most generically masculine, though you wouldn’t think that based on the name.
My fave of the three is Le Troisieme Homme, the dandy. It has the best longevity of the three and the anise-carnation thing works on me and reminds me of Bellodgia (hmmm… do I like Bellodgia and say that a lot in this post…).
None of these would go on my list but barring Bellodgia they all work better than any of the Caron feminines I’ve tried.
Do you wear any of these? Any favourite Carons?
Oh, PS: The classic Caron masculine bottles are just wonderful, IMHO. And regarding the pics, the main one is Pexels; the other mine
I have Yatagan and 3ieme Homme and love them both. Haven’t tried L’Anarchise that I remember. Caron is sadly one of the most ruined houses due to reformulations, but they may have come back from that. Goutal did after some pretty bad ones so there’s hope.
Forgive the lateness of this- the site insisted comments left by anything Mac related was spam this weekend.
I sometimes get that with the Mac. I do wonder if houses think about long-time customers with regard to reformulations. It doesn’t feel like it.
Caron is one of my favourite houses. I was able to explore it thanks to a very kind parfumista who was willing to share some vintage gems. I now own and love En Avion, Tabac Blond, Nuit de Noel, Bellodgia, Parfum sacré. I had high expectations of Narcisse Noir, but it wasn’t for me. I haven’t tried any of the masculines.
Years ago when I was a regular on the Makeup Alley fragrance board I ended up with a lot of very interesting, hard-to-get samples including some Caron extraits. I really appreciated being able to sample them even if none (bar Bellodgia) worked for me.
I too dislike the Caron-ade and find it a bit sour and mildew-y or something on me. The Caron man-frags are much more my cup of tea … I’ve tried and liked all of these as far as I recall, and I believe I own a mini of Yatagan which I remember loving while not particularly wanting to wear.
Indeed, the masculines weren’t scrubbers on me. Most of the feminines simply did not work for a variety of reasons, including that they just disappeared really quickly even in extrait form.
Cinnamon,
I haven’t tried any of these. Based on the notes, Yatagan sounds the most like me. Love galbanum. But I love spicy carnation too, so the second one might be nice, too. Hope your son is having a great time in NYC.
Thank you. So far, he seems to be enjoying.
Carnation is a great note and I think it really works in LTH.
Caron is a house I never focused on. Focusing on too many other houses. I do have a small decant of Cancan that I haven’t tried though.
The Caronade just doesn’t work on me. So, at this point there’s so much else out there to focus on it’s not on my radar.
Never tried any of the Caron masculines & tbh very few of their feminines. The feminines I did try were not to my taste. They were all rather indistinctive & a mishmash by the time I tried them. The one I really wanted to try was Bellodgia for the carnation but by then she was deceased & reading various blogs & comments, bore little resemblance to the carnation heavy lovely she had once been. So, like you, I filed under not interested.
Sigh, yes, those not interested files … I got a very small sample of Bellodgia at least a decade and a half ago which was wonderful but didn’t last terribly long. I continue to be flummoxed as to why houses discontinue things that are truly great.
Hey Cinnamon, Caron is one of my favourite houses and when it shut its doors a few years ago I was very sad.
Thank heavens it got bought up by that financial megalith and has new life.
They have also released a slew of new product in the last couple of years. Hoping there will be a store to try them in Paris when I’m next there.
I have most of the older masculines and a hoard of Infinity, Bellodgia and Nuit de Noel. On my grab tray are Pour Un Homme, 3 Man and Infini. PUH gets the most wear by far. Lavender Lollies!!
Portia xx
So. Why did I not know this about Caron? I guess because it’s not a house I concentrate on. Still, it would be a shame to lose such an historic house, so all good.
I love Yatagan, which is so powerful and lasts forever on me. Troisieme Homme is such a pleasant dandy and I can enjoy it all day. Anarchist is one I’ve never tried. Pour un Homme by Caron is my third masculine and it is THE lavender to have I believe.
Reading the comments on Yatagan was interesting simply because they all said ‘big man scent’. I am thankful the lavender is muted in LTH which makes it wearable for me.
Thanks. You mention New York. Caron had a wonderful place, and representative, there.
Hopefully the NYC outlet is still operating. A lot of single house shops have closed. I used to love visiting the tiny but lovely l’Artisan place in the 70s on Madison.