Perfume Review: Kenzo Pour Homme

Kenzo pour Homme was launched in 1991 and was the first Kenzo perfume for men by the Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada, three years after his first feminine fragrance. In this case he drew inspiration from nature and landscapes, with an aroma that evokes sea water and a secluded coast. The bottle is very original, with the shape of a bamboo stick bent by the wind (practically the same bottle of Tokyo by Kenzo).
The official notes are: marine flowers, sage, nutmeg, clove, woods, musk, vetiver, sandalwood.
The notes of the opening are hard to separate. There is a mix of light florals, but the dominant note is given by sea-water, with sage increasing the feeling of saltiness.
In the middle phase of this perfume by Kenzo, a tone of amber is added to sea-water, and also a low-intensity herbal note, something between vetiver and sage, accompanied by cedar and incense. This second line of notes is not dominant, but later it tends to blend with the sea-water aroma, and a second spicy note of resins and wood appears.
There seem to be also residual spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, but they mix with the wood, without interfering with the dominant salted water notes.
The final notes keep the same marine style, although at this stage the composition is more recognizable: sage, musk, woods, cinnamon, plus an indefinite floral that brings a cool sensation.
The mix of seaweed marine tones with wood and resins make this Kenzo pour Homme a very particular fragrance. It stands out of the average and can be easily recognisable among other perfumes. On a daily basis, it can be a good companion for all sorts of activities, both sporty and social… and solitary.
In the office it gives a clean image, between formal and semi-informal. On the night side it is intense enough to be worn in large and crowded spaces, and for a romantic date it should be sprayed in moderation, as the iodine notes can be a little intrusive from a short distance.