Our take
What does L'Homme Idéal smell like?
L’Homme Idéal, launched by Guerlain in 2014, centres on a bitter, almost amaretto-like almond that serves as its signature. Almond meets bright bergamot and aromatic rosemary in a fresh, slightly boozy opening. The heart brings warm tonka bean and supple leather, adding an ambered, faintly animalic softness. Vetiver, sandalwood and cedar in the base create a dry, elegant woody footing. It plays on the contrast between gourmand warmth and restraint, with the house’s signature refinement. The almond remains present right into the drydown, wrapped in leather and wood, and the rosemary keeps the opening from turning too sweet or liqueur-like.
When to wear it
For the office, evenings and dates in spring or autumn; it suits men who like soft, elegant woods.
The story of L'Homme Idéal
L'Homme Idéal came out in June 2014. It is an eau de toilette composed by Thierry Wasser, Guerlain's perfumer since 2008, around an almond the house likens to amaretto. The launch played it for laughs. The tagline said the ideal man is a myth, but his fragrance is real. The film, directed by Michel Gondry and aired from 29 June 2014, starred Spanish model Jon Kortajarena. He plays an adored musician who is abducted by a team of women scientists. The bottle is a faceted square framed by matte black lacquered panels, with a cap engraved like a watch case. The eau de parfum followed in April 2016. Delphine Jelk, who had composed the first Petite Robe Noire, was credited next to Wasser for the first time. They added a vanilla tincture, made the old-fashioned way at Guerlain's Orphin factory, plus leather. The line has grown a lot since. There are fresh versions (Cologne, Sport and Cool) and more concentrated ones such as L'Intense, Extrême and Le Parfum. If you are looking for a review of "L'Homme Idéal" with no other detail, it is almost always the 2014 eau de toilette people mean, and that is the one this page describes.
Our detailed review
Almond shows up straight away, but not alone. Bergamot brightens it and rosemary adds an aromatic freshness, almost a herb garden. It smells of the bitter almond in macarons rather than sweet marzipan. After half an hour tonka warms the heart. The leather stays very soft, a mere shadow that keeps it from turning into dessert. This is the best stage: a soft but crisp masculine that smells of clean skin and liqueur. Vetiver, sandalwood and cedar then lay down a dry, woody base. Our verdict: it is one of the most pleasant mainstream masculines of its decade. It is also one of the few built on a real idea, almond, that never tips into caricature. Its flaw is longevity, shorter than you would like from a house of this standing. The base also becomes quiet, almost generic, after four hours. It suits men who want a soft scent for the office and dinners, and gourmand fans who find most sweet masculines too heavy. If you want more presence, go straight to the eau de parfum.
L'Homme Idéal vs its rivals
Giorgio Armani's Code shares the tonka, leather and bergamot, with star anise and tobacco. It is darker, spicier and more nocturnal. L'Homme Idéal is brighter. Yves Saint Laurent's La Nuit de L'Homme brings cardamom, lavender and tonka over vetiver. It is more aromatic and more powdery, with no almond. L'Homme Idéal Extrême, from the same family, keeps the almond but adds plum and cinnamon over tobacco and patchouli. It is much denser and clearly built for evenings. For a soft everyday almond, the original eau de toilette. For nights out, Extrême or Code. La Nuit de L'Homme suits anyone who prefers spice to sweetness.
Longevity, projection and use
As an eau de toilette, longevity is average: five to six hours, with pleasant projection for the first hour before it becomes a close bubble. That is its weak point. Three or four sprays are needed to last a full day, on the neck, the nape and a piece of clothing. The 2016 eau de parfum lasts noticeably longer and projects more. It works in autumn, winter and spring, at the office or in the evening. In high summer the almond and tonka feel a little heavy, and Cool or Sport take over.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Woody family. L'Homme Idéal is one of 99 creations by Guerlain in our encyclopedia.
