Our take
What does Hommage à l'Homme smell like?
Lalique launched Hommage à l'Homme in 2011, composed by Christine Nagel and Mathilde Bijaoui. The house ties it to the world of the Orient Express. The opening surprises with violet leaf, green and a little metallic. Saffron and bergamot brighten it without adding sugar. In the heart the violet turns more floral. Black pepper and pimento leaf give it a bite, which keeps it away from powdery candy. The base rests on a dry oud wood, far from the animalic ouds of the Middle East. Cistus adds a resinous amber tone and musk softens the edges. The result smells like the waxed wood of a sleeper cabin rather than a nightclub. Compared with Encre Noire, Lalique's better known masculine, Hommage à l'Homme is less austere and spicier. Encre Noire's vetiver gives way here to a peppered violet.
When to wear it
A spicy woody for autumn evenings or an office that tolerates some character. Three sprays on the chest are enough.
It belongs to the Woody, Spicy family. Hommage à l'Homme is one of 17 creations by Lalique in our encyclopedia.