I also don't get prominent vetiver and that's a good thing for me. I'm sure it's in there but either blended in well enough or being the smoother, softer, woody vetiver rather than the more grassy or smokey type which I don't like. Being a persistent guy I tried the flankers but always have been disappointed by that same dam cherry/wood accord being in all of them, I suppose as it should be, and I shouldn't have been surprised. But then it was Turin's review of Cologne in the more recent 2018 guide that caught my attention, he mentioned grapefruit and vetiver as the main accord and so recently I took a punt and got a 50ml FB blind, slightly worried that I'll be put off by the vetiver or it having that original accord.

The, unfortunately discontinued, Cologne version had convinced me more and more with the time. Not because it was a complex masterpiece or one of the most creative fragrances. But rather because of its encouraging, cheerful, lively and summery way. This was due to the grapefruit and almond notes. While these notes complemented each other and added more weight, the light musk note was also added (probably mainly as a fixative) to add more weight, inclusion and longevity overall. As a result, the grapefruit aromas could be perceived until the end.I've made it easy for myself at the time, and it as scratchy refreshed L'Homme Idéal Eau de Toilette dismissed, which, however, does not do it justice. Now that I'm almost through the 10ml bottling, I'd even say that it serves a niche for which I see few alternatives per se. L'Homme Idéal Cool reminds me of classic US barbershop-inspired aftershaves, such as Green After Shave , with its minty cool freshness and spicy sweetness only lightly hinted at by anise, and yes - Listerine. The signature almond of the Homme Idéale line fits perfectly into the concept and puts its unmistakable stamp on the fragrance. The fact that the green Power Ranger is fighting with Batman ( Sauvage Eau de Toilette ) in the Ambroxan superhero league doesn't bother me personally, because that's exactly what adapts it to the zeitgeist, but at the same time leaves it with a distinctly masculine gruffness, which I expect from a fresh, somewhat more mature men's water. Ambroxan is not overdosed here anyway, and it must not always be leather or woods.

The fragrance has of course retained the typical DNA of the original. What changes is the underground. A pleasant citric freshness accompanies the ideal DNA. Especially grapefruit and bergamot provide a noble and slightly bitter freshness. This freshness meets a beautiful sweet DNA that is not cheap. An almond note is very present from the beginning. What should also be mentioned is that this is a fragrance without a large gradient. The freshness is maintained for a very long time and the heart and base notes also start early. Towards the end it becomes more aromatic with lots of musk. Otherwise the fragrance remains very similar from beginning to end. Notes include: almond, citrus , leather, tonka bean, bitter orange, orange blossom, vetiver, and cedar The citrus is fresh and reminds me somewhat of the Cologne version of Ideal, but this one still stays in more of a nutty/leathery mode, in totality. Ideal Extreme-At times, Extreme has been my favorite. But, less so this time around testing out these fragrances. Though, it may again claim the top spot. This one gets me a ton of leather versus the others. It does have a good versatility, as it’s subtle enough to wear at work yet still quite sexy and attractive to wear on a date. The more that I went through the sample, the more it grew on me, and the more complements I received.I think the first few hours is going to be when you’ll actually get complemented on Ideal. After that, it might have turned too light for many people to notice, outside of those who are close by. Basically, I am sceptical about all the fragrances in the L'Homme Ideal range. EdT as well as EdP and Intense were much too almond sweet for me. Gourmands are actually a horror to me, even though I have to admit that Guerlain did not succeed badly in this case. I find the sport variant completely accidental and leave it out of consideration for further considerations Trust me, this isn’t a scent you want to project massively anyway. Since it’s syrupy and dense, the current performance fits the profile well, and restrains it from becoming too overbearing. It Has Underrated Versatility

Where does L'Homme Ideal Cool (what a terrible name...) stand now in comparison to the other versions of this meanwhile extensive series (I wouldn't speak of flankers at all in view of the different orientation)?Fresh and has an almost frozen profile to it, that’s perfect for the warmer weather. Lighter sillage, but it could last for around 8 hours. If you can find a bottle, for a reasonable price, L’Homme Ideal Cologne is worthwhile. Ideal Cologne Review

Projection wise, it’s pretty moderate. It’s not an absolute monster in this regard but it does the job pretty well. Longevity, is decent most of the time. I’ve worn it a few times and I’ll get 4 good hours out of it and the 6-7 the next time. It’s not great, but it’s passable. Overall, I think L’Homme Ideal is great. It is one of my favorites from the batch of around 40 or so samples that I recently got. The longevity could be better but aside from that, it smells fantastic, and is very well put together. Even the L'Homme part of the name is misleading, I think this could easily be worn by women, the assistant at the Guerlain counter said his colleague and her boyfriend share a bottle. I'd say it sits ever so slightly to the masculine side of unisex but that's only by today's generalisations. In the search for my perfect mint fragrance I also came across this "cool" one, which should replace the ever-popular L'Homme Idéal Cologne from the L'Homme Ideal series. Why Guerlain has made this step, I can not really understand, because I like the Cologne very much, but obviously it was probably due to poor sales figures. After I have now already virtually all Hommes Idéales know- and mostly also appreciate, and although they look like the Power Rangers lined up next to each other in the bathroom shelf, I would like to complete my statement to the green but still with a few words.In summary, Guerlain L’Homme Ideal EDP opens as a sweet syrupy cherry aroma, with accommodating almond and spices. It then dries down to a subdued version of the opening but with added leather, incense, and tonka bean. This fragrance leans masculine, but only slightly. Alongside these two notes in the opening are bergamot and vanilla. The bergamot is much needed – it provides subtle freshness, adding some balance to the dense scent profile. There’s also vanilla, which injects its usual touch of sweetness. So it is with great satisfaction that I appraise my empty 50ml (quite nice) bottle of Guerlain L'Homme Ideal Cologne, and bid it a long overdue farewell. I have tested myself through many colleagues, Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca or for example the Love the way you Taste, just to name a few examples. Both also great fragrances, the mint was very authentically presented, but in the end I always faced the same problem: the more realistic and straightforward the mint was conceived, the more boring I found the wearing experience of the fragrance in the end. I've come to the conclusion that while it's exciting and soothing to have that scent note in a perfume like that, I just don't want to wear it. Do you know this feeling? You find a fragrance super exciting, but at the end of the day, it's just not really practical as a perfume per se. The almond does not come alone, but accompanied by the "aquatic notes". Don't worry, because these notes are subtle and at least they don't wake up a shower gel feeling in me.