L’Homme Idéal Extrême: Is the new men’s fragrance from Guerlain, L’Homme Idéal, real? For some women, there is no doubt. For others, he will forever remain a legend. And what if, having failed to find him, the house of Guerlain had nonetheless crafted his fragrance? This is the bold wager taken up by the French house in 2014.
Does the ideal man really exist? This is a question women have a hard time answering. In fact, they even seem to agree in answering in the negative. Amused by this, and not without humor, Guerlain nonetheless decided, in 2014, to imagine the fragrance of the ideal man. Since then, this fragrance has kept reinventing itself year after year. In 2020, Guerlain unveils the most intense version of the saga, with the release of L’Homme Idéal Extrême. So, what is really behind this fragrance? Here is our review of this new fragrance.
Olfastory’s review
Guerlain lets us rediscover the scent of almond
L’Homme Idéal Extrême is built around almond. However, for this new variation of the fragrance, Thierry Wasser, the talented perfumer in charge of its creation, chose to explore a new facet of this dried fruit. The result is a more oriental composition, extremely woody, and supported by numerous bolder spices. First, L’Homme Idéal Extrême is freshened with bergamot. However, Guerlain dares a contrasted accord and immediately warms up the whole with pink pepper. In its heart, L’Homme Idéal Extrême continues in a very spicy register based on cinnamon. To make the mouth water and render this composition more irresistible, notes of plum also find their way into this composition. For a more elegant rendering, flowers are also incorporated into this recipe. L’Homme Idéal Extrême notably contains heliotrope. Gradually, patchouli and cedar assert its masculinity, while pairing with an intense leather note. Finally, L’Homme Idéal Extrême concludes with the warm charisma of tobacco. The result is a very rich recipe woven with multiple subtleties.
The refined, ambery bottle of L’Homme Idéal Extrême
As for the bottle, Guerlain relies on simplicity, timelessness and refinement. L’Homme Idéal Extrême has the same square, clean silhouette as its predecessors. The frontal transparency of its glass contrasts with its lacquered side panels. A red label now bears its name. Indeed, the black color of before has entirely disappeared, in favor of a more striking carmine, which here evokes all the elegance of leather. Likewise, to convey the warmth of this fragrance, Guerlain this time opts for a more ambery fragrance. Finally, a small chrome ring perfects the base of its cap, while Guerlain borrows the guilloché pattern from the world of watchmaking. Finally, for Guerlain connoisseurs, the shape of this bottle is a nod to the legendary Habit Rouge fragrance from 1955. As always, Guerlain never forgets its origins and takes us back into its rich heritage.
If the ideal man does not exist, his fragrance therefore does indeed seem to have been born. This ideal fragrance is beautifully orchestrated in every respect, both in terms of recipe and bottle design.