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маллой – :
One of the most masculine fragrances ever created. In fact, I can’t think of one that rivals it. Kouros is like White Diamonds to Patou. Unquestionably a masterpiece. It’s masculine but not in a brutal way like say, Bogart Furyo or perhaps vintage Knize 10. Patou is masculine in a sophisticated and gentlemanly way.
Having that said, it’s unfortunately become over priced and over hyped. It’s rarity made it the “forbidden fruit” in the fragrance community. And few fragrances are more sought after by collectors of vintage men’s colognes. It’ become impossible to find at a reasonable price.
WARNING: The bottles popping up on ebay from Russia and Germany are highly suspicious. The sellers are asking anywhere from $350 to $1,200 and more. Thus, it’s a fragrance that is clearly going to be highly profitable for scammers to fake. Therefore, do not buy this on ebay! Besides, even if the juice is authentic, there’s a possibility of some spoilage because this has been discontinued for a long time.
As for the fragrance. I don’t own it, but I do recall my dad wearing it often in the early 80’s. I can’t remember the composition precisely, but I do recall how often people would ask my dad what he was wearing. Like me, he’s a fraghead, and no other fragrance he owned garnished so many compliments. It was the ideal masculine scent for him. My dad is a man’s man, a Vietnam combat veteran, father of 4, welder by trade, and a dedicated husband for over 50 years to the most amazing woman – my mom. Ah yes, Patou pour Homme was the perfect cologne for him. I wish he still had a bottle. To me, they both are legends.
zxc71 – :
Just bought this in a 4.2 ounce splash. Didn’t love it sniffing from bottle. Touched the opening of the bottle and dabbed on back of my hand. Love it. Found this full bottle in an out of the way junk shop in the middle of no where. Got it for 40 dollars. Looked on Ebay and just about died. Absolutely wont sell though. It’ll go into my cabinet with the rest of my collection.
santaprimera – :
One of the best! But why keeps Patou Pour Homme Prive keeps triggering me still? Is it better? Is it worse? I enjoy both but cannot determine which is best…..
chexav – :
Masterpiece? Well hell ya! Like my Grail the Bel Ami (produced 5 years later) this is like a grand piece of billowing symphonic bliss. Smooth almost seamless blend of endless, quality instruments. One foot solidly in the past of gentleman’s conservative, the other gingerly touching the surface of the “New Wave” of piercing Tide cleanliness that is Oscar Renta Pour Lui.
To my mind, that is what a scent Masterpiece is. Something that bridges Past and Future.
Patou has that. It’s called Presence.
UtindySliny – :
I have had come to the conclusion that I was never going to smell the highly rated juice until I managed to get hold of a 10mm minature.
As soon as I removed the cap the smell was just as I imagined, thick, dark and rich! Once applied to the skin you realise the genius of Jean Kerleo and what he has created,
It’s hard to seperate the individual notes! The juice stars off very rich, Spicey with hints of lavender, as it starts to develope it becomes more aromatic with very smooth green Spicey notes in the background. What makes this so intriguing and addictive is Jean Kerleo has created a rich, dark manly scent that is also very fresh and aromatic smelling which to me is what makes this a masterpiece. Given this is rare to get hold of and I struggled to ever come close to purchasing meant I spent quiet a few years testing out scents similar in notes hoping I could find an alternative, so when I finally found Patou pour homme I was excited to compare to what I imagined to be similar and my results are as follows:
Bijan bijan men: this to me is proberbly the most similar in many ways, the only difference is bijan is very dry Spicey with More muskiness.
Monsieur Carven: the dry down of Monsieur carven is almost identical to the base notes of patou but is very much lighter and there is an undercurrent of creamy vanilla which takes away the machoness of the fragrance.
Leonard pour Homme: this does not smell like patou but it’s in the same vein, rich, dark with a freshness although this is nowhere near as refined
Vintage Azzaro pour homme: this shares some notes with patou and again is quite rich and fresh but without the refinement.
So for me Bijan or Monsieur carven is the best alternative as of yet, but the search goes on!
Safk – :
I was sent a vintage sample of this from “The perfumed Court”. OMG is this gold or what?! they only sent me one fourth of a 1 ml vial and it’s not that cheap either.! I don’t know how to explain the scent as the alcohol ages it with time besides heat and light. But after that rancid opening goes away in a few seconds it smells kind of devine. It’s spicy and a little fruity and elegant in scent as well. Not too bad for a “old school” scent. Too much money for my pocket book. Maybe they have a re-formulated new version of this now.? I’m sure full size bottles are thru the roof in price(in the vintage version). Maybe if someone is interested in this scent, to check out the reformulated version and shouldn’t be as expensive.? As one other reviewer mentioned and recommended, which I agree, to get a vintage sample from the Perfumed Court and check it out.
Chernopaliy69 – :
I wore this to work today, and it’s probably the longest lasting (and strongest) perfume I’ve ever worn. I did one spray on the chest and one on the neck 15 hours ago and it’s still just as strong. A co-worker said the smell filled my office (12 hours ago). My girlfriend said it filled her apartment (3 hours ago). To be honest neither of them liked the smell of it, but I do so I wear it for me.
Way too strong for the office, and never do more than one spray.
Still love it though.
stalkernicu – :
When fragrances reach legendary levels, it’s always hard to properly assest their actual value and, Patou Pour Homme ha surely gained a place in the olympus of masculine fragrances together with the likes of Knize 10, Derby, Aramis, Yatagan, Kouros and several other classics…
It surely belongs to the hyper-masculine category but, whereas most of the fragrances in this genre go all *unbuttoned-shirt* and *hairy-chest*, Patou Pour Homme feels way more formal and agrees with a perfectly shaved man wearing Borsalino / Stetson hats, cigar / cigarette smoke, a girl with a tad too much make up and a super-rack and an overall noir atmosphere.
This is basically a woody fragrance with leathery undertones and a massive mossy base. Aromatic facets are provided by tarragon and lavender while restrained masculine florals (mainly geranium) enhance it’s old-school vibe. It’s dry and rich, severe but luxurious, animalic but civilized. Personally, I find it shares more than a single aspect with Derby but also (to a lesser extent) with vintage Equipage and some Aramis while still feeling perfectly unique. Now, I can’t say I’ve really fallen in love with PPH like others did (probably because I’m way too far removed from the kind of guy it evokes) but I’m so glad to have it in my wardrobe and I’m surely one of its supporters.
So, in the end, probably not my personal holy grail but definitely a masterpiece.
Rating: 9/10
dimokkka24 – :
Cadeau de la fête des Pères 1981.
Mon Papa chéri avait adoré, très chic.
Il s’en aspergeait le week end quand nous sortions tous ensemble.
Oooooh…. Que de souvenirs avec ce parfum superbe.
Dommage qu’il n’existe plus sinon mon Gilles chéri en serait l’heureux destinataire…;o)
experpity – :
So glad I got my hands on a bottle. It wasn’t quite a bargain, but I don’t care.
Patou pour homme is (one of?) the richest fragrance(s) I have ever smelled.
When popping off the cap the topnotes can already be smelled (even when it’s a few days ago I last applied it), seem to be alive and want to get out of the bottle .
Literally every second of the drydown process is likeable. I smell: warmth, comfort, gemütlichkeit, complexity, quality.
9/10
zsicom – :
I find this to be a very warming, utterly gorgeous scent. This is the epitome of a man. I’m not supposed to like this because I don’t care for leather nor civet in perfumes, but somehow I absolutely love it in this one.
It lasts a very long time on my skin. It won’t disappear until you shower (and even after that it still lingers on your skin). The smell it leaves on your clothes/collar is just so…satisfying.
Sillage is great as well it seems, and I’d never use more than two sprays as it’s pretty potent.
On my skin it actually does get very woody and slightly soapy, and that’s just the way I like it. I’d wear this any time of the year.
Luckily, I now have enough to last me a very long time (EDT).
I haven’t tried the new release, but I can’t imagine it smelling like this. If it does, I feel happy for the people who haven’t smelled this before, but now have the opportunity to do so.
artemhek – :
Now the brand Patou has been sold. I say unfortunately sold, because P & G had spent a lot of work to maintain perfect Joy, 1000 and Sublime. Now the brand is in the hands of a group that buys famous names in the business. And it shows. In fact, only for business reproduced Patou Pour Homme, but it is a ridiculous thing, because they can not use the ingredients 30 years ago, which is prohibited. They do not want to invest a lot of money because they do not have much money, so what do they do? They sell the illusion. that Patou Pour Homme is back in production … But Patou Pour Homme is over, and with P & G Joy has ended its life cycle too. So Patou is dead. Go for the lovely old vintage one.
inside.str – :
I’ve been looking for Patou Pour Homme a long time. And one nondescript day, I have found a little rest.
For me it is a typical scent of the 80s. I would not call it the best fragrance for men.
I compared it with three other scents:
Rochas Macassar
Dior Jules
Aramis Tuscany per Uomo (Vintage)
Please Note that Tuscany need about 4 hours to open its basenotes.
So I’ve compared them after 4 hours.
Smelling them, I would say that Tuscany and Patou have something similar. While Patou has a leathery fruity smell, Tuscany shows me a leathery salty smelling. Jules has the strongest smelling of all, it’s a leathery scent with some kind of nuts in it. Patou has a soft smelling, it’s the softest of the 4.
Tuscany has a very pleasant smelling.
While Patou is simply unaffordable I would say that Tuscany in its basenotes is the cheapest and best alternative.
Edit: I have smelled Patou Pour Homme for a longer period now. All I can say is that the best alternative to Patou Pour Homme is Dior Jules. Dior Jules is even darker, because of the nutty leathery animalic note. Patou has a flowery leathery animalic note. I would go for Jules.
By the way, Tuscany is the lightest and most wearable of all.
So if you are looking for an alternative to Patou Pour Homme, go for Dior Jules. If you are looking for a similar smell, but in a light and easy to wear version, go for Tuscany Per Uomo.
glydaylug – :
Best ever, so sad it was discontinued. A few gems of that era are still around such as Lagerfeld and Cerutti, however none as perfect as JP.
BRING IT BACK NOW!!!
disel1983 – :
absolutely one of my favorite frangrances to wear. I have horded a few mini’s that I found here and there…all 10 mil splash bottles which I put into a nice atomizer, this is one of those scents that every time I use it I worry as to running out, that is a shame to waste this. Patou pour homme is a fragrance that every man should smell. I love many of the classics like paco rabanne, azzaro, derby and some others that come to mind so many that have made an impact of me in my youth as well as now, but I gotta tell you this one gives me a cologne woody like no other. just beautiful, simply outstanding.
right up there with the original paco robanne for the way that one turned my head around when I first discovered PR. I appreciated PR so much because it was different then anything I had worn at 19 years of age , PPH did the same thing to me when I first smelled it only 2 plus years ago. Some fragrances can make you emotional on how much they touch you..this is one of those ones.
In my opinion, if I could only wear one this is at the top of my list.
PPH is a statement fragrance.. funny thing about this fragrance is when I do choose to wear this I get just as many compliments from the men I work with as the ladies. I actually had a man about my age ask me not too long ago when I was out and about, he asked , excuse me can I ask you? what is that fragrance you are wearing? I am proud to wear this marvelous scent. maybe not for everyone and I am glad.. it is not so well known these days. hopefully I can still find some when I get thru mine. i cannot think of a better scent that defines men or masculine from my perspective.
Serz001 – :
During the 1980s I wore Dunhill Blend 30, which like Patou pour Homme has unfortunately been discontinued. The Dunhill fragrance doesn’t seem to be reviewed anywhere on fragrantica, but elsewhere I have seen it often described as a green version of Patou. Having never tried Patou, I have always been curious about it, as Dunhill Blend 30 is my all-time favorite. Since a number of reviewers suggested a similarity between the two I was determined to track down and try the Patou and recently had the opportunity to acquire it. I can see a definite resemblance between the two. Both are classic 80s fougeres of extraordinary quality with similar base notes, but it is obvious to me that the Patou is a bit softer, more refined and elegant. Makes me wish I had been acquainted with it back when it was readily available. It truly lives up to its reputation. I can’t say I like it more than the Dunhill, but certainly like it as much. That says a lot. I do like the opening and how the middle notes play out during the first few hours on the Patou better than I do with the Dunhill, but appreciate the last few hours of the dry down on the Dunhill more. But even here it is a close call. Let’s just say I have tried two masterpieces which probably won’t be repeated due to current regulations and restrictions on ingredients, as well as availability issues related to the natural ingredients used in both. It has been a delight to wear them!
UniosseBiox – :
To everyone interested in this fragrance.. I have contacted the company that is reissuing Patou Pour Homme, and I got this response – Thank you for your interest in Patou pour Homme, our cologne will be available in limited distribution early in 2014 in key retailers and their on-line sites. – I am excited but upset that I have to wait this long to smell it.. I have never tried this fragrance and I am dying to try the new version when It comes out.. Someone send me a sample! 😉
Prinstan – :
This new edition is a real soup!
nothing to see with the original and 180€ for 100ml that is too much!
The new Patou in September is “Joy Forever”
Smells modern and quite good 🙂
dik0261 – :
Haha, yeah… but no, I’m serious. Contact them yourself if you don’t believe me. They even confirmed by email: “En attendant d’autres grands événements, lancements et surtout rééditions des parfums mythiques comme Chaldee ,Eau de Patou, Patou pour Homme qui constituent l’histoire de Jean Patou, nous vous invitons à venir nous rencontrer ou bien nous téléphoner afin que nous puissions répondre à toute demande personnalisée.”
Boodiawal – :
I have a good piece of news for you guys… I’ve contacted Jean Patou through their website and got a call from the Paris store manager who told me that they were reissuing Patou pour Homme this year, expected by the end of May. I haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet but now I can’t wait to get that bottle!
vxk847Diobtetty – :
WHY HAVEN’T THEY GOT THE MESSAGE ??????
SO MANY PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD WANT THIS MASTERPIECE BROUGHT BACK.
BRING
THIS
BACK
PLEASE!!
THE GREATEST MALE FRAGRANCE EVER CREATED.
alchoholizmiki – :
The day they stopped making Patou Pour Homme, the fragrance industry died just a little.
I have approximately one ounce left from my last four ounce bottle. The notes are perfectly intact, just as beautiful as when the bottle was purchased (mid 1994). I’m not certain if a spray was ever offered – all my bottles have been splash, but as anyone who has owned this will attest, the cap on the splash was very cool to twist on and off – it snapped back into place almost magically.
Can you believe I am discussing the cap, when this is perhaps the best male fragrance ever?
In addition to the listed notes, my nose would focus on something else: the smell of fresh cut wood. Sure I got the exotic spices, but what was most salient to me was the heady wood oil that had to be there, if unlisted. On a frag this complex, everyone’s nose darts in different directions, mine picked up lots of wood.
Though I have the aforementioned 30 ml left, I have not worn this in over two years. I can’t bring myself to “waste” it. I mostly just use it as aroma therapy, sniffing the cap, and occasionally splashing a microscopic amount on the back of my hand. I have about an ounce left of the aftershave as well, and that I do use occasionally.
Until they resurrect this beloved fragrance without reformulating it (not bloody likely) I’ll continue as I have been, never to wear a full dose of the EDT again.
triestyImmeroasd – :
I have been wearing this for a couple of days and decanting a full bottle of this, so I have been smelling this almost non stop for a while now. I believe Grottola’s notes below are far more accurate than the ones listed by Fragrantica. I def smell hot pepper and bergamot in the opening. Almost like a hot chinese pepper cooking in oil…that kind of pungent pepper aroma. This is nice and spicy and herbaceous, and to my nose, has much in common with the vintage Hermes Equipage. There is definitely castoreum in the base, but it is a very tame castoreum and so well blended as to almost mask its animalic self. There is not as much leather as I would have liked (imagine that), and I can definitely say this is not a monster powerhouse “punch you in the face” kind of fragrance. The longevity is superb, but sillage is moderate and very civil. You could get away with wearing this to work, though it would be put to better use when you knew close quarter sensuality was on the menu. This is first date material, nothing overtly dirty or sinful (the proverbial first date, not the one you dreamed about). You could definitely get away with this at the cotillion. Just keep those thoughts well hidden from the chaperone, and all will be well in Pleasantville.
oni275InsuffBooni – :
Technically, Patou Pour Homme is an oriental chypre.
Notes:
Top Notes
Hot Pepper, Lavender, Tarragon, Black Pepper, Bergamot, Galbanum
Middle Notes
Bourbon Vetiver, Cedar, Patchouli, Clary Sage
Base Notes
Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Mysore, Cistus Labdanum
Sexy.
966 – :
I am almost out of this wonderful fragrance.
vikont555 – :
I decided to do a wrist sampling first, with just one tiny dab. I’ll do a full wearing at some point, when I feel I’m really up for this kind of fragrance, and update this review at that point. At first, I recognized a note or accord also found in Versailles Pour Homme and Monogram, but it was handled differently in PPH. The blend is more subtle and balanced. I’d say if you took away the anisic/minty quality of Missoni Uomo and combined that with VPH, minus the castoreum note and with less spice, you would get something similar to PPH. An hour or so later, the dominant note/accords of the opening have given way, and what it then seems like is the aforementioned combination at no more than 50% and the original Bijan for Men (not the Five Star version) at 50% or more. It’s not as musky or woody as Bijan and it’s a bit lighter (though at least as rich). It’s also at least a bit smoother, but the original Bijan aspect seems to be the major component of the drydown.
I’m surprised by the praise for PPH at BN, considering how many similar ones there are. I’m wondering if it’s because it’s a Patou, or if it got some marketing “push” that other, similar ones did not. It’s certainly an excellent fragrance, but it doesn’t seem one that would be that compelling to the “hardcore” ‘BNers, who are into either niche (which don’t tend to be as smooth and balanced) or vintage designer frags with more “bite” (an example being vintage Antaeus). I think this may be due to the opening, which is more “exciting.” When I realized what the drydown was like, I thought to myself that this is the kind of fragrance that I often recommend on threads at BN, while others suggest less balanced and subtle ones. Overall, this is solid but not at all special to me; I’d rather wear vintage Lapidus Pour Homme or a whole bunch of others, everything else being equal. Note that if there is civet here, it’s very mild.
UPDATE: I wore it today, after not having done so for perhaps a year, and I just don’t understand why people are paying the high prices for it. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very nice scent, and entirely natural smelling. However, there is absolutely nothing special about it. In fact, I wore Chanel Pour Monsieur (1959) the other day and I think I like that one better (when I’m in the mood for this sort of thing). True, PPH is more aromatic, but after an hour or so that’s not nearly as strong, and I prefer the woody/citrus of CPM. PPH also weakens considerably after a couple of hours. People who say PPH is “rich” puzzle me. Have they ever tried a scent like Versaille Pour Homme? Or is PPH the only high-quality vintage scent they’ve ever sampled?
UPDATE #2: The Estonian site has the following notes for this scent:
Top Notes
Basil, Clary Sage, Lavender, Petitgrain Oil.
Middle Notes:
Geranium, Jasmine, Vetiver, Patchouli, Carnation, Pine Needles, Cinnamon, Sandalwood.
Base Notes:
Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Amber, Moss, Castoreum, Leather.
UPDATE #3: The aftershave version reminds me of the first formulation of Perry Ellis for Men, but simpler, drier, and more focused on wood (less floral too). It’s strength, both longevity and projection, is more like that of a traditional EdT.
emec20 – :
Patou Pour Homme.
I honestly hesitated writing a review of this for a long time because I needed to get to know it. I needed to be able to decipher Patou Pour Homme and eliminate, if necessary, any comparisons. I had to find the right time to wear it, places to spray it, and all sorts of other things.
Well, now I’m going to review it from my own perspective – not from the hype or praise of some of our other excellent reviewers.
For me, Patou Pour Homme is an extremely rich and decadent oriental fragrance for men. It opens up on my skin with noticeable lavender and tobacco (yes, I smell tobacco) notes complimented by spices, pepper, and a cooling petitgrain note. The oily tobacco note reminds me of Havana by Aramis, sort of. There’s also a dark leather note thrown in the mix. Overall, the feel is sort of like a big, oily, masculine Mitsouko (crossed with a resinous leather chypre like *vintage* Hermes Bel Ami). There are no unpleasant or “pissy” notes to turn people away – just raw, strong masculinity at its finest.
After an hour or two the top notes settle down and Patou Pour Homme gets drier and a little spicier. The patchouli and clary sage rear their heads and echo the top. It’s a smooth transition. At this point I’m somewhat reminded of Bel Ami again.
Then, soon enough, the base kicks in – the smoothest part. Oakmoss, sandalwood, and a BIG labdanum note set off the grand finale. Overall, the transition from middle to base and the lasting base takes a while, and it is SO enjoyable. The usage of chypre and fougère elements are part of what makes Patou Pour Homme just so damn good.
Now, that being said, is Patou Pour Homme the best men’s fragrance ever? In my opinion, no. BUT, it is my favorite fragrance. Absolutely. It’s my favorite masculine fragrance ever, and of course it’s discontinued.
As a final note, I don’t find Patou pour Homme to be worth the astronomical prices on eBay, Basenotes, Crystal Flacon, etc. But every guy should at least try it. Get yourself a decant from The Perfumed Court – it should last you a good while.
genius0077 – :
I love this one, its so sad that it is very hard to find these days
cali48 – :
Maybe if I apply myself I can find a bottle of this. The last bottle I was able to find for my husband dates from around 1995. There is only about 5cm left in the bottom which he does not dare to use because once that is gone, it will be gone forever, I fear. Patou Pour Homme is the best men’s perfume ever created; it is perfect in every way.
srsgqfrdwvz – :
I found my hubby a vintage bottle almost full.Granted,it was a tester,but IT IS WONDERFUL!!!!!IT smells so beautiful,I want to super glue myself to him.It is the epitomy of body chemistry working.
ivashkawert – :
One of the best perfumes I have ever owned from a bygone era – pure masculine luxury!
FilippoviK – :
It’s a shame Patou pour Homme was discontinued, it got nothing but positive reviews everywhere. Looking at the notes, I think I would have liked it as well.
These days it goes for premium $$$ on eBay, if/when you can find it.