Yesterday, in honour of Movember, I took a look at some of my favourite barbershop scents in The Candy Perfume Boy’s Movember Barbershop Quartet. Alongside some of the old favourites and classics I included a brand new fragrance launching this month that is as barbershop and gentlemanly as the best of them, albeit in an atypical way; L’Homme Infini by Divine.

Divine is not a fragrance house that I have had a huge amount of exposure to in the past. I do know that two of their masculines (L’Homme Sage and L’Homme de Coeur) are cult favourites amongst male fumeheads, and smelling the samples I have it’s easy to see why; each is a contemporary and confident take on classic masculine styles of perfumery.

L’Homme Infini (The Infinite Man) is the latest fragrance to join Divine’s stable of masculines. Created by Yann Vasnier (Bang, L’Homme de Coeur, L’Homme Sage, Anima Dulcis and Santal Blush) and is described using words such as “serene” and “tender”. To me it feels like a fragrance of balance, with just the right proportions of rugged manly things and soft gentleness to create something that plays to the many contrasts of the modern man.

The Notes

Top: Coriander Leaf, Elemi, Black Pepper and Coriander Grain
Heart: Cedar, Vetiver, Oud and Oak
Base: Amber, Benzoin and Serenolide

How Does it Smell?

The first thing one notices when smelling L’Homme Infini is a big dose of black pepper. It crackles and wafts up ones nose but it is restrained enough, thanks to the silvery, woody quality of elemi, not to cause one to sneeze. In the first instance it is difficult not to draw a comparison with Vasnier’s other pepper-centric creation for Marc Jacobs ‘Bang’, but L’Homme Infini is much more reserved and the opening splash of pepper subdues rather quickly.

Woods, of varying origins and textures, play a big part in L’Homme Infini’s development and they go a long way to create a strong juxtaposition between hard and smooth. The harshness of cedar is tempered by the depth of oak. At times it does lean more to the dry end of the scale, but despite the weight (and butchness) of the materials used the overall effect is remarkably buoyant and light.

What I really enjoy about L’Homme Infini is the underlying herbal creamy-ness that gives it that wonderful barbershop vibe. One can’t help but think of an impeccably groomed gentleman whilst wearing it, but that’s not to say that one can only wear it when one wants a Mo trim, not at all, in fact the base of vetiver-tinged amber and benzoin gives the style an unusual, and very plush/powdery twist.

L’Homme Infini is a very well-made fragrance and it is just unusual enough to set it apart from others of the same ilk. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, as woody-centric masculines don’t usually wow me, but it’s safe to say I was very impressed by it’s retro and atypical barbershop style. In all honestly, it’s not a fragrance that I will find myself running out to buy but it is something that will I happily recommend to those looking for something smart yet unique.

Availability

L’Homme Infini is available in 50ml (€70), (€95) and 150ml (€120) Eau de Parfum Splash and 50ml (€79) Eau de Parfum Spray.

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Giveaway

Would you like to try L’Homme Infini? I have a set of 1.7ml samples of L’Homme Infini, L’Homme Sage and L’Homme de Coeur to give away. All you need to do to enter is to leave a comment stating what your favourite barbershop-style fragrance is.

T&Cs

i) the draw will be closed at 17:00 on Monday 26 November; ii) the winner will be announced on The Candy Perfume Boy on Tuesday 27 November; iii) the winner will be selected at random; iv) if the winner has not made contact with The Candy Perfume Boy by Monday 03 December, an alternative winner may be selected; v) the prize will be posted by The Candy Perfume Boy and the winner’s address will not be shared with any third parties; vi) The Candy Perfume Boy takes no responsibility for items being lost in the post or customs charges that may be incurred; vii) readers from anywhere in the world are eligible to enter; viii) entries must follow the rules outlined above; ix) relatives or anyone associated with The Candy Perfume Boy are not permitted to enter; x) the prize consists of samples provided by Divine for The Candy Perfume Boy’s consideration.

Disclaimer
PR Sample. Images via press release. Notes via Basenotes. Qoutes via Divine.