Caron Yatagan Men Eau de Toilette 125 ml

Product Information

Le 3ème Homme, or The Third Man, borrows its name from the eponymous 1949 Orson Welles movie – incidentally, it's also the third masculine fragrance by Caron, released in 1985. So it then became rather smoky-spicy, because the killer melissa had additionally set the vetiver slightly on fire. In addition, there was now the strict and not at all stale leather scent. This was clearly green-spicy to perceive.

I sampled it, and to my disbelief, it ignited all the pleasure synapses in my brain in a way no other, perhaps besides Habit Rouge EDT, ever had before. Have I found my own personal holy grail? The opening is redolent of pine, camphoraceous herbs, dirt, with that undercurrent of castoreum. This is the rare instance of a fragrance to my nose being simultaneously sensual, primal, AND cerebral. It is one of just a handful of scents that just floods me with memories, actual and uncertain. It's an effable sensation that gives me a yearning of that which is out of reach, which isn't as sad as it may sound: it actually motivates the spirit to experience more. Vintage = more bitter, green, mossy, cool, earthy, better proportioned animalics; a clear cyphre. Modern = warmer, sweeter, more powerful, full animalics and leathery feel, but with less grace and proportionality without the offsetting moss. It was probably also due to my very untrained nose at the time that I put the scent down under the category "nice and warm" when I first wore it. I wore it subsequently in monthly intervals. Whenever I was just fed up with the favourites in my collection. My surroundings perceived the fragrance differently. Commentary collection: "old-fashioned", "dusty", "for grandpas" but also "what is it?", "never smelled" and "I would like to be able to wear it", "super classic". I have to admit that Crowdpleasers don't really fit my character. I would love to wrap myself up in Gaultier Le Male, Chanel Egoist and the like. You smell really nice. From my life, character and age, "nice" just doesn't fit anymore. Neither for the people who know me well, nor for myself. With 45 you have already experienced a lot and you have also taken some scars from life with you. These scars are also the edges of my character. And my fragrances should underline this! Over the last half, Yatagan has become a faithful companion. Not to every situation. Not to every mood. There is too much polarity in the fragrance due to age and ingredients. The polarity of the fragrance is for me now the silent power that rests in it. A silent power that connects and grounds me to my own life story. It simply creates a powerful centre. And I certainly do not want to rest in my middle all the time. But life, which a few years still experience as an adventure. But the old adventurers need more moments of center and congruence from their mid-40s on. In the moment and to their own history Now how can this fragrance be described? As with all grandiose compositions, this is also extremely difficult for me with Yatagan. The individual components are so masterfully interwoven that no single component stands out strongly, but delivers an olfactory total work of art. It simply smells like Yatagan to me. Very great art. I'll try it anyway..We're getting closer to the Yatagan, only accessible by olfactory perception. I clearly perceive the green-bitter pine needle. It smells slightly animalistic, where is that coming from?"

Yes. All of the above information highlights its best aspects. But to get the most out of Yatagan, you have to enjoy classic masculine fragrances. Uncompromising and yet not strident, Yatagan's medium projection hits that ‘just right' spot on the dial which means it can be worn and appreciated in all sorts of company – even one's own, of course. If you have a thing for feral greens in the mode of say Eau de Campagne or Coven, here's one worth trying that has a patina of refinement. The one misstep is the inclusion of some bubble-gum sweetness which it could easily have done without.

Berluti semble enfin trouver sa voie

Caron may have been encompassingly vague in their marketing language, dimly offensive in their oriental allusion, but fortunately direct and brave in their fragrance. Yatagan has that striking balance of starkness and richness found in the best and most distinctive of perfumes. Compared to the modern formula, the opening and heart stages of this vintage feel considerably more green (stronger galbanum and moss notes, I think), bitter and vaguely poisonous (more wormwood and/or artemesia), earthy and damp, like forest greenery and soil. It feels more "cool" and slightly sinister. The bitter mossy green tone reminds me of a smoother Aramis Devin, which is not a parallel I ever drew with the modern formula. I think there's less celery, or it's more of a raw celery vs. toasty celery salt. When would I not recommend this fragrance? Not for a rendezvous and not for the gym or a day at the lake in summer... I’ve been thinking about the wonderful yet inexpensive perfumes out there. There are many well considered, beautifully made perfumes that you can buy for a song. Cheap or pricy, though, the best perfumes must stand up to the same criteria. Is it coherent and balanced? Does it hold up over time? Does it captivate you, that is, would you wear it as your only perfume? Crucial: does it smell good? Is it ‘you’? Does it remain engaging throughout the entire day? Will it last that long? Would you want it to? Does it work for you in all the compartments of your life: At work? Cooking? Socializing? Cruising? In a class? On the subway?

I never let anyone tell me writing about perfumes is a waste of time or a trivial activity! Since last April, when I started writing for Now Smell This, I've learned so much about plants, animals, the rituals and symbols of many cultures, history and historical figures, even health matters — all related to fragrance. In the last month, I've learned about Yatagan: a Turkish sword, a city, and a perfume. Still, while perfume and fashion are bound in the marketplace, perfume doesn’t necessarily have to be viewed and debated in the same light as fashion and design. Looking to other art forms, music is probably the most commonly used analogy. How often is a perfume described as orchestral, loud, harmonious, shrill or dissonant? We could just as easily consider perfume as performance, borrowing the language of dance and theater. Additionally, the recent recognition of the perfumer as auteur allows us to look at a perfumer’s body of work over time just as we might that of a visual artist. Add to these perspectives the scientific advances in chemical analysis and synthesis and perfumery looks ripe for a new if not radical form of critical thought.The time to go is never right when we say goodbye # While Can is here we shouldn't waste a day in life to say I love you PhillippM – I have since bought a very large bottle of Royal Bain de Caron and I like the musky – vanilla smell of it. It's very comforting and nice to wear, but I still like my stronger fragrances for special nights out. This is a great day fragrance for me, but after reading about your love of Guerlain's Habit Rouge for 30 years, I can see similarities. Wow that's quite a signature fragrance for you! I don't have signature fragrances any more – times have changed and in the 70's when there were only a few male scents around, it was possible, but now, I have about 30 bottles in my collection – excessive, I know, but I enjoy collecting and wearing perfume – it's almost a fetish. With such a linear creation, it would be absolutely futile to draw a detailed list of all the notes found in Le 3ème Homme – if you enjoy the perfume's opening moments, chances are you'll love the rest, as it slowly tones down its most aggressive components to settle in a comfortable haze close to the skin.