ORMONDE JAYNE
ORMONDE MAN

2004

PERFUMER
Geza Schoen

bergamot
cardamom
pink pepper
coriander
juniper

hemlock fir
oud

sandalwood
cedarwood
musk
vetiver

Ormonde Man packs quite a punch in the opening, but quickly becomes subtle. There’s a sharp, clean pine scent. It leans green, there’s cedarwood, but also black hemlock (also known as tsuga), an aromatic conifer. For a couple of minutes, it has an almost resinous, herbal quality, that I personally didn’t really enjoy, but that’s just me not being into green fragrances. There’s a nice citrus note as well, but it’s overpowered a bit by the green accord.

As I stated, the punchy opening turns into a much subtler and more accessible and versatile scent. With a name like Ormonde Man, it seems that the target market would be more mainstream, where this could function as a signature scent. That’s definitely more the direction this goes to in the drydown, although it remains slightly green. It becomes much softer and pleasant. To me, this seems to be a modern take on a chypre-like masculine fragrance. It’s different from everything I’ve tried so far, which is commendable, but it begs the question; who’s this for? I feel that it’s too safe and subtle for people who like the older style chypre fragrances or green fragrances in general. However, this style doesn’t seem to be in demand as much for people who wear mainstream designers. I thought it was interesting to sample, and I’m curious how others would utilize Ormonde Man.