In part one of this two-part fragrance review, Ali Bokhari unpacks why Guerlain’s L’Homme Idéal EDP and Extrême—despite their beautiful compositions—became frustrating experiences due to performance issues. Part two, coming next Friday, will focus on L’Homme Idéal Parfum, a richer scent that in his view restores the line's prestige ... for now.
By Ali Bokhari
I may not look it, but I turned 45 this year. As cliché as it sounds, that milestone triggered more reflection than I expected. Not a full-blown crisis, but I’ve been having the kind of quiet conversations with myself that tend to surface around midlife. Do I embrace the white whiskers and the quiet dignity of getting older, or try to wring every last drop of youth out of my days and keep chasing those childhood dreams?
Somewhere in that swirl of questions, I ended up revisiting my fragrance collection.
The overhaul began with a simple decision: I wanted scents that better reflected who I am now. Less attention-seeking, more grounded. That meant saying goodbye to Armaf Club de Nuit Man EDT, my most complimented fragrance ever. It had served me well at one time long ago, but it no longer felt like me. In its place, I turned to Guerlain, a house with history, nuance and a reputation for elegance over hype.
Guerlain has always been a name with weight in the fragrance world. I already owned and regularly wore three of its classics: Habit Rouge EDT, Vétiver EDT and Héritage EDP. Each one has its own timeless character. Habit Rouge evokes an old-school, barbershop elegance. Vétiver is sharp, green, and clean. Héritage offers something deeper, woodier and more introspective. In fact, I wore it before starting on this article, to my mind Héritage is a great thinking man's scent. These are fragrances for men who don’t need to announce themselves. I wear them proudly, but I’m also aware they skew more mature and traditional.
What caught my eye in the L’Homme Idéal line was
something different. Guerlain was clearly aiming to expand its audience, adding sweetness, modern flair and broader appeal, especially among younger men. These new releases seemed designed to bridge the gap between legendary heritage and new trends. I was curious whether Guerlain could pull that off without losing its soul.
Over the past decade, the fragrance landscape has shifted. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram transformed niche perfumery into a mainstream obsession. During the pandemic, online reviews and blind buys surged. In that climate, many fragrance houses began favoring bold, ultra-sweet, high-projection styles aimed at mass appeal. Guerlain was one of the first to make a sea change by supplementing its mainstream classics with more accessible, gourmand-influenced offerings part of the L'Homme Ideal line.
I picked up three fragrances from the L’Homme Idéal line to test that shift for myself: the EDP, the Extrême and the Parfum. All were recent formulations. This review focuses on the first two, with a follow-up on the Parfum coming next week.
The L’Homme Idéal Line: A Brief Overview
The theme of this line is right there in the name—L’Homme Idéal, the Ideal Man. Since the first release, Guerlain has expanded the series with multiple flankers, each offering a slightly different take on sweetness, masculinity, and style. Some feel like attempts to capture current tastes. Others seem like internal experiments, trying to define what “ideal” really means now.
Here’s a quick look at the lineup as of May 2025:
- EDT (2014): Almond, citrus, leather, and tonka. A surprisingly modern and fresh take for Guerlain, with depth to spare. Often overlooked.
- Cologne (2015): Bright, clean, and breezy, with grapefruit, neroli, and musk. Discontinued.
- EDP (2016): Cherry, almond, rose, vanilla, and spice. A deeper, warmer, sweeter take on the original. Still available, but reportedly reformulated.
- Sport (2017): An odd mix of aquatic notes and sweet almond. The "sport" label felt misplaced. Discontinued.
- L’Intense (2018): Incense, chili, and leather. Spicy and moody. I’ve sampled an older bottle and appreciated its uniqueness, though I never pulled the trigger on a purchase.
- Cool (2019): Mint and aquatic notes. Related to the Cologne but overly minty—almost toothpaste-adjacent. Discontinued.
- Extrême (2020): Plum, cinnamon, tobacco, and almond. Rich and warm. A bolder version, but arguably too close to the EDP to justify owning both.
- Platine Privé (2023): Grapefruit, sage, and almond. Limited edition. Technically still in circulation, but very hard to find.
- Parfum (2024): The newest release. Rum, vanilla, and patchouli. Thick, rich, and dark. A return to form with stronger performance.
Despite variations, the series revolves around nutty-sweet gourmand touches—cherry, almond, vanilla, tonka, boozy notes and plum—all used in ways that feel elegant rather than sugary. I feel Guerlain's goal has always been sophistication with just enough playfulness, and that playfulness is strong here. But don't get it twisted, Guerlain is not aiming for its customers to smell like a sticky dessert, more like a refined meal with a perfectly chosen drink for desert to wash it all down.
Strike one: The EDP — gorgeous, but gone in a flash
After watching hours of rave reviews, I bought a 100ml bottle of L’Homme Idéal EDP. Everyone seemed to praise its romantic warmth and cherry-almond richness. I ordered it blind, figuring that even if it wasn’t for me, I’d have no trouble reselling it.
What I didn’t realize was that many of those glowing reviews were for older formulations. The version I unboxed was the latest release, and that made all the difference.
On first spray, I was impressed. The bottle was elegant, weighty, and well-designed. The juice had a soft amber-rose tone, subtle but luxurious. The scent itself? Easily one of the best I’d smelled in a while. The cherry and almond opened smoothly, softened by a floral heart and anchored in a warm vanilla-tonka base. It smelled like being wrapped in a cherry-wood blanket on a cool evening. Cozy, romantic, and just a little offbeat.
For about 45 minutes, I was completely sold. And then it vanished.
This wasn’t a slow fade. Within an hour, it had collapsed into a skin scent. By hour two, it was practically gone. I tried everything—spraying on clothes, using moisturizer, increasing the number of sprays—but nothing helped. My wife, who usually notices everything I wear, confirmed what I suspected: there was barely anything left to smell.
The fragrance itself is stunning, but such weak performance for a fragrance costing more than $100 CAD was unacceptable. I sold the bottle after a week.
Strike Two: The Extrême — virtually the same bottle and a familiar disappointment
Despite the EDP’s failure, I wasn’t ready to write off the line. Extrême had been described by experienced reviewers as the standout of the series. The note breakdown (plum, cinnamon and tobacco) promised something deeper, darker and more intriguing.
Once again, the presentation was strong, but the packaging raised a red flag. Older versions of Extrême featured red accents on the label and cap. The bottle I received looked almost identical to the EDP with the same bottle shape and colored label but with a different name and just a slightly different juice color. I wondered if a corner had been cut in the name of unifying the brand presentation.
Still, like with the EDP the scent of the Extrême opened with such promise. The plum was juicy and bright, followed by warm cinnamon, soft almond and subtle hints of tobacco and cedar. It felt slightly fresher and more structured than the EDP. A bit less romantic, but more complete in some ways than it also.
Unfortunately, the performance didn’t fare much better. Clearly stronger at first, but still weak overall. This time I got about two hours of presence before it began fading. On fabric, it lingered a bit longer, but only if I put my nose right up to it.
I gave the Extrême more time. Let it macerate. Wore it daily to see if my nose would adjust. Nothing changed. I still have the bottle, hoping maybe one day a buyer will show interest or it will click with my nose, but my hopes in it are dimming.
The Parfum — strike three?
Reformulations have clearly taken a toll on what were once highly regarded fragrances. Both the EDP and Extrême smell exceptional out of the gate, yet their performance for me was so poor that they’re almost unwearable without constant reapplication every couple of hours. For scents in the $100+ CAD price range and pedigree, that’s a serious letdown.
There may be some who don’t mind refreshing throughout the day. Personally, I expect more, especially from a house like Guerlain which has gotten much of what it has designed right for nearly two centurieis. A good fragrance should carry you, not the other way around.
The story doesn’t end here, though. I’ve also been wearing L’Homme Idéal Parfum, and that one tells a different story. Stronger, more sophisticated, and finally worthy of the legendary Guerlain name. I’ll be reviewing that one next Friday.
Stay tuned!
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