Lapidus Pour Homme

@ThatMakesScents, I agree that new batches still go on strong. I actually think they go on stronger than my 2012/2013 batches. The initial blast is extremely strong (and more synthetic/chemical) but it doesn't stick around as long. Wearing a 2022 batch last year, I did get a "compliment" from a coworker 3.5 hours after application. He told me I smelt like his grandfather. So I'd say maybe 6 hours for the modern juice - which is still great. I can't really smell it after 5 hours. In my comment below, my newly acquired 2013 batch is my favourite so far. The initial blast is still nuclear but it's more natural, more refined. There's a lot more depth. I also find it "warmer" and more comforting to wear. I get wafts 10+ hours after application. If you want "vintage" juice (pre 2020), try and find 50ml bottles. They were discontinued years ago. If you can find one, chances are it'll have an old batch code.

Realistically how long performance are you getting from the new batches ? Intensity is there for me but not sure about longevity. Thanks

Retro-futuristic is a good way to describe this scent. It simultaneously smells like something from a bygone era and something from the far future. I have 2022/23 formulations as well as a few bottles of 2012/2013 batches. The older batches smell richer and more complex. They also last much longer. I sprayed some on last night and could smell it on myself this morning. There are a few 50ml 2013 bottles going for $23 AUD on eBay. I grabbed a few. I suggest others do as well. They were made before the lilial ban and other IFRA regulations came into affect.

This is the most overwhelming, most in your face dirty mixture of Kouros. Twelve hours longevity, minimum. Absolutely revolting. Will never touch this again.

Its only fitting to review Ted Lapidus Pour Homme after recently experiencing Jacques Bogart’s One Man Show Gold Edition, a fragrance that is often compared to it. Another fragrance that is frequently added into this ecuation is YSL’s Kouros and i can understand why. Once again, just as i said in the Bogart review, these three perfumes do not smell alike but they share a similar nature and serve the same tastes and demographic. I looked for similarities between Lapidus and the Bogart but the similarities stop at the crude-spicy, rough character of both fragrances and if anything, it leans closer to Kouros. Other then the common scent family, Lapidus is a thing of its own because its much more of a traditional fragrance. The Bogart employs “seedy” dry sharp spices with added soapy and powdery muskyness, a bit of dirtyness and a fruity accord that makes the fragrance pleasantly odd. In comparition, Lapidus behaves similarly on the spicy part but it hits closer to home, replacing the musky-powdery nouance and the odd fruity note with traditional masculine accords such as lavander and sharp herbal green elements, with a honeyed touch added in the mix. A soapy impression is inseparable from the barbershop style and its present here in the initial phases. Its a scent that evolves, where the volume of the lavander and the herbal side that dominates the initial phases is lowered and more accent is placed on the anisic, licorice-like spices and honey in the drydown. Fragrantica styles Lapidus as an Oriental but to me its something like a Chyproriental. Its more of a chypre with oriental touches then the other way around. Despite the warmer and sweeter facets that emerge later on, it still doesn’t align with what i personally describe as a true oriental fragrance. Judging the initial phases of Lapidus, another fragrance that comes to my mind is Chanel’s Platinum Egoiste. The Chanel shares the opening stages of Lapidus to me, only a cleaner and smoothed out, but also stylised rendition. Lapidus is the “return to basics” version of that sharp herbal green barbershop and lavander scentprofile. Platinum Egoiste stops the clock and doesn’t evolve past the barbershop profile whilst Lapidus progresses further. I mentioned One Man Show’s synthetic feeling as a critique and Lapidus falls into the same trap but somehow things seem more authentic this time, or atleast more familiar even if still artificial. From this point of view, i believe that its the traditional elements that work in favor of Lapidus whilst the odd fruity note works against the Bogart. Platinum Egoiste was a fragrance that i had my eyes on for a long while now but i was hesitant even when a decent deal presented itself. With Lapidus on the other hand, i already bought it, in parts because its very cheap but also because to me it feels like the quintessential and reference old-school masculine powerhouse fragrance AND a nouanced one at that. It knocked the Bogart out off my “maybe i’d like to have it” list and quenched my thirst for the Chanel. P.S. When purchasing a fragrance, NEVER judge it on first use. This is especially true with affordable ones which usually take a couple of weeks or even months to come together after the initial few sprays and after some oxygen gets into the bottle. I knew Lapidus from a sample and when i got the bottle it smelt different, like a chemical mess. Two weeks later and it smells magnificent, just like the sample did. Luckily i knew about this but im thinking about just how many perfume bottles were thrown in the garbage because they weren't allowed to develop. A travesty if you ask me.

Recently I went to a shopping mall in Luxemburg with my wife and her ninety-year old grandmother. As usual, I visited the perfume store to smell some new and older stuff... and there it was: a free sample of Ted Lapidus Pour Homme. I had often considered blind-buying this so called 'powerhouse fragrance' after reading the reviews below, but I never had. Finally I was time for the real test! To be honest, it’s a real powerhouse that lingers for a long time, but I’m afraid it’s not for me: Both my wife and her grandmother made fun of me because I kept smelling like an 'old man' for the rest of the day. I was so disappointed: A ninety-year old granny telling you that you smell like an old man? I expected better compliments. But I know what they mean: Aramis, Azzaro pour Homme, Quorum... they all give me the same feeling: they're 'dated'. I smelled it on uncles and teachers when they were 50+, but now I'm 50+ myself... do I ever come of age to wear these kinds of scents? I'm not going to wear a bowler hat anymore either, am I? I treated it as an experiment, keeping all your reviews below in mind, and kept sniffing my arm while shopping. Much of what is said is true: the fragrance has various notes that blend into one another, from pineapple to honey and everything in between. Maybe one day I buy this perfume for my own enjoyment, because I'm convinced it really is a masterpiece. But I'm afraid I have to wear it in a cave somewhere in the woods, far from mean remarks by old granny's.

This is closer to Kouros Fraicheur. I was actually given a bottle of this in 5th grade circa 91-92. I loved it and got compliments. I thought it was soapy but warm and comforting.

Smells just like burnt incence. Horrible

Just updating and adding another review: this stuff still blows my mind. It's so unusual in the best way possible. I managed to snag a few 50ml 2012 bottles and they definitely perform better than the current stuff. I did three sprays last night and it's 13 hours later and I'm still getting pleasant wafts. A masterpiece!

This is probably the most special scent in my collection. I always think "I'm not gonna be wearing this again" but when I spray it on it takes me on a whole layered journey. This opens up very rich for me. Like you are on a vacation in an east asian country. Spices, vegegation and smoke coming from bars. Lots of smells hits you at once. The most impressive thing about this fragrance is that it goes to at least 5 different directions in 6+ hours of applying. Starting with tobacco rich honey and ending in piney canned pineapple, If a niche perfume house released this today in a different name it'll probably gonna get a cult following. Pure tropic canned pineapple and dried up ashtray 10/10

I’ve had this one for a few years. I would wear it when I wanted an alternative to Balenciaga and always enjoyed it. But for whatever reason I didn’t wear it for about 2 years. I reached for it a few months ago and was blown away by the sheer density of it. I always get the mental image of a stone/marble wall with some climbing flowering vines. It feels opaque and grandiose. Very pleasurable for my sensibilities. The development of the scent is pretty great too. Theres a lot going here, I’d say it’s more interesting than most fragrances I’ve tried. I’m biased, but I really hope this style of complex men’s fragrance comes back around. Given how affordable and widely available this is I could definitely see it as a ‘gateway’ to the world of unabashed, complex oldies.

This is such a lovely sweet yet spicy fragrance. When I sprayed it for the first time, it really surprised me how potent it is. At first, I didn't know if I liked it or not. But when I was wearing it during the day, I really fell in love with it. After owning it for a while and wearing it a couple of times, this has become one of my absolute favorites. Some people say it's a slightly dirty scent, but I don't agree. I find it stays fresh, at least on my skin it does. I would wear this any time of the year, except for very hot days. The performance can only be described as superb. It lasts all day and it just keeps projecting. It's truly an eighties powerhouse. The price is insanely low for what you're getting here. I can see how it can be a little polarizing, but I feel like most people would at least like this, even younger people, because of the sweetness that it has. All in all it's a 10/10 for me.

Either I changed or the juice got better once it got some air on it. When I first sprayed my bottle I got a loud scratchy locker room body spray stink. Oh well you get what you pay for. At least the bottle looks dope. A few years pass. I spray just a little on me every once in a while out of curiosity. Recently, what used to be an abrasive one-dimensional smell became a bold-but-nuanced fragrance with texture. It's now proudly in the rotation with perfumes that cost ten or twenty times as much. Throw it in your cart with whatever else you're ordering from the discounters. Even if you don't like it now, you might come around on it.

My first impressions were that this is head and shoulders above 99% of what you’ll find on the designer market in terms of quality and creativity, but I also found it quite brash and potentially difficult to wear if you’re on the younger side, and that’s still my opinion to a certain extent. On initial spray, this is a sharp, possibly overbearing, fruity, mossy, aldehydic, hairy chested nuke of an 80’s powerhouse, and it’s truly something to behold, for better or for worse. The real beauty lies in the heart and the drydown. After about a hour or so this scent transforms completely, and I get this rich, dark, spicy honey with patchouli and florals, I still get that opening accord if I smell it up close, but it’s absolutely amazing in the air. Warm, inviting, gracious and gentlemanly. It’s actually far more forgiving than I initially thought, but you have to give it some time, and go easy on the trigger, just 1-2 sprays. Seriously, HOW IS THIS SO CHEAP?! I need a backup bottle.

A perfect convergence of two legendary — almost mythical — figures. A French couturier who dressed The Beatles, Alain Delon, Brigitte Bardot, and Frank Sinatra. He introduced elements of military uniforms into haute couture, popularized the safari style and naval blazers, helped establish jeans as a global fashion staple, and stood at the origins of unisex fashion. Of course, for his own fragrance line — and especially for its flagship, the Pour Homme — a perfumer of equal influence and mystique was required: Martin Gras. By that time, he had already created Blue Marine for Pierre Cardin, and later he would go on to compose Cerruti 1881 Pour Homme for Nino Cerruti, effectively defining an entire wave of barbershop and fougère fragrances of that decade — all, in my opinion, highly significant works. And yet, this fragrance is not about barbershop or fougères. In fact, I find it difficult to assign it to any specific category. Due to its complexity and multidimensional nature, it contains passages that echo multiple fragrance families. Still, I will try to describe it. To do so, I’ll compare it to a fragrance that, in my opinion, is closest in spirit — not in terms of notes, but in concept and core. That fragrance is Yves Saint Laurent Kouros — loved passionately and hated just as intensely, sometimes by the very same people. And for those who consider Kouros the pinnacle of brutality, animality, and directness — this fragrance will shock you. If Kouros is Ancient Greece at the height of its glory — up to the 5th century BC: the flourishing of the polis, democracy, theatre, science, the Olympic Games — and figures like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle — yet also its flaws, internal tensions, decadence, and eventual decline through wars such as the Peloponnesian War, the weakening of Athens and Sparta, and ultimately conquest by Macedon and later Rome — then this fragrance captures that entire arc perfectly. But Lapidus is about something else. Lapidus is about the “barbarians” — as the Greeks dismissively called them, often considering them degenerated Greeks. In reality, they represent the vast diversity of cultures that developed along entirely different paths. The East — seemingly wild at first glance, yet in truth home to powerful civilizations acknowledged even by the Greeks themselves. From the great Persian Empire, stretching from Egypt to India, with its advanced science and art, to Ancient Egypt with its deeply complex religion, architecture, and medicine — all interconnected. It is no coincidence that this fragrance is officially classified as oriental: spices form its backbone — sandalwood, tonka bean, and incense. The North and the Stepp's — nomads and warriors. The Scythians, whose presence I strongly sense in the honeyed spices and overripe fruits of the composition. Master horsemen and archers of the Black Sea region, leaving behind a lost ancient culture and magnificent burial mounds filled with breathtaking gold artifacts — like the golden pectoral, which feels like the very heart of this fragrance. Here, you find lavender, lily of the valley, and juniper. And of course, the tribal societies of Europe: the Celts — masters of metallurgy and weaponry from France to the Danube, warriors and druids who terrified their enemies with the sound of the carnyx — deep, otherworldly, almost supernatural tones emerging from impenetrable mists of musk, cedar, and oakmoss. Alongside them, the Germanic tribal world — warrior ethos and folklore — expressed through pine, artemisia, and oily tobacco. All of this is presented on a foundation of richly natural-smelling citrus notes, which bind this immense diversity into a single whole. This fragrance is an era — both literally and metaphorically. Even without experiencing the vintage version, one can fall in love forever with the modern formulation — there is nothing quite like it today. The longevity is insane. This is not a fragrance for everyone. But if you are curious, if you are willing to dive deep — this is a masterpiece beyond price.

Very complex fragrance. The opening is sweet, with honey and florals. As it dries down, it balances out between the sweet honey, fruit, tobacco, and the florals. I get a lot of lavender and jasmine. This is surprisingly sweet for a masculine fragrance of this era. The projection is pretty good as well. Don't judge this one by the opening - give it 30 minutes to dry down and it really opens up into something special. 8/10 Edit: I managed to get my hands on a vintage bottle. How do the vintage and the new formula compare? The opening is basically the same. After 15-20 minutes, the original has a little bit of oakmoss dankness that the new formula is missing. The new formula is ever so slightly lighter. The old formula reminds me of Futuros by Aubusson at this point. They're a little different, but I wouldn't say one is better than the other. Toward the late drydown, the smells converge again, and are almost indistinguishable. I don't think it's worth it to find a vintage. The new formula is great, and it's really been growing on me 9/10

"Why does it smell like hairspray in here?" Is what my partner remarked the first time I tried Lapidus Pour Homme. That chemical harshness fades quick on the skin, but it remained potent in our flat. This is a scent that's easily over-applied. I can get away with two, maybe three sprays before it becomes obnoxious to anyone around me. When applied with a delicate touch it's a pleasant, consistent journey. I don't really notice the profile evolve as the day goes on, but stability is nice every so often. You can genuinely detect all of the notes at once, which is both its biggest pro and its biggest con. It's this side of too sweet for me, but its complexity keeps it on my shelf. To my nose, the artemisia is the knockout. That hit of absinthe is addictive, and gets me coming back for more. There's a smokiness restraining everything else from becoming too much. Can I suggest this feels a little gothic? That might be the wormwood speaking, with the rose and oakmoss as supporting characters.

Growing up in New York as an Italian-American child of the 80s, this is one of those fragrances, along with Kouros, Yatagan, Furyo, Paco, Giorgio, etc… that most remind me of that era and culture. It’s one of those fragrances that brings back powerful memories of sitting down to break bread with other families at Dominick’s in little Italy… the older well-heeled gentlemen sitting a block from Vincent’s meat market in the Bronx drinking coffee and joking in Italian, or the powerful men in the back of Gino’s (RIP) enjoying the best Italian food in the area while discussing business by candlelight. This was a scent that announced itself to every man and woman in a room: “I’m a guy you want to be friends with. I know people, and I have some money to play with.” Ladies loved it, and for me it brings back a feeling of comfort in the strength and manliness it projects. I wish there were more new scents that were this deep and interesting… compared to today’s frags, this is complex and assertive. It’s worth every penny.

This is like time travel back to 80s, everybody knows that. To me it reminds of YSL Kouros which I happen to love. Lapidus is very very similar but im picking up a strong rose note which unfortunately makes it smell more generic. I'm surprised noone mentioned the rose in the comments, maybe it's just me.Have to be careful with the sprays or you will smell like you just stepped out of a 80s nuclear barbershop timemachine. Kouros is the warm, raw, dirty, legendary winner in my book. Lapidus is very masculine and stands out but somehow lacks personality/appeal, not sure when/where gonna wear it.

Nightclubs of the early 90's! Slightly skanky opening but ten minutes that goes and you're left with a very nice smelling spicy fruity floral classic. I can pick up most of the notes which together blend brilliantly. It's like nothing else I've smelled. Women seem to like it a bit! 9/10

Old school oriental and fougere fragrances had million notes so it's pointless to parse through all of them but honey, incense and tobacco stand out heavily. It's also a bit polarizing as it smells like the inside of a Catholic church but because of it's intense sweetness can also be considered sexy fragrance.

A proper masculine scent with a vintage touch. It is, however, a bit too sweet for me (especially during the first hour after application), but given the low price point (EUR 20) I don't mind having this one in my collection. I can also understand that this is an acquired taste and probably won't be understood by the younger crowd. I might provide an updated review after testing this more thoroughly.

An interesting one. I have been complimented that its a fine tobacco scent I am wearing. It can be a bit much, droning on and on and on. I dont really get the tobacco part as much. I like Kouros and Lord better.

Can’t beat this for 20 bucks. Actually, it’s the best 20 bucks I’ve spent on a fragrance. Just a really nice slightly smoky and spicy honey and woods to me, with some juiciness from the fruits. It’s easy to see how this would leave such an intoxicating scent trail, though it be a little overpowering when smelled up close. It’s a keeper, for sure!

If the color purple had a smell.

Added this to the 80s part of my collection ... but this smells SO familiar to me. Clearly i knew people who wore this and i didn't know. It proudly stands with YSL Kouros, Hugo Boss Number One, VC&A Pour Homme and Drakkar Noir. 80s Male fragrances were unequivocally Male ... no chance to consider them Unisex. And this one, stands up there with Kouros borderline TOO much.

I learned something the other day; Lapidus and vintage Hugo Boss Number One used the same Animalis 1745 (spoiler: I love both frags). Hopefully I also respond well to the Animalis 5853 used in Kourous. This took me on quite the journey. I had done a single hand spray test before so I knew more or less what to expect. I already knew my wife and one of my daughters thought it suited me, but a full wearing? Either I leave that cave wearing the bear skin or I leave inside the bear. To me it's a story of three different fragrances rolled into one, each complex in their own right. Initially I get the sweetness of lavender pineapple and honey with herbal and absinthe undertones; this would be an interesting fragrance on its own, but then it completely evolves for me into this beautiful white floral and honey filled with swirls of rich smoky incense and pine. The third fragrance that is evolves after that is a grungy Giorgio Red styled honey dipped ash tray that you dug out of a pile of moss underneath a cedar grove, musky from the sweet sweat and vinegary from the tonka and amber. Once again Animalis 1745 works really well with me; maybe I just can't do synth civet but this works fine. Is it dirty? Sure. Did it work? Hell yeah it did. It was loud like me after 3 scotch on the rocks but it was sweet all the way through its evolution, from clean to dirty. This is a rockstar. It's 85F and I'm wearing this to the office. IDGAF.

10/10 -- I will die if they ever discontinue this stuff. A master course in yin and yang transported into the olfactory realm. On the one hand, it's super masculine all the way through, with enough animalic underpinnings to make it exude some raw sensuality. To my nose, the animalic development opens with citrus reminiscent of urinals and piss, and dries down to dirty musk. That's what makes this stuff so fundamentally heady to me. On the other hand, it has these compelling feminine touches brought through with the sweetness of the honey notes and the tender touches of the rose and white florals. I don't think it's unisex, however, even though I could imagine loving to smell this on a woman. The woods and oak moss at the base bring it back to traditional 80s masculine fougère fare. So it's like the journey of a man who has done enough work on himself to explore his feminine side without it threatening him. For a man who is elegant, sexually mature, and reconciled with the feminine.

Spicy, aromatic honey with a rugged, masculine edge beneath, loud and proud. The key word is moderation: apply 2-4 sprays and you're gonna smell nice and unique, apply any more than that and you're gonna smell weird. I think it works really well when used properly, in cold weather (fall-winter-early spring) and remember: less is more with this one.

Lapidus Pour Homme stands as one of the very few true 10/10 fragrances to which I have had the pleasure of wearing. Having used both the original and clones/interpretations (Lord - Al Rehab, America Night - Milton Lloyd) I will say that although the clones smell fantastic in their own right, nothing could ever come close to the original beast. Describing this scent profile is useless because no matter what you read nothing will prepare you for the first time you smell this. I will say though, this may not be as animalic as kouros however, in no way is it any less dirty. In fact, to me this is dirtier in a very sleazy kind of way. This is a fragrance not to be worn to any odd occasion like a walk in the park or a trip to the mall. No. This is THE fragrance to wear to your next booty call. Enjoy! Song: The Manimal - W.A.S.P.