Drseid

Ho Hang Club goes on with an earthy patchouli, floral carnation and orange clay-like coriander spice starring trio, as green oakmoss rising from the base lends early support. As the composition reaches its early heart the oakmoss turns slightly more assertive, mixing with additional leathery styrax and dull rose, also joining the earlier carnation and coriander co-stars. During the late dry-down the composition turns quite woody, as cedar melds with the floral remnants now coupling with relatively dry, quite potent amber from the base through the finish. Projection is above average and longevity very good to excellent at 10-12 hours on skin.

Ho Hang Club is a tough composition to completely pin down. The floral-laced patchouli open is quite 80s powerhouse-like in its implementation and quite aggressive. Shortly after though, things go a different direction than one might expect as the coriander spice adds a clay-like undertone to the composition, and when the dull rose shows up, it gives off a very good impression of rosewood. Rosewood is not my favorite smelling wood by far and it can come off smelling a bit dated and mundane at times; but in Ho Hang Club the patchouli hanging around past the open livens up the rosewood a bit with its slightly sharp earthy nature, giving it some sparkle. The cedar-driven woody amber dry-down is probably the least interesting part of the composition, but the way it sneaks up on you as the coriander recedes enough to let it shine through is quite the surprise and keeps things interesting through the end. The bottom line is the discontinued but still relatively inexpensive Ho Hang Club at under $0.50 per ml is a fine but less than perfect outing for Balenciaga, earning a "very good" 3.5 star out of 5 rating and a solid recommendation to old school composition lovers (like me).

Duc de Vervins opens with a gentle aromatic lavender breeze, supported by just a hint of bergamot citrus and green oakmoss rising from the base before moving to its heart. As the composition reaches the early heart the lavender remains, though now in support to the also remaining green oakmoss that takes control, as the composition turns slightly powdery and quite soapy fresh with traces of cumin spice balancing the fresh soap. During the late dry-down the oakmoss continues as star through the finish, with its powdery facets increasing late. Projection is excellent, as is longevity at over 12 hours on skin.

Many compare Duc de Vervins to vintage Drakkar Noir, and there is no denying the resemblance. I doubt that Duc de Vervins was ever intended to clone it, but something about the way the soapy clean oakmoss is implemented in both makes the comparison inevitable. That said, Duc de Vervins holds up well on its own merits, blending in aromatic lavender, and cumin spice so mild you could almost miss it if not paying attention. In truth, before I thought Drakkar Noir, I first thought Monsieur de Givenchy -- not really in fragrance profile, but rather spirit. By spirit, I mean the composition is so clean, balanced and relatively light that it is extremely versatile. Unfortunately for Duc de Vervins the fragrances it conjures images of (in spirit or actuality) are some of the best ever, and I can't really say it quite rises to the challenge in comparison. The bottom line is Duc de Vervins with its impressive performance metrics is quite tempting at its approximate $45 per 120ml cost per bottle on the aftermarket, but as you can find vintage Drakkar Noir for not much more than that and Caesars Man for significantly less both surpassing it overall, it is hard to recommend without reservation despite its "very good" 3.5 star out of 5 rating.