Jacques Bogart
Jacques Bogart
228 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot-lavender combination strikes with immediate cleanliness, brightened by a tart citric snap, whilst the water lily lurks just behind like a ghost of cologne. Within moments, sweetness begins infiltrating—not floral-sweet, but something more candied, hinting at the tonka to come.
The floral heart emerges as a blurred, almost indistinct mass; without distinct note separation, it simply reads as "flowers plus sweetness." Vanilla becomes increasingly prominent, joined by patchouli's musty leather undertone, creating a mild gourmand effect that's neither convincing nor particularly pleasant—merely present.
By the fourth hour, only sweetened vanilla and patchouli remain, clinging close to the skin in a whisper that barely registers beyond an arm's length. The fragrance becomes increasingly abstract, a vague olfactory memory rather than a coherent composition.
Bogart pour Homme Jacques Bogart occupies a curious middle ground—neither fresh cologne nor proper aromatic fragrance, but rather a sweetened interpretation of both. Maurice Roucel's 2004 composition leans heavily into the fruity-floral spectrum, with lavender and bergamot providing conventional masculine anchoring whilst water lily injects an unexpected, almost soapy-green feminine whisper into the opening. The heart's undeclared floral notes (likely rose or jasmine, though the composition refuses to be transparent) blur into this sweetness rather than define it, creating an effect more ambiguous than refined.
Where Bogart pour Homme truly reveals itself is in the base: here, tonka bean and vanilla don't merely sweeten but domineer, transforming what could have been a balanced aromatic composition into something closer to a heavily sweetened skin scent. The patchouli provides earthiness, yes, but it's muted, almost apologetic, whilst the spice notes struggle for presence beneath the vanilla's syrupy weight. This is a fragrance that smells most authentic when worn close to the skin, rather than projected outward.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.9/5 (390)