I went through a period when I used to wear male perfumes quite often. I never saw this as a strange thing to do, inspired by a bold mother who introduced me to several of those fragrances. The ones I have worn most and still crave from time to time are the original Kenzo pour Homme by Kenzo (sadly reformulated), Joop! pour Homme and Nightflight, both by Joop. The last two had always been competing for my affection and I never did manage to decide which one I like best – the brave oriental or the more traditional fougere. Nightflight, with its beautifully evocative name and its pretty bottle will have to admit defeat, if only temporarily, for today I will be reviewing the original, Joop! pour Homme. This perfume has currently fallen out of favor, considered by many as cheap and common. Launched in 1989, Joop! reached the pinnacle of its popularity in the early 90s. At the time it was almost impossible to walk down the street without smelling it every few paces it seemed. I believe its popularity to have been its downfall, comparable to fads that fall from grace. Sometimes we get to witness the resurgence of these modes past that had been forgotten and ostracized for a time, a quiet return that firmly places them in the hearts and minds of enthusiasts with newfound appreciation. I am not trying to claim that Joop! deserves to attain cult status, but I do believe praise is due to its bold character. In a sea of citrusy, marine and ozonic male fragrances, this one remains original to this day. It can also be considered as a predecessor to many of the bolder, nontraditionally male perfumes that succeeded it, such as Le Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier – another flowery nonconformist.
Yes, Joop! is unmistakably flowery. Its top citrus notes are played upon a very emphatic orange blossom theme and its heart is shockingly feminine, with notes of iris, muguet, jasmine, cinnamon and heliotrope. A very prominent note is opoponax, present and very strong throughout the development of this fragrance, joined by amber, cedar, vanilla, patchouli and sandalwood in the base. Even though it is a youthful fragrance, its boozy mix of flowers lends decadence to it, a sense of sickly decomposition that keeps attracting me to it perversely. It is what makes it instinctually sexy to me. This characteristic is interestingly antagonistic with its childlike quality; it is made for a man-child who’s well groomed and ready for a date. Comforting and intoxicating at the same time, his bright smile smells of bubblegum. Pictures: Courtesy of dragonlite.net and www.arthursecunda.com respectively.
