One of the ongoing tragedies in fragrance is the slow marginalization of Caron. When I slid down the perfume rabbit hole Caron was one of the first brands I connected with. Recently it has become more difficult to find because of the slow contraction of places to buy them. One of the most well-known is Caron Pour un Homme. If there is a place where my enjoyment of lavender fragrances began it is probably here. As much as that classic is near perfect. In 1985 Caron wanted to make a modern version called Le Troisieme Homme.
This came about when the brand was acquired by new owners. They wanted a new masculine lavender perfume. Perfumer Akiko Kamei was asked to deliver a fragrance that felt current to 1985. These were the days of fougere powerhouses. Mme Kamei wanted to explore other sources of intensity using lavender as the keynote.
Akiko Kamei
It begins with a more substantial citrus accord headed by lemon. This isn’t sunlight through the trees but more focused through a magnifying glass. Waiting for it is the floral heart of geranium and lavender. These are florals which can trend towards the green part of the spectrum. Mme Kamei enhances that trend with tarragon and coriander. Then comes the ingredient that will likely make or break one’s enjoyments of this, clove. She layers in a significant amount of it. Enough that the lavender and geranium have some work to do to keep from being pushed aside. Mme Kamei finds the balance with the clove in the lead. The final bit of intensity comes via oakmoss and vetiver rolling out a soft green carpet to finish with.
Le Troisieme Homme has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.
This is a perfume of its time to be sure. It is no wallflower. Your tolerance for this will be another factor in your enjoyment of it. I wear it every summer and really enjoy it as fall approaches. Caron is one of those brands who seems to be fading off the radar screen. Le Troisieme Homme is one of many reasons that shouldn’t happen.
Disclosure: This review is based on a bottle I purchased.
–Mark Behnke
