There's a whole category of powdery dandy fragrances out there, and many legendary perfumes fall squarely into it, but I'm not a fan. I don't know what it is, but the prospect of wearing scents like Hammam Bouquet or Floris No.89 with any regularity makes me queasy. It's like the idea of wearing a top hat to work. That type of retro style is fun in very small doses, like Halloween. But beyond that . . . not so much.
Boucheron Pour Homme is part of the powdery retro-dandy crowd, but unlike its peers, seems far more modern and wearable. It's also made better than the two mentioned above, is significantly cheaper, and boasts superior longevity and sillage. I haven't tried the EDP version, but the EDT is lovely. Ladies, take note (particularly those of you who consider masculine perfumery uninteresting), Boucheron for Men is unisex, often straddling the feminine moreso than the masculine, and would be a real stunner on a woman. She just needs to look past the first five minutes of somewhat-manly citrus and lavender. But even that opening accord isn't strictly masculine. It's more like your standard eighties feminine in drag. This is Marlene Dietrich in a tuxedo.
I went into lengthy verse on this fragrance in my Fragrantica review, and won't repeat myself, but I'd like to emphasize a few things. Boucheron is soapy. VERY soapy. I actually smell a lye note simmering under its velvety florals and woods. Oh, that's another thing - Boucheron is very smooth. It's the perfume equivalent of Bailey's Irish Cream. It wins some sort of prize for smoothness, even beating Creed's Green Irish Tweed. You're wearing liquid silk with Boucheron, only one cool layer, so there's no scratchiness. The sweetness of lavender, rose, jasmine, and geranium are represented, with touches of spicy carnation. Later, a massive sandalwood note appears, comprising most of the base. It's finely-textured, fresh, and charming.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the citrus top. Boucheron is, for a good five or ten minutes, a citrus fragrance, bellowing its rich lemons and oranges for miles around. They're sharp for only a few seconds, and then rapidly tone themselves into sweet powder, reminiscent of Habit Rouge. The citric edge never disappears, and remains into the far drydown. If you want a sharp, juicy citrus fragrance, this isn't your man. Go give Monsieur Balmain a sniff instead. But if you'd like something that uses citrus as a template for plush luxury, Boucheron is the last stop.