Good morning! I hope everyone is in good health and spirits today. Welcome back! I have quite the treat for you folks today. Any of you who have followed me for any amount of time know that I am a huge fan of coffee and tea. I have tons of different varieties of coffee and tea and I tend to collect them, just like fragrances. Although, not nearly as many because they can go bad.
I have been searching for a coffee fragrance for a long time. Ever since I started collecting fragrances. There are some amazing coffee fragrances out there, but the coffee note was generally in the background or blended with notes to not make it stand out. I want a powerhouse coffee fragrance. One that unapologetically states that coffee is the main notes and doesn't back down from that.
With that said, I bring you Happyland Homme for the Holidays. This is the coffee fragrance I have been searching for. I know I can also count on Happyland to bring the potency, but I never expected him to create something that I have desired for so long. I know this introduction spoils my thoughts on this fragrance, but I am just trying to paint a bit of a backstory.
Now, without further ado, let's get into it!
Presentation
Homme for the Holidays comes in the standard bottle that Happyland uses for their fragrances. The same amazing atomizer and everything. You folks have seen my other reviews, so I won't touch on that aspect very much.
However, what is different it the label. This is a release for men, even though I think a woman could wear this. So, you have the mustached gentleman which is standard for all Happyland men's releases, but this time he has a little Santa hat on. I think that is so clever and very fitting. The label is also a Christmassy red in color with hollies around the top left and bottom right corner.
The actual fragrance name is clever as well. Homme is the French word for "man" and a play on words for "home for the holidays".
Needless to say, this is my favorite presentation yet. I love the whole Christmas theme and that Happyland decided to play off of that and make a creative label. It's super cool.
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| A better image of the label since my camera is terrible. Source: www.happylandfragrances.com |
Notes
Dark Coffee, Maple Absolute, Pumpkin Spice, Amber, and Musk
The Scent
Opening
Homme for the Holidays opens with a huge burst of dark roasted coffee. TLTG Reviews said it smelled like Starbucks' Sumatra Blend, but I don't get that. Sumatra is a smoky coffee to my nose, this is smoother, akin to Folger's Dark Silk to my nose. Perhaps he picked up a bit of smoke where I did not. Smell is subjective, so who knows?
This potent dosage of coffee is caressed by golden maple syrup. In the background, you have some nondescript spices which will make a more vivid appearance later on. They are just checking things out and assessing the situation until it's their turn.
Dry down
As the heart comes out you start to get a bit of warm spiced amber. The vanillic facets of this note give a slight sensation of a vanilla creamer in the coffee. It gives it a bit more depth and allows you to take this fragrance in a more three-dimensional manner.
Soon after, the spices start coming out. Nutmeg, ginger, and cloves are what I detect the most. They are dry, spicy(Duh, they are spices, John), and warming. A slight hint of actual pumpkin lingers in the background. I am not sure if pumpkin is an actual note in this or if this is triggering my scent memory and making me think it's there. Regardless, I get a bit of pumpkin.
Musk is listed as a note, but I don't detect it. Perhaps it's just there to give the fragrance a base to make it last longer. I am not sure, but I don't get it at all.
Performance
Happyland is known to be no slouch with performance. This one is no different. In fact, this is probably one of their strongest fragrances. I get a good 10-11 hours with around 3 of projection. I don't think this fragrance sits close to the skin until maybe the last 2-3 hours of its life. This is a beastly fragrance. As TLTG said, 2-3 sprays at most for this one.
When to Wear it
Homme for the Holidays will take over the spot that Penhaligon's Lp No 9 had last year and Burberry London the year before as my holiday party fragrance. However, you can wear this fragrance for anything during the fall and winter. You can dress it up or down.
As I said before, I do think this fragrance is unisex. It smells like a festive coffee. Everyone wants to smell like that, right?
Overall Impression
Happyland never ceases to amaze me with their creations. I love Happyland Signature a lot. However, this one is far above that one for me. My favorite from Happyland by a large margin. As I said previously, I was searching for a potent coffee fragrance where the coffee stood out and I have found it. I am absolutely thrilled to have this in my collection.
If you love coffee fragrances, then I would suggest sampling this. This is a must-have for the holiday season for me. It could be one for you as well, if you enjoy it. I will probably cry if Happyland ever discontinues this. Seriously. I am not trying to hype it, but I think it is that good.
Conclusion
Happyland has concocted a wonderful holiday-themed fragrance. They really outdid themselves this time. As good as I made this sound, remember to always sample first. What is amazing to me, might not be for you. I think it's worth it to pick up a sample pack of Happyland fragrances anyways, they make some really good stuff and I think everyone should at least give them a chance.
I hope everyone enjoyed this one. I loved making this review. Until next time, be kind and uplift people. You never know who is watching and how much a few kind words can mean to people. Have an amazing day!
Link to purchase it here: Homme for the Holidays
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