As I imagine him, the Géranium Pour Monsieur man is “casual” but always well groomed. He enjoys nature — sunshine, the sounds of birds, crickets and cicadas. The Géranium Pour Monsieur man can’t walk past a blossom without sniffing it. He rubs leaves between his palms and scratches bark with his fingernails to savor their aromas. The Géranium Pour Monsieur man, his dog at his side, would happily spend a quiet afternoon following a butterfly through country fields — a sprig of fresh, sweet grass between his lips, a wildflower tucked in his jacket buttonhole.
Frederic Malle Editions de Parfums Géranium Pour Monsieur is a charming and unpretentious fragrance (outdoorsy, but not “sporty”) created by perfumer Dominique Ropion; its notes include geranium, mint, rhodinol, aniseed, clove, cinnamon, sandalwood, incense resinoid, styrax benzoin, and white musk. When I first read Géranium Pour Monsieur’s ingredients list, I was worried the spices and musk would end up masking the mint and geranium, but spice and musk are used judiciously and don’t distort the slightly floral, herbal “greens” and dry woods in the fragrance.
Géranium Pour Monsieur starts off smelling like “mint flowers” mixed with a dry-resinous accord (part clear, non-smoky incense and part “geranium wood”); the effect is bright and warm, happy and relaxed. As the fragrance dries down, I smell spices, clove especially, but the spices are sheer and don’t take the perfume into gourmand territory. Géranium Pour Monsieur smells very natural (almost Aveda-like in character). Near the end of its development, the fragrance is tinged with soft, silken benzoin. If you don’t like mint notes in perfume, you will have a problem with Géranium Pour Monsieur — it’s mint-y from start to finish.
Géranium Pour Monsieur can be worn year-round but it has a late-summer/early-autumn vibe; its lasting power is good and its sillage “polite.” Géranium Pour Monsieur reminds me of another favorite perfume, L’Artisan Parfumeur Dzongkha, but with added spearmint. Having been inspired by this fragrance to 'create' a Géranium Pour Monsieur man, you can guess I’m a fan — all I need now is a dog and my own bottle of Géranium Pour Monsieur.
Frederic Malle Géranium Pour Monsieur Eau de Toilette is available in 50 and 100 ml sizes and in a set of three 10 ml travel spray refills. For buying information, see the listing for Frederic Malle under Perfume Houses.
Note: all images via Wikimedia Commons: upper left (styrax), upper right (mint), Van Gogh (Armand Roulin) and summer field in Belgium.
Hi Kevin- great review! I suppose asking if this could be worn by a woman may be silly? It sounds so lovely. And I was just discussing end of summer frags with a friend too. We were discussing the merits of Chanel 19 as an outdoorsy late summer-early autumn fragrance.
Hey, rules are made to be broken! You should try it!
I know better than to think any frag is either masculine or feminine. It definitely sounds like a 3-5 ml decant for sure! I love Ropion’s work anyway. Normally unisex frags lose me in the dry down, but this one sounds really well composed.
I didn’t get the impression when I tried it that it was in any way gendered except in the name, so honestly I’d say give it a shot. Obviously nothing that expensive should be a blind buy but there’s no harm in trying it, right?
Anns: anything can be worn by anyone…depending on your tastes of course!
K – nice review as always! I think I’d like to smell, but not wear, this one. Your “Géranium Pour Monsieur Man”…actually made me think of the clip of the perfumer the other day. Maybe Ropion did an autobiographical scent here. 🙂
Boojum: perhaps!
I love geranium, but have had such bad experiences with mint (they make me smell like that mint chutney Indian restaurants serve with samosas). Darn. Well, I’m a glutton for punishment, I still want to try it.
Miss K: can’t hurt trying it….
Hi Kevin and thanks for reviewing this. I’ve been meaning to take out my sample all week knowing you would be reviewing it, but I forgot (and wore Gentiane Blanche today… mmmm).
Wow! I can’t say I see any resemblance whatever to Dzongkha, which I love. But you’re so right about the “Aveda-like” description!
I’m in the process of getting a large decant of GPM, but to me it’s sort of mentholated at the beginning and then becomes almost a pure, astringent, straight-up geranium essential oil accord for the rest of the time, and lasting power is good. I love pure geranium scent, but I’d say I don’t get much “complexity” from this Malle/Ropion work, which is a bit disappointing (not that pared-down is a bad thing). I’ve been meaning to try Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon for awhile and I’ve wondered how this compares (other than the mintiness). Have a great weekend!
Hi Joe: MH Geranium Bourbon is a very very nice rich scent – technically a “rose”, but very warm and nice and earthy. It would be right up your alley as you like the Sikkim so much. Not that they smell the same, but could be 2nd cousins for sure. I’ve almost bought it a few times but passed, and am always tempted by the solid fragrance pot. It is really great and would be an excellent masculine.
Thanks, Ann! I give you a score of 9.87 for enabling this morning. I’ll be sure to sample that one soon. I also need some Miller Harris Terre de Bois. Off to see if their website has any sample program…
Hey, I have to enable someone, lol! I like Terre de Bois very much. It is not really very iris-y though – more like a very well blended “sunny” oriental. It makes me think very much of the structure of Boucheron (femme) – that it is very well composed, well blended, rich, with an excellent woody ambery soft drydown. It is thoroughly enjoyable and really confident, which is about as good as I can describe it. The lasting power is amazing too. I drained my sample and gnashed my teeth over whether to go FB on that one… It was kind of a situation with a three way tie between TdB, Fleurs de Sel, and Geranium Bourbon, so I decided to just get a few mls of each and call it a day. TdB would be an excellent masculine.
Have you tried the Fleurs de Bois?
No – I’ve not tried FdB yet – I’m a little behind sniffing new releases. Sounds really pretty too though.
I gave Fleurs de Bois a quick sniff at Saks a few weeks ago and really liked it. I’d already sniffed about 5,000 things already, so weight my review accordingly, but it struck me as a prettier version of Bandit — green, but with the rough edges filed down, so more crisp than sharp. Maybe that’s the galbanum that they both share? (Golly, am I actually starting to recognize notes?!)
Natalie – pretty, and very green indeed. I get a hole in the middle though, must be something there I can’t smell. Have never even seen Bandit, though, so can’t make a comparison. I’d love to get a spray sample of FdB to see if that makes a difference. If so, it might well be a FB for me.
A million apologies to everyone as I am a total space case… all my comments above regarding MH Terre de Bois were actually my thoughts on MH Terre d’Iris…. What can I say — too many “terres” in the MH line … not enough caffiene… ? I’ve never smelled Terre de Bois though it is on my list to try. So for everyone who read my comments above, my apologies…
Joe, try dropping MH a little email. I asked (begged?) specifically for a sample of L’Air de Rien, and they sent me a cute little package with a couple of samples inside. Great customer service.
Thanks, J, I actually did that earlier. Also note, I might have PAID you to take my sample of L’Air de Rien after I tried it once. I may try again just for the heck of it, but that stuff isn’t my idea of a good time, let’s just say. 😉
Anns: thanks…didn’t know rose was prominent.
You’re welcome! I’d say though IMHO that the rose in GB is less prominent than something like Bryant Park or the Stella Rose Absolute. Just imagine either of them if the rose was turned way down — still there in a solid supporting role but not sticking out so much — mostly the other accords are prominent. I think GB is more of a tangy juicy bergamot-y “boozy” berry rose with a zesty geranium/greens/herbs aspect, and nice slightly sweet bourbon-amber type drydown. It’s really well done for what it is – not too much development but a lot of personality. I’d love to smell it on a man!
Oh my gosh, I find that Geranium Bourbon has about the most progression of any scent I’ve tried! Every 10 minutes it takes a completely new turn — geranium, then vanilla, then booze, then… It’s not entirely my cup of tea, but it’s a fun ride (and if I can ever get it together to set up a MUA list, I’d be open to swapping my sample).
Hmm – maybe for me it was because it just seemed to melt directly into my skin that I didn’t notice too many changes in development. The first time I tested it, I was like holy cow! It just melts… Though I will also say that the other MH frags I’ve tested do tend to be very shape shifting and transform a lot during development. GB is just a harmony of warm luscious accords! Glad to meet another fan!
Joe: yes, I want to try Geranium Bourbon too. Have a great weekend yourself….
Lovely review Kevin! I haven’t explored minty fragrances yet, but now I want to sniff this so maybe it’ll be my gateway drug? Reading your review has certainly made me want to drag Roxie outside to hang out in the flower beds…we have lots of monarch butterflies to watch…. but I think your cats will veto the dog idea, in fact; just bringing it up may endanger the upholstrey and every shoe you’ve got (cats can be quite vindictive!)
Daisy: one cat would love it…the other sulk/attack!
I completely understand….2 of my cats adore the dog….the third is still horribly offended…but it’s only been 5 years, so maybe she’ll still warm up to having a dog in the family.
I love the picture you paint, Kevin, of the “Geranium Pour Monsieur Man”, complete with dog. What kind of dog would he have, I wonder?
Mint isn’t my favorite thing, but I love geranium (and Dzongkha, if there is any similarity!). You’ve convinced me that I need to try this one for sure.
It would have to be a spaniel of some sort, maybe a Clumber or a high spirited Brittany!
AnnS: love Clumber spaniels!!!!!!
My older sister is always threatening to get one. They are so cute! I love those huge feet!
For some reason I pictured an Irish Setter type dog. Very nice review, thank you.
I adore the FM range completely. I have been trying them one by one ever since I fell in love with Carnal Flower. I think all of the FM’s can be worn by anyone, just a matter of preference. Have a great weekend everyone!
Thanks, Fuddy Duddy.
No no no. SHORT hair. German Shorthaired Pointer or Rhodesian Ridgeback or Hungarian Viszla. Ok, sorry for giving you that peek into my fantasy life.
In my dog fantasy life, I’d have an Irish Wolfhound and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel!
Haunani: the longer GPM wears the more it smells like Dzongkha to me…minus the mint of course.
Did anyone else picture Pierce Brosnan or Hugh Jackman out in the English countryside whilst reading this review?
Maybe it’s just me …
Here come the tomatoes…but it make me think more of Roger Moore with his love of horses, etc. He is more of a dandy than a sex symbol, and this frag makes me think of a country dandy. Or maybe even a “Lord Peter Wimsey” fragrance? …. Hugh Jackman could smell of pure sweat and it would be just fine with me! … which also leads me to a great “English” movie rec …. “Scoop” by Woody Allen with Scarlett Johanssen and Hugh Jackman – good stuff!
Listen you tramp! Hugh Jackman is MINE!
Hey, my husband thinks it’s ok…so I’m not a tramp!
ummm, let’s agree to NOT tell my husband!
Nope, see above…I thought of Ropion himself. 😀
Cynthiaw: it’s just you. HAHAHA!
Yes, but apparently, while others are fighting over Hugh, I can run off with Pierce Brosnan. 🙂
I’ve been wearing Geranium Pour Monsieur fairly regularly for the past month. I don’t think there is anything particularly masculine about it, except that it functions like a modern take on a men’s cologne: long lasting but mild and close to the skin. I think a bunch of folks find it pretty radical in its development. It opens with a full on blast of mint. Lots of folks don’t get beyond that. The mint, which is played off against the geranium, persists for a good hour or two. Then the scent makes a huge about face. These notes recede and white musk comes to the fore. It’s worth experiencing for its unusual development, though I suspect lots of folks won’t end up loving it.
Beautifully written. Like the Geranium Pour Monsieur man, I can’t go past a flower without poking my nose into it, and often pick at a herb and rub the leaf in my fingers to smell, then feel guilty for damaging the plant!
btw I picture him with a Weimariner. (Hope I spelled that right)
Laken: the Geranium Pour Monsieur man would have a RUN thru those fields if he had a Weimaraner..and probably the butterfly would be gobbled up in no time!
Oh! 🙂 Now I actually know something about Weimaraners!
I broke my nose this week and haven’t been able to wear my glasses regularly and read this as Gardenia Pour Monsieur at first. I was pretty excited to see how they pulled that off! lol
Anyway, I might sniff this but I have not had fun with mint so far. I am wanting to try more Malles – I have a sample of Bigarade Concentree that is pretty awesome.
Broke your nose! Oh Tama – I hope you feel better. Funny – I was just thinking about you and your love for Bulgari Black…. I’m considering a FB? Hope you feel better soon.
Thanks – I’m getting there – it was ugly but if I can do anything it is fall really well – absolutely straight on so although there are multiple fractures (and had bone sticking out – bleah) there is no deviation, and so no surgery. Hurts like a mo-fo if I forget and do something nose-ish. Thought I lost my sense of smell for a horrifying moment but all is well.
Did you see my post a while back about B Black for $25 at Ross? Check around before you spring.
So sorry to hear you broke your nose. Ouch! What a relief that your sense of smell is intact!
Glad to hear you can still smell – how awful it must be! Thanks for the tip on BB – I may just pass the suggestion out for a birthday or Xmas gift as it is so inexpensive right now. I’ve been dipping into the sample a lot and really enjoy it – almost more than that JHAG Citizen Queen, but close….
Make sure that the shopper is careful though — the only Black that I’ve seen at TJ’s and Ross is Kenneth Cole Black, not Bulgari Black.
Ha, hold off! I have yet to see a tester of this, but with all the raves, and 20% off at BE this week, I just ordered a bottle. Maybe I’ll hate it and can pass on the bargain ($21).
Yes, I see Kenneth Cole Black a lot, so it would be an easy mistake to make.
Ohhhhhh ouch!!! Hope it doesn’t change your sense of smell though. Wouldn’t it be odd if your taste in perfumes suddenly changed?
Tama: GET WELL SOON…I hope a broken nose is NOT too painful (and if it is that you got LOADS of good opiates! I’ll swap perfume for opiates. Just sayin….HA!)
Unfortunately they forgot to include the Vicoden on my prescriptions. Bastards. It’s painful in a weird way…. Advil actually does okay. So, alas, no swaps….
Ouch, I hope you feel better soon. A perfumista breaking her nose sounds like an O. Henry story! Glad the important bits are OK, though…
Sorry to hear that. Hope it gets better soon.
Tama, I hope you feel better.
I’m sending you my best good vibes from across the world.
Heal quickly and get stronger soon! 🙂
P.
Thanks for your well-wishes, everyone!!
So far I still love Maroc Pour Elle, so I think all is well.
Great review, Kevin. Between my love for the hard to find CSP Rizières for its wonderfully weird blend of mint and citrus, and my love of burying my nose in geraniums, this will go on the decant list for sure. Gender isn’t really an issue for me, though I do wonder why some of the fragrances for men are often so much less expensive! 😉
Absolute Scentualist: Maybe men are cheapskates compared to women??? Rizieres…ANOTHER good one that CSP just dropped. Their “back catalogue” is SO much better than their current offerings.
Kevin, great review as usual! 🙂
The mint aspect sounds intriguing…
You know how people say “no patchouli for me” or “hold that musk” I feel the same way about mint, only to find out over time that there are several kinds of mints, and not all remind me of toothpaste, menthol-mint candy or chiclets. 🙂
I will give this a try shoul I ever come across it. Thanks!
Kaos.geo: you’re welcome. And I don’t think this will remind you of oral hygiene…but we all use different toothpastes and mouthwashes so who knows!?
Great review Kevin! I really get a sense of what the scent is like and it’s one that I’m looking forward to trying. BUT I’m wondering if I’m the only one here that thinks the Geranium Pour Monsieur ‘man’ is a bit of a tool? Or maybe I’m just jealous of his ‘oneness’ with nature and the fact that he takes the time to walk his dog? LOL
RossM: So it’s come to THIS? Calling me a tool…because you KNOW I base the GPM man on MYSELF!? HAHAHA! The way I see it: if one imagines Hugh Grant or Tobey Maguire as the man…tool it is! If one imagines Cary Grant, Melvil Poupaud or myself: not a tool!!!!!!
Mint flowers? The vision in my mind scared me a bit. I could never isolate the smell of geranium because most of the time everything I’ve smelled it is always paired with rose and you smell it as one unified body.
I love the smell of mint in fragrances, particularly Cartier Roadster. It makes me feel good about myself. Another was Ultraviolet Man, but it was rather weak in that amber based scent.
Hmmm–nope, still can’t imagine the mint flower combination LOL!
iMav: just sniff some mint in blossom next time you see it
went to sample this relatively soon after its release, at barney’s.
my only thought was “double your pleasure, double your fun…”
couldn’t get past the double-mint double-mint freshness…at all.
i’m certain i’ll try it again…but i’m also nearly certain i’ll never buy it, especially when for my own satisfaction i could spend $0.75 and stick chewing gum in my pocket.
mint and clove together = colgate toothpaste accord. such as I do not welcome into my perfume den, never have and never will! balls to GpH!