Ungaro pour L'Homme III 
Ungaro (1993)
DISCONTINUED

The opening blast of Ungaro Pour L'Homme III really does evoke the scent of vodka. Now, how'd they do that!? This yields to a dark, enchanting damask rose steeped in spirits and flanked by geranium and all manner of woods.

As it dries, the rose slowly crossfades into sheer patchouli and sandalwood, eventually winding down to faint mossy, musky skin scent.

This is brooding yet seductive, and I would hazard to say that it's up there with the best of the classic men's rose scents, such as VC&A PH and Azzaro Acteur.

Ungaro pour L'Homme III (1993) is by far the most modern and well-liked of the Ungaro pour L'Homme Triptych, which includes Ungaro pour L'Homme I (1991) and Ungaro pour L'Homme II (1992) as well. All three fragrances were collaborative efforts between Chanel house perfumer Jacques Polge and then director of research and development for Wertheimer François Demachy, who did so at the behest of Emanuel Ungaro, who had partnered with the Ferragamo Group, whom Wertheimer owned a stake in at the time. Thusly, between the two perfumers re-orchestrating all pre-Wertheimer Ungaro fragrances and working on new ones for other Wertheimer-controlled properties like Tiffany, Bourjois, and Stéphanie de Monaco, they came together here to develop three distinctive Ungaro masculines in series, all sharing some core elements. The tale begins in earnest with the original Ungaro pour L'Homme I, which was released without a number at first until a series was decided upon. This fragrance was a modern twist on a dark rose chypre, superimposing fresh musks and green elements over a Turkish rose, bitter artemisia, indolic jasmine, and patchouli core. This fragrance drove collectors mad upon discontinuation and commands a massive premium. Ungaro pour L'Homme II was less daring, being a then-conventional semi-oriental fougère with throwback elements from the turn of the 20th century, adding civet and a kitchen sink of redolent elements straight out of 19th century Guerlain examples like Jicky (1889), but still having the rose/jasmine/patchouli core. Ungaro pour L'Homme III also has this core, but leans far more futuristic in its application, likely being more of Demachy's doing than Polge. Some may say the sharp air dynamism here presages the creation of his monster, Dior Sauvage (2015), but I won't do a disservice to the name of Ungaro by suggesting that.

The overall structure of Ungaro pour L'Homme III shows an attempt to capitulate to a younger audience, whereas the first two Ungaro pour L'Homme scents were classical exercises with more or less experimentation depending on the entry we're discussing. If Ungaro pour L'Homme I was a flourescent black light, and Ungaro pour L'Homme II a standard incandescent soft white bulb, Ungaro pour L'Homme III is definitely a cold "blue white" LED bulb you'd find in the headlights of modern cars. This opens with a "vodka note" which reads like alcohol to the nose, which is kind of a tongue-in-cheek way of saying your fragrance smells of alcohol upon first spray. After this revelation, the same lavender and citruses as the other two Ungaros come into play, meaning lemon and orange, with clary sage moved up to the top like it was in Ungaro pour L'Homme I, but rounded with coriander. Rose remains the core, but the indolic jasmine is replaced with a cleaner jasmine hedione and muguet note which when mixed with the returning geranium, creates an effect similar to the later Salvador Dali Le Roy Soleil Homme (1998). Floral, metallic, and clean, the beacon of cold white light continues to shine into the base, which is far lighter here than in the others before it. Cedar takes the dominant role, where it was a bit player in the first two Ungaros, and the patchouli is scrubbed of all but the sharp green grassy bits, combined with vetiver, oakmoss, a scrap of sandalwood, and a transparent white musk. Wear time is eight hours, and sillage is still good, but the personality of Ungaro pour L'Homme is decidedly more "dress casual" than the other two, meaning it has more versatility for those who care about when-to-wear. Of the three, Ungaro pour L'Homme III is the only one that feels any bit at all crowd-pleasing, with a fresher rose playing a diminutive role in the overall compositions itself.

I'm guessing Ungaro hit paydirt with this one, because when Wertheimer said to take their ball and go home, Ungaro left the first two Pour L'Homme scents behind to be discontinued and maintained their partnership with Ferragamo Group to produce Ungaro pour L'Homme III albeit under greatly re-orchestrated form, since I'm sure Wertheimer still owned the formula and wouldn't sell it. When Asim Abdullah bought Ungaro from the retired designer in 2005, he sent the fragrance contract over to Avon, which produced some notoriously unloved results (including Avon catalog exclusives bearing the Ungaro name), and further reformulations of Ungaro pour L'Homme III, plus a litany of flankers once Ferragamo Group reclaimed Ungaro for itself from Abdullah in 2010. Eventually seeing discontinuation in 2018, only after the release of a failed Ungaro pour L'Homme III Oud (2017) flanker, the remaining third member of this celebrated men's triptych finally joined its older siblings in the fragrance afterlife. Trying to get the original Polge/Demachy composition might as well be like trying to get the first two pour L'Homme scents though, because it also commands a premium, just less than the I or II. If you go this route, look for a red cap on black bottle or a red box that matches the graphics of the other two green and yellow I and II boxes respectively. Anything all black and gold is the post-Wertheimer re-orchestration and I can't vouch for it because I haven't smelled it. This lighter, fresher, more summery, and slightly boozy take on the primary rose/lavender themes of the Ungaro pour L'Homme series will never be a favorite among collectors, but is the most wearable of the bunch, so I can easily see why it was preserved and continued soldiering on through three corporate takeovers and many reformulations until finally meeting its end. Thumbs up.

Like a southern gentleman with slicked back hair,tiny mustache. An absolutely classy man who is handsome, sexual, charming, passionate and sophisticated. Probably able to dance confidently with a rose clenched in his jaw and recite sonnets to the woman he loves and he says: "Scarlett!look at me! I've ever loved any woman and I've waited for you longer than I've ever waited for any woman"...that's right. Clark Gable. This is impression of this scent. Romance, sex and red roses. Imagine of late-night escapades, of lovers, of the underground, the secret, of woods, of what is erotic and carnal.

This scent goes in a few directions for me: first boozy then rosey, after a touch spicy and then a real woody, earthy, soapy base. It project masculinity with gentleness, the gentleness of a red rose blooming in a green, deep forest. In fact the opening is a lovely vodka with aromatic notes that sets this scent off onto an intriguing path. A minute later you receive a deep rose note that's excellent and very well done. Finally the woody notes kick in and it's like the rose and patchouli come back front and center. I don't find it overpowering. Very formal very classy. Perfect for an elegant gentleman with fine taste. A powerhouse and for the price it should be in every man's collection.

Hello I'd like to start off by saying that the reformulation version I tried (i tried in 2020 i assume it's the most recent one), was magnificent smelling at first. But then dried down to a very synthetic metallic types smell. So I would guess that's the geranium? Didn't really care for that... Also the performance isn't very good to me at all at least to my nose. If anyone knows if the original formulation was only France made let me know. I'm only finding the Red cap/ vintage packaging in red/black made in italy. Not sure if there's even a difference in the notes or how it performs but I'd love to know if anyone has an idea. Also if the original differs with the 2020 formulation in terms of that synthetic smell, thank you.

The new formula and old is too different perfumes. Not a long way, but old formula is more spicy and deep with hint of sandal and pepper. New formula is more orange and fresher. Now I have old vintage with rad cap, but I more prefer to new one. Old vintage version is amazing to, but only for home relaxing before sleep, not to walk in the wold. Just like private perfume just for yourself. Masterpiece!