FRAGRANCE | Comparing Escada pour Homme and Escada pour Homme

Another discontinued fragrance, Escada pour Homme first came out in 1993. My first encounter with it, however, was only sometime last year when I lucked out on a 75ml bottle bearing the mirroring rounded Es logo. And then just recently, I got hold of a 40ml bottle with the mirroring capital Es logo this time, which is supposedly the earlier release. Save for the differences in logo and the bottle size, the flacon design is essentially the same with its corrugated glass body and golden cap with a black plastic oval atop it. Both are EDT with the same boozy, dark yellow juice.

I thought I could let go of the former—until I sprayed both of them side by side.

The one with the rounded Es logo has a sharp, boozy, citrus opening with a very prominent lemon. The booze here is different from what I'm accustomed to. It isn't warm and heavy like Margiela's Replica Jazz Club and is instead more along the lines of Penhaligon's The Tragedy of Lord George, but even thinner and airier. I've read this is supposedly cognac.

Lavender blooms after a few minutes while the lemon's prominence is diminished just a bit. This is a fresh fragrance; clean, light, and airy, with a fougere vibe going on. There are other florals too besides the lavender, along with a mild, powdery accord.

On the other hand, the one with the capital Es logo also has that same sharp, boozy, citrus opening but with a very prominent spiciness instead of lemon. The spicy notes, however, are not at all piercing to the nostrils. They're collectively rounded and warm. I'm getting a little nuttiness in there, too. Lavender also enters after a few minutes, with the spiciness still noticeable as the initial sharpness dissipates. This is also a clean, light, and airy scent—a little powdery, too—but with a beautifully spiced-up freshness.

The differences between the two are felt even more after an hour when the spiciness finally catches up in rounded Es. Still, it isn't as strong as in capital Es. It also retains its freshness and fougere qualities throughout, with an added mild sweetness later in the game.

As for capital Es, what happens in this time frame is that it shows a smoky-sweet facet to it, probably due to the tonka. It's like that of Mugler A*Men but way, way lighter. There's also a subtle earthiness and a light woody accord going on, which, together with the tonka, makes the overall scent a little warmer. Several hours later, a soft vanilla sits atop the earthy-woodiness of the patchouli and sandalwood.

What these two share, however, is a less than desirable performance. Both have soft to moderate projection and then sit close to the skin in under 4 hours, probably my only gripe about Escada pour Homme. But because I like both scents, I just spray liberally and then respray whenever I feel the need for it. It never gets cloying no matter what. Both versions are understated, maybe way too understated, but elegant and versatile nonetheless. Whether daytime or evening, warm or cold weather, formal or casual occasion, Escada pour Homme will fit right in. Performance issues aside, it's worth a try.

I was hoping I could start trimming my collection down but it looks like I'm keeping both bottles. Hopes dashed.