FRAGRANCE | 2022 Generation Homme EDP by Stephane Humbert Lucas is consumed by sharpness and ink

Time to bring this bottle out of hiding. 2022 Generation Homme is an oriental fragrance from Stephane Humbert Lucas's main 777 line. I still don't fully understand what an oriental frag is but I'll just take it that this is one. It comes in the brand's standard presentation, the 50ml bottle characterized by that Middle Eastern-inspired, pointy, honeycomb dome cap. It's a handsome-looking bottle that befits its rather steep price tag. Now whether it's worth the price, well, that's relative.

2022 Generation Homme features (or maybe, suffers from) a strong and uber sharp opening set against a hazy backdrop of sweetish, woody oud. An ink-like accord emerges almost immediately, and I am filled with hope because I truly enjoy Mortal Skin, another SHL creation with a prominent ink note. However, instead of balancing out the sharpness, the ink clashes with it instead. Whereas Mortal Skin's ink note is beautifully rounded with a powdery touch, 2022's is on the screechy side of things—and headache-inducing, if I may add.

To me, the fragrance has an overall dry vibe that leans a little dark because of the ink. The opening is indeed harsh but the sharpness thankfully starts easing after 10 or so minutes. This happens as the fragrance's projection settles into moderate territory. It still stings my nostrils when sniffed up close but in the air it's much better. After a couple of wearings, I also observed that, for some reason, the sharpness goes into overdrive when it's colder. 

I get a deep-seated, tart fruitiness and a faint greenness but both are easily overpowered by the still-dominant sharpness. An ambery sweetness likewise tries to balance the dryness and sharpness but falls short. Only after several hours—and sadly when it's already a skin scent—does the fragrance feel balanced. I may be oversimplifying it but I get a mildly warm sweetness gently pricked by traces of ink. It's nice. A great deal of that sharpness managed to cling to my shirt but at least it's no longer as annoying.

Despite the name, 2022 Generation Homme can very well be a unisex scent. There's absolutely nothing overtly masculine or feminine about it. I admit that I'm a bit disappointed with the frag as a whole but I've already come to terms with it, meaning, I'm okay with it. I still think it's worth sampling, knowing our skins can react differently to the same frag.