Ormonde Man by Ormonde Jayne

Ormonde Man by Ormonde Jayne reminds me very much of Matthew Williamson's Warm Sand -- or I should probably say that Matthew Williamson's Warm Sand is a lot like Ormonde Man, since Ormonde Man debuted in 2004 and Warm Sand followed three years later.

Both are smooth, sandalwood and musk fragrances with light floral notes that hang in the background, though Ormonde Man distinguishes itself by offering more layers: a little bit of pepper and additional wood notes (cedar, aoud), with some vetiver root thrown into the mix to result in a sandalwood with depth, and floral notes with pungency.

Yet despite the additional complexities, Ormonde Man is still as much wash and wear, grab and go casual as Warm Sand, not trying too hard and ending up rather Corporate Office, Dress-Down-Friday smashing because of it.

UPDATE (06/04/09):

Here it is, nearly a year later and I find I need to revisit this review.

First off, Matthew Williamson's Warm Sand is now discontinued. It was never available in the U.S. to begin with, and several months ago it was announced that the entire Williamson fragrance line would be axed. So, the comparison of Ormonde Man to Warm Sand really has no resonance any longer, since it's now impossible (or extremely difficult) to compare the two side by side.

Secondly, over time, Ormonde Man has become much more than Dress-Down-Friday smashing to me -- it's just smashing, period. For something daring to label itself as overtly masculine, it's got a serious unisex vibe (i.e. both men and women could easily wear it). The woods are rich without being aggressive, the spices and musk are appealing without being feminine, and while it starts off a bit potent, the finish is a smooth and soft sandalwood + vetiver mix.

Ormonde Man is also notable for being an early adopter (2004) of oud as a scent material. Five years later and you can't swing Schrödinger's cat without knocking a new oud release off the shelves, but Ormonde Jayne founder Linda Pilkington was ahead of the curve when Ormonde Man first hit the market.

Chandler Burr, scent critic for the NYTimes, gives Ormonde Man a five star review and calls it "spectacular". I agree.

You can find photos of Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Man at the following link -- Photos: Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Man (a tale of surprising generosity)