Question:
I stopped at the local Mall (Saks) and smelled 4 CARON colognes:
-Pour un Homme
-Yatagon
-Le 3 de Caron
-L'anarchieste
Anyone own them? Opinions? Staying power?
Any other CARON colognes worth considering?

Answer:
Fortunate are you who have such a selection nearby.
Get all four! They all have staying power and are classics in their genres.
Having exhausted the house's collection of masculine fragrances you may then advance to such unisex gems as Royal Bain, Coup de Fouet, and Reglisse.
Then it will be time to test your mettle: the feminine-marketed fragrances such as Tabac Blond or Nuit de Noel or Parfum Sacre!
Ok, ok... If you must get just one, I'd suggest The Third Man, elegant, balanced, and just sweet enough.

Answer:
I own:
-Yatagon A VERY masculine fragrance. Reminds me of Christmas Tree lots. Some complain about a Celery note to it. I can see that initially but after a few minutes it goes away. I really do find it an exceptional fragrance. It works best in cooler weather but is also very usable in warmer weather.
-Le 3 de Caron A really wonderful fragrance that I really enjoy. Not as masculine as Yatagan, but then almost nothing out there is. The fragrance evolves a great deal over the first hour or so, starting out with dry woodsy notes, adding herbal notes and eventually getting to a sweet, floral drydown. The drydown, while sweet and floral is still very masculine and is not excessively sweet or overpowering. Just a really nice fragrance.
-L'anarchieste (only a decant) I've just not been able to get into this fragrance at all. It is a very polarizing fragrance with few people having neutral feelings toward it. I get a very Bengay (that muscle ache loation) type smell from it and just can't enjoy it. Some people find it has a blood smell to it.

Answer:
The Caron I've always stood by is Yatagon. There is little, if anything, on the market that closely resembles it. It's marvelous if you have the nerve and the occasion to wear it.

Answer:
These are all quality fragrances with good longevity and lots of character. You have to trust your nose about these. Yatagan in particular can take time, I've never really been convinced by it personally, preferring Phileas by Nina Ricci.
You'll find many reviews for each of these in the directory that will give you an excellent spe ctrum of opinions.

Answer:
Pour un homme: Classic barbershop scent. Simple (vanilla + lavender) yet effective. The lavender note isnt the most impressive, but it works well within the composition. I didnt like it at first but gradually warmed up to it. Good stuff for everyday wear. 3/5

Yatagan: have a sample, didnt try it yet */5

3rd Man: A tad overhyped here, but probably Caron's finest mens fragrance. Sharp lavender (much better than the one in pour un homme), with spicy sweet anise joins a floral heart to meld into a moss base. I like it lots. 4/5

L'Anarchiste: Orange, clove/spices and cedar render an accord which smells like blood and/or metal. Its strange and compelling but I am not sure whether its very wearable. Try it before you buy it. 3/5

I should also say that all of these fragrance can be found online for criminally low prices - they really are a steal.

Answer:
I've owned them all:
The best of the lot is the lovely 3rd Man, a floral and spicey dream, followed by the old-fashioned lavender and vanilla, Pour un Homme. I've tried to like Yatagan, and I did wear it in the 80's, but it's a bit savory for me, and provides little comfort. L'Anarchiste, while intriguing, just doesn't work as a fragrance, a strange mix of toothpaste and ashes. Also, it has to be the ugliest perfume bottle in history - a faux-copper gravestone! Who was their target, goth teenagers?

Answer:
Originally Posted by Ruggles L'Anarchiste, while intriguing, just doesn't work as a fragrance, a strange mix of toothpaste and ashes. Also, it has to be the ugliest perfume bottle in history - a faux-copper gravestone! Who was their target, goth teenagers? Really? I think the bottle is superb! To me it looks like a towering copper sculpture with sharp masculine lines. The bottle also develops a patina over time.

Answer:
L'Anarchiste really is a piece of work! Every time I wear it I get a different feel and dominant note. Yesterday it was carrots - simmered buttered carrrots with herbs (?)
Yatagan is simultaneously the theme scent to Monty Python's Lumberjack Song and a proper distinguished broad shouldered mans scent
Caron is a wonderfully quirky house that presents these subversive perfumes with a straight face and an arched eyebrow. There is a lot to enjoy here.

Answer:
Originally Posted by zztopp Really? I think the bottle is superb! To me it looks like a towering copper sculpture with sharp masculine lines. The bottle also develops a patina over time. To me it's like a bad prop from The Nightmare Before Christmas. How could something 5 inches in length be considered a towering sculture with sharp masculine lines?