Estee Lauder – Beyond Paradise For Men – Synthetic Tropical Garden, 6/10.
I nearly fell off my chair when I saw Luca Turin had given this Estee Lauder scent five stars in his Perfumes The A-Z Guide book. Although it’s a solid masculine, I’m not sure it’s as good as the classic Hermes, Terre d’Hermes, which managed only to pick up three stars. Nevertheless, reading Turin & Sanchez’s thoughts on perfumes is always fun. Of course, we can’t agree on everything, can we?
Beyond Paradise for Men opens up fruity herbal, and I struggle to discern what fruits I pick up. If I were to hazard to guess, it’d be something like melon or guava—certainly fruits from tropical climes. These fruits may be slightly overripe, having been in the sun for too long. Officially, the top notes are buchu leaf, Brazilian grape tree, and marine notes. The marine notes are prominent; I’ll discuss them in further detail later in this review.
The herbal accord is much easier to distinguish. Lavender, thyme, sage, and tarragon make for an intensely fresh, almost earthy aroma. It’s as if we’re fossicking around the garden, and the soil has been dug up. The garden may have a few flowers about the place, but much like the fruity notes, they’re hard to determine. Florals aren’t listed in the note pyramid, but I’d be surprised if there isn’t a good dose of jasmine-like synthetic hedione in Beyond Paradise for Men.
The translucent blue bottle is indicative of the juice inside. Marine/aquatic notes play a heavy role in the development of Beyond Paradise. If you’re averse to “calone” type scents, it may be best to stay clear. Undoubtedly, this note gives me the impression of melon that I pick up in the opening stages. There’s nothing salty or animalic about the marine notes of Beyond Paradise. Indeed, it all feels clean and airy, like a sea breeze from the coast of a beach unencumbered by human development. Once the calone note kicks in after a few minutes, it brings to mind Cool Water by Davidoff. However, the calone note is less pronounced in this Estee Lauder than in Cool Water, a scent I like, or even something like Andy Tauer’s Phtaloblue, which I could not stomach.
Beyond Paradise fades into a musky, woody aroma in the base. Hints of vetiver and patchouli give it a little character. But, it’s reminiscent of many masculine scents of the nineties and the early noughties during these later stages. Beyond Paradise for Men is a solid perfume, nothing more, nothing less. It’s unlikely to offend unless you’re particularly sensitive to calone. I’ve enjoyed wearing it over the summer, having turned to it several times during the warmest days.
Interestingly, the Fragrantica entry for the scent is incorrect. It mistakenly shows the note pyramid for the women’s Beyond Paradise under the men’s perfume. The Basenotes website appears to list the correct notes. Indeed, if I were rating the two scents, the more famous Beyond Paradise for Women would be the winner. The jasmine forward composition is a true classic and undoubtedly worthy of the five stars doled out by Luca Turin. That one is still available, but Beyond Paradise for Men is tough to track down and probably not worth the exorbitant asking prices on eBay.
Quick Notes:
Launch Year: 2004.
Perfumer: Calice Becker.
Top Notes: Buchu leaf, Brazilian grape tree, aquatic notes.
Mid Notes: Tarragon, lavender, thyme, sage, marine notes.
Base Notes: Patchouli, vetiver, beechwood, oakmoss, paperback tree.
Longevity: 6-8 hours.
Projection: 3 hours, low.
Season: Summer.
Alternatives: Davidoff Cool Water, Nautica Voyage, Calvin Klein Escape for Men.
Note: All photos are my own.
