No. 138E

Bottom Line

Wearing the original Prada L'Homme is like inhabiting a meticulously curated gallery of modern art: clean lines, soft lighting, an atmosphere of effortless cool. No. 138E is more like visiting a well-organized department store perfume counter. You get the general impression, but the nuances are flattened, the edges a little rougher. While you gain a certain bracing quality, a feeling of just-stepped-out-of-the-shower freshness, you sacrifice the subtle sophistication and powdery elegance of the original. This one is for the guy who likes to smell good, simply and efficiently.

The Scent Profile

No. 138E opens with a buzzing neroli; less photorealistic orange blossom, more like the candied peel left at the bottom of a Negroni. The pepper is prominent, almost medicinal, like a clove cigarette smoldering near a fresh bar of soap. As it settles, the iris emerges, but it’s a dusty, rooty iris, not the smooth, cosmetic grade version you might expect. The geranium leans sharp and green, like crushed leaves on a hot sidewalk. The base is a competent blend of cedar shavings and an amber that registers as slightly synthetic, giving the composition an overall clean laundry sheet vibe. It echoes the inspiration, but substitutes refinement with a kind of scrubbed, insistent freshness.

Performance Reality Check

On my skin, No. 138E persists for a solid five hours. Projection is moderate, extending about an arm's length for the first two, then settling closer to the skin. I wore it during a busy workday and found it appropriate, though its insistent cleanliness became somewhat tiring by the afternoon.