I'm not a floral guy at all and this is not the sort of scent I would wear but I can certainly appreciate it. Very delicate and uplifting mixture in the opening of mandarin orange and a delicate bouquet of jasmine orange blossom and hyacinth. Hyacinth is by no means a favourite floral aroma of mine, my mum always has hyacinths in her house and smell is very pungent. The mixture of jasmine and maybe the iris in here give this scent a sweetness along with the honey and vanilliac base, which make it...well just very nice. The quality is undeniable and this scent lasts and lasts I can't fault it, if you're a fan of bright and breezy florals you could do a lot worse than checking this one out.

'Pleasantly surprised' is how I would describe myself after sampling this one. I figured the 'Intense' moniker and the fact I wasn't all that taken with the original Gentlemen only (which isn't bad TBF) not to mention the fact that it's yet another Tonka bean designer scent. If this combination of factors wasn't enough to put me off trying it I don't know what would? Anyway, I finally persevered and it's turns out not to be a bad scent. Givenchy Gentlemen only Intense opens with a hint of pepper which soon smooths out into a synthetic resin and chocolatey patchouli vibe. As it dries down some more it gets woodier and maybe a hint of that smokey birch but nothing particularly ballsy. For me this is a creamy type fragrance dominated by the warm vanilla smell of tonka bean, amber and patchouli. The patchouli is the saving grace here in what would otherwise be another 'blah' release in the vein of so many others of late. Lasting power was okay but not great.

Oh snap!!! The notes on this have me salivating, sounds absolutely amazing and from my experience of the Prive collection this won't disappoint.

One of those fragrances I tried when it first came out and wasn't that impressed by despite being a huge sandalwood fan. I've revisited it and sacred wood is a minimal composition but a 'composition' non the less. You could be forgiven for thinking it's a linear effort... because it is. However, Sandalwood does posses it's own complexity and when done right can be just fine without anything else. Sacred wood does have both the creamy, milky sawdust, wood and the spicy edge but only subtle, this definitely more of a subdued affair. There's a general woodiness too nodding to hints of cypress and cedar, probably hence the Tam Dao and Wonderwood comparisons. There's vague top notes of something more refreshing but they are short lived. So what do we have then? A very nice delicate woody fragrance which is never going to set the world a light. This being said I don't doubt the quality of the sandalwood oil used here is probably very good. I noticed that the opening is more captivating than some, then dies down very quickly offering a shy skin scent, which I don't mind so much but that's not the way you wow me Killian. The point is...I can think of many other sandalwoods I'd rather have than this expensive offering. Smells really nice though so it's worth checking out.

I always give Lacoste fragrances a go but I don't really know why? I mean lets face it, most of them are either horrendous, just cheap or don't perform well...and the majority have all three of these characteristics. I think it's due to my unwavering love of Eau de Lacoste Blanc which I absolutely adore and think is a masterpiece among boring 'fresh' designer scents. So I've been awaiting this Yellow one (and the purple one which hasn't dropped yet)and it really didn't disappoint. I'm not sure whether I'm loosing my mind but this is actually really nice. It's got that average designer citrus opening but then no saltiness, no horrid calone note, no cloying sweetness or annoying bandwagon notes like tonka bean... Pretty much no 'fakery' (rather than synthetic...ness) at all! It's remarkable it just seems like a pleasant smelling summery fresh fragrance to me. Maybe a little base of woods and hint of pink pepper and ginger but nothing overt. I could've sworn I got a hint of floral maybe ylang or tuberose from my beloved blanc, it definitely shares a pinch of the soothing ice lolly quality. I only tried it once on the back of my hand so I will have to return to it but all in all I'd say not a bad job by Lacoste. Minor criticism still wasn't good in the longevity department.

Well I'd seen that this was coming out a while back but remembered nothing about the notes when I finally came across it. I was happy when I checked here after sampling and everything I could smell (and more) was listed here. Sometimes fragrance notes can be difficult to discern beyond the obvious few so I'm glad Dunhill have been able to convey them clearly in this new release. That message is one of masculinity from the get go a strong peppery bang of spice in the opening which subsides fairly quickly to reveal a dry juniper and soapy cardamom. There's definitely iris in there and lavender too but less so. There's a herbal sage element and then a base of vetiver and woods also the classic spicy feel does point toward oakmoss without really smelling like it...if that makes sense? Although it doesn't smell like them at all really (except for a woody/lavender/cedar vibe perhaps?) I was reminded of something like a cool water or Green Irish tweed sort All together you get a pretty good men's fragrance, unremarkable to me but I'm glad to see something on the market that isn't the same old boring aroma chemical fakery and actually smells like a composition with some focus. Icon isn't really attempting to appeal to the masses and I suspect the Dunhill brand appeals to a slightly older crowd, and definitely so with this release. A customer next to me at the counter was dousing himself in it and proclaiming "oooh...this is real man's stuff...No messing about with this." Although I concurred to an extent, I couldn't help but notice the Sales assistant ladies looking a bit awkward as if this guy was being a little over familiar with them, calling them "sweetheart" etc... when he was about 30 and she was clearly in her 50's. He seemed like the sort who just wanted to make idle small talk for the sake of it...I don't think he bought anything either. Just interesting to get another male perspective by witnessing the first impressions of a stranger. Yeah so...anyway... longevity and projection is alright it's a fairly subtle scent after a turbulent, peppery opening. I liked the drydown and maybe after a few more tries it may grow on me. One this is for sure the bottle is superb and very satisfying to hold. That fact alone will attract the macho men's men who like the idea of something which resembles the gear stick of a luxury sports car.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this fragrance unfortunately I didn't get it before release as I had missed the voice mail from my Mugler friend who was going to leak me some slightly early. (for the UK) Anyhow...It's landed in stores now, I knew exactly what to expect from this and it delivered. The top notes are juicy and sweet with blood orange and even pineapple (my sister got in my car and said "It smells of pineapple in here") then the base is classic patchouli and vanilla creamy sweetness but with a strength and undeniable Mugler DNA. Having said that it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if AMen haters could be a fan of this. The base has distinctly more vanilla than most AMen flankers, well it certainly seems that way in any case. I ran the full gamete of emotions with this scent from liking the obvious top notes I'd expected, to absolutely loving Ultra zest and dreaming up gushing reviews to post here, then to the realization that I'd spoken (thought) too soon and that Ultra Zest is actually a mediocre affair, perhaps even a disappointing flanker. The truth is after several wears now that not only does this fit a much needed niche of fresh orientals, versatile enough to wear on a hot day but also still cozy and warming. Ultra Zest's citrus top notes are lasting, this is an important quality for me. I'm not someone who is obsessed with other peoples comments on my fragrance choice but having worn it 3 times over the Easter weekend I received an unprecedented amount of compliments. Seriously, even from strangers in the local shop, friends and family and perhaps the biggest praise imaginable from my mum. (who is very hard to please at the best of times...in EVERY regard.) The base dries down very soft and inoffensive but still with hints of zesty orange, it's great. I've toned down my review now to reflect what this fragrance is...a good wearable fragrance and welcome addition to the Mugler collection with good performance.

Here's what happens with Venti. Top notes (first minute or so) wonderful but also a little 'home' fragrance for me. Then it settles and the florals get dank and pretty awful on my skin becoming almost a scrubber. Venti just about retains enough interest and beauty to give the drydown a chance and when settled, although still with elements of both...basically...good - bad + okay = Okay. That opening does have a nice mandarin, peach and blossom feel but is then ruined with strongly concentrated jasmine and tuberose, which once past a mere whiff because musky and bitter on my skin. It's complex green but warm at the same time. There's a salty sweetness in the base which is kinda seaside like and could well be ambergris, and a hint of patchouli might account for some of the dirt. I actually get the non existant to begin with geranuim and vetiver with a hint of vanilla as it dries down. Just not a combination of notes I can get excited about really! For me it's a strong brew which doesn't appeal to me for wearing but is definitely not boring and the concentration is banging projection is pretty heavy and longevity was good.

This is an incredibly sexy fragrance. Very feminine to me but not beyond the realms of experimentation, after all I did wear it and thoroughly enjoy it too. The sweet opening lasts for ages and it's a warm floral musk with tons of powdery amber which at first is just too feminine, to ever consider for me regardless how nice I think it is. As it dries down though (after several hours)the benzoin and vanilla kicks a little more in the base and it becomes more appealing wearing and less loudly girly. It evokes pink to me...but a sexy hot pink perhaps? Seriously if my girlfriend took to wearing this I would be compelled to ravish her. It is literally amber and musk but amazing how different it is to other amber scents (I have tried)and that's a good achievement. It's strong too last ages and projects very heavily.

I'd seen this popping up all over the place and getting a good write up. Also I dig the kinda artisan look of the bottles and the cut n paste artwork on the label. Anyway the scents themselves have been a bit of a disappointment so far but loaded with imagination and creativity. What puts me off is the hippy, dirtyish base they seem to possess, that's three of them now with what I describe as the 'sugar paper' note, very woody and with a hint of patchouli dirt and deep resin, seems to be a theme in Cobra/Canary and City on fire. This is undoubtedly my favourite of the ones I've tried so far though. This should be a big favourite with me judging by the notes This juice has an uncompromising tar like guaiac wood dominance which is evident immediately. I kinda don't like the opening... I got a dark chocolate with jelly sweets vibe when first sprayed the kind of polar opposite juxtaposition which instantly reminds me of some 4160 Tuesdays creations. I think the vanilla is playing tricks in the opening sweetening up the resin in an other wise smokey and uber woody affair. A stonking resinous, medicinal, myrrh note is there throughout but works well with the gritty, wet clay feel and ambrette. Drydown is lovely, long and actually projects in a mellow way, I just can't help but love guaiac wood, benzoin, myrrh and vanilla in combination it's right up my street. I will say one minor criticism, I don't think Memoirs of a Trespasser is very refined composition wise and there's many more scents I would rather purchase before it...but it's pretty nice and at least it isn't boring, worth checking out for sure.