Crazy, muddled opening, over sweet, caramel/tonka/vanilla accord with what I perceive as more feminine fruity notes. It’s subtlety spiced which I like and when settles all the way down, although quite cloyingly sweet, pleasant enough. I actually preferred the original version and that was an audible ‘meh’ of a fragrance. This ‘sexy’ nighttime, faux gourmand phase was something I thought had ended a couple of years back but remains resurgent. Don’t get me wrong there are worse olfactory trends but designer gourmands have to be something original or show some restraint to capture my imagination and this doesn’t do it for me. Opening made me slightly regretful of spraying on my skin as it’s loud, soupy and projects like crazy but then as I inevitably knew it would, becomes softer and nicer but it’s not enough. Update: Just looked at my review of the original and it turns out I didn’t actually like it all that much and said hauntingly similar things about it.

I have very little to say about this. Profumo was a little darker a flanker than this one but it’s in the same vein of a ‘sexy’ nighttime oriental. That thick tonka accord and vanilla with woody amber and characteristic. The drydown is very nice when all the way almost gone, it’s a nice benzoin vanilla smell. I wasn’t mad at it, but I definitely wasn’t mad about it.

I’ll start by saying that I have preconceived bias about this brand as I think Bella Crane is very talented and I haven’t tried a single fragrance that I didn’t think had merit or was treading some interesting olfactory ground, this is no exception. A sweet, sweet opening not the kind of annoying stuff you get in sweet leathers (because this buttery orris root has a hint of very clean leather) what will be polarising is the raspberry/cherry note which smells like a whole sweet shop of confectionary. Very sweet vanilla joins proceedings and could be argued is more dominant than the orris but something keeps all that sweetness in check somehow and overall I love the effect. It doesn’t smell like a typical iris or vanilla or fruity perfume it’s a pretty unique proposition.

Aspects of this perfume wow me, namely the general originality of Battito d’Ali and the openings top notes. To me it smells quite gourmand, sweet, creamy and virtually ‘cakey’ with an orange citrus note that is very pleasant indeed. It’s immediately after that (a matter of minutes) the heart becomes waxy and intensely powdered, almost soapy with an orange blossom, countered with the intensely sweet, boarderline cloying coconut/vanilla. Myrrh is listed here and without smelling the note directly as such, I can see how it might conspire in this fragrance to bond the accords together. It’s an interesting fragrance, I kinda wish I loved it because it would make life and reviewing it easier, but it’s a challenge and I like that. Another wear might be in order to make a solid decision on it.

Well, this is another fragrance I really should've got around to reviewing before now, but wearing Gershwin again today is an uplifting experience for sure and worthy of writing about. I will begin by saying that although the overall vibe of the fragrance is very familiar the delivery has more sweetness and life than anything I might make comparisons to like Avignon, Birley, Missiones, full incense, Heeley etc. etc....but from those you can tell it's a crudely frankincense based fragrance. Gershwin is alive with citrus in the opening mainly lemon and grapefruit but sweet not saccharine and anything but bitter, with a hint of peppery woods. The fizzy, translucent resins of mastic, elemi, galabanum and above all Olibanum are perfectly rendered and so bright and happy, such is their effervescence. I'm not sure this smell evokes Porgy and Bess or Rhapsody in Blue for me, but it clearly did for gentile. The drydown is very subtle, supremely clean and not the biggest projector or performer in the world, when compared to the incense comparisons I made above. Some fragrances you allow some concessions because of the way they make you feel, this certainly was an enjoyable experience for me today.

I've been neglecting my Fragrantica duties recently in favour of pathetic social media platforms so it's about time I reviewed something on here and got my mojo back, so to speak. What a way to do it too with a new(ish) fragrance from a brand I really love. I was so excited about Bois Mystique but I also try to manage expectations when it's something so highly anticipated. Well...I've not been disappointed because this is a solid release and somewhat close to what I expected. It's a take on your frankincense and myrrh. Peppery, oily incense and woods but with a touch of a deeper, darker hue. This is a category of fragrance that has many proponents and could perhaps be difficult to stand out, but Houbigant manage it. It has the sweet sharp opulence of labdanum with a touch of smoke (perhaps from guaiac wood?) it's lovely. It didn't blow my socks off but I'm very much enjoying it and the bit I spritzed on my arm the other day lasted really well, and so far so good today. I would categorise this in a want list with some others like Bruno Fazzolari Lampblack which in fairness is a little more flamboyant and original than this. Also LM Parfums Malefic Tattoo which is suitably fantastic as well, I have that trio on my radar and would say they are equally brilliant perfumes. (I AM NOT AN 'INFLUENCER' OR AFFILIATE OF THE BRAND) Houbigant's customer service is fantastic too, having no quibbles about sending me a discovery set, facilitating trying, before inevitably buying. Sadly they forgot to include this sample so I bought one, still I really appreciate the gesture of all their other samples.

When I originally tried this TF exclusive it was in passing so to speak and I really didn’t pay it all that much attention but upon revisiting I have to say that I really like it, especially the muted, sweeter tones of the drydown. I say that because London opens with a swathe of animalic musk, leathery castoreum like vibe, which morphs into a mixture of realistic and synthesised woody notes and warm resins. It’s clearly an Oud accord with a spicy undertone of fresh sweat from cumin. Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing floral about this woody/incense perfume but the way the muskiness is sort of hints to classic perfumery and a kind of floral musk. The way it comes together in the drydown is not massively impressive but has absolutely hooked and constantly sniffing myself and what more could you ask for really? Perhaps a little more performance? It’s by no means a shrinking violet and lasted okay, but not super well. London is a winner in my book though, masculine, interesting, modern yet classic, eventually cosy and full to the brim with stuff I like, incense/wood/spices/. I would add it to my collection over other private blends, simply because it’s one of the more unknown ones.

So this was my first experience of a reasonably trendy house that was moving and shaking in the social media IG YouTube circles for the last year or two. Many folks attributed this to the constant, seemingly endless plugs from a certain Demi Rawling and other reviewers telling me she was plugging it, which in effect was plugging it themselves... anyway. I'd held off trying them, thinking they are about as far as you can get (geographically speaking) away from me and hadn't seen them in UK shops. Apparently they are in Selfridges or Harvey Nicks now but I opted to get some samples to see what all the (mixed) fuss was about Pacific Rock Moss and my review couldn't be anymore mixed either. The open just made me think...'I can tell why this is mass appealing' modern, aquatic but with almost cotton candy sweet vibes rather than overtly salty seaspray but still a kind of herbal, cleanliness about it. There's something slightly off putting but not unpleasant, then growing with steady progress is the Tree/oak/cedarmoss that I had hoped for from the name. There it is in all it's glory, not too mossy so it becomes Marmite but well observed and perfectly fitting for the rest of the composition to impart a definite marine quality of moss and seaweed covered rocks. Now I've not smelled synthetic oakmoss materials in isolation, so I can't really comment but friends of mine tell me that they pale in comparison to the real stuff, to which I'm well acquainted. I'm assuming it's not the real deal considering restrictions dictate that such small amounts be used, you likely wouldn't smell it anyway but if this is the synth stuff to me it's smells of oakmoss and this could be very clever work on the part of the perfumer to create this effect or me not knowing what I'm smelling in here. I really enjoyed this middle stage of the progression, not long after the inital opening and lasting perhaps 2 hours before losing my interest and reverting back to a much more safe, mainstream feeling in the base as I got from the opening. It's a bit of shame that it started to grate on me ever so slightly but I have to take my hat off, I was expecting something much worse than what I got. Update: I was in two minds writing this original review but not anymore. Having worn this again I have to say, I don’t like it. The sweetness in the opening is coconut from a lactone or methyl laitone, actually quite an interesting combo with citrus but with the rest of this composition just adds to the unsettling feel. I have to say that the few G&B I’ve tried have all been real unique propositions which is good, I just don’t like this one.

If it's coming out this colour something is seriously wrong with your diet. They could've and should've done a proper poo fragrance with castoreum, civet and a particularly skanky oud although that would just be encouraging them. The fact that these even exist is a damning indictment of our failing civilisation. Not even my beloved world of perfumery is safe from the detritus. Having said that the monkey one is cute and I want it.

I found green fougere to be 'green' in the same sense that their green bottles of 1872 (the originals) are green, and that the smell is entirely green but in a fruity, sweeter way than the grassy/galbanum/cis 3 Hexanol sort of thing one might normally describe as 'green'. This sweet, gummy green is not the entire story of this fragrance though because that story is one of earthier floral elements. It's the reminiscent spring time 'wetness' of narcissus, as the daffodils are in full bloom here in Wales. It's a massive dose of what I perceive as oakmoss or cedarmoss in the opening giving a really thick texture to an aromatic, herbal lavender, which smells more wild than refined or atypical. It's that sweetness of top note which is just enough to carry through into the heart and balance the fragrance. Green Fougere possesses that narcotic quality that Clive Christian can capture sometimes, it's intoxicating and original, vaguely floral, yet very masculine leaning to my nose. I'd be surprised if this is well received by the masses, I think this is due to the fact there's a slightly, fermented feel, an almost hoppy, beer maybe even whisky characteristic to it. In a tobacco or boozy, leather fragrance you might think fair enough but in here it just makes me think....where's it coming from? That's the magic of perfume and this one captures it, and if you hadn't guessed by now I absolutely LOVE IT! Superb. The usual caveats apply though....Am I ever going to buy it?...No too expensive. Do I think there's things that are problematic about CC as a brand? Yes. Do I think they are capable of delivering the luxury, high standards and special experiences they promise? Yes. People must accept that some brands were simply not aimed at you. Roja, Clive, Fragrance du Bois, Spirit of Dubai....and there's more and more popping up all the time catering for clientele who want more or at least they want to be sold the perception that they are getting more. I personally don't have that much of a problem with it, but I get why the average fragrance fan feels alienated by the exclusivity. I have to say that their customer service is excellent, and I received a bumper package of samples from them to review, which I really appreciate.