Agree with blue collar below, this is a summer banger. Yes I totally get the whole tobacco/rum thing being a winter vibe and it’s got that heavy boozy thing going for it but…. The real magic of this in my eyes is the transportive artistic nature of it, to me it’s pirates of the Caribbean and screams of tropical nights in Barbados. If I’m going on a summer holiday and looking at fragrances to take this is in the top 3, but never daytime, always after dusk. Magic ✨

I can see the slight comparisons to Santal 33 as it has a similar feel to the base however the tart “pickle” note in the Le Labo is replaced here with spice and orris. I have Santal 33 also and to be honest I prefer to wear this, it’s a much smoother wear. It opens with a blast of black pepper, I don’t personally get much coffee at all but as the pepper dies down it’s replaced with a earthly orris. This to me is very different to the iris in something like Dior homme and more similar to MC Iris Malikhan or some of the Celine line. Performance is quite good but it’s not a loud fragrance, all the better for this scent profile. It feels much classier and more expensive than the price you pay. If I blind smelled this and you told me it was a niche house at £150+ a bottle I would believe it. Haven’t smelled many from Zara but I’ll be checking more out based from this one.

One of my favourite from the house. Clean, pure, minimal, reserved, French. I love vetiver fragrances and this one so me has an aura of quiet sophistication. The vetiver to my nose moves in ever so slightly minty and musky direction which gives it a freshness I love. It sits close to the skin which for this perfume makes it all the better as it enhances its quiet class. This is something I would love to use as a daily wear if funds allowed but for the time being I reserve it for daytime wears when I need that dose of French refinement.

Synthetic, brash and incredibly potent. That said it’s a big love from me. It’s modern, clean and sparkling. Amazing sillage and projection, it must be the strongest in my collection by quite a bit. This is also a compliment magnet if that’s of interest, it’s very universally liked and the potent nature of it makes it impossible to miss. I personally don’t get the ganymede comparisons, I can feel it a touch but to me that is so much more ozonic and leathery, it’s very different. Yes both the same perfumer and modern scents with his signature touch but no not the same and not redundant to have both if you like them. It’s amazing value especially when you factor in the performance. Could be a great daily wear if you don’t overspray, a couple sprays is more than enough. The atomiser on the bottle is perfect as it’s a very fine mist. Its a yes from me.

For me this is Penhaligons crown jewel. A perfect combination of spices, vanilla, fig, tea and woods. It has alot going on but nothing sticks out, It’s blended incredibly well with everything working in perfect unison. It has similarities with eau de baux from L’Occitane but where that feels warmer and more holiday season leaning this is brighter and more complex. I know Penhaligons gets a lot of flack for performance however I feel this is quite good, it’s not massive but that’s part of its class, the longevity it good, it’s sticks around for a long time once it moves to a skin scent. All seasons, all occasions, you will just smell great.

Refined, luxurious and bold. One of the few Middle Eastern leaning perfumes I enjoy wearing. Very rose heavy, patchouli gives a dirty base to it with the fig creating an airy sweetness to the fragrance. Can see why people would think it leans feminine however I find it’s one that really morphs with the wearer and comes across masculine on me. I haven’t had another rose patchouli match it yet.

It’s a grower from my experience. I love the entire Dior homme line (Iris versions and cologne) and this is the most “special” of the bunch. The combination of leather with the Iris homme DNA gives a slight vintage feel to the scent, its bold and big with epic sillage. I wouldn’t say it’s my most worn as it feels you need to be dressed accordingly but I find myself just having a spray at home often because I love the scent so much. In short if you like iris it’s a no brainier, the more I wear it the more I love it.

Just beautiful. Soft, elegant and refined. Simultaneously modern and timeless. You obviously have to love Iris but if you do then this is truly a grail level Iris. The entire Dior homme Iris line is stellar, if you were to take only one this would probably be my choice as it’s very versatile outside of high summer.

Beautiful barbershop scent. Gentlemanly, clean and refined. Was my first introduction into penhaligons and is still one of their best. Suits a suit and tie, even though I find it very lovely I don’t wear it very often due to this. That being said, if think it will always be in my collection as it’s my favourite fougere.

I love fig leaf based fragrances and this is definitely one of the best I’ve ever smelt. It’s just horribly let down by very low projection and longevity. This is why I always get a 10ml decant before buying a bottle of anything, on scent alone this is a straight up buy but when you take into account the performance vs cost of this it’s hard to justify.