I was trying the Male version and thought I'd give this a try as I'm not adverse to the odd fragrance aimed at women. For Her is a dire, generic floral, a peach/apricot/rose/musk thing which smells so similar to a million others. Doesn't smell bad as such just shows no imagination whatsoever and is a unit shifter, maybe just out in time for mothersday? I'm no expert but I thought Karl Lagerfeld fragrances were maybe a little daring or racy...Not this one!

I go in to my local Space NK all the time in the hope that they might suddenly start stocking more fragrance lines than they do currently. The only two brands that have masculine appeal are Acqua di Parma of which I've tried everything and Nasomatto which they don't seem to have the full range. I've tried laughter Nuit (a feminine) from Space NK's own line and was very impressed by it, nothing mind blowing but I loved it and was trying to convince my girlfriend to get it. So now I'm glad I've now stumbled upon the masculine line because both fragrances are very impressive. Unfortunately I can't review NK Man as it's not in the database which is a shame because it's a wonderful scent. This one... 'Blue' is equally good in a different way and really complex for a standard male 'own brand' fragrance. I got each note from it with a definite balance and progression as it ages on the skin. It opens with lime citrus and super clean cedar which to me is prominent throughout. There's a hint of basil and maybe a little pepper, anise and as it settles down, more Oakmoss. It's definitely a manly smell without being overtly so. Nothing magnificent here but just a very good creation which would be a smart choice for those who enjoy the lighter citrus side of designer perfumery but want something that's a break from the normal fair but still retains the quality of a Chanel or Dior. Not surprisingly a quality fragrance has a quality nose behind it. Sillage is soft, Longevity was fairly impressive.

Well I never...I'm not a fan of this house at all but this is a bit of a stunner from Caron. Okay okay 'stunner' might be a bit strong and you might think I'm a little too easily impressed but I really like Yuzu man. I still have plenty of sample juice left for several more wears and this has to be one of the best Yuzu notes I've encountered it's sharp and refreshing and the lemon verbena reminds me of a fizzy lemonade lolly vibe I get from a L'Occitane fragrance the name of which escapes me. Anyway Caron Yuzu man had a definite fresh fig quality too and it creates more of a watery vibe than most aquatics do without even trying. The base is a subtle cedar which compliments the whole composition and adds to the transparent nature of this juice. Yuzu man is thirst quenching almost like you could down the whole bottle and it would be ice cool & hydrate you 400% more than water.(or some other extreme fraction of hyperbole) The only downside to this super simple, almost perfect summer juice is that it performed very poorly longevity wise. I want a citrus that lasts and this doesn't at least on my first two wears. I'm going to persevere with it though and see how I get on but I suspect if it doesn't last when I'm not as active in the cooler months it won't last during activity in the height of summer. Still a great fragrance though...maybe some musk in the base wouldve given it a little more staying power? Who knows? Update: The drydown spices up a touch after that wonderfully juicy opener, I can detect fig and a slightly more herbal quality coming through. The cedar is a nice base but still doesn't last on my skin, it does however last on clothing which isn't really saying much because most fragrance does. Shame because this smells great and is more than meets the eye...or nose.

Patchouli will never be my favourite smell but on the other hand it can be so varied that it makes up a crucial part of some of my favourite fragrances. As I've mentioned many times it's the other notes which make or break patchouli by bringing out totally different characteristics. I was looking forward to this one being the Le Labo that finally turned me on to this house. The opening to Patchouli 24 was so harsh and bracing that I honestly thought it may have done just that. Smokey tar and a filthy patchouli note burst forth from this juice giving it a very unique and challenging flavour. It's burnt, rubbery and hardcore but not the classic dirty patch note that repels me, something is different in this and quite possibly... worse! Like I said the opening few minutes are a boundary testing olfactory experience which I found thought provoking but then for me soon turns to something I would NEVER wear and can't really understand. It's pretty awful and the longer it goes on the worse it gets. Smokey is fine and something about Patchouli 24 has a strange appeal but it's really not to my taste. Come back Bergamote and vetiver all is forgiven you might be fairly pedestrian but infinitely more palletable and likable than this one.

Woah, this stuff jumps out of the bitter choclate thing of the original chocolat for a powdery floral opening which just remains on the right side of favour by being ultimately cacao and nutmeg at it's heart. Strangely I enjoy this fragrance but I'm conscious that Chocolat Amere is very feminine and reminds me of the smell of a woman. I couldn't wear it myself but can appreciate it and the quality is good as is longevity.

Vagabond prince enchanted Forrest. Woah!!! my oh my!!! Fruity blackberries, cassis, resins, rum, oakmoss, cedar that's what I get from enchanted Forrest. The rest of the notes are definitely in there...no doubt about it but are so well blended it's difficult to pull apart the complexity. Just one of those fragrances you can stand back and admire. This Forrest is definitely enchanted, it has the air of a fine wine about it bold deep & fruity just a brilliant, individual piece of work. The dry down is gorgeous and gets more into the musty Forrest floor it becomes close to the skin and above all exudes quality. Oooh it's gone a bit animal now a few hours in and I'm definitely getting civet and slightly decaying leaves...interestingly dark. The longevity on this is pretty average too!

Comparisons to Comme des Garcon 2 Man are valid but I think Vetiver 46 has a likeness close to Encre noire also. It's less subtle than encre noire and more spiced like 2 Man, I loved the peppery, smokey, woody frankincense opening. The vetiver is present and earthy, clean and enjoyable but I found the smoke a little more intrusive for the first hour or so than the more elegant Encre Noire. When it's dried down it takes on a character of it's own and is less like anything else but just a pleasant woody scent. Again I have to say Le Labo are building accords around certain notes trying to create interesting perfume and largely failing for me, the likes of Comme des garcon as an example do a better job. I need to reserve judgement on the house until I've tried more but that's 5 now and not one standout fragrance amongst them. Don't get me wrong this is right up my street and smells good but I prefer the two I've likened Vetiver 46 to and if I'm feeling in a melancholic, cloudy mood I will rock them instead. I don't want it however, I'd never discourage anyone from getting this fragrance... its good.

Right Santal 33 was the one Le Labo I'd really been looking forward to. I mean it's sandalwood how can you mess that up? Well they've tried their hardest here. I can see why the green, watery almost cucumber like smell of papyrus might juxtapose yet compliment the creamy, spicy, woodiness of sandalwood...but it doesn't. To me the opening was awful and nothing like the soft beautifully composed 33 note extravaganza I was anticipating. I was really disappointed that was until the sandalwood begins to develop and oh boy when it does it's really nice. It's a clean minimal, warm smell and vastly different to that awful opening. Hints of spice, cedar and a delicate iris note. Santal 33 transitions from ridiculous in the opening to sublime in the drydown but it's still doesn't quite do enough to make me want it. Doesn't come close enough to restoring my faith in Le Labo...plain bad opening to something nice but ultimately nothing special.

Love at first sniff! Adore this it's the love child of Amouage Jubilation 25 and Mugler's unfathomably unpopular BMen. Opens exactly like the two of them fruity berries and a sharp gorgeous rhubarb note. This is a very woody fragrance, Guiac wood to me is a solid base and apparent thoughout but it's more complex than BMen and in that regard more similar to Jubilation man. Labdanum gives it a fizzy upmarket quality there's a lot of patchouli but it's totally in proportion and doesn;t work against the rest of the composition. A hint of rose as it gets deeper into the heart and the rhubarb and fruits settle down. I would never slate Thierry Mugler B*Men I love that scent but Imperial is like a super classy, expensive version of it and rightly so given what you pay for this juice. Worth every penny in my opinion great projection and longevity is what you'd expect at this level and Imperial doesn't disappoint.

An explosion of fruit this one. A plummy, jammy mixture of fruits in the top notes instantly make me like this, I'm such a sucker for that. I love Boadicea the victorious they can do no wrong in my eyes, I've tried about 12 in their vast range of fragrances and every single one has been great. I know there must be at least some not to my taste at least but I've not come across them yet. Similar to Amouage the fragrances seem complex yet crowd pleasing especially these fruity affairs. The base is woody to my nose a smooth mixture of notes oakmoss, sandalwood, patchouli, amber and musk. I love Glorius, sure it's maybe seen as just another fruity musk fragrance and maybe a little on the feminine side to some but I think it's lovely and very wearable totally unisex to me. It's got class and complexity in my opinion and lasting strength.