Hats off to CDG for Vettiveru it's a very good Vetiver, opens a bit green and fresh along with citrus, then a clean, calm drydown which is peppery and very pleasant indeed. The key here is to judge the longevity by concentration and when you take that into account it is okay. Same goes for the price considering how much juice you get and it should be used in an accordingly liberal fashion. The scent itself is great but by no means the best vetiver I smelled..It's what I expected really...another great fragrance from Comme des Garcons.

Same story as the original scent but with amped up top notes and all together heavier touch...which is exactly what an 'Intense' version of any fragrance should supply. Despite reviews here, it's presence and intensity I would not describe this as a quintessential amber by any means. Scent intense is all about wonderful fruity, exotic floral top notes and naturally non-cloying sweetness. I'd wear it but again I'd be happier to smell it on a lady. Great scent though and very good longevity for something I figured might fade quickly but doesn't.

My oh my is this a sweet floral! Not as sweet as it's 'Intense' version but pretty damn sweet. The automatic response this triggers is feminine just because it's so sweet and floaty but rest assured I would wear it no problem. The jasmine is stunning and mixed with exotic, fruity notes of hibiscus. The Tea is minimal giving a slightly dry but lovely quality and a really light amber base. for me this fragrance is all about the beautiful wafting floral top notes. This one has more of the tea and 'pencil shavings' quality than the Intense version which is more of the top note but turbo charged! I like this a lot...I would wear it as I mentioned but I would prefer it on a woman...I'd be pretty smitten with her too!

This is what I love about Comme des Garcons they have a signature throughout their fragrances without ever being boring or a one trick pony. This to me has a blast of green, vegetable like top notes which then evolve into a fruity, sweet, spiced resiny beauty which has both facets of heat and icy coolness. The cherry note is hugely dominant and again I identified this straight away, without any prior knowledge of the note make up of this fragrance. However while being 'tested' by my girlfriend I was reluctant to say cherry, but did and felt vindicated knowing it was really in there. I often Identify that note in perfume and it's not listed examples like TM Pure Havanne, Burberry London and coSTUME National. Red actually shares the same transparent uplifting feel as coSTUME national but without the bitter souring of musk. Some hot, sharp notes from cinnamon and saffron works well with the cherry, the heart is incense like but subtly sweet with tolu and myrrh. It's nice but lacking a strong long lasting base maybe some stronger powder of geranium? or woods something just to give it more dimension. I really like Red though it's a lovely fruity smell which remains that way throughout only get down by longevity which isn't that bad but borderline acceptable. Worth checking out if you like anything coSTUME National and especially ladies who dig coSTUME National scent(Intense) this is along similar lines, without being the same at all.

Such a good opening to this fragrance...a wonderfully realized citrus in the shape of sharp grapefruit which is spot on...really natural. Then a perfect orange note and clearly defined from the grapefruit this is juicy and exudes the flavour of a ripe orange and that freshly peeled white stuff on the inside...gorgeous. Oh yeah...I love rhubarb but I don't get it here really...perhaps an unsweetened 'green' rhubarb that's still growing?...Flash back is tart and sharp but I wouldn't describe it as smelling of Rhubarb and I've sampled it a few times now. The drydown is almost a little warm and that could be the amber listed here although its more pink pepper (which is strong) vetiver and musk which work perfectly with the fruit. I have gotten excited about a few citruses recently (that's because I've tried some very good ones.) but as a rule I don't get to enthusiastic about them...Olfactive studios Flash back is worth it though. Great opening, nice dry down not complex but delivers simplicity very well, my only minor criticism is that it doesn't last very well...otherwise I'd buy this.

Oh Akkad!!! What a stunning resinous oriental juice this is from Lubin. I've got a strange, inexplicable, soft spot for this house even though I've only tried a couple of their fragrances, and they weren't world beaters if I'm honest. Sometimes you come across fragrances which put a smile on your face and redefine a genre for you. I mean I love lots of amber and Oud, incense accords but even if a scent is appealing or good quality it's a rare thing to find innovation anymore but when you do it's refreshing. It's like every so often in music when you think you've heard every mildly derivative guitar outfit, then suddenly something excites you. I wouldn't quite call Akkad a 'Game changer' (hate that cliche anyway) but it is an amber with balance, sweetness, warmth, creaminess, not cloying and has refreshing fresh incense top notes...what more could I ask for? It starts out with a fresh transparent blast of bergamot, frankincense, elemi and labnadum, transitioning into a kind of benzoin, styrax... ancient powdery amber drydown which is thickened and sweetened with vanilla throughout. Akkad seems to manage both elements of resin slightly cool and uplifting to warm, cosy and authentic in the base. This is great juice however, I can't help but think the top notes should last longer before it dries down to what is quite a standard amber accord. That's harsh criticism because if you love resins as I do you won't care and at least those top notes are there in the first place...however fleeting.

Anyone else think it smells a little more like a rose/iris combo in the opening? It might just be because it's SO powdery but this is not a straight Iris and not really an enjoyable scent for me. It smells quality sure and has the longevity you'd expect but for me it's another uninspiring super powdery scent. I like Iris but not in this fragrance I get an almost suncream vibe too which I associate with myrtle. I wouldn't wear this...no complexity and not woody in the way I like...I'll give it a miss. Update 06/01/23 How dumb is the above review? I can scarcely believe I'm talking about the same fragrance I experienced yesterday, but it is the same one, the very sample I got at the time, so no danger of reformulation or anything. For starters the Iris in this is powdery and vegetal but it has a unique character and the way it's been paired with the woody notes in here, (Zebra wood/sausage tree whatever) is a revelation!!! To be honest I DO get that twang of patchouli/saffron and something distinctly resembling an oud/rose perfume after the initial Iris calms, but never goes away and that's the element which softens and brings the whole composition together. I think it's a case of similar materials giving those effects, and coming together to resemble something familiar but still elevating it somewhat. A very good, progressive perfume, I loved it! 2014 me is a fucking moron!

Wow! Pretty blown away by this fragrance. I knew this Andrea Maack line had potential to give me something to smile about and Coal has been the one to do it. It's not like anything I've tried before it has true dimension, because the smokey/earthy coal effect is like a veil of smoke sitting in front of the 'real' composition behind. A clever perfumers illusion and the olfactory equivalent of Dolby 5:1 surround sound. The opening is quite fresh with juniper and papyrus and just to mention that many fragrances which contain papyrus(with sandalwood usually?) are a turn off for me. Coal however is really nice and interesting and somehow does evoke the smell of coal. The intense pepper grows out of the opening and you get a kinda smokey effect but the drydown to me is a kind of patchouli and very spicy gorgeous sandalwood and maybe some ambery resin too...it's slendid! Longevity is good and coal projects for a little bit before retreating. This fragrance is nothing short of show stoppingly good and you have to check it out. I want a bottle.

Opens boozy and dense which a touch of spicy ginger and almost seems quite sweet. This subsides and as it settles you get the spice and an arabian culinary feel. One thing I can't stand is the strange buttery, honey like floral smell of Immortale. It's very distinctive indeed and if it's not really your cup of tea then you won't enjoy Fareb. The smell reminds me of something but I just can't place it? It connects to some deeply hidden olfactory memory from my childhood which has been repressed. It kinda smells a little grubby which maybe is what the 'leather' note is all about, because I wouldn't describe this as leathery, certainly not in anyway I find appealing...It's maybe slighty woody even? I want to hate this and I'd never dream of wearing it with so many excellent fragrances out there but something about it intrigues me. As it becomes a slight skin scent in the drydown it smells so natural and thought provoking that I can't help but have some 'carcrash' response which keeps me sniffing. It's the uniqueness I expected from Huitieme Art. Update: I know what it reminds me of now and it's a real childhood smell...WAX CRAYONS.

Yes Craft is instantly reminiscent of incense fragrances such as Cardinal, full incense, Avignon...etc...etc However the top notes of aldehydes make for a truly cold blast which I find to be even more minimal and metallic at first...but that could just be my imagination. When It dries down a little and this coldness subsides slightly it's pretty much exactly the same elemi/frankincense/cedar vibe of the aforementioned fragrances. I've said it once and I'll say it again....How many times does this fragrance have to be replicated??? The same could be said for many combinations of notes and similar fragrances but this just seems to be one I notice more. I'm not nay saying either because I love the smell of this fragrance and I'd definitely wear it...just spoiled for choice as to which one to get? I can't base it on longevity or projection because they're all very similar in that department too...It will have to be purely based on priced.