Wow! Lampblack certainly grabbed my attention with it's dirty, boozy (make that petroleum) like introduction. There's a sharpness there from the citrus but a dirty coal smell starting to develop which is perfect considering the name. Just to say I haven't sampled anything from Bruno Fazzolari to date but I'm drawn to fragrances with names like Lampblack & Room 237 (anything that references The Shining has to be worth a sniff right?) So top marks for creating intrigue before I've even sampled them. As it settles down on my skin it's all about that Cypriol oil adding a spicy earth to proceedings. However, the further drydown is lighter on it's feet and I can actually smell the grapefruit now and what is more of a vetiver sort of vibe. Interesting stuff, I thought it was going to be hellishly strong after that opening but is actually quite disappointing. I love the way in which it has mellowed now. So a really good scent then but I feel it will be one to divide fragrance fans.

Superb fragrance the quality and finesse shine through in this deep intricate tobacco scent. Immediately does smell like Pure Havane and there's no doubt about it not enough innovation to make me want this over the Mugler. What Naxos does is a more gourmand and accurate smelling tonka bean note and touches of honey, rather than the cherry of TM PH. It reminds me as much of Parfums de Marly Oajan as it does anything else. The fact that I own both the Mugler and the Marly not to mention Tobacco vanille which in terms of lasting power, there's no contest. I've really tried to be fair in my appraisal here because Xerjoff have grown on me as a house but this fragrance is redundant and has been executed better and far far cheaper elsewhere. All it needs is one element to make it pop out from the crowd and I'd give it props for that...unfortunately it doesn't have anything to offer.

A classic floral Chypre here, when you see Tuberose, Castoreum and leather listed in the notes you should hold on to your hats and this is precisely what this fragrance makes you do. The opening is a blinding stinky musk which emanates at the beginning but soon vanishes into a sweeter floral tuberose. This then dirties, offering up some very special, floral qualities for folks who love that sort of thing. The middle section is a stunning leathery, tuberose with hints of the animal, I haven't experienced the base properly yet as it hasn't dried all the way down but speaking from experience of this kind of scent it will last FOREVER! When it finally does settle right back I predict any floral sweetness will dissipate leaving behind a musky castoreum. Brilliant, classical stuff again, just not something I would wear, who knows maybe one day I will change my mind?

Yes I can see the resemblance of sharper citrus, lemon & bergamot mixing with other fruit and berries smells in here to create a not far off pineapple type smell. However, having tried many Aventus clones or fragrances that truly have the same Pineapple note (Mazzzolari Nero) I have to say this isn't one of those. Not easily mistaken for Aventus in my opinion and as someone who is a great believer in the 'reminds me of...' option on here, I'm usually quick to concede that the majority of Fragranticans know better than me. However, I think in this case I think 65 Yes' is strongly misleading, especially as Cedrat Boise dries down and becomes less and less like the Creed at all. So what is it like? Well, after the fruity opening recedes it becomes a really nice masculine woody scent of cedar but upon a chunky base of patchouli and even a hint of vanilla just rounding everything out into a smooth, warm, feel good scent. I like it, lasts pretty well and smells manly enough, however the dry down does remind me quite heavily of a deodorant I had in the 90's. That's not a bad thing really but I'm not mad about this scent at the same time. I think it deserves the love it gets, just not for me.

I've been waiting to try this for a long time now and having been disappointed by Byredo so far I was starting to think this one might be overrated. Well I finally got my nose on it and I can tell you Pulp is fantastic! The opening is very, very intense sweet, jammy and definitely fitting of the name pulp. Then as it dries down becomes less tart with berries and more of a watery fig and some of that exotic floral, Tiare flower which I think makes this fragrance. Beautiful and exotic Byredo have struck upon something really good here, I want a bottle.

Deadidol nails the review below perfectly. Just to echo those sentiments about Aventus being a perfume which has made the pineapple note famous and therefore a comparison we can't help but draw. Nero is more effervescent, fizzing out of the bottle and right into your face with a sharper citrus feel, evoking a lemonade ice lolly or sherbet fizz. There's definitely more focus on the pineapple and berries here and less on woods and crucially... no smoke. To give Creed and Mazzolari some credit I think this is a very masculine smell and this one is of good quality and something is coming through in Nero to tone down the fruit. This release is relatively redundant to me as I have Aventus and clones but it maybe for someone who likes the pineapple of Aventus without the birch smoke? I remarked this was quality stuff but unfortunately it doesn't last.

My word! This stuff is absolutely stunning! Yes, it's feminine as it gets but still somehow palatable. The opening is a tropically sweet, exotic, fruit floral which mellows into more of a rounded vanilla as it settles. This has to be the conspiracy of orange blossom fruity and uplifting without the usual waxiness and the powder and character of delicate iris both of which are present. There's a hinted at chunkiness of patchouli too as it dries down but largely it's that vanilla and sandalwood and iris left at the base. It vaguely reminds me of a exotic, femme florientals the likes of a Black orchid but much softer, warmer and although sweet, still less cloying. It's honestly not for me to wear but I really enjoyed the sweet opening.

I'd never sampled a Byredo until a couple of weeks ago and I have to say I'm not impressed with the three I've tried. This is categorized in the 'mystic wood' section. A disappearing act the french might call 'Bois de santal secrète' perhaps? I usually like these fragrances, I can site two (and frequently do) which I love... Atelier Cologne Santal Carmin and Xerjoff Ivory Route but even these seem loud in comparison to this very, very, subtle fragrance. Gypsy water is a name with so much promise but sadly it doesn't deliver on it. The opening is a squeeze of lemon and pine needles then almost immediately 'shhhhushed' by vanilla and very uninspiring sandalwood. I say uninspiring because it seems to lean firmly towards creamy rather than spicy and with vanilla already lowdown, just serves to make this snug & cozy straight away. The freshness and 'watery' nature which may have been deliberate due to the name is juxtaposed against the softest base and for me doesn't work. It's too weak and barely detectable on my skin in minutes. Nothing to hate about the smell as such just nothing of it...not impressed.

I have to be firm and say I don't like this, nothing especially wrong with it but I see Comme des Garcon as futuristic, quirky scent trailblazers. Dot seems to have all the quirk but is seriously lacking in the usual innovative substance. I genuinely don't like everything from CdG nor do I think they are consistently good performers in strength or longevity but what I loved about them was their individuality and this just seems a bit of a half arsed effort. Seems sad that I would get so serious about such a lightweight of a fragrance, Dot is a flouncy fruity floral that isn't quite sure what fruits or flowers it is derived from? The shapeless, blobby bottle is about as about as focused and refined as the perfume inside. More feminine than anything and I'm sure ladies out there could find similar perfume aimed at young teens or celebrity fodder. I'm only disappointed and gave it a Dislike because it's CdG and I (perhaps unfairly?) expect more from them. Otherwise the smell is 'blah' and it doesn't last very long...that's all I can tell you.

Dear oh dear! The reformulation horrors were all true. I take back what I said about YouTube reviewer the Fragrance apprentice when I sat through his diatribe and figured he was overacting... and I still think he was to some extent. I never owned a bottle of the original myself but my dad had it, and I'm very familiar with the smell. This is quite pitiful really, it's still desperately trying to cling onto its former glory as there's a remnant of the cypress, cinnamon and woods in there but it's missing all the manly stuff and the oakmoss and leather which made it a true great. Now sadly it starts of like a bitter lemony booze (limoncello) then a powdery poof of something clean and soapy then cinnamon and very subdued woods in the drydown. Oh well I guess I had to see/smell for myself, I'm glad it was cheap. I'm not offended by it by any means and will persevere and see what it's like on subsequent wears but I doubt my opinion will change much. Is Italian Cypress a viable alternative to getting some of that greatness from the original, at the price point you'd perhaps say no but no doubt the Tom Ford smells great. My main gripe is that the longevity is not that good either...so where is my fix going to come from? Oh speaking of longevity, Z14 has died back to almost nothing already so I don't figure the longevity to be too good. Shame. Update: Actually some of the soapy, cleaner, awfulness of the opening has subsided and there's some very weak tones in the base, reminiscent of the more masculine oakmoss and woods I was missing. Definitely smells better now it's dried right down.