I've been waiting ages to try this and that anticipation has turned to disappointment upon trying. Is Lancôme Autre Oud a very opulent and nice smelling dark woody, Oud rose with earthy hints of saffron, patchouli and smooth resins??? Well yes it is...and by far not the worst I've tried in fact it's quite lovely but nothing to set it apart by the same rule. I had kinda hoped it was more like Rose d'arabie or Xerjoff's 'more than words' and then I would've definitely purchased as the amazing flacon tipped me over the edge. High quality, lasts forever and smells really good but this sort of fragrance has to have the most minor of tweaks, that lightness of touch to elevate it and make it world class. Thinking in cookery terms that next level from an already superior dish to something 2-3 mitchelin star level. I had expected that from this hearing all the positive reviews and in my humble opinion it doesn't deliver making it just another Oud rose if not a very lovely one.

Dear, oh Dear! Just when I thought Paul Smith had sorted his act out fragrance wise, he releases this banal, drivel of a scent. I thought getting in the perfumer he did on Portrait would spark a glut of cool, interesting releases...but sadly not. Paul Smith Essential is a soaped up, messy composition which to me is stingy and harsh in the opening and for a good hour or two before a vaguely more pleasant drydown. The effect is clean and not dissimilar to Gucci's excuses for a men's line...but somehow cheaper smelling. Not a bad move I suppose, because men will continue to buy these fragrances and I will continue to moan about them, inevitable really? Like the movement of the planets or the tides...this was set in motion long before I was around and it's sure to go on long after I'm gone. Sorry to be so down on this fragrance, I expect if it was a new release from an unknown house I wouldn't be so hard on it. I just expect someone as creative as Paul Smith to strive for more when associating his name with a fragrance. Probably still sells and I expect that's why he's the millionaire designer and I'm some faceless internet gimp, moaning about scented water. Still... Worst fragrance ever.

Just because this isn't typical of a sandalwood perfume, doesn't mean it doesn't smell like sandalwood, because it does. The sandalwood manifests itself differently here, a very laid back cologne approach with aromatic woods and gentle spicing. Generally its calming lavender and clean vetiver with a hinted at, creamy wooden heart which is more soapy than anything else. I like it but can't say it's the most exciting or well composed example of the Sandalwood genre. The performance was pretty dire too and was all but gone far too quickly.

Have Calvin Klein recaptured the spirit and success of the 90's CK One with CK2...? Well not quite but perhaps partially? I acquired a sample of another new(ish) fragrance on the same day and I have to say CK2 out did it massively. It's quite the understated, metro sexual (rather than unisex) juice. CK2 has an opening of freshness and green qualities which take it to new levels, truly the freshness of this fragrance is something to behold. It doesn't feel chemical or harsh or aquatic like, just very very fresh. It didn't annoy me or become cloying, just sits low and hums naturally if slightly femininely. I don't say this as a criticism, others would see it as a perfectly androgynous entity but I get a slightly translucent, ladylike, summer scent when it's settled. The level of pretentiousness is in danger of disappearing up it's own backside, when we talk about 'Pebble notes' but I can forgive them in this case as I can get the association. I wish I got the wasabi but sadly I just don't. However, there is some spicing here but very subtle and more reminiscent of a very, very, light incense maybe something like moschino Forever(+ Forever sailing)? The base is woody for sure, clean vetiver and more predominantly as it dries down, a warmer, powdered feel emerges I detect the orris root but something more associated with a few recent releases. Can you guess? Well it's ambroxan and in the same way that these minimalist creations have been dividing opinion, CK2 has transformed over the course of a few hours from a one thing into another. I like it, I have to say, you'd go a long way to find something fresher, especially in the opening. It's not groundbreaking but comes along at a time where there's many worse, fresh fragrances to choose from. Lasting power was average and projects lighty but maybe more than I expected for such a translucent fragrance. The bottle and campaign are innovative enough but ultimately you've seen it all before. Bravery should be rewarded and if this fragrance was as weird as the notes suggested, I would more than willing to praise it. However, everything said I would wear this happily in summer and smell very nice, and that is it's purpose. Update: 22/07/21 I actually bought this. I got it knockdown price. I'm fascinated by the CK aesthetic, pebble note bs and all! There's a touch of Joy to everything they make, one might make the assumption that they just just bang stuff out there, flanker after flanker but Calvin Klein consider their releases more than many other brands, guaranteed!!! So it's a sparse structure pushed out with transparent aroma-chemicallyness(TM) BUT I'm partial to a bit of that. This has a perceptible fresh top, a definite but at the same time nondescript floralcy and then a hint of warmth in the base, it's not irritating cotton candy or BR540 but there's a certain hiding sweetness that is clearly derivative but is so mild in the mix it works unlike all the saccharine sweet monstrosities of modern designer releases. Won't blow your socks of but functional for summer heat and smells pretty good.

Unfortunately the tester I managed to locate a few weeks back had been broken the previous day according to the SA. Frustratingly although the bottle was full I only managed to eek out a minuscule amount of fragrance. I can't base a review on it unfortunately but what I deduced was a complex scent which definitely has elements of the original. The main thing I got was a spicy, white floral thing with a woody base, kind of interesting in the way Icon was. I will update when I get a proper sniff and some samples to wear.

Finally I've found a tester that worked, I was beginning to think I was cursed and doomed to never actually find a properly working tester or samples but luckily I found both. As I suspected from my first review this is a complex beast, mainly comprised of a warm but synthetic Oud accord which is surrounded by opulent earthy saffron, musk and a fresher peppery accord from the original Icon. I genuinely think it's clever the way Absolute still has this nod to Icon while being a totally different fragrance in many ways and a new direction for Dunhill a brand I already like. Lasts okay on me but not great thing is it just smells right up my street in terms of slightly Arabian in flavour with the synthetic vulgarity of Montale then with the modern, western elements of a masculine fragrance. My only minor criticism is the price and I'm not normally someone to quibble about such things but £90 is a little steep. Having said that I will probably still get it and the factor that pushes me over the edge is the wel crafted bottle. What a fantastic design in either silver or gold.

I think 'powdery notes' is the best way to describe the poofy opening of this fragrance but then almost immediately turning to a white chocolate vibe. I must say I really, really like this subtle gourmand approach. As Flower L'Elixir settles though it's much more of a vanilla and deep caramel than the hint of berries and maybe something similar to orris in the opening? I like it...A straight up creamy, sweet fragrance which has a very light touch, which is a good achievement in that it isn't cloying but bad in terms of longevity and scent trail, both of which are very fleeting. I don't try 'feminine fragrances' (let me clarify...fragrances marketed towards women with notes typically I don't enjoy.) as often as perhaps I should but I do remember trying the original Flower and it was nothing nearly as enjoyable as this change of direction. Worth checking out for gourmand fans just let down by a lack of staying power.

What a sensation this fragrance is! I have to say I've very impressed and wasn't expecting to be so taken with a fragrance I immediately deemed to be 'Too feminine' just from looking at the name and the little card my sample came on. The truth is Rose Pompon is a fresh, breeze of loveliness and in actual fact not too rosy. The rose note is pride of place of course but sits on a thirst quenching and metallic background and foreground of palette cleansing, cool notes allowing the warmer rose to be suspended in and amoungst them. The opening is instantly berry like and that blackcurrant note doesn't give way to jammy raspberry but becomes greener and more metallic seeming extremely natural in the process. This works fantastically well with a light musky, uplifting feel all around and reminds me at times of Amouage Lyric man, with very clean and consise vibes. Rose Pompon doesn't quite reach the heights of lyric for me and if I'm honest dries to a slightly more powdery version of that opening but still very, very nice indeed and something I'd have no trouble wearing. I didn't apply a great deal and performance has been okay so far but difficult to judge, I'd say it's on the lighter end of the spectrum. Reminds me of an old school teacher I had when I was a kid too, strange how that association just popped into my head, she obviously wore something similar. I'd have to say this is not your typical rose scent, we'll certainly not the deep oud/rose bombs I've become accustomed to sampling and it's great to appreciate rose in a different context. Rose pompon delivered for me I actually love this scent and I'd love it on a woman even more...hats off to Annick Goutal.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Marc Jacobs is a brand that is marketed more toward women than men. I say this because there's only one dedicated 'Men's' fragrance which has been out for some years now and always seems to be relegated to the bottom shelf in department stores. Women (well the few I know) seem to display a better knowledge of the brand, and I've often wondered why? Perhaps the other products or feminine perfumes are really good? (I pondered...) Because some of the unisex 'splashes' I've tried smell really quite good but don't last due to rubbish concentration and being light by nature. (same story with for men) I actually like a innovative bit of design and the chintzy handbag look of the bottle, serves to appeal to another accessory women love...shrewd. I actually really dig the colour of the bottle too, that deep teal is visually appealing to me. However, the scent itself is not something I'd recommend due to the fact I see this as a slightly second rate perfume in the mould of Tom Ford Black Orchid. Doesn't quite have the mystery of BO even, the top notes are an exotically sweet cocktail of tart, plummy berries and exotic flowers (I'm surprised there's non listed? although could be the orris/jasmine sambac combo?) which is actually really pleasant and although too feminine for me, I like it. The problem is this lasts for all of about 5 mins before that same fruity smell becomes cloying and a bit nauseating to tell the truth. This is made worse by that Black orchid association, notes of thick chocolaty patchouli and a powdered amber base just make this thick and stodgy. The mid stage of this scent is really powdery orris/amber which coupled with the top notes was a slightly dizzying and painful wear for me. Okay this is the perpective of a man and as such no authority on women's fragrance but I do occasionally dip in when something takes my fancy or in this case I was given samples. Marc Jacobs Decedence is worth a try but I honestly didn't think it was anything special...good job the performance was average and washed off quite easily.

I hate to say this, and especially as the first review but I was disappointed with this release from Cerruti. I blind bought as it was cheap, which was another oddity. A fragrance so new it wasn't even on Fragrantica nor did it have a tester (in the store I went to) and yet was already reduced in the bargain bin? Bizarre!!?!?! This is the fragrance equivalent of a straight to DVD movie and unfortunately it smells that way too. It reminds me of the new line of Gucci fragrances with a touch of a hand-cream type vibe, which I hate! Opens with citrus/bergamot and then enters a powdered, synthetic,'clean' feel which could maybe account for a soapy cardamom spice? There is a touch of lavender and aquatic sebreeze maybe? I don't get a vetiver base from it either, 1881 Sport is just a bit of a mess. Basically if you are expecting (like I was) a delivery of the notes listed here with the classy touch of the original Cerruti 1881 then prepare to be disappointed. This is a bland affair, generic and just not good enough. I hate to be so negative but I smelled it before and it wasn't inspiring the first time. Performance is actually very good, which will be good news for those young men going out on the town leaving choking clouds in their wake but not for the average user who won't care how long it lasts as I guarantee you'll be sick of it within an hour. I'm being hard on this because my expectations were high (not that high but hey) and it still didn't measure up. The smell isn't awful and not 'Bad' as such but I had to vote dislike because I can't put up with this kind of release anymore. The main reason I'm so hard on 1881 Sport is because I foolishly blind bought it, like an idiot! (remember there was no tester) and I've just no room for this kind of mediocrity in my wardrobe.

This is yet another amazing and unique smelling perfume. There's no messing around here, the name perfectly suits what this is, a dark earthy and sensual fragrance. The noise my girlfriend made upon sniffing this was almost one of arousal and there's me thinking it might be a bit too strange for her. The opening is a spicy dense ebony woods and oud with non of that medicinal, ambery sensibility just dank, hardcore, strength. There's a hint of the natural greenness from vetiver, papyrus and patchouli but nothing strong enough to dominate the incense wood of the base. Whatever else is in Black ebony conspires to make yet another unique signature from this house, even the patchouli in this which is earthy yes but somehow is transformed in this context into something I haven't smelled before. Bella Bellissima could never be accused of lacking innovation and this is another wonderful example. Brilliant!!!