This was my latest perfume purchase and I’m so happy with it. Freddie continues his quest for simplicity and themes which appeal to him, and this one spoke to me. The opening is floral, laconic, soapy musks and coconut (not any kind of conventional coconut note, think the toasted coconut of Santos de Cartier or something) also a kind of mild, classic chypre, peach fuzz. It’s powdery. Even a light damascene or even a spectre of violet. There’s a push n pull, a slight astringency of hairspray or ‘hairy’ salon things. The trump card though is the waxiness of the 11 candles… of the title. This is an accord which cleverly uses myrrh to create the effect of an ancient altar or something, coated in candle wax. My description probably sounds it sound complex, like a lot going on, but there really isn’t, it’s one cohesive vibe, a wonderful idea, perfectly executed. Bravo!

CdG delivering their trademark modernity and incense laden vibes, laced with fresh ideas. The pink pepper and ginger of the opening give a sharp, piquant, almost tart, sweetness. The incense accord is both effervescent with olibanum and dense and grounded with labdanum. Then there's this evocation of beetroot, a kind of earthy thread throughout, probably created with careful dosing of cresols or geosmin, or a patchouli type material, fascinating effect. What I love is that it's not the easiest wear, it provides some resistance and even challenge at times, and despite being instantly gratifying to fans of this sort of perfumery, (which I really am) it still evolves throughout the wear. I felt it was a must have for me considering how much I love the brand and the idea of a beetroot accord.

I'm renowned for being an optimist when it comes to fragrance reviews, believe it or not. I'm not this sour, surly, being, I'm positive, human, I love. However, I'm wearing Brume de Matin today and I'm thoroughly bored by it! So it's not a bad fragrance, and from what I've tried FdB they don't seem to have a 'bad' fragrance in their repertoire, despite me really not liking the pricing, strategy of giving bottles to moronic influencers, what else? ....Oh the gaudy obsession with 'Luxury' just ain't my bag as a customer, I'm just being real and while the blending is incredibly smooth and appealing nothing really moves my soul, or motivates me in any way whatsoever!!! It's also too smooth and dare I say it.... a bit bland, considering real Oud oils and sustainably grown (inoculated whatever) Oud (which I think is great BTW) is a big part of their schtick!!! You'd think they might be a bit bolder and brasher! I think this is why some folks have really gone against this brand. Anyway....I felt I have to frame each one of their fragrances in context before I actually talk about it. Brume de matin is a pleasant and a slightly superior crafted, kind of white musk, floral, muguet, bouquet. There's nothing wrong here, I like a soft, fresh, floral musk, but it's just a bit...well... cheesy perhaps? It's certainly not doing anything new or compelling me for the price.

Oh dear. I can see what Chris is trying to do. In my head evoking a spirit of Sheldrake with these, woody, spicy complex affairs but they just come off a bit second rate. I hate to say it as well because the intent was obviously to make something truly unique, and to be fair I can't attribute many direct comparisons to Danse Sauvage. If I'm honest as well, I really liked/borderline loved it when I first sprayed it, heavy incense, woody, spicy, fruity, boozy, kinda that plummy cedar note spiked with cinnamon and hot, peppery spices. But goes from boozy to a bit....well, woozy. Which is never good. The problem for me is a fundamental one, I don't really like wearing this for any longer than a few minutes, not only does the novelty wear off but it kinda starts to grate on me. It's well made and blended by a good perfumer and I mentioned is at least trying to innovate which should be praised for really. It doesn't commit the cardinal sin of drying down to just smelling of IES, Amboxan, woody ambers, it largely carries the whole vibe into the drydown, but perhaps getting sweeter if a little more rounded. I can't pretend I like it as much as on paper I might read this review and think it sounds up my street, but that's the magic and mystery of perfumery huh? For me a perfume has to be an enjoyable wear and has to connect, and this sadly isn't and doesn't with me.

I continue to be seriously impressed by this collection from Gucci, it has no right to be so good. I think I need to give Gucci a break and forgive them for that horrible period they spent in the fragrance wilderness in the late noughties until recently, because before that and since they’ve produced some excellent iconic fragrances. I need to stop typecasting Morillas too as this, ubiquitous, designer freshie, journeyman, because there’s so much more to his repertoire and Midnight stroll is yet another example of that. This is a Smokey cade/birch tar affair but used affectionately to create a leather accord in the traditional sense. I found it incredibly smooth and deep when smelling for the first time from one of those little bell/closh things on the Gucci counter. Genuinely a leather type fragrance with a unique look and one I’ve never smelled before. Upon wearing it on skin and experiencing the top notes it actually has even more intrigue in that it has fresh aspects, totally different to the drydown. I need to wear it properly and I will update this review, but I was even tempted to purchase, even at the outrageous prices Gucci want for this line. I accept that the packaging is beautiful and they are competing with other designer ‘exclusive’ lines of a similar price bracket, but these are still more expensive than Dior & Chanel and I find that hard to get by in the same way I do with Creed or similar brands.

Hah! Very Clever. Put pressurised sewage in that bottle and I’d still buy it.

I think the worst thing you can do is take two renowned, master perfumers and two relatively unknown (to me) ones and then put them in a room together, oh and as if that wasn't absurd enough then don't forget to add the element of a fifth perfumer, an Artificially intelligent computer. The resulting mess is exactly what you'd expect, and the definition of the term 'Too many cooks,(and a robot) spoil the broth." Phantom is awful, and that's not hyperbole and extra dramatics or jumping on a bandwagon because anyone who cares about perfume smells this a sighs a little dissatisfied sigh, which denotes a little part of you dying inside, and it's the hope that all this technology and quirk could somehow usher in a new age of amazing, innovative, perfumery, and there's no reason why it still can't....it just definitely doesn't here. I'm not even going to bother describing it, I think Phantom is so dull and inconsequential, it really doesn't deserve to be spoken about. I had high expectations too because the bottle is actually pretty cool, yes I'm a little boy for saying that, but it's a funky robot for F's sake!!!!

This brand are a real revelation! I mean as a tireless fragrance hunter I'm constantly trying stuff from transient, pop up houses that I can barely remember from day to day with oddly similar names and this is one of them. The famliar name I mean because the fragrances are highly memorable for the sheer fact that they smell so bassy! (base heavy) The atomiser is practically a subwoofer, pumping out 40hz bass to your chest. I mean that musk/ambergris one was such a unique perfume that anything else from this brand would have to be amazing to reach those heights. Cedar Iris doesn't but it's still very, very, good and is the embodiment of Ronseal perfumery doing exactly what it says on the tin (okay only UK readers will probably get that) and no I don't mean this smells like teak woodstain or creosote. This smells like cedar and Iris, which is a glorious combination, the fleshy smoothness of the iris and the anything but smoothness of a robust, smoky, prickling virginian/Texas type cedarwood. More specifically this feels, thick and textured, containing relatively high doses of natural materials. Now everyone will know my stance on Natural Vs Synthetic (a redundant and stupid 'battle' they're all Just chemicals folks!!!!) and I'm not suggesting natural equals better but in this instance these two materials combine in quite a blissful way, really complimenting one another. Cedar is pretty abundant and reasonably priced and there's no reason not to assume it's not in even the least 'niche' of perfumes but 'Iris' materials (of which there's quite a few) but lets say Orris butter is wildly expensive, so perhaps wouldn't necessarily feature and as I mentioned....that's fine, there's some wonderful Iris/orris synthetic molecules and bases. In here though, there's a thickness and sweet, stewed carrot, going to powdery, ethereal, weirdness and magic about the iris smell, you can really smell the irone content. Again this reminds me of a base from PCW which is an iris/cedar mixture of natural materials and it's divine, so is this perfume and it's so simple to say that it's two things, there's probably other stuff holding it together too. One minor critique is that it's not very exciting, it's a perfume aesthetic which would be more suited to those who like natural or artisanal perfume, although with the added bonus (again a personal preference) these are all made by trained perfumers I believe.

Vetiver is such a fascinating material, and like many others is changable due to many factors not least of which being the interactions within a perfume composition, pushing the stuff hither and thither into differing directions. I can safely say that lovers of an authentic, 'heavy' artisanal, vetiver will love this one. I did. does have some lush notes right the top but soon descends to it's main intention...a woody affair and in my limited knowledge of vetiver materials feels a bit more Java than Haiti. It feels 'aged' in the way that amber accords give that musty, dustiness, but this has a certain edible, 'nutty' quality to it I think there's sandalwood in this, it's such a thick composition but it's never too dense, it definitely has an air to it and wears beautifully on the skin. I wouldn't however recommend this in the normal sense a vetiver perfume can be worn, ie: in any situation, and perhaps as a functional/dumb reach when you can really pick a mood/temperature or whatever, which tends to be when I'd reach for one. It has quite a dark aura about it and it's not exactly witchy but it's no mood elevator either, perfect time and place are required for wearing it, and as much as I loved it, I can't see myself reaching for it too often, which is a shame for the person who kindly supplied my vintage sample, because as soon as I said I liked it he proceeded to try to sell me his bottle! There's many perfumes like this, brilliant and highly recomended by me, but I'll never own them myself. This is a veteiver for fans of vetiver oils lovingly converted into faithful perfumes.

So…. Here’s a modern classic which I don’t think I’ve gotten around to reviewing yet? I just want to say that complexity wise and my appreciation for perfumery wise, this is a a triumphant piece of work. Simultaneously lots of conflicting things at once, incredible, fruity, floral top notes and heart which give a kind of pinky/purple impression, of something like Iris, but not. I find it highly resinous but in a translucent, lump of jellied confection, type of a way. I get this from Reve D’Osian but that’s an incense perfume so COMPLETELY different but texturally, same ballpark. This is the problem I have with it, it’s kinda weird. How can it then be powdery too? Gelatinous and powdery? There’s a creaminess to the musks in this as well and I see Roucel is at the Helm….makes perfect sense. This is one of those perfumes I accept as brilliant, I would say is ‘Too femme’ yet some might argue I’d wear far more feminine stuff and not bat a massively extended, false, mascara caked, lash at!!! This perfume is just not for me. I just have no personal interest or connection to it, and that’s fine.

I'm Bleu dah boo dee dah boo dah daboo dee daboo dah... (I actually detest that song and actually can't believe I even joke sang the fucker!) Yeah so inevitably Montblanc Explorer went Blue. It had to happen didn't it? The first one was a lighter, more nimble, fresher, cheaper, frankly not as good Aventus, but literally who cares in this day and age? I'm flabbergasted people still give a shit about that. (By that I mean Aventus or copies of Aventus) Anywho....I entered this with an open mind. I mean it features three excellent perfumers, how bad could it be? Bad! I mean it's conceptually, pointless to anyone other than the most rudimentary perfume fan. I'm bored of describing it already and I've not even started on what it smells like which I might have hazarded a guess would be a knock off of something else on the market Bleu de Chanel or Sauvage or whatever but they even managed to go so generic, I don't even know what they copied? What are people saying here? let me see....some obscure flanker of Chrome. OK. This to me has pleasant opening citrus and sparkle, I mean it does, I'm not going to completely maul this like the horrible perfume snob I am, I knew what I was getting into. Then the main accord is of a white floral, hand moisturiser and 'modern art seaside' (in hindsight that description makes it sound more exciting than it actually is) I don't like it and I wouldn't wear it. As apposed to the original Explorer which for all it's painfully obvious (really late actually) Aventus bandwagon jumping, I found it a nice fragrance. This I don't. It's not my bag, but hey, it might just be yours.