This is not my usual cup of tea at all a super floral scent for folks who love that sort of thing and you know what? To my surprise I can appreciate it too. The opening is a naturally musky scent which is far too off putting for me but still screams quality. My mum often keeps hyacinths in her house when she has trouble with the drains, hoping the pungent smell will mask it but I think it just combines and makes it worse! They always smell very 'wet' with a kinda bittersweet bouquet which is not entirely unpleasant but teetering on the brink. There's a hefty dose of green notes in here too initially, supplied by the galbanum and that wetness and musky natural floral is both accentuated and balanced by the powdery iris. The saving grace here is that the drydown is really good and works alright on my skin. I also sprayed some on a card and could smell it clearly, upto a week later. I was surprised how much I actually liked it in the end but the opening and scents like this are just not my cup of tea. If you're a lover of florals I think this is another excellent composition and well worth checking out.

This one is yet another blind buy for me and I was intrigued enough to get this and the original because of continued mentions on this site. I can't believe that Tea isn't listed among the notes here because Him is an obvious ringer for GPH II. With the exception of the opening 15 seconds or so it might as well be the same scent...but maybe nano-hint warmer. Right off the bat though it opens as a very hot spicy amber more towards V&R spicebomb with pronounced cinnamon and tonka bean. This subsides to unearth fresher notes of violet and tea which give it a more dry, mellow, metallic and woody drydown. Just like the Gucci this one always keeps all that spiciness at the back, becoming a very subdued theme in the end. Personally, I love it but I'm a little disappointed with just how similar it is. On the upside there's not that many copycats of this type of fragrance out there so enjoy if you're finding it hard to find GPH II (and vice versa.) Update: Upon wearing this fragrance properly I've deduced that there is indeed a difference with this and GPH II. It wears heavier and more oriental, warmer and sweeter with less bitter aloofness than the Gucci. It's worth having both at your disposal I'd say. Projection and longevity are working well so far. Re:Update: I tried this side by side with GPH II last night and as I suspected although similar are not dead ringers at all. Gucci is cooler fresher, more musky, less sweet more aloof where as HiM is warmer, cozier and thicker. It actually gave me facets of yet another sexy, spicy scent Lancome Hypnose.

Wow! I can't believe I hadn't tried this one until now and it took something I thought I'd got passed (blind buying) to do it. I have to say that although it's reminiscent of a few flavours I could happily reel off, HM for men is unique enough among scents of this type to have real alt-classic status. The combination of a definite blackcurrant and sharp lemon/grapefruit smell in the opening is very sweet, tropical and quite synthetic, giving an almost jelly baby type of smell. Luckily I enjoy that and it does settle rapidly to something more refined. Just while we're still on the top notes there's a hint of lavender and even a detectable touch of white floral, perhaps the jasmine and iris which all together makes for an interesting opening and heart. The drydown is generally a creamy base of tonka bean, touches of vanilla and white chocolate. I actually really like the soft development of this fragrance into a sweet and calm skin scent. One thing I can't make my mind up on is the quality or refinement of this juice? On the one hand it seems cheap but still quite captivating and wearable on the other. So not bad then lasting power is average and projection dies down after the first hour to a cosy skin scent. This was a good blind buy and I suspect I will wear it.

Wrote this review ages ago and have only just got around to posting it...I think that says it all really. Was I blown away? Not really, because this is more reminiscent of Full incense/Avignon/Cardinal etc... with a bright, sparkling white frankincense note. Don't get me wrong here I adore the smell, it's a wonderful thing It is like the scents I mentioned above but just different enough to be unique, deeper well rooted and less floaty. I certainly wouldn't describe this as amber and spices though, a complex church incense fragrance is more appropriate. It has that fresh uplifting thing but with a heavier wooden base which gives it good lasting power. The opening to gives a stronger sense of woods and resins, perhaps not 'amber' (which I associate as being a warming benzoin/vanilla) but a something sharper. So yet again Armani's prive range has taken a traditional perfume in a slightly different direction and come out with something which is mildly derivative and by no means 'new' but still more than worth having.

This kind of milky lavender fougere is an elegant and lovely thing but ultimately I find it a little boring. I can't understand why people rave so much about Caron Homme? Lavender is a lovely smell, especially when it smells natural but that perfume is far too linear and I don't get the comparisons to this. Luckily this outing from Creed follows more in the footsteps of Invasion Barbare or a taste of heaven, just smelling expensive & warm without any need for heaviness. Well, firstly...wow! This might even be my favourite Creed fragrance in first impression terms...Aberdeen Lavender is nothing short of stunning. The opening is magnificent, almost smokey lavender which is so well balanced and with slightly darker appeal to it, similar to Dior Eau Noire. This is typically well presented in the style of a classic fougere but has elements of citrus/herbal/leather/resin/vanilla/musk everything but blended to perfection. The fleeting very top notes of bergamot and lemon turn quickly into a natural and almost perfect lavender. The lavender and rosemary have dare I say, a slightly minty quality at first which freshens up proceedings further. This instantly combines with a soft, yet deep, leather heart note which is the main theme of this perfume. I honestly thought the longevity sucked as it does die down rapidly and actually turns to a very subdued skin scent but is still there. The base turns out to be a kind of ambery vanilla, supporting the soft leather and in the end longevity isn't too bad. I couldn't ask for more than a fougere fragrance with a oriental base, this stuff is smart and I really like it. However, I think it's the kind of fragrance most will think is okay and nothing more but something about Aberdeen lavender really speaks to me personally. I'm not sure whether I can justify this as a purchase priority because it's not a powerhouse in longevity or projection, however those attributes are not always synonymous with quality, because that's what you have here... A quality scent. I definitely think it's worth a sniff because I was pleasantly surprised.

I just gave a sample away for christmas to a female friend of mine and thought, that prompted me to try my sample again and I loved it. Really fresh opening of watery melon with sweet florals, jasmine and magnolia. Usually I'd think something like this was nice but ultimately feminine, thin and lacking depth and quality but this is Amouage and Maurice Roucel we're talking about here. The slightly ambery base and drydown of sandalwood is classy and adds a bit of warmth to what is a fresh and flyaway type of scent without it. Don't get me wrong though this is not something I'd wear and maybe those woods come out a little more on my skin than they would on a womans? Still if you're a fan of lightly floral stuff that's a cut above in longevity and projection terms then look no further.

I still have this down as a 'dislike' on here from a brief flirtation with the idea of it a couple of summers ago. The reason I came to that conclusion was Joop Splash is a syrupy, synthetic, fruity scent which annoyed me, the way it lured me in at first just to realise it had many shortcomings. The primary one being longevity, very poor and with no depth or base notes to speak of, just a sickening and short lived, generic and ultimately cheap accord. However I have to concure with the superb review below from teadot...There's something I liked initially about this fragrance despite the fact that it's a Joop and as such can almost be dismissed off hand. On a cruder note I remember seeing a vile documentary a while back about 'Dogging' (for the uninitiated or americans that's people who meet for sex in public places, car parks, truck stops etc...) Anyway, one of the masked participants being interviewed said he swore by 'Lynx' (Axe) or 'Joop' (Homme probably?) because 'It's drives the ladies wild' I'm sorry but the kind of 'ladies' (pfffft!) we're talking about here are not exactly fussy judging by the state of the depravity and the quality of men involved and I can't say I wholly trust their judgement on fragrance. Anyway...It's that kind of sigma which makes me even more wary of Joop but nevertheless there's something so ugly about the brand that I kinda want to like at least one of their fragrances in a guilty pleasure sort of way and Splash comes the closest for me. The top notes are a strange candy/fruit kind of almost tropical vibe on a generic bed of semi aquatic 'blah' but nearly likable. The bottle is brilliant as well to be fair giving me hope that one day Joop might actually make a half way decent fragrance.

Okay so upon purchasing my first (and I suspect my last) Roja Dove fragrance I insisted on getting some 5ml vials filled of the other scents seeing as I shelling out so much on Enigma. Thankfully I got them in the end, I'm quite familiar with Fetish and Danger already so these were the other two I wanted to wear properly and review. This yet another triumph! Honestly, although my recent reviews may tell a different story, I'm not a cheerleader for Roja parfums. One thing however cannot be denied, they are of supreme quality and transcendentally deep. This has a classic manly aromatic nature to it, doesn't last well and the pricing is quite frankly stupid...but I still adore it. Surely that is testament to how good this stuff smells? Quick mention of the name...This seems to be a theme of similarly provocative adjectives used in Roja's line like Scandal, fetish etc...and I have to say there's nothing Scandalous about this one. I accept he can't very well call it... "Fairly generic late 80's/90's masculine fare which is very pleasant and well made" aside from the fact it wouldn't be very dynamic, it won't fit on the bottle. To me this one opens with a trademark bergamot & some lemon verbena then into fresh spicy herbal type territory, something I love. There's a fruity sharpness about it and maybe even a slight rhubarb note? There's certainly labdanum and the warmth of woods, oakmoss and sandalwood... it's brilliant. This is one that just keeps getting better and better as it dries down, with more nuances coming through. I'll be honest upon application in the first few minutes I made the mistake of thinking... yeah this is some standard stuff. Not too awe inspiring, a very good masculine and like a upmarket Pasha de Cartier or Ralph Lauren Safari. Then it develops further and you realise it's so much more. I remember seeing a Youtube video review asking...'What is quality? and can you smell the difference when the best quality ingredients have been used?' Well it's a pertinent question and I'd be the first to admit...maybe not always. However this is a case in favour of the likes of Roja parfums and Xerjoff etc...where in this instance you DEFINITELY can. Does that mean I want it? Well I still feel a bit hard done by on the performance front but I except that it's not everything. I have the parfum version and it lasts several hours which is more than acceptable but I don't think it's too much to ask for to be nothing short of astonished by the performance, certainly not at this price. I'm starting to think that the EDP's might even be better on the performance stakes (My Enigma EDP is excellent for longevity) and if that's important to you, perhaps avoid the parfum versions and save yourself substantial money for twice the juice. Scandal is great smelling and luckly I have enough left for another wear at some point.

This fragrance is absolutely Majestic. Not many words are needed to describe this one, it needs to be smelled to be believed. It's a very strong, complex, indulgent musky scent which has hints of sweetness masses of animal quality and a hint of the floral. The opening is of citrus top notes but as with many Roja's they fade very quickly and you're in no doubt that this is a heavyweight fragrance. Never over bearing Musk Aoud is very refined indeed, I just wish I could afford it. If I'm honest Amber Aoud is more my kind of scent but this is equally as good quality and showstopping. Brilliant!

My oh my! Just got this one today and I have to say I'm more than happy with it. Has more than a passing similarity with Gucci pour homme II with a couple of crucial differences. This has a fearsome opening of complex notes which are sweeter, sharper and then dry. This smell of sticky dates and the overall intensity is totally different but the combination of citrus, tea, and Vetiver is very similar. The tea in this is gorgeous, metallic at first then wonderfully aromatic and slightly peppery. There's subtle stuff in this one it has the animalic qualities of tibuktu, a slightly smoky, earthy vetiver and then even a hint of violet, wormwood and maybe olibanum? The Drydown is a much softer affair settling down to a pleasing and slightly deeper GPH II. It's a stunning fragrance and that sweetness with the tea gives a great new dimension to a very well blended fresh fragrance. This EDT performs okay too, nothing rather shattering but a worthy purchase.