Well finally I got my nose on this new scent from Amouage. First sniff and it transported me back to my childhood and some kind of sweets (candy) I used to enjoy. Not even that maybe just the smell in the sweetshop? I'm not sure, I've had this effect a couple of times in the past 2 weeks or so, trying fragrances. I think it's amazing how your mind stores all this subliminal, unconscious information only to be accessed years later by an olfctory trigger. Anyway enough about that... Sunshine opens with... a ray of sunshine! A very sweet and wonderfully bright, intense smell of fruits and candied florals trying to pick out notes in this is difficult. There's certainly vanilla and tonka bean which actually work well with the obvious main player in this fragrance, Lavender...although I think the Immortelle could be adding some of that familiar quality in the opening. Okay so the lavender is strong and perhaps over stepping it's bounds by upsetting fans of the house by just being far too linear and not challenging the senses, something which Amouage have done with most of the line. When I say it's strong it's not in the way lavender oil or L'occitane is but rather a much more likable interpretation, this is the kind of lavender I could happily wear all day and not get annoyed by. That same lavender that is soothing and calming rather than sneezy and overpowering. The fact it does last all day is another reason why I think this Amouage is better than the likes of Caron un Homme which has the same vanilla base but doesn't last on me. So when all is said and done this is an enjoyable fragrance and has me enjoying lavender in the same way Dior's Eau Noire does but in a completely different sense. In fact these two are polar opposites, one dark and this being quite literally a ray of Sunshine. I don't see it as being on par with other creations from Amouage but it doesn't jar, it's still in keeping with the brand just not to my taste. I'd say if you're in the market for a high quality, easy going, long lasting lavender fragrance and you're prepared to part with the cash, then go for it.

Stop the hate! It's kitsch...well ultra kitsch to be fair. Hey it's not big or clever, just mildly amusing. The scent itself is actually quite nice. A very inoffensive, citrus, aquatic type perfume which allowed to dry down actually becomes more floral. In the similar way the last release 'Toy' was in offensive and above all, not cheap smelling so is Fresh Couture. Don't get me wrong the fact I'm defending it illustrates that I'm on board with the concept but I will say this. I was almost railroaded into buying because the SA knows I bought the Teddy bear last time and pretty much I'm a sucker...and she saw me coming. The way I viewed it was as a daft item for my collection and the kind of scent I wouldn't normally be incentivised to buy, so it serves the purpose of giving me a fresh light summer scent I wouldn't of otherwise had to wear when that time of year rolls around again. Oh and the bottle is much cooler when you see it in person a picture might not do it justice.

A little bit of a strange milky musk in the opening which is soon tamed and tethered to the ground with quite deep woody tones. Considering this series is called dark and the striking names and images on the bottles, The two I've tried have been very soft affairs. I like this juxtaposition of the creamy tonka or vanilla/ coconut smell with the density of ebony and cedar. The combination actually conspires to make a good perfume. The way this dries down is lovely, really mellow and actually is reminiscent of the smell in a friends house as a child. Strange how your olfactory system can trigger random memories you would have never known were there or thought of other wise. Certainly a likable fragrance and also reminds me of a couple of scents from the house of ODIN. What my reviews boil down to are 'Would I wear this fragrance?' and the answer will have to be a resounding 'yes...I would.' Nothing else in my wardrobe like this so it might even make it onto the want list. Longevity is average and stays very cozy and close to the skin but that suits this scent.

If this scent smelled of anything it would be extremely high quality. Gentile is a ridiculously opulent piece of work but at the same time very simple, stripped back and Italian in it's essence. The opening is very green indeed but still with a thickness and touch of warmth backing it. Despite not being listed I think there's a hint of resin in there like a galbanum or olibanum, labdanum just very, very subtly bringing it all together. It's mainly the geranium and vetiver in this scent which are the back bone and hints of metallic basil and herbal/floral tones chime perfectly around that strong base. It definitely has a masculine Italian feel about it and reminds me of several Italian houses. I audibly sighed with pure satisfaction when I first got a whiff of this but after a few minutes started to question if It would be something I'd wear. However, in the dry down I think I was convinced that I would wear this for sure. It settles down very nicely and nestles into my skin getting a touch dirtier. I really like this one, it's a perfectstart to my exploration of this house. Longevity and projection were good although it sits quite close quite soon but I can live with that. Update: Longevity is very good on this one and I have to say any doubts I had about it subsided the longer the dry down went on. Thoroughly love this perfume and will no doubt be going on my want list.

I can't wait to get my nose on this.Comme des Garçon are brilliant and the notes look like my wet dream. Seriously everything in here is my favourite...Labdanum, plum, sandalwood, incense, pink pepper...I've gotta have this...I just hope it's not awful.

My oh my! This is stunning. I had a feeling I might like it but wow...I'm blown away by it. Started out beautifully enough with a strong plum note which even my girlfriend identified (I'm finally rubbing off on her...not a euphemism..) it's like aspects of my favourite perfumes rolled into one, then released by one of my favourite houses. Floriantal is a perfect storm if you like and it had to happen sooner or later. I'm giddy with excitement about this perfume...anyway as I was saying that lush plummy opening is mixed with the sweet spice of pink pepper and incense. I was thinking if this just has an Ambery warm dry down it will be great...but it's better than that folks. Now that this has dried down its pure Labdanum/myrrh and high quality sandalwood it smells very much like Aramani Myrrhe imperial...seriously. What a transition though because as great and incensy as the opening is I didn't think it would end up here? It's like a two (or more) for one! Really this is not just mindless hyperbole....I adore this fragrance!!!!! All this is a fragrance called floriental and it has almost nothing to do with flowers!!! Well actually no, the heart and top notes do have an exotic floral essence in there and this reimagining of a flower (reminiscent of some kind of blossom like plum Japonais) actually works really well. I'm going to say it...masterpiece. Pure and simple...I'm fairly easily pleased but don't take anything away from the high praise I'm giving this fragrance because it deserves it. It doesn't quite have the devestating power of Blue Santal but even has a little bit of the same feel throughout and performance is excellent...truly excellent. Please do yourselves a favour an check out this fragrance it's an ultra modern surprise package which I am more than happy with....as you can probably tell.

If ever a scent had an appropriate name it's this one, neither an Amber nor a woody fragrance...wait so maybe it's a totally inappropriate name then??? I'm confused... What I'm getting at is if you are expecting an amber or precious wood based fragrance then you maybe disappointed because this could be conceived as missing both marks. I bought this one because I really liked it and it was cheap but frankly had it been more expensive I may not have done. It has an aloofness in the opening, then warms up with resinous beauty to a pretty dirty spiced amber, I found it very appealing. This backs off slightly in the base and the rest of the fragrances progression is a spicy sandalwood and birch smoke. I'd say the major base component of Amber Wood is sandalwood but it's not the best quality (understandably)and not really that dense creamy wood but very subdued, after the more resinous notes die down. This is excellent value and I can't argue with that, the performance is okay but sits close, again which is fine. Not as much wow factor as the 2 Ouds or the Leather but a solid outing I feel and actually something which fits into my wardrobe nicely. It's a quality fragrance which isn't too loud and can be worn casually, while conserving a niche amber or woody fragrance for special occasions. Amber Wood gets the thumbs up from me.

I could've sworn I'd reviewed this one already...oh well. I'm wearing it today and I have to say this is exactly my kind of scent. It's a resinous, warm but slightly dirty perfume which definitely embodies the heavy tones of amber/booze/tobacco vibe which is both sweet and sour. Sticky prune in the top as it settles a bit. There's a definite earthy, vegetable vibe from the angelica root and patchouli but perfectly balanced with the rich labnanum and general balsamic feel of Les Jeux sont Faits as a whole. All in all, a well balanced scent which is a nice blend of notes. Personally I felt the performance let it down slightly and not because I was expecting a longevity and projection beast more because a heavy scent like this deserves to shine. I must say I like Jovoy's own creations they definitely have something about them, without setting the world alight.

Okay so this line is impressive however you stack it up. For the Oud/Rose lover this has to be a worth while fragrance to check out because despite lacking the depth and intensity of some, it delivers the basics in a very concise way. The opening rose starts out very jammy and sweet, very intoxicating for the first few minutes. Then it starts to settle and become darker, less sweet with the oud becoming more prominent. Rose Oud is reminscent of countless others but I would definitely say more on the side of rose. This makes it not really a fragrance for me, it's straight up floral and straight up wood which despite intensity progression in terms of smell is quite linear. What I mean is that despite drying down to a very warm, gorgeous, cozy light rose and woods it takes several Rose dominated hours to get there and I'm not sure I want that. I like a bit of patchouli or creamy sweetness even vanilla with my rose just to lift it. I prefer the Noir de Noir or Rose d'Arabie's of this world, that sort of thing. This is more one for a true rose lover, actually darker than I expected with a growing synthetic oud note. Yeah other than lacking a little bit of quality compared to high end stuff this scent is very, very impressive for £22. The longevity & projection was very good, beastly even at first but then fading and not matching the calibre of Montale, Mancera etc... But really not far off and what do you expect? Great value and really worth checking out if you want an Oud/Rose combo on a budget.

Oh lordy this is nice! The opening is such a powdery, musky, amber which is so smooth and warm it really does envelop the senses telling you that this is a real special piece of work. PA has a wonderfully natural amber and not an overly musky ambrette accord because as it settles down it becomes all about precious woods. I'm pretty sure I detect oud in here but nothing like the Indonesian Oud in the same Zegna collection, this is a smooth subtle wood. That combination of lightly spicy cashmere and darker Guaiac wood give Peruvian Ambrette a sublime drydown quite like a creamy sandalwood vibe, not dissimilar to Armani Prive Oud Royal. So....a stunning woody scent to add to an already excellent line from Zegna. Truly, these fragrances cover every olfactory angle and do so with a simplicity and remarkable clarity. I think £108 (although still expensive) is quite good value for 125ml's of impressive fragrance. Longevity and performance are good but it's not the strongest juice in the world the drydown stayed close to my skin giving me a warm, woodsy glow. I love this...Will definitely consider adding it to my collection.

Wore this one last night and it's a solid outing from Robert Piguet. The opening is turbulent and floral to me, no idea what I'm smelling here maybe the lilly/rose/orris? Whatever it is, it immediately airs on the feminine side for me...I made the mistake of buying Visa on a whim and regretted it having to give it to my partner. That's not to say Alameda isn't unisex because all the while there's a sense of dense base notes surrounding the florals. This density and sticky, balmy, sweetness is coming from a (getting ever stronger) amber accord, which is slightly dry and dusty. When coupled with the patchouli comes off dirty yet creamy and makes for an enjoyable scent. Not my bag this one though, something too grown up and feminine for my tastes, strange really because it's basically just a very good oriental amber fragrance of which I have plenty. Just something about tipping it over into the realms of the unwearable. Silage and Longevity were average.