Worn this twice now and it's not made a massive impression on me to be honest. I like it, and it's interesting to see these 'Intense' versions released within the Tom Ford Private blend line. I never really understood the masses of praise heaped on the original Oud Wood, it's okay but weirdly aloof and medicinal for such, across the board praise, I would've thought. Guess I'm wrong again. This Intense version is not a heightened version of the original and I for one am glad, to say it's not even remotely similar isn't strictly true because a hint of the accord pokes it's head out when it settles. This is probably due to the oud component being similar. Oud Wood Intense however is a much more rubbery and authentic mixed woody affair, with an opening of cypress and animal notes. It's a moody scent but never dark, more cuddly and drying down to a kind of leather smell perhaps with hints of tobacco? Is this going to be as popular as the original...I doubt it and suspect some might not even enjoy it at all, but there can be no doubt what we have here is another high quality edition to the Tom Ford line. I mentioned I've worn it twice and would definitely wear it again, perhaps I will fall for it then who knows. Worth a sniff though for sure.

I must be seriously missing something here because I didn't like this. No scratch that....It's very difficult for me to dislike something, I could tolerate it, even enjoy aspects of it but put together Baraonda doesn't work for me. The opening to me smells like raspberry/strawberry, unctuously sweet and feminine with a jammy rose note. I didn't actually read the notes beforehand and sometimes alcohol notes can be hard to define but there's an undoubtedly malty, boozy note of positive whisky, which started to emerge. This leads into a chunkier and more Nasomatto base of musk mallow and modern amber. It's alright, I can see why fans of the slightly unusual would enjoy this. It comes from a more indy perfume place and is truly trying to innovate reminscent of slumberhouse or 4160 Tuesdays, something like that. I equate Baraonda to when contestants on Masterchef insist that wacky flavour combinations like, Halibut and stawberry compote go together, despite the experts warning them prior that "...They absolutely won't!" but they persevere anyway and their resulting dish is a disaster. Actually that might be a bad example because at least some balance is displayed here and the tart sweetness of the opening is counteracted by the robust whisky...I just don't like it is all. I will give it another chance to convince me but I'm always intrigued when there's love for something I don't understand. Generally speaking there's some degree of consensus among fragrance heads and the relatively easily pleased like myself, but I feel on the outside looking in with this one.

I checked the notes before blind buying this and I was maybe expecting something a little like Boss Bottled, probably because I saw apple and vanilla among the notes. You do get that, sort of. I've never tried Dunhill Desire Red but if this is similar then I'm not missing all that much. I don't hate it, in fact the very deep drydown is amazing but we will get to that in a moment. The opening is a potently tart, sweetness with citrus but an over all feel of sensual warmth of woody vanilla. My problem is that it smells a little cheap and something I don't dislike but I'm not crazy about either. There's depth there but it's confused and crowd pleasing for the same reason I'm not mad about 1 Million or Eros. I believe there's an incense/resin/amber smell in Jaguar Classic Gold which really reveals itself in the drydown. It kinda became similar to CdG Florential, a kinda berry like resinous smell that's quite lovely. All that was lurking underneath a slightly harsh, cheesy fragrance...I'm definitely going to wear it. Performance was pretty good too.

My review is more of a straight up appraisal than a poetic ode to Slow Explosions...but it's deserving of them. The review below mine hits it pretty much spot on, the opening is a hell of a saffron note and nothing slow about that explosion, to my nose. It's rough, raw and rubbery, stinging the nose but imparting a beautiful earthy, expensive and unique smell that only saffron can. I don't understand why I love saffron so much? It's not really what I would describe as a 'nice' smell, it's complex and hard to get along with but narcotically enchanting and addictive. What is clever about Slow explosions is it's kinda cool and transparent yet with some hot, oriental bite. Then as it settles the acidic cider/apple note pokes out it's head and we start to get a gentle, wafting rose, which is reminiscent of something like a Dior Ambre nuit type rose note. The mid section becomes pot pouri, not in a bad sense but took me back to a shop I used to go in as a child, dry rose petals and sandalwood. It's then a smooth landing in the drydown, cashmerian and soft leather and still hints of the saffron. Performance is okay but nothing phenomenal, I can still smell it after 6 hours but very faintly. So..... Great composition, nice journey and an interesting scent but after all that...I still don't reckon I'd wear it. Josh Meyer never fails to create interest. Update: 14/02/23 Look this is a phenomenal piece of work, wearing it again the other week I realised just how great this is. The bravery of the saffron and honey working in tandem to create a totally unique and almost offputtingly arty opening to this perfume, it seems crude, unrefined in some way. Then it opens out and rounds off but never loses it's core theme of excitement. This is such a high concept, pure idea conveyed with such clarity to me, it's chinese new year, it's Cai Guo-Qiang's artwork, it's fireworks, explosions but they ain't slow, at least not to begin with. I adore this perfume and must have it in my collection.

This is a soft, effeminate, cream puff of a fragrance but I couldn't be more excited about it. It's not the bold, brash chameleon we tend to want unknown niche fragrance like this to be, and although delicate, is full of interesting facets. Immediately reminded me of a more complicated version of Donna Karan Fuel for Men and for that reason I can't understand why sandalwood is so low on the note votes, but there you go. The opening is sweet and powerful but fleeting mixture of fruits and orange blossom, then gives way to a prominent and biting labdanum which acts as the middle ground to what Wild eventually becomes, and that's a powdery, woody scent. This is mainly a milky santal and clean, soapy spice of cardamom but with hints artemisia and exotic resin. The drydown is what I'd call 'white leather' it's soft and almost make up like which is probably what gives this such a feminine lean. As I mentioned I think it's got that crayons and epitome of 'powdery notes' smell, reminding me of not just Fuel but a couple of others like Aedes de Venustas Iris Nazarena and Atelier cologne Santal Carmin. I think with leather and heavier notes this perfume is elevated to one of the best in this style I've tried. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

I loved Tonnare and was equally interested what else BeauFort had to offer and this one didn't disappoint. The opening is absolutely heavenly improving on a Nasomatto type theme by just making things a little more grown up and evoking a time and place gone by. I'd say it's smoky but not in the usual and obvious way, and resinous in an almost gourmand sense but savory...if that makes any sense? The rum is adding it's booziness, the gunpowder works right through to the dry down giving an amazing quality and freshening proceedings with hints of earth, metal and greenness. Then the tobacco resides in the heart of Iron Duke. Notes which are all plainly displayed in a quite brilliant composition that dries down to a real and sumptuous leather but with that resinous woody quality there too. This is a triumph of a fragrance, brilliantly realised, well balanced and oozing with quality. The fragrance starts out fantastically and dries down to a mature and earthy smell, which I can't fault in any way. The name of this fragrance is fitting right from the first sniff....Iron Duke is not the sledgehammer you might expect and definitely shows more restraint that Tonnare. Both share the bold, refined and considered qualities which seem to be the calling card of this house.

I sampled this because I liked the name but when I read the notes was preparing myself for an experience outside of my tastes. However, I actually really enjoyed Every storm a serenade, it opens up with a pine freshness from spruce and a hint of ucalyptus, with a minty, salty sea breeze and vetiver. Ambergris with that calone accord just grows until drying down to something less appealing in the form or the milky, seaside thing I’d been expecting from the off, but by that point it had charmed me. This is a artisan aquatic perfume who’s MO I understand and quite enjoyed because it’s mellow and not too invasive but lasted well and changed all the while.

This is one of the most stunning and well realised and unadulterated labdanum fragrances I’ve ever smelled. I wouldn’t of minded it being sharper, harsher and less balanced but Marquis de Sade gives up every facet of incense and resin from bright, frankinscense type freshness to dry benzoin warmth and the spicy density of tolu balm, yet with its own quality too. Labdanum is my favourite ingredient in perfumery with good reason and easily complex enough to star solo in a perfume. The only thing that prevents me from buying this straight away, outright and with no hesitation, is the performance or lack thereof. Labdanum is a notorious catalyst, designed for use within a composition and despite smelling heavenly is like most resins, they go on heavy and luxurious but it’s a bit of an illusion as they fade rapidly. I’m also not sure this is raw or daring enough to bear the name Marquis de Sade. I’m not one to moan about performance but gone after two hours ain’t good enough or worth the money, although I love the smell so much I might reassess that in the future.

Just to add to my already gushing review below, I tried this again the other day as I'd had a discussion with another Labdanum lover online. I actually played down my love of it, perhaps because the memory of trying it wasn't that fresh, and I'd hoped performance would've been better. However, all these fears have been allayed as this is a fantastic fragrance which lasted very well this time around and was my only minor gripe previously because the smell is my idea of heaven. Shame it's sold out at the retailer who had it for the best price because I'm over the moon with it and need it in my life.

A very enjoyable and interesting fragrance, to be honest it opened differently to how I expected. I figured there would be a bright citrus blast from the elemi, which would die a relatively quick death but to my surprise the vanilla was the first hit and it's a very clean, custard like vanilla which proceeds to get a bit dirtier as it settles. By this point the elemi is chiming giving an incense and grapefruit like sharpness but Long courrier is a gourmand experience in the main and caramel like without being overly sugary or sweet, maybe it's some bitterness from the cacao? The balance of the fragrance as it dries down is excellent and the orange note is absolutely clear to me, reminiscent of an orange liquor or something, I'm surprised it's not been voted up more. I'll tell you what this fragrance reminds me of and it's the L’Art et la Matière line from Guerlain, that custard-esque vanilla heart but with warm resinous, woody qualities and clear, well executed, long lasting fruity hints. Long courrier's dry down speaks of much warmer resins of benzoin....so Benzoin and vanilla is basically 'amber' right? ... well not really because the elemi lightens the vibe somewhat. It's a clever scent, likeable and quite a classy smell. The fact it has me arguing with myself is proof positive of that, but I'm not sure I'd wear it. The jury is still out for me on the combination of bright/green/fizzy resins and vanilla bases, It's like making a white russian then topping it up with lemonade or making a ruby grapefruit cheese cake....is acidity and creaminess a good mix? I know we have established that this is warmer and woodier than that and that the balance is classy and puts me in mind of Guerlain, I'm just not sure why something with so many elements I enjoy, isn't launching me into olfactory heaven? A good fragrance then which is clearly thought provoking, with a mellow dry down and acceptable performance, it's a thumbs up but many not one I want to add to the wardrobe.....yet.

Oh Lord! I can't wait to try this. The original EDP is one of the most interesting oud fragrances ever made. The silk/satin etc... moods were kinda the first extension of this but more rosey or amber like or whatever. With a bit of luck this will stick to the original and be like the harshest (in a good way) saffron opening to divine and precious Laotian oud. To be honest the original is potent enough but in the form of a extrait, I'm thinking it could potentially be mind blowing. For one reason or another I never bought MFK Oud despite my love and praise but this version might tip me over the edge despite it being more expensive more than likely.

Finally got my nose and this and I have to say Mr Kurkdjian this is a sublime creation, absolutely what I was anticipating, the amped up Oud Extrait I’d hoped for. Essentially there’s nothing new in here except for more being even more luxurious than the EDP. The opening plays around even less but still gives you an almost bright, stinging sharp resinous quality of Elemy, a ton of long lasting and dominant saffron on that loasian oud which keeps coming and coming. Hate to lower the tone here but ( I’m going to anyway), I would equate MFK Oud to an acid trip, just when you’re beginning to get your head around the turbulent first hour or so...the effects just keep coming on stronger and stronger in waves, until the drydown which is mellow and relaxed with any perceived hard edges smoothed away into a blissful landing. I love this fragrance and I’m going to purchase it, although I’ve been saying that about the original since about 2013 but hey.