The opening spray released something akin to a decrepit lightning bolt locked in a dusty crypt. Sharp, electric decay, musty current, moth-eaten voltage. Then...a bit of shadowy aromatic lycanthropy...a phantasmagoric zoetrope, a being resembling a Maria Germanova-type, shapeshifting through theatrical roles, a noble lady draped in jewels, a swaggering pirate, a beggar woman cloaked in rags, an avant-garde fairy in Stanislavski’s embodiment of The Blue Bird" by Maurice Maeterlinck. Ghostly photographs, the specters haunting antique cartes de visite. At turns, powdery, leathery, metallic, vegetal, austere, sophisticated. Moscow Art Theatre witch-queen caught mid-transformation, glamorous and gloomy, enigmatic and a bit unsettling.
Haruka Tenou energy, chilly sporty musk. Willowy sapphic athletics. Crisp androgynous elegance in fluttering white tennis shorts. Ginger brightness competing against vetiver earthiness, canceling each other out, whittling down to dank earthworm glow. A weakened Sailor Uranus attack - Minor Phosphorescent Subterranean Flicker! or Weakened Subsoil Incandescence Rustle! or something like that! Muted radiance, cool, composed, understated power...or not even power exactly. Powered up, but on a dimmer switch.
Experimental Perfume Club's Velvet Incense is giving the melted-down essence of an entire perfume collection in a cauldron - harmonized, reduced, cohesive. Waterhouse's The Magic Circle, that vaporous pillar of smoke rising from glowing depths, flames crackling with magic and power. In my book The Art of Fantasy, I admired this work, noting the conspiracy of ravens looking on with menacing curiosity from beyond the symbolic ring, the landscape glowering claustrophobically with ominous intent...but inside the circle, equilibrium. Ambery cedar exhaling cool, crisp pepperiness; not "spiced" heat but sharp, bright, almost mentholated edge cutting through resinous warmth. Muted, velveteen ambery-sandalwoody sweetness, thick and plush, wrapping around that cedar spine like soft fabric pulled taut. Everything finds its place in the spell. My perfume cabinet already smells like this, which means I don't need this fragrance... but also means I absolutely understand its appeal.
Have you ever been eating chocolate, maybe some single-origin, maybe Ecuadorian chocolate, so intensely dark and aromatically bitter with like zero percent cocoa butter and no sugar? It really doesn't even taste like chocolate anymore, it's a bit punitive actually (but in an okay way?) And you thought, hey, you know what this chocolate needs is a few grinds, twenty or so, from the teakwood pepper grinder, spicy and textured and gritty. A handful of cedar shavings, bright and dry and papery. A new pair of high-quality, stiff leather boots. I certainly never thought that either, so I guess that makes two of us, and shame on us for our profound lack of vision. Because this is both rich and austere, intense and accessible, and there's also an additional salty balsamic smokiness that makes it really, really interesting.
The fragrance opens with a bitter citrus note that initially brings to mind a cheap air freshener. Fortunately, after a short while, orange blossom and neroli come to the forefront, subtly sweetened with a touch of pear. The base is musky, softened by neroli, warm, smooth and soothing. It is a unisex scent, perfect for spring and summer. Longevity is around four hours, with the composition sitting fairly close to the skin.
Just a sexy manly Amber scent. Top 3 favorite designers OAT. Price may be hard to justify for a lot of people but i just got this, wore it to my company Christmas party and got like 4 compliments. I love amber fragrances so I may be biased but this scent is incredible. Longevity is a problem, you’d think with this scent profile it would lost langer but I only get maybe 4-5 hours
Amazingly simple clean Iris fragrance! In my top 3 “cheaper” designer fragrances. Easy all year scent. Very office friendly and actually lasts a long time for me, like 5 hours and then skin scent at the 6-8 hour mark.
Very pleasant, clean, musky, sunscreeny scent. Smells great. Some may think it leans a little feminine but I think it’s for sure unisex. My wife loves it, it’s one of her dumb reaches especially when it’s a little warmer out.
This perfume holds a lot of beautiful memories for me. I love it. Wish it wasn’t discontinued.
Nice perfume.
Such a beautiful scent. I love it.
It’s a good scent but I find the Eau de parfum better.
Nice but I prefer the Eau de parfum to this one.
The best Bleu de Chanel in my opinion.
This was a discount blind buy for me just looking at the notes. It is very reminiscent of Tom Ford‘s Oud Wood. I think this actually has a bit more staying power on my skin, but both tend to fizzle out on me after a few hours. I put it on around 8am and it was largely close to the skin around 12-1pm. Now that could just be me, or I’m nose blind to this scent profile, but at the price I snagged it at, I’m glad I got it. You get some of that oud profile off the top, it was somewhere between middle eastern Amouage and more westernized oud, but not offsensive.
I LOVE it. But the Flame is better on Winter
It’s an intense fragrance with a distinctly artisanal character. It carries a sense of raw nature, smoky earthiness and a stony strength. The composition both attracts and repels me at the same time. The opening is refreshing and lightly spicy, followed by a fruity accent, though these are dried fruits rather than fresh or juicy ones. The base is aromatic and earthy, evoking the touch of moss and leathery leaves. There is something wild and primal about it. The fragrance feels raw yet harmonious, decisive in tone and deeply intriguing. Longevity is around eight hours with moderate projection. Personally, I am not a fan of this scent, as something about it unsettles me, but I can still appreciate the complexity of the composition.
This is like a smile on a cool day, sparkling yet full of warmth. Like a woman who knows her worth and has nothing to prove. The opening is distinctly spicy, with red pepper tingling in the nose. After a moment, rose emerges, not jammy or granny like, but fresh and delicate. The patchouli base is very subtle here, which I personally appreciate. Longevity is around six hours, and the projection feels rather discreet, although that may simply be my impression, as several colleagues stopped by my department to ask what am I wearing that smelled so wonderful.
This is a lighter version of the original, combining gentle notes with more intense accents. The opening is softly citrusy, but before long a bouquet of white flowers takes centre stage, led by tuberose. The overall impression is feminine, subtly spicy and slightly daring. In the base, musk settles against the skin like a soft shawl, while woody notes lend the composition a sense of calm and elegance. Longevity and projection are very good for an eau de toilette, making it suitable for both daytime wear and evening occasions.
Great fragrance. Reminds me a little of Frederic Malles Monsiuer. Biggest difference to me was after 8 hours or so became a soft creamy sandalwood scent
freshly baked vanilla cupcakes. that’s it.
it smells amazing, but personally the scent lasts maybe 5 minutes on me
for me it smells like a christmas eve dinner haha
Sweet honey dipped peach. Applied at 730pm still smelled it at 6am.
