Okay, so it's the much anticipated release of Jubilation Man 40. I say much anticipated because when the first revamped concentrations came out, my reaction (I think I speak for many) was 'oh....they're doing this?' with more than a skeptical, wry smile on my face but actually I thought they were very good, and why not give people more of what they want right? So then people (me) started to wonder...which other ones are they going to do? and inevitably the fabled Jubilation XXV Man was a big favourite for getting an amped up, haute concentree version, in part due to peoples (not mine actually) hatred of the newer EDP formulations which were apparently rubbish compared to the original. Thankfully I own the original plastic cap version of Jubilation XXV Man EDP and as such I wasn't quite as excited as many for this new version, but I was curious and perhaps this means that I didn't build it up on a pedestal, only for massive disappointment. So I think this is very good. Very good indeed. Has all the aspects of the original fragrance. However, It feels slightly more disjointed than the original in so much as you can smell individual natural raw materials and the quality of them, the original has something of a more cohesive feel and for lack of a better term feels more gelled together, diffusive, more sparkly, less heavy, but somehow stronger and longer lasting in some sense. I think this oiler version reaches a critical mass and falls into the trap of many 'parfum' versions of stuff do, they're glorious and richer, deeper in some respect but somehow sit closer to the skin and over the long haul of the experience are counterintuitively less powerful over all. It's not all about lasting power and strength though and what this version does is give a very vivid elemi/frankinsense in the opening which has a much more camphor topped bite to it, I know this is from some of the very highest quality of these materials possess this, even if it's not my favourite facet, you can smell it. Another thing which feels more naturalistic is the patchouli. Often people would state that Jubilation is a big patchouli fragrance and while patch can manifest in many ways and I definitely feel it's presence in the EDP, this version has a positively visceral patchouli note, which despite how different I'm saying it is, doesn't effect the perfume or change it too much from the original. The fruity berry accords and such which are mainly Berty's AC trickery I thought were very well rendered and had the characteristic sparkle of the original formula too. The opening of this and first half hour are glorious! Like a reimagined, technicolour version of what is a fantastic perfume, but it's very expensive and I get how some people will be less than enamored. I feel this does live up to the hype, although I was told recently not to celebrate the mediocre fact that 'Well it could've been a lot worse' but the truth is it could of. I like this a lot but can't shake the fact that I'm lucky enough to have the original formula Jubilation and as such don't desperately need to get this.
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ Pure Musk for Her Sonia Constant 2019 🤍🤍🤍 So beautiful clean florals and musk. Delicate and tender, fluffy and very innocent yet seductive. Scent of an angel. Scent of a hope. Scent of the bright future. It’s like opening your eyes in the morning when the sun is shining through the window. You have your beautiful lingerie on, you put your soft slides on and the softest luxurious long cashmere cardigan which you have. It’s a cozy hug with very relaxing breeze. Pure Musk is not soapy neither powdery. It is “transparent” compared to cubes (Poudree and Rouge) which are creamy with richer texture. Since this scent is beautifully simple I don't even try to describe it in a complex way. Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
The is the Parfum Edition (Matt black bottle) rebottled.
Very strange, sort of sharp, minty opening, kind of like if you made tuberose flavoured herbal toothpaste, with a somewhat bucolic, meadowy undertone, all the while maintaing the black orchid DNA, which is immediately apparent. I don't quite understand what I'm smelling yet. What.i can say is that all of the above listed notes are there and are strong, although not quite as muscle-bound as the tyrannical BO EDP. There's something sour under it all that I pick out more where my skin is warmest (inner elbow), a sort of off-smelling, yeasty, hoppy fizz. What is this perfume doing? One of the craziest scents I've tried and I've tried a shit ton. Bravo maybe.
AMOUAGE INTERLUDE BLACK IRIS MAN Pierre Negrin 2020 I know that many of you are curious and first I have to say: I don’t like og Interlude at all. Leather is too harsh for me and it’s very traditionally masculine. Unfortunately I don’t even want to test it side by side. This is very different even if there is some softer dna of og left. Black Iris, however, is truly unisex but I find it to be more unique on women. Don’t get me wrong, it’s gorgeous on men and a quality is amazing, but on men it’s not so bewitching. I mean it doesn’t scream a masculinity. For men it’s as well more like “an easy reach” even if the blend itself is masterfully made and I don’t know anything else like it. Black Iris is dark and mysterious. It fits with an outfit of sexy rock style stiletto heels paired with leggings and oversized woolen pullover. The scent feels soft, smooth and sensual. It’s gorgeous with combat boots paired with a feminine dress and a leather jacket. It’s definitely a confidence boost but it’s for a confident woman as well. It’s amazing choice to pair with a suit for work since despite being very long lasting it doesn’t project in the way which bothers others around you. There is a powdery, velvety texture from Orris, sweetness from resins, softness from Vanilla, deepness from woods and polished, sumptuous feeling from gentle leather and a smoke of Oud. Some may find the opening pungent because of Rosemary but I love it. It’s a fleeting moment of my childhood - fresh, green needles - and it lasts only few minutes. Sleek and uniquely charming! Top: Bergamot, Rosemary, Violet Leaves Hearth: Orris, Amber, Frankincense, Cistus, Myrrh, Vanilla Base:Leather, Agarwood Smoke, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cedarwood Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
Creamy, sweet vetiver and wormwood. I sprayed this on one wrist in Galeries Lafayette then walked to work, and within 3 hours I'd ordered a cheap bottle online. It lacks the OTT fixative stink that makes some Gaultieri fragrances almost unwearable, instead serving delicious Absinth wafts for hours. I don't get the complaints about performance, I'm actually relieved that this doesn't permanently stay on my clothes and choke out a room. I don't get the brand copy for this scent, wanking on about hysteria etc. This is a gentle, polite and smooth fragrance.
First of all.... despite any negative things I might say about this perfume, I think it's very good. Creative, made by a real legendary perfumer, the bottle and imagery it evokes are powerful and desirable, so hats off to Greco. Most of all I'm happy that stuff like this is still getting made. I think Rauque is catering to a niche within a niche of people who maybe are nostalgic for vintage, bygone stuff but with a sense of wanting something new, exciting, artisanal, avant garde. I think this ticks the boxes. First thing that struck me was a dusty, fusty, amber accord, choking, slightly rubbery, fleshy, not quite earthy but someone mentioned mushrooms to me when they sent the sample and I will go a along with that, texturally at least. The same way Tom Ford have that truffle aspect. What annoys me is lazy references to Chamade, Derby (because of a certain vintage leatheriness I suppose?) and Fahrenheit. I mean the Fahrenheit one annoys me a bit because these fragrances are totally different (well aside from on paper they are both predominantly violet, amber and leather) but I suspect this contains methyl octine carbonate a signature violet/floral material which you can definitely detect in Rauque's make up. It's not a classical stuffy, papery Ionone nor is it a fleshy, sweet orris type violet it's deliberately deployed here as a completely different shade of purple. Also the dreaded Ambrarome a material, which fascinates and repels me in equal measure, taking one of my absolute favourite things in the world cistus/Labdanum and pulling out a vile, animalistic, ambergris adjacent qualities from it. Thankfully it's restrained enough in Rauque for me to be able to appreciate it's facets without running for the hills. I found a pissy quality (certainly in the opening 30 mins) which many folks will love and this could be a cassis sort of material coming into play, so really the major players here create this kinda, filthy, greasy, amber violet, resin, animalistic, mushroom, composition which is all complementary and in harmonious resonance . This feels quite like Sheldrake but when I first sprayed it, and subsequently first sprayed it on to wear, I was struck by just how chaotic and almost indy it felt, takes a minute to settle into a groove and you realise just how well balanced and un-accidental (deliberate?) this perfume is. Perhaps Sheldrake has been informed or inspired by the indy movement of the last 10+ years, a movement his work for Serge Lutens doubtless was the inspiration for lots of self trained artisans, and so the cycle continues. I must say, wearing this is much more rewarding than I'd imagined it to be, my first impressions were good if a little confused, I just don't like this perfume, it doesn't fill me with joy, there's something odd and unsettling, discomforting about this collection of notes and accords. It's almost smirking at me like a killer giving a TV interview or a Police press conference and revealing micro expressions of dupers delight. Something is wrong here. The fact it's so thought provoking and warrants a fairly wordy review even by my standards, should tell you that I think it's worthy of investigation and for those who love this and think it's a masterpiece, I won't argue the toss because I can totally see why you might think that, just not for me.
Characteristically screechy scent from Nishane which will obfuscate any other aroma within 2km. It smells good, but it's too strong. Update: actually I retract the last comment. The dry down starts to go truly evil after 30 mins. It's a scrubber.
At Nishane, quality means being as suffocatingly, obnoxiously strong as possible, so that nobody within a 500m radius will escape without a headache and singed nostril hairs, and this is up there as one of the most over-the-top, jarring, nauseating horror-shows of their line. I don't know who would wear this, but I don't want to be in the same building as them.
Opens very similar to Girl by CdG (also by Lie) but then the pine comes in, and the complexity develops, and it becomes grown up, rich and sensual. Wonderful.
A busy fragrance reminiscent of Nishane belters (a less aggressive Fan Your Flames perhaps). Not for me but very nice all the same.
Something about the playful, sweet, boozy accord reminds me of Pierre Guillaume's Paris Fidji.
If I understand latin (which I don't), the name translates as Horse Body. It opens as such, then rapidly dries down to a sligjty underwhelming violety, pungent leather affair. I'd prefer it if it had a barnyard oud element because as it stands the animalic, horsey bent is switched up quite quickly for a generic, albeit high quality leather.
Honey, coffee, musk, skanky vanilla, a whiff of cigarette, a smidgen of dirty club toilet floor. I love it, more wearable than a lot of Nasomattos.
On the high-quality, honeyed tea fragrance spectrum, this sits halfway between Thé Cachemire (honey) and Russian Tea (mint)
Tutù Blanc aims to create a brighter, more delicate version of the original - an ode to femininity as the marketing goes. Primarily, this scent is dominated by the stark contrast of coconut and apple. The coconut is dry and nutty, whilst the apple is juicy and refreshing. The juicy aspect is heightened through an array of other fruits such as blackcurrant, grapefruit and raspberry, whilst the dry sweetness keeps up thanks to vanilla and musk. This is a pleasant and refreshing scent but I wouldn’t say it’s anything groundbreaking. There seems to be a reoccurring theme in Gritti’s White Collection - and that is the contrast of sweet, juicy fruits with a base of sweet vanilla and musk. To be fair this does smell pleasant, but I find it very forgettable.
Chantilly is an intensely sweet and tropical summery scent with an assorted array of different fruits all fighting for attention. The main thing I’m picking up on is the strawberry and melon, with the citruses resting in the background. From here, a powdery coconut and vanilla sets in which is joined by a juicy apple which leaves you with a scent that is both dry, powdery and sweet, yet also juicy and refreshing. As there is no raw material to be derived from strawberries and apples, these have to be recreated synthetically which I feel in this case could have been done better. Overall the scent smells pleasant, but it comes across much more synthetic and a bit cheaper than the others I’ve tried from this line. A nice fragrance, but nothing exciting or particularly interesting in my opinion.
Dame de L’île really intrigues me, like I’ve almost smelled it before but haven’t at the same time. The contrast of musk and citrus is both captivating and strange, but I sort of enjoy it. Bright, zesty notes of bergamot and lime combine with floral nuances of jasmine and rose which provides a refreshing backbone to the scent. A touch of salty ambergris gives way to a thick, dry and fluffy synthetic musk which is significantly sweetened up by vanilla. To me, this sort of achieves what Erba Pura set out to do. They don’t really smell similar, but you can see the same intention is present. This is refreshingly pleasant yet unique enough to stand out from the crowd.
Adèle is a fairly standard and straightforward osmanthus-based white floral scent, however I must say it’s done well. The osmanthus itself is very soft and smooth, almost leathery but in the most delicate way. Combine this with a sweet, bubblegum-like tuberose and green touches of narcissus and you’re left with an eloquent medley of thick white florals - then elevated by the subtlest whisper of jasmine and rose. The osmanthus in here almost comes across slightly tropical at times, giving the scent a very refreshing and addictively sweet yet very much floral scent profile. This is probably too simplistic for me to consider owning a bottle but if you love osmanthus this is one to look out for.
Alright, now look... I was sent this with no preconceived ideas about the brand or notes or anything and that's often the way I like it but was immediately struck by two things...a complex amber accord, studded with gems, little pockets of intrigue and real oud funk. Specific to my nose is what oud experts call 'fruity thai oud' which just helps to bombard the senses with yet more complexity on top of what is quite a sensory overload of a perfume. What immediate association did I make? Well it was with a perfume by Strangelove, Fall into stars, a very expensive niche brand, gold encrusted and exclusively stocked which I would probably scoff at due to the working class chip on one shoulder and the massive boot of the elite poshos and neuvo riche cunts who by this type of shit, on the other, pressing me down into the dirt where I belong. However, I loved Fall into stars, it's an absolute triumph of a piece, full of aroma chemical trickery, big ideas and small sparkly ones, oudy funk and clearly no expense sparred on materials but also made very well and with restraint by an incredible perfumer in Christophe Laudamiel. For Aqualis Triptych to even evoke...to momentarily glimpse the spirit....of Fall into stars, can only be a good thing. (or downright plagiarism? one or the two haha) However much I enjoyed this, it didn't quite bring the magic or joy of FitS. Maybe it's because it's second to my olfactory market, I've smelled it all before? so to speak... I don't think it's that. I genuinely think this gets rosier than I recall, and the oud is a little more short lived, cheesy (in a good way. like literal cheese!) and woody mulched manure with that oddly fruity edge, doesn't punch through as hard after several hours. Couple of caveats... this perfume is considerably cheaper than strangelove for a greater volume, and if you want a broad strokes approximation you can't go far wrong, and this CLEARLY contains real oud not a cheap material and not something which can be phoned it, it's character is unmistakable. This is a BRILLIANT perfume, do not get it twisted, I enjoyed it immensely, it lasts and has depth but not quite as much of a all immersive DMT trip that fall into stars was for me, but very, very, few perfumes are. PS: I read this back and it read a bit like it could be open to misinterpretation... allow me to clarify, when I say 'I was sent this...', I mean I was sent a small decanted sample by a friend, not a free bottle by the brand or via PR companies or anything of the sort. I have no affiliation with the brand.
What!!!! I haven't reviewed this until now???? What is going on??? I think it's a reflection on just how much I overlook this brand as a collection primarily about gimmick and marketing, not that there's anything wrong with that, but Le Labo were somewhat of a trendsetter and many, many, lesser pretenders to he minimal, laboratory aesthetic were spawned due to their success, but in fairness the fragrances are remarkably good and pretty original on the whole. This is one Ylang 49, upon a recent (probably 2-3 years ago lol) return to trying them again, turns out to be one of the best. It's like an energized, vibrant topped, classic, chypre type perfume but with a kind of exoticism about it. Like many Le Labo perfumes, the name is often a red herring and might discourage people who think they don't really like Ylang or at least don't think they want a Ylang centric perfume, even if they do like it, (I find Ylang supporting role more crucial as a rule) wouldn't be something for them....I'd urge you to reconsider this perfume, because it's an absolute gem!!! Mossy, earthy but bright and also fun and with lush florality. I actually want to get it, and it's rare I say that these days, not because there's not good perfume around, just because I'm skint and have a shitload already but I could honestly say that this would be something timeless to grace my collection, I get the Aromatics Elixir connection some have made above, (praise indeed BTW because that is fantastic!) but it's way less stuffy and fundamentally different in many ways too. Feels more modern. I love this.
A gloomy, greasy haired biker stands in front of an opening to a cave in a damp forest. He’s holding a bouquet of violets. He ushers you in and you sit together quietly on a leather couch listening to the sounds of the woodland. You notice some mushrooms and wonder whether you left the heating on at home.
Gawjuss! They've started restocking this in my country, I had to snatch a bottle. It's not a super sweet gourmand vanilla, it's much more boozy and deep. If you like deeper vanilla scents like MFKs Grand Soir, Montales Arabians Tonka or Kayalis Vanilla Royale, you'd likely enjoy Babycat!
On skin I get little to no leather, which leaves something resembling a citrus designer scent, but executed through a delicate lens. Another reviewer pointed out a sort of dentistry smell. My uncle is a dentist, so I spent a lot of time at his surgery as a kid, and I agree, it's there, although I may not have put my finger on what it reminded me of. It's a subtle but strange scent, the more I smell the more I feel there are clashing notes in here, but it's so gentle perhaps it works anyway. It's not for me but I respect it.
