I'd been looking to try this for a while and finally now I have. Boy treated me to the usual...'Chanelness' that kind of chic understatement and this perfume is definitely understated. It's a subtle, silky, milky, musky texture which to me smells quite simple with easily definable notes despite the overall 'blending' for want of a better word. Some reviews I'm aware of the notes beforehand and this informs what I say about a perfume and others like Boy...I've no idea...reassuring to see everything I got listed here. The fragrance has a lemony, citrus which is sharp but then 'poofs' into a powdery, clean almost soapy geranium, lavender then the smooth base of vanilla/sandalwood. It's classic meets new in that it's actually quite modern as if something from Juliette has a Gun or Geza Schoen and I like that sort of minimalism but with a respect for it's fougere heritage. It reminds me a little of Allure Homme or more accurately edition blanche the crucial difference being the geranium and lavender in this. I thought it was quite weak to begin with settling back to a very low lying skin scent, however it was actually more persistant than I first thought and I suspect other people would be able to smell it better than the wearer...one of those weird effects. I really liked it. Boy is a little pricey for me and there's better offerings in this line but I thought it was very nice.
Wow! People are STILL questioning whether this is legit. The mythical Creed jus that no one's sure exists, yet we still vote to HATE! To the comment below If I had a pound for every time I had known of a new release before a SA....I'd be a rich man. Just because you work at a concession in a store doesn't mean you are aware of everything going on with the company in fact in my experience it makes them even less likely to know, despite their sense of importance.
So I often favour the more long and rambling review, but on this occasion I have very little to say about Creed Aventus Cologne, One word in fact.... Redundant. If you have the original Aventus or any semblance of affection or what could be considered nostalgia for the original then this doesn't really do it any justice, or support it's legacy whatsoever. A counter to this could be.... well what did you expect from a 'Cologne' version? It's either a literal interpretation a fleeting, lower EDC concentration or a 'EDC' in style (Citrus/white floral or 4711 effect) piece which in that case was never going to be anything like the bro staple, 'beastmode' frag-fam king, that it's older brother was, and all the dissenting voices are just 'haters'. My opinion of Aventus cologne falls into a category of people called 'Are we still talking about Aventus after a decade?/I don't fucking care!!!' type category. This fragrance has clear Aventus makers in the opening the bergamot/cassis/pineapple effect but then has a much more austere base with non of the smoky attack of birch tar. Instead it's base is modern aroma chemical cedar, maybe ambermax, ISO, Ambroxan, cashmere....frankly I've no idea but it's there to keep the pleasant much less overtly pineapple top notes in check. What is at first an Aventus lite slowly becomes something much less like it and very much it's own entity. This doesn't mean it's especially original. I don't get the Allure Homme sport comparisons, nor the Sauvage (style wise perhaps I can see it?) it's more like Roja Dove's Elysium for my money, perhaps with slightly less polish? Doesn't last directly all that well on skin but it did remain on my jacket for a long time, and it's pleasant. What else can I say? If this was a designer or even a slightly elevated CdG type semi-niche brand, around the 80 pounds mark for 100ml I probably still wouldn't be all that convinced but I might think it was a superior, fresh fragrance. However, to charge the inflated Creed prices for a fragrance which doesn't have the soul or intrigue of the original or the perceived value in bro loudness or sick projection, longevity and COMPLIMENTS! just seems unfair. Creed are clearly trading off the back of the Aventus phenomenon but a less cynical side of me wants to think that they truly believe this is as barnstorming and innovative as the 2010 release...but they can't surely? More likely that they are wheeling out some crowd pleasing dreck that will be bought by name association and well meaning but deluded Creed fans. Sorry this didn't do it for me.
For me, Valentino Uomo feels like a fragrance I should wear when I want to wear L'instant de Guerlain, but I'm not being a grown-up, doing grown-up things. That's only really in the first few minutes though and the comparison fades quickly. Right on the opening, it has a citrus up front that zips over a soft chocolate note. In Uomo it's more bergamot and vague, a bit Citrol, household cleaner-ish, whereas LIDG is 100%, well defined, fresh lemons. The comparison to LIDG goes off kilter after the citrus opening, however, when a soft, very velvety Suede leather appears, which gives Uomo a sexier, cuter feel and this note pushes Uomo into a more comfy, playful area rather than the formal area that LIDG sits in. The suede leather springs up in Uomo and almost makes it smell like a sweet pastry, but it doesn't cloy and doesn't feel heavy, although it is definitely very buttery and sweet. The leather in Uomo is not animalic in the slightest. It's got a pretty big Iris vibe to it as well. It's just a touch powdery, but that takes a back seat in the scent which has a very soft and smooth profile overall. My overall thoughts on this one are that it is a very easy to like, casual scent. Definitely a bit of a crowd pleaser. The mix of sweet chocolate, iris and soft leather is unchallenging. It's like a pop song, just hitting the right notes at the right time, it's got a catchy chorus and makes people happy, but that's really it. Do I like it? not sure, it's alright. I'll wear it for sure, but it's lacking any real edge for me. It is good, I get that. I can see how this will fly in the right situation, but I feel like it's just a touch safe and not in a good way, instead, it leans into mediocrity all too easily and lacks just that one thing that might kick it into the next level. I suppose if you want the TLDR, I'd probably sum it up that way: A well-done scent, but a bit too safe overall, that ends up lending itself to unfortunate mediocrity.
A very interesting fragrance and somewhat of a tale of two halves....or maybe more? I like that about fragrances when they have transitions or odd quirks and Tokyo from Gallivant is certainly one of those. It smells different in the opening to the drydown which is true of many perfumes but this has the more rare extra dimension of smelling different when vaguely wafted (silage trail) to what it does when sniffed close to the skin. The opening is what I would describe as an aquatic modern citrus, with the characteristic style of Yuzu and heavy spicy, peppery notes and vetiver. There's a zing to it and a Comme des Garcons modernity about the whole thing, but at the same time has that designery feel, for want of a better term. It's clearly a cerebral, niche incense fragrance but has an accessible Bleu de Chanel thing to it by the same token. However, that's just the fresh opening. The main focus at the heart of Tokyo is that hinoki wood. It's an intoxicating, spicy, wood which has it's own unique smell, but If I had to describe those facets I'd compare it to cyrpess/cedar/vetiver/olibanum/pine, it's kind oily, has a slight smoke smell but is uplifting. So from a distance Tokyo is catching in my nostrils and reminding me of a fragrance that I own, but have always been on the fence about. Issey Miyake Bleue d'Issey. Now I'm not saying they smell the same, Tokyo is clearly far superior in quality and when smelled close up is much more complex. However, something of the effect is the same and it renders Tokyo a maybe in terms of wear ability for me. It's such a challenge because when I first tried it I was like "Wow!" Who cares if I'm unsure though, The point is I think Tokyo is a fantastic fragrance which does meet it's brief in terms of evoking Tokyo. I've never been mind you and despite not getting a horseradish note (pretty glad actually) I get the implied wasabi heat, the fresh yuzu, the old world, temple incense and remote Forrest retreat meeting the frenetic pace and neon lights of the downtown. I get all that in this fragrance and that's the point of this line, to be transported.
Clearly a fragrance which is in the mould of Andrier's works in the Iris family and frankly this signature accord will be her and Prada's lasting legacy. I don't know if I'd forgotten what The Infusion range smelled like but I found this to be a little more sparkling than I remember Iris or Homme. Could be wrong though. Now as far as I'm aware The Infusions are no longer in production and I kinda understand the outrage at paying twice the price for what is in essence, the same thing. I'd have more of an issue perhaps if they were still making them, but if they're not then I'm afraid this is the alternative. As for the name, I'm a Prince fan so naturally that name can do no wrong. My thought process was...Wow! Loving that fresh bergamot opening, into a hinted neroli, with iris and vetiver heart and a cedar base. Classic and time tested as it comes, but at £280 a little much for me. The 'Night' ones in this line offer more perceived value as big, thick, concentrated beasts.
The note list for Un Jardin Sur Le Nil is pretty unique, but honestly, I don't get a lot of the more interesting notes, though that could be due to me not really knowing what they smell like individually, so it's tough to pick them. What I do get is a blast of grapefruit and mango in the opening that's very fresh and juicy. It's definitely the flesh of the fruit you get. The two together give an interesting mix of sweet and sour, with an almost plastic-y feel, though it's not at all unpleasant nor synthetic smelling. After these two dominating citruses relax, which takes about 30 minutes, the florals, noticeably the lotus and peony, peek through and a subtle floral sweetness flitters in and out of composition, which makes the whole thing smell very romantic and slightly mysterious. I'd say that "romantic" is the best word to sum this scent up for me. It does a fantastic job at conjuring up a romantic, secret garden vibe, with hints of rain and fresh vegetation. Overall I think it's a wonderful fragrance that's light, airy, fresh and slightly exotic. I wish the incense made a little more of an appearance, but you can't have it all I suppose. The performance, as has been mentioned is poor, which is the scents biggest letdown. I get a big citrus for about 2 hours, then a soft, skin scent with the florals and the citrus taking more of a back seat for another couple of hours and then poof, it's gone. For a refined, fresh day scent in spring/summer or a rainy day scent in the fall/winter, this is impeccable based purely on the smell though. One for the romantics and the dreamers. Despite its longevity issues, I can't help being in love with this. It's fragile, beautiful and unique enough to warrant a place on any shelf, male, female, young and old. Class as always from JCE.
An interesting scent. Bogart PH has that mixture of fresh almost green notes in the opening but soon recedes becoming a kind of synthetic, milky & musky and with a hint of white florals. I think this is a prime example of how to do tonka bean, it’s not cloying or annoying, has good balance and is very wearable. The drydown to me has a tobacco feel, very warm and cozy with shades of A*Men Pure Havanne. The lavender/vanilla, (Tonka whatever) combo reminds me of the usual le male or Invasion barbare, reflection man crowds but dirtier than those and a little more what you’d expect from a fragrance as affordable as this stuff is. A blind by for me as I’d oddly never seen it in stores in the UK, it’s a happy addition to the collection.
Lovely opening you get a opulent but mild saffron and settling to a great, if not familiar leather accord. Now to say this is similar to TF TL and it’s many smellalikes is clearly obvious but this has much less of the fruity, raspberry note of TL. It’s far less sharp and dense, perhaps a little more laid back and mellow, while simultaneously being less sweet and not exactly smokey but somehow more woody. The truth is I have the best there is to offer in this department, the first Clive Christian C which I think does this accord in the most complex way possible, but that’s just an opinion. I found this to be more on those lines or maybe Godolphin, a little scaled back from TL’s full on aroma. I enjoyed it of course.
Clearly Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille will aways be the crest of the wave and the high water mark to which other fragrances similar to this, will be judged. The opening is dried fruits and honey with a deep cherry tobacco and vanilla...yeah...I told ya! The accord is clearly of comparable quality but I guarantee I could tell the difference between this and TF TV as something seems smoother, less brash, could be the oud and saffron Lux’ing it up a bit but it doesn’t have the heft either in the Tobacco or the vanilla. However, make no mistake this is not like a ‘weaker’ One I could think of Phaedon Tabac rouge prehaps it’s more like that Parfums de Marly one? (Name escapes me) a reimagining, progressing subtley differently. I have TV so ultimately this is redundant to me but it’s long lasting and cheaper per ml than TF so worth checking out for fans who want to save a little.
Stunning. Absolutely stunning. As much as I adore Lubin Idole this stuff might just be even better. A boozy, incense and slightly leathered, sweet smell with a hint of creamy sandalwood smoothness in a long and drawn out drydown. Like some stumptuious cocktail expertly crafted by a fine mixologist to have the perfect balance of elements. I love it and I want a bottle. I wasn’t expecting that, but way to hit a home run from the first of this brand I sampled. Also, expensive stuff but actually pretty reasonable considering the quality and volume of perfume you get. It’s a low lying scent but that’s it’s nature, still lasts and projects well. Update: 10/07/24 So I’ve owned this perfume for a few years now and although it still enjoy it, I was somewhat fooled by the intensity of its composition as being ‘better’ than Idole, sentiments uttered in the review above. It’s really not. Idole is a much more nuanced version of this for two main reasons, lighter, less syrupy, boozy and fruity top notes. The sandalwood accord and dry, woody AC’s in the base are exposed for what they are in this and as such leave it lacking that extra bit of finesse.
Now I’m going to have to update this when I’ve had more experience of this fragrance but from initial sampling I absolutely adored this. My love of Prada and Andrier is well documented but I have to say the quality and creativity of this day/night line is very impressive. Now they are all pigeonholed, quite literally into catagories Leather, patchouli, Amber, oud/rose etc.... The smell of the top notes of this fragrance remind me of a friends house when I was a kid, taking me right back there, it’s not the first time I’ve had this olfactory total recall either but it’s not one note that does it, more of an accord. I don’t know whether it was my friends mum’s perfume or they used to burn incense or a combination of other things, I’ve no idea? The main thing I can attribute it to is my favourite catalyst ingrient in all perfumery Labdaum, forming a complex and luxurious opening. It then dies way back when settled to be honest, coming more into a subte sandalwood in the perfumers signature understated style. Also considering the night line are some of the more opulent feeling scents, makes me think Andrier was told to leave nothing in the lab, likely relishing using materials outside of her usual comfort zone. I loved it. I will update when I’ve worn it more comprehensively but imagine high quality sandalwood and resin with a minimalist feel of something like a Santal 33...but smells nothing like it. If you get me? Anyway...I’m encouraging fans to try this line because I liked them all.
I'm no expert in florals and nor do I have vast experience with perfumes marketed towards women. However, upon first smelling this I thought it was very uninspiring and like many floral musk fragrances I've smelled before. However, as it settled down, more of the base was revealed and it's a little more sophisticated than I'd first thought. Green, fresh citrus/floral opening which settles back to kinda generic white flowers and white musk you've smelled a million times before and crucially not only too feminine but too boring for me to wear. This is pretty much how it remains throughout until after a few hours I get a really soft almost caramelised, sweet base which I can only interpret as sandalwood. Also after several hours the white florals do actually resemble jasmine but only very subtly. For such a big popular fragrance like this, is it enough to win people over? I think the same can be for Joy, it will sell regardless, and to me at least is less innovative than Sauvage. It's a perfectly nice gift for that special someone but nothing mindblowing. So I've given my opinion on Joy and critiqued it from a originality stand point but I don't really understand the criticism on performance or quality. I've smelled cheaper versions of the floral musk that are awful and Joy lasted and projected on me, almost too much so.
oh dear. This fragrance is a real chameleon, cool bottle, unusual name, herbal/woody opening but sadly dries down to the same old Solo accord. This is why I've put all the Solo's in 'reminds me of'...because it does. I'm not a hater when it somes to this line, I own Solo platinum and I'm an admirer of the brand, but redundant flankers annoy me slightly. Most of the time I couldn't care less about them, or let them bother me but when they promise a different experience and deliver much the same, it irks me slightly. I suppose the opening being a fresh, fir like pine and woods/clean cardamom/vetiver smell sets you up for something else to what you eventually get. It's so odd then that it transmutes from that after about 10 mins into an even more annoying version of the original Solo. Like I said I have platinum which does have a similar smell but is much more resinous and amber like which completely negates the cheap, orangey/lemon haze of the original...and with a minor tweak becomes palatable.
This fragrance is all about balance. Era somehow conveys a misty, hazy, frosted glass, translucent vibe to me. Both creamy and warmly exotic, sweet but also sour and with a slightly funky edge. The opening is quite discrete but the overwhelming smell in here is oud. The combination in the opening is mainly a iris/leather/saffron but it's not that extremely earthy, sharp saffron, just to stress again it appears in a very complementary dose. As this kinda satin, gourmand leather settles and the iris dies quickly, I get the oud and it's almost that cheesy (I quite literally mean cheese) smell of 70's flat-pack furniture, seriously! Slightly barnyard but not all the way and perfectly fitting for this perfume giving it some animalic edge. The drydown is a very familiar accord to me but I can't place what perfumes it reminds me of. I get a sugared, sweetness of a powdery amber, almost ambergris meets synthetic (maybe even ambroxan) then with the oud coming on strong in a kind of heady, Arabic sort of way. This is a very luxurious composition, which at first you might think could be a shrinking violet, not lasting or projecting but you'd be very wrong, this thing is a real silent killer, just speaking even more to the quality of the ingredients. I've sampled the whole line but this is my first experience actually wearing one and I've got to say they are very Impressive brand, and era is a great example. I've got a sneaking suspicion that Era will be a polarising/marmite type affair. I love so Marmite so it's all good.
Opens up with a fir resin and musky sharpness, this doesn't mess around in letting you know it's a indie bomb of a fragrance but crucially not a patchouli one...at least not for the first few minutes. Then the patchouli comes on stronger and stronger as it settles to a very earthy, soil tincture that would satisfy any patchouli lover. For me though I like patch when offset or tempered by other elements, this however uses darkly resinous tones and other stuff which makes it slightly too rich and peaty for my blood. Don't get me wrong it's really good and in fact turns on it's head again in the 3rd act because the drydown gets really cozy and resinous again almost to the point of an oriental amber. Great quality and thanks to Memoize for the sample, I enjoyed it.
The notes sound great! I’m hugely nostalgic about the original Tommy so news of this release is welcome in this camp.
When this opened I thought to myself...oh no! It's a hugely generic, messy modern blob of designer crap! My attitude has mellowed slightly because it is indeed a quality perfume but still not entirely to my tastes. Comparisons to oud minerale and Armani BT are fair enough, you get that salty sea vibe which I equate to an ambergris smell, kinda warm but with salty undertones. The clary sage is very obvious and the usual juxtapostion you get in Piguet fragrances of dumping a load of tonka, orris and vanilla in for good measure adds to the designerish versace eros maybe even a little Invictus type vibe this has. Basically many cooks conspiring to spoil the broth...but that's the fashion. The drydown is a lot more of that hand cream, fresh but off putting smell that you get in these sea breeze fragrances, but clearly some people love this vibe. I've got to say that this stuff is strong and long lasting I had one of those feeble cardboard sample things which dispensed a meagre 0.3 of a ml of fragrance and it's enough for me. I don't want to blast it too much because it does have complexity, and depth and somethings which I like about it...but it's not a keeper.
I didn't know what to expect from this fragrance, I'd seen it and it stood out due to the fact it's not in the usual FM label format. I've always been limited to trying FM fragrances as I have to order samples because no stores near me stock them. Thankfully that has changed now so I got to finally try this and I have to say it's very nice. The style is similar to both Musc Ravegeur and the custard like vanilla of Guerlain's L'Art a Matiere line. However this has a sensual and slightly brutal floral kick in the form of strong musk (at least in the beginning) and saffron. When this earthy, slightly rough, musky nature is curdled into a soft creamy, gourmand, milk with touches of nutmeg and tonka on a sandalwood base, it becomes something very special indeed. In the same way I feel about Musc Ravageur, as much as I enjoyed it, Dries van Noten is one of those 'when do I wear it?' type of fragrances. I own Musc Rav but it doesn't get worn very much, I suspect this is slightly more versatile and I am genuinely considering adding it to my wardrobe because I really liked it.
So 'Chasing the dragon' (or 'smoking heroin' as it's less colloquially known) has a feminine side and it's just as intoxicating as the name would suggest. The opening is very nice indeed and you get more of the subtle warmth and nuance before it becomes a combination of white and yellow flowers. Ylang ylang can be a really lovely thing and there's a jasmine note in here but it's not typical. I'll be honest I don't know what Muguet or Narcissus are, but I get a nearly tuberose smell from this, it's basically a very heady floral scent. There's a smooth vanilla type feel super creamy and nice. I'm not one to complain about price but I believe these are right up there in price, but I think value will very much be in the eye of the beholder. I liked it, and I like the way Euphoric tied in with Hypnotic which I felt had similar floral notes in as well. I think the quality is good but it wasn't the super strong and lasting scent I thought it would be from the opening. Don't get me wrong performance is very good, just not atomic like some white/yellow florals of this calibre.
So this was the last one I tried from Michel Almairac's brand and probably had the most lasting impression. He's somebody I recently wrote about as not really a one hit wonder but someone who hasn't been as prolific as some perfumers. Maybe this is just because he's done lots of stuff that I wouldn't neccesarily gravitate towards. (most scents marketed for women) If you look at his back catalog he's been consistantly working but considering the fact he created one of the most seminal fragrances of the last 30 years, maybe I wrongly expected to have had more hits from him? However, Parle Moi de Parfum is a really eclectic showcase of his talent. This being a prime example. Now I'm a sucker for a tropical, fruity notes in perfume but it's rare that they don't end up smelling like cheap shampoo, Chypre Mojo just about manages it though. The mango note is MASSIVE and grows from the initial spritz of bergamot and lighter weight citrus into a full grown, fleshy tropicana juice of a fragrance. I was really excited when the SA told me that it was mango and carnation but although clearly floral I didn't get a typical carnation experience from Chypre mojo. Carnation is pretty complex though and The overriding quality smell in here is almost one of resins, maybe labdanum? something in there driving it anyway. I absolutely loved it though, maybe more feminine leaning and totally bonkers really but if you enjoy a cocktail or a fruity smelling fun fragrance but with serious quality this could be for you?
A darkly spiced, dry vetiver, the oud is a cleaner base for the potent earthy, herbal scent to sit upon. This is another surprising Papyrus (a note I thought I didn't like incidentally) along with Clive Christian E I've tried recently. This has much more of a traditional origin in things like GPH1 and CdG 2 Man and more pariferally Wonderoud and Encre Noire. To be fair to this it actually transitions further than any of the ones mentioned above, changing from an obvious masculine oud opening to spicy smoked woods and then earthy drydown. There's clearly incense and maybe hints of patchouli with papyrus and vetiver looming large. This stuff is great. I really enjoyed it.
A massively sharp citrus and cedar fragrance in the opening, really unrelenting and woody as hell. The cedar starts to turn a trifle pissy for me but it's no where to the extent of some other intense cedars I've tried. Woodpecker seems to just about keep it in check before drying down further to a lovely but slightly lacking, warm woody drydown. On skin it was a nice transition but at no point was I wowed, the card I sprayed and put in my car actually still smells superb. I couldn't really get the iris but the card one, doesn't smell entirely of cedar so I've no reason to doubt it's there. I could see why some might rave about this, I'm less enthusiastic but I liked it somewhat.
Now could it just be the fact I saw name before I sampled it but I reckon this perfume does a very good job of evoking Christmas vibes. Although it's through a means I wouldn't necessarily associate with the festive season, ie: Orange blossom. The custard like feel of vanilla and orange blossom's smoothness do work extremely well together and give an almost eggnog vibe. There's a hint of fruitiness at the back of Guimauve de Noel and a caramel/toffee gourmand nature throughout, and then deep into the base. I'll be honest I never thought I would be but I'm actually quite taken with this. Simple composition but executed with clarity, I'm guessing gourmand fans would like it and white floral lovers wouldn't kick it out of bed either. If Francis Kurkdjian did a gourmand, I think it would probably come out like this.
Hmmmm...there’s no way these are the only notes. I got the promotional material with them and I don’t recall it listing notes but I should double check really. I think both the male and female versions of this release have incredibly opulent openings, complex floral and sensual in the extreme. I get why people are slightly against them, due to price and performance etc...but I think this is a brand where if price is an issue you really ought not to be considering them. The opening to me is a kind of intense, boozy, gourmand, definite warm spices in there and the cherry element does come through backed with a heart of florals. I’d say jasmine or tuberose or something, definitely more feminine leaning to my nose. The drydown is a soft vanillary, smell with more of that cherry edged vibe, but it’s definitely not what I was expecting. Hypnotic is broadly speaking more woody and masculine In the base than Euphoric. I’d say both the perfumes in this release fulfill the promise of an intoxicating, narcotic experience if only limited to the opening 30 mins or so because although I only applied a tiny amount and am still yet to wear properly, Hypnotic was fairly short lived. On the whole I really liked the mixture of gourmand and floral spices it was certainly like nothing I’ve tried before and that to me at least counts for something.
