Latest User Reviews

<
232 286
>

Assistant Blog Fragletter About Us For Business Privacy Policy Terms Of Services Imprint API Access Connect AI Assistant

Search Fragrances Perfumers Brands Notes Accords Best Of Discussions Year Wrapped Compare Top Users

[email protected]Report Problem Propose Missing Perfume

Deutsch English Español Français Italiano Polski Português العربية हिन्दी 한국어 中文日本語

<
232 286
>

Fuel for Men

Donna Karan

houdini

Oh well...I'm so often surprised by the fact I haven't reviewed certain perfumes, when I'm sure I appraised them long ago, this is one of them. I've been a proud owner of this for years now and despite not trying the original DK, I think Fuel is a magical perfume. To me it has all the beauty and subtleties of the very best sandalwoods, because afterall that is the dominant note in Fuel for men. It is joined by the warmth and depth of amber and what can only be described as powdery notes, with a floral touch evocative of the feel (but crucially not the smell) of iris or orris root and a satin, buttery, suede. This reminds me of soft pencil shavings, and crayons but with a sweeter nature, and a refinement and quality that is pretty staggering. Other softies like this which have subsequently been released have caught my heart like Atelier Cologne's Santal Carmin or Xejoff's Ivory route. 'Santal Secree' I've coined them, things that are strong but barely in the realms of existence to some noses, certainly in terms of announcing themselves. However, when you them breathe deeply and imbibe, have masses of depth. Not strictly for men, soft and feminine enough for women to love too. I'm using my bottle sparringly as it's rare stuff now.

8 years ago

Something about Man in Red is redeeming it and pulling it back from falling into the gaping precipice that is my wrath. It escapes it's fate in the yawning chasm for one reason...it goes straight for my inner child and more specifically that child's sweet tooth. I can't believe that vanilla isn't listed because it dries down very soft and creamy. (Just noticed Tonka is listed) The opening however made me really dislike it with that mundane fruity apple vibe and fruity woods. The accord does grow on me after a while as I said and it's pretty in explicable because I really shouldn't like it but I do. I get the comparision to the red Dunhill one but this is even sweeter and softer.

8 years ago

I think it was a good thing for Tom Ford to make a 'designer' mainstream, leather fragrance, something which was usually only afforded for the niche fragrance elite. What a shame then that it seemed to take an age to come out in the UK. I was nagging TF reps for months trying to get my hands on it, and they didn't even know what I was talking about. Same old story... Well now it's even in Boots the chemist so everyone can and should get at it, because it's really nice. The opening is luxurious, kinda sweet and slightly resinous, nodding towards Tuscan leather but with a definite jasmine floral leaning edge making the leather buttery and even a bit iris or orris like. It perpetually sways back n forth between a sweeter TL leather and a more feminine, powdered leather. I really like it. Hang on a second though because I'm getting deja vu here. I remember the release of the private blend version of this Ombre leather 17 a few years ago and as nice as it was, was met with a bit of sigh from me. Well I must not have been the only one and maybe the redundancy of that fragrance as a private blend addition, allowed Ombre leather in it's most recent incarnation, to be born...who knows? And now it is here and is good...makes Ombre leather 17 even more redundant. I mean it's still not exactly cheap or anything but it's excellent value compared to the private line 50ml being about £75 and the 100ml is about £110 Tom Ford needs to keep things reassuringly expensive after all. I can't argue with the performance, although dying to a skin scent after a couple of hours I found the longevity very satisfactory.

...

8 years ago

Ted Baker

houdini

This fragrance does its best to replicate the wonderful Gucci PHII and in the opening it doesn’t do a bad job but almost as immediately you can tell it doesn’t process anywhere near the depth. I get the zing of bergamot, the spicy clove even the floral musk and woody base of cedar all popping, maybe even slightly replicating the darkly metallic tea notes of GHII but it’s such a poor and weak imitation and sweeter too and I genuinely hate to be so reductive and bring it all down to a comparison because I like Ted Baker as a brand and desperatly want to see good perfumes from them. I even like the precious metallic concept and branding/packaging, the shiny flacons which look a bit like hip flasks, and the very wallet friendly prices but the truth is Au is weak, doesn’t last long and despite glimpsing the spirit of GPHII it’s no where near as musky, spicy or aloof.

8 years ago

It's not often I venture into the women specific, designer scent world but something compelled me to pick this bottle up. Now it isn't due to a lack of interest more that there isn't enough hours in a day to sample everything out there. My Burberry Black was actually a quality piece of work but the overall vibe is very Femme (rightly so) and as such not something I'd wear. I don't even feel it's that original in approach but for one crucial thing, It doesn't smell cheap. The base of amber and woods anchors what is not strictly an oriental perfume, perhaps more of a fruity Chypre hybrid but with that classically peachy, jasmine then a pleasing, warmer drydown. Nice.

8 years ago

A beautiful, fresh citrus aquatic that dries down to a kind of sea breeze and vaguely feminine, soft fuzzy peach. If you like your aquatics very salty this isn’t for you has a kind of light fruity nature, don’t get me wrong the sea is certainly evoked but it’s very much in the background. You can tell the ingredients are quality and the blend of notes is good, just not the most inspiring piece in the world for me. Enjoy the smell though, lots to like.

...

8 years ago

Star of the Season Elixir Edition

Orlov Paris

houdini

This is an amazing scent no doubt, one of the main reasons is the top notes are positively fruity and exotic, unmistakably guava crucially not listed in the notes here. The development then takes a turn for the familiar in the shape of a gorgeous vanilla then it became obvious what this smelled like...and it’s one of my favourite perfumes ever...Bella Bellissima’s White Leather. However, as quickly as you can make the association you realise that, firstly it not nearly as lush or intense but it actually changes becoming much more floral. It’s a lovely mixture of iris, soft powdery leather and overtly fresh orange blossom/neroli and maybe some freesia or something. The main basis of star of the season is a soft sandalwood accord which again is similar to White Leather. You can still smell the exotic fruit and vanilla way in the background too but it’s such a different scent as much as it’s familar maybe even more complex but certainly not backed with the strength of oud or the rich, long lasting power of BB. It’s more feminine too and I’d definitely recommend it to those who like the tropical/fruity/floral with an oriental type base.

8 years ago

If you like vetiver, this is one of the best in my opinion. On first spray, you get quite a strong vetiver that fizzes on the skin. This slows down and for a while is accompanied by an oily, gently rubbery guaiac wood. I usually struggle with Guaiac wood in fragrances if I'm honest, but it's okay here. I'm not sure I'd be so happy with this if it hung around, but after about 30 minutes, it fades right out to the backseat of the composition, replaced instead by possibly the most beautiful sandalwood I've ever smelt. It's dry, warm and fresh, more like a wood shop than any incense. This is also alongside the emergence of a rich, dark chocolate. The chocolate to me is more abstract than I was expecting. I feel like throughout the wear, it's more of a suggestion of chocolate rather than an obvious, gourmand chocolate. There are some ever so slight, gentle florals, and a hint of a powdery iris note that shows up briefly, but for the most part, they don't crowd the stage and bow out after a couple of hours. At this point, for me, the scent is more or less linear, with no great changes, all chocolate, woods and vetiver, with some balsamic, ambery sweetness to keep it interesting. But that description is far, far too simple. This fragrance has an incredible duality, whilst remaining completely wearable throughout. It is at once dry and sophisticated and sweet and playful at the same time. It flits between the two faces wonderfully and not in a typical "unisex" way, as in the fragrance as a whole takes on the particular gender, it literally swings between masculine and feminine depending on which notes catch you in the air. It's really something special to experience. It's strictly black tie only but can be total rock and roll, constantly subverting itself just when you feel like you have the measure of it. When it feels black tie, it almost makes me feel bad for wearing it in a pair of jeans and when it flips and feels more relaxed, it just kills it, feeling like pure casual class. The blend of these two faces is really something special here and elevates it beyond your average vetiver fragrance. I think the way it wears like this, it is appropriate for any occasion, though it still feels a bit too classy for casual wear for me. This is more for a dressed up affair, whether that be work or play. It would absolutely kill on a date night, but I don't know if I would wear it for a first date as it has quite a unique character, it would really depend on the situation. As far as gender goes, the subtle oakmoss, woods and vetiver nail this hard as masculine, but as I say, it flips equally feminine with soft, rich chocolate and balsamic notes. I think it can be unisex and I also think this would be very sexy on a woman, but you'd want to be pretty confident in your style. As long as you own the fragrance and don't let it dominate I think it would work. Honestly, I think that applies to both male and female here. Performance is INSANE. two sprays are enough, will net you a decent sillage and won't be overpowering, which honestly I think could be easily done. I sprayed this on at 10am before heading to work and went straight out when I finished, I got home at 3 in the morning, crashed out on the bed and woke up the next morning at 8am and I could still smell it like I just sprayed it. Even after I got out of the shower after waking up that morning, I could still smell it. Mental. I could go on, but I won't. Unbelievable scent.

8 years ago

I have a love hate relationship with this perfume and clearly it's taken me a long time to bother to review it, something I don't usual afford many perfumes specifically marketing towards women. It's not discrimination on my part, more that I have enough men's and unisex to review. My love hate relationship is basically that I used to hate this and now I don't...well not entirely at least. Always had a problem with aldehydes and floral musks and this starts out very bracing, even this modern version. One thing that has struck me about this fragrance is that it's the perfect counterpart for the Men's version, or sorry...more correctly the men's version is a great counterpoint for this, being as this one predates it by several decades. The green, sharpness in the opening actually has slightly the ammonia smell to me and reminding me a bit of being choked by hairspray, perm kits and hair dye by my mum, sisters when I was a kid and nowadays by my missus! Allow that effect to subside though and you are treated to what is essentially a feminine 'Barbershop' scent. Do women have a genre called 'hairdresser' scents? Anyway the musky, oakmoss clean white florals, slightly minty geranium, vetiver and woods could easily be worn by a man and on my skin actually smells really good. A fragrance I've been aware of for a long time but has come into clear focus for me now, which says as much about my changable tastes as it does about the quality or suitability of various perfumes I may have dismissed in the past.

8 years ago

This is an exemplary fragrance and despite the price tag....I want it. Creed Royal oud...I get that comparison but this is far superior for several reasons not least of which being it actually smells of Oud. Jubilation XXV....??? Uh uh...nope I don't get that from Oud Rouge. A more accurate comparison would be to Versace Oud Noir or Versace Man, or even CdG Wonderoud, because it has this Blackcurrent/liquorice opening which absolutely bangs with pink pepper's sharp sweetness, it's divine, and again although I've compared them, this is superior in every way. When Oud Rouge is settled it totally changes, I mean it could be a different fragrance the cedar, pink pepper and oud loom large with an almost labadnum sharpness too. This is luxurious stuff. I love this fragrance, it's an absolute delight, projecting hard at first but then sitting low on the skin and lasting very well indeed.

8 years ago

I love Roge's reviews and I can see where he's coming from with this one but I'm going to be entirely more lenient with this praiseworthy fragrance. I will start by saying it's not really my scene, bleu being essentially, an aquatic oud fragrance but I found it quite light and charming. The opening is fresh and yesty, the orange note is not typical to my nose but it's clear that it's not a sharper citrus either, so yeah, it's unusual. Then there's the smooth cardamom and sea breeze vibes which are not that salty, ambergris but more of the 90's men's designer aquatic nature. The base of resins is clearly there both rich and ambery to fresher olibanum type vibes and just feels quality along with the subtle oud backdrop. I really enjoyed it as another direction for this oud line to go and people who are into aquatics or fresh fragrances this could be your king. I'm also somebody who doesn't care all that much about pricing and have grown tired of the whinging I hear about brands like this and Clive Christian etc... If you don't see the value I get that and you have a right to express it and in many cases I might actually agree to some extent. What I don't like it vendettas and to deny a whole line (most of which they probably haven't tried) any merit or say that 'They are all garbage' or 'there's no oud in here' to deny the quality is crazy because I've sampled several of these now and they're all pretty fantastic. This all being said there's not many I'd part with the money to acquire. They are in more of the French/european tradition than they are Arabic (another critique I hear but FdB never made any such claims) and frankly the ones I've tried so far are very understated and some not big lasters or projectors, which again is fine because many other ones are. In reality to me Oud Bleu is just 'nice'

...

8 years ago

31 Rue Cambon Eau de Parfum

Chanel

houdini

I thought I'd revisit these revamped releases of the les exclusifs, not that I paid them enough notice in the first place to get any discernible difference but hey. Now something about Iris and Ylang Ylang (individually) is really working for me recently, Iris isn't a shock but ylang is, as it wasn't usually something I'd say I enjoy. The opening is green, slightly musky, floral but not overtly and has the smooth exoticism you'd expect. The drydown is pretty woody and with a delicate hint of earthiness from patchouli showing yet another example of just what a great perfumer Polge is...although was it his son who did this? Anyway...Do not be fooled by the notes because this is not a typical experience nor is Rue Cambon a typical Chypre in the sense that it's very unisex, and quite woodsy in the drydown. It sits quite low but you can smell it and lasts pretty well, I really liked it.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

...

8 years ago