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Sushi Imperiale

Bois 1920

houdini

First of all I was going to blind buy this fragrance until a very generous Fragrantica member sent me a sample (big shout to alunwill) so I got to sample it and I foolishly thought I could predict what this smelled like from the notes, reviews and just my expectations. Needless to say it didn’t smell the way I’d imagined, I’d say it was much more powdery than I thought. This fragrance reminds of four fragrances, the opening of a little sharpness citrus and sweet spices instantly brought Caron L’anarchist to mind except much more pleasant, sweeter less challenging without all the musk and metal. This is a far more cozy experience which then got me thinking about Costume National Homme but without the cherry and actually very different but stylistically similar. Then comes the drydown and much more masculine woody powder Boucheron Jaipur Homme and then finally and probably most obviously, Yves Saint Lauren Opium pour Homme. The cinnamon star anise and powdery, creamy old skool combo with something like carnation in there makes it very similar and I love Opium, so it’s not a bad thing at all. This is definitely sweeter the creaminess is vanilla which makes it different and slightly more upbeat. I’ve got to say I’m not put off by any of this, not what I expected but I loved it anyway. The smell reminded me of a friends mum when I was a kid, she was a bit of a hippy and into aromatherapy and more worryingly homeopathy, anyway Sushi Imperial put me in mind of the smell of their house sometimes. The lasting power is very good and it’s clearly of excellent quality.

8 years ago

First of all, this came as a surprise to me, not the notes or the smell of the fragrance particularly, more my final opinion on it, which I will get to in a minute. I feel I need to qualify my thoughts on the house, I liked Mont Blanc for many years when they were mainstream but somewhat in the wilderness so to speak, and actually reminded me a lot of Dunhill, mainly uninspiring yet solid fare with a couple of really good releases, that was up until legend and it’s flankers. I just found it to be a less potent A&F Fierce and the flankers that followed didn’t excite in any way. Night however is different and not because it’s good or original or not cheap smelling or because its that kinda dirty vanilla/Tonka, modern style nonsense, it’s all those things but I still sort of liked it. Yeah that’s right I think this is a worth while fragrance and you know the most prominent note right from the opening is Apple and Apple notes usually mean cheap and nasty with very few exceptions, as I said this is cheap but with less of the nasty because the rest of the notes are constructed around that ‘sexy’ gourmand vibe of a few years back the code Profumo, ferragamo uomo, some extreme flankers you know the ones? All that Tonka bean stuff. This is more of that but I don’t care, something about it just plugs in to good receptors in my brain and says you know this is generic but I like the Apple and dirty vanilla in here it’s a guilty pleasure I’m sorry. It reminded me of that cola/dr pepper thing of a lesser known Dunhill I own, you’d think boss bottles by the notes but it has more nods to D&G the one than anything. It’s not well finessed though it’s clearly modern and throwaway but if I see this heavily reduced in a bargain bucket somewhere I might just add it to my wardrobe for the sake of it. It lasted okay, stayed close and I was surprised just how long the drydown lasted and just how nice the resulting kinda spiced rum/vanilla that remained was.

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8 years ago

Prada La Femme Intense

Prada

houdini

This is beautiful. Truly beautiful. I’m a big fan of Andriers work and this is no exception, I think the way it complements the men’s version is clever also. This is the second time this year that a ylang ylang fragrance has wowed me but I’d say this isn’t your typical yellow floral nor is it in anyway your typical tuberose, I actually found iris to be prominent. I think all the florals in here conspire to create an almost exotic fruity vibe, coming from the frangipani more than likely but the powdery smoothness of iris making it all come together. It’s feminine but not completely outside the realms of wearing for me. I found it to be a very warm, oriental fragrance definitely check it out.

9 years ago

A fragrance that doesn’t open well for me, a very ‘of the moment’ vibe to it and what I considered to be a bit of a messy composition, not unpleasant just that usual swirling mix of too many notes, which is neither one thing or the other. However, I have to say the way it settles down Icon racing really comes into its own. The oud in the base, although quite typical of a designer sort of oud is actually quite pleasant combined with the caradmom and white floral of the original it’s kinda creamy and enjoyable. This is a passable woody scent and that base of vetiver/oud/cedar is nice and the orange blossom is long lasting. Doesn’t stand out enough to peak my interest but I liked it more towards the end for sure.

9 years ago

White gold is absolutely stunning. I don't think I could ever wear it myself because it's very heady, so intoxicating and powdered, it's like the texture of somebody poofing a talc bottle in your face, to the point you can taste it. The florals glide and soar on top of this powder which is narcotic in it's addictiveness. The opening is very floral and full to the brim with jasmine and freesia settling to an exotic orchid which is delicate as the powdery orris root and cashmearan build. The balance between powder and florals is completely perfect and it dances between the two never settling to a linear smell. Despite this balance I'd say casherean is the main player in this scent because it assumes the role of warm, woody base giving it a cozy feel but also acts as a floral booster. It's also very complementary with orris or iris and carnation which are all present in this fragrance. I love perfume and I always like to think I'm open minded and not opposed to wearing ANYTHING. However, some fragrances just scream femininity and I imagine what it would smell like on a woman because that's where I believe it is more suited. This is one of those occasions. What I like about Ormonde Jayne is that they are not afraid to mix the synthetic molecules with the more natural or perceived as natural aromas. ISO E Super, Casherean, synth musks, Abroxan, when used correctly they can boost other notes and make an otherwise ordinary fragrance very special indeed. I think this stuff is a triumph, I sprayed the tiniest amount bearly even there and it was massive in projection and longevity. Please check this out, I thought it was amazing. Update: just realised why OJ are so heavily into the man made molecules due to the fact that Geza Schoen seems to be the nose of choice and even though White Gold doesn’t have a perfumer listed, I’d bet my house this is his handiwork, they all have his style written all over them.

9 years ago

You know when a fragrance instantly transports you like a time machine to a very specific and actually quite insignificant and innocuous moment in your life. In fact the smaller the event the more you marvel at the complex workings of the human brain and how it stores, and more importantly accesses memory. Ta'if took me to a Sheffield dry ski slope some 25+ years ago... so weird. Anyway... I've decided that Taif roses are very interesting smelling and aren't really very traditionally rosy. They are heady and floral but powdery and more like dried pot pouri petals, definitely have a quality of tea leaves to them, reminding me of tea chests, (something else you don't really see anymore) wow this fragrance is really making me reminisce! There's spice to this too from pink pepper and saffron which are definitely big players, with a warm ambery base. I don't really like it, nor would I wear it but Ormonde Jayne is a quality brand and the line interests me greatly. I must say this is a unique fragrance at least to my nose and definitely polarising I'd say. If you go into it with the mindset you're getting a rose based fragrance you will but not in any traditional sense, to me this isn't rosy really.

9 years ago

The only one that convinced me enough to buy it. It's almost entirely feminine, soft, pastel vibes which are not what I usually look for in a perfume. I'd describe this whole line as this but non more so than this one, the kind of scent a lady might were on a Sunday evening after having a long bath and sitting around the house in her dressing gown. In other words this is not a fragrance for a night on the town, or even a day, it's more a... pamper yourself and rub cocoa butter on your legs sort of vibe and before anyone points out that my comments are dated or sexist...maybe I like an evening of pampering and if I did, I'd wear this stuff. The opening is a cuddly hug of creamy almond milk and the lightest touch of lavender which just adds to the chilled out, cerebral vibes of this perfume. There's loads of sweetness in here but never once does it become cloying or tip over the edge into unpleasantness and this is a difficult feat to achieve. I have to attribute this to the honey in here but I wouldn't say it's what I expected and got far more of an accurate honey note from the Oat one. Saffron although not displaying it's usual earthy or pronounced smell could definitely be playing a role in here and making me love it even more. The facts are, this is a superb fragrance and it smells heavenly. Is it really a proper fragrance though because it resembles own brand label or drug store confection? Yes...yes it is. It's gourmand, it doesn't last and it's feminine as anything but I adore it.

9 years ago

This one is nice but straight away too feminine for me. Primrose and Rye is the most floral of the bunch but still not overt in any way, non of these fragrances are, they are delicate by their very nature. The opening is creamy, grain yet again that oaty, creamy almond milk with touches of mimosa and primrose. This dries down to a vanilla, soft but uninspiring and no doubt easy to find elsewhere. I wasn't expecting these to be anything earth shattering or massively original and they aren't but they are all nice enough.

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9 years ago

Green Wheat & Meadowsweet

Jo Malone London

houdini

Very nice and a good mixture of the citrus vetiver of 'normal' fragrances, with hints of this creamy, grain theme of this limited edition line. The opening is sharp with grapefruit transitioning into not entirely green notes, but something a touch warmer. I felt this was the most unisex and borderline masculine of the bunch. Not bad but if I wanted a fresh green fragrance I'd buy a million others before this.

Funny that I said I would buy 'a million others before this' in my review below because I got a rare gift of perfume from my significant other today for valentines. This was it and it's actually one of the less cloying of this line and the fresh, greenness is actually a welcome relief. Don't get it twisted I love the milky, sweetened and wheaty texture of many of these but as much as I like them at first they start to get a little hard going after the first hour or so and this doesn't. It's not like they are beasts and last anyway but still. I will definitely wear this, I don't know where I got vetiver from in my initial review? Anyway I like this and I'm noot just saying now to appease the missus.

9 years ago

To be honest this one smells more honied (especially the drydown) than the Honey croccus one I eventually settled upon buying, Oat & Cornflower was a close second. It opens up very milky and creamy, reminiscent of lightly spiced porridge oats which is a very appealing smell in many ways. That spice is like a super subtle hint of cinnamon and ginger just dancing across the top notes of this stuff. This warmth and cuddliness is probably what provoked the Aomassai comparisons and I do get why tolu balm is evoked. I like the drydown less but it's still a hugely interesting fragrance that changes from the opening. It might be the cornflower in here because I'm not sure what it smells like but the balance and tempering of sweetness is good and not to the ridiculous extent of jeux de peu or anything like that, but has that oaty quality throughout. I like it but I'm not mad about it, the performance seemed to be better than most of these for longevity at least because non of these are projectors.

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9 years ago

Gucci Bloom Acqua Di Fiori

Gucci

houdini

I found the original Bloom to be utter generic rubbish but hey what do I know about mainstream designer scents that are made for women? Not a lot. What I do know is that Gucci have raised their game massively in recent releases the two new Guilty Parfums being notable. I thought the bottle, branding and campaign behind bloom gave it a high profile and a feel of real quality which personally never translated into the fragrance itself, however I have to say I really enjoyed this flanker and so did my better half. She enthusiastically came over waving her wrist at me saying “Smell this...It’s Gucci bloom” I sniffed it and immediately replied...”That isn’t bloom...it’s nice.” She proceeded to show me the bottle and it was this flanker. I subsequently got a sample and confirmed that Acqua di Fiori opens up with a green, galbanum note of transparent incense which by its very nature is fleeting but quickly establishes a herbal, musky woods which is very fresh and green. Nothing sweet, overly floral or cliched in here just really good, light stuff perfect for spring/summer and unisex...I’d rock it. Maybe not enough to blow me away, it’s no Ninfeo Mio but it shares some similarities.

9 years ago

This is kind of a bit Mugleresque in it's approach, complex, strangely gourmand and a little exotic. The fruity opening is osmanthus heavy but soon descends into a thick, chunky fragrance of patchouli and tonka but it's not a creamy sweet vanilla all the sweetness is provided by the heart note of cassis, which isn't a straight forward sweetness. The drydown surprised me a bit because I found the opening a bit feminine and too reminiscent of recent, black orchid style fragrances but with far less class like a Marc Jacobs Decadence for example. However, the drydown is a quiet, balsamic affair much more unisex and with a blackcurrant note of cassis and even a hint of liquorice. I quite liked it, despite an obvious and overtly female focused opening which would be sickly after a while it changes to something softer and more balanced.

9 years ago

Lots of perfumes with coconut notes get it entirely wrong, and you have to be careful the notes you pair it with, white florals neroli and jasmine and it can resemble cheap sunscreen, too gourmand a line up of accompaniments and it gets too sweet and cloying. Put lime or fruity notes with it and it becomes a pina collada or summer Exotic cocktail now I’m not saying all of these don’t work rather that it has to be a balanced use of these elements which can be said for perfume compositions in much broader terms. Anyway....Nejma 7 gets this coconut centric blend absolutely and entirely correct. Opulent, sweet and gourmand yet tempered with bitter cacao and a hint of patchouli with good quality woods and oud in the base, this is a really decent and relatively long lasting gourmand. Not quite interesting enough to love but a definite like and something gourmand and certainly coconut lovers should try because you’d be hard pressed to find anything with more quality. This is perfectly wearable for a man but I still have a instinct that it’s more feminine. Reminds me a little of Odin Roam 10 I even get a bit of the smooth, opulent and spicy ebony wood from this too.

9 years ago

I have to say that I always anticipate CdG releases with a fanboy level of enthusiasm and this was no different but I'm a bit late to the table on it. So disappointed that it doesn't deliver, I wanted something really cold and unnerving along the lines of a Narciso Roderiguez and this is echoed in a recent(ish) video by E Simplyputscents guy. I expected Wet, cement but less musky and with comme des garcon signature incense weirdness but alas this fragrance is not that at all! What concrete delivers is a modern, synthetic, woody scent which is a bit too sweet frankly considering the name and expected brief. Is this sandalwood? really? This is not what I consider, just sandalwood and CdG actually make one of the most potent and spicy sandalwoods you could hope for in blue santal. It's not a overly sweet smell, nor would I strictly call it cloying, but I did find it a little grating after a while. I thought it was okay on the whole but linear and not what I was expecting from a house with a reputation for pushing boundaries, in a good way. Strange but not the good strange I wanted.

9 years ago

I have to give this fragrance some props for the fact that it has three distinct phases which could easily be three different fragrances. This quality must be applauded. It starts out like the most chaotic and shambled mixture of warm and spicy vibes which made me think I was in for some sort of incense and amber affair. This then changes over a period of 20 mins to an hour into a fragrance I have DEFINITELY smelled before I just cannot place exactly what it is. It goes gourmand almost in this mid phase, becoming a sickly spiced, nutmeg, hints of cakey, spicebomb and warm vibes, I don't dislike it but the fact that there's yet another change in the drydown is welcome. Then there's the finale...a deep, creamy, heavenly, woody, resin which is gorgeous and sits low on the skin smelling nothing like the opening or heart. I can honestly say this is an enigma of a fragrance, the way it progresses gradually giving up it's secrets and although unremarkable by themselves add up to the kind of olfactory experience I look for when trying a new fragrance and Resin Sacre delivered a similar trifecta. So I like it for this reason but it didn't grab me enough to add it to the collection, reason being the middle bit is the longest lasting and my least favourite and the best bit at the end is too much of a skin scent. Oh the opening is interesting but aren't they all. Try though and see if you feel the same way about it?

9 years ago

This was the first I tried from this line and looking at the name I expected it to be in this style. Cologne Absolute has a citrus, green opening which is clean and soapy with the white florals coming on a bit as it develops. I love tarragon as a herb and the thought of a fragrance which features it at the forefront is great but something doesn't work as this settles. It became more herbal certainly, but not something I would enjoy wearing as something seems slightly off about this combination. Good on Tom Daxon (we will come to what I thought of the other three I sampled in later reviews) for not just making a classic cologne but maybe he should've done? I think for those that like it, this will be a real gem.

9 years ago

Hard to dislike but I found it quite uninspiring. The thought of an oud like this was very appealing and the geranium and cardamom give it a very clear and clean focus with a potent base of oud. Without doubt this is high quality and lasts very well, drying down to a very nice hum but nothing jumps out at all.

9 years ago

I tried this in Harvey Nicks on a recent trip to Edinburgh and it is an extremely decent fragrance. The opening is pure booze with all the delicacy of a fine single malt whisky and like a smother version of Atelier cologne Gold leather, I found this quality to be extremely appealing. As it settles it becomes a warm benzoin amber and suede leather and made me go “huh, I was sort of expecting that from the name but these phases are all great.” Then there’s the main kicker an accord of my favourite note labdanum which is slightly darker more spiced version of frankincense. Then there’s the lighter more uplifting olibanum note itself which basically what this dries down to. I’m really happy with it and describing it as another one trick pony like Avignon or full incense simply doesn’t do resin scare justice, because it’s a more interesting composition than that. Performance is no beast but very exceptable for an expensive but not extortionate fragrance.

9 years ago

If you are craving something unusual and herbal this will tick those boxes for you and that’s exactly the place I was in recently when I sampled this again. The composition of dirty is very interesting a sharp herbal minty opening, with a grassy quality and oakmoss and thyme which evokes dirt or at least a dirty quality, it’s hippy stuff which caught me in a good mood. This however is not regular wear for me and not even something I want in my arsenal but I’m apprecaiting the way it’s put together and the complementary notes.

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9 years ago

Aqua Celestia

Maison Francis Kurkdjian

houdini

This stuff slots effortlessly and perfectly into the Aqua line sharing all the class and clean uplifting vibes of Universalis etc... the citrus in the opening is a positive lime note which I like but becomes less distinct as it settles to a more mandarin/bergamot, this freshness is added to by the mint which is welcome and a marriage made in heaven. Doesn’t come off like a mojito though and it would be so easy to make the connection. It’s musky but with a clean floral combination to back it up and give it the signature of the aqua line. Again this isn’t doing anything new but rather tried and tested combinations and methods very well indeed. The drydown becomes slightly more feminine but that’s just a personal association because it’s neroli which is not only lovely but boosts citrus and gives an amazing base platform to display the top notes. I really like this scent it’s very refreshing, thirst quenching and classy, perfect for a hot summers day would instantly cool you down and soothe you. Although it becomes a quiet skin scent the performance is extremely good.

9 years ago

I agreed with the TdH comparison because it is apparent but please don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s a clone or in any way completely identical because it isn’t. The citrus is sharper opening with a positive grapefruit rather than orange, the earthy woods is supplied by a powerful, balsamic, oud note which is quite clean and somehow similar to the vetiver of the Hermes. This fragrance is clean, of decent quality and has superb performance with the citrus lasting a long time. I blind bought it a few years back and I’m still impressed by it.

9 years ago

This is a stunning fragrance. Right from the outset it delivers a hearty punch of jammy fruit notes like a kinda plum vibe. Then there's the heady whack of a balsamic, amber like accord which then gives way into the heart of iris and sandalwood. L'insomnuit does have a gourmand type appeal to it which I would say might come from the tonka bean, but it's not typical in anyway and is nothing like a deliberate gourmand. I get a sense from this perfume that it's not trying too hard to be anything in any category and is a light-hearted exercise in how to make something fun and smell exciting with a mix of notes I think are great together. I was hooked from the first whiff.

9 years ago

Wowza!!! This stuff is pretty special right here. Atkinsons are brand which I've admired from afar for some time but never committed to purchasing...until now that is and 41 Burlington arcade is the fragrance to tip me over the edge. I've very nearly bought Old bond street triple in the past and then haven't for whatever reason but that's a decent, masculine freshie. I'd say this shares the same kind of fresh, citrus/musk attitude and is incredibly invigorating with one key kicker which is present right from the outset and that's pepper. This stuff is a pepper bomb, in a good way the notes are so complimentary from the sharp bitter grapefruit opening, to the wet flint spark, earthy vetiver and peppery liquorice accord of the main body of this fragrance. It is straight up impressive and does put me in mind of Clive Christian V (I think it's V...the pepper one anyway) and of course in the designer realm the now discontinued and sort after Marc Jacobs BANG! such is the peppery dominance of this creation. Somehow 41 Burlington manages to be simultaneously more classy and more down to earth and masculine than either of those. A perfect combination of things coming together, I like the brand, I like the notes and execution of the fragrance and I like the fact that it is masculine, without being inaccessible to the female crowd but in my opinion, it's not exactly unisex. I like the unique nature of it too and a prime example of how to make a fragrance subtly smoky but show restraint. It's really good basically. The performance was hard to asses from the first wear but it's no monster and maybe you'd expect that from the price etc...but even if it's poor I will let it have a pass because I really enjoyed it. My girlfriend complimented it and from distance too as the projection and silage was massive to begin with before dying down. Fresh but woody and extremely spicy, it's a dream this one, I love it and will probably buy it.

9 years ago

Okay so I've manage to try a few more Zara fragrances and I have to say these two leather ones aren't really leathery. I can give this one a pass because the vanilla/tonka tones in here do evoke a leathery base but the Aventus clone one? I suppose birch smoke could be conceived as leathery...but not really. Okay that aside and this scent is not instantly recognisable until it settles and the Ultra Male comparisons are clear and accurate. Opens with that gourmand, ultra sticky sweet notes a bit fruity, nondescript, unnatural fruit... bubblegum. Then it dries down to a clonker of a tonka, sickly, dense, dirty vanilla and although I'd say extremely similar to ultra male, this is somehow cheaper and more cloying. I still to this day do not understand why I like Ultra male, I should hate it but it's a total pussy cat on my skin and smells quite good. Gourmand Leather however just smells like the plethora of awful Tonka based scents of a few years back. It's okay I suppose and I don't hate it, the opening is not only different to Ultra Male but I thought it wasn't bad, if you want something heavy and clunkily warm and sweet.

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9 years ago