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Eau de Cologne Imperiale

Guerlain

houdini

So many reviews to do, so little time. It's tragic that I've only just gotten around to pen my thoughts about this stuff. I don't know whether I'm just having a Eau de cologne renaissance but I really am in love with this kind of fragrance at the moment and it's not even the weather for it. Maybe that's the beauty of this sort of classic perfume...it's versatile and timeless. In any case my respect for Guerlain couldn't be higher and this really is a gem, despite the obvious comparisons with a million other similar fragrances. The opening is like a cool breeze of luscious, bright citruses and lemon verbena which often gives a little fizz to proceedings and although in broad terms, not a long lived perfume, the citrus does last throughout. This might be due to how Cologne Imperiale, superbly transitions into white florals but they are very light and delicate. The drydown has a hint of creaminess like a woody vanilla but so subtle and barely registering as such. It's brilliant! I really like it. This type of perfume can be quite boring but this has something about it an air of class and robust heritage. I have tried it through the years and this latest formula doesn't seem to have lost anything. I didn't expect decent performance and as such was pleasantly surprised when the longevity was okay, low lying but perfectly acceptable.

9 years ago

I’m disappointed with myself for not posting my review of this scent when it came out because I really liked it then and nothing has changed really. The citrus opening is lovely and with the edition of a positive and superb lemongrass note, is kinda herbal and zingy. Then it does become this thing we imagine old shave products to be like when they possibly were much harsher and full on as other reviews have mentioned. I get a classic cologne type mix but also a manly, herb Fougere, I’ve no doubt lavender is playing a part but it’s not pronounced to me. What I do think is I’m there is a vetiver like, earthy clean note, sometimes causing Bayolea to lean toward a kinda lemongrass Terred’Hermes. This could also be due to a zest of the tangerine note in here, especially in the opening. The drydown is lovely, clean, clear, concise...(maybe another C word I can’t think of right now?) and absolutely satisfying. I don’t think it’s groundbreaking, but Bayolea gets a thumbs up because performance was agreeable at 6+ hours so one of these days I might just get a bottle.

9 years ago

Whenever I see the word Bourbon I automatically think whiskey rather than vanilla, strange really as I’m clearly a fragrance fan but I’m obviously more of a whiskey fan so there you go. Well, who knew I would’ve been eerily accurate in that assumption, the opening is boozy and not in a good way, the base alcohol in this seems to take an age to disperse, which can happen with some (even the best) vanillas because they are so subtle and take time to develop. Then you get the other type which are just poorly executed and sadly that’s what E&J Nirvana Bourbon is, a meek, woody perfume which is an oak note, again subtlety conveyed and a vague booziness which is quite nice and then barely a flicker of the main player vanilla. It’s a shame because I can tell there the basis of a good perfume in here but it’s so patheticly mild it comes over like an anosmic, single woody molecule that quite honestly....bearly registers. I like the bottle and the branding though...they look pretty cool.

9 years ago

I really wanted to love this fragrance, I was extremely excited at the prospect of another AdP Colonia and one based on Ebony wood sounded delightful, unfortunately Ebano misses the mark. It starts very well, the opening is really superb, the red pepper note hits upfront, both fresh and spicy and then the unmistakable ebony note is among the best I’ve smelled, owing to the fact that it is the true focus but with touches of vetiver and other cleaner woods. Totally masculine, on the darker side with a dusty, dry feel and a hint of patch earth too. The thing which lets this perfume down is the drydown, it dries down, to creamy woods quickly and Is just a bit flat. Ebano is something which could’ve been so good and even glimpses greatness briefly but I’ve come across this before with this kind of woody scent. The drydown is passable but very boring and like something bog standard from the designer realm, I feel a bit bad giving it a hard time because it’s okay but could’ve been so much better. I’m not too bothered about the performance but it is a low lying hum as can be expected from an ebony/woods fragrance with little silage but still unusual for this line as they are usually strong. In conclusion then, I loved the opening and thought I may have hit on a holy grail of old skool, peppery, masculinity but that excitement was too short lived. I’d recommend anyone to try it but Ebano didn’t meet my high expectations.

9 years ago

I tried this in Birmingham a few years ago and all the way home (stuck in traffic for hours!) I was totally intrigued and intoxicated. (I don't mean I was drunk) It was one of those where I knew EXACTLY what this reminded me of almost immediately. I say 'almost' because the opening is such a strong, chaotic, swirling of notes that it's really difficult to discern what's going on. Then when it's settled sufficiently it's basically Tom Ford's glorious Black Orchid. Again...I say 'glorious' but I gave my bottle of Black Orchid away to a friend of mine as I thought she'd appreciate it more than I did. That's the main problem, although dark, exotic and with gourmand facets which one could argue are the epitome of unisex, I still find it too feminine. Because of the glaring comparison this is the case for Oud 24 I'm afraid. It has a sweet but a little smokey oud opening, then chocolate, cacao, patchouli incense and exotic florals pour out from what is a BIG fragrance. I don't go in for this being an exact clone of BO, put it this way I think I could tell them apart from the opening in anycase. This has more of a middle eastern feel, it's woodier and more raw, becoming even more complex. Yes I know than Black Orchid a massively complex perfume in itself, a statement that shouldn't be possible, but Oud 24 Hours manages it somehow. I still found the floral aspect way too much for me and it grated in the same way as Black Orchid. So is this a cheap and viable alternative? I'd say so, the performance was very good but I also remember that being the case for the TF too. If you like BO it's worth knowing this stuff is out there.

9 years ago

I'm always fair to Beckhams fragrances but this one is not great. Not only is it behind the times stylistically (not always a bad thing) but Respect's tired and synthetic opening doesn't excite. It then settles a bit to a really sad, melon/ cheap aquatic, mildly derivative of loads of scents but exceeding non of them. Sorry Dave...I'm not a fan of this one.

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9 years ago

Legacy Private Edition

Cristiano Ronaldo

houdini

I quite enjoyed the original and I'd even sniffed out CR7 (the release that came out after this one) before I got my nose on this and I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed. Private edition is a bit like I imagine the man himself to smell, brash, over the top and sickly sweet. I don't mind a sweet fragrance at all and the thought of maple notes gets me really excited but this don't do it for me I'm afraid. The opening is an intoxicating cloud, a kind of dirty vanilla blob, which put me in mind of that tonka bean craze of a few years back. There's an amber warmth but it's very cheap smelling and I've not idea what other notes are there because frankly it's a bit of a mess. One thing I will say for it, Private edition is in keeping with the line and does have a certain unique quality (maybe it's that maple? I'll have to wear it again) which will be striking to some and is what I liked about the original. However, It's not unique in a good way, it's more a 'who can make the ickiest, gourmand chemical bomb on the market?' kinda way and that's not big or clever. Sorry Cristiano, I don't hate this and I will try it again but my gut says thumbs down and I don't think that's gonna change.

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9 years ago

Bottega Veneta Pour Homme Essence Aromatique

Bottega Veneta

houdini

Usually marketing blurbs annoy me but 'sophisticated' and 'easy to wear' are incredibly apt descriptors in the case of Essence Aromatique. I've worn it once and sampled it a couple of times since and I'm still arriving at the same conclusion...this is a very decent effort. I like the original, the Intense, and have only recently tried the parfum and don't feel equipped to comment on that one but generally I enjoy them all, so it wasn't a surprise that this one was good. What was a surprise however was the seemingly different vibe of this compared to the original and subsequent flankers, it really is a totally different animal. A modern and clean, citrus and almost fougere opening which gives way to a more earthy, spiced and moss and wood heart, finally finishing on a deep but mellow bed of patchouli and cedar. I'm so glad that Bottega Venetta didn't phone in a weak aquatic which I feared when looking at the name and packaging. Now apparently this is an EDC concentration and while it isn't stong, I think considering that, Essence Aromatique lasted okay. This is well executed and it's just really nice to see that there's still care being taken and respect to tradition observed, when making new releases. Although this isn't earth shattering stuff it ticks boxes for me, overall originality? tick. Great opening? Tick. Enjoyable wearing experience? tick. Nice drydown? Tick. Not one dimensional? tick....and Is performance acceptable? Tick. Despite never owning it, I have had about 25 (not exaggerating) carded samples of the Pour Homme and worn it loads because I find it highly original and this isn't bad either. Maybe I should get some Bottega Venetas because I like them.

9 years ago

Cards on the table, right off the bat for Quercia....This is a really, really good fragrance. Not only does it adhere to tried and tested ideas but it has some suprising extra depth and quality to elevate it that bit further. Opens with a signature AdP freshness, petitgrain/citrus/verbena but immediately let’s you know that this is a woody fragrance, with earthy tones and plenty of oakmoss, lending a wonderful masculinity. So far so straight forward but the quality of the woody base really does keep giving throughout, those lime top notes lasting well into the drydown and at the heart of this fragrance there’s cardamom and geranium, all giving a kind of Italian vibe. The most surprising thing for me is the very deep drydown after many hours...there’s the soft vanilla notes which I’m assuming is from Tonka Bean. Faceted, brilliant, strong and long lasting but not invasive...I’m pretty sold on this superb Chypre type fragrance, Bravo Acqua Di Parma.

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9 years ago

Les Absolus d'Orient Santal Royal

Guerlain

houdini

I’m in two minds about this fragrance. On the one hand I love the opening, the depth, the sheer quality and middle eastern vibe of this fragrance in general. However that is one of things I don’t like...it’s intrusive...invasive even strong heavy projection and a unrelenting smell which I can only take for a short period without nasal fatigue. This is the problem with many UAE frags oils and attars I have, they bang too hard. I also have a slight problem with this being called santal...suggesting sandalwood which is clearly in the mix and might even save this scent somewhat, but it’s undoubtedly an oud. The oud is loud, proud and has that sharp, dankness which reminded me specifically of AdP oud calonia a fragrance I kinda like but actually gave to a friend for the same reasons I couldn’t wear this one. In fairness to the Guerlain composition here oud, musk, rose, citrus and resins are handled absolutely perfectly and combined much more lovingly to create a smoother, much less clumsy and more rounded scent. I like it, I think it’s brilliant in fact, and couldn’t help sniffing it throughout a long wearing experience but for me it becomes a little too much. This is just personal preference because I’m quite amazed by the opening and just how much oud potency and carefully finessed surrounding notes. Another stunning scent from Guerlain but definitely one for unapologetic oud lovers. Update: The deep, deep, deep drydown (approximately a week later on my coat sleeve and a sample card) and I'm absolutely amazed at the smell. Not least because it's still there but because it's warm, soft, complex and truly outstanding. It's not just a base trail either there's mainly oud a soft sandalwood left sure, but it even the subtle heart notes still remain. Crucially it's not harsh at all. Maybe this is the key to having this scent? Spray it on clothes you're going to wear in a weeks time.

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9 years ago

Aramis Modern Leather

Aramis

houdini

I have to say I thought this was a reasonably good fragrance. The opening is nice, interesting, clean and fitting of the name modern leather...probably the modern bit more than the leather. It has a powdered leather which is much more subtle and something you might find in a more feminine and lighter fragrance. The main notes are basil and geranium to be honest, and that’s fine by me as it’s tempered with a edge of masculinity from a oakmossy type note. That’s it really. It has dried down very nicely and actually reminds me a touch of Tom Ford for Men, if it’s available heavily discounted in a few months time then I’d definitely consider adding it to the wardrobe because this is wearable stuff for me.

9 years ago

This is a decent scent and I’m not just saying that because of my usual enjoyment of all things Penhaligons, it really is. Starts out with a new approach which is typical of the house, complex yet understated and apart from fruity top notes and a tobacco/Tonka general nature, it’s something I hadn’t really come across before. However, after the first few minutes it settles and completely changes to a honied, more powdery but ultimately the same scent as TF Tobacco Vanille. I haven’t got a problem with this and even less so for two reasons, it’s not exactly the same and that it has a different opening and drydown, which we will get to in a moment. The problem is that on the whole is this a better fragrance than TV? I don’t really think so. It doesn’t quite have the same balls out strength although the longevity was excellent to be fair. The drydown was much more Tonka bean and a sweeter more playful vanilla than the Tom Ford. So in conclusion interesting opening which fools you into thinking it’s not a clone of TV, then the heart of it IS TV, then the drydown reminds you it isn’t with some softer, refined tones. A good effort, worth trying but I won’t be buying it.

9 years ago

For me the Ideal accord has certain ‘Goldilocks zones’ where it works and this version might just be a departure too far. Here’s the history of my option on Ideal and it’s flankers, I didn’t really like the original, I found it disappointing, sweet rubbish. Then the EDP or deeper version, for some bizarre reason I quite liked even though it was possibly sweeter and even more icky, but sometimes it’s a case of...if you’re gonna go there might as well go all the way. Then the ultimate plateaux was Ideal Cologne which mixed the original accord with more fresh notes, I really liked it and perchased, and actually wear often. Ideal Sport still has vague glimpses of the almond base but they are much more distant now and the top notes and main vibe are that of a generic, aquatic. I find it boring but not unpleasant it’s fresh and when dried down smells a bit more interesting than the hundreds of aquatics it smells like because of that Ideal pedigree. Is it something I’m interested in? Not really performance was fairly good though. Update: I can’t believe I was So blasé about this fragrance, upon sampling again its actually a brilliantly well realised aquatic. It’s a class act, reminding me a touch of amazingreen, classic cologne type fragrances, modern aquatics and a touch of the gourmand basis of the original. I really like it.

9 years ago

I could either write a massively long review or a super short one for this, reason being it's not straight forward but then again it is....let's see how it goes anyway. The opening was a surprise, much more masculine and earthy than I expected but then modern does of the generic cleaness and freshness there to keep L'Insoumis relevant, But is 'relevant' really what we want from a perfume? Personally I'd like them to reflect back on 80's powerhouses or classic fougeres, it's about time they had a renaissance in the mainstream. Lalique kind of do this but also fall short quite a bit. Don't get me wrong I love the house, they don't really play along or dance to the tune of the mainstream and I think this avoids that too by being classy, retrained and in keeping with the brand aesthetic. This being said I don't think they have any real masterpieces among their repertoire. Oh just reading a few comparisons to Sauvage, style wise...I don't entirely disagree but smell wise it's nothing like...could there be a hint of ambroxan in here?...I'd say yes but it's low in the mix and likely the other elements of Sauvage that remind people of this scent. The style is very much in the mould of a Sauvage or even an Aventus, fresh fruity top and smoky, earthy base, a classic men's combo. The clary sage, vetiver, pepper and all conspire to make a clean, modern yet earthy brew. The note I get prominantly is patchouli from start to finish and with that clary sage it's the right balance of masculine dirt and modern, powdery, clean, This is a tightrope walker of a fragrance. It's carefully measured style could easily be mistaken for the mundane but when you've been around enough fragrances you can tell what is accidental or bandwagon jumping and what is deliberate, and L'Insoumis falls into the latter catagory. I enjoyed it and found it very wearable the performance was pretty god, subtle but present drydown and the bottle looks nice. All in all I'm glad I blind bought it.

9 years ago

I love being a fragrance nut and it’s because of days like this, you get so jaded by new releases that I let out a disappointed sigh at the mere sight of one, especially a flanker of a decent original which was only out last year. I truly enjoyed Horizon and got several samples on its release, solid stuff but didn’t quite compel me to buy, this intense version is a different story all together. Anyway...this stuff is really very good and no ruff edges or anything just a nice, wearable and well put together fragrance. Grapefruit in the opening is sharp and completely contrasting from a modern, masculine leather, herbal, woody type heart/base. It’s a different feel to the original in that this is without doubt an oriental fragrance but still has shades of the citrus/woody/ginger of horizon without just being an intense version. The difference with this and many new releases I end up liking is that I instantly felt a sense of knowing what Horizon Intense was going to deliver but it was still totally non typical. Performance was okay to good and I couldn’t ask for more really. I want a bottle. Bravo Davidoff for not ruining but building upon the legacy of the first fragrance.

9 years ago

This is quite simply a stunning perfume and another massive hit from the house of Robert Piguet. The opening is similar to many ultra woody, slightly dank but massively faceted oud creations and if that's what you think you're going to get, that would be just fine by the way. Okay so where's the delice part? You have to be patient to be rewarded especially with the deceptive opening, not expecting to be struck by a gorgeous gourmand nature. Resinous, sweet, earthy but delicate all the while, gets my vote for sure.

9 years ago

I'm such a sucker for a fruity little number like this, especially when it doesn't smell cheap and this smells a million bucks to me. Despite having no qualms about wearing anything I do have a threshold and I find Moonlight in Heaven wildly effeminate and would be impossible for me to wear. Incidentally My girlfriend thought it was boring but what does she know eh?...her judgement and taste are clearly flawed. ;) Anyway... The opening treats you to sharp grapefruit and a tropical cocktail of guava, mango running through it. It later mellows for me to a less exotic kind of mandarin but still lovely long lasting fruity top notes, that's what I'm getting at. It's not floral but I'd say there's jasmine or tiare flower or something in here just lifting the whole thing and a vanillary/woody/musk base...I'm sure there's more going on here because this is more than the sum of it's parts. This scent doesn't sound like much and I'm sure there's millions of similar scents out there but it spoke to me....Perhaps it's the pink pepper? (I do love the smell of that) it has a class and a light freshness but also a quality I enjoyed. I'd buy it for my significant other but I may have to exchange her first. :)

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9 years ago

Aqva Pour Homme Atlantiqve

Bvlgari

houdini

Acceptable, likeable, and perfectly serviceable aquatic fragrance. I suppose you could say this of any line but do BVLGARI really need to keep producing these AQVA flankers? I think they do it because this is a particularly iconic and cool bottle although that might be slightly cynical and to be fair there's far worse offenders to pick on. This has the seaweed and saltiness of the AQVA's with some modernity thrown into the mix to make a mildly derivative, 'blue' scent. I have to say the deepness of this particular hue is very nice (yes I'm not being figurative, literally the colour of the bottle). Not to mention, I'm the first to complain when flankers go too far off the reservation (see AQVA Amara) but when they are flogging a dead horse with this Ocean accord, I start to question why? In my opinion the original AQVA and the Marine one are excellent and among some of the best aquatics ever made, these flankers are the difficult albums following a seminal one. So I'm just saying give up BVLGARI? Well no but I'm sure there's new avenues to explore that's all. Just a thought....If BVLGARI do release more flankers and insist on retaining the sea vibe can I pitch a dark, brooding version, still salty and aquatic notes but really heavy woods or incense or something? The bottle fades from deep navy to virtually black and call it BVLGARI AQVA ABYSS (TM) (I want credit for this if there's any BVLGARI creatives prepared to nick this idea)

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9 years ago

Uomo Salvatore Ferragamo Casual Life

Salvatore Ferragamo

houdini

So fragrance flankers either go...1) Let's ramp up the originals ideas to 'eleventy stupid' (to quote Mark Kermode) and call it 'Intense' or 'Extreme' while actually squeezing the heart and soul out of the fragrance or effectively and inexplicably making it weaker! or....2) Let's give it fresher more aquatic type top notes or shoehorn in a modern fad from other popular releases (all of which are made by our parent company as well) diluting what made the original good. This is the latter. Fresh opening and all very nice just like someone added a little generic crap to what was an interesting but ultimately flawed original. I kinda quite like that you can still smell the orignal DNA but I'll pass on this effort.

9 years ago

I was sat in my friends tattoo shop yesterday listening to a couple of well groomed young lads discussing fragrance and specifically how many Creeds they owned. I decided not to chime in with my opinion, not least because the talked turned to this fragrance and I realised I hadn't tried it. Viking was something that was much anticipated and maybe all that pressure has amounted to an anticlimax...so I immediately went to find out. What Viking does deliver is a very strange and complex opening which sadly the rest of the fragrance doesn't live up to. The top notes to me smelled like a mixture of mango, sweet berries, licourice, mint, patchouli and saffron...EXACTLY! a mad combination. It had a quality of Versace Man (The discontinued purple bottle) or the Oud or even a bit of PHII but the main accord of this perfume soon prevailed, showing it's fangs and truly what this scent was about. That is...Aventus. A kind of fruity cocktail consisting of a kind of pina colada but with exotic mango or something, the refreshing ice lolly cleanness of many Creeds like millisime Imperial or Erolfa etc... but with an underlying and unsettling heft in the form of something a bit smoky and woody giving masculine purpose to what is an otherwise fruity/musk perfume. I think it's due to a note I love... pink pepper. It's usually quite a fleeting top note but was very interesting to see the composition using it so heavily and maybe the cause of all that confusion to start with? It's a bit like a desert which utilises the fragrant sweet heat of pin pepper to accent and cut through the fruit. The problem I have is that for all Aventus faults or people's taste just not being attuned to it. Aventus has something natural, raw and primal about that pinapple/birch tar combo. Viking feels more chemical and much more modern in the wake of recent popular releases in precisely the same way that the ladies version of Aventus did. An Aventus 2.0 then and Creed can charge what they want because people will inevitably buy this stuff for that reason. Performance was good but I had a sneaking suspicion it would be atomic but it wasn't. This is a muddled review but don't get it twisted....I didn't hate Viking, and will definitely be wearing it again to further flesh out my opinions, because it's kinda interesting and not a simple open and shut case. Incidentally one of lads in the shop concluded that despite owning millisime Imperial and Aventus he thought that £185 for 50mls was far too expensive for this perfume and I'm inclined to agree there.

9 years ago

If you are a love of white florals (which I'm not) this could be a fringe alternative to look at. For me the loudest shouting white flower in there was Orange blossom, closely followed by neroli and maybe some jasmine, because out of the lot I do quite like jasmine and that both sweetened and classed up the proceedings. Petitgrain and bergamot are the perfect top notes and persist well on top of the base but not a combination we've never seen before. Eight and Bob's expanding range of fragrances are all perfectly well and good but not a one to date has made me take notice. This is no exception and although white floral/citrus is almost the perfect universal unisex 'thing' you could imagine....I still find it more feminine leaning. Having said that my girlfriend hated this one.

9 years ago

I have to say I was completely blown away by this perfume and trying it several times makes me arrive at the same conclusion....Black Phantom is great. I wouldn't go as far to say it's a triumph or anything too gushy but what I like is that BP marries some good concepts in what could've been another massively over priced damp squib, like many others from Kilian. The thing is when he hits... he hits and the creativity in this one is akin to the ones I enjoy like Straight to heaven, Apple brandy, Back to Black (I don't like but I appreciate the originality) Incense Oud etc... The opening is immediately gourmand, gorgeously cocoa like, warm, sweet but also bitter, it's well balanced. Then there's a woody vetiver type vibe, smoky, evoking the colour grey and a charcoal like texture. The alcohol edge which is a By Kilian signature is definitely there and next to make an appearance before drying down to a sugary, coffee infused caramel and tonka a bit like tia maria or kahlua. The dirty vanilla drydown is soft but lasted very well on my skin in fairness. Okay so I don't know how much this perfume costs but I have bought Kilian's before and they ain't cheap. This is mainly due to the packaging and this one has a fancy box, so I'm thinking a lot. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt on the name and the perceived 'Darkness' which I actually thinks comes from the smoky wood and the rum element rather than the chocolate. I suppose chocolate can be dark as well so hey? What I like about Black Phantom is that it could so easily have been another boring gourmand, jumping on the Feve delicuese hype but what this and the Dior have in common is that you (or at least I) could smell the quality. You can smell literally smell the money. As much as I love Mugler AMen Tonka and can see the similarities this is a league up in terms of quality and for the money so it should be. I'm not talking strength or longevity here or snobbery just that Je ne sais quoi. This perfume has distinct phases too, the opening the heart and the drydown and I thought progressed well through each one. I enjoyed it but I'm not looking to add it to my wardrobe.

9 years ago

This fragrance surprised me greatly. I don’t dislike the others in this range but never found them compelling enough to purchase after trying fairly extensively. You’d be forgiven for thinking (as I did) when this opens that Extreme night is just another very crude attempt to try to copy the Dior Homme format. The opening note is a big powdery, leathery blast of orris root/iris (love it when I see the notes after saying orris root as opposed to iris And it’s listed in the notes!) However, as gorgeous and familiar as it is this accord is short lived, dying back almost as quickly as it came on. Then extreme night actually mutates into something unexpected and I think that was the best thing this fragrance could of done to ensure it won’t be forgotten....well by me anyway. Don’t get me wrong it’s still no DH but the remaining low buzz I can smell after eight hours is very close to the skin and very appealing. This fragrance undergoes a series of changes, constantly shifting throughout. You get the softness and sensual nature from vanilla and Tonka without them being overstated and making the name of this fragrance highly appropriate. Then there’s a floral hint, lifting this fragrance but never making it too feminine, although I suspect many women would enjoy and wear. Then there’s an underlying woodiness to the whole affair, grounding it nicely. I’m not sure how much of that was deliberate though. I’m in two minds as to whether this is a complex yet subdued take on the sexy night time fragrance or a mish mash of jumbled ideas and lukewarm concept...either way the end product is the same. Performance is not great longevity wise but a big problem is that extreme night doesn’t project, nor will it ever be a big impact scent, choosing instead to sit quietly on your skin where only the most intimate of guests will get to smell you. Its mostly gone after several hours and despite quite liking it, I couldn’t justify paying top whack but if it was very cheap in a bargain bucket I might have a punt. Probably not though.

9 years ago

Well, some might even say that this Ice flanker is an improvement on the originals broad themes and crowd pleasing, amorphous nature. Ice certainly has a cool opening blast of bitter citrus and maybe a touch of mint. It’s not minty but you get that impression, then a modern musk/cedar and some warmer powdery tones in the base but the heart of the fragrance is that bergamot, pepper and even slightly ginger like spice. The deep part of the drydown is my favourite though and Immediately reminscent of the very good summer fragrance Dior Homme Cologne. It’s actually more like DHC than it is like the original JImmy Choo Man. So Ice is not a bad outing and I can’t criticise but never it’s going to excite me all that much. The performance and silage were pretty good likely boosted by ambroxan something I can definitely still smell after 7 hours.

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9 years ago