Well I've finally sampled John Varvartos fragrances and superficially I've been very satisfied with them. I say that because across the board they open fantastically then just disappoint massively as they drydown. Unfortunately It's the same story with Varvatos Artisan but maybe to a slightly lesser degree. The opening is a sweet juicy clementine which is very accurate and is obviously floating on a base of woody notes and a fizzy, green note of galbanum. This is all very nice but then starts to retreat from this fresh and natural scent into something slightly more white floral, orange blossom and a hint of ginger. That's all in the first 20 mins or so and I'm thinking Artisan is a bit of a winner. Then it seems to change into a bit of a sour car crash after the orange/tangerine note subsides. Tomato leaf is what I get on my skin...yep...a greeny, slightly metallic note and that mixed with a white floral that plainly, just isn't very nice and certainly a contrast from the lovely opening. Performance is pretty poor (lasting 2 hours if that?) but this fragrance is interesting and the opening is very nice so just for that I give JV Artisan a thumbs up.
I've done all these reviews in the wrong order now! I managed to write a really in depth one for Cuir de Russie and the proceeded to delete it never to be seen again. That was my first and very positive experience of Chanel Les Exclusifs, I don't know why but I was dreading trying this. I think I thought it may smell like Serge Lutens Cedre for some bizzare reason...kinda pissy after all it turns out to be a sheldrake creation. Thank heavens it wasn't the opening is very clean and sappy green aldehydes but with an instant spice to it. I'd say juniper and cypress in terms of notes listed here and you could be fooled by thinking this was a very lightweight fresh woody scent. Then the next few minutes of development, and a very focused smokey vetiver emerges. This dries everything out and combined with the gorgeous spicy edge of sandalwood makes for an extremely refined vetiver and up there with the best I've smelled. The comparisons with Encre Noire are obvious as a benchmark of ethereal, earthy quality. I think the main difference is that Sycomore doesn't reveal it's hand as quickly as EN and as such develops slightly differently. This is a good fragrance.
Not sure if I've already reviewed this one but in any case I've revisited Sycomore EDT in the last week or so, as I feel it's one of the more popular Les Exclusifs but one of the ones I'm least familiar with. It's a vetiver! That won't be a big shock to those of you reading a review on Chanel Sycomore and I hate to pick on the previous reviewer (below) coz it's a bit of dick move but I am a dick so it's fine and perfectly in character, So I would say that to compare this to Encre Noir is bizarre to put it lightly. This juniper fresh interpretation of vetiver is a million miles from the gloomy, melancholy... no, abject misery of the Lalique, that to say they are different 'vibes' is an understatement. Encre is brilliant for what it is, about the most dreary day imaginable, I'm talking like Manchester dank! But it's construction is so rudimental, so Iso E and vetiveryl acetate and not a lot else, and while Sycomore EDT is seemingly simple too, it's key difference is that it feels alive, it feels rounded like a good Chanel should, and even though this is one of the least quintessentially 'Chanel' Chanel's I could reference, and it's not even bringing anything new to the table in terms of vetiver composition ideas, nor do I really even particularly like this style of fragrance from a personal point of view, I have to say that it is a supremely well made and satisfying perfume.
Wow! This is an uncompromising fragrance. Rather than being warm this stuff is positively hot! An aggressive amber, softened and feminized with floral notes but lets get it right, this is a hearty, balmy resin fragrance. It's almost syrup-like intensity opening with a spiced oriental feel and a puff of powder. It's got a bit of the old style straight benzoin, Bain de Caron thing coupled with a dressier tuberose, which is prominent in the opening and fading into the dry down but for me providing a great compliment for the amber accord. Tuberose is one of those love/hate things for me but in this I just get the good stuff. The sweet sharpness is more like labdanum than olibanum but either way it's prominent throughout...another thing I like. There's a creaminess of sandalwood in here too, maybe coming out more on my skin and conspiring with the amber accord again to intoxicate. I see this as a floriental fragrance which I can understand some people considering to be unisex and frankly I could pull it off. Having said this it reminds me so fully of a confident, sexy, more mature woman sort of vibe? For this association in my mind I couldn't wear it but be damned sure I'd be attracted to a woman wearing it. It's a bit naughtier than the kind of scent your mum might wear, I like to think more of a liberated cougar type rocking Halston Amber Woman. It's no joke performance wise too...goes on nice and strong, doesn't last excessively long but projects really well for a good couple of hours before retreating to a low skin scent. Update: My girlfriend has been wearing samples of this the past few days and it comes across very tuberosy on her especially at first.
I'll be honest...I totally impulse bought this fragrance and now I'm not 100% sure about it? John Varvatos is a brand rarely seen in the UK until now, ironic that a week after I come back from the states (where I saw this stuff all over & didn't sample) I end up buying a JV fragrance at home. Anyway I knew nothing about the brand except for mixed reviews on here and have managed to aquire 5 (4 mini's) and this one due to the fact I quite liked the lot. Dark Rebel seemed at first to be a very interesting, dark, smokey scent with a slightly mysterious edge if not a bit of a silly name. The opening is of uber dark ebony woods, tobacco, leather and styrax to my nose made this very appealing. An raw animal quality shrouded in spiced rum and a strong cinnamon note which dies down quickly into a heart of familiar mainstream fodder. I have to admit this is a classic case of a really mediocre fragrance masquerading as something quite unique and special for the opening 10 minutes. Shame really because I genuinely sat up and noticed Dark Rebel. It's not doom and gloom though the skin scent this dies down to is a sugary, Captain Morgan which is there throughout but somehow smells slightly cheap as apposed to that chaotic opening. In summary 'Niche opening, designer dry down.' Performance is average bordering more on the poor side but you know what??? I'm not disheartened because this fragrance takes you on a journey, all be it a short and slightly disappointing one ...but a journey nonetheless.
Let ignore two things for a moment... One... that this is a Bond No.9 fragrance and as such fairly pricey. and two...That it smells like many fresh scents you've smelled before. I'm perhaps slightly biased as I sampled this scent in the Bond no.9 shop which is almost directly at the end of the High Line, shortly after enjoying a sunny stroll down it. The High Line is truly a great idea by the way and something more cities with similar elevated train lines should adopt, if they can. What I did notice was lots of hardy grasses rather than colourful, delicate flowering plants. (although there is some of course.) Anyway High line the fragrance opens with a burst of that freshness and citrus. I have to say... I wish I got rhubarb from this but I just don't sadly. The sales assistants assured me there was tulips in there and without being specific I'd say a non-sweet floral aroma is there. Hyacinth is absolutely present not something I'm over keen on when pungent but here it gives a nice 'WET' grassy quality. This has to have a woody base for it to sit on and adhere to, I'm sure it's there but I can't really detect it. Maybe it is getting lost in a clean floral musk, which is green and pleasant till the bitter end in the drydown. I like the fact that some thought has gone in to this fragrance about the high line and although when all is told it smells like a generic green/floral scent, the quality of ingredients is still apparent to me. Performance is good and subtly projects as long as you don't go mad with application. High Line is a lovely smelling scent just not one for me and not something I would be looking to add to my wardrobe.
I have to say that in store this was an instant hit with me and having worn one of the samples I got, my opinion hasn't changed much. This is a decent brew and I can see why it would have mass appeal (I seem to recall the SA telling me this was a best seller) very well blended fresh woody/citrus combo which can't really go all that wrong. What it can do is pale into insignificance against many designer scents which have the same brief, and again I think it doesn't do that. This is by virtue of the fact that there's a perceived quality here from a fresh juniper then vaguely tropical friut opening which is quickly manned up with a little dryness of cedar and even hint of birch some which I think is coming from a vetiver core. When I say 'vaguely' tropical fruit I actually mean quite an accurate pineapple note, which in no way reminds me of Aventus. While on the subject as it seems to be a issue of contention (certainly with the reviewer below) Scent of Peace oddly DOES remind me of Aventus but not because it smells even remotely similar, but simply because it seems squarely aimed at that preppy crowd who want a wearable, designer scent but are looking for something slightly more exclusive. This could just as easily remind me Bleu de Chanel smell wise but I think this is fresher and more up my street. Yep...Bond No.9 have a fragrance I would definitely wear here when this dries all the way down it's smells very masculine works well with my skin, the performance is good and for the price, perfectly acceptable. Update: Yeah I said this reminded me of Aventus but doesn't smell like it....errrr...yeah the reason it reminds me of Aventus? Because it does in fact smell quite a bit like Aventus. Only for the first hour or so and no where near as brash/smokey or pineapple like. I have to say this is a supreme wear, I've thoroughly enjoyed it's gentle smell throughout the day. Then a new aspect, a crayon/pencil shaving like, fruity/creamy sandalwood sort of thing which I never detected before in the base. It puts me in mind of Donna Karen Fuel for Men/Aventus and something else...rest assured scent of peace has more dimensions than first expected...and I kinda want it.
Wall street conjures up images of Gordon Gekko or Valentino suit clad, 80's twats sniffing cocaine and talking into brick mobile phones with a big rubber breadsticks coming out of the top, in true Patrick Bateman style. Bond No.9 's gimmick of naming the scents after parts of New York city is something I really love about the brand. I've got a real soft spot in my heart for NYC but I don't really associate a bright n breezy aquatic scent with the hustle and bustle world of the financial district. You could argue 'what does a street or neighborhood smell of anyway?' which is a fair point but other than being fairly close to the water I don't get the connection with Wall street here? I'd say wherever you are on Manhattan you're pretty close to water...even slap bang in the middle! Anyway... Words like "Aquatic?", notes like cucumber? This doesn't inspire confidence in me at all. Cucumber is a wonderful juicy, natural, smell but in perfume terms its usually strongly accentuated and curdled with creamy almond, vanilla, tonka or sandlewood etc...which for me make it nauseating. This is different...not accurate smelling but fresh and works really well in the aquatic setting. I do get hints of Sel Marine, similar salty seabreeze with none of the horrible elements or suncream. It's so vaguely salty, perfectly well handled seasoning and could be down to seaweed or less likely (more bizarrely) down to pistachio! More of a cooling, fruity, slightly metallic seaside exotic drink. There's a drier bitter orange note in there for sure and amorphous citrus and obvious vetiver. The base that it dries down too is warm with a puff of light white musk, yet still quite metallic which is fairly anomalous. This is a good one from Bond No.9 then...okay performance, unisex but totally at home on this man and even masculine leaning. To me this is better than the very pleasant Creed Millesime Imperial (Which seems like a worthy comparison)due to being more interesting. Performance is okay and I like the smell a lot...thumbs up for Wall street.
I've voted 'Like' on this one but frankly it's just because it's a pleasant smell not a truly great perfume. If you can get past the overbearing fruity opening and the incredibly shampoo-like quality which dominates the whole experience, there's some merit in there. The opening is a berry concoction which is super feminine and smells EXACTLY like more than one of my girlfriends shampoo's. Then that powdery minimal clean white peony/magnolia combo which is the heart of this fragrance. I'd say its a warm synthetic base of amber when dried down but still the dominant fruity/floral powder. The kicker for me is the Ivy. Yes you can detect it and that is the honestly Sag Harbor's saving grace (although it dies away after a hour or so) and keeps this scent from just being cheap or a total chickfest and actually reminds me of carthusia or another Italian house which use this herbal, green scent against the nagging powder of a modern base. Unfortunately it will always win over and there's no way I could were a scent like this. I'm glad after my missus washes her hair that the smell doesn't last too long, let alone her then applying a fragrance which is much the same. Some are going to love this and good luck to them, as I mentioned I think it has some merit as a high price fragrance...just not for me. Update: This is very long lasting stuff, dies right down to the skin but very good longevity.
Okay I've never tried Windsor and have been tempted to purchase a stupendously over priced sample before now just to be one of the privileged few who know what all the fuss is about? I'm suspecting like many, many folks who are smelling Royal Mayfair for the first time and having their hopes of a holy grail dashed, because it really isn't what they had anticipated Windsor to be like. Well I agree. Although I could be wrong...This might be a pale imitation in comparison but even the sales assistant was quick to say that it was a Windsor doppelganger, so what conclusion am I supposed to draw? Well, just going off the fragrance alone, instantly it smells like Creed. I'm not exactly sure I can put into words what I mean by that...but bare with me. I think its the juniper/citrus opening which is fresh and bracing in a really good way. Then there's a slightly herbal pine refrain which settled down on my skin to a very different Rose heart. I say 'different' because it's not dark or thickly perfumed or jammy or anything like that but more like a Penhaligon's opus 1870 refined rose note. This however is not the whole story and I've deliberated started talking about what I consider to be the 'garnish'. The main offender (depending how you see it?) here is the eucalyptus which rides through each layer of this perfume from top to bottom. I actually found it to be quite an interesting and subtle note not overbearing but I can absolutely understand the aversion and negative connotations associated with it. Menthol cough sweets, cheap minty smells and coupled with pine in here cheap bathroom cleaning products. Thankfully I think it's handled pretty tactfully in this composition and doesn't tip over into that territory but instead walks a thin line of questionable appeal but for sure those who love it, they will revere this quality as setting it apart from other fragrances and in truth...it does. My girlfriend hated this one. I however liked Royal Mayfair my minor criticism would be it's a bit weak and lack luster. I think a deep wood base and drydown wouldn't have gone a miss. Instead you get a scent which never really kicks but delivers some rarely (if ever?)seen olfactory ideas. After all I would say that is what I look for in a fragrance so I can't fault it there. Royal mayfair is certainly no rehashing of done to death and tired concepts, (well...maybe one of it's own?) which it must be commended and given some credit for. Lasted reasonably on my skin but I think for the price you might feel short changed for anything other than beastmode strength. I would like to trial this properly and give a better appraisal because my instant thoughts were that I wouldn't wear it but I have a feeling it might be a grower this one.
Not a brand I'm that familiar with. I have tried several Sisley's but tend to leave them alone as I do with most 'Women only' brands. I know, I know I should be more open but I kinda like the restriction as the market is big enough without trying everything that comes out. Soir d'Orient is different though, I figured I'd pass comment on what is a fairly appealing fragrance. I say that as it is available in department stores but does have that niche slightly middle eastern edge. I say 'slightly' because this is firmly in the safe, modern, western camp but with a nod to oud and incense which instantly would make me take notice (If I was a woman) Yes I say that because this is still ultimately quite a feminine floral scent, not overbarely rosy and with a hint of pepper and resin and a base of woods. I just think it's a bit soul less and generic the bottle looks great if not a little deceptive, reminding me of Armani prive or those upper class gold/black combo oud/rose combinations. Sadly it doesn't deliver the goods. So really nothing to set this apart from a host of interesting orientals, still a nice perfume though. If it went a bit braver and smokey with the incense I might just wear it myself.
Quite simply this is as sweet as sweet gets in that approximated leather vibe which many many perfumes go for in the vein of Tom Fords Tuscan leather etc... Recently In response to a forum thread, I discussed at length the merits of these leather fragrances and the subtle differences between them. Although starting out quite leathery this one tends to go the way of AdP leather and sweetened up fairly quick. Don't get me wrong this is excellent perfume and at a jawdroppingly cheap price, a great alternative to TL and the likes. It's not quite got the richness or density of long lasting niche leathers and settles to a skin scent much more readily, only projecting gently. I can live with this though because the performance is still very good and it clings to clothes relentlessly. Monotheme have produced some great scents at prices which cannot be denied are bargain.
Hmmmm...there should be a lot to like here but sadly this misses the mark for me. Firstly I'm glad just to find Monotheme in stores, as these scents have alluded me for years now and finally I get to try them. Starts out with a peppery spice in the opening which for me was hugely promising but sadly doesn't last long and the promise fades along with my hopes about this fragrance. There's a definite labdanum and Amber vibe with a powdered floral feel and underpinned with woods. I have to say this just feels a little tired and slightly dated, almost granny like. I found the performance to be reasonably good and this brand are obviously of some quality for the comparitably low asking price. My verdict is that Black our is a perfectly good fragrance just not my bag and if you are looking for oud although it's present I'd look elsewhere.
Balmain is a brand I respect. I'm not sure why as they don't really cater toward men and when they do there's not many to choose from. Regardless I still like them, a bit Lalique I'm won over by the niche appeal at designer prices. This however is generic rubbish. So sorry to say that because I've no doubt it's wearable and it didn't offend me or anything but possibly worse than that I thought I'd smelled it all before. This was not something I expected from Balmain and especially with a name like Homme, you'd think it was the captain of the flagship? (also because of the Nepoleonesque uniform.) Yeah the bottle is prehaps the most appealing thing about it. The top notes are a tired aquatic like, fresh bergamot then a whispy, synthetic violet accord which again is okay and you could be fooled for thinking quite nice in the first minutes, but I want more frankly! Then like many fragrances these days...burberry brit or Versace Eros to name a couple...it tries to do too much. Ie: fresh and crowd pleasing, ethereal and classically perfumed violet then a faux oriental base of warmer woods and tonka beans and a slightly powdery 'leather' thing??? I don't really get Saffron from Balmain Hommme either but perhaps if I try it again it my come through?? My point is, everything is mixed into oblivion, blended into mediocrity, you can't do everything with a fragrance or it just comes out having no identity at all...for this Balmain are guilty there's just something cheap smelling about it and that is quite the crime. Longevity was 'average' believe it or not? a bit like everything else about this one.
A very decent offering from Jo Malone and a great addition to the Cologne intense range. Speaking of the black bottles, I have to say that despite all being very good in their own right, they don't offer much in the way of unique composition with the exception of Oud & Bergamot which doesn't really smell like either but manages to be the stand out of this line. This kinda suffers with the same thing because it's a fairly straight forward spicy incense fragrance. The opening is a heady refreshing olibanum, bubbling and zesty like a cool gin & tonic. Elemi also has this similar effect so those two are very apparent off the bat. Then the spicing becomes more apparently woody, it's a peppery woods vibe, which is kinda like sandalwood without any of the creamy element to it, rather than cedar. This definitely has a more grimey element to it than avignon or cardinal which I think are more uplifting and frankincense/elemi dominated. I have to say when dried down I get the quality and warm of my favorite resins, balmy labdanum and benzoin remaining close to the skin after being initially quite strong. I think the quick fading down to a skin scent is not always a bad thing especially with scents like this and the fact I'm wearing it in the summer. Performance is okay generally. All in all it's good and props the Jo Malone company for moving into this territory because it suits and enhances the range. I wouldn't buy it but if they did a mini set with all of these in I would definitely get it. Update: Deep into the drydown now and it has vague qualities of Armani myrrhe imperiale or black afgano but not as deep or luxurious. Still nice though, as heavy spicy woods go this delivers. I love labdanum and I definitely feel the vibes in here.
Yet another 'Intense' fragrance. Flankers are unashamedly cashing in on their predecessors these days. Bottle looks really cool to be fair and I'm not judging, might be really good?
I'm a big, big, tea fan and anything with 'Tea' in the name definitely peaks my interest, especially 'Tea escape' I have to say I'm undecided and will definitely take another sample to work out just what's going on? I think it's the rice in here? There's definitely an unknown herbal type element to it? I think I know what rice smells like but I've not sure whether it belongs in a fragrance I want to wear. I will give tea escape this...it's a unique, almost odd proposition, even the tea is not a smoky, aromatic earl grey, neither is it classically dry or metallic? But it is definitely tea. Tea is typically coupled with citrus notes and it's refreshing that Maison Martin Margiela and Pellegrin have decided to go in a different direction with it. The osmanthus and floral element shouldn't be downplayed in this fragrance because it is a big part and as it settles offers up a unique flavour which reminds me of Lush products. That mixture of natural and synthetic it really is a very interesting smell. Must return to this one because I was tempted to buy it just for strangeness and had to refrain.
'At the barbers shop' is a perfectly named fragrance (unlike many these days) I was expecting clean, herbal, green soap and leathery aromatic goodness and that's exactly what I got. The opening is slightly sharp and fresh with a hint of citrus perhaps then lavender and basil. The heart and base is a milky, soapy talcum, musk and geranium type vibe. It Smells very familiar almost comforting and dries down to a masculine clean leathery scent on my skin. Can't go wrong really. No innovation here though perhaps this scent could do with a few more notes? Maybe I'm missing the point? I don't think this fragrance is intended to be special, it's functional and practical like the branding and feel of all the scents from this house. Simplicity is the key here and it works. Could of done with slightly better performance considering this is a niche brand, and although not expensive for 100ml, it's still slightly lacking. I can't fault this one overall though, it's just for men who know what they want... a nice shave, soap fragrance.
Total disappointment. The reasons why? Well mainly that I was hoping it would deliver a totally different experience but instead has been played a little straight, safe and close the original accord. This smells like the original, good right? Yep...that is good I like the original. Is the 'Extreme' in the title worthy? Well it is more extreme. (at least in the opening and first hour or two, sure it is!) however apart from the definite addition of more aggressive spicing (cumin is apparent) for me it has a disgusting hairspray/ammonia bitterness and this thing I can't put my finger on about modern concoctions, which makes them deeper, harder more long lasting but don't improve them and in some cases completely ruin the opening and take a long time to smooth out. This unfortunately is one of those cases. However, when dried down is very much like the original except for a deeper Amber/ tobacco, and a creamy vanilla base especially observable in the very late stages of the drydown. This I have to admit is kinda lovely. So it's not bad then, just sweet and cloying like the original but in a whole new way. Spicebomb extreme makes Spicebomb seem subtle and understated...yeah that's right. Projection and longevity are both very good I thought. Worth checking out but don't get your hopes up because like mine they will be dashed.
Although this says for women I would describe it as a unisex gourmand fragrance. However, once upon a time I did buy Visa for myself and ended up giving it to my girlfriend as I just felt I could pull it off but it was that bit too feminine for me. This has that feeling too and a slight fruity/floral quality of Visa, this is mainly in the top notes because the base of this thing is a vanillac, tonka and an eastern sandalwood feel of Cashbah too. So an oriental with a definite depth and quality you'd expect from Robert Piguet...It lasted well on my skin. That's all I can say about it really? The jury is out but I will definitely sample it again in a few months and update.
Wow! This is a superb vetiver, dark, harsh, slightly smokey, a hay like dryness and green grassy wetness it's brilliant...everything it should be. Very good (If not the best Vetiver) in terms of a natural, accurate perfume but not necessarily my favourite vetiver compositionally. The opening has a citrus twang, also tinged with menthol which is uplifting as well as slightly strange. Despite all this praise... I don't think I want to wear it especially. Vetiver veritas is of high quality and the Eau de Parfum concentration lasts fairly well and projects gently. If you're a vetiver fan this should definitely be on your radar.
Oh wow! This is a stunner. Very much in the vein of those heady, sweet leather fragrances like Tuscan leather, Clive Christian C, golden boy, AdP leather....etc etc... But crucially this has much more of a delicate touch. When I say that don't get me wrong it's just as deep as the counterparts I've mentioned but possibly has more dimensions in that I definitely smell more of an incense bias. It's sweet, warm, smoky and I can surely see why the name is becoming. Additionally it's more wearable (on a regular basis) than a Tuscan leather type scent. It has a touch of the noble incense about it, saffron smoothness and although not dominated by frankincense I definitely get that from L'incendiaire too. The only negative I can think of is that I didn't buy it in the spot. I do have Clive Christian C and have had the chance to get others (I view as pale in comparison) but for all it's likeness this new Serge Lutens still has merit and I suspect when trailed side by side the differences will be even more apparent. I loved it. Top marks from me. hmmmm...Update. Well I say above "...not dominated by frankincense..." ??? yeah...that's wrong. After a turbulent and opulent opening this fragrance dries down to a perfectly high quality and slightly darker Olibanum than usual...but it is just that....olibanum. I must've been nose blind first time out, I stick to what I said about L'incendiaire it gives a complex impression when first applied but doesn't take long to die down to a heady frankincense and I'm so sorry to SL and Sheldrake but I can get that (I except not quite this) elsewhere cheaper. It shouldn't be about money but in this case I have to pass on this fragrance.
I'm not a floral guy at all and this is not the sort of scent I would wear but I can certainly appreciate it. Very delicate and uplifting mixture in the opening of mandarin orange and a delicate bouquet of jasmine orange blossom and hyacinth. Hyacinth is by no means a favourite floral aroma of mine, my mum always has hyacinths in her house and smell is very pungent. The mixture of jasmine and maybe the iris in here give this scent a sweetness along with the honey and vanilliac base, which make it...well just very nice. The quality is undeniable and this scent lasts and lasts I can't fault it, if you're a fan of bright and breezy florals you could do a lot worse than checking this one out.
'Pleasantly surprised' is how I would describe myself after sampling this one. I figured the 'Intense' moniker and the fact I wasn't all that taken with the original Gentlemen only (which isn't bad TBF) not to mention the fact that it's yet another Tonka bean designer scent. If this combination of factors wasn't enough to put me off trying it I don't know what would? Anyway, I finally persevered and it's turns out not to be a bad scent. Givenchy Gentlemen only Intense opens with a hint of pepper which soon smooths out into a synthetic resin and chocolatey patchouli vibe. As it dries down some more it gets woodier and maybe a hint of that smokey birch but nothing particularly ballsy. For me this is a creamy type fragrance dominated by the warm vanilla smell of tonka bean, amber and patchouli. The patchouli is the saving grace here in what would otherwise be another 'blah' release in the vein of so many others of late. Lasting power was okay but not great.
Oh snap!!! The notes on this have me salivating, sounds absolutely amazing and from my experience of the Prive collection this won't disappoint.
