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More Than Words

Xerjoff

houdini

Wow!!! The JTC collection has just stepped it up a notch, what a fragrance this is!!!! Gorgeous! Stunning!!! Wonderful!!! The opening is one of dried fruit, a creamy patchouli and Labdanum, the rose steadily grows after that, all the while my senses tingling with excitement...because I know what this fragrance is delivering. Rose/Oud combo of the highest quality with a dimension of patchouli, the sharpness of labdanum and I detect a bit of frankincense and myrrh. Have I smelled anything like this before? Of course I have... But it's a winning formula. Something about the opening of this fragrance sets it apart a little bit from the likes of Armani Rose d'Arabie (which is incredible too) to which it is very similar. I think the rose in this is strong yet quite subdued it's as much about oud and resin for me. Xerjoff have created a truly brilliant (if not very original)thing here and about time too because after trying a fair few of their fragrances now I'm still on the fence about them as a house.

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12 years ago

Boadicea Nemer

Boadicea the Victorious

houdini

This is a weird fragrance the progression of notes seem to go backwards! The opening is incredibly woody and Oud was the first thing I recognized but it's overpowered (no mean feat)and literally after a minute or so...Gone! This fragrance then begins to morph completely into a crazed scent which reminds me of public toilets. Really hate that analogy, it makes me sound like a philistine because this juice is one of the most opulent things I've ever smelled but unfortunately it has that eye watering thing of highly concentrated/industrial strength cleaning products. One tiny application and I can tell already this is up there with the strongest perfume I've ever got the chance to smell. It's not quite the urinal cake of Amouage Ciel man it's actually bearable. I get the rose aroma but it's very unconventional more like Turkish delight! Seriously that's what Nemer smells like and of course I assume they flavour Turkish delight with Turkish roses...so it makes sense. I know I'm a genius! :) So odd that the woods come on so strong at first and then transition not so subtly into a complete sharp floral bomb! I love saffron and I suspect that's where the sharpness is coming from, although with so many strong elements in here I couldn't pick it up for sure and I'm normally very sensitive to saffron. I thought Tigerwood was a golfer? well no wonder he gets laid so much if he smells this good, the woody element to this fragrance opens strong then sits gentle underneath for the duration of the experience. I can't help but admire this fragrance for it's gutsy approach and I'm positive many fragrance lovers will be bowled over by it, I am but not in the right way. It's weird because it doesn't smell of any of the component parts but all at the same time all of them at once...usually the mark of a great composition. Very high quality ingredients have been used and Nemer is a unique combination but everything is fighting for the limelight to my nose and as such nothing shines. Update: Oh yes the woods have come back out to play and the drydown is really really nice a such a contrast to that turbulent opening which lasts several hours.

12 years ago

To me this is a sugary floral, Tiare flower and ylang ylang with a thirst quenching hint of aquatic seabreeze and an exotic cocktail type feel to it. I'd largely disagree that this fragrance is all about the lime margarita thing which it does vaguely conjure up in the opening but soon becomes apparent Batucada is more about the flowers. It leans toward the feminine for me but do you know what...that doesn't bother me in the slightest. I love this fragrance...I really love it. Not sure I could pull it off with such a butch reputation to uphold, another wear and I may have an answer. L'Artisan is a good house offering quality and invention at a slightly more reasonable price this is yet another good one. Update: Oh yes!!! Wearing this today and I have cemented my position finally. I will be purchasing Batucada it's tropical wonder juice so, so good and really unlike anything I have currently. It was between this and Antigua which came in a close second place.

12 years ago

I'm firmly in the middle here to be honest. Opens really well for me I love sweet scents and this one instantly reminds me of some sort of fruity sweet thing, can't for the life of me think what it is. maybe like fruit bon bon sweets or something? That natural orangey, ylang and yes raspberry opening is then suddenly met with (and I don't mean to be crude here) a kind of pissy note. As it settles the vanilla is right there throughout which this creamy complex array of sweet notes. I really like it! It's kind of contrary to my common sense which kinda makes me think this is a bit of a stupid fragrance or a mess of notes! Marshmallow!!! That's it smells like marshmallows for a split second then swirls through some other notes...what an odd beast. Another wear is on the cards and it could go either way to me honest this and judging my the votes this fragrance is the epitome of polarizing!

12 years ago

Yes it is pretty similar to Man 2 certainly puts me in mind of it but it doesn't quite have the same spicing, pepper sure but not that of nutmeg and caraway. Montale Greyland hits you with a fantastic opening of cedar ginger and pepper then turns to warm sandalwood, guiac and vetiver decent spicy woods! Some fragrances claim to be woody, Greyland is unapologetically wood and spice and I love it as much as Man 2 or Encre Noire. Has great longevity maybe not as legendary as other Montale's but possesses as much as you'll ever need.

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12 years ago

Comme Des Garcons Series 5 Sherbet: Rhubarb

Comme des Garcons

houdini

My final scent in the sherbet series and I was looking forward to this one so much! Thankfully it didn't disappoint...I love rhubarb the taste the smell, the synthetic apple based flavouring in sweets...whatever I love it! Every fragrance I've ever encountered with a Rhubarb note has been an instant hit with me but this one takes the biscuit. This doesn't appeal to my slightly snobby fragrance head this goes straight for my childlike soft centre and makes me love it uncontrollably, as much as I love Rhubarb pie! My oh my... it's absolutely beautiful sharp, sweet Rhubarb but just like the rest of this series surprised me with subtle complexity of very mellow, exotic floral notes from orchid and the tiniest hint of vanilla. A strong woody base would've grounded it and maybe lent some more substance to the fragrance but I didn't detect any. All that positive stuff but then a huge negative is that the longevity is pathetic! I don't think I've ever used that adjective to describe even the most feeble of juices but this really is gone in Minutes rather than hours, never known anything like it! If Mark Buxton's devil in disguise is similar I need to hunt that down and see if it lasts better because otherwise I would've bought CDG Rhubarb in a heartbeat! Such a shame.

12 years ago

I say this is a woody floral scent which when it's dried down is complex enough to be interesting but subtle enough to just as easily be forgotten. I fear I am getting ahead of myself. Not being someone who is overly familiar with Osmanthus, I must say it's a lovely fragrant smell mixed with jasmine in this composition it's very nice. The opening is really sweet, playful and quite feminine with ylang ylang and a boozy berry scent which fades quickly but made me stand up and take notice. Then it just becomes a bit lack luster, pleasant but far from special. I think the tongue in cheek title of this fragrance is definitely poking fun at pretentious blurbs associated with brands like By Killian which @Sherapop points out brilliantly below. I've only tried 3 Etat Libre d'Orange fragrances so far in my life and each has been a real experience Dangerous Complicity is no exception.

12 years ago

Woah! I literally can't wait to sample this one! I thought agave was a fruit? shows what I know! That thumbnail of it looks awesome anyway. I know Jo Malone has a fragrance containing agave but it's not that common, Phaedon haven't had any bad scents so far and this seems interesting.

12 years ago

Okay so I'm pretty seasoned in Montale fragrances now...I've tried a lot of them. Red Vetyver is one of the stragglers after working my way through various Aouds. Yes...I thought to myself...how much can this smell like Terre d'Hermes? Well... ALOT! is the answer. The opening is that gorgeous juicy orange tempered with dry earthy vetiver the spice of pepper and cleanness of cedar. It's a stunning fragrance done very well and it's the age old question..."who did it first?" or more ominously..."Who copied who?" (I don't believe in intentional copying in most cases BTW) well I think this was out in 2008 and Terre was 2006 if I remember correctly? But more importantly is there anything which sets this apart from TdH and the answer could well be starring me in the face. Recently I tried Terre d'Hermes EDP for the first time and pitted it against the faithful EDT. The main difference was that I prefered the 'ever so' slightly boozier, heavier and more fruity quality of the EDP in smell. However performance wise the EDT beat it hands down and the fragrance never changed from beginning to end, just straight delivers. I'd say positively Red Vetyver possesses the great qualities of both! The opening is exploding with orange fruit like the EDP, the bitterness of the EDT is there but it has the transitional drydown from the EDP. That drydown incidentally is really nice and long as I've come to expect from Montale. So Is it worth trading this for Terre d'Hermes? No. That's no offense to this fragrance but even if it lasts longer that has never been an issue for me. How about Montale make a copycat of D&G's the One that lasts 12 hours...then they'd have a winner on their hands!

12 years ago

woah the opening starts out harsh, like a fresh marker pen stinging my nose with a combo of fruit and labdanum. When it settles a little however it's a super sweet cotton candy hint of coffee and vanilla...sound familiar? Well instantly to me this smells like a stronger, deeper version of ROCHAS MAN. Seriously the likeness is uncanny. I think what makes it deeper is a smooth honey/tobacco edge to it and that labdanum for me pushes it to a more niche level...If there's such a thing? It kind of dries down like a Le Male musky vanilla but still with that lasting power and an edge of class. It's quite different to Rochas Man by the same rule as it drys down it becomes less and less like it. In terms of sweetness and refreshing qualities I personally prefer the cheaper option. As it goes on...I get that note I don't like all that much (Calone I think?) It's the same unpleasant synthetic sea like aquatic note from the dreaded 212 Surf I tried recently...but when low in the mix it's tolerable and actually adds something to the composition. In longevity and projection terms this beats hands down and so it should at this price. Xerjoff have something which seems common here to 1 million (I see the likeness but not overly) or Rochas or Le male or even Zegna intenso in the drydown but the Italian house have done it slightly better. Doesn't offend me...but I wouldn't wear it all the same!

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12 years ago

1969 Parfum de Revolte

Histoires de Parfums

houdini

1969 reminds me hugely of coSTUME national Homme. The absurdly sweet opening which becomes intensely sugary which I love could put many off. The peach note is not playing around or girly it's concentrated, atomic fruit which is almost caramelized with a tiny touch of sweet rose. Then as it dries down the hints of chocolate and very delicate patchouli are evident driven by a gentle musk base. I for one think it's like a better version of coSTUME national even though 1969 doesn't quite have the same sharpness of cinnamon or clove although somehow the same effect is created. Also CN goes a bit sour after all that sweetness as an attempt to balance it. Sometimes I think if you go that far you should just stick to it and go 'all out sweet' and that's what this does. Longevity is average and it projects at first then dies down very quick. My sweet tooth and love of fruitiness makes me adore this.

13 years ago

This is a really odd outing from Tauer and something which I was eagerly anticipating but just straight forward don't like now I've tried it. The opening is a strange, stagnant one a little like acrylic paint but not even as nice somehow duller. It's oddly floral as it settles, lilly of the valley, loads of clary sage and pepper come to the forefront. The base of this fragrance is deeply rooted(no pun intended) in an earthy vetiver and ambergris but I get beeswax and a touch of honey even. It comes off like a very masculine hand cream to my nose, very weird and just unpleasant. Not something I would choose to smell like but an interesting composition from Andy Tauer who is impressive in his approach when tackling well known notes and accords, taking them in a different direction. Vetiver Dance is not for me.

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13 years ago

Oranges and Lemons Say the Bells of St. Clements

James Heeley

houdini

The opening is stunning, full of petitgrain, citruses then when it settles a little the deep dry nature of vetiver and tea with maybe a hint of ginger. All the while at the back of this is a white floral note which is the unmistakably soapy texture of neroli. All these elements to me give this scent has a Mediterranean feel and the drydown becomes dominated by neroli and petitgrain. What I like about this fragrance is the strength and projection in the first couple of hours, if you like things like neroli portofino or Mugler Cologne this is a scent with some considerable power and pretty good longevity worth looking at. I for one am not so fond of neroli and it's dominant here, my summary of the first fragrance I've tried from this house is not bad at all.

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13 years ago

Comme Des Garcons Series 5 Sherbet: Peppermint

Comme des Garcons

houdini

Woah! This is a complete surprise as the the review below states...not what I'd been anticipating judging by the name. Not strong, fake, creamy or anything like a peppermint sweet. I've also grown various different types of mint and I can honestly say this does smell like them either. However Sherbet Peppermint has the most amazing green notes to it, fantastically fresh and invigourating but with peppermint running through it. Peppermint and spearmint are not the freshest to me but have a really lovely quality. Comme des Garcons have basically combined a very lovely grassy, green texture, a minty one with a hint of pepper and played god, creating a synthetic yet totally natural hybrid...it's intriguing and to my surprise, wearable. Don't get any amber really or any cardamom and the longevity is weak, you'd better just forget about projection this one isn't going to play ball. Can't wait to try the others in this series as peppermint was not what I'd expected.

13 years ago

This is a weird one for me...but a grower. It's instantly powdery but silky smooth and beyond the normal realms of perfume for me. They say the most instant and effective trigger for memories is an olfactory one...well they're not wrong! Certainly Pierre de Lune is to me reminiscent of a very specific memory and it's of playing at a friends house. These two lads called Mark & Matthew (it's so odd remembering them as I haven't thought about them in over 20 years) who lived down the street from my mum but never went to my school. I used to hang out with them in the holidays and their house smelled 'EXACTLY' the same as pierre de Lune. Was it a type of fabric softner their mum used or an air freshener...or even a perfume? Anyway...It's a combo of sweet jasmine & orris root, with powdery floral notes which creates a creamy smell which in my mind matches the name and the coloured stopper in the bottle. Not sure I like this, it's certainly unique but I wouldn't wear it.

13 years ago

This may seem like an overreaction to some but I think Eau de Jade is a masterpiece! It's citrus but it's a very, very rare thing to truly capture the pungent and waxy nature of the zest. This is like a concentration of that juicy sharpness, Pure lime zest!!!Many citrus juices neglect this crucial element, Armani and whoever the nose was on this seem to have nailed it. I made Coconut and Lime Ice cream recently and had to use alot of lime zest, infact a much of the cooking I do whether Chinese or Indian or even for putting in a corona or whatever... I use a hell of a lot of limes. This represents the true smell of zest and juice left on my hands afterwards but to just say it's that wouldn't be fair to the complexity of this composition. Eau de Jade is built to last it really did well on my skin and then the white floral element and pepper comes though more into the dry down without ever defining the nature of this scent. Again the musk base is in perfect harmony with the other elements in here...I love it! Top marks and fairly reasonably priced, I already held Armani's prive range in high regard now I've finally tried them all I'm absolutely in awe of them.

13 years ago

If a vetiver fragrance was ever worthy this sort of price tag it's Haitian Vetiver. I say that purely because of it's faith to the note, it gives you herbal, green, clean, earthy, fresh, dry, spicy, slighly smokey...everything that vetiver represents in one fragrance which doesn't hide behind other notes just gives it you straight. Usually I've find that boring in a composition but vetiver scents are all too often about the interplay between citrus & vetiver. I find Haitian Vetiver unashamedly masculine. I get a citrus in the opening and a hint of carrot seed but it doesn't define or detract from the vetiver at the heart. This is truly one of the unsung hero's of vetiver fragrances...great stuff and lasts a long time. I think this is bolder than Guerlain's vetiver (albeit a nice scent) or Tom Ford's Grey Vetiver (again a great frag) so check it out people.

13 years ago

I had to click 'Love' on this one a strong citrus bergamot & mandarin fragrance which smells truly amazing, juicy and uplifting. Petitgrain is a welcome partner in here but I don't get any oakmoss or anything that grounds the fragrance either in woods or greenness coming from something like vetiver? which it's sadly lacking. Hate to nay say such a quality citrus but it's too linear a composition and too expensive to excite me all that much.

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13 years ago

Indonesian Oud Eau de Toilette

Ermenegildo Zegna

houdini

As a huge fan of Zegna's more affordable designer fragrances I couldn't wait to try these having known of their existence for quite some time but not being able to track them down... until now. I thought I'd only sample 3 to begin with and the Oud seemed liked a logical place to start. The quality hits you instantly but it's not quite what I was expecting. I was maybe thinking it would be another in a long line of linear Oud/Rose combo's or it would be a princely shower of oud/saffron and resin but it's neither. I mean that in a good way, Indonesian Oud is a uniquely sharp take on Oud and the wood aroma itself has a different quality to lots of Oud fragrances you will smell and that's refreshing to me. It's not wholly unfamiliar just has a signature quality which makes it worth the mention of where it originates. I'm no expert but those Indonesians have got some good Oud! The opening is bergamot then the sharpness continues as the spicy wood develops, strong and medicinal. There's a slight hint of patchouli and even less rose in here which is great and adds to the scents individual character. I like it and it works to my taste but nothing blind blowing here, the quality and longevity etc is as good as any niche Oud and justifies the high price. The bottles are really great too and have the same style magnetic stoppers found on the Dior La collection Privee bottles. Solid first outing for me with Pricey Zegna's.

Just a quick update to my review below from a while back. I still think this is a very decent fragrance the opening is very sharp and almost to the point of AdP colonia Oud but much less extreme and far far more wearable. Also this completely morphs during the drydown into a gorgeously spiced, woody Oud which is almost a bit 'off' compared to that opening but I find it a welcome relief. These are a good collection of fragrances...this range covers nearly all bases with 5 very good quality juices.

13 years ago

Wowee!!! At long last a Le Labo fragrance that genuinely floored me! The opening is one of ylang and iris but as it settles the iris combines with a very powdery violet note making for a gorgeously deep, floral sweetness. There's quite a bit of patchouli in here too but it's not thick or dirty at all. The base of musk provides an animal quality which sets it off beautifully. To be perfectly honest my only issue with this and other Le Labo fragrances is the name. I know, I know the name just means it's built around an accord of Iris but really this should be called VIOLET 39...no problem if you're a fan of violets and luckily I am. I love it...smells stunning and I like to think I know my violets this is a treat a little reminiscent of Violetta from Penhaligon's but more complex and natural. Update: lasts for ages this one and the dry down turns to a sumptuous warm civet that's really nice.

13 years ago

Odd odd stuff yet again from Etat Libre d'Orange but quite lovely and very palatable indeed. The opening is a very sweet and complex explosion of notes, the iris and popcorn being prominent with a slightly metallic flint type gunpowder note...it really is there. Recent release Valentino uomo is quite similar but creamier and nuttier maybe not quite as complex. I love La fin du monde it's a tasty, sexy gourmand fragrance...sniff it out people it's good! Update 23/02/2022 Some years after the above comments and I've actually purchased a bottle of this based upon my memory of impressions back then. Looking at this review it's quite luke warm, and I'm a bit the same about it now. The comparison to Valentino Uomo is interesting to look back at and still valid. It's a kind of perfume that wants to be sweet but is ever being pulled back into the realms of savoury nuttiness by pyrazines or something? I still get that flinty, spark from it. Interesting perfume, but another tongue in cheek oddity from ELDO, the Charlie Hebdo of fragrance brands.

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13 years ago

L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Summer 2014

Issey Miyake

houdini

When I said I wasn't tempted to try any other summer 2014 versions of fragrances in my 212 Surf review, that wasn't strictly true... I was draw to this one as well. L'eau d'Issey flankers have always been a bit disappointing in my opinion but last years summer edition was nice, good job they've stuck it in a new bottle and put it out again for 2014. I never reviewed it last year (I don't think?) because I only tried once in store and in fairness I don't have the two to do a comparison but from memory this is exactly the same. I don't think there's anything wrong with doing that either, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I like the way this fragrance has that watery, aquatic nature without resorting to any salty sea accord fakery. It's straight up juicy kiwi and cucumber fresh with yuzu and a greenness of vetiver, hint of nutmeg maybe(?) not a great deal of spice but an accomplished summer juice nontheless. Summer is lighter and has the signature of the original which can only be a good and winning formula in my book. strength? Not gonna project much after the first hour or so and longevity is okay. Update: So my review above is based on what I thought on first impression well that has changed somewhat. No denying the top notes are beautiful and refreshing but then that salty seaweed accord starts nagging away at me. I mention above that this has the aquatic nature without the fakery, not strictly true as obviously the original L'eau D'Issey was built around that Calone aroma chemical and so are the flankers. The original doesn't bother me in fact I have worn and loved it for years but this summer version once it passes the juicy top note faze can become a tedious aquatic but no where near as bad as some.

13 years ago

Wow! Let me just start by saying I was not attracted to try any other summer 2014 fragrance except this one. Carolina Herrera generally has a good repertoire of masculine fragrances and this one looked good. The reason it looked so good and I was so drawn to it? The bottle! I mean just look at it...what a fantastic bottle it looks amazing, and even better in real Life. That's where the praise for this fragrance ends... abruptly! The juice inside is nothing short of disgusting...an absolute disgrace! Like they took that synthetic aquatic element found in many new releases such as Eros and more famously perhaps Paco's Invictus and brought that to the forefront. At least those two counterparts have some redeeming features in the shape of vaguely pleasant surrounding notes, 212 Surf sadly doesn't. I'm not exaggerating here it is really awful, sharp, cheap, so far from anything natural smelling it beggars belief! It's like the worst hairspray mixed with ammonia and bug spray! There's an ant and wasp killer product (in the UK and possibly elsewhere??) called 'Deathlac' this smells like that. Another question....Why do fragrances that have this bad smell to them also have such amazing longevity? 212 Surf has ridiculous strength and longevity while being totally devoid of quality. The same is true of Invictus which I honestly liked at first but this 'deathlac' thing just became unbearable as I wore it more. Folks if you trust my reviews by now...swerve this one!

13 years ago

Wow! This certainly shares a similarity with Elixir but is also quite different. Wonderful juicy opening but not quite as warm as Elixir and woodier which I have to say I think I prefer. Cedar and fir is apparent also something slightly floral in eau too and with a hint of peppery spice, its fresh and long lasting...I can't fault it. I gushed about Elixir but to be honest after wearing it, I'd prefer it on a woman, this however needs another try to be sure but I'm absolutely enjoyed the experience yet again!

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13 years ago