The first time I smelt Jacomo de Jacomo, I honestly thought it was the most amazing perfume I had encountered. A clove-heavy lavender bomb, marinated in an ashtray with a soapy-woody drydown. There's the bitterness of gabalnum, a hint of florals and of incense thrown into the mix too.

Now, older and supposedly more mature, I know there are much better fragrances out there. But you know what? It still smells pretty good. In some ways it's the epitome of a 1980s scent, a powerhouse designed to both merge with and cut through a smoke-laden bar or nightclub. Now that times have changed, the reformulation is weaker, to the point that longevity could be more persistent. With that caveat, it wears its age very well, and it now slips comfortably into the category of a classic middle-aged man's perfume. Proof, I suppose, that its audience has grown older with it, and its demographic shifted in the process. No reason someone younger couldn't wear this though, particularly those in the alternative scenes.

Cheap as chips and designed to make you stand out amidst the plethora of sweet and blue designer scents out there.