Reptile is a really interesting twist on a few ideas I like from (largely) masculine perfumes gone by. I think it has more than passing nods to Balmain (that peppery one), Gucci PH1, some misremembered YSL Prive line one perhaps... (not doing very well here am I?) Hermes...maybe Equipage X Vetiver (less so the...) Tonka? Then something like Lancome Homme also? It has a mossy, earthy, scratch of vetiver cocooned in a hazy ginger and cardamom/nutmeg, pepper spice, evoking the incense smoke and supple leather as well but with the lightly soft base underneath which all these perfumes have giving that gentile, chanel/YSL/Guerlain chic. It's lovely. Has a bit more bite and almost verging on something edgy but not to the point of Nightclubbing which I still think is the most standout thing from the brand. The thing about this more recent rebooted Celine line is that they don't really standout massively from a creative point of view, other than being very well executed and such, and there will even be those folks who don't feel Repile has enough impact, or original ideas but I'm wearing it today and while it's not exactly a blissful, WOW, I need this in my life' experience, it's a very reassuring, firm hand on the perfumery tiller, type perfume, I'm enjoying it and it's impeccably conceieved and blended for me.
I've heard people I trust rave about Céline (I'm looking at you previous reviewer on your podcast wink wink), so I got the sample pack. They're all very well done, but there's nothing that makes my heart flutter. It's like they're trying to outchanel Chanel. Which, why not! But aside from the funny playdohey Dans Paris (absolutely not what it smells like dans Paris, I live there - piss, piss everywhere... and fag smoke) making me chuckle a bit, I feel nothing about these perfumes. I'm wearing Reptile, which is a dramatic name for something which essentially smells like I wore (insert vetiver perfume name) a few hours ago or even yesterday and am now left with a creamy remnant.