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.
Have you tried this fragrance?
Share your experience and help others discover great scents
