So I've reached number 5 in the series and this one has been suprisingly good. Not that I didn't look at the notes on here first and think 'hmmm...interesting?' but I wasn't sure I'd like the soil tincture element which in some perfumes I find hideous. I'm not sure whether its because I'm not used to pure purfume concentration but this was awful when I opened the bottle and first applied it...really awful...extremely earthy and unpleasant. Takes a little bit to even appreciate what it is? but then the gourmand accords of chocolate and vanilla shine through, with the smoothness of Amber, oud, and vetiver underneath. Its dark (not too dark) and sumptuous with a lovely dry down, it's nice. An interesting fragrance.

Holy moley!!! This is simply awesome beautifully woody and gourmand exactly the right combination to keep you nose interested. The ingredients are all natural and give such a real edible chocolaty quality without becoming too sweet or over the top with it. Beautiful milky buttercream and white chocolate give way to a more mature woody heart that sits gorgeously just above the skin and doesn't become too vanilla feminine. I love gourmand fragrances but sometimes think to myself ..."would I want to smell like that?" and in this instance the answer is a resounding YES! It's one for wearing in bed with your lover...yummy! It's a must have for either a man or a woman.

Woah!!!! This is not for that faint hearted...a MASSIVE incense fragrance that is dominant, pungent and just insane! It completely overwhelmed the other sample vials I got and the bag they came in all smell of this fragrance. Honestly, I understand the appeal of these ancient, opulent spiced frankincense & myrrh perfumes but this is frankly unbearable when first applied, no wonder they recommend 24 hours (yes!! 24 hours!!!!) to let it dry down!! Well I applied the tiniest amount and I do mean tiny and I can't believe how potent it is...I really understand the comparisons to some of the Amouage fragrances as they are very heavy with things like incense, myyrrh and ambergris too. At first it seemed clumsy and harsh despite the fact this one (and sexmagic) was the one I really couldn't wait to try. I love this kind of scent but without the complexity of other juxtaposing notes you get from the likes of Amouage Interlude for example, it's just a bit to linear. The dry down is special and plain epic...but unfortunately not that much evolution you get the same thing throughout but it definitely gets better as it ages on your skin. You can't help but marvel at devotion, it definitely achieves what it sets out to do, a blend of classic notes to create something that would've been revered throughout history.

This one is very green indeed and has that lovely watery subtle cucumber which is a achievement in what is quite a strong scent over all. Reminds me a bit of TF Neroli Portofino but with more spice...which is a huge plus for me. This one is one of my favourites having tried (but not yet reviewed) all 8. I think this is one I would wear along with Sexmagic because this one has depth and truly complementary ingredients which make for a beautiful journey. Again this has unisex appeal as the neroli will shine on a woman's skin and the woods and spice will be maximised on mans. I like it.

Well, this was the one I figured would be the most feminine of this collection and it is. At this point I think I should mention I was drawn to this collection for a few reasons but non more so than the artwork on the bottles which is fantastic. I have a love of symmetry and geometric artworks so this was right up my street. The litterature described this as a 'floriental' As a mans man who doesn't know a lot about florals and blends of floral notes, I have to say that although I wouldn't wear it myself its borderline for me because it is pleasant and definitely just within the realms of unisex. This is probably due to the wood in the base which would probably be excentuated on a man and generally grounds it a little and stops it getting too, overly flowery. The only thing I can detect for sure is jasmine in the top. Tuberose is interesting to me as I seem to like many fragrances which contain it. For me it creates a realistic flower accord, almost like a lily nice at first then goes a little sour. All in all a good outing for this house and an interesting fragrance but I shall give the sample to my girlfriend.

Right, so I'm starting with this one from the Achtung range because I knew I'd love it judging by the notes listed on frgrantica...and boy was I not dissappointed! In fact it was the publicity and features on this site that even made me aware of the house of matriarch in the first place. So, Sexmagic...what a cool name for starters any fragrance thats named after half of a RHCP album is alright by me! This fragrance is sexy, smouldering even and you can detect the different wood notes which exists in a kind of creamy oud spectrum. To be honest I'm not familiar with Buddah wood, Ghandi root and damiana...they're obviously great ingredients. What I do know is that this is a deliciously well concieved scent and a great start to my sampler from this collection and this house. It's smokey, dark and strong things I'm not usually mad on but this gets it right by striking a good balance. This will be one I'll be getting a bottle of for certain.

The original Aramis is not really to my taste anymore as I found out when I purchased it again after more than 10 years. Too dated and harsh in the opening and doesn't change in the drydown to redeem it. This however (to my nose anyway) Aramis Gentlemen is definitely evocative of the original but also quite different in it's own right. To me this is not much more than a cooler and more paletable version of the original, which is manly yet not overtly so, cool but still spicy, and quite muted instead of brash...so apropiately named Gentlemen then! Not the sort of thing I'd wear myself, nor does it really capture my imagination but a nice mature smell for a proper man.

This is a re-review as I have changed my position slightly on the first. I'm not quite sure what others are smelling here judging by the reviews but I think Gentleman is a good, solid fragrance. Yes it's more appealing to a younger crowd than it's predecessor but that's not a negative because to my my nose it carries enough of that classic, masculine vibe to work. Opens with a lemony sharp citrus, pepper and ginger then dries down to a hinted at original Aramis, moss, suede and a touch of patchouli. This is just a backdrop for the ginger & spices which are present but not invasive. The problem with a scent like this is that folks who like a good strong masculine fougere or aromatic fragrance will find it toothless and weak. Whereas those of us into more modern fare might find this not inspiring or different enough...so Aramis Gentleman can't really win either way. The reason I enjoyed Gentleman so much was because I fell out with Aramis some years ago, finding it to be a clumsy sledgehammer of a fragrance and some of this flankers just seem more focused and this one is no exception. When I put it in perspective I think I prefer it to the likes of Dior Homme Sport which has similar notes but couldn't be more different in delivery. Good news for this one then, smell wise. Unfortunately the longevity isn't there and it stays close to the skin but I still want a bottle.

Well to me this fragrance is the epitome of old Skool, super strong, masculine to the point of butch and not really to my taste. However, I understand the appeal because this fragrance takes one back to an era between the 60's and 90's where all masculine scents were...well frankly exactly like this. I remember trying this years ago and feeling it was dated even then but after clearing out some of my dads old stuff I found a bottle of this juice and when I tried it again to my suprise enjoyed the dry down but the opening is still too harsh.....I don't hate it though. Seeing as its sort after and hard to get hold of now (by all accounts) I have a bottle I'm probably rarely going to use so get if touch if you're interested. Update: The drydown of this fragrance is sublime you get lots more than you expect it's really very nice. I still have more than 3/4 of a 100ml bottle if anybody wants it let me know.

Wore it for a while so I think I've got the gist of it now. I think the review below is spot on describing it as a Lime version of Terre d'Hermes. It has the same signature mojito accord as the other L'Homme's which I love, so fresh and uplifting but with the woodiness that I love and crave...its more piced and peppery which is great. It has a slightly more longevity too compared with L'homme Intense for example probably due to the woodier base. I actually got it for my friend for his birthday as I figured it would be suitable for him as he likes woody scents and mojitos so it's a match made in heaven.

A lovely fragrance beautifully warm yet its light and refreshing at the same time. Theres a really unique feeling to the composition and its quite a different amber fragrance and a great alternative option to the usual high street designer fragrances for men.