Probably my favorite vanilla scent, especially for the price and performance you get out of it. strong vanilla and mandarin in the opening, but it turns into a more leather - iris or powdery smell. Can't go wrong with a bottle of this. 8.6/10.
This absolutely stinks, but in a good way. performance is insane, can still smell it on my clothes the next day. smells very close to jubilation after the opening, as its settling you can smell something woody and fruity and that amber hits you. 8.3/10
Very lovely sweet Guerlain-like opening fading to powdery tonka. It's lovely but not at all original, and does smell somewhat dated. It reminds me of a dusty parisian shop selling dolls and mirrors and such, powdery vanity realness from a bygone era. Not at all like Shalimar to my nose except for the general guerlinade element.
Smells like a nasty, cheap, designer sports fragrance. Massive calone with all of the most generic men's aquatic elements from the 90s.
The original Iommi scent has received an endless amount of hype, however it’s never been a love for me. The scent itself is different enough, which I must say is refreshing amongst flankers these days, but I find myself wanting more from many Xerjoff releases, this one included. An overwhelmingly sweet pairing of warm, honeyed saffron and juicy green apples leads the way, which is quite nice actually. This saffron is furthered by touches of rose and a patchouli base, alongside warm spicy cinnamon. Leather makes this smooth and balanced. I will admit, I like this more than the original Iommi, it’s undeniably inviting and alluring. However as I mentioned, it leaves me wanting more. I don’t find my eyes rolling back in my head when I smell it, but instead simply finding it satisfying - which for me isn’t worth paying hundreds for.
I’ve been keen to get my hands on Libertine Neroli for a while now, and it has definitely met my expectations. Neroli is not a favourite note of mine, I’ve often found I struggle to find one I enjoy, but this is easily one of my favourites - likely due to the pronounced chypre style it adopts, which speaks to my heart. The neroli is light and airy, gently cleansing the air around you like the finest French soaps, but it is grounded heavily by a dense overdose of oakmoss and leather. The petitgrain and bergamot balance this dichotomy between light and dark, giving the scent a much needed freshness. It’s the oakmoss which draws me in further, tending my love for the scent. This scent epitomises what I love about Francesca’s work, that is perfume which is heavily inspired by classical French perfumery. This scent has a strong association with old white floral chypres, yet retains a dense powdery facet, characteristic of her creations.
Rubeus Bleu is a scent I’ve been itching to try after hearing a good degree of hype online about it, and when something costs over £800 for 50ml you immediately expect greatness. That’s not to say it’s not great, because it does smell lovely, but the price has got to be a publicity stunt surely; there are countless fragrances which are absurdly priced, but this takes the cake. It’s a perfectly enjoyable powdery leather scent, a dusty Iris note leads the way which is at once soft and creamy, yet reminiscent of old face powder. The leather is soft and gentle, bolstered by a bitter, rindy array of citrus fruits, giving the scent a masculine fresh facet. It smells like a distinguished Italian man, nothing more, nothing less; it smells classy and sophisticated, but not nearly as expensive as it actually is. I simply cannot wrap my head around how this costs more than £16/ml - it’s absolute insanity. To think you could get yourself a 75ml of Henry Jacques for less money, owning this fragrance has the same social effect as a gaudy Gucci t-shirt. Smells very nice though.
The original inspiration for the Blazing Mr Sam
This is the most beautiful gourmand i ever smelled. But doesn't last long.
Opens with pear and freesia and a sparkling sensation that reminds me of champagne before becoming soft, cozy, and warm like a luxurious piece of velvet. It's a beautiful skin scent with just the right amount of sweetness. Sit's very close to the skin perfect to wear for yourself or when you're with someone you love. Gives princess vibes while also feeling incredibly chic.
Gheorghe, my first encounter with Strangers Parfumerie, as I delve deeper into the work of Prin Lomros. This is a rather odd scent, not in a bad way, it’s just unlike anything I’ve smelled before - there is so much going on all at once, and yet there is a harmony to it, a smooth balance. This gorgeously sweet note of whiskey kicks things off, made delicious and inviting through the addition of vanilla, tonka and elemi before delving into a dark base. A dense, peaty tobacco emerges which is at once damp and earthy, as it is warm and inviting, with a slight spicy facet from the presence of carnation, clove and woods. All of this rests on a bed of subtle creamy florals, providing that balance. I actually find myself enjoying this quite a lot, it’s far more appealing and easy to like than the other works of Prin I’ve tried - it’s lovely. I’m not sure I’d buy a bottle however, simply because it’s not my usual taste - great creation though.
I have tried a handful of Prin’s work in-store before, but Nocturnal Poetry is my first experience with his house on skin. There’s so much going on in this wondrously complex scent that it’s hard to unpack, it’s like a dazzling cacophony of animal musks, spices, and flowers. Cumin is most prominent to my nose, so powerful it’s like stuffing your nose in a jar of the stuff - made even more piercing with the urinous facet of civet screaming in your face. A soft leathery sweetness through beeswax emerges soon after, elevated and given a much needed delicate brightness by way of jasmine, violet leaf and rose. Despite the busy nature of this scent, cumin prevails above all else which makes it rather polarising. I quite enjoy it to be honest - it’s not something I would own because I simply wouldn’t wear it day to day, for it doesn’t match my personal tastes. But as an artistic creation, it’s fabulous, a scent so rugged and unique it truly makes you feel something, which is rare these days.
Hyrax is one of the more infamous fragrances from Zoologist, due to its stinky and challenging nature - which is why I was keen to enjoy it, since almost all Zoologist offerings have left me underwhelmed. This one however, I actually think is rather impressive, I would even go as far to say I enjoy it. I recently had the pleasure of experiencing pure hyracaeum diluted at 10%, and whilst I do not know if Zoologist use the real thing, this smells remarkably similar. It is at once fry and earthy, yet retains this warm fecal facet. Thankfully, this is tempered by a sweet saltiness - which could be coming through from the saffron, whiskey and amber. As it settles on the skin it becomes sweeter with time, becoming actually quite wearable. I have to say this exceeded my expectations, which to be fair weren’t very high. Zoologist is not a house I adore, but this is among my favourites from them. It’s not something I would wear enough to warrant a full bottle, but it’s an impressive creation for sure.
Black Lotus surprised me, for what an enchanting scent resides in this bland and unassuming bottle. To put it simply, this is a profoundly sweet rose-patchouli which is incredibly inviting. The rose is bright and dewy, not at all dense or jammy, its supple beauty is complemented by this overdose of sweet honeyed saffron. This sweet rosiness is furthered by pink pepper and hints of sticky fruits, whilst the patchouli remains rather subdued, simply whispering in the background. The rose shouts the loudest here. I’m enjoying this much more than I anticipated. It’s incredibly sweet and fairly strong too, an effective combination for positive attention. I’m enjoying my sample quite a bit, but I don’t think it qualifies as a love for me, I cannot pinpoint why exactly.
Opens with the scent of fresh cut lavender and sparkling lemon dries down as a soft sweet lavender musk. Very pretty would love to get a bottle of this for my mom
Strong, smothering cream and woods with green/white florals on top. So strong it's almost unbearable in the opening, I'm waiting to see if the drydown will bring the magic. For now, there's something beautiful about it but it's just so brutal I'm not sure I can get on board :( 1 hour later... Oh the drydown is incredible. Oh Amouage, how could I have doubted you. The aggressive opening gives way to a slight indolic skank, which then cedes to a creamy sandalwood, retaining a tinge of green tuberose. The opening remains a challenge but the drydown makes it worth it.
I'm going to try to be concise as my reviews tend to ramble and this is a complex perfume which I could easily meander and waffle about indefinitley including a detailed preamble about Bisch, and perfume fans completely unfounded aversion to akigalawood. Okay all that to one side.... Purpose 50 is FANTASTIC!!! I don't recall the original and that's not due to the fact it wasn't good, Amaouge's output has been pretty steady even under Salmon who I think has taken them in a slightly more commercial direction, but fair do's they still make great smelling perfumes. The material on showcase here for me is olibanum, I'm assuming some very fine Omani stuff (better fucking had be for the prices they're asking for) it has both bite, lemony sweet and almost camphorous, even a touch minty, smells very bright and just great, so focal, so well used yet is part of pallate and style of perfume with other materials which serve to complement and cradle this precious, heart material. However this is not a standard frankincense based perfume a la Avignon or Mark Birley or even Amouages Epic Man or Woman...this is a modern powdery, amber, patchouli, fruity, strangely classical but with that sparkly Bisch magic (which even I concede can be annoying) this is very varied and has lots to enjoy. I was blown away at first by it's power and variety but then less so after the 3rd or 4th wear. Not sure why? Perhaps the familiarity made it a little less special and brought things into perspective... but hey, I still think Purpose is amazing. Too expensive for me unfortunately but if you have the money I think it's as decent as anything being released at the moment, and it is ATOMICALLY powerful, without being too much, but still go easy on the sprays because less is more.
It's striking to me how few reviews there are for this perfume, perhaps I imagined this, conjured up a massive (if cultish) following in my head for this perfume but I honestly thought this was a best seller from the brand...hmmmm... anyway... Mxxx is the ultimate nuzzling in, comfort blanket of a perfume I've ever smelled. I first sampled it a few years ago and got around to popping it on again the otherday and while a massively enjoyable experience as it is...I'm not sure I can tell you why? such is the unknowable nature of this perfume. It smells like the refined essence of why we're into this damn stuff in the first place. I can't really smell a pethora of notes or clever transitions or collections of accords but does that make this one dimensional? No. I don't believe it does. Linear? well maybe but also,.no. It feels deliberately constructed in one sense but with the seeming absence of the hand of a creator in the other, a beautiful mistake, yet nature doesn't make mistakes right? I can smell, sandalwood, musks and that aloof yet familiar animal fixative, 'skin' warmth of ambergris, which has the strange quality of going on and then going in, seemingly deep into your skin, if I was a twat I might say 'permeating your soul' or some hokey, corny BS like that.... but actually it kinda does. A contradictory and defiant perfume then, one which has to be smelled. I feel it's a base heavy perfume I can only percieve a little scratch of top notes and then everything mid and base just seemlessly flows into one another. I feel this is a love letter to enthuiasts, something which has this inate appeal to any human nose but I think typically your average Muggle might struggle to 'get' this as a perfume but will be as drawn to it's loveliness as anyone else. It doesn't smell like Guerlain's iconic Jicky but in spirit & style I believe it to be a fairly good comparison. I love Mxxx, but it lacks a focal point for me, something I can really get behind. If it was a bit more animalic in an outragous sense like another perfume to which this could be compared Affinessence... something...name escapes me...errrrr... the Ambergris one... ??? But then again it might lose some of it's mystique and refinement. It's such an enigma I can't even make up my mind. Try it though, you won't regret it.
Opens with a beautiful citrus (love the calamansi note) and some soft ylang ylang over time creamy coconut milk comes to the forefront. In the dry down I detect hints of fig leaf and black tea. Like paradise in a bottle. A beautiful summer fragrance that is somehow both sophisticated and comforting. I just wish it lasted a bit longer on my skin. I get roughly 4 hours and the last 2 with intimate projection
Smells like honey drenched white flowers, but sophisticated. I imagine someone very well put together wearing this
The aquatic note is very prominent with the rose note. Still tart yes very fresh. Do not overspray.
I can't think of any fragrance out there that compares to Prada L'Homme. The initial powdery/floral kick lasts for a couple of hours. But, during the dry down you get a really nice warm/woody tone that is quite pleasing. The midterm scent can best be described as soapy and fresh (in a good way). Great fragrance that I would consider unisex because of the floral opening.
I don't particularly care for the mint and pink peppercorn dominated opening but at least they are interesting. This dries down to an incredibly boring amber. Zero reason to pay Amouage prices for something you can get anywhere.
So the dude that did the super indepth review of this absolutely nailed it so if you're looking for good info check his out. I'm just gonna keep rambling on
So first off its certainly got rose in it so if you're looking for something like that it's definitely worth buying. This isn't my woman's favorite of my rose collection but it's probably my favorite. The citrus and rose in the opening does make it smell like soap but it's the best rose scented soap. I sprayed it just before my boy got home and asked if I just got roses. Don't know if it's the incense nutmeg or ginger. Probably the ginger but there's something else in the opening that really grabs your attention.
This is a very clean smelling fragrance once it dries down or maybe I just become nose blind quick my kids say they can smell me all day.
As far as Amouage goes this is a pretty easy to wear fragrance but I'm a big rose fan so for those not into that maybe sample first.
