Okay so this fragrance was the one from Celine which I'd heard people talk about in terms of how different an how much it smelled of Palo Santo, a much confused material and I'm sorry but I don't find this particularly indicative of the smell of palo santo. Thank god as well because that is such a bizarre thing, certainly my experience of it is. I recall someone, somewhere saying this Californian name thing is actually fitting because it smells like the Palo Santo grown in Southern California, and while I can't say I've smelled that, the Palo Santo I know is not dissimilar to Sandalwood but with mad, almost untamable facets, or 'side effects' I think they'd be called if Palo Santo was a drug. I don't doubt this formula contains some sandalwood aroma chemicals, but I wouldn't call it a sandalwood(palo santo) based thing but some folks do and that's worth noting. I like the opening, it's very classy, fresh bergamot and immediately woody in that linalool way and actually vaguely reminiscent of rosewood if anything, and a touch of the Serge/Sheldrake feminite du bois, spirit wise not suggesting this smell of that as such. What I do perceive is a sort of modern, French woody Iris accord, not shying away from it's Iso E Super base and elegant orris accord, the woody facets of approximated vetiver & cedar, but mild, fluffy and without the edge and scratch of those raw materials, probably because they're not present (at least not in any great quantity) I think it's a very nice perfume. That's about the most bland statement I could muster, and I'm afraid this is quite a bland perfume, complete with a bit of a lack of presence and persistence. I would place it in a category with Bois D'argent and L'eau d'Hiver and it's no less classy and understated, just not as good. It's actually far more like Prada Infusion series but even lacking some of the prettiness of those, and they were a revelation at the time, this feels greener, mossier and to me slightly more masculine leaning but no better off for those characteristics. I like the perfume, I know it doesn't sound like I do but I do, I'm just underwhelmed and I have to be honest it doesn't grab me the way I'd hoped, I thought this would be up there with Nightclubbing but there's far less to get excited about here.

What a pretty perfume this is. Complex, subtle, yes reminiscent of the plethora of exotic/tropical/floral feminine leaning perfumes out there but if you can't smell the inherent quality and craftsmanship of Bombay bling, I can't help you. I love the opening, it's big but not brash, you get that smooth Indian spice, and cardamom AGAIN! (This line is full of cardamom but used to different effects) Then there's a tropic fruit and frangipani accord but it's not like some cheesy shampoo bullshit, smells really natural to me as does the frangipani. Then the unrelentling vanillic sandalwood and amber base which is very tenacious. I get it. If you are well versed in feminine leaning trop/exotic floral/heavy creamy vanilla woods/amber perfumes then I don't doubt you can pick something up which approximates this, hell it might even be made by Dachaufour, but I think this is some fine perfumery right here. However, for all my praise it's a little too vanillic and sickly with the santal at the finish there for me, after the fresher fruits, florals and spices have retreated. Basically I feel it's a feminine perfume and I wear Coco and all sorts of stuff like that, so this says something. Bombay Bling! just has that energy for me, nothing wrong, I enjoyed it immensely and I have to say it's yet another fantastic perfume in this line, I've tried four others at this point and they've all been really good.

Okay so this happens sometimes and it's usually for two reasons. Either a fragrance is so bombastic and complex, it overwhelms and you don't get a good take on it first time around, or (and in the case of this perfume) it's so seemingly simple and such a genre, trope, piece, that you overlook very mild tweaks and manifestations to that stock formulaic feel. What this is, is a very good Eau de Cologne, let's get that said right away, I mean who really owns that vibe? You'd probably be a fool not to say the French (clue is in the name of this perfume) but there's a very southern Italian, coastal feel about this, so much so Acqua di Parma could've made it. I find the waxy white floral heart really appealing and the citrus fresh and lovely but upon this second visit I get the fig accord in there and clearly the fresh, wateriness, works a treat in this context. And still, they're sticking the boot in the base with a creamy orris. Hot summer day, white shirt boom! I think this is a delight. Expensive, I mean you can get citrus, neroli, orange blossom, petitgrain colognes or like I said very good ADP stuff for a better price, but this is Celine does EDC and I'm happy to endorse paying for it if you feel you want to. (I won't be LOL, but only because I have too much perfume)

This is a simple, elegant, French type of fragrance. Opens with an almost powdery juniper/citrus combination but it's clearly underpinned with complementary woods of cedar and vetiver, softened with 'that' orris vanillic feel from Celine later on. That is the story of Bois Dormant. Cannot for the life of me understand any comparisons to Dior Homme, I mean if you wanna say Dior Homme is a better fragrance than this... then fine...I'd agree with that statement but... it's apples and oranges. The intent of this fragrance is clear and I think it nails the brief. I can't really think of a naturalistic, citrus cologne, cedar/juniper with those soft base elements in a cheaper price bracket (not saying they don't exist) but I think I'm reasonably happy with the quality and textural subtlety of this, albeit for a high price. That being said, I reckon it's one of my least favourites of these but no shame, they're a good line.

Okay, so it's the much anticipated release of Jubilation Man 40. I say much anticipated because when the first revamped concentrations came out, my reaction (I think I speak for many) was 'oh....they're doing this?' with more than a skeptical, wry smile on my face but actually I thought they were very good, and why not give people more of what they want right? So then people (me) started to wonder...which other ones are they going to do? and inevitably the fabled Jubilation XXV Man was a big favourite for getting an amped up, haute concentree version, in part due to peoples (not mine actually) hatred of the newer EDP formulations which were apparently rubbish compared to the original. Thankfully I own the original plastic cap version of Jubilation XXV Man EDP and as such I wasn't quite as excited as many for this new version, but I was curious and perhaps this means that I didn't build it up on a pedestal, only for massive disappointment. So I think this is very good. Very good indeed. Has all the aspects of the original fragrance. However, It feels slightly more disjointed than the original in so much as you can smell individual natural raw materials and the quality of them, the original has something of a more cohesive feel and for lack of a better term feels more gelled together, diffusive, more sparkly, less heavy, but somehow stronger and longer lasting in some sense. I think this oiler version reaches a critical mass and falls into the trap of many 'parfum' versions of stuff do, they're glorious and richer, deeper in some respect but somehow sit closer to the skin and over the long haul of the experience are counterintuitively less powerful over all. It's not all about lasting power and strength though and what this version does is give a very vivid elemi/frankinsense in the opening which has a much more camphor topped bite to it, I know this is from some of the very highest quality of these materials possess this, even if it's not my favourite facet, you can smell it. Another thing which feels more naturalistic is the patchouli. Often people would state that Jubilation is a big patchouli fragrance and while patch can manifest in many ways and I definitely feel it's presence in the EDP, this version has a positively visceral patchouli note, which despite how different I'm saying it is, doesn't effect the perfume or change it too much from the original. The fruity berry accords and such which are mainly Berty's AC trickery I thought were very well rendered and had the characteristic sparkle of the original formula too. The opening of this and first half hour are glorious! Like a reimagined, technicolour version of what is a fantastic perfume, but it's very expensive and I get how some people will be less than enamored. I feel this does live up to the hype, although I was told recently not to celebrate the mediocre fact that 'Well it could've been a lot worse' but the truth is it could of. I like this a lot but can't shake the fact that I'm lucky enough to have the original formula Jubilation and as such don't desperately need to get this.

First of all.... despite any negative things I might say about this perfume, I think it's very good. Creative, made by a real legendary perfumer, the bottle and imagery it evokes are powerful and desirable, so hats off to Greco. Most of all I'm happy that stuff like this is still getting made. I think Rauque is catering to a niche within a niche of people who maybe are nostalgic for vintage, bygone stuff but with a sense of wanting something new, exciting, artisanal, avant garde. I think this ticks the boxes. First thing that struck me was a dusty, fusty, amber accord, choking, slightly rubbery, fleshy, not quite earthy but someone mentioned mushrooms to me when they sent the sample and I will go a along with that, texturally at least. The same way Tom Ford have that truffle aspect. What annoys me is lazy references to Chamade, Derby (because of a certain vintage leatheriness I suppose?) and Fahrenheit. I mean the Fahrenheit one annoys me a bit because these fragrances are totally different (well aside from on paper they are both predominantly violet, amber and leather) but I suspect this contains methyl octine carbonate a signature violet/floral material which you can definitely detect in Rauque's make up. It's not a classical stuffy, papery Ionone nor is it a fleshy, sweet orris type violet it's deliberately deployed here as a completely different shade of purple. Also the dreaded Ambrarome a material, which fascinates and repels me in equal measure, taking one of my absolute favourite things in the world cistus/Labdanum and pulling out a vile, animalistic, ambergris adjacent qualities from it. Thankfully it's restrained enough in Rauque for me to be able to appreciate it's facets without running for the hills. I found a pissy quality (certainly in the opening 30 mins) which many folks will love and this could be a cassis sort of material coming into play, so really the major players here create this kinda, filthy, greasy, amber violet, resin, animalistic, mushroom, composition which is all complementary and in harmonious resonance . This feels quite like Sheldrake but when I first sprayed it, and subsequently first sprayed it on to wear, I was struck by just how chaotic and almost indy it felt, takes a minute to settle into a groove and you realise just how well balanced and un-accidental (deliberate?) this perfume is. Perhaps Sheldrake has been informed or inspired by the indy movement of the last 10+ years, a movement his work for Serge Lutens doubtless was the inspiration for lots of self trained artisans, and so the cycle continues. I must say, wearing this is much more rewarding than I'd imagined it to be, my first impressions were good if a little confused, I just don't like this perfume, it doesn't fill me with joy, there's something odd and unsettling, discomforting about this collection of notes and accords. It's almost smirking at me like a killer giving a TV interview or a Police press conference and revealing micro expressions of dupers delight. Something is wrong here. The fact it's so thought provoking and warrants a fairly wordy review even by my standards, should tell you that I think it's worthy of investigation and for those who love this and think it's a masterpiece, I won't argue the toss because I can totally see why you might think that, just not for me.

Alright, now look... I was sent this with no preconceived ideas about the brand or notes or anything and that's often the way I like it but was immediately struck by two things...a complex amber accord, studded with gems, little pockets of intrigue and real oud funk. Specific to my nose is what oud experts call 'fruity thai oud' which just helps to bombard the senses with yet more complexity on top of what is quite a sensory overload of a perfume. What immediate association did I make? Well it was with a perfume by Strangelove, Fall into stars, a very expensive niche brand, gold encrusted and exclusively stocked which I would probably scoff at due to the working class chip on one shoulder and the massive boot of the elite poshos and neuvo riche cunts who by this type of shit, on the other, pressing me down into the dirt where I belong. However, I loved Fall into stars, it's an absolute triumph of a piece, full of aroma chemical trickery, big ideas and small sparkly ones, oudy funk and clearly no expense sparred on materials but also made very well and with restraint by an incredible perfumer in Christophe Laudamiel. For Aqualis Triptych to even evoke...to momentarily glimpse the spirit....of Fall into stars, can only be a good thing. (or downright plagiarism? one or the two haha) However much I enjoyed this, it didn't quite bring the magic or joy of FitS. Maybe it's because it's second to my olfactory market, I've smelled it all before? so to speak... I don't think it's that. I genuinely think this gets rosier than I recall, and the oud is a little more short lived, cheesy (in a good way. like literal cheese!) and woody mulched manure with that oddly fruity edge, doesn't punch through as hard after several hours. Couple of caveats... this perfume is considerably cheaper than strangelove for a greater volume, and if you want a broad strokes approximation you can't go far wrong, and this CLEARLY contains real oud not a cheap material and not something which can be phoned it, it's character is unmistakable. This is a BRILLIANT perfume, do not get it twisted, I enjoyed it immensely, it lasts and has depth but not quite as much of a all immersive DMT trip that fall into stars was for me, but very, very, few perfumes are. PS: I read this back and it read a bit like it could be open to misinterpretation... allow me to clarify, when I say 'I was sent this...', I mean I was sent a small decanted sample by a friend, not a free bottle by the brand or via PR companies or anything of the sort. I have no affiliation with the brand.

What!!!! I haven't reviewed this until now???? What is going on??? I think it's a reflection on just how much I overlook this brand as a collection primarily about gimmick and marketing, not that there's anything wrong with that, but Le Labo were somewhat of a trendsetter and many, many, lesser pretenders to he minimal, laboratory aesthetic were spawned due to their success, but in fairness the fragrances are remarkably good and pretty original on the whole. This is one Ylang 49, upon a recent (probably 2-3 years ago lol) return to trying them again, turns out to be one of the best. It's like an energized, vibrant topped, classic, chypre type perfume but with a kind of exoticism about it. Like many Le Labo perfumes, the name is often a red herring and might discourage people who think they don't really like Ylang or at least don't think they want a Ylang centric perfume, even if they do like it, (I find Ylang supporting role more crucial as a rule) wouldn't be something for them....I'd urge you to reconsider this perfume, because it's an absolute gem!!! Mossy, earthy but bright and also fun and with lush florality. I actually want to get it, and it's rare I say that these days, not because there's not good perfume around, just because I'm skint and have a shitload already but I could honestly say that this would be something timeless to grace my collection, I get the Aromatics Elixir connection some have made above, (praise indeed BTW because that is fantastic!) but it's way less stuffy and fundamentally different in many ways too. Feels more modern. I love this.

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.

Starkly, sparkly, green opening of petitgrain is really invigorating, further cementing my deeply held beliefs about the quality of these perfumes. However, I get much more of a clean vetiver vibe after that, like that 'handcream' sort of thing I don't tend to enjoy but it's clearly a superb perfume. The surprise (or not, considering this whole line is orris & vanilla heavy) in the base then is a sort of gentle vanilla and orris thing. I say surprise because I was actually quite disappointed with the lack of substantive 'base' in this one. However, it's not a rich orris it's one of those tricky, bois d'argent type vibes, very modern and subtle and definitely more of the sweet almond effect of heliotrope coming through. So all in all you get the electric, cologne opening of petitgrain, into a clean, woody floral accord for a short time and then a comforting warm, yet quite aloof, powder base. I like the perfume, it's pretty elegant and has those development stages as described but it's just a little too shy and doesn't announce itself enough. I evoked Bois d'argent which has a very similar MO but delivers way less of a shy experience. I'm a perfume lover, even if I want something subtle, I want to know I'm wearing perfume and not find myself forgetting what it is that I'm wearing during the day. This isn't a 'forgettable' perfume because that is something different entirely, it's just missing the mark by very small almost impercepable, margins.