So this started out as a massive regret for me as it was a blind buy based on reviews. On my skin I get a vague scent of dry toothbrush. I couldn't understand what the hype was about.
Then in desperation I sprayed it on my partner and my goodness. I understand now. On him it smells like delicious warm musk but really complex and comforting. It also has very decent projection and silage. I kept smelling it throughout the day and now it's his signature scent. So good.
The moral of the story - Try this one before you buy!
Feminité du Bois was a revolution, being one of the first women’s fragrances to rely heavily on the use of wood notes. Of course today it is marketed as unisex, but the legend and skill in its composition lives on. I was not expecting this fragrance to smell so incredibly delicious, it ventures almost into gourmand territory, with the woods grounding it appropriately. Cedarwood makes up the majority of the scent profile, although it does not scream, being such a soft and gentle note - in fact, 60% of the composition is made up of wood notes. To contrast, fat juicy plums make themselves known loud and clear. Whilst some plum notes can come across rather like dried, syrupy prunes, in this fragrance it smells intensely ripe and juicy. Pair that with a gorgeous blend of warming spices including cinnamon, clove and ginger with a touch of vanilla, and you’re left with one of the most comforting scent profiles around. This perfume is astoundingly addictive, as I said before it’s ridiculously delicious and inviting, it’s impossible to stop smelling yourself. To me, this instantly reminds me of Christmas. And whilst the scent isn’t particularly dark, loud or limited to the cold, harsh conditions of winter - the warm, cosy notes lend themselves to the inviting cosiness of the festive season.
Upon looking at the notes of Chergui, you would expect a sweet, warm and cosy scent. When in actual fact, Chergui is far fresher and brighter than I was expecting. I don’t love it as much as I thought I would, but I suppose the scent I’m smelling is far beyond what I had pictured - I do find I am enjoying it the more I smell it. The official Serge Lutens website lists the notes as Immortelle, Russian Leather and Hay. These are what speak to me the most. Having smelled imortelle in its natural form not too long ago, this scent instantly takes me back to that moment - it’s incredibly dry, soft and slightly grassy, with these facets elevated with the inclusion of hay and tobacco. There is a warmth on the base from the leather, amber and a touch of sweet honey - but this is subtle. Overall Chergui is a strangely dry and vegetal scent, reminiscent of the smell of Mediterranean vegetation in the wilderness. As I said it’s a lot fresher and lighter than I expected initially, but I’ve really grown to appreciate the simplistic beauty of immortelle and hay together, there’s nothing else in my collection which smells quite like it.
Makes me feel like million bucks every time I wear it.
MAAI is the scent of a bygone moment in time, from the golden era of classical French perfumery with its powerful vintage charm. It takes the idea of a traditional Chypre composition, but far dirtier, erotic and outrageously animal. I love it. An intensely sharp and bitter opening of bergamot, with zest and rind at the forefront, paired with a bright aldehydic medley of white florals greet you initially. It’s not long before the filthy side of this scent emerges however, an intoxicatingly brutal cocktail of castoreum, civet, hyraceum and musk burns at your nostrils - giving the scent this overall sharp, unclean and noticeably urinous facet which persists endlessly. A base of smooth oakmoss, woods and warm resins attempt to compete with these stronger materials, but cannot. There’s a lot going on here, it’s incredibly hard to unpack it all. To me, it feels like it’s taken inspiration from the iconic Bal à Versailles with its intensely animalic and resinous rendition of a floral chypre, but remains its own creation entirely. It can smell mind-bogglingly busy and overcrowded at times, and so extreme caution with the sprayer must be advised, but in the right amounts this perfume can be absolutely sublime and tranquil for the right kind of person. I could never wear this out and about, social events and work are a definite no-go; but at home, in the peaceful serenity of solitude, it thrives on my skin.
It’s simply exquisite! I cannot stand the regular Shalimar, but this rendition is amazing.
It’s literally like sitting next to a fireplace, or a campfire more so.
Intriguing combination. I enjoy the cardamom in here, it's slightly spicy. Overall Gris Charnel is a perfect fragrance for fall. And the juice colour matches the vibe perfectly!
This scent captures the whole of a tulip flower. It’s green and fresh, slightly tangy from the rhubarb. Nice to enjoy in spring time.
Kinda generic, sweet and forgettable.
Well... I liked the original Vanille Havane I thought it captured really enjoyable facets of both Vanilla (actually much more resinous and woody) and tobacco (actually smells like a tobacco absolute rather than the broad accords found in many tobacco fragrances) I found it to be reminiscent of some hand rolled cigarillos my friend brought me back from the Dominican Republic, and even the wooden box they came in. So I found it impressive but it was still quite a soupy, heavy sort of fragrance, quite artisan in that sense, while I could understand how the prospect of an additional oud material would be complementary, I was thinking it might just further weigh down an already pretty damn, dense fragrance. They've done something pretty miraculous here after a predicable opening of somewhat of the original, rich and sweet earthy tones, you get that heavy, chocolate, resinous, lightly fruity sensation of the oud and then in the drydown it's much more civilized and clearly has some aroma chemical fixation, giving it a lighter, more modern feel but you can still smell the oud which is all important. I think it succeeds in being a very good, very opulent fragrance, which takes the original material, incidentally this was sent along with my sample (a dilute oil, sort of Thai type, fruity oud) which was more animalic and had that slight funk to it which comes out in the opening but is slightly lost later on, which could be a critique from big oud fans. However, I'm a fan of perfumery and I think this perfume accentuates other facets of the material which is it's intent. The one thing I would say is that combining these perfumes you don't get Vanille Havane + Oud (well you do get that) I actually think the sweetness and overall feel of the perfume completely changes direction and feel, to the point die hard fans of the original might not understand this one. Price is prohibitive however the materials are not in question here and perfume price points are mental at the moment for stuff with zero transparency regarding expensive naturals used, so at least here you know what you're getting. Still it's a lot of money and as much as I'm loving wearing this today It's not interesting enough to get me onboard. The example being when I smelled the oud, it's very good but there's many oud oils like this with the more mellow, sweeter facets. I'd like to have seen the rarer weirder shit, like some Chinese oud which smells more like vetiver oil or Indian stuff which is plain animalic, blue cheese, farmyard shit!
I was waiting the right moment to write an in depth review of this scent since it deserves all my pationate attention. I was thinking as well which kind of approach I will take to this new flanker and I decided to compare it to the original GuidanceGuidance since so many people are curious to know the differences and the similarities. In the same time I will describe the scent itself. I don't understand at all the hate, low scores and underrate from the people who didn't get the free bottles or samples, it's unprofessional and childish. It's funny to see when the same formula in the reviews is repeated for each fragrance that is given out as PR bottles. Is it really the truth that all those perfumes are bad? I don't think so, like all those are not good. Whether you love or not the perfume should have nothing to do if it has been given for free for other people or not. By the way I didn't get the free bottle. Guidance 46 opens up with the familiar unique aroma from the original one. It's just much richer and opulent with sweeter, more fruity and more natural Pear, like added attractive and pretty fresh natural rosy scent as well thanks to the Rose water in it. It has a pampering creamy and nutty texture from Bitter Almond and with muted Frankincense it's not airy and "enormous" like OG Guidance . Because of that the scent doesn't fill the whole room but it makes an irresistible and seductive bubble around you with a sillage which is still well noticeable. The peppery kick is missing from Guidance 46. Toned down Frankincense makes this extract more versatile and easier to wear in the public areas or at the office since it doesn't bother the people around you like the original maybe does. The additional earthiness which is found in OG more than in 46 is because the Saffron is more present there due to the amount of the total notes. In the base of Guidance 46 there is an added Ambrette which can be also an ambery and slightly animalic scent, but here it gives a soft musky feeling instead with a fruity Pear aroma which complements the significant fruity character of the fragrance. Simplified this extract version is fruity floral with woody base but musky kind of softness makes it intimate as well while the original is based more on Frankincense and ambers with a fruity touch. If OG makes you smile and hugs everyone around you Guidance 46 hugs tightly you instead spreading the gentle warmth, deliciousness and happiness around you as well. I used to call the original as a happy mood, uplifting scent and I would say that Guidance 46 gives me a total olfactory satisfaction. Guidance 46 continues the same kind of style than other exceptional extracts like Jubilation 40, Honour 43, Reflection 45 for example. It's more complex than the original with added notes. It's polished until the perfection and sharp edges has been rounded. It's in every kind of way utterly smooth and luxurious. Wheather you like the original ones or these extracts more is just a subjective opinion and which characteristics you prefer. The projection of original ones can easily be too much for many so in that case an extract would be a great choice and they differ as a scent as well. The longevity of Guidance 46 is around 10-12 hours and I didn't try it on clothes because of an oil concentration. I wanted to because it would have been nice to compare the difference with the original one which stays on clothes for many days. And then in the end we have the question: which one and is it redundant to have both? As I had the original first my opinion is that Guidance 46 is not redundant. It's so gorgeous and special that I definitely want to have it. But if you don't already have either I advise you to test the both of them and decide which one you prefer. They are not the same at all but of course they share a lot as well. I think that the more trained is your nose the more differences you will notice. About the price I don't say anything since it's not the most important for me at all. If I love the scent and it's a top quality I don't care about the price. Anyway the price difference between these two is justified and the hype is real. Thank you for reading and I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
I understand that this is an iconic creation but this smell is atomic! Kinda like Guidance, you can’t get rid of it. I prefer lighter perfumes so this one was a scrubber for me…
Very cool, sweet scent. Perfect for summer
Le Lion is the pinnacle of simplicity, demonstrating just how gloriously complex and intoxicating such a humble note as labdanum can be. Chanel certainly took a step into unknown territory for their brand when they released this, it couldn’t be farther from their typical style - and yet they came out with an absolute masterpiece. This is the be all and end all of labdanum perfumes. Labdanum is a gum resin which oozes freely from the underside of the branches of Cistus Ladaniferus. Knowing this really helps to visualise what you’re smelling here as it’s intensely thick, resinous and sappy. The warm, dark, sweet and sensual odour powers through the intense balsamic facets of this powerful note, gently softened and smoothed out by touches of vanilla and sandalwood. This is easily my favourite labdanum scent of all time. It’s so warming and cosy, and yet persists with this brutishly strong dark balsamic facet which is just incredibly unforgiving if it’s a smell you’re not keen on. This is by far one of the best fragrances Chanel have ever made, and with a legacy like theirs that’s seriously saying something.
Fetish… what in insatiably breathtaking perfume this is. A blind buy which could not have gone better; I adore Fetish Pour Homme and when I had the chance to pick up the Femme, I could not resist. I didn’t know what to expect with the male counterpart being quite brash and animalic despite retaining its refinement and sophistication. Upon smelling this scent, perhaps ‘Fetish’ is the wrong name for such a serious and elegant perfume. This is a true Chypre through and through, a gorgeous rendition of this traditional fragrance composition, staying true to its French roots throughout. Green, woodland notes of oakmoss, galbanum, cedar wood and particularly cedar needle shine through the trees above, intermingling with the earthy ground beneath you by way of patchouli, Vetiver and labdanum. But to counter this immense green, earthy feel is the florals - tuberose, Jasmine and ylang paired with a refreshing bergamot give the scent an incredibly delicate soapy element. This soapiness is redolescent of aldehydes to my nose, it really brightens things up significantly. It’s old school, yes, but it’s not outdated by any means. It’s actually one of the cleanest and tamest Chypre fragrances which still undoubtedly holds that classical French character, without leaning too heavily into territory which would be considered ‘too old’ by some. I absolutely love it, I’m gutted that this masterpiece is so hard to come by.
I don’t feel Tommy gets the love it deserves, although I’m likely quite biased. This was the first fragrance I ever bought myself, at the ripe age of 17 at a duty free in Greece. At the peak of my teenage years, I thought this smelled like god’s gift to earth at the time - I was obsessed with it from day 1. I exclusively wore this for about a year, before wanting to explore other fragrances until I bought it again a couple of months ago purely to reminisce, 6 years on. This is a clean, soapy, fresh spicy scent with delicious fruity facets. It has an element of that typical shower gel DNA which has been so popular in men’s fragrances from the 90s, but it has something unplaceable which is just so addictive as Alberto Morillas often manages to do. Juicy, rindy grapefruit and bergamot fill the scene alongside a freshly picked green apple; paired with the aromatic edge of lavender and spearmint. It smells very youthful and adolescent, like a clean-cut, sporty teenager. Words cannot describe how much I love this fragrance. As I said I’m likely biased because this bottle is filled with nostalgia and some of the happiest memories of my life - a time I yearn to experience again. I can understand why this would come across as rather unimpressive to someone who has no relationship with the scent, but it will always hold a special place in my heart.
After sampling (and loving) a few scents from Perfumer H, I‘ve become increasingly fixated on the talents of Lyn Harris (I’ve also ordered some of the scents she produced for Trudon), but I had yet to try any of the offerings from the house that she previously founded (and then sold), Miller Harris. L’Air de Rien came freighted with praise so lavish that it attained a nearly mythic status in my mind before I was able to smell it, not least because it ranked highly in some lists of fragrances that evoke old books, and I’m eagerly searching for the perfect library/bookstore scent. This wasn’t easy to get, either—I had to prevail upon a stateside relative to procure this vial for me (so many eBay sellers won’t ship to Canada!). All this to say that expectations were high. My first sniff was a mix of thrill and disappointment: it’s a ravishing, beautiful smell, and the press and marketing don’t lie—it really does feel as intimate as a lover’s embrace, with a mix of sensuality and private quietude. It smells like skin and hair (not sweat or body odour, just the natural sweetness of a person), a tiny bit spicy, with an ever-so-slight warm, vanillic mustiness, as of slept-in sheets, a dusty room, or—yes—a stack of old books. Imagine an afternoon tryst in a sun-dappled attic full of chests of leather-bound volumes and antique furniture draped in sheets. The description of "watching dust dance in the light as you lay entwined” is amazingly accurate and feels like a remarkable avhievement: such a subtle and specific thing to evoke. The idea that this was composed for Jane Birkin (in 2006, when she would have been 60) also lends this perfume an aura that’s quite different from the Perfumer H signature, which is decidely British: minimalist, sober, artfully serious. L’Air de Rien is warm and languorous, sexy, chic, and graceful. It smells like what I imagined Musc Ravageur would be like, before I tried it (and didn’t like it). So all that accounts for the thrill. Whats the disappointment, then? The thing is, on the first spritz, I thought, “Oh, I love it, but this isn’t for me.” First off, I feel like it leans a bit more feminine than I want, but more importantly, it immediately made me feel guilty. It’s absurd to say, but it smells so much like the physical presence of a person, and not my own body. It also isn’t the familiar smell of my girlfriend, so it gives me the overwhelming sensation of having been intimate with someone else. It’s as if I expect to be accused: “Where have you been? Who were you with?” I protest: “I was just at the library! I mean, the bookstore!” "A likely story!"
Vanille 12:00 is made beautifully. I f you are checking all those delicious notes you could think that the scent is thick, sticky sweet and maybe cloying. Instead of that it's sophisticated and classy. It's utterly harmonious cocktail of gourmand notes which are never suffocating nor disturbing. It's somewhat transparent and bright but potent enough to project in a way that people around you notice the scent but it's not screaming and fill all the room. The concoction is well blended and I don't detect all the notes separately. Some which I detect are Pear, Vanilla, Cream and Caramel. There are so many notes in this scent which could be terribly synthetic but they are not. They are attractive, seductive, naturally sweet, and delicious instead. it is the mix of fruity and many general gourmand notes. This whole gourmand category is not my style at all. It just got my interest lately and I have been trying to find gourmands which are elegant enough instead of girly juvenile style. This is a great choice even if it's one of the sweetest ones and I'm sure it will have a wide audience thanks to its versatile and crowd pleasing aroma. For me it takes a little bit time to get used to this kind of sweetness since I don't have so many of them. My sweetest perfume is Love Don't Be Shy and it's totally different kind of style than Vanille 12:00. This review is based on a sample. Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
I just love it on my man, it’s so cosy and warm. I guess I just love clove in perfume, which is odd, since I don’t like it much in food or drink. Masterful creation from Guerlain
It’s like a cosy hug from a man dressed in tuxedo, you’re leaving a grand ball and he’s really smitten with you. It’s warm and inviting, like a fairy tale.
I really wanted to love this. I tried for a few weeks but when it was 100% obvious what’s making me sick in a car - I had to sell it. Big shame, the bottle is gorgeous but the lavender and sugar combo didn’t work for me at all.
It’s been so popular lately. It’s quite unique but I don’t really like the lavender overdose.
I believe that all the teachers in my high school wore this one. It’s smells like an elegant lady, subdued and poised. A bit too sweet, too boring.
