If you are a dude who clicks on YouTube fragrance videos with the phrase “panty-droppers”, this scent is not for you my guy. This is the fragrance equivalent of the guy at work that elevates your day with his complete lack of cynicism. This is the most polite, uplifting, and smile inducing scent a man can wear. I tried it at the mall and was literally skipping back to my car with a huge smile on my face. So maybe you’ve gotta use more sprays than other fragrances, but the scent is incredible. I layer it with Versace Man Eau Fraiche to increase its longevity. A bright mandarin opening with a clean linen dry down with some soft woodsy notes at its base. Update: a little over a year later after some maceration… 6 sprays on the collar has lasted for most of the day. I got so excited I told my wife that it macerated and it seemed to extend the longevity. She said “It’s a sin to macerate.”
What fascinates me about this perfume is that I’m quite enjoying it today. It’s not even good by Fragrance du bois standards, a brand which I fundamentally don’t like, for various reasons but going back to around 2018 or so (because I haven’t tried recent stuff) their repertoire, while quite reserved in terms of creativity was undeniably good perfumery. The materials, the compositions, just very classy stuff. This isn’t actually immediately true of this perfume it, feels a bit like some crude, sweet, niche tropes knitted together. It’s a fruity ‘orange’ hued vanillic, musky amber, I’ve had it on for hours now and can smell a mild coconut note listed here too. It’s apparent how good this is and does actually remind me of Merveilles Hermes but just not my style because of the extra heft and gourmandness but if this kind of perfume is your thing then you could do much worse.
The GOAT. I’ll spend way more on backup bottles of this than just about anything. I love smelling it on my shirt at work. It’s perfection to me. Refreshing, unpretentious, herbaceous, complex, distinct and approachable. Dad energy?…maybe, so what? I’m a Dad! It’s a working gentleman’s scent. It reminds me of morning and it’s so fresh and inoffensive. Great for everyday wear. Performs really well. It’s one I never get bored of wearing. I am coming close to having 17 ounces of this that I assume will last until I die. If this were the only thing I could keep in my collection, I’d be fine.
Sometimes I just want to wear absolute trash, and I bought four of this line as a batch on Vinted. Well.... I must say this is actually quite a joyous little bottle of trash. It smells really good. It's in the same ball-park as Tobacco Vanille, insofar as the tobacco is realistic raw rolling tobacco alongside sugary, vanillic dried fruitiness. I'm not saying it's similar, that would be crazy, but it took me by surprise how real this tobacco smells. I'd expect something of this price to be a synthetic mess. It has quite a lot in common with Eau des Baux. It has good performance too, relatively speaking, and I love the hilarious cartoony botte and label. It's like something you'd buy syrup in. Sidenote - I have Tobacolor. Whoever put that in the smells like was joking or high.
I got a load of Avon 10mls from Vinted, and every single one has surprised me with it's balance, quality and originality. This is lovely and uplifting, with a warm sweetness that doesn't suffocate, it's more the warm hazey sweetness of a garden on a summer evening. Some note or the other is tricking me into thinking I can smell night-blooming jasmine, but that's a good thing for me.
Baie 19 is an ozonic woody patchouli which celebrates the juxtaposition of dark and rich earthy notes with bright and sparkly refreshing notes. It’s not a particularly complex scent and it does come across rather synthetic, but I like it. The deep, earthy nature of green patchouli takes centre stage with this scent, reminiscent of the damp forest floor. To contrast this, vague ozonic accords brighten the air around you to lift and freshen up the scent profile, elevated by the clean juiciness of juniper. This is all then carried and boosted by a hefty dose of ambroxan too. This is a fairly simplistic yet effective clean masculine scent profile. It’s not particularly unique or memorable, but it does smell damn good in the moment. I wouldn’t buy a bottle for myself but I can see why people enjoy this.
After getting my hands on a decant of Plum Japonais, I finally understand why it’s so sought after in the community. This is by far one of the best Tom Ford fragrances I’ve ever smelled, it’s beyond me as to why they would discontinue something so beautiful. The thick, sweet and candied juiciness of sticky dried plums, warm and spicy cinnamon combined with the dark, rich woodiness of oud and sweet amber creates one of the most alluring scent profiles out there. The sweet floral hints of saffron, plum blossom and immortelle are ever so gentle and yet brighten the overall scent profile just enough. As I said I understand the hype behind this, it’s an incredible scent. But I don’t think it’s worth paying the obscene prices to get a bottle when Plum Harajuku by Insider Parfums is about 98% similar at a fraction of the price.
There’s only one word to describe LostinFlowers - beautiful. This scent is Lily-of-the-valley to the extreme, in all its delicate and elegant glory. Everything is wonderfully balanced and not as dark or messy as you might imagine. This fragrance is dominated by lily-of-the-valley. It captures all the incredible facets of this beautiful flower: the pure white soapiness, the green vegetal touches and the airy sweetness all in one. There’s slight hints of a spicy, aromatic and herbal base with slight woody nuances but overall this scent is very straightforward, executed perfectly. Creamy, smooth, bright and airy are the adjectives which come to mind as I wear this. The oud isn’t nearly as prominent as you’d think, and the quality of the Lily-of-the-valley rivals even the best on the market such as Les Clochettes du Bonheur. Incredible perfume.
The Les Extraits oil of Oudh Glam Or is a feast for the senses, with shimmering luxury and dark desire floating through the air - this truly is a special scent. I find every note listed in here is balanced equally, perfectly, efficiently. The deep, rich allure of smoky oud and thick, resinous myrrh take charge as the bold character of the scent. This is contested by the sweet elegance of saffron and rose, gentle mingling with earthy patchouli and hints of amber and musk. As I said these are all perfectly balanced in equal parts, it doesn’t feel as though certain notes are shouting whilst others whisper - they all match each other. I do believe this is unfortunately discontinued as I can’t find it in stock anywhere online, although it’s not like I could afford to buy it. Oudh Glam Or is one of those ridiculously special and majestic scents which is a thrill to wear, but unrealistic to own. This is one of the smoothest and most luxuriously subdued and gentle oud perfumes I’ve come across.
Hmmm...The colour of the juice made me hope that it would be deeper and resinous. This is rather light and airy rather than dense and boozy. I was worried I would experience the metallic or blood note some others have detected but nope! It's a simple musky vanilla. I don't detect any warmth or fruity nuances. It's not very sweet but it is slightly dusty..Yet it doesn't come across as very distinctive to me. IMO, it's in the same linear vain as Chloe EDP or Gentle Fluidity Gold - Nice smelling but not distinct.
Flashing lights and sirens, guy on megaphone saying "step away from the perfume, repeat, step away from the perfume".... This is nuclear, like, sociopathically nuclear, but if you spritz delicately two or three times from a distance no closer than 20cm from the skin, and with GREAT caution, it's wonderful! The scent is magical, combining waxy, soapy aldehydes with murky incense and a patchouli-ish leather accord. It's the goth sister to Melograno, and she may go postal and kill everyone in the neighborhood.
Absolute vile. The only thing this fragrance is gonna guide me to is the nearest window where I can actually get some air. Cloying milky, vanillic fruity fragrance that does not live up at all to its hype. Don't come for this one thinking it will be a cute osmanthus - sandalwood fragrance. After a million scrubbing it smells exactly similar to Nobody Knows by Zara. Don't even bother trying.
A hackneyed concept, but done exceptionally well and for very cheap. What's not to love! Plus the bottle is adorable.
If you have ever smelled the scent of green, unripened banana, then you would absolutely fell in love with this. Photorealistic green banana without being too synthetic. Klubwasser by Wienerbrut is similar, but at a much higher price point. If you can get your hands on the old formulation, then hold on to it for dear life.
I’m not usually a big lover of neroli, I find if it’s the main component of a fragrance it tends to feel quite boring and flat. Unfortunately I get that with Neroli 36, although it’s still nice don’t get me wrong. This scent is pure white floral with bright, fluffy aldehydes. It’s clean and soapy, elegant and slightly feminine whilst maintaining great balance between the notes and brilliant quality. These all sound like great things, but it lacks depth and character for me. I would’ve loved to see something a bit more adventurous in there to help it stand out from the crowd. However if you’re a pure white floral lover and you’re not looking for anything else, this could be a great option.
Potentially one of the most controversial and polarising fragrances on the market, and yet I bloody love it. Santal 33 has all the sour, sharp and pickled gorgeousness that a lot of people hate, and while it does smell out of the ordinary there’s something about it I can’t resist. Sometimes you come across a sandalwood fragrance with that slight pickled vibe, but overall leans into its creamier facets. Not this one, this fragrance celebrates that honking pickle juice aroma and I think it’s stunning. There isn’t really much else going on scent-wise, it’s fairly straightforward but there’s something so addictive about it. As it begins to dry down it starts to get smoother and creamier, but always remains strong with the sharp sourness. This scent is like marmite at the end of the day - you either love it or hate it.
To me, Ylang 49 is Le Labo’s modern and edgy take on a Chypre fragrance. It’s very bare bones and reductionist, cutting out a lot of the deeper qualities chypres are supposed to have and instead going with the basics. An overdose of earthy yet clean and masculine patchouli dominates the scent, with heaps of ylang providing that thick, rubbery and slightly sour floral touch. This is smoothed out by the gentle creaminess of oakmoss, alongside gardenia and a woody base. As I said it’s very reductionist, comes across rather synthetic like most of their fragrances, but I sort of like it. Not enough to buy a full bottle, but enough to wear my sample and enjoy it.
Another 13 is one of those scents that doesn’t smell like much, and yet captures your attention straight away. This scent is primarily focused around the alluring molecule of Iso E Super alongside a sweet musky ambrette. Despite being made up mostly of synthetic molecules, this doesn’t smell cheap or low quality - in fact the opposite. I love Iso E Super as a note, and alongside the softness of ambrette and the refreshing juiciness of pear and citrus I’m left with something which truly captures the essence of clean and sophisticated. I think this fragrance is definitely overpriced for what it is, considering the overall scent profile is very bare bones and the longevity isn’t great, but it really fits the mood of when you don’t fancy wearing a proper fragrance but you don’t want togo about your day naked.
First impressions, this isn't nearly as sweet or sugary as the hype made it sound. It doesn't smell anything like Pink Sugar or Lira....Where is the Lira comparison coming from? I barely detect any sugar or milk either. It's light and airy, like the waft you get when you enter a luxury furniture shop. The sillage isn't great, I can smell it around myself when I move but that's as far as it projects. It resembles a waxy vanilla candle. Extremely waxy with a touch of vanilla, there's even a hint of mint. It's a nice vanilla but there are others I prefer. I was hoping it would be a dense sugary bottle of fluffy vanilla - like Kayalis Vanilla Royale, but instead, I get a super soft washed out synthetic vanilla - much more like Vanilla Violet Orchid from Zara. I bought it straight from the website so I'm not concerned about the legitimacy of the juice. Maybe after my bottle settles I'll come to feel differently, but from first impressions, I was hoping for a bit more. It's still a lovely unique fragrance, but it's not at all what I was expecting. Update - I’ve had if for a few months now and….wow… it’s lighter and more caramelly than vanillic but I’ve come to really enjoy it. It also lasts FOREVER!! Nothing compares, it’s so unique and delicious.
So so good. This is what Dama Bianca smelt like in my head. Super sweet fluffy vanilla, it’s sugary with a powdery iris kick. In the dry down, it's similar to SDJ Cheirosa 40. I love it!!
This wasn’t really what I expected. To me it’s not very vanilla forward. It’s hard to describe but there’s a urine note? It’s salty as well. I can detect a bit of sugar after 3 hours or so. I absolutely love plum and vanilla, that was what drew me to this perfume but I detect no plum. It’s super strong and dense, I’m hoping after my bottle settles the scent will improve but from first impressions - It doesn't suit me. After googling - it’s the civet that’s throwing this off. It’s super pronounced, like stale breath or urine. All the other sweet notes are overwhelmed by the civet.
I bought a bottle two years ago. This was the only perfume I had ever wanted to scrub off. It smelt straight up like camphor and hair relaxer or perm. It was awful. In comparison, Teint de Neige, Iris by L'erbolario, and Elizabeth Arden Red Door are my favorite powdery scents. I love lathering myself in baby lotion - I can never smell too powdery. Two years later...I've tried it again and it's amazing. It's much sweeter and denser, it's the closest perfume I've found to replicate the OG Johnson baby powder scent. It's baby powder on steroids. I'm so happy with my bottle now. Perfumes are subjective, to me, I pick up baby powder, to others it will smell different. A difference in opinion does not make a review ill-informed or wrong. I love oud and I detect baby powder in this perfume - there's absolutely no reason why a person cannot enjoy both scent profiles. Anyway... It's super strong and lasts until it's washed off - over half a day for sure and projects like a beast. Everyone will smell you. It's not a replacement for TDN for me, as they have different profiles and I'd reach for them in different occasions. Just to note - I believe the metal bottles that Montale is using are interfering with the fragrances. All the scents I have bought from them have smelt awfully metallic and alcohlic initially. They usually settle a year or two down the line. I don't have this issue with Mancera or any Montale samples I buy as those come in glass bottles.
If you want to gas everyone (including yourself) with a relentless, suffocating, linear nightmare, this is your scent. For 20 minutes I'm like "yeah OK, this smells nice but it's quite strong, I'm glad I don't have to leave the house for 3 hours". Fast forward 3 hours, I can't stand it any more, get it off me get it off me get it off me. Fuck this perfume. Awful. Update: applied with the most delicate light-touch, it can work, but it's gambling with ruining your day to put this on, as one molecule too many and it's back to the first part of my review.
To put this simply, Sacred Bond has too much going on for me. I like sweet fragrances as much as the next person but this is simply a bit too much in my opinion, it might be the raspberry which puts me off. This scent is dominated by an intense raspberry note, a note I already know I rarely get along with. Alongside this you’ve got the sticky syrupy nature of a caramel accord which is then contrasted by the zesty sharpness of mandarin and bergamot. Rather than continuing down gourmand territory, you’re then greeted by a white floral heart which seems very much out of place to me. This scent is alright I guess, it’s nothing special in my eyes and I think there are better options from Reinvented. As I said above it’s simply a bit too busy for my liking, there doesn’t seem to be much continuity or harmony between the notes - instead it feels like a bit of a mess. Overall it’s pleasant, but not my thing.
