No.1 by Clive Christian was the most expensive perfume in the world upon its initial release in 2001, and while it’s no longer the most expensive out there, it’s still hideously overpriced despite being a lovely scent. Initially it opens quite aromatic with a green artemisia combined with warm spices of nutmeg, cardamom and pimento. This is paired with a strikingly contrasting lime and mandarin which are juicy and tangy. A soft floral heart joins this odd medley of notes - namely orris, ylang and lily-of-the-valley. As the citrus begins to dissipate, the warm spices linger and begin to blend very well with the powdery florals - before a soft, creamy base of sandalwood and sweet tonka bean begins to emerge. This is a beautifully masculine and gentlemanly fragrance which does indeed exude wealth and power, however it’s a fairly strange blend of notes which won’t be for everyone and I really can’t see why this is priced so highly apart from being a publicity stunt.
I recently got a vintage bottle of Chanel No. 5 EDT (pre-1976) to go alongside my extrait and EDC. As you would expect the scent profile doesn’t differ massively, I would say it follows closely more so to the extrait than any of the other flankers. It opens with the same iconic combination of soapy aldehydes with powdery orris and ylang, but here the scent is made much brighter with some additional focus on neroli, lemon and bergamot. I also find the Jasmine and lily-of-the-valley to be more prominent here, overall creating a much brighter and softer scent profile. To me personally, the notes of civet, patchouli and oakmoss are all completely undetectable in the base - this scent is more focused on bright airy florals. This is a magnificent scent which is perfect for spring, however I find the longevity is very poor - with my bottle at least.
It's an inoffensive although lovely perfume, airy and slightly watery, very cozy, very safe unless of course one hates any one of the notes. Wouldn't have bothered to write a review of it if it weren't for the fact that today I found a sample spray hidden and forgotten for who knows how long (judging from the other samples it was with I'd say a good ten years) inside an unused wardrobe, so likely very well preserved. I spritzed it and couldn't stop thinking it smells exactly like a deodorant/body spray I had and used to love when I was a preteen in the mid-late 90's, Impulse Zen, or at least the memory I have of it. The notes listed for the body spray aren't useful to solve the mystery but the overall similarity was, to me or my memory of it, uncanny. Probably would eventually buy a bottle for nostalgia's sake alone.
Hard not to enjoy this gorgeous opening, white floral perfume which is subtle enough for non indolic or heavy LotV, Jamsine, Tuberose fans to get with but at the same time satisfying the hardcore because of the deft touch and quality of materials on display. It's a gentle perfume and perhaps in comparison to some of Pissara's other work, lacks that heavy, hay warm, or bitter juxtaposition she achieves, This is much more of a straight forward ode to lovely floral and pleasant perfumery. This very middlin' ness might just not play in it's favour because it's not really a Jasmine perfume, nor is it a gardenia, lilly of the valley or tuberose... but it's sort of all of them. It's hard to be super creative with these kind of staples but I really let this one off because it's very nice, only nice for me, and I'm moving on.
Smells like sweet rose liquid hand soap. Not a bad smell, quite pretty in fact, but not what I seek in a perfume.
How long does it take to create an award-winning chypre accord? At least two years, according to the British perfumer behind the critically successful Chienoir, Amanda Beadle, @bedeauxx on Instagram. Chienoir (pronounced Shen-wah, I think) was the winner of the 2018 Art and Olfaction Awards, which celebrate excellence in independent and artisan perfume from all over the world, and it's easy to see why. For the chypre accord in Chienoir, Amanda fused opoponax (instead of the typical labdanum) with patchouli, oakmoss absolute, and bergamot, a blended quartet of natural ingredients that took over two years to perfect. Taking the opportunity to attend an event (July 2023) where Amanda showcased Chienoir, it was clear from just smelling the isolated accord just how much work had gone into balancing these four key ingredients. (Other notes include neroli, sweet orange, pink pepper, tobacco, juniper berry, and musk.) Chienoir was created to represent "the essence of an English vineyard: mossy woodland, green vines, white flowers, and the deep, chalky, downland terroir." For me, Chienoir is like standing at the top of a vineyard during the golden hour, surrounded by the wide expanse, the moss, and the woodlands. As you look down across the vines from an elevated location, the sun, setting in the distance, casts its sepia hues across the landscape, and the earthy scent of nature fills the air. The sparkling citruses of neroli, sweet orange, and bergamot create that feeling of resplendent evening sunshine. The patchouli is earthy like soil and really speaks to the idea of terroir and the mineral aspect of the earth imparting its qualities into the produce. The aromatics of pink pepper, juniper, oakmoss, and musks give it the sense of being out in the open air, of oxygen, as if all of a sudden you find yourself bathed in nature. It’s incredibly durable as a fragrance, and in testing, it has given me over twelve hours of enjoyment with a hefty sillage. I'm not sure why others are complaining about the performance; you only need a couple of sprays of this. I love the fact it retails in sizes of 100, 30, 15, and 2 ml, which gives everyone the opportunity to try this critically acclaimed perfume. Follow me on Instagram: @TheScentiest
Delicate, pretty and, sadly, a bit boring.
Sumptuous Velvety Fluffy Subtle Classy I think I can’t describe any fruity scent with those words. This so unique and all my expectations about Journey W were fulfilled when I smelled this fragrance for the first time and I even got more. This is heavenly blended Apricot and Osmanthus. It’s not juicy at all, it’s powdery and soft. It’s luxurious and very hard to resist. There is even honey in it but it’s not sweet at all. All the notes which are there has been done in the different way than you are used to. It’s indulgent and there is some vintage vibe in it. Jasmine doesn't stand out in any kind of way. Tobacco is also elegant, like a gentle vapor which softens the fruity notes. This is a Journey to your dreams. Beautiful. Edit September 2024: For me Journey Woman is a summertime scent. It performs in totally different kind of way when it's cold: it's synthetic, cloying and suffocating. Last winter I was thinking that I don't love it anymore and I'm happy I didn't sell it. This summer arrived and it was like it used to be last summer. It was again mesmerising, special, it was shining and every day when I was wearing it was a journey. Top: Apricot, Jasmine Tea, Osmanthus, Nutmeg, Cardamom Heart: Jasmine, Sambac, Mimosa, Honey, Cedarwood Base: Pipe Tobacco, Saffron, Vanilla, Cypriol, Musk Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
Elegant Refined Classic Sleek Sensual Vintage vibes This is one of the discontinued Amouages which I wanted so badly. The blend has a much characteristics from a classic French perfumery. This is for all who wants to feel nostalgic. It’s the most perfect with a beautiful evening dress but as I don’t have those kind of occasions so much I’m enjoying it at home with a cozy cardigan as well. The scent itself is strange on my skin: I get anosmic after the first minutes but my husband said it’s there after many hours. If I spray it on the clothes I notice it after I haven’t worn this perfume for a while. It’s sad since I adore this scent. I find myself sniffing my clothes many times per day while wearing some other scent. 😅 Beloved is a complex mix of florals and herbal, aromatic, spicy notes with an old school base with Civet, Castoreum, Ambergris and Musk among others. This scent is actually not Amouage style at all because of it's transparent texture, it reminds me more of Chanel's and Guerlain's creations. Charming elegance at its finest! ✨ Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes
This has been the most challenging perfume for me of what I have. I sprayed it a lot outside and I hoped that something would happen. I put in on sale after trying it few times but fortunately I set the price so high that no one bought it. 😂 After many months I took it from the box and sprayed it on my clothes (tried earlier as well) and I was totally surprised! It started to bloom and shine in the way how people who love it describe it. 💙 Panthea Iris is astonishing beautiful no doubt. It’s powdery, subtle, a little bit soapy Iris. It’s elegant, refined and a little bit paltry but in the same time it feels luxurious. It’s not buttery or creamy Iris, it’s clear, airy and dry and there is something melancholic in it. The scent is not complex and it doesn’t change so much from the opening until the dry down but it’s not bad at all in this case. It performs in the best way on clothes and I picked up one of my favorite evening dresses which I made maybe 20 years ago for celebrating Finnish Independence Day (the holes for my arms has modified bigger since that 💪🏽 😅 ) and I still wear it every Independence Day. Panthea Iris matches perfectly with that long Sapphire blue velvety dress. 🇫🇮 Top: Pink Berries - Italian Bergamot and Tangerine - White Tea Heart: Iris Absolute - Jasmine - Violet Base: White Musk - Tonka bean - Sandalwood - Patchouli - Iris butter Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
Comparing FREDERIC MALLE: Iris Poudre Pierre Bourdon (2000) and STÉPHANE HUMBERT LUCAS: Panthea Iris (2019) (Review made earlier) These two clear, sophisticated and soapy scents are in the same category. Both has a clean white musky base and they are very subtle, elegant and refined. They are airy and dry. They are powdery but it’s rather sharp and cold powder than soft and warm compared to those “baby vibe” powdery scents. Iris Poudre is even colder and drier than Panthea Iris. There is a lot of aldehydes in IP and it creates a frosty, super fresh and bright nuances. In Panthea Iris there are pink berries in the top notes which gives a hint of the sweetness to the scent and Orris butter in the base softens the whole concoction a little bit. Do I need the both? Yes. But I don’t know if it’s necessary- try them and decide. 💙 Iris Poudre: Top: Rose - Violet - Ylang-Tlang Heart: Iris (Aldehydes) Base: Sandalwood - Musk - Tonka bean Panthea Iris: Top: Pink Berries - Italian Bergamot and Tangerine - White Tea Heart: Iris Absolute - Jasmine - Violet Base: White Musk - Tonka bean - Sandalwood - Patchouli - Iris butter Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
The opening is akin to some sort of sickly pink Givenchy affair, then the pear dissappears pretty much immediately and it morphs into Eau de Magnolia. I have Eau de Magnolia so I don't need this.
After the initial blast of synthetic peach candy mayhem, within 10 minutes it dries down into Mugler Angel, albeit slightly less loud. It smells good, but you don't need it.
Every time I wear this I have the same thought... Five minutes of peach, then it dries down to Angel. It's literally just Angel for loads more expensive.
Hyper masculine, if you subscribe to gender in perfume, which I normally don't. But this has really old-school macho dad vibes. It's a great scent, but there's something that catches in my throat and makes me feel like my airways are tightening. I have no allergies that I know of, and this is the only perfume that has this effect on me. All this considered, the EDP is a much more modern, accessible (and unisex) take on the same theme, as is Intense, whereas extreme falls more into the macho category. Of the line, this is my least favourite (and the new silver bottled flanker is superfluous in my opinion). I don't get people calling this sweet, to me it's ultra-bone-dry. For an EDT, it's STRONG.
Imagine reve de cashmere but not as smooth and with the harshness of added ylang ylang. Make of that as you will 🤷🏿♂️. BTW I have a full bottle available for swaps or sale here in the UK
This reminds me so much of Pierre Guillaume scents. It has a sticky gourmand feel whilst also being distinctively not gourmand, i.e. It doesn't smell like anything you'd actually want to eat. Don't get me wrong, this is some high quality perfume, and I can't stop smelling myself, but it does ALMOST have a sort of "bin juice" vibe. Like when you ate some mango, and the mango skin has been in the bin over night with some tea, coffee, etc. Very intriguing but I won't be going beyond the 5ml decant I already purchased. In any case I think it's done and dusted. Update: after a couple more wears, I'm finding this really quite nauseating. I don't think Xerjoff have continued making it and I can see why.
This is a beautiful scent, but the name baffles me. It's more of a sweet pear and vanilla affair (non gourmand) than angélica, which plays second or third fiddle to my nose. As for Noir, nope, there's nothing dark or black here at all.
I just have a sample of this and won’t buy it so based on a couple of wears. There is a very strong lavender straight away in the opening. It’s beautiful but I’m just not so big fan of Lavender. Tropical Pineapple is very realistic and is noticeable straight away after the opening but it lasts as well. It’s really juicy. I couldn’t tell that there is Vanilla in the base notes, this is not that kind of “Vanilla sweet”. It softens a scent. I smell light earthy patchouli with Labdanum making the blend deeper. Technically really well made and blended, it’s not too sweet nor cloying but it's very rich scent and totally unisex. If you love Pineapple this is a must have but you really have to be a fan of herbal Lavender as well. That note is difficult for me so it forced me to make a short review instead of longer analysis. Notes are wrong here, there is not Anis, Geranium, Caramel or sugar. The only sweet note here comes from Ananas imo. Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
Comparing with Kilian's Straight to Heaven Since this is quite masculine scent I don't have so many scents to compare with and that's why Straight to Heaven comes into my mind even if they have many differences despite of many common accords. Both are woody, spicy, smokey with a hint of rum. If I have to choose my choice is definitely Kilian Straight To Heaven. You may prefer this one: it’s more potent, more leathery without any sweetness in it. Saffron which is not in STH at all brings spicy earthy feeling especially in the opening. There is a certain kind of earthy feeling in Straight to Heaven but it's only from Patchouli. I love Rum a lot as a note but in this one it’s just a quick hint in the opening and in Straight to Heaven it stays until the dry down. Vanilla in STH sweetens the scent in the dry down whereas Monsieur. stays very dry without a sweetness. I would say that this one is more masculine and STH is more unisex. Those are definitely not the same but I recommend to try both if considering buying another one! From "Smells similar" list I have Pardon but it has nothing to do with Monsieur imo. Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes This review is based on a sample and three full wearings. The quality of the scent is great like is the longevity and sillage.
I just have a sample of this and won’t buy it so based on a couple of wears. Straight away after spraying this I started to think what is this so familiar scent. Three different came into my mind: Grand Soir, Shalimar and Isra&Miraj. This is not so Ambery and potent like GS (and in GS there is no leather), not so sophisticated like S and not so leathery like I&M. There is nuances of all of these three scents (the most different is GS) and I think it’s worth to test all of them if you like the scent profile. Really pleasant leathery Vanilla, spices are very light, definitely not so complex than S or I&M. I don’t find anything dramatic here nor mysterious or animalic like it’s described. I recommend to try them all and choose after that!
Gladiator is a very powerful fresh and masculine fragrance with intense fruitiness and aromatics. As soon as it’s sprayed you’re blasted with an intense note of peppermint which is quite harsh and abrasive, before an array of juicy fruit notes emerge - most prominently pineapple, apple, grapefruit and lemon. There’s a gentle touch of white florals in the heart which aim to balance out the rest of the notes, but everything seems to be dominated by the mint. The base is woody and masculine with hints of earthy vetiver and patchouli, alongside a bitter orange. But again, this is overpowered by the mint. While it’s not listed, I get a strong note of ambroxan coming through - this fragrance reminds me a lot of Sauvage and smells like a niche version of it. There’s a lot going on and it smells like a bit of a mess, but if I’m honest I’ve never been a fan of mint notes so this cannot be a love for me. It comes across as a synthetic mess of notes jumbled together carelessly.
Encelade is without a doubt the best release from Marc Antoine Barrois in my opinion, and one of the most addictive fragrances I’ve ever smelled. To put it simply this is a rhubarb and vetiver based fragrance - the sweet, sharp, tangy and juicy nature of the rhubarb pairs beautifully with the green and earthy vetiver to create something truly unique. There’s a hint of sweet woods and tonka bean in the base which intensifies the masculinity in here. I also seem to notice very subtly, the iconic metallic violet leaf base used in Ganymede and B683. This solidifies it as a MAB creation and ties it in beautifully to the rest of the line. Rhubarb is such an underused note in perfumery and it’s been executed perfectly here. The projection and longevity is incredible as usual from this house, it’s such a unique scent profile and will have you smelling yourself constantly. I truly believe this is a masterpiece.
Ganymede is the icy moon of Jupiter - its breathtaking size and power are depicted perfectly in a fragrance like this. It’s got strong, futuristic mineralic accords running throughout which smell like something from another world. The metallic scent profile here is made up of a combination of sweet saffron and violet leaf of incredibly high quality. There’s a smooth suede and synthetic akigalawood in the base which darkens and strengthens the depth of this scent. You’ll notice that this metallic violet leaf, saffron and suede accord is used among all of Marc Antoine Barrois’ creations to serve as a base of familiarity throughout the brand. This fragrance does not have any natural smelling ingredients in it - the scent smells intensely synthetic, metallic and somehow sweet and fresh at the same time. Being synthetic isn’t a bad thing though, as I absolutely love this fragrance and think it introduced such a unique scent profile into the market, there is nothing else that smells like Ganymede.
Dior Homme is a timeless masterpiece from a bygone era - it pushed the boundaries of what a man should smell like and popularised the use of iris in the men’s designer market. It opens with a refreshing burst of juicy bergamot, alongside slightly green and aromatic notes of lavender and sage; a nod to more traditional masculine notes. Soon after this the stars of the show emerge - a smooth, powdery and buttery iris, combined with a soft and delectable cacao to create the most delicious scent trail. In the base there’s hints of a subtle leather, earthy vetiver and patchouli, however it’s all about the Iris and cacao. I’ve not tried the new Dior Homme Original so I can’t compare, but all I know is that discontinuing this was a tragedy on Dior’s part. Dior Homme Intense is fairly close to this scent profile but I find it lacks the addictive cacao which pairs with the iris perfectly. This is the king of designer fragrances and a true classic.
Not bad. I'm getting unlisted aldehydes in the opening which lend it an Iris Poudre quality, although it's far less arresting (and so much easier to wear) than Iris Poudre. It lacks the playful side of many ofher PGs but I think that's a strength.
