Positive - it's a blue fragrance minus the things that usually make me dislike blue fragrances. It's natural smelling, quality Negative - nothing interesting to be found. Grapefruit and not much else, or everything else is so subtle as to be moot. I'd love some more florals or something more woody underneath (absolutely no ambroxan though). Sandalwood maybe? Totally inoffensive but also totally unremarkable.
I have u-turned on this. I tried it a few months ago and, while I found it interesting, I couldn't bear to keep it on, and scrubbed it off quickly. I repeated this a couple of times over a few weeks. But more recently I went on a coastal break, and was reminded of the scent when sitting on an isolated pebbly beach. I thought I would have to test it again. The wondeful people at Jovoy Paris gave me a little tester, but then I bought a Strangelove sample set anyway. I'm wearing it again, and I love it. Less is definitely more with this, and I agree with another reviewer who said don't spray around the neck. I did two light sprays inside each elbow and one on each wrist. It's beautiful. I probably couldn't wear it anywhere out, but I don't care. I'll cherish the little vials I have.
Un Été is an incredibly unique fragrance with immense amounts of character. It opens straight away with a rindy clementine and mandarin, alongside a heavy dose of ginger and matcha tea. Mate, vanilla and tonka bean are then quickly introduced to create a deliciously sweet and tart concoction which is definitely unique. While not listed, I get a strong almond accord with this scent - one of the most realistic almonds I’ve ever come across in fact. To me this fragrance smells like a hyperrealistic almond and vanilla cake, and it’s absolutely delicious. This is definitely a fragrance I recommend checking out, but not one to blind buy. I can imagine it being very polarising but the quality is amazing and the scent is lovely, overall very impressive.
Alseif is an interesting fragrance that combines an array of fruity notes with a dry oud. The oud is present straight away in the opening, and is initially quite harsh, animalic and almost fecal. Once it’s had the chance to settle however, the sweet fruitiness emerges with raspberry and plum at the forefront, and soft florals of rose, geranium and tuberose. The sweetness is continued and intensified in the dry down as saffron presents itself, in combination with an ambery base and a heavy dose of oakmoss. The oud is still front and centre throughout the life of the scent and remains very slightly fecal. Overall it’s a pleasant scent with high quality materials, and definitely one to try if you like fruity ouds. However, it’s personally not for me and there are far better options from Boadicea in my opinion.
As with many of the range, it opens unassuming and delicate, but has surprising legs. As is also the case with most of the others in the range, it has a slightly challenging element to me. As the citrus wears away from the opening, the spices take hold, and the cream subsides to a sort of artificial remnant. It's not bad, but cloves can be a tough one, as they can enter into culinary territory. Someone else on here mentioned a raw egg smell, and I do get what they mean. That's not to say I don't like this perfume, but what seems to be a gentle, soft scent is actually quite a difficult one, with a couple of twists and turns. As ever with Guerlain, the quality can't be denied, and I do keep going back to spray a little more then keep sniffing my skin, so there's something magical there. Don't be fooled by the soft opening, go easy on the sprays, you'll be rewarded by gentle, complex wafts for quite some time, whereas overspray and you'll risk smelling of a spicey, eggy guff.
Black Beetle opens straight away with an overdose of sweet raspberry with dark, smoky woods. It’s quite a sharp and tart raspberry, which combines quite harshly with a strong note of incense and earthy patchouli. There’s then nutmeg in the background giving the scent a warm spicy accord throughout the base. It’s a very earthy fragrance overall with dark, smoky undertones - very mature and almost ‘church-like’ with the incense. It feels like to make up for the limited number of notes, each one has been made incredibly intense in an attempt to make it seem deeper. Personally I’m not a fan of this fragrance. I think the materials used smell high quality and expensive, but for the the raspberry doesn’t compliment the other notes listed and instead makes the development of the notes feel conflicting and messy.
Floral Chypre oozes sophistication and class, and definitely lives up to its name. It opens very sweet and powdery from the array of floral notes and fruity accords of peach and rhubarb, with a touch of pink pepper on the background. After a few minutes the florals start to truly develop, with rose, orris and jasmine being the main stars. On the side, beeswax and frankincense give the scent a soft thickness that softens the edges and takes away any sharpness. As it settles, these florals are greeted by patchouli and oakmoss in traditional chypre fashion, alongside a soft and smooth leather. A musky papyrus and vanilla are also present to present a dry sweetness which combines beautifully with everything else. It’s such a delicate perfume with a lot of character and elegance. While this fragrance does lean feminine, I find it can be worn by a man if you enjoy sweet and powdery florals. The price point is off putting, however this perfume is absolutely mind-blowingly good. The quality is astounding and everything is blended to perfection, it definitely doesn’t lack the luxury and class you’d expect from Clive Christian.
Floral Chypre is a fragrance I have yearned for, for the past 2 years since I first discovered it. To me, this is easily the best fragrance from Clive Christian’s Private Collection, and yet people rarely talk about it. It’s got that fairly straightforward, characteristic Clive Christian DNA coursing through its veins, and yet manages to breathe life into my day each time I wear it. It goes without saying the notes on fragrantica only pain a portion of the full picture, as is often the case on this website. It’s a beautifully bright, elegant and indolic Jasmine with subtle hints of rose and sweet pink pepper, grounded by a deliciously honeyed leather and patchouli base - it makes my mouth water. The softness of these notes is dampened almost, by the inclusion of orris and vanilla, and yet is balanced to perfection. Nothing screams out at you, everything whispers in perfect harmony. I really enjoy this perfume, it just makes me happy every time I smell it. Any time I’m craving a sweet floral scent I will reach for this on most occasions, it’s such a fantastic mood lifter. I’m thrilled to finally own a bottle after treasuring my sample for so long.
Ain't no lie told, this is definitely the Best men's designer scent of all time. Yh I said it!
First I want to mention that the notes are right here. Addictive (like the name tells) exotic blend which differs nicely from other Tuberose scents. First of all here is not Jasmine or Orange Blossom which are both commonly combined with Tuberose but there is Lily and Orchid together and those flowers bring freshness to this overall sweet juice. Secondly the opening of this scent is a unique mix of sweet and bitter nuances and all notes can be smelled separately but in the same time it doesn't feel unfinished. After the opening top notes are blending more with each others and that smell is lingering delightfully until the dry down together with a floral heart. The base with soft Vanilla, earthy Patchouli and slightly Coconut smelling Monoi makes this excellent choice for summer days even if this would have been considered as a scent for colder weather. For me this is really much more beautiful in hot than in cold - I never wear this in cold, not even in springtime tough - only in hot. Otherwise so many notes seems to be hidden and the blend doesn't feel so rounded. The warmer it is the sweeter Cocaine comes and somehow this works so well like that. Despite of Caramel and Vanilla here is many refreshing nuances and I think this is definitely one of those scents which you have to test on your skin in different temperatures. What comes to the notes, on my skin Tuberose and slightly dirty Tobacco are dominating over the others and the magic is the warmth which tones the dirtiness of Tobacco down and the sweetness of Caramel up. There is something unique in Cocaïne, it’s bold and evocative, even a little bit strange (but in the good way) unisex scent. You can choose how this develops on your skin and I choose the most sugary character in which this “split personality”. Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes
Golden Chypre is a beautifully modern interpretation of a chypre, while still staying true to the traditional character of the classic scent profile. It opens sharp and zesty with a tart bergamot and orange, with a touch of spicy nutmeg. A refreshing heart of floral accords begin to shine soon after, including rose, geranium and heliotrope. Alongside this, a slight green earthiness of patchouli and vetiver make their appearance. The fragrance then dries down to a musky, woody base of labdanum and amber which smells truly classic and regal. While some could argue it’s not a true Chypre due to the lack of oakmoss, it follows the traditional Chypre structure of citrus, floral, earthy and definitely lives up to the name. Grossmith is a renowned example of spectacular British perfumery and this scent is no different - it brings to life the beautiful flowers and regal power of Great Britain while staying true to the traditional French Chypre family. This is a true masterpiece and a stunning creation.
Rose Tonnerre opens with a bright and juicy rose with a heady geranium - it’s intensely floral yet delicate and clean at the same time. It’s got a sweetness coming from the honey, however this is light and airy instead of being thick and syrupy. A sweet, earthy accord of truffle presents itself in the heart which combines amazingly well with the rose - giving the scent a very slight gourmand quality is it pairs with the honey. Despite this, the rose and geranium power on at the forefront throughout the life of this fragrance. Overall this is a fantastic rose-centric perfume, with unique notes thrown in there to give it some character. It’s very pleasant, enjoyable and blatantly feminine, and definitely does not lack character. It’s perhaps a more female-oriented alternative to Portrait of a Lady.
Portrait of a Lady is one of Frederic Malle’s most popular scents, and for good reason. It opens bright and fruity with a prominent rose accompanied by raspberry and blackcurrant, with a slight spicy touch coming from the clove. A strong heart of earthy patchouli and smoky incense then begins to develop, blending beautifully with the rose and clove. The base is comprised of an ambiguous musky amber accord, which only provides an added depth to the overall scent profile. Throughout the life of the scent, the patchouli and incense are the most prominent notes, with the rose providing a gentle feminine touch. This fragrance has fantastic quality and smells divine, intensely creative and alluring. One of my favourite patchouli perfumes and a definite must-try from the house.
Absolute Aphrodisiac really takes after it’s name - it’s intensely sexy and alluring with rugged qualities. It opens initially with a soft and sweet vanilla, however this soon fades into the background of an ambery base to allow smooth leather and animalic castoreum to take the lead. There’s a slight musky undertone as it settles on the skin, which blends beautifully with the other dark and animalic notes. A touch of white florals very subtly softens the dirtiness of the castoreum. Overall one of the best releases from Initio - a brilliant take on a sweet and animalic leather scent with a gorgeous sillage. I would say this is very easy to like and a great option for those who are looking for a castoreum scent that is more subdued and wearable, however I find it to be very masculine due to its animalic character.
I've uturned on this since first smelling it a few months ago. I found it meaty and repulsive, but now, perhaps because my nose has done some learning, I find it beautiful. You really have to love cloves, and the opening/first hour is not for public transport, work, etc, but the dry down is gorgeous.
Elixir Pour Femme parfum Elixir is like a fuel for the soul. It makes my mind crystal clear and it feels like some vitamin bomb giving energy for the muscles. It is a delightful and invigorating blend of Raspberry and Peach with delicate flower bouquet and a complex soft powdery base. All notes are masterfully blended to perfection and like most of the Roja’s perfumes, Vanilla in the base, even it being the main note, doesn’t make this “Vanilla scent”. It’s so sophisticated, sleek and sensual which is opposite to gourmand cozy Vanillas. Elixir is lingering around you in the seductive way all day long and you can complete the beauty of it with Elixir Supreme Hair Mist which I think is a must have for me. This scent is perfect for warm days and it’s one of my favourites to wear at the gym. This is sweeter than for example 51 and even Enigma since there is all - Raspberry, Peach and a Cherry like sweetness of Heliotrope- in this. I could see that this fragrance is liked regardless of age - everyone would feel like a goddess with Elixir. This is not extra ordinary unique scent but definitely refined and polished Roja quality. 🍑💐💎 Main middle notes: Rose de Mai, Raspberry, Peach Main base note: Vanilla Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes
Atomic Rose is a very sweet and appealing interpretation of rose. It opens with bright white florals of hedoine and jasmine, accompanied by pink pepper and bergamot before a sweet and soft rose takes over as the leading note. There’s a hint of vanilla on top of an ambery base, however the rose remains the main star and doesn’t change all too much throughout the life of the scent. I don’t find the rose to smell very realistic, it comes across more synthetic however I find this with the majority of notes in Initio’s releases. It’s a very pleasant fragrance if you enjoy a sweet overdose of rose however there isn’t too much else going. It’s a simplistic scent that’s easy to wear, however lacks character and doesn’t warrant the high price tag unfortunately.
Unfortunately another disappointing, unimaginative and boring release from Prada. Luna Rossa Ocean EDP opens with the same headache inducing bergamot and pink pepper overload, alongside synthetic sweetness from grapefruit and ‘florals’. It smells generic and similar to 90% of designer releases these days. The base is comprised of a synthetic Amber accord, with vanilla and woods to create a stereotypical ‘masculine’ scent. It’s not an unpleasant fragrance, and I’m sure much of the general public will enjoy it, but personally I find it uninspiring and devoid of any interesting qualities. Prada used to release some fantastic scents with high quality ingredients and creativity, but in recent years seemed to have lost their way and jumped onto the synthetically-sweet Invictus style bandwagon that most designer brands copy. Very disappointing.
Paragon is a very unique scent profile, and not all for the best unfortunately. It opens straight away with a sweet and fruity plum, alongside lavender and pepper. I find the sage to be very intense and aside from the plum, the main note in this fragrance. The sage is very dry, chalky and almost powdery in a bad way. As it settles on the skin, the palo santo and sandalwood begin to emerge, however they are continued to be overpowered by this chalky sage that just doesn’t give up. I don’t detect any oud in this perfume unfortunately. If the sage wasn’t present, I imagine I would really enjoy Paragon - the plum and palo santo combination is lovely but for me the sage ruins it. This was an unsuccessful blind buy for me and I have since moved it on, disappointing.
Sakura is a beautifully soft and clean sweet floral perfume, with a gorgeous dry down. It opens with bright citrus, bergamot, lime and mandarin combine with a blast of pink pepper alongside a hint of dates and saffron. Ambiguous green notes become present on skin, surrounded by a bouquet of airy florals - mainly rose, as well as a gentle incense. The notes listed on fragrantica are very different than the official listed notes. The base takes the sweet rose from the heart, and deepens it with vanilla, cardamom and woods. Oud is an officially listed note, however I don’t find this very apparent. Sakura is a very pretty fragrance, easy on the nose and easily enjoyable. It’s very nice, but quite gentle and from the official notes listed I would have expected a bit more depth and character. Intensifying the oud, dates, rose and frankincense would’ve rendered this a truly great fragrance.
Surprisingly totally unisex! First impressions, a full-depth review coming later. Finally I got in my hands this beautiful new Rosarine! I was happy to have a possibility to test it already a couple of months ago and that sample finished so quickly. It’s so lovely, captivating and sensual Rose on my skin and the rose is there all the time which I love a lot. First it’s slightly more green and fresh but in the same time it’s voluptuous and soft. It gets a little bit creamy during the day and I can notice Vanilla but it never gets too sweet or too obvious Vanilla. Despite of the “gourmand note” this is not too gourmand on my skin which is good. Straight away I knew that there is something which differentiates this from all Rose Vanilla scents and that is the reason why I love this so much. Now as I see the notes I understand this scent more clearly. I’m really surprised now about those, especially about Patchouli and Cocoa but it’s Patchouli which maintain nice airiness in the scent. I was already almost to test this on my man but I wanted to save that juice in the sample so now I was curious to see how this differs on his skin. There is always differences because of the warmth of the skin. That is of course normal in all perfumes but Dusitas has incredible ability to perform more masculine on men and more feminine on women. On my man’s skin only after 10 minutes after spraying this has a darker nuances than on my skin. It’s more green and somehow more fresh and Patchouli is more distinctive. Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes
PROFUMERIA FRANCO (Established by Franco di Vanna) Ponte de Rialto line Elixir Oriental Sublime edp Sandro de Vanna Unisex My first impression on this. I will update later since I have to wear this in the autumn to understand totally the beauty in it. - Really strong blend with Amber, warm spices, Patchouli, Oud and a hint of Rose. - This is nothing which I have smelled before despite of the familiar notes in it. - This feels really warm and vivid like the elixir of energy, forever shining sun in the middle of the day. - Projecting strongly, lasting forever. - Venetian craftmanship - Perfumes available in Venice and their own website - You can choose the bottle from various really beautiful hand made Murano glass bottles with hand painted gold details on it. All bottles can be refilled. Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes
Oumma is a beautifully and very well blended one more masterpiece from Monsieur Lucas. This perfume is Rose Oud fragrance but delightfully different than the most of them in the market and there is no Vanilla in this. In the same time this is very unisex since it’s not so sweet than most of the roses with Vanilla and it’s not so dark and brash like some of Oud scents can be, I love all those as well though. Oumma opens up with a very fresh Rose and it’s something like a smell of roses after the rain. It’s a little bit like diluted Rose, like a rose water and not in the bad or negative way - it’s really inviting and sensual. Jasmine doesn’t stand out for me I really just get a rose. This blend is quite quickly heavenly smoky and ashy because of the resins and balsamic used in the middle (Tolu Balsam and Peru Balsam) and in the base (Cade oil). That smoky and ashy feeling is not tobacco like or strong, it’s from Cade oil and that’s why it’s very soft, it’s obtained by steam distillation of crude oil and therefore it’s steamy smoky witch is really nice nuance together with that watery rose. Resins and balsamic are typical ingredients used in many scents of Stephané Humbert Lucas and I have written separate post earlier about those scents. Amazing aromatic and warm Burmese Oud base together with earthy, aromatic and woody characters of Nagarmotha completes this whole beauty. This is really captivating blend and I’m sure that even those ones who are not so big fan of either rose or oud can easily like this one, at least this is worth to try. This is unique and this is an art like most of this house’s juices but in this there is not so surprising ingredients combined together so this is a little bit easier to approach I think. Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes
This beautiful, sentimental perfume has a lovely yet wistful story behind it and it’s inspired by Pissara’s father - Montri - and it makes a homage to him. Unfortunately he passed away in 2006 and because of the respect of his memory I felt for long time that I don’t have words enough to describe this scent as beautifully as I wanted to. The notes which are used around Agarwood was Montri’s most beloved fragrance notes and Pissara has made an amazing job to capture all emotions in this scent. Because of my own overly happy childhood yet some emotional blocks related to it with my father, the tears just started to flow while writing this. 🥹 ❤️ Montri opens up with a cloud of spices and a greenish Petitgrain but really quickly I get a delightfully sensual combination of mellow roses (May and Damask) and light leather and oud. Those are the main notes which mingle in the air and I’m more than happy to find that combo which is wearable in warmer weather too. A leather note is hard to me pull off when it´s warm and if it’s mellow and dark but this is really nicely done a soft whiff, just perfect. In my skin I don’t separate Jasmine (like a perfumer’s own Dried Fruit Accord neither) so I think this is worth to try even for those ones who doesn’t like Jasmine. Ylang-Ylang brings a little bit sweetness with Orris Butter and the latter one makes warm, powdery and delicate effect. Montri settles down in a base with Oud Palao, Oak, Cedar, Vetiver, Tonka Bean, Patchouli and Sandalwood. This juice really starts to shine in the warm weather and the warmer is the skin the prettier, softer and warmer is the aroma of it. In my cold skin during wintertime this was amazingly different than on my husband’s warm skin and on my skin now in a warmer weather. Gorgeous unisex scent 🌹 Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes
Byron is a woody blend with warm spices. It opens up with a hint of citruses but settles down quite quickly into warm and pleasant mix of flowers with a sweetness from Vanilla in the base. This is “easy niche”, really safe, versatile and crowd pleasing. In the opening it feels male leaning but after 15 minutes it’s totally unisex. The notes which are prominent on my skin are the citrus mix and spices for the first 5 minutes and after that Jasmine, Cardamom, Vanilla and Sandalwood. The feeling which I get from this is more easygoing designer than unique niche. It’s not a bad thing but for me a little bit too simple and ordinary. I don't feel charming when wearing this one, not attractive, s*xy, cozy, confident, melancholy etc either. This doesn't evoke any kind of emotions on me which leaves it distant and redundant. I didn't want to smell it on my husband's skin either so I gave it away. I don't like this enough to make longer review. Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes
