Yuzu fragrances are slightly disappointing on the whole, I can't remember many to be honest (either deflating or reinforcing my point there) oh actually Caron Yuzu that's nice but also forgettable.(see?) This is nothing like that really, I think of Yuzu as zingy, bitter lemony, grapefruit but very much its own signature citrus smell. You expect a punch, at least a jab of citrus, instead you get quite a big, fleshy, fruit, much more exotic, almost mango like to me. An off kilter middle-ground between Two L'Artisans for me, Timbuktu (seriously) and Batucada. It's like a tropical fruit with the oddness of that bamboo accord, mildly green but with a slightly sweaty edge of spice. I love the way it ends up on skin because it's rounded, clean, musky, a bit warm at heart, and not just some lifeless citrus cologne that burned brightly at first but fizzled out just as quick. I get an earthy, spice to this hence the vetiver inference, and illusion of very mild caraway or cumin. This is a fascinating little creation from a very creative and quality house. Personally, I'm not that taken with it but I find it worthy of praise, certainly for fans of fruity fragrances, this is a stranger alternative to try.
This is Vera Wang Sheer Veil-lite meets water hyacinth (see: Aguape/Malachite Special Edition). The packaging and juice color also look kind of similar to VWSV. Totally getting the pencil shavings, which frankly is kind of cool. I don't hate it, but I already have enough VWSV to last me through the afterlife.
Stunning. I bought this for my girlfriend because she’d fallen in love with it from a 2ml sample. I can always tell when she’s put it on, the fragrance fills our home. I can often smell it from the room next door, sometimes even when I’m downstairs. It’s beautiful, elegant, not too complex and easy to wear. Comes out more woody on my skin. Follow me on Instagram: @TheScentiest
This is a delight. A spicy delight. It's a masterclass in black and pink pepper, both grainy, sharply seasoned and oddly sweet. The under body is a creamy wooded deck slightly exposed and dry with Cardamom, well worn. It's an absolute spice bazaar of a thing. Has the restraint and sophistication you'd expect from this brand, but it's not 'pretty' in that sense. It's the perfumer showcasing all the little facets of these spices without being heavy handed with them as they so easily could be. I found it a revelation considering it was one I hadn't tried and wasn't really aware of. If you like spices, this is incredibly accomplished use of them. Rare that I write a review from first sniffing, update to come once I wear it.
So cuir Cavalier is a no holds barred leather. A modern, twangy, patent leather, jockstrap of a thing. Masses of saffron adorn this fragrance and pretty much dominate and having used saffron extensively I can attest that real good Iranian/Spanish Saffron tinctures are quite fleeting things, despite their power they are true top notes. This is a carefully constructed and realistic saffron accord, perfectly complimented by castoreum and oud (I suspect) which are fixing and giving similar dense, yet transparent qualities. The tingle that this gives to your nose is quite something to behold. It's not woody particularly and animal-like rather than truly animalic. I detected a faint, wet floral in the opening too, freshening and giving a marginally more classic direction to what is essentially a pretty modern fragrance. Immediately I described the aesthetic as 'floral leather' in the same way I would with Cuir de Russie (Chanel) or something? Not that they smell anything alike. I look forward to wearing this for it's bite and it's purrr and because I love saffron, but I've a feeling this might polarise.
What is happening here? Why have I not reviewed this? Did my review get voted out of existance? How could I let such an oversight go unchecked? For a while at least it was my favourite MDCI but revisiting the samples from this house again this week I've realised that Claude Marchal's vision for this brand is one I admire, and everything is good. I don't feel I had the level of maturity to appreciate the full body of work the first time around. At that point I had rejected the nicely, nicely, French perfumery approach and was seeking the visceral, wacky thrills of niche and Indy perfumers. Having got that out of my system I still arrive back at Cuir Garamante and I'm stunned by just what a great perfume it is. The opening is leathery, indulgent and does smack of lots of things I was into at the time of first trying and probably why I didn't pursue CG more intently. So... from memory then, I got an incense sandalwood and vanilla vibe accented with resins and it kinda is that still. However, upon todays trial I get much more of an unusual and enticing quality of rose wrapped in a hyper creamy accord comprised of sandalwood materials, not nutty or cedarish, pencil shaving but not a million miles from palo santo actually. Now that stuff is an almost unusable material for numerous reasons but mainly the off putting creepy rubber and mint facets, and it's ipecac, sickliness to boot. However some strange nicer quality of Mysore sandalwood is captured in this fragrance and with the rose it can evoke one classic perfume. Chanel Egoiste. The selfish man's choice for smelling great, however this is even more rich and densely layered with that labdanum/resins effect and a sort of gourmand, shortbread accent. There's top notes too, it's not all bases and mids and that is what makes it shine through and ultimately the leather quality of the name too. It's more magic from MDCI and it's not even my second or third favourite now but I still love this thing!
So many fragrances out there, I keep coming across stuff I tried years ago and didn't review, this is one such fragrance but usually it's because they were so so or frankly not worth bothering to pen a review about. (not that it's EVER stopped me before mind you) Anyways.... This is a towering colossus, a monumentally superb amber, with everything going for it. I get sweetness in the opening a dusting of cinnamon then into a relentless, headstrong and molasses thick amber, with mild chocolately nuance of benzoin. This is not a labdanum or incense heavy amber it's a prime balance of everything you want in an amber with a dry, natural 'old books' vibe through to reassuringly not over saccharine, gourmandness. It's a decent fragrance and very reasonably priced for the quality. It reminds me of Ambra Aurea for sure, Italian amber if you like? It's great I can't sing it's praises enough.
Does this really smell like Drakkar Noir? (I'm not slagging off DN BTW...I like it) NO! it definitely doesn't to me. Nobile is an interesting green, citrus chypre/fougere/cologne with that warm, rounded base, perhaps some sandalwood chiming in after a typically fresh and mossy start. I find it invigorating, quality men's business, lightly spiced and more complex than I can even bother to describe. Nobile is not a fragrance that one needs to spend a great deal of time explaining or describing. Nobile is manly, straight forwardly functional but not without Italian flair. Nobile just is. If you can find it and you love a good quality men's throwback fragrance that I defy you to find fault with then.... DON'T seek out Nobile, because I want that bottle you are watching on eBay. ;)
I wore this the other day and I suppose I like it? It's rose ffs! However I found it to have a soapy, slightly annoying trail that you could taste. Seriously. Modern, musky and diffusive. It's smells different at a distance to close up. Close you get some lightly vanillic, clean musk infused with rose and at a distance more sweet, fatty rose. This is a perfumed, perfume and evokes...no screams the colour pink. As such I felt very self conscious wearing it, and that's not me at all. I think it's because there's no oud, no woods no patchouli or the usual suspects to speak of and nothing as a counterpoint or anchor to the relentlessness of rose accord in here. It's complex in and of itself but not enough for me to get onboard. I'm not one who utters this particularly often but Rose perfection is too feminine for me.
First off, how the hell is neroli not in the fragrance pyramid?? It's the dominant note! And what a glorious note it is. (EDIT: looks like it has been updated--thank you, Frag editors!) Secondly, for an EDC, I'm getting surprising longevity as a skin scent compared to some other 4711 offerings. There is a reason this has been around for centuries. It's a straight up masterpiece! Sure, it would be cool to have it in a stronger formula, but maybe that's kind of the allure--its fleeting nature makes it that much more precious. So, spray lavishly. Mr. Muelhens has given us a timeless gift!
I have a reasonably old mini of this and it's absolutely magical. Having said that the modern version is pretty nice too, it's not quite as luscious and rounded though. I'm pretty staggered by it to be honest, the grapfruit quality of vetiver coming together with the citrus and then a almost warm creamy texture of woods. Simple yet hard to describe, like many colognes that have extra facets as they mature on skin. Men, women, everyone. You need Guerlain Vetiver in your life.
Nemo was a fragrance I never owned back in the 2000's not because I didn't like it as such but just because my collection was much smaller and less speculative than it is now, coupled with the fact that this just doesn't stand out all that much. Well that's in hindsight because things that I liked back then, I love now in comparison to the general sorry landscape of men's designer releases. I'm not one of these people who is constantly looking back and banging on about 'vintage'. I very much embrace the future and I'm broadly optimistic about it, however Nemo is one of those ordinary releases that seems like some searing work of genius now. So to me it's a soft woody, spicy take on lavender, Immediately reminiscent of Boucheron (I didn't look before noticing this by the way and when I did it turned out to be the same perfumer! boooya!) Comparisons would be Gucci Envy, By D&G, Dreamer even (This guy did the original Dreamer too) and also Floris Santal, Moubousin homme, Lalique Equus & Homme, basically loads of 90's and early 2000's stuff. It has a hazy sandalwood/cedar aspect with muskiness and an unmistakable smooth nutmeg underpinning it then the waft of lavender over the top. It's lovely. Nemo is really lovely, lasts very well, and smells just right. This is not as out there as stuff like Eden and Lou Lou both very polarising and Then there's the bottle. Either love it or hate it you can't deny that it's an talking point. Also perhaps one of the most ergonomically satisfying bottle fitting perfectly in your hand to the point a creationist would deem it to be created by intelligent design. Nemo is intelligently designed right down to the ball bearing supplied separately in the box to push into place and activate your purchase. A modern classic this one.
I can't help but like this, it's a mandarin smelling perfume, more of the red variety than the green. However (and this is a big 'However') I only like the opening of this fragrance. Once the volatility and zing of freshness have subsided it becomes more like shake n vac, a powdery orange smell. Not particularly appealing to me. Shame really.
I mean how bad can a musky rose be? Well not bad at all, but I felt zero engagement with this perfume. It just didn't speak to me. Even my preconceptions and the anticipation of a cliche didn't effect my judgement on it, my mind was firmly open, ready and waiting for any eventuality and I was met by niceties and good construction. Nothing grabbed me about it. Not a memorable rose perfume for me. sorry for the unhelpful review but there you go. I'll have to wear it again.
Suave petals is not what the name or a quick glance at the notes here, suggest it is. It's a cashmere, velvet orris, musk with challenging top notes which hint at flowers but never commit to one. When settled it shows more conventional aspects, reminding me of a load of different fragrances at once, and yet I can't place a single one. The opening is slightly unnerving, disconcerting and not for me but It literally improved by the second, getting better and better, more complex. I have to wear this again to try to figure it out. Update: so I have worn this again and I have to say the opening is a flouncy, pink blouse of a femme, floral fragrance, I don’t know why I found it so ambiguous first time around? Anyway that gives way to a pretty traditional if very nice sweet, tacky (in the textural sense) warm, modern, amber (I was so tempted to use the ‘O’ word there) it has a mildly burnt caramel note to it. Definitely musks, leading a cleanliness which stops it going all out gourmand or something. This reminds me of the kind of thing worn by a woman of a certain age...perhaps in the 90’s? It’s not dressy or dolled up and could quite easily be an everyday wear sort of perfume, giving the impression of a slightly more glamorous person. To me at least. It’s a little too feminine for me if I’m honest but unquestionably a ‘good’ perfume. Not sure why I found it so enigmatic the first time I tried it but hey.
As a devotee to the Incense perfume genre, I'm sad to tell you that my eyes often glaze over when I read a perfume has incense in the name. Sure I still love it but there's so many and so many that don't really bring a lot that's new to the table. Whether it's 'precious' or 'Noble' or whatever...and in this case Mystic. What I will say is that MoV Mystic incense doesn't mess around in the slightest. It gives a good account of itself as far as incense is concerned covering the toffee facets of myrrh and the genuinely darker aspects found in Frankincense, usually quite a bright smell to me, if a little churchy and eerie. Olibanum and frankincense come from so many different origins that the materials can be quite different. I actually prefer the cheaper stuff to be honest and this has that roughness and impurity but lodged in the heart of quite a classy, well thought out composition. As good as it is, I actually think I'd get a little fatigued wearing it. I only tried it on my arm but it was fairly heady, I have a sample and will update this review when I wear it properly. MI is primarily a dry, spicy, woody incense which is both expected but at the same time has more impact that you might think. I feel the conflict and contradiction of my view and I'm desperately trying to be helpful. I'd say incense fans will definitely not be disappointed. Update 14/02/24 I often say I will update when I wear it 'proper' but rarely do if something doesn't take my fancy enough for me to bother ever revisiting it again. Well this did and I can honestly say that beyond the initial pleasantries and olibanum lean of this perfume, it's not something I pay big bucks for, I think there's better resinous perfumes out there, which are probably in a much less attractive bottle and that's where this brand have collectors by the nuts (or whatever you have) because no matter how mediocre or clone brandy MoV get I don't think I'm alone in searching for one that I can justify buying, simply to own one of those lovely, precious vessels. On the positive side Re: the fragrance, Peculiarly I think the gourmand element, a sort of caramel accord (actually more like fudge to me) works well with the the light and shade of the elemi/olibanum whatever is making up this 'incense' accord.
This is one of the best perfumes EVER! Certainly one of the most tight chypre's I've ever tried. It's epic, but not in a huge look at me way. It's not a loud flamboyant chypre, it's just a very well constructed piece. It's no slouch though, you won't forget you're wearing it. Guy Robert is a master. It was so long ago that I tried Rochas Femme (a dear perfume collector friend it) that I genuinely can't remember what it was like, nor was I a massive fan of the genre back then anyway. However this Dior makes me want to seek out Rochas Femme. To reduce fragrances down to Male and Female tropes is something I avoid but for me the oakmoss coupled with unsweetened, musky, powder in this fragrance makes it spectacularly masculine and wearable. I would urge any man who likes his classic, 70's and 80's men's stuff to try this perfume, because you'd be pleasantly suprised. I have a mini from the early 80's and it's fantastic! Mildly animalic, musky, opening gives way to a suggestion of peachy aldehyde powder, full on oakmossiness, lighly spiced carnation talc, rosehips, balanced woods and a ton of little added nuances as it dries down. It's spectacular but not dressy, it's practical, wearable on a regular basis, and feels...well...real. I need a old bottle of this.
The opening few seconds are gorgeous but you can feel yourself gaining 20lbs and developing type 2 diabetes upon the first sniff. This is an indulgent vanilla scent, gourmand, nicely balanced and not too 'thick' or lumpen, however it's still absolutely too sickly and not enough interest to make it appeal to me. I'd get annoyed by it after minutes, seconds even. That's what happened.
Soooo... This is a fragrance I've wanted to try for ages for several reasons. 1) I'd love to own ANYTHING from this house as the bottles are lovely. 2) I LOVE saffron. 3) They seem to have a respectful, niche pedigree. Maybe that's the wrong word, certainly a perceived respectability as far as I can tell. 4) I've seen this one in particular at very reasonable prices at online discount retailers. Firstly, don't let the Tuscan Leather comparisons put you off, not only the fact that TL is a decent and popular fragrance and that might be wholly appealing to you, but because it's not a copy. It's strikes you as a 'TL lite' to begin with, but for me doesn't have anywhere near the nose wrinkling WTF'ness or 'raspberry' note people often describe. This is generally drier, thinner, woodier and as it dries down becomes more prominent (in a subtle way) with saffron. I like the way it evolves but it's likely to always live in the shadow of the more boombastic end of this type or sub genre of fragrance. I actually think it would be less full on or potentially annoying than TL, but that also mean it's not as rich, or big a statement piece and not as strong or long lasting either. I see this as a trade off, if you even want to make direct comparison which would be obvious (and all I've done so far in this review) but refrain if you can and accept this for the fragrance it is. I enjoyed it.
I got this! I love a Serge Lutens but a Ltd edition Serge Lutens? Even more so. I've been thinking about adding an orange blossom perfume to my collection for a long time. I love the smell of the Orange flower absolute material I have, but not even the best natural perfumes can capture it in a practical perfume format. This Serge Lutens comes pretty damn close but still retains the overly waxy, cleanliness of what I know to be an accord created with OB aroma chemicals. I actually think the best accord I've ever made is an orange blossom one, it's not great but it's okay. The curious thing about this is that the Orange blossom turns to a cumin like, dirty, sweaty smell for about an hour after application, and combined with the sweet white floracy it reminded me of old taxi seats, magic tree and slight BO smell...doesn't sound great huh? It is though. It's somehow cleaner and more inviting, beckoning you in like clean, 'earned' sweat.Anyway this goes away and it becomes a relentless, creamy, waxy, fatty orange blossom, which delicately applied is an absolute dream. I like the Zellige design, I'm such a philistine that I didn't even know what it was, well I knew what it was not what it was called. Anyway a brilliant addition to the collection. I'm happy.
This is the most accurate representation of tea that I've ever encountered in a fragrance. If you've ever smelled a freshly brewed cup of assam tea, the aroma is EXACTLY like this fragrance. Deliciously malty and perfectly paired with citrus. I teared up when I first smelled this! I don't get grapefruit specifically, but more of a general lemon-leaning citrus. I was surprised by this, because I find Jo's Grapefruit to be a harsh masculine assault to my nose. (For reference, I love both citrus and masculine scents). I agree that this fragrance is definitely unisex rather than masculine. My only complaint about this is the horrific longevity. Typical for Jo, but this one is worse than normal. I maybe got a good hour before I stopped detecting it. Is it worth $200? No. However, if you LOVE tea scents like I do and can find a good deal, I'd jump on it. It's the most I've ever spent on a FS bottle ($160 incl. shipping) but sometimes if you love something enough, it's worth treating yourself.
Okay, this is one of those olfactory experiences that in hindsight makes sense, not that it didn't at the time but seeing who the perfumer is, comparisons it makes complete sense now. So when reaching for my first sniff of Linari I found the other bottles, intimidating and illegible with all those patterns on and such so I arrived at Notte Bianca because it was the only one I could read clearly, without squinting my eyes and screwing my face up. This was on a recent trip to Amsterdam and smelling this among other things, I did think would be hugely memorable but has remained in my olfactory data banks. I liked the bright, modern citrus and spices in the opening and the bare, starkness of it's aroma chemical heart, giving that cashmere and vetiver feeling. Now that I know it's a Mark Buxton composition I'm like..."Of course it is!" and as much as I like stuff like Bal d'Afrique, I'm just not blown away by them and having only flippantly tried this on my wrist once I couldn't commit to it. Also oddly enough on the same Amsterdam trip I actually bagged Vetiver Tonka from the Hermesence line, which has the most 'this perfume reminds me of votes' on here. Spooky. Perhaps I had meant to get this and didn't? I found the opening of Notte Bianca to have more sparkle a touch less heft of fougere warmth, but sure they share the same woody, cashmere heart.
Yet more opulent, modern, strangeness from this perfumer. Golden Seranade is somewhat in the mould of Rasquinet's recently notable releases like the Moon or that one for Histoires (I forget the name) and another one I've forgotten the name of...(not doing very well am I? Anywho...They have this unusual, plastic saffron, into smokey, boozy, oud vibes all at the same time. Complex, resinous, woody scents. This one is a little more accessible though and much more on the warmly spiced, boozy side of the street. I thought it was very nice and definitely evocative of the kind of Glenn Miller, smokey, romantic, early 20th Century for whatever reason. I really enjoyed it.
This charmed me to begin with and that's what made me buy a small travel spray but I find it fascinating from a technical standpoint. The Jasmine note (accord even) is very interesting in that it's clearly emulating nature but from messing with Jasmine aroma chemicals (of which there are many) myself, I can sort of smell the genesis of this Jasmine note. For starters it seems less like a jasmine sambac to me, and although has traces of indole, which make it natural smelling, it's not a full whack of jasmine skank. This has that...inside of a banana, exotic, tropical fruit, funk and trace of ylang to it. It feels like a white flowers accord with aspects of tuberose too, and it's an interesting exercise for someone like me who is constructing recreations of florals like this to see how master perfumers like Nagel do it. Not only that but how it's carefully and skillfully blended with a woody base, that has the complimentary creaminess to accent the florals. The delivery...well it is mainly a jasmine fragrance to be honest and it lasts well and opens room filling but mellows well. I like it but it's not the most uplifting heavenly jasmine I've tried in my life.
