Dior Homme Sport is a fresh peppery scent which definitely does define the idea of a clean, athletic scent which is easy to wear. However, it bears a massive similarity to Dior Homme 2020 so you have to question the necessity of its existence. It opens very fresh with invigorating notes of lemon and bergamot, alongside a sharp heart of pink pepper. It’s got the exact same woody, Iso E Super base used in Homme 2020 which I’ll admit is a great smell. It feels very clean, simplistic and refreshing to wear. Overall it’s not a particularly exciting scent, I already own Homme 2020 and this is too similar to warrant owning as well. Despite being very obviously made up of synthetic molecules it still smells relatively high quality which can be expected from Dior.

I was always wary of Clive Christian’s marketing claiming their formulation of Town & Country was Winston Churchill’s signature scent. It felt like such a modern and contemporary fragrance, it seemed unlikely such a scent was released in 1925. When I finally got a bottle of the ORIGINAL Town & Country by The Crown Perfumery, I realised the truth. This is a very classical aromatic fougere, extremely masculine and authentically old school, reminiscent of the time period. The lavender in here is phenomenal - photorealistic as though the plant is right in front of you. I also get a strong burst of sharp citruses which isn’t listed but definitely seems to be there, alongside the intensely aromatic and herbaceous contrast of sage, thyme and Rosemary. This definitely feels more like a scent Winston Churchill would actually wear, Clive Christian’s false marketing strikes again it seems. If you’re a lover of classical fougeres this is a must try - I’m not usually a fougere lover but I adore this scent.

Pierre de Velay 56 is an incredibly underrated scent from the line, it’s one of those fragrances where you can barely even pick out what you’re smelling because everything is so perfectly blended. Overall this is definitely a fresh spicy scent, combining the worlds of Chypre and oriental together. Initially it opens rather fresh with zippy bergamot and clean lavender, before beginning to develop an array of robust spices including black pepper, cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg which overall provides that fresh spicy aspect. A gentle, thick oud lingers in the background alongside robust leather and sweet saffron which elevates the oriental aspect of the scent, with gentle resins approaching. The scent maintains all of this whilst becoming incredible smooth, creamy and slightly powdery from the soft impressions of orris, violet and sandalwood with a lingering amber accord in the background. This scent is complex, there’s so much going on all at once as is fairly usual with Pierre de Velay. Overall however it smells absolutely divine, it’s incredibly versatile and smells amazingly unique. This is pure class and sophistication in a bottle and deserves much more love.

Mr. H epitomises the idea of a strong, confident man who is also stinking rich. This scent is dry, woody and earthy yet maintains a freshness about it, almost slightly fougere in its qualities. Obviously the price cannot be justified, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is one special perfume. This is a patchouli scent all in all, probably the best patchouli I’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling. It’s rich and earthy, dark and damp, highlighting all the natural brilliance of this incredible material - it feels like the plant is right there in front of you. Patchouli is technically a part of the mint family, and you definitely get that here - it’s very sharp and attention grabbing, with that tangy freshness that you would expect from a normal mint, yet much drier and earthier. I believe it’s that sharp tang that gives the scent a slightly fougere feel, alongside the beautiful aromatic green twang of pine needles. I always loved the smell of Christmas trees growing up and this takes me right back. A dry tobacco in the base helps elevate the masculinity and smooth everything out, but the patchouli and pine needles are the stars here. For such a simplistic note breakdown it might not look like much on paper, but the level of quality and depth is as astounding - as to be expected from Henry Jacques. I used the last drops of my sample to write this review, likely to never have it on my skin again after today. I will always remember this beautiful scent however, but could never justify spending a whopping £6.5k on it.

Soir D’or translates to ‘golden evening’ which is a beautiful name but does not remotely match the scent itself, a pattern I’ve noticed with a lot of Burdin scents. This is a very pleasant musky floral scent which comes across very clean, soapy and powdery. The gentle, hazy nature of heliotrope is the dominate note here, backed up by clean jasmine and Lily of the valley which gives it that intensely soapy feel. Soft touches of sweet pear and litchi are joined by hefty doses of synthetic musks, furthering the soapiness even more. I must say, as soapy fragrances go this is fantastic. It does lean feminine but I would happily wear this when I want to smell fresh and clean, it smells like the most amazing clean linen. Definitely doesn’t represent an evening wear fragrance, but is gorgeous nonetheless.

Sans Témoin means ‘without witness’ which seems a very vague and confusing name for a fragrance, but that aside the scent is very nice. It’s a fairly standard warm spicy amber affair with sufficient sweetness and comfort surrounding it. The amber is the star, which is sweetened significantly by a creamy friendship between vanilla and tonka which compliment each other very well. The rich earthy contrast of patchouli and soft musks balance the sweetness brilliantly and give it that sharper, spicier edge to pique interest. Overall this is an enjoyable wear, but not something that wowed me. It reminds me heavily of a certain niche Amber I’ve smelled before but I just can’t place what exactly. It’s not groundbreaking or particularly unique, but definitely smells great.

En Garde is an apt name for a scent which definitely demands attention and dominates the senses. This is a green woody scent done very well I must say, even if it’s not my ideal style of fragrance. A prominent soft note of cedar lies at the heart of this scent, elevated by a green aromatic touch of pine. The pine in here is fantastic I can’t deny, it smells brilliantly natural and comforting - like a peaceful walk in amongst the trees. An overdose of pink and black pepper provide a powerful kick, which compliments the soft rosiness of geranium. Pine is often hard to get right and convey the right feelings, but this scent does it brilliantly. Personally I like my woody scents a bit richer with the addition of mosses and more florals, but if you’re looking for a masculine piney cedar then this is a strong contender to consider.

Amoroso translates to ‘Love’ - do I get that with this fragrance? No I do not, but that doesn’t make it a bad scent, just incorrectly named. Overall this is a clean fruity aromatic which is exceptionally smooth and pleasing to wear. I get a strong connection to the sweet greenness of fig, contrasted by the masculine aromatic confidence of lavender and Vetiver. The spices I don’t seem to pick up as much as expected, but that’s fine by me as it smells great as is. There’s a freshness from bergamot, alongside a woody base to leave you with a gorgeously clean and sophisticated scent. As I said I don’t think this conveys love or romance in any way. It smells brilliant, one of those scents you keep having to sniff your wrist for, but I don’t think it’s actually interesting enough to warrant buying a bottle.

The new Guilty Elixir - did we really need another elixir on the market? I actually thought I quite liked this scent when I first sprayed it, but after 5 or so minutes things quickly headed south and I can safely say it’s not for me. I can see they’re trying to be unique by combining the pure freshness of white florals with warm spices, but it doesn’t work. The delicate nature of the orange blossom is completely trampled by cheap vanilla and ambrofix, whilst the nutmeg and pimento just create this synthetic harsh spiciness which just feels so out of place. This is simply a bad fragrance, it doesn’t smell high quality or well made - and for the price they’re asking for? Forget it. This smells like something Paco Rabanne would release.