Sintra is a strange fragrance, an odd mix of notes which I’m not entirely sure work together very well at all. The scent aims to combine the refreshing summery soapiness of white florals, with the sweet and lactonic gourmand elements which seems to be so popular in feminine fragrances these days. Néroli and Orange Blossom are deployed in large amounts to create an intense white floral aura, alongside hints of jasmine and rose. An overwhelmingly sweet concoction of milk and caramel accords contrasts the florals with a sickly creamy facet, alongside copious amounts of vanilla. Marshmallow is not listed in the official notes, but I can understand why it’s voted for as it definitely has that fluffy musky undertone to it. Overall I’m not a fan of this scent. The intensely lactonic sweetness is simply too much and doesn’t combine with the white florals well at all. In the end it comes across fat to sweet and messy, and would definitely give me a headache if I was to wear this in any sort of heat.

African Leather is probably the most famous fragrance from the house of Memo, and I can understand why. This is a cardamom-based scent and overall I feel it’s done very well, it doesn’t convey luxury or exclusivity to me but it’s a nice fragrance and a fairly easy wear. The cardamom is very smooth and warming, which combines with the sharper spiciness of cumin very nicely with sweet saffron running through them both - each in perfect balance. The leather is dark and soft, perpetuated by the brown earthiness of patchouli, Vetiver and an oud accord. I must say I have a lot of respect for Memo admitting when an our accord has been used rather than pretending to use real oud like a lot of houses do. I like this scent, I’m enjoying my sample and I can see why this is popular. Would I buy a bottle? I don’t think so - mainly because it’s not my ideal sort of scent profile, but perhaps if it was more affordable I would consider it.

Absolu Aventus is an interesting release, because it demonstrates just how many people are willing to pay stupid money for a substandard and lazy product. Don’t get me wrong the scent itself smells nice, but the whole release is just a statement piece. It’s got elements of the original aventus in there, mainly the bergamot and juicy blackcurrant, however it’s missing that iconic pineapple and birch. Instead you’ve got grapefruit, ginger and cinnamon which takes the scent in a warmer, spicier direction whilst still maintaining a significant freshness about it. As I said, this fragrance definitely smells good but if I’m honest I’d much rather wear the original aventus. This feels very much like a lazy cash grab release that was made in one day without much thought put into it, very typical of Creed.

Paris Minuit refers to Paris at Midnight, however I’m not getting that vision at all. There’s something in here I don’t get along with, I’m not sure what it is but it feels sharp and sour whilst also being thick and rubbery. Sometimes variations of ylang can come across in this way from my experience, so perhaps it’s that. This is a scent dominated by ylang, which usually I am a big lover of but not here which is a shame to say. There’s a sweet sharpness running through the florals from orange blossom, mandarin and a hefty dose of pink pepper which feels like a clash with the ylang in my opinion. Burdin have got some really pleasant scents, none of them so far have wowed me but they’re all fragrances I would be happy to wear. Not this one though, I just can’t seem to get past that sour rubbery aspect unfortunately.

Les Beaux Jours or, ‘The Good Days’, aims to whisk you away to memories reminiscent of warm sunny days when you’re at your happiest. Would I say it achieves this? Sort of. It’s obviously a very feminine scent, but could still be pulled off by the right sort of man. The intense red juiciness of pomegranate and litchi subject you to a blast of sparkly sweetness, which is then elevated by the sharp tang of Clementine. A floral medley of airy rose, soapy lily and soft jasmine combine gently to brighten everything up even further. Overall you’re left with yet another fruity floral from Burdin, but this time even more sweet than other counterparts. It’s a pleasant and enjoyable wear for the summer, but I wouldn’t be overly keen to reach for it personally.

Emmène-Moi translates quite literally to ‘take me’ which is a rather odd name for a fragrance. From such a name you would expect perhaps an erotic and sensual scent aiming to capture the deepest desires of human attraction, which unfortunately you do not get. This scent is centred around a sweet and powdery note of apricot alongside osmanthus which elevated the dry fruitiness of the scent very nicely. Alongside this lies clean, soapy white florals and hints of bergamot and lemon, but overall is quite simply an apricot/osmanthus concoction. It’s a perfectly nice and respectable scent, I imagine it would work well as a more feminine leaning summery refreshment, however I feel it lacks some character and depth overall. For the price I’d expect more than something that simply smells pleasant.

Carrure is a refreshing burst of juicy and woody masculinity, perfect for clearing your mind on a hot summers day but overall isn’t a particularly special fragrance. The grapefruit takes centre strange, prioritising the sweet juicy nature of the fruit and leaving behind any rindy bitterness. In the base, the trio of clean Vetiver, soft cedar and piney amyris combine to create a smooth yet masculine base of rejuvenating freshness. There’s a very subtle touch of warmth from pimento but overall I feel this lingers in the background and is overshadowed by the other notes mentioned. This scent is pleasant, and a very easy wear. However it doesn’t do much beyond that, so I’m not sure it really warrants the retail price. The quality of ingredients seems to be pretty good, and the scent is obviously well made but it lacks any memorability.

Ferragamo Intense Leather surprised me, mostly because I’ve never encountered a Ferragamo fragrance which was actually half decent. This isn’t a particularly impressive or exciting scent by any means, but it’s fairly pleasant and I was honestly expecting much worse. The good thing is it definitely smells leathery, it dominates the centre of the fragrance and yet balances well with everything else. There’s an overriding earthiness to this dark, smooth leather alongside heaps of mandarin, pink pepper and sage which gives it an overall aromatic kick. As I said this is a pleasant enough scent. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it, and it’s not something I would wear compared to the rest of my collection but for someone just starting their journey into exploring Leather scents, it’s not a bad place to start at all.

1 Million is just one of those fragrances where I genuinely cannot comprehend how people can find it enjoyable. It’s simply just one of the worst smelling fragrances on the mass market at the moment, and yet it’s a cultural icon - most likely due to its gaudy and identifiable bottle. Overall this scent is a synthetic mess of warm spices and citric mandarin. This results in a scent that is trying to be both warm and fresh, but fails miserably. Instead, the final product is just a barrage of intense sharpness - assaulting the nostrils unforgivingly. I genuinely believe this is an awful, awful fragrance. I dislike it intensely, but that is the case with pretty much everything from Paco Rabanne if I’m honest.