After getting my hands on a decant of Plum Japonais, I finally understand why it’s so sought after in the community. This is by far one of the best Tom Ford fragrances I’ve ever smelled, it’s beyond me as to why they would discontinue something so beautiful. The thick, sweet and candied juiciness of sticky dried plums, warm and spicy cinnamon combined with the dark, rich woodiness of oud and sweet amber creates one of the most alluring scent profiles out there. The sweet floral hints of saffron, plum blossom and immortelle are ever so gentle and yet brighten the overall scent profile just enough. As I said I understand the hype behind this, it’s an incredible scent. But I don’t think it’s worth paying the obscene prices to get a bottle when Plum Harajuku by Insider Parfums is about 98% similar at a fraction of the price.

There’s only one word to describe LostinFlowers - beautiful. This scent is Lily-of-the-valley to the extreme, in all its delicate and elegant glory. Everything is wonderfully balanced and not as dark or messy as you might imagine. This fragrance is dominated by lily-of-the-valley. It captures all the incredible facets of this beautiful flower: the pure white soapiness, the green vegetal touches and the airy sweetness all in one. There’s slight hints of a spicy, aromatic and herbal base with slight woody nuances but overall this scent is very straightforward, executed perfectly. Creamy, smooth, bright and airy are the adjectives which come to mind as I wear this. The oud isn’t nearly as prominent as you’d think, and the quality of the Lily-of-the-valley rivals even the best on the market such as Les Clochettes du Bonheur. Incredible perfume.

The Les Extraits oil of Oudh Glam Or is a feast for the senses, with shimmering luxury and dark desire floating through the air - this truly is a special scent. I find every note listed in here is balanced equally, perfectly, efficiently. The deep, rich allure of smoky oud and thick, resinous myrrh take charge as the bold character of the scent. This is contested by the sweet elegance of saffron and rose, gentle mingling with earthy patchouli and hints of amber and musk. As I said these are all perfectly balanced in equal parts, it doesn’t feel as though certain notes are shouting whilst others whisper - they all match each other. I do believe this is unfortunately discontinued as I can’t find it in stock anywhere online, although it’s not like I could afford to buy it. Oudh Glam Or is one of those ridiculously special and majestic scents which is a thrill to wear, but unrealistic to own. This is one of the smoothest and most luxuriously subdued and gentle oud perfumes I’ve come across.

I’m not usually a big lover of neroli, I find if it’s the main component of a fragrance it tends to feel quite boring and flat. Unfortunately I get that with Neroli 36, although it’s still nice don’t get me wrong. This scent is pure white floral with bright, fluffy aldehydes. It’s clean and soapy, elegant and slightly feminine whilst maintaining great balance between the notes and brilliant quality. These all sound like great things, but it lacks depth and character for me. I would’ve loved to see something a bit more adventurous in there to help it stand out from the crowd. However if you’re a pure white floral lover and you’re not looking for anything else, this could be a great option.

Potentially one of the most controversial and polarising fragrances on the market, and yet I bloody love it. Santal 33 has all the sour, sharp and pickled gorgeousness that a lot of people hate, and while it does smell out of the ordinary there’s something about it I can’t resist. Sometimes you come across a sandalwood fragrance with that slight pickled vibe, but overall leans into its creamier facets. Not this one, this fragrance celebrates that honking pickle juice aroma and I think it’s stunning. There isn’t really much else going on scent-wise, it’s fairly straightforward but there’s something so addictive about it. As it begins to dry down it starts to get smoother and creamier, but always remains strong with the sharp sourness. This scent is like marmite at the end of the day - you either love it or hate it.

To me, Ylang 49 is Le Labo’s modern and edgy take on a Chypre fragrance. It’s very bare bones and reductionist, cutting out a lot of the deeper qualities chypres are supposed to have and instead going with the basics. An overdose of earthy yet clean and masculine patchouli dominates the scent, with heaps of ylang providing that thick, rubbery and slightly sour floral touch. This is smoothed out by the gentle creaminess of oakmoss, alongside gardenia and a woody base. As I said it’s very reductionist, comes across rather synthetic like most of their fragrances, but I sort of like it. Not enough to buy a full bottle, but enough to wear my sample and enjoy it.

Another 13 is one of those scents that doesn’t smell like much, and yet captures your attention straight away. This scent is primarily focused around the alluring molecule of Iso E Super alongside a sweet musky ambrette. Despite being made up mostly of synthetic molecules, this doesn’t smell cheap or low quality - in fact the opposite. I love Iso E Super as a note, and alongside the softness of ambrette and the refreshing juiciness of pear and citrus I’m left with something which truly captures the essence of clean and sophisticated. I think this fragrance is definitely overpriced for what it is, considering the overall scent profile is very bare bones and the longevity isn’t great, but it really fits the mood of when you don’t fancy wearing a proper fragrance but you don’t want togo about your day naked.

To put this simply, Sacred Bond has too much going on for me. I like sweet fragrances as much as the next person but this is simply a bit too much in my opinion, it might be the raspberry which puts me off. This scent is dominated by an intense raspberry note, a note I already know I rarely get along with. Alongside this you’ve got the sticky syrupy nature of a caramel accord which is then contrasted by the zesty sharpness of mandarin and bergamot. Rather than continuing down gourmand territory, you’re then greeted by a white floral heart which seems very much out of place to me. This scent is alright I guess, it’s nothing special in my eyes and I think there are better options from Reinvented. As I said above it’s simply a bit too busy for my liking, there doesn’t seem to be much continuity or harmony between the notes - instead it feels like a bit of a mess. Overall it’s pleasant, but not my thing.

Eureka is a very interesting scent, as there’s a lot of notes with a very strong character all vying for your attention. More than anything, I actually get a heavy dose of nutmeg which is both warming and spicy, yet incredibly smooth and comforting at the same time. On one hand, you’ve then got the balsamic bitterness of coffee, tolu balsam and black pepper, contrasted by the refreshing smooth metallic nature of voilet leaf and bergamot. All of this rests on a warm, earthy base of patchouli and cardamom. As I said before this scent is interesting, it’s not a love for me but I keep going back to sniff my arm just to try and get more of a sense of what’s going on. Similar to my review of Illusion, I like it enough to wear it but wouldn’t buy a full bottle.