2 Man really surprised me as I wasn’t expecting this sort of scent profile from a designer fragrance. It opens very spicy straight away with warming masculine notes of nutmeg and caraway, which is then balanced perfectly by airy and powdery aldehydes with a slight fruity touch. From here we get into the depth of the scent - an earthy, dark and vegetal vetiver takes hold and paves way for a base of dark woods, leather and smoky incense. This scent smells incredibly classical and masculine, like a fragrance from a bygone era of vintage-style perfumery which is what took me by surprise. This scent reminds me ever so slightly of Diaghilev, likely due to the aldehydic combo of caraway and leather. It’s masculine, rugged and old-world in all the best ways. I much prefer Diaghilev personally but if I didn’t already own it I would seriously consider this as an alternative.

Hedonistic, as part of the Addictive Arts Collection, is a very unique and sensual scent. It opens with a very refreshing citric cocktail which acts as a base of support for a dark and juicy black Cherry, combined with a dry and slightly green mate tea note. This is already a pretty strange combination but it does seem to work. From here the scent begins to lean more into the dry direction as the mate is accentuated by a duo of soft tobacco and papyrus, before developing a sweet, creamy and leathery amber base. A touch of cashmere, sandalwood and oakmoss indulge into the creamy, powdery element and support the other notes very well. There’s a lot going on in this scent but overall this is primarily a sweet, leathery cherry and tobacco scent. It smells gorgeous and I imagine would do very well on a night out but for the insane retail price I would have expected more from it. Overall a very nice fragrance but doesn’t blow me away.

Le Flocon de Johann K is a brilliantly fresh and ozonic take on mimosa. It initially opens sharp and refreshing with citric notes, alongside intensely fresh ozonic and watery fantasy accords which accentuate this refreshing aspect of the scent. From here the star of the scent begins to shine - a heady dose of mimosa which is slightly green and powdery, offset by a subtle hint of mint. This minty mimosa mingles with the ozonic and watery notes for the duration of the scent’s life which makes for a fairly interesting composition. I must say the quality is decent, however I think you can only go so far in terms of quality when the bulk of the scent revolves around fantasy accords. This is a very pleasant fragrance which would do well in the summer but it’s not really for me.

Sundrunk is a sickly and aggravating fragrance that doesn’t smell enjoyable in the slightest. This whole scent is just a messy, abrasive, synthetic and clinical concoction of notes that should work together but simply don’t. The orange and rhubarb create this bitter-sweet, juicy and rindy fruity aspect, which is then combined with the other florals. For such a simple note breakdown you wouldn’t think much could go wrong but this just smells awful on the skin for the first hour or so. Once it settles it becomes a very basic, boring and forgettable duo of orange and rose water. Very soft with poor performance. I really don’t like this fragrance, but I’m interested to try more from the house of Imaginary Authors.

Civet is one of my all time favourite notes so I was expecting big things from this, and while I admit it does smell nice, it fell short of what I was expecting. Zoologist Civet is an homage to a classical Chypre with warm spicy elements. There’s juicy, bright floral elements from tuberose, ylang, carnation and frangipani. There’s also a warm, spicy bitterness from coffee, incense, orange and an array of spices. These two contrasts are supported by a smooth and creamy oakmoss. I will admit that this portion of the scent smells great, it’s the civet itself that lets it down. Of course civet has to be recreated synthetically, but the civet in here smells too obviously synthetic. I own some fantastic civets such as Diaghilev and Bal à Versailles, but this just doesn’t compare in any way - it just smells so much cheaper and lower in quality. Overall it’s a pleasant scent to wear but I wouldn’t buy a bottle.

Patchouly is one of the most patchouli-dominant scents I’ve tried if I’m honest. The patchouli in here is very dark, earthy and masculine with subtle green nuances. It’s got a slightly damp and vegetal vibe to it which is definitely captivating and unique, but not very mass appealing - it’s definitely a scent to stand out with. There’s a soft, smooth and sweet woody amber in the background which provides some warmth, whilst a dry and smoky incense contrast this brutally. To me, this scent conjures imagery of a burning, smouldering wood cabin hidden deep in a dense woodland, with a storm brewing in the distance starting to dampen the black soil beneath your feet. Overall this scent is very impressive. As usual with Profumum Roma the quality is fantastic and the scent boasts an impressively high oil concentration. Whilst I can appreciate the skill behind this scent, unfortunately the patchouli is simply too intense for me so this isn’t something I would wear for myself.

Chypre-Siam is an absolutely delightful creation and a must have for those who enjoy vintage-style chypres. The opening is dominated by a bitter, rindy and refreshing kaffir lime with aromatic touches of basil. Soft touches of slightly powdery, delicate jasmine and ylang begin to shine not long after which smooths out the overall scent profile. The star of the show is the oakmoss, which harks back to the bygone glory days of chypre perfumes. This thick, creamy mossy perfection elevates this scent to another level, taking you back to a more classical place in time. Subtle hints of civet and warm spices provide an addicting sharp bitterness in the background, secondary to the oakmoss. This fragrance is truly fantastic, the use of oakmoss reminds me heavily of my vintage Miss Dior which I absolutely adore. The quality is fantastic, this is an absolute must have for those passionate about vintage-style perfumery.

Santal Complet is one of the more hyped releases from Fragrance du Bois, but I’m not really sure why. It opens with a surprisingly tropical and refreshing duo of nutty coconut and vibrant lemon, with a gentle touch of black pepper. Soon after spraying, this coconut starts to blend into the background whilst a dry, creamy Sandalwood and sweet vanilla begin to take over. From here on out the scent profile stays pretty linear and doesn’t progress much further, it’s simply a smooth vanillic Sandalwood with touches of coconut. I admit it smells very pleasant and I can imagine would get good reactions from others, but overall the scent comes across quite boring to me, like it’s missing something. I think there are so many masterful creations from Fragrance du Bois whilst this one seemed to be made just to appeal to the masses.

Messe de Minuit is the culmination of warm, smoky amber and citrus. It opens with a juicy and refreshing burst of sharp, rindy orange, lemon and bergamot followed by a thick dose of myrrh. The myrrh here is very dry and dusty, heavy and almost chewy but overall smells high quality and unique. The citric side of the scent is intensified by a zesty note of bitter citron, whilst the warming aspects are elevated through a spicy cinnamon and leathery labdanum. The smoky resinous vibe from the myrrh is then magnified by a dry incense and earthy patchouli. You’ve got 3 separate scent profiles all vying for attention in this fragrance - rindy citrus, smoky myrrh and warming amber are all present and powerful and yet it does seem to work. This is fragrance embodies old, wooden antiques and archaic churchy incense in a brilliant way.