Ambre Eccentrico is one of the most easy-going, mass appealing ambers on the market in my opinion. It’s built around a classic Amber accord of vanilla, benzoin and labdanum, but with especial focus on the vanilla which is intensely sweet, creamy and gourmand. Adding to this addictive sweetness is a subtle accord of dried fruits, with touches of spicy cinnamon and earthy patchouli. All in all though, this is a vanilla fragrance at heart and a damn good one. Tonka bean enhances the vanilla even further, while also maintaining that smooth and slightly rubbery characteristic a lot of Armani Privé fragrances have. I’ll admit I underestimated this one when I first got it, but after a few wears I’ve been really enjoying it. It’s not a particularly complex or interesting fragrance, but it’s incredibly addicting and delicious - a perfect option for an easy going sweet scent bubble on a cold autumn evening.

Oud Royal is one of my favourite offerings from the Armani Privé line. It follows a very simple structure and stays relatively linear throughout the life of the scent. A soft, sweet amber accord, smoky myrrh and some faint warm spices act as supports for the main note of oud. The oud here does not smell real in the slightest, or even particularly high quality, but for some reason it keeps drawing me in. Everything is so smooth and well blended that it creates the most addicting scent trail and will easily have others asking you what you’re wearing. This for me is a fantastic Westernised interpretation of a clean cut oud fragrance, with some degree of darkness and mystery to it. This is not for those searching for an authentic natural oud - instead more suited to smart, formal occasions that call for something easier on the nose.

Clive Christian E for Men takes the idea of a Gourmand Oriental to the extreme. Upon initial spray you’re blasted by an intense accord of oak barrels housing beautifully aged rum and red wine of the highest quality, with a noticeable alcoholic burn hitting the back of your throat. From here there’s a slight fruity, leathery touch from peach and labdanum, which paves the way for the dominant note of clove. Clove is the biggest hitter in this fragrance - it’s dark, earthy, powerful and intoxicating, supported ever so slightly by cinnamon. The base is where the gourmand qualities shine through however; bourbon vanilla, maple syrup and caramel make up the delicious edible facet of this scent. This takes gourmand perfumery to a whole new level and is perfect for those who love boozy scents. It smells like gorgeously sweet and syrupy mulled wine which makes it perfect for the Christmas period. Completely unapologetic and overpowering, this is definitely not one to blind buy but so so incredible for the right audience.

44 Gerrard Street sets out to become a unique, interesting take on a classical smelling masculine woody-citrus, however instead it just smells like orange sherbet. It opens with a heavy dose of lime and ginger which are actually good quality, it’s this combination which comes across like candied orange to me. The scent has a soft floral heart or eucalyptus, rose, jasmine and orchid, before settling on a masculine woody base. Unfortunately to me, this fragrance smells very one dimensional and linear with little to no development. As I said before it straight up smells like hard boiled orange sweets or orange sherbet. It’s synthetically sweet and intense with the ginger, while it’s not an unpleasant fragrance - I can’t see it being worn by myself.

Uden is a more expensive, overpriced version of Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche. It opens with a combination of tart lemon and juicy grapefruit, which actually come across quite harsh and abrasive to me, before quickly settling into a base of creamy vanilla, sandalwood and ambergris. The darker notes of rum and coffee which are listed are more or less non-existent, perhaps only adding very vague, distant nuances to the base. Overall this dries down to Edition Blanche as I said. You would expect this to be of a much higher quality than the Chanel given the price, but it’s not. Xerjoff can sometimes be very hit and miss with their quality of ingredients and blending I find, and unfortunately on this occasion it’s a miss.

Pierre de Velay No. 25 is an aromatic woody citrus made for the modern man who wants to make a statement whilst still smelling classic. It opens with a gorgeous cocktail of grapefruit, clementine, lemon and lime alongside airy, soapy aldehydes before the green aromatics set in. Davana, fir, cypriol and patchouli emerge creating an intensely green, earthy, forest-esque aura. The citrus, most prominently the clementine, powers through alongside the green notes as a soft touch of bitter coffee joins a woody and masculine cedar accord. With some florals, resins and balsams in the background you’re left with something very classically masculine and mature, with a contemporary and wearable twist. Personally I feel this scent is too green for me, this is not the style of perfumery I enjoy wearing for myself - however I cannot deny the quality and mastery of this scent. If you love classical smelling men’s fragrances then this is definitely one to try.

Pierre de Velay No. 23 is an incredibly underrated release from the line and such a fantastic recreation of an iconic scent profile. The top is comprised of intensely soapy and powdery aldehydes alongside soft citrus which seems comfortingly familiar. In the heart, a heavy dose of thick ylang and powdery violet can be found mingling with the aldehydes beautifully, before developing into a base of amber, animalic leather and civet, woods, oakmoss, clove and ambergris. An incredibly deep and complex base bursting with character which is executed perfectly. Overall I believe this is Roja’s take on the Chanel No. 5 scent profile. The opening is very similar to this but as the scent develops you soon realise the base is very different to No. 5 and adds such intense distinction from the array of added notes. I think this is a fantastic creation, building on a cultural classic and paying homage to one of the most famous fragrances of all time.

Pierre de Velay No. 16 is the fruitier, more playful cousin of Les Clochettes du Bonheur. It opens with some fleeting citrus before Roja’s favourite and most iconic note of sweet peach emerges, alongside juicy rhubarb and a heavy dose of lily-of-the-valley adding that hint of the Clochettes scent profile. There’s an added range of soft and powdery florals such as ylang, jasmine, violet and orris, before settling into a soft woody base and creamy vanilla. If you found Clochettes too linear then this is a great alternative in my opinion. The peach and violet combination also slightly reminds me of RDHP15, only here there is no chypre base and the addition of rhubarb is a welcome one - this is a very calming and serene scent which leans feminine but smells absolutely divine on the skin of anyone who wears it.

Pierre de Velay No. 9 takes a fresh approach to an amber scent profile which is pleasant, but I don’t feel succeeds in what it sets out to do. It opens with a prominent lemon and bergamot combination before soon developing an overly-synthetic smelling cashmeran note. The base is comprised of a classic Amber accord - vanilla, benzoin and labdanum, however this is overshadowed by the overdose of cashmeran combined with the citrus and some cedar as well. I don’t feel this fragrance matches the quality and blending of other releases in the PDV line, it smells more like something Paco Rabanne or Hugo Boss would release. It unfortunately comes across very cheap and forgettable.