This is one of my favourite niche lemon scents. It opens with a very creamy overdose of lemon, accompanied by aromatics of rosemary and marjoram. An absinthe note is listed, however to me it comes across more like vodka - if you’ve tried absinthe you’ll know it’s very reminiscent of liquorice, which this is nothing like. In the dry down this boozy lemon cocktail is joined by cedar and musk to create a truly stunning scent. To me this perfume smells like a cross between Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche, and Kilian Vodka on the Rocks. It’s got that beautiful creamy lemon, but with a crisp boozy take coming from the absinthe. If you’re looking for a summer fragrance that smells like a lemon vodka cocktail then this is the one - the notes are more interesting than your average summer scent without being too daring. Unfortunately the performance is not great though, so I wouldn’t advise paying full retail for this.

Renaissance is one of the most realistic citrus perfumes I’ve ever come across. It opens with a burst of juicy, vibrant lemon combined with a sharp and tangy mint before being joined by beautifully fresh and green notes of tangerine, bergamot and petitgrain. The heart has a slight sweet and musky floral touch from lily of the valley and rose, before drying down to a base of musk and cedar. This scent smells like a minty citrus cocktail on the Italian coast. It’s fresh, vibrant, zesty and sharp all while being perfectly blended and appealing. The lemon in here is gorgeous and one of my favourite lemon notes around - Xerjoff really gave this fragrance a summery Italian shine. Im usually not a fan of mint in perfume, sometimes it can come off too abrasive or toothpaste-like. But the mint in here is such high quality and perfectly balanced that I just love it. Renaissance is simply a fabulous summer fragrance, one of my all time favourites.

Light Blue eau Intense - simple yet effective. It opens with a rush of salty sea water and juicy grapefruit, accompanied by a touch of green juniper and mandarin; all enveloped around a musky base. It’s a fairly simple scent in terms of notes, and it’s not the highest quality but it does what it’s meant to do very well. It really does transport you to a sunny beach with a warm, salty breeze. The performance is also really good which is appreciated in a summer scent, I think it’s the subtle hint of amberwood which is carrying the lighter notes throughout the day. This is not a particularly special fragrance, but ask anyone for a summer recommendation and this will usually pop up for a reason. It’s a lovely scent and works really well in the warmer months - a must have really.

Neroli Intense is a beautiful interpretation of a summery neroli. It opens quite sharp with orange blossom and lemon, before the soft and airy neroli and jasmine become centre stage. As it softens on the skin, an aromatic base compliments the white florals with a touch of rosemary and woody notes. For the price, the quality here is incredible. You wouldn’t think you could get a fragrance for this price that isn’t screechy or synthetic, or as well blended as this one. Not only that but the performance is great too which is rare for a citrus and white floral perfume. I think this scent is wonderful and the perfect refreshment for a hot summers day. Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino is obsolete while this fragrance exists, and for a fraction of the price. It’s really piqued my interest to explore other releases from Jeanne en Provence.

Acqua di Gio is a timeless classic, beautiful masculine citrus and florals which is both nostalgic and contemporary. It opens with its iconic salty marine accord and a multitude of citrus with jasmine and neroli. As it begins to dry down, an aromatic musky profile of rosemary, cedar and oakmoss starts to shine alongside a touch of fruity sweetness and a deepened heart of various florals. It’s somewhat synthetic across the board and isn’t particularly complex, but this scent is one of a kind and has continued to be a best seller since the 90s for a reason. People love this and it definitely gets compliments. While the performance isn’t great, the scent is good enough to look past this in my opinion. The new EDP version is pleasant, but it lacks that iconic salty scent profile which makes the original so addictive. I definitely think this is still worth owning today and is a summer staple for me.

Cedrat Boise opens with a punchy burst of synthetic fruitiness, with blackcurrant and lemon at the forefront. As it begins to dry down leather, cedar and ambiguous spices creep into the base which combines nicely with the sharp fruitiness. I’m not sure why people compare this to Aventus, I guess the combination of lemon and blackcurrant on a woody base reminds people of it. However to me they don’t smell alike, Cedrat Boise is far more synthetic with more fruitiness going on. It’s a pleasant scent and gets positive attention from those around you, however the performance has been gutted these days. Personally I think Mancera has far better fragrances to offer than this one, but it’s nice nonetheless.

I have a new metal cap bottle, batch F000315. The opening is a gorgeous mix of juicy pineapple and bergamot, as well as sweet blackcurrant and apple. It starts off very fruity and invigorating, and smells high quality. As it settles on the skin, the musky undertones of birch, oakmoss and ambergris are thrown into the mix. These new batches seem to be noticeably less smoky than previous iterations of Aventus, while being a lot more fruity. I’ll be honest, I compared the dry down of this with Club de Nuit Intense Man EDP and while the openings were noticeably different, the dry downs were indistinguishable from one another. Scent-wise, I love this fragrance but it has obvious drawbacks. Creed Aventus is one of those modern classics that was revolutionary when it was first released, but has since become a shadow of what it once was. It still smells fantastic but considering the performance is shockingly bad, and how close clones come these days I don’t think it’s worth buying anymore.

Infusion D’Iris Cèdre has recently been renamed to simply - Infusion de Cèdre; as far as I know the scent remains identical. It opens with the bright, soapy iris that Prada characterises so well, with a clean and sharp neroli accompanied by hints of cedar. It’s quite a simple scent that stays pretty linear throughout, but fantastic nonetheless. I wouldn’t say the benzoin and incense are at all noticeable, it’s all about the soapy florals and cedar. The performance is fantastic too, it lasts all day and will never offend anyone so it’s very oversprayer-friendly. This scent is the epitome of soapy cleanliness. The florals are of exceptional quality, and it scratches that itch for clean laundry style fragrances. This is probably my favourite fragrance from Prada, and one of the best iterations of iris on the designer market.

Terre D’Hermès opens with an overdose of tangy orange and juicy grapefruit before developing a bitter, masculine edge of pepper and vetiver. It’s intensely refreshing and sophisticated without being overly complex. These notes persist through the life of the fragrance, however a smooth and earthy base of cedar and patchouli give it some lasting power and added depth. This fragrance is a modern classic, the epitome of a classy gentleman. It’s got enough freshness to be worn all year round, with plenty of character to make you stand out and make a lasting impression. Terre D’Hermès really is one of the best designer fragrances on the market currently, and a must have for any collector. The Parfum concentration is also fantastic, longer lasting with more maturity however less appropriate for the summer months in my opinion. The other flankers in this line just don’t feel the same as the original scent profile, this stuff is just fantastic.