Goodman’s is a gorgeously sophisticated aromatic oriental, perfectly encapsulating the wealth and elegance of the Bergdorf Goodman clientele. It’s got similarities to other creations from Roja, namely Vetiver and Semi Bespoke 10, but does go off in its own direction. Vetiver dominates the scent profile with its dry, grassy qualities, complimented by the refreshing burst of a rindy, bitter bergamot. From here the oriental aspects make themselves known, dry frankincense and subtle warm spices of cinnamon and cardamom linger in the base to give it some kick. I think this is a lovely scent - it’s not as unique or exciting as some other roja fragrances, but that’s the idea. This scent is made for the modern man, who very clearly has money but wishes to walk the streets without making a fuss. It’s a beautifully classic masculine scent, one I would definitely pick up if I found it for the right price.

Angel Fantasm is what I would consider and effective flanker release. It’s tricky trying to keep a fragrance line which is over 30 years old alive, but I believe Mugler are doing a pretty good job. This scent takes the general idea of the original Angel, making it more palatable for the current market and on trend for what gourmand means these days. It retains the intensely sweet vanillic caramel aspect, which is sticky and delicious. However, it tones down the dark chocolatey patchouli, and completely removes the spicy elements. What you’re left with is this thick caramel, alongside vanilla and coconut. It’s sweetness overload. As I said it’s very on trend for today’s market, as lots of other popular gourmands follow this barrage of sweetness. I like it, it’s a pleasant scent but I wouldn’t buy it - it does overall lack originality and interest for me.

What a seriously impressive fragrance Angel is, for a scent like this to be released in 1992 - this was way ahead of its time. You may love it or hate it, but this pioneered the subfamily of gourmand fragrances which would become one of the most popular scent profiles in today’s market. At its core, this is a chocolatey patchouli fragrance - it’s got a surprisingly dark element with this creamy, delectable earthiness. To counter this, there’s noticeable warm spicy touches from nutmeg and cumin, alongside an overwhelming sweetness coming from honeyed florals, sweet vanilla, sticky caramel and an array of fruits. There’s so much going on here it’s hard to pick things out, but that spicy, chocolatey patchouli is what sticks out most to me. It’s not really my style of fragrance if I’m honest, but I can’t deny the influence and impact this had on the perfume industry; making it a true modern classic.

The Most Wanted, ironic name because I couldn’t possibly want this fragrance any less. Is this seriously what passes for good on the designer market these days? I honestly cannot imagine someone over the age of 15 even considering wearing this dreadful scent. A very simple note breakdown, with toffee at its core. I have to give it credit, it does smell of toffee, although it’s almost sickly sweet. Combined with an obnoxious amount of amberwoods though, and it ruins the whole scent with its scratchy soapiness. It’s somehow sweet and fresh at the same time; I can see why that would be desired amongst teenagers. It just reeks of adolescence and immaturity, which is fine if you’re of that age, but no adult should be wearing this.

With a name as absolute as ‘The Scent’, you would expect something groundbreaking - as though this is THE only scent a man could need. You would be dead wrong, this is The Scent every man should avoid, unless you want to smell like the most boring person on the planet. It’s a sort of fresh, citrusy lavender thing with sharp, scratchy bursts of ginger and horrible synthetic-smelling woods. There’s some sense of coherence, but very little; it’s just shy of a total disaster. It’s the same generic fresh scent profile we’ve been smelling for years now on the designer market. When will these brands stop repackaging the same scent into new bottles? Probably never as they wouldn’t be doing it if it didn’t sell, clearly something about this horrid DNA works for a lot of people. I can’t wrap my head around it.

Bottega Veneta… where have you been all my life!? This is stunning, absolutely magnificent and yet so humble and modest. Such a beautifully modern take on the Chypre scent profile with just a touch of that old school allure. I wish so badly this wasn’t discontinued. This scent is dominated by leather, oakmoss and patchouli. It’s thick and dry, slightly green, slightly earthy, with a generous creamy facet from the leather and oakmoss making this scent exceptionally smooth. There’s a touch of jasmine and bergamot in there to give it some lift, but really it’s all about these three notes. It’s gorgeous, how they managed to create such a delectable oakmoss smell in 2011 is seriously impressive. I’ll be on the lookout for a bottle of this on eBay, I NEED it.

Cuir Grenat - the modernist/minimalist approach to the popular raspberry-leather scent profile. Raspberry notes and I have a long history of not getting along, I’m yet to find one I can enjoy. The good thing is this isn’t repulsive, which is how I find most raspberry fragrances. This takes the idea of that rugged brutalist scream that the leather usually has, and turns it into a whisper. The raspberry, dampened and flattened so as to retain its sweetness without becoming sickly. Blanketed over the top is a noticeable amount of ambrofix which gives the scent this overall clean, shower-gel sort of quality. It’s nice, I like the fact that the clean soapy aspect of it balances what could have been a harsh and distasteful perfume. I will enjoy wearing my decant but I wouldn’t buy a bottle as it’s simply not my style.

Black Saffron is one of Byredo’s most well known fragrances, and I suppose I can understand why, but it’s not for me. It’s a riff on a fairly typical raspberry-leather scent, but far soapier than you’d expect. Picture Tuscan Leather if it was left to soak in bubble bath for a few hours. You get that signature combo of sweet, almost plasticky raspberries and a rugged old leather boot. Thankfully, this isn’t nearly as nauseating as Tuscan Leather, thanks to the pops of juniper, juicy grapefruit and a touch of powdery violet. You’ve then got this overtly clean and soapy facet from the cashmeran. I don’t really get much saffron from this at all to be honest, I don’t really know why it’s in the name. It’s not a bad smelling fragrance to be honest, but raspberry and leather is a combination I have never gotten along with.

The Night, is this the epitome of rose-oud? It certainly feels like it comes damn close. Some people say this is too stinky, it perhaps it is to wear in most situations, but this is one seriously special creation. A scent which truly celebrates oud in all its glory, properly introducing it to the western market. Pure Indian oud lies at the core of this magnificent experience; it’s sharp and slightly sour, yet profoundly dry and earthy. It’s thick, woody facets coming to life by way of incense and Amber thrown into the mix. The rose itself isn’t overpowering, it’s not off-pityingly jammy or sweet, but provides just enough balance to tone things down a notch, alongside saffron. This scent is simplicity at its best, it demonstrates its complexity through the jaw-dropping quality of its materials. Is it worth the price? I wouldn’t say so, it’s an absolute beauty, but at the end of the day it is just a perfume.