fragrances
reviews
My Signature
627 reviews
On paper, wondeful. On my skin, those blue disinfectant blocks you clip into the rim of the toilet. Wak wak waaaaaaa, no thanks.
Symptuous leather and ylang ylang. I managed to find a box set with two 15ml bottles, and it's a bittersweet victory, as I immediately love it, and I know I probably won't be able to find any more (for a price I'm willing to pay). The peach and ylang-ylang are very complimentary, and I think this combination, plus the cardamom, prevents the tropical, banana-like side of the ylang from coming through (I like that but there's a time and a place, plus it makes this perfume more unique). The rich warmth of the amber base boosts the fruit into opulence rather than gourmandise, and there's the playful neroli peeping over the top to give it a charming flourish that makes me thing it's gonna be great for spring and possibly even cooler summer days. The ambergris isn't strong but it is there, hinting at the open sea. And, oh!... as it develops, the strong leather comes in. It's almost chocolatey somehow, like maybe a gourmand leather feel, wow. There's a lot to take in here, but it's incredible and inspired. Update: In hot weather, the heady white/yellow florals come to the fore, almost pissy, but compelling and lovely, kind of like Carnal Flower, but with the leather undercurrent. After several wears in various weather conditions, to me this isn't amber, it's leather floral. It's pretty dense and loud, but it's unique and still has the little bit of Guerlain magic.
Don't buy Armani Code Parfum, get this for a fraction of the price, it's better! It's not exquisite perfume, but for the genre it's well executed and inoffensive.
As with many of this range this is lovely. Smells like quality (with more than a little in common with Gentlemen Only by Givenchy, it may even be a bit better). For 3 euros, you can't go wrong.
Wonderful, classic Ellena. A blind buy for me after listening to a Fragrantica talks episode, and I don't regret it. Probably not the best performance, but it's Ellena so I've come to expect that, plus sometimes subtle and ephemeral is what I'm going for. (Update: performance is actually pretty impressive for this type of scent, it sits close, but is enduring) It doesn't smell like Eau d'Hiver, but what they have in common is the sort of distant, caught-on-the-breeze délicatesse, and they both give me the impression that this is how these notes work, i.e. you don't want them presenting as loud, beasty and screechy. Ellena's perfumes are the antithesis of Tom Ford for me, I'm glad they both exist but this is the high art to Tom Ford's cartoonish output. Blooms in heat, when the tomato leaf is a bit less dominant.
No doubt this is an incredible endeavour, a feat of perfumery. It's a warm Autumn Sunday, I've been for a run and am lounging in the sunlight watching TV wearing EdC. I keep sniffing myself, it's compelling, but I also feel like I've scattered salad all over my prostrate body. Lettuce, tomato, cucumber and maybe some herby olive oil. I don't think I'd ever wear this
Underrated masterpiece. So so much better than the rest of the Gentleman range. It's unique and performs well, getting a lot of compliments. I like that It doesn't have any of the typical shouty masculine notes, and that the notes it does have are delicately blended.
Horrible ambroxan funk
Shalimar squared. As if Shalimar wasn't exquisite enough already, Chanel goes and does Guerlinade as well as, if not slightly better than Guerlain. Fight fight fight! Le lion devours the likes of Grand Soir (which is great but less great), then casually sits licking its paws. Yummy.
Addictive, delicious, blustery ylang and iris-forward scent. Very salty and brisk but with sweetness from the vanilla combining with the banana side of the ylang. Absolutely wonderful and totally unique. Where there would typically be coconut, here there is salt and cloves (I think there's a song called Salt and Cloves...must Google later). I get ambergris vibes too. Performance is spectacular. Update: such a strong perfume, and I'm getting strong similarities to Ambre Éternel, that sort of leathery, buttery orris base.
Loud and synthetic, absolutely not for. me.
