Oh dear. I found the opening to be poor, very generic messy and pretty pointless as yet another Code flanker. However, these thoughts did mellow as it settled down but that can be the case with so many bad fragrances. The main body is milky, minty, lavender, business but with a more heavy and sickly core of tonka bean. This dirtiness does subside and it becomes more of a softer vanilla but you have to live through what is not a unpleasant but has to be said, uninspiring fragrance in the meantime. The comparisons with le Male and Luna Rossa could be valid, but it's certainly no Invasion Barbare or Reflection Man. It's okay I suppose.
I never cease to be amazed by CK and their steady output. Even more surprising is just how many I really like among them. This stuff is nothing short of superb, evoking some very notable scents along the way. The opening is a tart, fruity note, not immediately recognisable as rhubarb but settling to it after a moment. This just frames the scent as the main body is one of deep woods and resin, but fruity evoking a little of CdG Floriental. You can really get the smell of guaic wood and cypriol softened in the drydown by vanilla and amber. Obsessed Intense is a very dense leathery oriental in the style of Carner cuirs, Palo Santo or Nasomatto Pardon but slightly cleaner, cheaper and more mainstream. It's hard to pin this stuff down, I think there were several other fragrances it reminded me of, all of which were niche, which I think speaks for itself and tells you where this is going. I want it. I thought it was excellent, kinda messy and all over the place but more thought provoking than most releases I've tried lately.
This is a really peculiar gourmand scent, the opening is amazingly unique and in fairness that’s true of many Calvin Klein fragrances, they open well but then become less obscure, more familiar and uninspiring. I can only attribute this to the fruity opening of star fruit, another thing CK tend to do is use unusual fruits in the top notes, normally I’d say they smell a bit like apple or tangerine or grapefruit but they usually smell very much different to normal fruits which is a nice attention to detail and leads me to conclude they really do resemble the exotic and rarer fruits. I have actually had a star fruit before but I can’t remember what it was like? Anyway then comes a powerful and almost niche sweetness which is already building a big Tonka Bean and vanilla base. As it delveops the candy floss sweetness and a very nice coconut note which isn’t ridiculous and sun lotion like, I’d say more dark, remind me of Only the Brave WILD a fragrance I thought was cheap and throwaway but actually, strangely enjoyed. It starts to loose itself in the drydown becoming more generic and annoying Tonka based, overly busy, messy stuff. When it settles to a very low skin scent after several hours is just a sweet Rochas Man but not as charming or subtle. I actually thought I’d buy this for the over sweet and unique opening alone but as the notes developed the composition just became more and more jumbled
I think Geza Schoen has been tainted by the Essentric Molecule series, being too minimal and arthouse or lazy and money grabbing, depending how you see it. I kinda gave them the benefit of the doubt for showcasing modern aroma chemistry and showing people who wouldn't otherwise know, what things like ISO E Super and Ambroxan are all about. However, it still marred my view of him as a perfumer but looking at his back catalog he's produced some wonderful stuff which I adore and the Ormonde Jayne line are right up there. Incidentally I do like the Escentric molecules, especially the later ones and Zizan reminds me very much of Escentric 03 because it's got that ultra sharp, lime citrus note and ton of vetiver, dry juniper type stuff and that synthetic cedar wood note of ISO E Super. This is like a Post-TdH scent but from the year 2050! I'm not saying there wasn't any citrus/vetiver/woody scents before that, but TdH represents the high water mark in the mainstream. The pink pepper starts to pop when it settles producing a somewhat signature smell of futuristic, fresh spiciness. I really like it.
First of all I was going to blind buy this fragrance until a very generous Fragrantica member sent me a sample (big shout to alunwill) so I got to sample it and I foolishly thought I could predict what this smelled like from the notes, reviews and just my expectations. Needless to say it didn’t smell the way I’d imagined, I’d say it was much more powdery than I thought. This fragrance reminds of four fragrances, the opening of a little sharpness citrus and sweet spices instantly brought Caron L’anarchist to mind except much more pleasant, sweeter less challenging without all the musk and metal. This is a far more cozy experience which then got me thinking about Costume National Homme but without the cherry and actually very different but stylistically similar. Then comes the drydown and much more masculine woody powder Boucheron Jaipur Homme and then finally and probably most obviously, Yves Saint Lauren Opium pour Homme. The cinnamon star anise and powdery, creamy old skool combo with something like carnation in there makes it very similar and I love Opium, so it’s not a bad thing at all. This is definitely sweeter the creaminess is vanilla which makes it different and slightly more upbeat. I’ve got to say I’m not put off by any of this, not what I expected but I loved it anyway. The smell reminded me of a friends mum when I was a kid, she was a bit of a hippy and into aromatherapy and more worryingly homeopathy, anyway Sushi Imperial put me in mind of the smell of their house sometimes. The lasting power is very good and it’s clearly of excellent quality.
First of all, this came as a surprise to me, not the notes or the smell of the fragrance particularly, more my final opinion on it, which I will get to in a minute. I feel I need to qualify my thoughts on the house, I liked Mont Blanc for many years when they were mainstream but somewhat in the wilderness so to speak, and actually reminded me a lot of Dunhill, mainly uninspiring yet solid fare with a couple of really good releases, that was up until legend and it’s flankers. I just found it to be a less potent A&F Fierce and the flankers that followed didn’t excite in any way. Night however is different and not because it’s good or original or not cheap smelling or because its that kinda dirty vanilla/Tonka, modern style nonsense, it’s all those things but I still sort of liked it. Yeah that’s right I think this is a worth while fragrance and you know the most prominent note right from the opening is Apple and Apple notes usually mean cheap and nasty with very few exceptions, as I said this is cheap but with less of the nasty because the rest of the notes are constructed around that ‘sexy’ gourmand vibe of a few years back the code Profumo, ferragamo uomo, some extreme flankers you know the ones? All that Tonka bean stuff. This is more of that but I don’t care, something about it just plugs in to good receptors in my brain and says you know this is generic but I like the Apple and dirty vanilla in here it’s a guilty pleasure I’m sorry. It reminded me of that cola/dr pepper thing of a lesser known Dunhill I own, you’d think boss bottles by the notes but it has more nods to D&G the one than anything. It’s not well finessed though it’s clearly modern and throwaway but if I see this heavily reduced in a bargain bucket somewhere I might just add it to my wardrobe for the sake of it. It lasted okay, stayed close and I was surprised just how long the drydown lasted and just how nice the resulting kinda spiced rum/vanilla that remained was.
This is beautiful. Truly beautiful. I’m a big fan of Andriers work and this is no exception, I think the way it complements the men’s version is clever also. This is the second time this year that a ylang ylang fragrance has wowed me but I’d say this isn’t your typical yellow floral nor is it in anyway your typical tuberose, I actually found iris to be prominent. I think all the florals in here conspire to create an almost exotic fruity vibe, coming from the frangipani more than likely but the powdery smoothness of iris making it all come together. It’s feminine but not completely outside the realms of wearing for me. I found it to be a very warm, oriental fragrance definitely check it out.
A fragrance that doesn’t open well for me, a very ‘of the moment’ vibe to it and what I considered to be a bit of a messy composition, not unpleasant just that usual swirling mix of too many notes, which is neither one thing or the other. However, I have to say the way it settles down Icon racing really comes into its own. The oud in the base, although quite typical of a designer sort of oud is actually quite pleasant combined with the caradmom and white floral of the original it’s kinda creamy and enjoyable. This is a passable woody scent and that base of vetiver/oud/cedar is nice and the orange blossom is long lasting. Doesn’t stand out enough to peak my interest but I liked it more towards the end for sure.
White gold is absolutely stunning. I don't think I could ever wear it myself because it's very heady, so intoxicating and powdered, it's like the texture of somebody poofing a talc bottle in your face, to the point you can taste it. The florals glide and soar on top of this powder which is narcotic in it's addictiveness. The opening is very floral and full to the brim with jasmine and freesia settling to an exotic orchid which is delicate as the powdery orris root and cashmearan build. The balance between powder and florals is completely perfect and it dances between the two never settling to a linear smell. Despite this balance I'd say casherean is the main player in this scent because it assumes the role of warm, woody base giving it a cozy feel but also acts as a floral booster. It's also very complementary with orris or iris and carnation which are all present in this fragrance. I love perfume and I always like to think I'm open minded and not opposed to wearing ANYTHING. However, some fragrances just scream femininity and I imagine what it would smell like on a woman because that's where I believe it is more suited. This is one of those occasions. What I like about Ormonde Jayne is that they are not afraid to mix the synthetic molecules with the more natural or perceived as natural aromas. ISO E Super, Casherean, synth musks, Abroxan, when used correctly they can boost other notes and make an otherwise ordinary fragrance very special indeed. I think this stuff is a triumph, I sprayed the tiniest amount bearly even there and it was massive in projection and longevity. Please check this out, I thought it was amazing. Update: just realised why OJ are so heavily into the man made molecules due to the fact that Geza Schoen seems to be the nose of choice and even though White Gold doesn’t have a perfumer listed, I’d bet my house this is his handiwork, they all have his style written all over them.
You know when a fragrance instantly transports you like a time machine to a very specific and actually quite insignificant and innocuous moment in your life. In fact the smaller the event the more you marvel at the complex workings of the human brain and how it stores, and more importantly accesses memory. Ta'if took me to a Sheffield dry ski slope some 25+ years ago... so weird. Anyway... I've decided that Taif roses are very interesting smelling and aren't really very traditionally rosy. They are heady and floral but powdery and more like dried pot pouri petals, definitely have a quality of tea leaves to them, reminding me of tea chests, (something else you don't really see anymore) wow this fragrance is really making me reminisce! There's spice to this too from pink pepper and saffron which are definitely big players, with a warm ambery base. I don't really like it, nor would I wear it but Ormonde Jayne is a quality brand and the line interests me greatly. I must say this is a unique fragrance at least to my nose and definitely polarising I'd say. If you go into it with the mindset you're getting a rose based fragrance you will but not in any traditional sense, to me this isn't rosy really.
The only one that convinced me enough to buy it. It's almost entirely feminine, soft, pastel vibes which are not what I usually look for in a perfume. I'd describe this whole line as this but non more so than this one, the kind of scent a lady might were on a Sunday evening after having a long bath and sitting around the house in her dressing gown. In other words this is not a fragrance for a night on the town, or even a day, it's more a... pamper yourself and rub cocoa butter on your legs sort of vibe and before anyone points out that my comments are dated or sexist...maybe I like an evening of pampering and if I did, I'd wear this stuff. The opening is a cuddly hug of creamy almond milk and the lightest touch of lavender which just adds to the chilled out, cerebral vibes of this perfume. There's loads of sweetness in here but never once does it become cloying or tip over the edge into unpleasantness and this is a difficult feat to achieve. I have to attribute this to the honey in here but I wouldn't say it's what I expected and got far more of an accurate honey note from the Oat one. Saffron although not displaying it's usual earthy or pronounced smell could definitely be playing a role in here and making me love it even more. The facts are, this is a superb fragrance and it smells heavenly. Is it really a proper fragrance though because it resembles own brand label or drug store confection? Yes...yes it is. It's gourmand, it doesn't last and it's feminine as anything but I adore it.
This one is nice but straight away too feminine for me. Primrose and Rye is the most floral of the bunch but still not overt in any way, non of these fragrances are, they are delicate by their very nature. The opening is creamy, grain yet again that oaty, creamy almond milk with touches of mimosa and primrose. This dries down to a vanilla, soft but uninspiring and no doubt easy to find elsewhere. I wasn't expecting these to be anything earth shattering or massively original and they aren't but they are all nice enough.
Very nice and a good mixture of the citrus vetiver of 'normal' fragrances, with hints of this creamy, grain theme of this limited edition line. The opening is sharp with grapefruit transitioning into not entirely green notes, but something a touch warmer. I felt this was the most unisex and borderline masculine of the bunch. Not bad but if I wanted a fresh green fragrance I'd buy a million others before this.
Funny that I said I would buy 'a million others before this' in my review below because I got a rare gift of perfume from my significant other today for valentines. This was it and it's actually one of the less cloying of this line and the fresh, greenness is actually a welcome relief. Don't get it twisted I love the milky, sweetened and wheaty texture of many of these but as much as I like them at first they start to get a little hard going after the first hour or so and this doesn't. It's not like they are beasts and last anyway but still. I will definitely wear this, I don't know where I got vetiver from in my initial review? Anyway I like this and I'm noot just saying now to appease the missus.
To be honest this one smells more honied (especially the drydown) than the Honey croccus one I eventually settled upon buying, Oat & Cornflower was a close second. It opens up very milky and creamy, reminiscent of lightly spiced porridge oats which is a very appealing smell in many ways. That spice is like a super subtle hint of cinnamon and ginger just dancing across the top notes of this stuff. This warmth and cuddliness is probably what provoked the Aomassai comparisons and I do get why tolu balm is evoked. I like the drydown less but it's still a hugely interesting fragrance that changes from the opening. It might be the cornflower in here because I'm not sure what it smells like but the balance and tempering of sweetness is good and not to the ridiculous extent of jeux de peu or anything like that, but has that oaty quality throughout. I like it but I'm not mad about it, the performance seemed to be better than most of these for longevity at least because non of these are projectors.
I found the original Bloom to be utter generic rubbish but hey what do I know about mainstream designer scents that are made for women? Not a lot. What I do know is that Gucci have raised their game massively in recent releases the two new Guilty Parfums being notable. I thought the bottle, branding and campaign behind bloom gave it a high profile and a feel of real quality which personally never translated into the fragrance itself, however I have to say I really enjoyed this flanker and so did my better half. She enthusiastically came over waving her wrist at me saying “Smell this...It’s Gucci bloom” I sniffed it and immediately replied...”That isn’t bloom...it’s nice.” She proceeded to show me the bottle and it was this flanker. I subsequently got a sample and confirmed that Acqua di Fiori opens up with a green, galbanum note of transparent incense which by its very nature is fleeting but quickly establishes a herbal, musky woods which is very fresh and green. Nothing sweet, overly floral or cliched in here just really good, light stuff perfect for spring/summer and unisex...I’d rock it. Maybe not enough to blow me away, it’s no Ninfeo Mio but it shares some similarities.
L’Âme Perdue (Âme) translates a rather melancholic name (Lost Soul) into a memory of a scent. There are references, with Rochas Femme and Dior Dune being the main ones, but it evokes the pensive sadness L’Heure Bleue can provoke upon first wearings. Âme, to me, evokes a secluded beach, dunes, a grey cast sky and lilies being sprayed with sea salt water in the breeze. It’s one of the few recent fragrances that can transmit such feelings and emotions, although it’s said to have been inspired by a long lost and forgotten Le Galion formula, and a perfume created for Lanvin. The main notes that I sense are Cala lilies, plum, creamy ylang ylang that reminds me of the smell of older sunscreens, in particular tanning oils that were popular not so long ago, and cloves, even though the scent does not read tropical or beachy at all. It’s simply a particular smell of rubber, heated skin, cold cream and coconut that scented my childhood when even children were doused with low spf suntan oil. It smells of my youth. This creaminess caries hints of honey, moss, a sharp citrousness (mirabelle?) that comes and goes, and cinnamon, momentarily reminding me of Mitsouko as well. What starts out as creamy and languid, becomes plummier and spicier as the fragrance develops, with the vanilla and the woods giving a certain airy dustiness. In image, it captures perfectly the imagery of Dior’s Dune first ad. In scent, is Femme de Rochas, worn by a solitary soul gazing at the horizon while the ocean hits the rocks. I’ve been wearing it on a regular basis since I got my sample and every time I wear it I discover something new. And while at first I dismissed it as something that I’ve smelt before, it keeps pulling me in. L’Âme Perdue is a very evocative fragrance; at once creamy, sweet, honeyed, spicy, there’s a certain fragility that becomes steel strong as it progresses on skin. As if to remind us that there will always be a new dawn. It feels vintage but modern; creating something avant garde that will last in time. Very long lasting with above average sillage throughout!
This is kind of a bit Mugleresque in it's approach, complex, strangely gourmand and a little exotic. The fruity opening is osmanthus heavy but soon descends into a thick, chunky fragrance of patchouli and tonka but it's not a creamy sweet vanilla all the sweetness is provided by the heart note of cassis, which isn't a straight forward sweetness. The drydown surprised me a bit because I found the opening a bit feminine and too reminiscent of recent, black orchid style fragrances but with far less class like a Marc Jacobs Decadence for example. However, the drydown is a quiet, balsamic affair much more unisex and with a blackcurrant note of cassis and even a hint of liquorice. I quite liked it, despite an obvious and overtly female focused opening which would be sickly after a while it changes to something softer and more balanced.
Lots of perfumes with coconut notes get it entirely wrong, and you have to be careful the notes you pair it with, white florals neroli and jasmine and it can resemble cheap sunscreen, too gourmand a line up of accompaniments and it gets too sweet and cloying. Put lime or fruity notes with it and it becomes a pina collada or summer Exotic cocktail now I’m not saying all of these don’t work rather that it has to be a balanced use of these elements which can be said for perfume compositions in much broader terms. Anyway....Nejma 7 gets this coconut centric blend absolutely and entirely correct. Opulent, sweet and gourmand yet tempered with bitter cacao and a hint of patchouli with good quality woods and oud in the base, this is a really decent and relatively long lasting gourmand. Not quite interesting enough to love but a definite like and something gourmand and certainly coconut lovers should try because you’d be hard pressed to find anything with more quality. This is perfectly wearable for a man but I still have a instinct that it’s more feminine. Reminds me a little of Odin Roam 10 I even get a bit of the smooth, opulent and spicy ebony wood from this too.
I have to say that I always anticipate CdG releases with a fanboy level of enthusiasm and this was no different but I'm a bit late to the table on it. So disappointed that it doesn't deliver, I wanted something really cold and unnerving along the lines of a Narciso Roderiguez and this is echoed in a recent(ish) video by E Simplyputscents guy. I expected Wet, cement but less musky and with comme des garcon signature incense weirdness but alas this fragrance is not that at all! What concrete delivers is a modern, synthetic, woody scent which is a bit too sweet frankly considering the name and expected brief. Is this sandalwood? really? This is not what I consider, just sandalwood and CdG actually make one of the most potent and spicy sandalwoods you could hope for in blue santal. It's not a overly sweet smell, nor would I strictly call it cloying, but I did find it a little grating after a while. I thought it was okay on the whole but linear and not what I was expecting from a house with a reputation for pushing boundaries, in a good way. Strange but not the good strange I wanted.
I have to give this fragrance some props for the fact that it has three distinct phases which could easily be three different fragrances. This quality must be applauded. It starts out like the most chaotic and shambled mixture of warm and spicy vibes which made me think I was in for some sort of incense and amber affair. This then changes over a period of 20 mins to an hour into a fragrance I have DEFINITELY smelled before I just cannot place exactly what it is. It goes gourmand almost in this mid phase, becoming a sickly spiced, nutmeg, hints of cakey, spicebomb and warm vibes, I don't dislike it but the fact that there's yet another change in the drydown is welcome. Then there's the finale...a deep, creamy, heavenly, woody, resin which is gorgeous and sits low on the skin smelling nothing like the opening or heart. I can honestly say this is an enigma of a fragrance, the way it progresses gradually giving up it's secrets and although unremarkable by themselves add up to the kind of olfactory experience I look for when trying a new fragrance and Resin Sacre delivered a similar trifecta. So I like it for this reason but it didn't grab me enough to add it to the collection, reason being the middle bit is the longest lasting and my least favourite and the best bit at the end is too much of a skin scent. Oh the opening is interesting but aren't they all. Try though and see if you feel the same way about it?
This was the first I tried from this line and looking at the name I expected it to be in this style. Cologne Absolute has a citrus, green opening which is clean and soapy with the white florals coming on a bit as it develops. I love tarragon as a herb and the thought of a fragrance which features it at the forefront is great but something doesn't work as this settles. It became more herbal certainly, but not something I would enjoy wearing as something seems slightly off about this combination. Good on Tom Daxon (we will come to what I thought of the other three I sampled in later reviews) for not just making a classic cologne but maybe he should've done? I think for those that like it, this will be a real gem.
Hard to dislike but I found it quite uninspiring. The thought of an oud like this was very appealing and the geranium and cardamom give it a very clear and clean focus with a potent base of oud. Without doubt this is high quality and lasts very well, drying down to a very nice hum but nothing jumps out at all.
Coco is the drama queen among the powerful orientals of the 80’s. Moving along the spice route (Opium) towards a mellower Mellis accord, Coco is very similar to Teatro that came a year later, but where Krizia went for spices and carnations, Chanel went for plush amber and baroque orientalism. Chanel was never one to fall for excess, but Coco, born with me on the same year, inevitably followed trends; sillage and power. The edp I’m reviewing, a bottle from 1984, is my favorite formulation because it embodies the spirit of the fragrance perfectly. It opens with a strong note of cloves and coriander, that lend a mellow and piquant balsamic spiciness. Subtle, with a candle light glow, along a juicy orange note that simply enhances them instead of taking over. The overripe peach is akin to Femme’s skin sensuality. Instead of fiery spices, you have the heat of the skin. The rose and jasmine in the heart really shine and make me see why Chanel is so famed for them. Jacques Polge shows amazing dexterity. The base further enhances the deep and mellow balsamic quality; a superb sandalwood that 100% feels like Mysore, with its suave and buttery-milky qualities, dances along the resinous labdanum, and the amber wraps itself around the opoponax. A subtle leather smell (castoreum?) dances along the civet, which in the first formulations is natural and extremely potent and sexual. For all it’s class and elegance, Coco never forgets that beneath the surface there’s desire, and Polge balances the beauty with a magnificent and feral civet; it doesn’t enhance the other notes, it shines solo. While many orientals are famed for their spices, Coco embodies the balsamic quality of the genre. It wouldn’t feel out of place decades earlier, even though it’s excesiveness tells us that Coco comes from the mighty 80’s. If you enjoy Diva (Polge’s prototype for Coco, somewhat drier and more chypre in feel, released a year earlier), Teatro Alla Scala, Fendi, Opium and Femme, Coco is a natural progression. Dramatic, opulent, once the fur is off and the haute couture dress on the floor, manners stay out of the room. There’s only room for passion. Stunning on everyone, with a sexually ambiguous personality that refuses genre!
Vintage (1978) vs recent (2013) Rive Gauche. First of, I gotta say; in my opinion this is the best reformulation L’Oreal has done with an YSL fragrance. Actually, the only one that hasn’t completely butchered a perfume. Rive Gauche is still itself, for better or for worse. Main difference lies in the opening and long drydown. I already really like the current one, but I simply adore the vintage. The original opens with soaring metallic aldehydes, the ones that sting your nose and give you an instant high. It smells like hairspray in the best possible way, so if you dislike them, stay away. If you love them, like I do, this is heaven! There’s a beautiful tarry quality that further enhances them. Imagine hairspraying a vial of poppers and sniffing. Stunning! The current one has 0 tar, 0 metallic effect. It’s plain aldehydes with a hint of peach. C14 aldehyde? It will still scare those who loathe them even though the impact is muted compared to the original. The heart is where the similarities intensify; geranium, Iris, a very French floral bouquet of rose and jasmine, that feels like a finely milled bar of white soap. Blindingly white, in a marble bathroom. Stark and cold, silver bathroom fittings. Vintage has them in spades along a ray of light in the form of lemon and LOTV. Current one dials them down, adds more peach and citrus and feels like a minimalist version. But as a whole, the feel and smell isn’t all that different. Now the drydown, that’s where you find all the good and heavy stuff. In the vintage. Oakmoss galore, vetiver, all smoothed by amber and musk. The new one relies on vetiver mostly, with tonka bean adding a slight fougère effect. Drier, less oakmossy (it still has treemoss), more powdery. Less green, more grey. The vintage feels more herbal, more full, the oakmoss really shines. The Iris still rocks in a sublime way, the feel is of smoothing body powder on heated skin. Cooling. With both versions, I get all day longevity and strong sillage. While the new is different, and years of restrictions and reformulations have taken its toll, it’s still very much itself. The controversial aspects have been eliminated or toned down, but it’s a miracle it’s been kept so ‘vintage’ smelling. Fresh, cold (while I never thought of Chanel n°19 as an ice queen, Rive Gauche is definitely a cold hearted one), powdery, green. It just happens that the 1970’s version gets me high in a way the current one does not. Silver hairspray poppers! Current? Big like. Vintage? Absolute love!
