I love being a fragrance nut and it’s because of days like this, you get so jaded by new releases that I let out a disappointed sigh at the mere sight of one, especially a flanker of a decent original which was only out last year. I truly enjoyed Horizon and got several samples on its release, solid stuff but didn’t quite compel me to buy, this intense version is a different story all together. Anyway...this stuff is really very good and no ruff edges or anything just a nice, wearable and well put together fragrance. Grapefruit in the opening is sharp and completely contrasting from a modern, masculine leather, herbal, woody type heart/base. It’s a different feel to the original in that this is without doubt an oriental fragrance but still has shades of the citrus/woody/ginger of horizon without just being an intense version. The difference with this and many new releases I end up liking is that I instantly felt a sense of knowing what Horizon Intense was going to deliver but it was still totally non typical. Performance was okay to good and I couldn’t ask for more really. I want a bottle. Bravo Davidoff for not ruining but building upon the legacy of the first fragrance.
This is quite simply a stunning perfume and another massive hit from the house of Robert Piguet. The opening is similar to many ultra woody, slightly dank but massively faceted oud creations and if that's what you think you're going to get, that would be just fine by the way. Okay so where's the delice part? You have to be patient to be rewarded especially with the deceptive opening, not expecting to be struck by a gorgeous gourmand nature. Resinous, sweet, earthy but delicate all the while, gets my vote for sure.
I'm such a sucker for a fruity little number like this, especially when it doesn't smell cheap and this smells a million bucks to me. Despite having no qualms about wearing anything I do have a threshold and I find Moonlight in Heaven wildly effeminate and would be impossible for me to wear. Incidentally My girlfriend thought it was boring but what does she know eh?...her judgement and taste are clearly flawed. ;) Anyway... The opening treats you to sharp grapefruit and a tropical cocktail of guava, mango running through it. It later mellows for me to a less exotic kind of mandarin but still lovely long lasting fruity top notes, that's what I'm getting at. It's not floral but I'd say there's jasmine or tiare flower or something in here just lifting the whole thing and a vanillary/woody/musk base...I'm sure there's more going on here because this is more than the sum of it's parts. This scent doesn't sound like much and I'm sure there's millions of similar scents out there but it spoke to me....Perhaps it's the pink pepper? (I do love the smell of that) it has a class and a light freshness but also a quality I enjoyed. I'd buy it for my significant other but I may have to exchange her first. :)
Acceptable, likeable, and perfectly serviceable aquatic fragrance. I suppose you could say this of any line but do BVLGARI really need to keep producing these AQVA flankers? I think they do it because this is a particularly iconic and cool bottle although that might be slightly cynical and to be fair there's far worse offenders to pick on. This has the seaweed and saltiness of the AQVA's with some modernity thrown into the mix to make a mildly derivative, 'blue' scent. I have to say the deepness of this particular hue is very nice (yes I'm not being figurative, literally the colour of the bottle). Not to mention, I'm the first to complain when flankers go too far off the reservation (see AQVA Amara) but when they are flogging a dead horse with this Ocean accord, I start to question why? In my opinion the original AQVA and the Marine one are excellent and among some of the best aquatics ever made, these flankers are the difficult albums following a seminal one. So I'm just saying give up BVLGARI? Well no but I'm sure there's new avenues to explore that's all. Just a thought....If BVLGARI do release more flankers and insist on retaining the sea vibe can I pitch a dark, brooding version, still salty and aquatic notes but really heavy woods or incense or something? The bottle fades from deep navy to virtually black and call it BVLGARI AQVA ABYSS (TM) (I want credit for this if there's any BVLGARI creatives prepared to nick this idea)
So fragrance flankers either go...1) Let's ramp up the originals ideas to 'eleventy stupid' (to quote Mark Kermode) and call it 'Intense' or 'Extreme' while actually squeezing the heart and soul out of the fragrance or effectively and inexplicably making it weaker! or....2) Let's give it fresher more aquatic type top notes or shoehorn in a modern fad from other popular releases (all of which are made by our parent company as well) diluting what made the original good. This is the latter. Fresh opening and all very nice just like someone added a little generic crap to what was an interesting but ultimately flawed original. I kinda quite like that you can still smell the orignal DNA but I'll pass on this effort.
I was sat in my friends tattoo shop yesterday listening to a couple of well groomed young lads discussing fragrance and specifically how many Creeds they owned. I decided not to chime in with my opinion, not least because the talked turned to this fragrance and I realised I hadn't tried it. Viking was something that was much anticipated and maybe all that pressure has amounted to an anticlimax...so I immediately went to find out. What Viking does deliver is a very strange and complex opening which sadly the rest of the fragrance doesn't live up to. The top notes to me smelled like a mixture of mango, sweet berries, licourice, mint, patchouli and saffron...EXACTLY! a mad combination. It had a quality of Versace Man (The discontinued purple bottle) or the Oud or even a bit of PHII but the main accord of this perfume soon prevailed, showing it's fangs and truly what this scent was about. That is...Aventus. A kind of fruity cocktail consisting of a kind of pina colada but with exotic mango or something, the refreshing ice lolly cleanness of many Creeds like millisime Imperial or Erolfa etc... but with an underlying and unsettling heft in the form of something a bit smoky and woody giving masculine purpose to what is an otherwise fruity/musk perfume. I think it's due to a note I love... pink pepper. It's usually quite a fleeting top note but was very interesting to see the composition using it so heavily and maybe the cause of all that confusion to start with? It's a bit like a desert which utilises the fragrant sweet heat of pin pepper to accent and cut through the fruit. The problem I have is that for all Aventus faults or people's taste just not being attuned to it. Aventus has something natural, raw and primal about that pinapple/birch tar combo. Viking feels more chemical and much more modern in the wake of recent popular releases in precisely the same way that the ladies version of Aventus did. An Aventus 2.0 then and Creed can charge what they want because people will inevitably buy this stuff for that reason. Performance was good but I had a sneaking suspicion it would be atomic but it wasn't. This is a muddled review but don't get it twisted....I didn't hate Viking, and will definitely be wearing it again to further flesh out my opinions, because it's kinda interesting and not a simple open and shut case. Incidentally one of lads in the shop concluded that despite owning millisime Imperial and Aventus he thought that £185 for 50mls was far too expensive for this perfume and I'm inclined to agree there.
If you are a love of white florals (which I'm not) this could be a fringe alternative to look at. For me the loudest shouting white flower in there was Orange blossom, closely followed by neroli and maybe some jasmine, because out of the lot I do quite like jasmine and that both sweetened and classed up the proceedings. Petitgrain and bergamot are the perfect top notes and persist well on top of the base but not a combination we've never seen before. Eight and Bob's expanding range of fragrances are all perfectly well and good but not a one to date has made me take notice. This is no exception and although white floral/citrus is almost the perfect universal unisex 'thing' you could imagine....I still find it more feminine leaning. Having said that my girlfriend hated this one.
I have to say I was completely blown away by this perfume and trying it several times makes me arrive at the same conclusion....Black Phantom is great. I wouldn't go as far to say it's a triumph or anything too gushy but what I like is that BP marries some good concepts in what could've been another massively over priced damp squib, like many others from Kilian. The thing is when he hits... he hits and the creativity in this one is akin to the ones I enjoy like Straight to heaven, Apple brandy, Back to Black (I don't like but I appreciate the originality) Incense Oud etc... The opening is immediately gourmand, gorgeously cocoa like, warm, sweet but also bitter, it's well balanced. Then there's a woody vetiver type vibe, smoky, evoking the colour grey and a charcoal like texture. The alcohol edge which is a By Kilian signature is definitely there and next to make an appearance before drying down to a sugary, coffee infused caramel and tonka a bit like tia maria or kahlua. The dirty vanilla drydown is soft but lasted very well on my skin in fairness. Okay so I don't know how much this perfume costs but I have bought Kilian's before and they ain't cheap. This is mainly due to the packaging and this one has a fancy box, so I'm thinking a lot. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt on the name and the perceived 'Darkness' which I actually thinks comes from the smoky wood and the rum element rather than the chocolate. I suppose chocolate can be dark as well so hey? What I like about Black Phantom is that it could so easily have been another boring gourmand, jumping on the Feve delicuese hype but what this and the Dior have in common is that you (or at least I) could smell the quality. You can smell literally smell the money. As much as I love Mugler AMen Tonka and can see the similarities this is a league up in terms of quality and for the money so it should be. I'm not talking strength or longevity here or snobbery just that Je ne sais quoi. This perfume has distinct phases too, the opening the heart and the drydown and I thought progressed well through each one. I enjoyed it but I'm not looking to add it to my wardrobe.
This fragrance surprised me greatly. I don’t dislike the others in this range but never found them compelling enough to purchase after trying fairly extensively. You’d be forgiven for thinking (as I did) when this opens that Extreme night is just another very crude attempt to try to copy the Dior Homme format. The opening note is a big powdery, leathery blast of orris root/iris (love it when I see the notes after saying orris root as opposed to iris And it’s listed in the notes!) However, as gorgeous and familiar as it is this accord is short lived, dying back almost as quickly as it came on. Then extreme night actually mutates into something unexpected and I think that was the best thing this fragrance could of done to ensure it won’t be forgotten....well by me anyway. Don’t get me wrong it’s still no DH but the remaining low buzz I can smell after eight hours is very close to the skin and very appealing. This fragrance undergoes a series of changes, constantly shifting throughout. You get the softness and sensual nature from vanilla and Tonka without them being overstated and making the name of this fragrance highly appropriate. Then there’s a floral hint, lifting this fragrance but never making it too feminine, although I suspect many women would enjoy and wear. Then there’s an underlying woodiness to the whole affair, grounding it nicely. I’m not sure how much of that was deliberate though. I’m in two minds as to whether this is a complex yet subdued take on the sexy night time fragrance or a mish mash of jumbled ideas and lukewarm concept...either way the end product is the same. Performance is not great longevity wise but a big problem is that extreme night doesn’t project, nor will it ever be a big impact scent, choosing instead to sit quietly on your skin where only the most intimate of guests will get to smell you. Its mostly gone after several hours and despite quite liking it, I couldn’t justify paying top whack but if it was very cheap in a bargain bucket I might have a punt. Probably not though.
Well, some might even say that this Ice flanker is an improvement on the originals broad themes and crowd pleasing, amorphous nature. Ice certainly has a cool opening blast of bitter citrus and maybe a touch of mint. It’s not minty but you get that impression, then a modern musk/cedar and some warmer powdery tones in the base but the heart of the fragrance is that bergamot, pepper and even slightly ginger like spice. The deep part of the drydown is my favourite though and Immediately reminscent of the very good summer fragrance Dior Homme Cologne. It’s actually more like DHC than it is like the original JImmy Choo Man. So Ice is not a bad outing and I can’t criticise but never it’s going to excite me all that much. The performance and silage were pretty good likely boosted by ambroxan something I can definitely still smell after 7 hours.
I'm not a big Azzaro Chrome guy, I have owned one of the flankers and on the whole they are good value for money, entry level aquatics. However, I'm not sure about these comparisons, especially to Brit Rhythm and my beloved Eau de Lacoste Blanc. I can sort of see how maybe, I suppose they are in the same style but Chrome Pure is better than Brit and not a patch on Blanc. Chrome Pure opens nicely enough with nice citrus notes and a sort lychee/melony lightness which is very nice, refreshing and all that. Then it's lightly floral, orange blossom is listed in the notes and I'll go along with that although it's not characteristically distinct, it is white floral in nature. There's a summery coolness about this and I'm trying it in winter so it's immediately not appropriate. The drydown is an aquatic/wood/musk, enjoyable but not earth shattering and the performance was okay to quiet. I'm being extra fair to it because I reckon it will be in bargain bins in no time and if you like it might be a nice little summer bargain for someone.
I’d given up slightly on Mont Blanc and especially these emblem flankers but I thought I’d give this one a wear as the other two had left me cold. I have to say this scent isn’t bad at all. The fruity open is slightly confused and has me thinking of all those 1 million rip off that came out after it’s success, chucking a load of sweet notes at an Amber, vanilla warm base and see what sticks. Emblem absolu is actually much more like Boss bottled though in that sense because when settled is more focused, delivering a pear note and true enough cardamom. The base to me is more sweet and ambery than vetiver but definitely some woods in there because it’s not overly sweet but definitely an oriental. I found the performance okay and this caught me in a good mood. I don’t dislike that pear note but it somehow puts me off fragrances giving them an inherent cheapness...maybe that’s just me. Despite this I’d wear it as it reminds me of a few good scents.
Quintessentially Poison! The richness, the darkness, the plummy liquor one finds in the vintage edt, here it is amplified by the animalic castoreum or civet, or both, to new heights. This is in perfume form (pardon my language) the best f**k you’ll get, leaving you wanting more and more. I always thought that the edt was enough, and god knows I have enough vintage bottles of it to last me until 2967, but an unexpected surprise came in the form of a cute little 15 ml Esprit and soon I was buying the only 50 ml Esprit that I could find on evilbay. Man this is a stunner. My only fear is running out, or worse, thinking the edt is not good enough. Dumb fears I know, but once you get the thick taste of it, everything else seems inferior. Luckily, the sillage is out of this world potent even when dabbed so I hope it will last long enough to probably outlive me. If the edt takes the plummiest and booziest tuberose to new heights, the Esprit introduces the heliotrope, which now sings clearly, the ambery resins that stick to skin like molasses, the fiery redhead bestie of Poison, miss carnation, and their pets, most likely a castor named Hulk and a civet named Priscila. If you thought the edt was suffocating enough, which I happen to love, the Esprit is the heavyweight champ. But the main difference is the 4K definition of notes. Every wearing is different but Poison takes its time to introduce every note to you, sometimes all at once and sometimes one by one. Here you can see the complexity and smell it, see how every note plays out to something greater that the sum, all the while with incredible finesse. Brutal strength, but elegance. I really feel the Esprit is the one every Poison worshipper should own, and at the same time the one that can really show what Poison is all about to anyone interested in this 1985 beauty. The spices never let the tuberose completely take over, while the honey and plums engulf it like the finest Bordeaux. For all it’s detractors, it’s overuse or abuse in the 80’s, there’s a person that adores her, and there’s no denying that there aren’t beauties like this made today. The quality is obvious in the fact that 30 years later, well cared bottles smell absolutely gorgeous, there are scents directly inspired by Poison (Loretta is one, Tubereuse Animale 3 is another) and even today it elicits strong feelings in people, even if said people are mostly perfumistas. Regular folks have left her behind, along the other beauties of the decade, closing the door to excess and welcoming minimalism. In this context, Poison wouldn’t make it, there’s too much in that deep purple-almost-black bottle that most would feel uncomfortable. I don’t believe in signature scents, but Poison Esprit is me. And if I’m ever remembered for my scent, I want to be the guy that reeked of Poison, and absolutely rocked it!
This is really interesting to me because without any preconceptions this fragrance vividly conveys the two most popularly voted notes, in abundance. (Mandarin orange and ginger) Refreshing in a sense, delivering something with a certain clarity and not the mess that most recent releases tend to be. Having said that... is L'Homme orignal or is it derivative and generic? Okay so it's generic. Reminded me very slightly of Davidoff Horizon, and that Vavartos one that looks like a wicker basket but more so of YSL L'Homme (not least because of the name) only somehow less inspired. Opening with a fresh citrus and I even detected the rhubarb listed in the note breakdown, it's a pleasant thing, which settles to a much more orangey smell quite quickly. It's squeaky clean in the main but I think a hint of dirt wouldn't of gone a miss and could've elevated this scent to higher heights. There's some musk in there and the aforementioned ginger as it dries down but that's it. To go on too much about this scent is giving it too much credit and perhaps grasping at complexity which simply isn't there. Not bad, but not good either. I should take the time to mention at this point that on the whole Lacoste fragrances are poor. Unusual then that one of the rare hits and probably my favourite designer fragrance of all time would be Eau de Lascoste Blanc, which is a heavenly smelling fragrance and a lesson in understatement. So excluding that one, in comparison to the rest of their abysmal repertoire this fragrance is alright by me. Lasting power is average to weak. That's about it folks.
Boucheron comes from the school of rich florientals, with a chypre backbone, all laced with animalic notes. It somehow follows Ysatis, released 4 years earlier, and as if anticipating the end of the 80’s powerhouses it tries to cram everything in a bottle. But it succeeds at not making a caricature and instead it delivers a beautiful fragrance that somehow is also a swan song to shoulder pads, big hair and bright frosted pink lipstick. My 1988 edt starts with a big spicy orange blossom that also turns honeyed and marries perfectly with the tuberose and ylang ylang to make a white flower cornucopia. It does not shy and turns the volume all the way up to let the flowers sing. A little carnation to spice up, some narcissus to prepare for the animalics ahead, resinous amber to sweeten everything; this is a sweet nectar through and through. But as the fragrance unfolds, the sweetness subsides to let the oriental notes show. There’s a nice hint of dark vanilla, sandalwood and resinous benzoin, and suddenly it feels more oriental than floral. But, the oakmoss backbone keeps everything ‘dry’ and more sophisticated. The civet shines in the vintage edt and adds dimension and sensuality to what otherwise could be a screechy floral. Sometimes Boucheron is too much, you can’t just put it on and go. It demands a certain attitude, a certain glamour. It feels too sophisticated to be casual. But it can also glamorize a simpler outfit, as long as the wearer has the personality to pull it off. I recently tested the version out there today, and my surprise was that it hasn’t been destroyed. Yes, the base, or better, lack of, is simple and turns to plain ambery musk without any of the interesting parts, but the fragrance remains bold and beautiful. Along the years it has had retouches but it somehow retains a big part of its character. Nowadays the edp is far more interesting, but if you happen upon a vintage edt, grab it; it puts many others to shame. And if you miss the old Ysatis, give Boucheron a try. Age has been kinder with it.
For me as a big frangipani-lover, I was curious to try this one. I paid much for a small sample...but well… This is how the fragrance speaks to me: There is a sharp synthetic note, maybe water hyacinth, and something that makes this scent unpleasant through all other notes. The Ylang-ylang is more dominant than the frangipani, you just got the idea of a frangipani behind anywhere in the background maybe, but not the full white creamy frangipanis which can be found in Bissoumine's Nuit de Iles for example. So far I am mostly disappointed by this perfume by Chantecaille and not sure if worth the high price. It is understandable, why some people might like it, as it's not bad, but for me as a highly sensitive person, there is just an unpleased aura around some notes, that make it overall not suitable for me. And after a short time wearing it, the Ylang-ylang is gone and there is just the sharp powdery note that is left on my skin. If you are in search of a nature realistic white frangipani scent, then this probably not for you, but it might resemble the pink frangipani or works different according to your chemistry.
Le Diable Rouge is one of the most beautiful and intense versions ever made of Hypnotic Poison; having the same strength as Poison esprit de parfum (Dior’s way of saying edp up until the release of this gem, when it became edp) here you can actually see the continuation of the original from 1985 into late 90’s territory. The original edt was a beauty on its own; deadly almond over a bed of sensual vanilla and an eye wink in the form of root beer. In the edp, Menardo ups the stakes by making an elixir of huge proportions. The bitter almond glows in full intensity, the vanilla is made ever more carnal with its animalic side heightened. The fruits, plum and apricot, have been stewed just a tad longer and provide the link with Poison, showcasing their perverse/preserve compote qualities. Tuberose, but mostly Jasmine, are very much present and far more noticeable than the edt, and there’s a silver metallic ray that cuts and runs through the fragrance. Lilly of The Valley? It has poisonous roots as well, so it fits perfectly. But the bitter almond is the star; it feels somehow 3D, in the same way the original commercial in a futuristic Ridley Scott city feels 3D. Black and red, sticky and oily, with musk and heliotrope galore to further enhance the almond, with vanilla that smells like the real thing and not some cheap ethylvanillin. This is as carnal and sexy as a quasi gourmand can get. Quasi because Hypnotic isn’t a gourmand, although it walks a fine line. It’s sweet without being sugary. It’s an oriental floral with more sweetness. And just when you think it might be too much, because it is, it shows you it’s an adult perfume. Mysterious, seductive, mesmerizing. This is the essence of the late 90’s! The current one doesn’t really compare. Yes, it maintains some of the beauty, but like most reformulations, where cost cutting is a key factor, and IFRA a second, the changes are most evident in the basenotes, or better yet lack of. The scent doesn’t hold up, it falls flat without a strong backbone to hold it. The top and middle feels fleeting and the white musk/vanilla washed ending doesn’t take long to arrive. Get vintage if possible to experience what Hypnotic really was(is). It doesn’t get better than this, and the tiny amount one needs will make it last for ages, whether edt or edp. Fun fact: it’s said that one of the rubies adorning the neck of the bottle is real, but only one bottle has it. Mine don’t look real but what do I know? The real gem is the liquid inside so consider me a very happy camper!
"And it is exactly how you don't expect it to be" That's the quote on Luckyscent and the leaflet that accompanies Naja; in a phrase it sums up the culmination of Vero's work and the spirit of Naja that hovers above skin. Forget about her previous releases, as beautiful as they are, forget about Habanita or Tabac Blond that are said to be the inspiration; here, Vero shows us her signature, the perfection of her skills, a gift to her customers and friends that feels like poison and it's cure, like a shaman performing a spell, like being in a trance and completely awake. In olfactory terms, Naja shares a slight resemblance to Rozy, but only slightly, and while completely different from her previous work, Naja has Vero Kern stamped all over. The opening is the most beautiful melon note in perfume history, with maybe Le Parfum de Therese a close second. In Naja, the melon acts like the breath of air that runs through the honeyed linden and tobacco. It is juicy in the most adult way, quenching and appetizing in the same way a slice of the fruit quenches a heated summer body. The osmanthous and linden interplay showing their honeyed/apricot side, and the tobacco adds a much needed dryness, surrounded by a glorious powdery musk. The musk isn’t dirty like Vero has given us before. Here it becomes skin like, with a certain violet/lilac tinge similar in a way to Mona’s Musc. I was hoping for some more leather but unfortunately there isn’t any, at least on my skin. In a way, Naja feels like a cold scent. Imagine sitting around a campfire, there is fresh tobacco everywhere and the leaves are being cured and dried so as to be rolled. A gentle breeze is carrying the heady sweetness of a nearby linden tree, while eating a slice of juicy melon and smelling the violet powder you applied earlier. Naja in a nutshell. I was expecting something different, darker and Naja came as a major surprise. It took me a while to get used to it, but just like the light after the dark and the sun after the night, Naja is a beauty that stands on its own and shows the immense talent Vero has! I couldn’t be more excited on what is to come. Excellent longevity with average sillage, hovering above skin for hours! My winner from what 2017 has brought us this far!
If we want to band about the word 'quality' to describe, strength, silage and performance then sure this scent is an average to below par fragrance, reminiscent of something from the lesser designers...I'm thinking Dunhill or Mont Blanc. However what these houses lack in finesse or following through on a fundamentally sound concept they make up for with a dash of originality and something which very nearly stands out and that's what this is. I'm not saying it's the most original or ground breaking scent because it certainly isn't but it's doing enough to satisfy me and that tells me it's not conforming to the recent tropes. The opening is great, immediately drawing me in with a bergamot, spiced cardamom sort of vibe but right away appealing. The drydown is warm and relatively masculine, woods and a hint of vanilla perhaps. The notes in this aren't all that clear but well constructed enough not to be that everyman crap we are used to seeing. I like CR7. I probably mentioned my bias as a Manchester United fan when reviewing Legacy but that was a good fragrance too. Love him or loathe him just like Beckham his scents are crowd pleasing and could be a god awful lot worse. Thumbs up!
Just like I said Scherrer 2 has survived in excellent form, I have to say Scherrer also has, just not that good. Credit is due where credit is due, but simply the color of a 1981 bottle, golden honey compared to emerald green today, tells something. And the nose test is the ultimate one. Whereas Scherrer today is a beautiful green 'chypre' (I say 'chypre' because what can be called a true chypre today? With all the limitations and although some brands try to do their best with what's available and permitted, a true chypre can't be made today like it used to 2 decades ago) the vintage one is a gorgeous leather chypre, in the vein of Bandit and Futur, and to some extent Cabochard/Azuree/Aramis. The above three are decidedly more butch, rougher, but Bandit in its vintage form had some glorious florals hidden beneath the surface; way way hidden, and Scherrer vintage boasts a huge galbanum, leather and civet note, with hidden florals just like Bandit. And that is what I mostly get; galbanum all the way in it's beautiful green bitterness, worn leather of a well made bag, an ambiguous floral heart to soften the edges, and a wallop of civet in the base that runs from the beginning to make Scherrer, ultimately, the Bandit of the 80's; powerful, a slap in the face big personality that feels so different from the orientals and florals of the day but so refreshing and revitalizing for the woman or man that wanted to take the big city by the balls. Always walking the line of ambiguity, it is masculine and feminine and everything in between. Perfect for anyone that loves a tough leather chypre with no sweetness at all and no excess frills, just good ol' oakmoss, galbanum, animalic leather and some flowers in the heart. Today, Scherrer is more of a green floral, that still feels dry, sparkling, but the galbanum feels absent, as well as the leather, and the animalic notes feel sharper. Huge sillage and longevity on both versions, with the original one feeling just a tad 'bigger' and warmer. Definitely give it a try, because Designer Parfums are really working magic with the brands they own, Patou included. If you love Futur especially, with the galbanum/oakmoss duo singing together, Scherrer is a sure bet!
Portuguese mandarin, Rose, Jasmine, Angelica, Tuberose, Violet leaf, Cinnamon, Bourbon vetiver, Mysore sandalwood, Myrrh, Cedar, Civet, Castoreum, Benzoin, Patchouli, Opoponax, Musk, Oakmoss. These are the notes that are listed on the carded sample I received along with my 1987 bottle. And it makes sense; I for one can't sense any pineapple and there's a distinct animalic feel that runs through the whole fragrance. There's an aldehyde feel in the opening, kind of like layering Coco and N° 5, but more oomph-y, more extravagant. Scherrer 2, for all its comparisons feels like a less strong Teatro Alla Scala, and like Coco edt. Sparkling, like a glass of bubbly, floral, but the deep kind of floral that feels demure, all in a gilded living room with wild animals running free. There's a deep boozy sensation just like in Fendi original, Teatro, that makes you feel numbed, a bit dizzy. They sure knew how to put you under their spell these bad babies. Opulent, glamorous, heavy florals, woody basenotes, heavy on musk that feels feral, with a nice fruity opening that is more preserve jam rather than lollipop. If you enjoy any of the above, Scherrer 2 is a hidden treasure that surprisingly has fared extremely well. My first bottle was a current Designer Parfums formula and now that I have one from the first years of release, I can honestly say it's almost the same. Save from some minor sharpness in the animalic notes of the current one, and a bit lighter sillage/longevity, I can't imagine how they managed to keep it smelling so true and 'vintage' in 2017. By far the best reformulation I have encountered, actually the only one. Get vintage if it's reasonably priced or you have a deep deep love of dirty musks, otherwise the current one is still great if you don't mind a sharper synthetic civet and castoreum.
This fragrance is more diabolical than the atomic bomb which laid waste to Issey Miyake's home town as a child....and I'm not being melodramatic. Is it any surprise then the review below is from a guy who took me to task about a review of a similarly awful scent some time ago? No it isn't. He clearly likes this kind of thing, whereas I find it abhorrent and offensive. I'm not getting at him for this, merely illustrating how tastes can vary in the most extreme of ways. I've been whining recently about generic, uncreative scents saturating the marketplace and you'd think I'd embrace something which evokes such a colourful response in either direction, for beeter or worse....well I don't! This stuff is horrific. Opens with a noxious cloud of salty, calone and a whole plethora of other messy, chemical crap. Yes it does have the same stuff going on as Invictus, Versace Eros (+ countless others) but makes those two seem the pinnacle of olfactory excellence in comparison. It's got that acrid, flyspray smell that would knock you sick but at least when you use thinners or some nasty glue there's a chance you might get a little high off it. No such luck here I'm afraid. I hate this fragrance I actually hate it. It might drydown really good or change or be nice on some people and I except that but I wouldn't even give it a chance to drydown. Oh...Did I mention I didn't like it?
Yes yes yes! I foolishly thought I'd get to try Fucking Fabulous but it's a fashion week exclusive or something, so I didn't. Oh well I wasn't even aware of this one so let's give it a try. Oud Minerale is not to my usual tastes from the opening, I have to admit that. It hits you with a salty, aquatic, ozone blast from the outset but instead of the usual revulsion, I was quite taken with this vibe. I appreciate the effort to try to evoke the sea, I mean who doesn't like the sea? but usually they go into horrid territory and Tom doesn't allow that to happen, keeping the mood friendly and non-intrusive at all times. The oud base is what holds it all together but the salty, seaweed and hint of pepper, keeps it natural and flowing...like the sea or water I suppose? So Having lavished Oud Minerale with praise I'd still say it's not something I would wear or add to my wardrobe but I could be convinced down the line if I wear it some more. What can be said for sure is that this is among the finest sea scents I've ever tried, if not the finest. It's clean and well executed like most TF products. Update: Now that it's been a few days, I was emptying the washing basket and oud minerale was clinging to the top I'd been wearing. It actually smells very clean and a great deal like ambroxan or even ambergris in it's dried down and remnant state.
I'm angry at this one. Firstly, how many more of these pieces of shit are we going to have to suffer through? I mean really... Even if the main players in the industry gave it a rest for a while and concentrated on sexy gourmand vanillas...oh yeah they already did that for a while back to the cycle of shameless, shapeless, awfulness. Secondly, this is a confusing one as I was expecting a little flanker subheading like...Givenchy Gentlemen...'Please'? (that's my pitch...or 'please stop'?) but no. This is a new imagining of Gentlemen, a fragrance I didn't think was all that great anyway but at least it was in the classic masculine mould. A shame because I didn't hate Intense or Chic but this is rubbish, sorry.
