Somewhat against my better judgement while browsing other fragrances, I allowed myself to be accosted by a Bond representative. She was very nice but had an obvious and quite overbearing bias toward the brand. In a department store, despite the brand they represent an assistant should be just that, and assist you. I wouldn't have minded so much but she used the usual, slightly disingenuous patter. However, she soon realised I was familiar with the Bond line and to me they are slightly old news. I understand the enthusiasm as Bond used to be exclusive to one store in London, now they have broadened out so everyone is keen to promote them as a 'new' brand. Anyway, I was trying stuff from other houses and evidently wasn't impressed with the 'normal' sufficiently high priced Bonds so was diverted (arm up my back, almost) to the even more expensive Dubai collection! Ruby was okay but not really anything I hadn't smelled before but... Indigo? Indigo definitely was. The opening is like a wonderfully exotic, fruity lychee note. The whole experience is basically a clean white musk, sweet jasmine with lovely fruity notes that are kinda peach like but not at all cheap. I think it's the juiciness of that lychee which remains for hours. You can tell there's a middle eastern base of oud and amber, it's very slight and subtle but extremely high quality and lasts very well. I want to say Indigo is a touch feminine to start off but actually as it dries down isn't overtly so. I really like this and have to say that as far as bringing something slightly different to the arena, Indigo delivers the goods. Some may consider this pricey for what it is and I'd have to agree but on a day when I tried a 50ml at over £500 this was a bargain by comparison.
Okay so let's set the record straight and echo the review below. I cannot understand the number of negative reviews for this perfume either? Mr Burberry was not something I had anticipated as being any good, partly because it's Burberry, a dire house with only London (for Men) being remotely interesting (but still flawed) and the female version released last year was awful, cheap smelling, crap. Nevertheless, I will always give a fragrance the benefit of the doubt and never has one been more deserving. I'm not just blindly worshiping Francis Kurkdjian either because he's made many scents I'm not keen on but I can't say this is one of them. So what does Mr Burberry smell like? Well, extremely clean, linear and soapy almost to a clinical degree which will immediately put some off. I was even dreading trying this on my skin because I could smell it on the outside of the paper pouch my samples came in and I thought..."Oh no...this smells so unbearably soapy, generic, boring.." but when applied to my skin the composition becomes obvious, clearly focused and much better than I had anticipated. You get an opening blast of grapefruit immediately followed my a soapy cardamom, cedar woods and maybe a few greener hints of vetiver. The main player in this fragrance and the thing that lights up this composition for me is the nutmeg note which you get once it settles after a minute or so. The drydown is clean, clean, clean all the way though but not lacking warmth. This scent should be bad, poorly executed and much like many other cardamom based monstrosities of modern perfumery but something about Mr Burberry carries itself with dignity. It's kinda reminiscent of that Prada (Daniella Roche Andrier) vibe of being fresh, clean and smelling like very lightly scented soap, without being boring or cliche. I think this is a great little minimal fragrance from Burberry and doesn't deserve the harsh critique certainly in the light of recent releases. There's something naturalistic here and carefully considered rather than a poor conceived fragrance put out for the sake of it. Mr Burberry is not without it's problems, I mean initially I thought it would last quite well but on a heavy hot day, plus being active, I found that I stopped detecting it after several hours, which I'd say makes it average rather than poor. All told Mr Burberry is good and I would wear it.
I will just say this is my favourite looking Amouage bottle in the amazing purple colour. I'm not at all surprised that Myths is dividing opinion because it's very much in the brave and spicy realm of Amouage releases. I'm kinda glad they aren't compromising to accommodate the larger audience they have gained through increased popularity. I felt that maybe Sunshine had marked a move in that direction but no they can still drop the incense and spices with the best iof them. The opening of Myths is a strong one and had me wowed in the same way Interlude or Journey did, something with that kind of complexity. The main element that I think will either entice or repel will be the burnt smokey aspect. It's interesting that the notes say 'ash' because it's not smokey, it's an ultra ultra dry (aridly so) and kinda stale, long burned smell which also ties into a kind of 'old library' book amber. I've no doubt there's resin in here but manifests itself very strangely indeed, It's not a typical elemi anyway and that's what is listed. I'm still not one hundred percent on board here's how the wear went for me... I like the boldness of the opening but I'm still not sure? I'm not sure I like this? No....I don't like at all. Oh hang on actually it's revealing some interesting notes. Nah...I hate it again. In the drydown Myths gets better and better to be fair the mixture of a leathery and sweet iris/orris root notes settle nicely on the skin and any curious spice or ash smells fade into the background. Speaking on that the orris actaully complements the ashy dryness incredibly well for the record, it's just a bit overbearing at the beginning. Truth is if I have to wait until a fragrance is nearly gone to appreciate it I just don't think it's for me. A very intriguing creation and I will definitely be sampling it again for sure because I'm still not sure what I make of it. Rest assured though this is more of a fragrance for enthusiasts than the casual fan and good on Amouage for not compromising integrity, because I suspect Myths will be another 'Fate' Man...nit easily accessible.
So here's the thing... Ultime is generic rubbish, it really is. Yeah, sure it's not awful smelling just boring and has to be one of my least favourite of the L'Homme's and that's saying something. To top it all though it doesn't even perform, at least you'd think maybe the aroma chemical harshness would somehow stick around in that irritating modern way but you don't even get that. Yeah there's a citrus opening coupled with a hint of fresh ginger and then a soapy cardamom but there's nothing artistic or naturalistic about the composition, no love in there. I would site the recent release Mr Burberry as the opposite of this but with all the same elements the crucial difference being, some care was taken over the composition. Ultime is the perfect example of a fragrance made by committee and if you're going to release yet another flanker why not have it stand out some. It was interesting that the YSL SA wasn't trying to push this at all immediately stating that her favourite of the line was the original...well I'm with you there love.
Okay, so having tried L'incendiare last year and having been disappointed, I wasn't even sure this Gold collection had been released. This is the only one I have sampled and I have to start with the positives. To me the quality is evident, it's a rich and complex smelling perfume but I'm afraid that is where the positivity ends. The main issue I have with this is price but we'll get on to that in a moment. The composition is just strange, the opening smells like a sharp, resinous brew of amber and spices, which has some odd floral tones peaking through, on a bed of sandalwood and milky vanilla. I would definitely revisit this fragrance because it peaked my interest but for a fragrance with so many elements I usually like something was strangely 'off', unnerving and almost creepy about L'Haleine des Dieux. From this first sampling I can't say I particularly like it. Then there's the price! Serge Lutens while not being the cheapest fragrances are very well priced for the 50mls you get. This Gold collection has my jaw hitting the floor and this one in particular is the most expensive at a whopping...£535 for 50mls!!!! Serge my man... you are taking the piss! I don't care if you milked a rare orchid on a remote cliff top, or it contains angel hair, baby's breath, unicorn jizz...whatever? The price is a rip off and I'm someone who has and does buy niche fragrances but enough is enough!
This is a wonderfully complex and perfectly well executed perfume. I get a Musky civet with rose, saffron, sandalwood and lots of other lovely, luxurious things. I even get a hint of the sweet, synthetic oud, that Bond signature scent creeping in, as I do with many scents from this house. However, I'm not detecting anything which sets this one apart from loads of other decent, high end fragrances. The bottle is cool, granted but I still think the price is high, even for me. I'll pass...but I'm not dissing the juice it smells great.
Tony nails the review here I think. I was a little gutted this was another Aventus type scent because Atelier have some really good offerings in the main. It's not a clone though and is slightly classier after quite a loud intro you do get an emerging blackcurrant & fig smell as apposed to the pineapple and hint of masculine tones (maybe clary sage?) in the opening. Again reaching the same conclusion as Tony this is a pretty pointless fragrance, it's good quality but doesn't have the balls of Aventus or even clones. I hate to nay say because loads of fragrances smell similar and that doesn't render them obsolete. However the Aventus trend does tend to be a popular one at the moment, I can forgive Royal vintage but sadly not these latecomers.
I bought this on the spot after considering many others and finally deciding to get this pretty much on a whim after Selfie was the last one I sampled. I've gotta say I love it! Ridiculous name and the fact there's a mirror on the box can be forgiven because it's such a rich experience. Selfie really is incredibly boozy, the opening is like a mixture between sweet sherry and spiced rum, it has the warming qualities of spices & mixed fruits. It then becomes very heavy with a honey/maple vibe of angelica which despite the obvious gourmand feel, actually serves to make it a little darker and more grown up. It dries down to a deeply resinous benzoin/styrax, I even get Labdanum too, anyway a warm but unsettling base that's a bit dry and leathery. It has some of the qualities of Marquis de Sade but no where near as serious and leathered. The problem I have with many of these Olfactive studios fragrances is that I haven't come across one with serious staying power yet! Unfortunately Selfie is no different but dries down to a lovely warm skin scent and if the performance was that much of an issue for me I probably wouldn't have bought it. Selfie is Superb for me but obviously not to everyone's tastes judging by the votes on here.
I had a feeling I would like this after hearing positive things but make no mistake it's pretty cheap and pretty nasty. The opening is a nostril stinging affair of deep peppery and pungently fruity notes, I'd say it's a kinda on the exotic side without smelling like a particular fruit. As it dries down there's definitely violet there but it's not your usual, aloof smelling or powdery violet it (maybe coupled with lime?) starts to create a synthetic sweetie (candy) vibe and actual reminds me of something from my childhood which was extreme bad for my teeth no doubt. This fragrance goes on in a hideously strong cloud of aroma chemical, messiness but actually turns out to be quite weak in terms of projection and longevity, So it's quite deceiving really. Another thing I'd mention is that 212 VIP Wild party smells quite bad on the card or test strip but really comes into it's own on my skin. The transformation and drydown are a wonderful, deeply woody smell coupled with that initial fruitiness. (which I kind liked anyway despite the negative tone of this review) I want to say this fragrance is another stupid, trying to be sexy/intense (or whatever?) flanker but the truth is, It actually has qualities I quite like. I'm not one to be sold on a bottle either but this is great and really weighty too. It has a magnetic cap and a cool scaly finish which kinda makes it look like a dragon dildo! Which is pretty gnarly. I'm not sure this stands up when compared to 212 VIP or Sexy both of which I like and have a much more nuanced composition and better longevity etc... However, something is drawing me to this fragrance as it smells better when dried down (albeit doesn't last very long) and the muddled exotic fruit mess that it is somehow, strongly appeals to me. I will probably buy it but I don't really rate or recommend it to others as a good fragrance. The fact it has only just come out and is in the bargain bin already says it all , so it's bad but I love it. :)
I'm not even going into the notes, it's not for me. OTBE smells insipid and harsh in the opening, drying down to something bearable after an hour or two but still pretty cheap and awful. I'm sure it will sell but it's not even as good as the original or that army camo one they brought out last year. Not good.
After being told I 'Had' to try this by a friend of mine who is a SA for Thierry Mugler who's boyfriend is a big fragrance fan and was going crazy about how good this one was. Anyway, she marched me over to the TF counter proclaiming how much I would love the addition of leather base notes to the Neroli portofino formula, something which I was open to of course. I have to say although my nose couldn't detect the leather in the opening it is somewhat different to NP. Forte has a very nice and long lasting, high quality citrus opening then a more subdued and less overtly floral neroli. Make no mistake though neroli is well and truly at the heart of this fragrance and coupled with bergamot, I can't think of a much more of a glorious, clean, sunmmmery combination. So I waited and waited and waited for the leather to appear, this just speaks to how good the quality is as it lasts well. Sure enough after several hours a very buttery, woody, leather smell was very close to my skin. I had feared that it might be another cuir canage (something I'm not a fan of) but the neroli has all but died away by then and the 'leather' is very much it's own entity. I think if you're expecting a truly pungent or sweet leather then you'll be disappointed. However if you want a tweaked (for the better) formula of fresh Neroli portofino and something a little warmer then this is decent. I don't know how much it is? Tom Ford price structure confuses me slightly but I think this one is more than NP? (I might be wrong) I actually really enjoyed wearing it, more than the original so I can't call it really...I won't be buying but it's worth checking out for sure.
This fragrance is absolutely superb. When I see notes in designer perfumes like Issey Nuit, BdC etc which are allegedly incense heavy... I just don't get it. Incense is a very broad term so I often forgive that but if ever a designer scent was to claim to be based in incense, it's Anonimo. Opening with pink pepper and spices, It's got the uplifting fresh edge of olibanum but with the smokey deeper tones of myrrh or labdanum. The main thing is the clove/cinnamon smell which runs through this whole creation and is more than a discrete nod to the original. I kinda struggle with the original 7, I have 7 Natural which I love but could never quite bring myself to embrace the original because of the heavy clove note. I can see a leathery base to this for sure perhaps with some vetiver but whatever is going on the drydown is very nice. So all in all Anonimo is a decent, fairly well performing and not astronomically expensive incense fragrance that true fragrance fans will love. A really excellent flanker from Loewe, a house I really like...I'm going to this for sure.
I never thought I'd like another Le Male again. This is either through not trying them because they are just the original formula in a new bottle. Alternatively, the whole appeal of Le Male flankers just being lost on me or even if it is the original, the new formulations are worse than what I remember from the 90's having been thoroughly put off by over use. I don't have anything against Le Male, I kinda like the smell on other people it just goes sour when it dries down on my skin. Popeye eau fraiche is somehow different? Maybe it's the ambroxan but I get an overall much more comforting and sweet smelling vanilla with a hint of tonka and some fresher notes in the opening. Popeye is now on clearance sale in the UK and I'm tempted to pick up a bottle. Update: Right I'm wearing this now and it does open with a aldehyde and aquatic vibe, crossed with classic le male and then a sweet, bubblegum/banana medicine thing...a la Ultra male. It's weird to me that a mixture of abroxan, salty aquatic, milky le male fougere and insipid sweetness actually works. The drydown is pleasant any stronger or more projecting and I think it could cross the line into cloying. The key here is balance, it's as simple as that. I stick to my initial thoughts I like it and I genuinely like Popeye as well so it's a winner.
I've never been sure of what to make of this fragrance and I've been aware of it since it's release, I think it's simply because it's so slight. If you spray this on a card you can barely smell it and similar to it's name, on skin it becomes a very subtle skin scent. The opening is a bright smelling lemon & lime citrus and oriental woods, which lends itself to an almost Japanese incense type of feel, modern and synthetic. The main component for me is the juniper which gives this a refreshing G'n'T effect on a bed of cedar & musk. The overall feel is very airy and translucent and I kinda think Ted Baker represents 'fresh' in skinwear better than most. I actually have tried this on many occasions over the years, originally liking it, then forgetting about it, then trying it again recently and thinking it was awful. However, upon revisiting again I've flip-flopped yet again and don't think it's too bad, especially considering current releases and fragrance trends this seems like a 90's throw back. Oh yeah longevity is poor but you could do worse than reaching for this on a very hot day.
I've had more thoughts on this fragrance and I think I might add it to my wardrobe. Something about it's cheery, lightweight nature that completely epitomizies the 1990's and I'm quite nostalgic about that decade. I also finally get the Mark Birley comparisons and I'd even go more specific and say Skinwear smells a great deal like elemi resin. Do you know why I've had this revelation? Because I over sprayed like a man possessed and I think it's essential to do so in order for me to get this fragrance on any level. Now I do.
Just when I think I'm too sensible to blind buy anymore, I end up doing it. I guess it's the thrill of getting it right outweighing the disappointment of getting it wrong. I have a soft spot for Dunhill anyway, I'm not sure why because they don't have a single standout fragrance in their rather average selection. However, one thing they do have is a mild dignity which affords them a degree of leniency I don't give to other houses. Pursuit is elevated slightly above generic slop by having likable and wearable qualities, a lovely opening and a great looking bottle. This is the kind of 'meh' fragrance that I CAN be doing with because it's almost like they aren't trying to compete on the same playing field as the Gucci's and Versaces of this world, quietly releasing and discontinuing average, inoffensive stuff and somehow that's alright with me. The opening has some lovely bitter qualities of yuzu and citrus fruits which then quickly opens into a warmer balsamic/amber base. It's a slightly boozy, sweet mid and a woody base which could perhaps be attributed to cedar & sandalwood...maybe? The point is I pulled it out of a bargain bin, had no opportunity to try it and yet still bought it and luckily it paid off. I like it, I will wear it but is it a good fragrance??? Not really. There's still something lacking and cheap about it with the staying power very limited 2hrs tops.
I was hoping this would restore some much needed pride to the Polo line because to be perfectly honest only the original (Green) is a classic fragrance, the rest are very poor generally with only black (at a push) and double black being to my tastes. Finally tried this and it makes me wonder what some of the other reviewers here were expecting from a Ralph Lauren Polo oud? Of course you're not going to the get the most nuanced oud around, you're probably going to get something in the 'designer oud' tradition. ie: Well meaning and pleasant but missing the point slightly and that's what I think we have here. I have to disagree with many here and say that I do detect oud especially in the opening, which to me wasn't too intrusive but I can understand why some wouldn't enjoy it. This is not to say that I don't like Polo Supreme Oud because I actually really do. It has a resinous quality and a slightly tart sweetness coupled with Guiaic wood and cinnamon which make it interesting in my book. As it has dried down it actually reminds of the recent release Floriental from CDG and even some other incense perfumes. It will stand up (and out) against the likes of Oud Noir, Wonderoud, Boss Oud, really bringing something of it's own to the table. I've got to say I enjoyed this one and the lasting power wasn't bad at all. I think the subtlety of dying back to a skin scent after a few hours is not necessarily a negative thing. If this was heavily reduced in price I would consider buying because I definitely enjoyed wearing it.
A fascinating fragrance for Tom ford to add to their repertoire and not really what I was expecting at all. I thought it would be much more floral and it is to an extent in the opening but Soleil blanc is a really balanced affair not cloying or announcing itself obnoxiously but gently humming away. Please don't think for a minute that I mean this is 'weak' because it isn't and the staying power is extremely good...like 24h good. The opening is a translucent mixture of exotic floral and powdery vanilla like notes with even some of that pistachio in there which seems to be a favourite of TF's recently. It's a gourmand affair with coconut and a definite seaside vibe but never tipping over into an outright suntan lotion. Okay so I really like Soleil blanc then, and it's strange because I thought the opening was a little feminine for my tastes but then it seemed to charm me and win me over in the gloriously long and enjoyable drydown. The SA did say to me she wore it on holiday and was forever getting complimented even after many hours of wearing and I can believe it. I've smelled almost similar scents before but few with the quality of this one, I'm a fan.
Powdered white musk and rose with a light airy feel in the opening. The juice is pink and the flavour is overall very feminine and not particularly innovative but nonetheless the quality and longevity are there. La Colle noire isn't cloying or ultra 'in your face' it died back to a pleasantly warm drydown of creamy, sandalwood and roses with maybe even a touch of vanilla? This is a sweet easy going fragrance, which perhaps experts in the more feminine side of things will think knocks spots off other similar fragrances but I wasn't convinced. I actually quite liked it but I wouldn't wear or purchase it myself.
This fragrance is superb, an oud out of the very top draw and surprising coming from Molton Brown a brand name with about as much appeal as a violent gastric complaint! Joking aside, I actually swear by the shower gels from MB and at the moment they have some really nice ones like Tobacco absolute. Oudh accord & Gold is brilliant, it starts out like a very luxurious and sweet, creamy oud very much in the tradition of middle eastern perfumery, with some nice spicing. The mid of this fragrance when settled is less sweet and much dryer and more tobacco dominated. The smokey touches remind me of Rasasi Tobacco Blaze, a fragrance I'm not too keen on. However, without the apricot yogurt and ashtray vibe of TB I can forgive it. Luckily Oudh accord & Gold has a third stage and oh what a wonderful drydown it is. I don't say this lightly but it might be one of the best. It's a subtle dreamy, woods which are heavenly and non of that dry tobacco smoke it's more like saffron, resins and oud. It's not cloying or overly sweet either very understated but performs extremely well, I've got to say this is a really incredible fragrance and I picked it up at a MB discount store for a reasonable price considering the quality. I'm happy to add this to my collection and coupled with the shower gel (which has Gold flakes in) I'm sure will combine to make an even more positive experience.
Okay so in terms of the Luna Rossa line this is the least like the others but subsequently the most like many other fragrances out there. So it's 'generic' then? Well...no. I'd say more like 'mildly derivative' because Eau sport does have it's good points. It manages to be truly fresh and lightweight but still had pretty good performance. I think if it hadn't have been light I'd have had a problem with it. The opening is what contains the most of the Luna Rossa original or Sport vibes for me a kind of salty, citrus with a hint of lavender but crucially no white floral or mint. (second time I tried it and you do get mint) Then as it settles it really relaxes into a sweeter fruity, bergamot maybe with a hint of ginger which smells very familiar. I actually thought it smelled like Toy by Moschino which has a very nice citrus vibe which comes across very real. The base of this fragrance is a white musk and hint of ambroxan which I like and serves to propel the citrus and make it long lasting. Ambergris in eau sport would account for the apparent slightly, sea breeze vibes & saltiness you get from Creed citrus fragrances which also apparently contain ambergris. All in all I've smelled it before and even though I'm challenged somewhat by Luna Rossa and Sport (not counting Extreme which is more of an oriental) because they are interesting but this is just a bit of a departure. I think the over all smell is nice and the quality is there, for example I compared it to Toy earlier which I think is much cheaper smelling if I'm honest. Another thing I like about this is that it's not intrusive, it's not weak but it doesn't cloy or catch the back of your throat. Eau Sport would be welcome relief compared to some other designer releases that young men insist on dousing themselves in for a night out. Not bad stuff but not as well conceived as the Original Luna Rossa. Update: Having tried this again I'd say it's a nice bergamot, citrus woody mixed with minty lavender. A perfect mixture of the classic 'blue' aquatic fragrances like Azzaro Chrome given as a smells like suggestion and works just fine, with the signature salty, minty, lavender of the original Luna Rossa.
Just a second quickie review here due to the fact I purchased this scent after Christmas when the gift sets are sold off cheap. Wearing this today I'm actually becoming more of a fan, Eau Sport is extremely fresh without being overly brash or intrusive. Fragrantica doesn't state the nose but as far as I know Andrier and Prada haven't parted company so I suspect it's her work and frankly it screams her clean, classy style. It does have elements of the modern which I smell everywhere but Eau Sport is so much more reserved that it allows you to enjoy the experience, without being bombarded.
I'm not a fan of the MAN line at all the original and Extreme are not to my tastes and although I did like Man in Black, never found it compelling enough to add to my collection. Strangely, I do kinda like this one, it's a wearable scent. Black cologne is sort of an emalgumation of the two ideas, warm, amber like oriental and fresh, spicy, citrus with even a hint of salty, aquatic qualities. I was concerned about how the white florals would feature in this fragrance alongside amber but in truth although present isn't really typical smelling. This is a surprisingly spicy fragrance, the base is deep and warm and the citrus top notes last quite a while, it's good and the performance is okay too.
This is what happens when you throw a load of aroma chemicals together, expecting some sort of accidental alchemy but instead arrive at a really mundane mess. I don't hate the smell and to be honest I was fooled by the likes of Invictus (and maybe even Eros) first time around because at least there wasn't much out there that smelled like it....at the time that was. Now this seems to be a tried and tested formula. One thing I can say for Wanted is that on closer inspection, it does have a focus of lemon and ginger which again is popular at the moment but the main show is the vaguely warm, woody, salty and overridingly synthetic Invictus/Eros vibe of clary sage and some soapy cardamom. I don't think it's nuanced or original but I kinda except that this is the way things are now. Will people buy it? Yes! Oversprayed on club goers on a Saturday night, will it be cloying and make you gag? Sure! Will it have insane longevity? Well I've only just applied it but I suspect it will be another Invictus in that regard. Also just to note as I was sampling it a lady (possibly late 60's early 70's came over to me and said "You know what will happen if you buy that don't you?" No do tell..."you'll be irresistible to women, you'll have them cueing." She said, obviously a fan. Oh and just to comment on the bottle. It's hideous and ridiculous and seeing as we are comparing it with Invictus I honestly don't know which is worse? If I had to decide I'd say Wanted as the revolver barrel is poorly conceived and executed. I'm not convinced by Muglers reimagining of the Azzaro perfume brand...it's really nothing to get excited about. Update: As I predicted this perfume is persistent and quite unbelievably smells much better when dried down. It hasn't even changed in smell itself, just mellowed and low on the skin is pretty warm and is actually okay. I suspect I would think the same about loads of designer scents I purport not to enjoy. If you don't like 80% of the experience though that still counts as a thumbs down.
An interesting composition then from Penhaligon's and yet again they don't disappoint in bringing an interesting approach to a fragrance which could so easily have been boring or not to my taste. I actually walk my dog of an evening through the city centre and passed the Penhaligon's shop. To cut a long story short, the parade of shops it's on is not on street level and kind of enclosed and when they pump the scent out of the front door, it tends to linger a long time and as such I can still smell it strongly hours after the shop itself is closed. This residual smell of Luna had me intrigued as it smelled very masculine and not really in keeping with the notes I had seen. Now that I've sampled it I can confirm that this is the case but not indeed the whole story. Luna is much fresher with zingy top notes, citruses and dry juniper giving way to a metallic musk and rose. There's even a hint in here of Amouage Lyric man but Luna is much more bitter and that fir gives a masculine edge. This is in direct contrast with what I had perhaps thought that this fragrance would be about the night flowering, white floral jasmine (hence Luna) and lean more toward the feminine but in truth it's absolutely straight down the middle unisex. I should have known by know that Penhaligon's nearly always deliver a degree of complexity and sophistication to their compositions despite the obvious drawbacks of the brand ie: price, longevity issues, and the 'complexity I mentioned being that little bit too subtle for everyone to notice. The deep drydown is one of the musky, rose and florals just with the citrus and juniper died right back but in fairness this takes a long time, so as a fresh summery scent it works and lasts fairly well. (although I did put on quite a liberal application.) Maybe that ambergris is what is giving Luna an air of the luxurious? Again I'm not sure what it is but I like it.
It's bizarre. I tried to find this on the database the other week as I thought it was a new release and I could swear it was no where to be found...anyway it's popped up now and has been around a couple of years apparently. I actually thought this was an interestingly fresh approach, which still encapsulates all the characteristics of the original bottled, despite not really smelling like it. Must be the misty, musky fruitiness which gives it this quality? Unlimited has an opening of modern fruity pineapple note made popular by aventus and the like but then a cool minty smell evident almost immediately. This a cool fragrance but I still detect some warmth and even a touch of vanillin woods in the base. Problem is it doesn't last even as well as modern formulations of Boss bottled do and that's an issue for me. Otherwise, not a bad fragrance.
