I've been wanting to sample this one for a long time and I finally managed to find it in Belgium recently, as I've never seen it in the UK. Kiton Men is a combination of some of my favourite elements coming together to make quite an aloof fragrance. I say that because I find it to be a mixture of fresh fruit and musk with violets and a woody base. Chypre is a good description for sure and I think the composition is perfectly balanced to accommodate for lots of notes which come together well to create a memorable fragrance. So Kiton Men impressed me, very nearly to the point of purchase but not quite. I wish I'd have got my hands on this in the 90's because I would've definitely rocked it. Projection and longevity were average . Update: Just felt I needed to update this review after finally finding a store which stocks this in the UK, and having an opportunity to sample it more readily. It's a very classy affair and I still stick to much of what I said above, however I have neglected to mention the animal power of musk in the opening 20 mins or so. It works really well with that fruity pineapple note makes this fragrance more serious than your average playful fruity/citrus/musk.
This could be accused of being very linear... and quite honestly it is. Let's be fair though the quality of this is excellent, I'm not a white floral fan and this is far too feminine for my butch sensibilities (if that's not a contraction in terms?) but I have to say I love jasmine. Jasmine bomb then pretty much? Grand Bal isn't quite as sweet as some jasmine notes, could be that hint of ylang and sandalwood but more likely it's accurately floral and delivers all aspects of the jasmine spectrum, sweet, powdery, waxy even a little dirty? You know what though? I still like it! This Dior line doesn't have to hit the mark with amazing creations each time because enough of them are superb, original compositions to carry a few fillers. This is for the lady who can afford it, and far from being an expert I'd suspect they're cheaper options that deliver in this department. Lasted very well on me and does what it sets out to.
I think this fragrance is supposed to be smooth but I find it quite a bracing one, especially to begin with. I don't find particularly soothing like lavender usually is but quite overbearingly floral especially in the opening it reminds me of the smell of hyacinths. It's kinda like a very WET lavender if that makes sense? It's a fresh bouquet complete with an almost bitter, waxy off putting edge. I can only put this down to the combination of iris and lavender. The drydown has hints of incense and definitely becomes woodier on my skin but still not to the point where I love it. It's a little bit too much like a 'room' scent for me but I don't hate it. There's a strange air of chanel type sophistication and something that alludes to more interesting themes without fully committing. I know my pal Plat likes this and I can see why but it's just not for me I'm afraid.
Pffft! Is all I've got to say about this one. Again...quite pleasant but I'm never going to in love with it. Warm amber and spices, vanilla, with the ginger from the original and maybe some cardamom? There's a soapier clean accord of the original Euphoria and that ginger in there, also a touch of D&G The One about it. Not a bad thing at all. These fragrances are just okay. Personally I like an oriental to be warm, sweet and full on but the extra dimention of freshness will appeal to some. I will say this for it...it has an interesting note in the opening 10-20 mins or so. I'm very weary of allowing the alcohol to evaporate before smelling a fragrance, spraying from a distance and allowing the scent to settle...etc. This has a strong boozy note in the opening, smells a great deal like whisky to me but is more than likely the honey in there. So....Euphoria gold is not a bad fragrance you could do worse. Performance was okay soft silage and average longevity again great looking bottle one of the better CK bottles in my opinion.
Euboria more like!!! This is quite a dull scent in terms of excitement, I had always thought this was a warm, sexy amber. It's a generally crowd pleasing light gingery/pepper/citrus top and vaguely ambery, woody drydown...nothing special. Performance was okay I suppose...and the bottle is very well presented if you like that sort of thing.
This has to be one of the least inspiring offerings from Cartier. I'm not a huge fan of the brand but I respect that their fragrances possess a degree of quality and focus. For example the bravery of a luminous rose scent for men or a cardamom heavy, spicy citrus but this is not what Edition Noire is about. It opens with light citrus which seems quite pleasing then the monotony begins. It's a accord of light amber and woods which doesn't inspire me at all. It's generic, fresh, reasonably enjoyable, wearable but without feeling cheap. (well maybe a little) certainly not the worst release in recent times. Yeah so a little bit boring I'm afraid, shame really because the original Pasha is a real favourite of mine. I don't know what's more disappointing? This fragrance... or the fact that I actually agree with Wes for a change?
I've always been a huge fan of 1881 from Cerruti, A fragrance which signifies a bygone era of 80's and 90's fragrances that have stood the test of time. Odd then that this one should pass me by, sure I was aware of it and I don't doubt I may have even tried it over the course of the last 17 years. The fact that I can't remember doesn't usually speak to the quality of a fragrance but worth an up to date review I thought. Now, every bargain bucket in the land carries this fragrance at the moment it would seem so you can pick it up for next to nothing...and is it worth it? Absolutely! I'd describe this as a vague take on an aromatic Fougere type fragrance despite the description here. I think it's a very two dimensional scent in that it has top notes of fruity pear/apple then something which to me resembles a gentle accord of lavender/vanilla and musk.(hence my Fougere description.) Now lavender and vanilla are not in the note breakdown and I suspect it's the creamy sandalwood/white musk combo which is giving that effect. When I say 'vanilla' it's not typically sweet but slightly herbal, I don't know what banana leaves smell like? They could be a factor here as this is very very slightly reminiscent of Amouage Reflection which on occasion has a faint banana smell to it. Generally Image is soapy fresh...a pleasant thing but somehow indistinct and wishy washy. Lasts very well indeed for such a slight fragrance I got several hours out of it and silage is very soft after the first hour. Image is decidedly bland and generic then but not in the way many modern fragrances are, awful synthetics, aquatic accords or 'phoned in' chemical warmth. Image ain't bad...but no matter how cheap it is, I'm going to be more selective.
Intimately Beckham is a really nice warm, oriental fragrance. How anyone bash this I've no idea? Sure you might resent the Beckham empire but the fragrances on the whole aren't half bad. Intimately certainly doesn't smell any 'cheaper' than other designer fragrances. Opens with refreshing citrus and nutmeg, star anise, then into a warm, synthetic amber accord and spices then a aromatic woody base. No where near as rough or spicy as Gucci PH I don't understand the comparisons, certainly don't think this is a knockoff. It's alright...performance is not that great but if you picked it up cheaply the few hours you get from it are pleasurable. Not one for collectors or fragrance heads but for someone who wants a cheap, nice smelling fragrance Intimately Beckham is fine.
This is a great little fragrance. I've said it once and I'll say it again The Beckham fragrances are not bad at all and it's funny that this one draws a parallel with Dunhill pursuit because I'd compare the whole DVB line to Dunhill. They are very nicely put together, don't tend to be overly synthetic compositions or chasing current fads, they just steadily release good wearble fragrances that are never going to spellbind anyone but give a good account of themselves. Intimately reminds of warm masculine sandalwood/amber/spiced scents like Tom Ford for men, Vera Wang, dunhill pursuit or Micheal Kors. Fresh & clean enough opening then a close, sensual drydown definitely a hit with me, loved it. I'll be looking out for it marked down in bargain buckets for sure.
A white floral scent which immediately evoked memories of a female friend of mine that I haven't seen in years. It's quite a specific mixture, namely the smell of her car when she used to pick me up. A combination of jasmine perfume, soapy, waxy hair products, a hint of stale spliff car seat and maybe a magic tree hanging from the rear view mirror? Reminiscing aside the main accord here is the combination of Tuberose and jasmine which is honestly intoxicating. It should be awful and not my cup of tea but the jasmine sweetens it up just enough to be likable. There's a hint of smoke and I do mean the tiniest amount could this be the illusive incense? I can see how a fresher smell of frankincense could be hiding in this composition but I would never describe Luci ed Ombre as having an 'incense' note. Well there's definitely tiny hints of something else here like the ginger perhaps? I really couldn't say because the overriding sense is powerfully floral, so powerful in fact the longevity is very good and the projection pronounced at first then dying down. The basenotes are much the same as the opening but it gets a little more soft, soapy and clean as it matures. Still I'm not one to label a perfume off hand but this just says feminine to me and not something I would choose to wear. No denying this is quality juice and I would recommend it to a lady that loves white florals but have to point out it's not the most exciting composition in the world. I'm sure there's similar quality perfumes cheaper and more interesting elsewhere.
After trying L for Men I was curious as to how this would compliment it so both myself and my girlfriend tried it in store. As you'd expect there's a very good quality rose and jasmine in here which is understated compared to the central theme of pepper. Starts out with an opening of black pepper then progresses to a fruitier, fresher, pink pepper vibe. There's a suggestion of smoke in here and greenness of vetiver and patchouli, I like it but more so on a female. A wonderful smell, great performance but it's up to you whether it's worth the money.
Diesel OTB How did I think this was ever going to be anything other than a cheap over sweet, chemical mess? Well I did, I was desperately hoping OTB Wild would be a good outing at long last and it nearly is. I think to label it an interpretation or modern take on fougere is going a bit far but that's kinda what this is. The thing that hits you right away is pungent and tropical fruity punch, which smells like a multitude of fruits from the sharpness of grapefruit to more exotic mango and coconut. My main gripe with these modern fragrances is that overbearing ozonic, salty aquatic element which make them cheaper and more dramatic. Starts out strong and projecting well then dies down but still with good longevity for what it's worth. This is because I'm stupid but I quite like the flacon design of the OTB line it's tacky but cute in a way and has lots of possible variations. What I like is the ergonomics...the hand fits well in your hand and I like the colours scheme on the particular design. I actually like this fragrance more than any of the others in this line so that makes it a success of sorts. Not good by any stretch but not awful.
Shanghai Lily is a lily centric version of YSL Nu (vintage), if you take out the orchid and jasmine and soften the spices. It seems that Tom Ford, apart from being the artistic director over at YSL when Nu was launched, always had a special spot for this particular fragrance. Enough to create an homage in his own line, which shares quite some DNA, but with his own touch. Nu in vintage edp is an incense-y spicy floriental, with a pronounced peppery-ness throughout its development. Shanghai Lily takes the central core of spices, blurs the edges with some animalic castoreum and labdanum, but instead of the intense jasmine of Nu, he adds one of my favorite white florals; lily. It's inevitable comparing both, but what I find fascinating about Shanghai is that at the same time it feels like a tropical spicy oriental. The headiness that can sometimes be a part of white florals is tampered by the spices and the woody notes, but is never overshadowed. It feels as if I'm wearing a true spicy oriental a la Opium on a tropical beach. It could go very wrong but on my skin is going everything but. The resemblance to Opium is also very noticeable, as was with Nu when it was launched, something that Ford made clear when he took the challenge of creating what he thought would be a pillar fragrance for YSL. Vintage Nu is gone. It's getting harder to find, and the new rendition is quite sweet and floral to be a true re-release, even though it smells really nice. If you were or are a fan, Shanghai Lily pays respect in a very realistic way, but adding the unique Tom Ford twist without succumbing to cliches; Lily! Sillage and longevity outstanding, 6 hours and counting! If it doesn't get discontinued, I think I have a candidate to replace Nu. And if you like true spicy floral orientals I urge you to give it a try. It works great now that it's slightly cooler and I guess in the heat it will just bloom. It also should smell amazing on anyone; woman, man or child. PS: It feels at times as a super spiced Lys 41. If you are familiar with it, add spices and amp the indolic nature of Lily and you have an approximation!
I honestly didn't even realise this was a new version of Spicebomb, I just thought it was a limited edition bottle or something. So I was excited to try it...then I kept forgetting to check it out and finally the otherday I remembered and made it a sampling priority. You know what? I'm really glad I did because Spicebomb eau fraishe is a really nice twist on the existing theme. I thought when I looked at the notes here we were dealing with a curious 'sport' type, anomalous fragrance which retained nothing of the original and might as well be a new scent in it's own right, as a flanker. However the Spicebomb accord is here, it just takes a moment to develop after lovely icy smooth citrus top notes. A stuning warm underbelly of sweet spices, tobacco, pink pepper, cinnamon and the like but on this calmer more subdued air of aquatics, vetiver and citrus. The modern tendency is to make fragrances 'extreme' or 'intense' I think V&R would have their work cut out doing that with Spicebomb. I'll be honest as much as I love the original after a few hours I find it sweet, cloying and a bit invasive but this fresh approach is precisely what it needs to calm everything down to a wearable hum. Good projection, longevity and all in all a good release.
This is a brilliant fragrance in my opinion. Quite linear and I'm not going to get carried away about it because it didn't wow me straight away. The opening is that of a beautifully soft oriental fragrance, being that the base is immediately obvious. It's a spicy, boozy, vanilla which is reminiscent of spiced rum so I get the cognac thing. This could've gone really wrong with the creaminess of the resins and vanilla but it's really wonderful. This is because of the benzoin, a major player in this fragrance and perhaps labdanum too which lend a balmy warmth and sharpness which compliment the warmth and sharpness of the booze with sweetness of vanilla. There is a hint of tobacco in there too very warm and elegant. Regardless of what you think about Roja Dove and the the price of the perfumes I have to admit the two I've tried have been excellent. Not earth shattering, not mind blowing but very good. Many people can't wait to bash this house over it's high prices and don't get me wrong I can't afford them. The price is an obvious factor and I have perfumes which I enjoy far more which are half or even a quarter of the price (maybe even 110 of the price!!!) but this is a luxury brand and that is what it trades under. Exclusivity, opulence, great packaging, the finest ingredients...so I don't complain about that stuff you know what you're trying. Is the price in proportion to how good the perfume is? Well if you believe so then good for you and if you don't even consider price then Roja Dove is probably the house for you anyway...as you obviously have a few quid! I like people with passion who talk about their products with enthusiasm and vigour and Roja comes across as someone who cares about fragrance, not just someone out to fleece the rich or stupid. Longevity and silage of Enigma are excellent but not at all loud. I love it and can't fault the smell.
Oh dear. The perfumer here has attempted to capture the essence of the brief, which could quite have easily been 'How can we ruin a nice jasmine note?' Well by surrounding it with totally uncomplimentary elements which instead of bringing out its inherent beauty just amplify the musky floral character and only hinting at its real nature. The way you do this is my enveloping it in a muggy, stagnant accord. I don't detect any rich or fresh tobacco at all. It's neither a full bodied, warm or even a smoky, cigarette tobacco, maybe perhaps the stale ashtray smell but that's it! Doesn't work for me at all this fragrance, I understand the juxtaposition and generally what ELdO fragrances are all about, some people may really enjoy it... I'm not convinced. I had my girlfriend try it on her skin and she concurred it was equally bad on her.
A very soft, elegant and beautiful fragrance. I've often thought how violets and iris are both powdery and similar but definitely distinguishable from one another. Iris ganache is where the line becomes blurred. The smell to me transforms from a characteristic iris (make up/pencil shavings) into a very powdery and delicate violet. This is only very subtle mind you it's not positively violet, more like an after thought. Anywway... The opening of Iris ganache is a rich creamy affair much like others in this collection expensive feminine vibes of iris/violet, chocolate, patchouli, vanilla and amber. The drydown becomes more amber and vanilla business it's a lovely thing. Lasts okay but is very mellow after the opening which is fine with me. It's not unwearable for a man but not exactly my first choice. IG is the last one I tried in the collection and I believe it's discontinued now but If you can get your hands on it ladies I'd recommend it.
This juice is a blast from the past and you don't see it very often these days. Although it would appear to smell the same I think it may have been reformulated because this modern version (I assume) that I tried recently had DIRE longevity...I mean abysmal! This juice is no joke either, starts out strong with a 80's vibe of classic aromatics but my preference lies here for sure over Aramis and the like. To me this has a fresh bergamot and very spicy top notes, a breeze of nutmeg and pepper, sandalwood, carnation etc... over a sensual and complex herbal, woody, musk. Changes quite a bit too, very multifaceted scent and highly masculine and enjoyable to wear. Then it was gone...I mean lasted a couple of hours sure...maybe the tester I tried was old and had degraded the juice slightly? I don't know? I'm aware Cacharel pour homme predates one of these but for me is more toward Versace L'Homme than Aramis in my opinion. Update: I was given a sample of this the otherday and I stick to my review here, the longevity is poor. The general smell of Homme is wonderful and I would definitely get it, if it performed better.
Ahhhh the sinner. To say I'm not a fan of Police fragrances in general is a bit of an understatement but never let it be said that I neglect my duties as an intrepid reviewer. So I took the bullet for you guys...you're welcome! Well, honestly it isn't that bad. Sure it's a generic, synthetic, aromachemical soup but it does have a degree of cohesion. Amber & spices is a bit of a tricky description because although that's (sort of) what you have here it translates more as a powdered, soapy affair for the majority, and this juice opens quite harshly and doesn't get better for an hour or so. When settled though it's a inoffensive, gently spiced ambroxan type vibe quite minimal and cheap. At it's best points very vaguely reminscent of Dior Higher and JHaG Anyway. Much later on into the drydown (several hours because longevity is very good) as it becomes a skin scent warms up to something quite passable. I don't find it provocative, dangerous or remotely sinful. I have to say the bottle looks pretty cool but when I saw it in the flesh it was a bit disappointing. So Sinner is pretty much the usual thing we are subjected to but I don't hate it.
Narciso plays with 2 major differences Vs. the original edt. First, it's completely different though instantly recognizable as a Narciso Rodriguez, and secondly it's a mainstream worth considering. The original and I never got along. Too sharp, very alcoholic, mostly anosmic to the musks used.. I know that on the right person it smells really good; I'm not that person. Enter Narciso. I've been looking for a daily perfume. Something substantial, with good longevity and sillage, but more discreet; something that I can use without worrying. Narciso on my skin it's a gorgeous creamy woody rose. The gardenia is not very prominent on me, except the creaminess which accentuates the rose. That I do get a lot of. It also smells like a luxurious bar of ivory cream soap. It doesn't smell alcoholic, and I'm not anosmic to the musk, which at the drydown is creamy and skin like. Never dryer sheets. Of course, it will never take the place of my MKK, Musc Tonkin, or Mona's Musc, but sometimes you just need a casual fragrance, a daily wear that's classy, smells good and will attract people. I find it unisex, as the woody base is quite prominent, but your mileage may vary. Try on skin and see how it works, you may be surprised. Especially if you like vintage-y scents, with which Narciso shares some DNA.
Let's face it not many 'Leather' fragrances actually smell like real leather. Some have leather notes which are fleeting or androgynous, changing all the while. Even some of the best that I'd class as brilliant leather scents like Tuscan leather smell as much like resins, fruit, class A drugs etc...as they do of leather. This is another type again...the type that doesn't smell of leather much at all. Now I got my sample of Royal English leather from 'The perfumed court' and I've heard horror stories that they sometimes label scents incorrectly and I'm thinking they may have done that here. My sample smells very similar to Tauer's Eau d'epices, the second I smelled it I knew that I was familiar with this scent but couldn't think what it was. I scanned my olfactory databanks and thought I'd never get it...took me about 20 mins to realise what it was. This is just from memory here... because unfortunately I've warn all my Tauer sample to do a direct comparison. I seem to recall the opening of the tauer to be more aggressive and sharper, also the drydown much more gradual...this feels a bit mellow in comparison but essentially they are the same thing. Cloves, orange, hint of white florals, ambergris and sandalwood...and probably much more. I really like the smell of this I have to say but I was expecting something monumental. I thought some of these lesser known Creed's might just be hidden gems, I hoped for a knockout leather but instead I got a very complex and interesting fragrance. Not that I think Andy Tauer copied this or anything but it still makes Eau d'epices seem less innovative to me now.
Well what do you know this is actually a great scent!!! I remember this coming out but I never bothered with. Moschino was just a brand that I sneered at for no specific reason, just maybe that it was all over the place at one time...I dunno? The opening is watery, kinda citrus and fruity but with a distinctly translucent feel of tomato or fig which I'm guessing is the kumquat??? This is all very well but you can sense there's a bit of spice behind it which comes to the forefront after about an hour. The heart of this fragrance is star anise and wow does it come on into the drydown, giving Forever a really really lovely oriental flavour. The drydown is a soft spicy musk. I have to say I love it...it's a really good fragrance and the performance is not bad at all. It's like something CDG would do, quite bold and modern but no too crazy and utterly wearable. So glad I picked up the tester from the bargain basement shelf...might even pick up a bottle too.
Rose cut is a very happy, luminous rose scent. I didn't know what to expect to be honest and I was really pleasantly surprised by this one, not as deep or darkly invasive as some high quality roses but not as throwaway and lightweight as others. It's quite unique as far as rose goes and has a wonderful boozy and fruity quality which is sweet and almost raspberry jam like which I really enjoyed and some gentle patchouli in the drydown. Nothing dominating anything else, bright and upbeat I have to say I loved it and couldn't stop smelling myself when wearing it. Don't get me wrong I found this too feminine for my tastes and couldn't pull it off myself, still the sample came in handy to give to my friend who loves rose. Ladies if you like roses you can't go wrong here.
A very sweet oud scent that I instantly recognized but wasn't quite sure why? A bizarre and complex mixture of fruity top notes, orris root hint of cinnamon, then loads of amber, vanilla, and an unmistakable but utterly lost Oud accord. Took me all of about 10 seconds to realize where I had smelled this one before...Scent story 24 Gold! Oh course it is and practically identical too. This is a touch more refined than 24 Gold in truth, and so it should be for the price. It doesn't cloy so much in the opening and is less Full blooded when you try them together. The drydown is more woody and the Oud save the king has a sandalwood throughout which 24 does too but this smells a little better quality to my nose. (again for the price it ought to be) Basically, the gist I'm getting at is this fragrance has more oud and sandalwood and less vanilla as it settles. However, 24 Gold has more notes and great performance and is remarkably cheap. Oud save the king performed very well as expected and has altogether less silage than 24 but still very good longevity, dying down and becoming more manageable. I love this smell, it's wonderful but if you like it save yourselves a few quid and get 24 Gold.
Well I find the original Bvlgari Man pretty average, in fact I'd go as far to say I don't like it so I was hoping this would be a total departure...and thankfully it is. I won't get too carried away though because Bvlgari Man in Black is not the dark, brooding juice the flacon would suggest...a notion I posited with the Sales assistant. "Not very dark or Black is it? slightly misleading wouldn't you say?" She just kinda looked at me blankly. Okay...moving on. Man in Black is just on the right side of interesting but quite feminine in that it has a soft, exotic opening which is slightly boozy, soft powdery suede and benzoin. It's a pleasant oriental fragrance, warm and well balanced with a tonka bean dry down. I've been critical of that in recent designer perfume releases but in the correct context it's good. A bit more spice wouldn't go a miss and make it a bit bolder and more masculine but I can't knock it, at least Man in Black doesn't smell cheap. Silage and longevity are low...not bad, but not something I'm crying out to wear.
