Honestly I'm in two minds about this new Opus. On the one hand I'm not the biggest fan of white florals and the Opus range in general are hit n miss with me. Opus VIII for me has enough spicing, woodiness and incense to give it Amouageness and a completely different feel from your average white floral. It has an undeniably upscale and complex feel to it. Jasmine is sweet and orange blossom and ylang ylang can be great when sparingly used and thankfully that's the case here. The opening is nice it dries down to a nice scent and thankfully there's enough going on with the balancing act of elements to make this a decent fragrance. I really would like a sample of this as I have samples of all the other Opus scents (which I could do with revisiting)Given a proper wear I think I could grow to like Opus VIII one more, it is quite floral and could be perceived as a little feminine perhaps? The main thing that detracted from it was the fact I tried Journey Man on the same day and that dwarfed this scent. Considering Journey is pretty unstated too that doesn't say a lot for VIII but as I've mentioned I think it might be a grower, it's certainly safer than VII which was Amouage spice madness!!! Needs revisiting for sure but nothing repulsed me.
@SDavis93 & @PaulDJ there is a EDP version of 'The One' but prepare to be disappointed, it's not much better than the EDT for Longevity and projection. I like Bleu it's a nice fragrance, I'm not a massive fan but I can see why it's considered as a modern classic. I Don't know how much different this is going to be?...maybe a little tweak here n there and truly make it stronger, I'll be convinced to get it. I will be disappointed if it's not much different to the EDT because otherwise why bother Chanel??? Oh yeah MONEY!
Well...I finally got around to trying it and first impressions are that this eau de parfum version is vastly different from the original to my nose. That was my first impression from the opening and then it was validated when I got home and tried both EDT & EDP together. I have to say I'm not the biggest advocate of Bleu anyway, it's alright a perfectly good fragrance, complex well executed just never bleu me away! (Sorry I had to!) This EDP then...? Well it starts out thicker, denser whatever you want to call it but it's everything I would expect a parfum version to be, in simple terms an amped up version of the original. The unfortunate thing here is that it's to Bleu's detriment in my opinion. It's not in question that the projection and longevity are miles better than the original but at the cost of subtlety and elegance. This version starts out uncompromisingly spicy, which comes across as a big combination of ginger, nutmeg & mint but somehow strongly of cardamom too. I know it's not listed among the notes but that's how it comes out to me. The ginger and mint are larger than life much more so than the EDT. The drydown is long lasting, and I have to say okay when settled but possess less subtlety and freshness and dare I say it seems a little cheap and reminiscent of lots of other recent releases in that regard. I should love this...in theory it is just what I like strong spices and a deep base, great longevity etc...but I much prefer the EDT...a fragrance I'm indifferent about. My appraisal is that the original is lighter, brighter and more nuanced despite lacking the obvious strength compared to this one. This is not the first time a EDP has disappointed, Terre d'Hermes springs to mind. I don't know what people are expecting, myself included but If you simply want better performance it's here but at the cost of smelling quite different to the original EDT...worse in my opinion. Not a bad fragrance but really not a good one either and gives me a whole new appreciation of the EDT.
Great stuff this I've tried a few citrus/white florals recently for summer additions to the collection and this one is pretty good on the whole. First of all the opening is purely lemony petitgrain and a bergamot which goes from a sharp citrus to a more mandarin type smell. This ties in perfectly with the discrete mixture of white florals at the heart of this fragrance. Orange blossom and neroli which is not too strong waxy or soapy partly due to being sweetened up with Jasmine and a base of musk. A really pleasant fragrance if you're looking for white florals and citrus, this is good stuff.
Three distinct fazes with this effort from A Lab on Fire the first is a bergamot lush and almost green. Then comes the geranium which is the accord basis for this fragrance and builds well, complimenting the base. The base is a soft powdery leather or suede but still fresh all the time. I don't necessarily agree that it's minimal because it has a distinct opening, heart and drydown which progress. L'Anonyme has well balanced and complimentary ingredients which kinda is minimal but hints at other sweeter notes. I like it, it's very wearable pretty good longevity, projection is okay at first then dies down. Check it out, there's not a great deal here not to like.
Every note in Nio is exquisitely crafted and the quality is apparent right form the get go. The opening is bright wonderful bergamot so natural but not at all sharp and with a leafy green nature prehaps with some galbanum too? reminiscent of Ninfeo Mio from Annick Goutal. It then goes very much into the white floral territory with waxy, clean neroli coming to the forefront in the next few minutes. Then the florals get sweeter with jasmine which completely makes this fragrance better than the neroli alone. I smell a warm base in the drydown and the subtlest hint of cardamom. Still a very good effort from Xerjoff, Nio is a superior citrus/white floral to be sure, definitely among the best I've tried but if you're not that keen on this sort of fragrance it still doesn't quite convince me enough to love it. Longevity and projection are pretty poor too.
I sampled this way back and couldn't remember what it was like which usually doesn't bode well at all. However, this is really special stuff and not your typical rose at all. I'm used to the heaviness of amber or oud with rose but Lyric adopts an entirely different approach. It opens with a transparent fresh citrus lime zest which then instantly becomes a subtle powder and musk with rose infused gently like rosewater or something? It has the galbanum and resiny incense feel of Amouage with a tiny tiny hint of smoke. The way this scent then works is a complex swirl of tiny hints of notes which change throughout the experience, so much so that I need desperately to get hold of some samples and wear Lyric properly. This is an enigmatic, distinctive and beautiful fragrance well worth checking out.
The feminine Amouage fragrances I've tried so far (bare in mind I've not tried them all) have all been pretty uninspiring in comparison to the Men's stuff which is in another league from anything you could find elsewhere and especially in the designer realm. I'm not being a snob here I just mean from a value point of view. I could wage the critism that some of the womens ones (fruity/musks etc..) could be found elsewhere cheaper. Journey however ooozes quality despite being a playful and upbeat, fruity, floral scent. There's no way I could wear this but on my girlfriend it smelled fantastic just kept getting waves of apriot, yellow florals and spices. The main thing I noticed was jasmine a scent which I adore especially in the context presented here. So this is a fruity scent with a base of musk but with hints of heavier and warmer notes of honey, nutmeg and maybe tobacco although I didn't get a great deal of it. I spent an entire day smelling it on my girl and thought it was great and projected really well and lasted as you'd expect an Amouage fragrance to last. Top marks for this one from me although it's a definite one for the ladies only in my opinion.
I was so excited to try this fragrance...so bloody excited I could barely contain myself!!! A new Amouage fragrance and I didn't have to wait that long for it either....and the verdict! Journey is absolutely magical! Amouage and Christopher Chong have nailed it yet again! If recent releases seemed a little tame (Beloved) or too brave with spicing (Fate) Journey gets the balance of accessibly mainstream and signature Amouageness just right. Opens typically turbulently with a wonderfully complex swirl of amazing smells which are not instantly recognisable except for one... Sichuan pepper! Heavy in the opening until it disperses then the true nature of this fragrance comes into play deep Cypriol, frankincense, a strange fruity nature too and woody notes. The tobacco is not typical it's very sweet natured so if you're expecting a tobacco fragrance please don't be disappointed because I don't think it's that prominent. Maybe a combination with Tonka beans make it sweet n creamy? I don't know to be honest, it's complex stuff but smells absolutely amazing. I really love Journey I was so prepared for disappointment (don't know why to be fair EVERY Amouage fragrance has it's merits) but this is another triumph and just as wearable as Jubilation XXV not too spicy, very alluring and comforting. This is an instant favourite and I need to add it to my collection, hopefully I can get hold of some samples next week (as the store had none left) and try it on my skin for a few days at a time to make sure. Longevity is spectacular but not quite as long lived as strong incense perfumes like Interlude. I think if you love Jubilation you will adore Journey because it's still Amouage but in an amazingly acceptable and markedly safer fragrance than some of their others. Safe in this instance means faultless.
Une fleur de Cassie (UFDC) might be the most difficult perfume I have come across so far. I love me some skanky beasts and heavy chypres but UFDC took me by surprise as it is completely different to what I had imagined. In my mind it would be evocative of old Caron's in their full glory, (silly, I know) and a film noir perfume to be worn by daring personalities. Needless to say my imagination was also fed by the fact that it was very hard to come by during some time last year, due to the fact that it was being reformulated, something that Malle himself has confirmed. When I finally got a sample after supplies became available again I was a little underwhelmed. Is this what I was waiting for? This is the fragrance that was on top of my wish list for so long? I quickly buried my sample until a month ago when I decided to give it some proper testing. The first time I got vanilla and lots of rose, but I believe that heat or slightly warm temperatures allow this perfume to bloom and show its true face. That's when I started to fall in love. My skin amplifies animalic or dirty notes, and UFDC has them in abundance. I get a faint bergamot opening, more herbal than crisp and fresh, followed by a very sensual 'barnyard' smell. The smell of horses, animals and hay. It doesn't smell as scary as it might sound but it is highly animalic and very evocative of my childhood in a way, when I would visit the zoo. It might not be what Ropion intended but the smell is there and it lasts for a good 30 minutes or so, intertwined with the bergamot which appears in and out to give a touch of freshness. Slowly the flowers start to show. I get jasmine and rose, and a pollen powdery smell which I guess is the mimosa. They don't feel in your face, more like highly refined essential oils that give glow and smoothness to the fragrance without overpowering anything else. It keeps the barnyard aspect but now I see the film noir persona I was hoping for, and I can clearly relate it to the 30s and 40s, imagining that this is what the elegant women of the decade would wear. UFDC remains pretty linear on my skin, with slight variations as to the opening 30 minutes. Along the 10+ hours it lasts on my skin (the longest lasting Malle I've tried) I get a floral animalic oriental. Sometimes more rose, others more powder, always full animal with hints of bergamot. Stunning. It's on top of my buy list, as I think this is one of the hidden gems of the collection and one of the best creations of D. Ropion. If you like vintages and chypres and orientals of yore, give it a lot of skin time. You may not fall in love like I did but I believe you will discover a gem of modern perfumery.
Lots of gushing and praise among the reviews here and do you know what? I'm going to join in! This is simply one of (If not 'the') best amber scents I've ever tried. Stunning!!! It's absolutely divine the first time I tried it several months ago I fell in love instantly Ambra Aurea is incredible. Upon reapplying today It has confirmed my initial feelings. It doesn't seem to develop like any amber I've come across but rather the constant and complex amber accord is so multi faceted it changes under your nose reverting from dusty libary, to ancient incense to sweetness and creamy vanilla then labdanunm and myrrh then back around again. This one is not as sweet as Fiori d'Ambra which I also thought was excellent quality but more floral and sweet. The quality is evident here and I've a real love of amber fragrances and this has an undeniable purity about it. Love it!
Well I've tried a few from Olfactive studios now and on the whole I'm impressed. This was one that's been lurking among the samples in my cupboard for a while and despite tying it at the time it didn't stick in my mind. Upon wearing it properly today I have to say that I've been treated to a wonderful, heady scent full of incense and a definite prune smell. The mixture of this dimension with a hint of vanilla gives a slight feel of honey to me something which I don't usually care for but it's so subtle and this is such a interesting creation that I enjoy it. Chambre Noire opens with the same weird watery papyrus and sandalwood that I didn't really like from Le Labo's Santal 33 but somehow works here probably due to the other notes and the fact it's dissipates quickly. The patchouli takes a while to come on but when it does, is the right side of balanced. That mixed with delicate leathery notes that exist from the very start, drydown to a gorgeous skin scent. This perfume is not heavy that's what I love about it, some leathers just try too hard! This one is very light from the start but projects well in the first couple of hours when the patchouli really beams out but after that it's mellow. Great scent this one I've thoroughly enjoyed wearing it today.
This is a small addition to my original review, a caveat perhaps because I still really love this great smelling fragrance. I hadn't tried Bentley Intense before Chambre Noire and upon sampling again recently thought'oh yeah I can see where people are coming from.' The opening on a card in store was effectively the same and immediately conjured up the luxury car scent. However, I've warn this today as I did a few years back when I wrote the review and got the same amazing, boozy , prune oriental I got then. It's totally distinguishable from Bentley Intense which has a much more spices and the dry sandalwood (think L'air du dessert Marocain to my nose) where as this is rich in a more gourmand way. Without disappearing too far up my arse or into the abstract... I would say the texture of Bentley is matt and this is more satin...if that makes any sense at all? I applaud the fact they are different and both great in their own wonderful ways, this makes for another fragrance worth having... for sure. I'm wearing it today and couldn't be happier.
Lubin Itasca...I was looking to try this one for a while as the bottle looked interesting and the themes seem right up my street. Man was I right! Itasca opens with a perfect breeze of citrus, masculine pine, woods and vetiver, and resin fresh but earthy and perfectly evocative of lakes flanked by forrest. This is in a typical mould of woody aromatics leaning toward the masculine on my skin but absolutely unisex by the same score. It's not a deep sledgehammer of a fragrance and has a subtle classy feel to it without being intrusive in any way. The drydown transforms the heart of pine into a resinous, amber which is very slight and close to the skin but smells amazing...almost leathery. Longevity and projection are not all that great but Itasca is worthy consideration...I enjoy it!
I first tried this fragrance more than a year ago (on a card mind you) and thought hmmmm...it's not bad. It certainly didn't repel me by any stretch and was not as horrendous as the original Joop Homme. All I can say is... I tried it again giving it a proper wear on my skin and I have to say the initial spray opened with interestingly fruity, boozy and chocolatey top notes. I'm thinking okay...then It starts to get really, really cloying and even more intrusive than Joop Homme which I never thought to be possible. It turns more and more awful every second and so overbearingly fake and synthetic. I've no problem with that in perfumery but not a lot in this fragrance resembles anything you'd find in nature and perhaps it needs that balance? How can something be SO SWEET and SO BITTER at the same time? I have to say that is an achievement of sorts. I hate it though and had to scrub it...problem is typical Joop it's very hardy and withstood a good scrubbing. I think they sacrifice quality for ridiculous longevity and choking projection just to stand out in the marketplace. It doesn't come from careful crafting or luxurious ingredients that's for sure. Who cares about longevity if you smell like this...? I was embarrassed wearing Joop! Homme Wild because I knew it would get me noticed at not necessarily for the right reasons, You gotta be brave to wear this one. Unfair to compare 1 Million to Wild as the Paco Rabanne is marginally better and certainly more wearable.
Ahhhh...I got this lil' beauty today. What a stunner...I love this fragrance so much! Love it like a child of my own! I'm almost protective over it. I couldn't hear a bad word about it without immediately jumping to Blanc's defence and there's not many fragrances I feel that way about. Anyone who follows my reviews or whatever will know I'm a bit of a niche snob these days so when I lavish praise on a lowly designer fragrance please take my word for it that it's great! Unique and like nothing I've tried elsewhere. Also...I already have it! Oh course I do. I'm someone who thinks it's a bit silly (but still cool if your a collector) to bring out limited editions or the same scent in numerous different bottles...naming no names 'cough 'cough..Le Male..'cough!! I got this though because I felt an obligation to because of the special place it has in my heart. The neon Croc looks cool and the bottle is a great minimal design anyway. OOOOH...and I got a free gift... A 3 pack of Neon Lacoste Tennis balls which was an extra incentive. If you haven't tried this fragrance get it because its beautiful and better than any other aquatic or fresh citrus fragrance in the designer market place. Eau de Lacoste Blanc...Houdini4 salutes you!!!
So...Tried this the otherday as I always jump at the chance to try Kenzo fragrances because they're so scarce in UK these days. I only found this one in a clearance store with older and discontinued perfumes. So L'Eau par is alright you know...A bright citrus which is aquatic and watery without any overly synthetic marine accords or salty notes. I Like this, hint of lotus and a base of white musk it's delicate and thoroughly pleasant.
When I heard Tauer had an Incense fragrance I was keen to try it and it's taken me until now to do so...shocking really! Incense extreme is what you'd expect from a quality perfumer like Andy Tauer and a fragrance with 'Incense' in the name. However although I don't entirely agree with my pal @'Roge's review because I don't think it's entirely the purest olibanum I've smelled. It is pretty linear though the resin is a complex note itself the only other thing I got was pettygrain in the very opening and that's about it. Maybe some cedar?? I do concur that this is a tame effort from Tauer considering his calling card is originality. So this is not a bad perfume, far from it infact. I'm an incense addict and especially frankincense and this has huge appeal for me, it's a mixture of the delicate and cerebral CdG Incense series (as many have mentioned) it's a little like Avignon and Zagorsk which acts as a huge endorsement. It's not quite another ringer for Avignon/Heeley Cardinal etc... etc... but it's in the same ballpark. It's translucent enough to be refreshing and light but not deep or earthy enough to be a great frankincense...So nothing extreme here just a good fragrance. Longevity is average and doesn't really project but it's one of those fragrances that you will enjoy for yourself. If you're lucking for Tauer magic and originality check out some of his other fragrances.
Wow!!! I'm happy. So reading the review below as I post this and I got a bit of a green note in the opening too but generally this is thick with resinous spicy Myrrh and sandalwood. It's exactly what I'd pictured in my minds eye/nose so in that sense linear and predictable to a degree. I for one am glad, too often I look forward to a fragrance simply named after a note and it doesn't deliver that note as expected. Great dry down, superb quality only negative thing is that it's pricey stuff for something that isn't a complex composition. Only minor criticism really because I love Olibanum and any other incense resin lovers will love it too.
This one fizzed up out of the bottle at me and demanded that I took notice of it. I love this house and everything I've tried has been a total knockout! I tried several from the new range majestic cedar, a lime based citrus one and a sandalwood one.(can't remember the names of those two) and I was a bit miffed that they're not in the database. Anyway...my girlfriend convinced me to buy this as SHE fell in love with it straight away, don't get me wrong I was on board but not going as crazy as she was. To be honest this is like no other citrus I've tried in that it's probably closer to the apple type smell of things like Tommy Boy or Lacoste Play (the red one) but done far better and very classy. The juniper is apparent too, dry yet distinctive and refreshing like a gin fizz! I really don't know what to tell you? I bought it on the spot because my girlfriend said it would be "the perfect summer fragrance." Shouldn't really admit this but I don't often take her advice however on this occasion I was compelled to. I did have some mild second thoughts but after the fruity, bubbly, champagne of an opening it does have a backbone of woods and an unmistakable carrot seed note that you don't seem to get in anything other than high quality fragrances. So in essence this is a magnificently summery fragrance that just when it starts to remind you of a cheaper designer one takes on a more refined air of quality. It's quite a simple composition but what we have here is a knockout fragrance which has very good performance and moderate projection. More people should try it because it's so clean yet sophisticated, I suspect it will be a crowd pleaser.
Oh dear I made the mistake of wearing this on Friday evening. It was among a quite a large batch of samples that I tried a while ago and thought George was one I had liked but was yet to review conclusively. I try not to make the mistake of just wearing a fragrance wtihout trying it properly and knowing for certain I like it. I'm sorry...but George is awful! Truly awful. Reminds me of Vetiver dance by Tauer but not quite as awful to be fair to George. If anyone has seen the way Thierry Mugler made their AMen les parfums de cuir by soaking off cut strips of leather in a barrel full of AMen and leaving it to infuse. Well imagine the same process but with beeswax, root beer, plasters and bandages! Medicinal is not even the word it smells anticeptic! I don't even think that's fair really because there's something nice about the smell of germolene or detol and this just has other weird facets which make it utterly reprehensible to my nose, namely....white florals! Neroli is massive in here also and adds to the waxy awful general body of the rest of the fragrance. Needless to say I was not happy when I applied it to my skin and realised I would smell that way for several hours and I like to think I'm pretty open minded olfactory wise. There's a honey/beeswax element to this fragrance, an aloof coffee vibe which if it was more pronounced might have redeemed George somewhat and awful white florals & heliotrope! What a mess! Some people might regard this as perfume as genius, I'm not convinced as it just goes against my tastes like trying to force feed me squid and mushrooms. I will say this for it... It's a complex scent and my girlfriend liked it. Oddly enough she had a similar reaction to me in that George has this car crash effect of not being able to stop sniffing at it. Obviously for different reasons mine just in pure disgust, trying to work out why anyone would make this perfume or want to wear it? And hers in awe of a complicated and strange alluring fragrance. Luckily for me the longevity wasn't brilliant, neither was sillage but I did realise it was bad as I was applying so maybe I didn't put enough on?
Feuilles de tabac is an odd one. If you're expecting an abundance of tobacco then think again, this is a well rounded perfume which is as much about tonka beans and patchouli in the base as it is about tobacco. The opening is a strange herbal creamy affair which has a distinctive peppery spice in there which isn't sharp but adds interest to what is a turbulent start. As with La Fumee, I was sure whether I liked it even after it settled but longer into the drydown is where it gets sweeter and revealed itself as something I'd quite happily wear. Nothing ground breaking here but I have to say it's unique and that's a big plus for this one, If you like Feuilles de tabac at all, you'll probably love it. If you're looking for a tobacco scent then it's worth checking out but might be a little tame on the tobacco element for some. I got a good few hours out of it so I'd say Longevity is pretty good and it does evolve so best to give it a chance to convince you.
My second Miller Harris fragrance and I'm not sure what to make of it? This should tread familiar territory balsamic/resinous and judging by the name smokey. I don't know if I expect masses of smoke now because I've tried some smoke bomb fragarances of late but La Fumee seems a bit tame. The opening is a bit unsettled and I wasn't sure it was balanced enough for my liking. It's soft sandalwood, elemi and labdanum which conspire to make a warming woody, incense type perfume which has a very subtle smoke to it. The drydown is sublime though, really lovely a classy sandalwood/herbal mixture and worth considering. Great drydown but didn't grab me to begin with, good longevity though. I like it, my girlfriend commented she wasn't that impressed.
This is a really well put together scent from Lyn Harris and I was initially fooled that it would be all about citrus with a name like Citron Citron. I was pleasant surprised when after a wonderfully natural refreshing opener of citruses you're treated to a drydown that I didn't expect to be as interesting as it was. The first few minutes you're fooled into thinking this could be a very pleasant but ultimately one dimensional & fleeting citrus. It takes about half an hour but you get a hint that there's more to this when the woods and oakmoss start to make an appearance. It dries down to a gentle spiced wood with a lingering citrus, it's very nice and seems effortless to wear & enjoy. It's my first Miller Harris and off to a good start. Great summer fragrance, Longevity is okay too.
Okay so I tried this today and brought some samples home. I really enjoyed the original wonderwood but felt it was a great but a little similar in spirit to Lalique Encre Noire to add it to the collection, still it's very nice indeed. Now the addition of Oud to this mixture of woody aromas and vetiver is either a bandwagon jumping one or a stroke of genius. I'm pleased to say I think it's the latter, this being CDG I have to say that generally they get it right and usual blaze their own trail. To begin with I wasn't sure, the opening is very similar to wonderwood but now with a feel of two stranger Oud fragrances one being AdP Oud colonia concentree and Tom Ford Oud wood (of which I'm not very fond.) that's my initial thoughts anyway. As wonderoud dries down though it reveals a very beautiful aroma which compliments the already excellent peppery vetiver of wonderwood. The lasting power is great I only tried it in the shop and can still smell it strongly now but I will update tomorrow when I wear it properly. Where as I'm not blown away by wonderoud I'm pleasantly surprised. Not a typical Oud to my nose but who cares?
Stunning! Wore this today and fell in love with it. Peppery and has a signature CDG feel which reminds me of the other fragrance I have in their 'normal' range Blue Santal. I will definitely be getting this one, the Oud is evident but just adds an extra bit of luxury, a cherry on the top if you will to what is a great fragrance anyway. Longevity is very good too.
Just to re re review this! I'm wearing it today for the first time in a while and I'm shocked that I didn't realise it before but Wonderoud not only smells like its underperforming and slightly poor older brother Wonderwood but it reminds me heavily of Versace Man and Oud Noir, can't believe I never noticed before. It has that same accord of licorice, slightly saffrony smell which reminds me very specifically of some type of sweets from when I was a kid. Yes peppery and woody it is but still reminds me of a mystery confectionary. For those who give this one a hard time, I don't know why? Even hardened CdG Lovers still aren't convinced by it...but let's face it it's much better than Wonderwood and even I thought that was fine until this came along.
Brilliantly put by @Gileshowe... 'Though you'd have to be very, very enigmatic indeed, and self-assured, to pull off smelling so unsettling.' So true. This fragrance is nuts! So metallic and unusual it beggars belief. The initial blast of aldehydes is weird but not unpleasant and lasting throughout. I can only really identify cedar and maybe some musk in the base but not a lot else. It's mainly about sharp metallic notes which evoke a cold stone or flint accord, with the majority of these fragrances bloody all the way. I don't think it's fair to compare this to Secretions magnifiques in a a negative regard because that is much more offensive than this. I can totally see the connection though, metallic and strange definitely applies to both of them. Red is not as much of a scrubber in my opinion it's fresher sweeter and more playful but still I'd never wear it.
