Sharp grapefruit, Bergamot and green pepper in the opening of this fragrance and it's another wow! Strangely reminds me of something I've smelled before, like some generic masculine antiperspirant or something? Normally this would put me and others off, what is supposed to be an innovative and expensive niche fragrance but somehow it remains more complicated and too aloof to be pinned down. It's a musky, woods and some bizarre synthetic feel. This could be coming from a piperonial/heliotrope accord which TBH I usually don't like it is so odd and lends a new dimension to what is in effect, quite a simple composition. I really like that familiarity coupled with mystery in a stripped back juice which has a gentle freshness and close skin drydown. I'm not crazy about this scent and it's an interesting outing but not really for me.
Woah! This is some gorgeous smelling blood right here. Opens with ginger to me but the knowledge there's a deep thick amber fragrance behind those top notes. Then the coffee comes on stronger and it's a real dark, strong percolated expresso. Nutty deep and creamy base of amber and sandalwood is very pleasing to me. Really enjoyed this one from Blood concept, this is something I would wear.
I seem to recall some talk on the men's forum recently about cold fragrances, well AB is a frozen fragrance. This is like a turbo fizzy lemon sherbet verbena blast of greenness & aldehydes which is borderline unpleasant to my nose. The temperature is sub zero on this one I almost imagined my skin turning to a frosty white ice cube of flesh, as if submerged in liquid nitrogen. It's truly watery even a bit salted and very sharply metallic. Notes like 'slate' which anyone with a logical mind would think was nonsense, actually are evoked in this fragrance it's truly remarkable...but pretty awful in equal measure. I'm not just all about warmth(although I do prefer it) but this is not even particularly refreshing to me although some will love this scent I'm sure because of its sheer Avant garde bravery, I'm not one of those people.
Oh my word! I got a sample of SoOud Nur eau fine and I have to say right off the bat it's great! What a wonderful fragrance and a surprise as I'd expected something with Oud and rose perhaps or a super powdery urinal cake but no just a lovely warm fragrance. I'd wear this don't get me wrong but it has a distinctly sultry femininity about it. Herbal, sweetly floral from orris root, the vanilla is very strong and sweet in the opening almost gourmand, and the base is a warm, musky amber and leather. I've mentioned sweetness several times but Nur is never too sweet, perfectly balanced in fact and as it dries down becomes delicately leathery but more masculine on my skin. This is a very well put together perfume and gets my seal of approval.
Woah! I'm amazed that this fragrance delivers nearly all the notes listed in the promotional material and on here. I was expecting to be disappointed by these Blood concepts but so far so good. Frankly I'm amazed and I hope you know I wouldn't bullshit you folks, Blood concept B has great progression and complexity to it and isn't just about patchouli as I had feared. I love the opening, it's a blend of wintery cherry and cooked apples with a distinctive pomegranate note. These top notes are fleeting but you get a hint straight away of the depth contained in B, right from the start there's a feeling heavier notes are yet to come. You get pepper and metallic tea note wrapped in a deep, very woody almost tobacco type feel...it's really good!!! Then all of a sudden as it settles after a few minutes the patchouli bomb is dropped and that combination with tea and a little of the sweettop notes make it very palatable. I've tried some heavy patch fragrances, especially recently and it made me realise I'm not mad on most dirty patchouli dominated fragrances. B is an exception I really really enjoyed wearing it for the first time, even though the Patch has that characteristic, earthy, soil tincture. Amazing, long lasting and might even be one of my favourite patchoulis because of the way its handled with the addition of tea, fruits and pepper surrounding it. B gets and A+ from me.
I'll just kick off these reviews by saying that I couldn't wait to get my hands on these. I feared the (Blood)concept was a little stupid and gimmicky but hey I like the packaging and everything needs a gimmick sometimes to keep things interesting. Well I suppose it's as good a concept as any because I can almost picture blood in my olfactory mind. I enjoy metallic notes and more worryingly perhaps (???) kinda like the taste of blood. But before you get the wooden stakes and garlic at the ready...hear me out. Blood concept A opens with a lovely green note and the fragrance is pretty much based around this wonderfully natural tomato leaf smell which is shear magic! It reminds me a little of making vine tomato consume with a hint of celery and fennel...and the temperature of this fragrance is cold at all times. This is not necessarily the most wearable perfume around but I dig it. The opening then turns to a familiar herbal smell of basil with a fruity shampoo like vibe. It smells like freshly washed feminiine hair, head and all. Kinda 'natural meets unnatural'...If you get me? Then when it dries down a bit the tone becomes deeper, metallic with a hint of spice which truly does evoke blood. It's a really good and cleverly made scent which teeters between natural and synthetic. The drydown gives more of an aniseed quality and the basil is still going strong, which when coupled with the overall leafiness reminds me of fennel. Good longevity for such a ethereally light perfume but has the strange quality of metallic scents they don't project but stay close to the skin. Good first outing for Blood concept, gets my approval definitely not for everyone.
Gorgeous top notes on this one from Carolina Herrera. Luckily managed to find it in a store which carried lots of discontinued (don't know if this has been?) or scents you just don't see very much at least. I love the citrus opening which changes to a melon freshness that doesn't seem too cheap. There's a touch of pepper and cardamom, cedar and tonka bean lending some sophistication and Chic has a gentle musky base. The territory of this fragrance is a well trodden one and I can't say it sticks out all that much but I can't deny it's extremely pleasant and worthy of a wear. I'd choose this over lots of other mainstream fodder just for the fresh fruitiness of that melon note. Longevity and projection are average to subtle on my skin.
For me Sandalwood has three distinct factors that combine in differing amounts to form a trifecta accord. There's a dazzling array of different results which can be achieved and as a result lots of fragrances manifest sandalwood in different ways also depending what surrounds them. This is the closest I've smelled to my default sandalwood, the mental barometer if you will, to which I judge and perceive sandalwood myself. That doesn't mean this is great just that it has a more perfect balance of the three elements which are... creamy,spicy and woody. Sometimes sandalwood can come across weak and transparent but to me Santalum is as clear a representation as you can get. Perfect balance. I do detect the tiniest hint of Myrrh but no cinnamon. It's super minimal composition wise but that doesn't matter as sandalwood has it's own rich complexities... I have to say I really enjoy it. It's not the strongest in the world due to the lack of other notes and spicing usually associated with sandalwood based fragrances. Longevity is okay but doesn't project much above the skin.
Nostalgia has over run my senses here. Uono has got everything that inspires words like masculine, clean, soapy and most of all dated. Personally I don't care it's a wonderful mixture of a lemony citrus opening which soon turns to powdery geranium and a touch of greeness with fresh woody cedar. There's warmth in there sure but I can't say I detect an amber accord more like sandalwood. The kicker notes throughout, oakmoss and musk they keep it sour and interesting, not too barbershop soapy. Uomo is strong and long lasting and has something elegant about it which I'm really enjoying. Certhusia Uomo is brilliant I have to say! I'm very surprised because this is not especially my usual type of fragrance but for some reason I'm enjoying this one a great deal. It has all the great qualities of classic juices like Old Spice or Kouros.
Am I losing my mind here? After the initial opening swirling bit from some citrus perhaps? I get a massive hit of star anise. This is the most prominent ANISEED smell I've encountered and I for one love it! As it settles down No.14 becomes more herbaceous and that strong note seems to split into clary sage and taragon with a hint of violet leaf. It's an odd fragrance I must say but beautifully conceived the main thing about it is the woody Guaic and that herbal quality...I really really like it. There had to be a downside though and unfortunately it is that this fragrance is pathetically short lived on my skin, I mean it's a joke! I thought No.4 was bad but I can forgive it a little for being a citrus but even that lasts longer and projects better than No.14...such a shame.
Wow! Cereus no.4 what a lovely fragrance. Opens a bit strangely, kind of synthetic but not in an aquatic way more of a fruit cocktail sort of thing, reminds me of sweets and E numbers! It does have a slightly watery quality and a slight smell of papyrus but when it settles those fruits are nothing but pleasing. A blend of apple which comes off more like pear with citrus and frankly nothing else! I'm not disappointed in that its a lovely smell it's the lack of longevity that is an issue and at this price you'd expect better. I have to say the smell is addictive while it lasts.
It's very similar to Tobacco Vanille. I get a cherry & dried fruit opening that settles into a strong tobacco with honey. Good value, these Phaedon's are very reasonably priced and if I didn't already own TV I would certainly consider this stuff as an alternative for sure. Don't get me wrong it isn't exactly the same eg: No vanilla, prominent honey but somehow not as sweet (probably due to the lack of vanilla)and a more resinous quality all of which give a moderately different character especially in the drydown and I've tried them side by side. Truth is I don't like this or TV as much as I used to and in truth rarely wear the Tom Ford so I'd opt for something else from Phaedon, like the majestic Rouge Avignon.
I'm not a fan of Azzaro pour homme and I can even smell the similarities here but weirdly Tuscany per uomo has to be my favourite from Amaris. I love the bitterness of the lemon in the opening and it's truly a powerful citrus with a zesty lime to it as well! The base is the usual suspects, classic leather and oakmoss with a spicy sandalwood base and herbaceous basil and caraway too. I have to say I really enjoy this fragrance because it doesn't open harshly (except maybe the citrus) and it drys down to be more delicate and less butch than some other Aramis offerings, especially the original. I quite like this and the Longevity and projection are what you'd expect from Aramis.
Strong, classic Aramis fragrance. I had imagined I would like this take on the Chypre but instead it just wasn't to my taste. Strong leathery pine, oakmoss and carnation classic elements blended in such a way that they are not appealing to me. I think the reason being the opening is musky, too harsh and lasts to the point where I'm put off before I can reach a dry down, which in all fairness is nice. No doubt about it this is a purely masculine animal and some will love it. Great projection and longevity.
Nothing wrong with this scent at all, just insanely ordinary! It's pedestrian central Mont Blanc emblem has something inherently cheap about it. I've actually begun to revise my opinion of Mont Blanc, a luxury manufacturer with a great reputation and their fore into fragrance has to be deemed as a success to most due to the fact they have some winning fragrances. However, I've totally changed my opinion on Individuel for example and I'm not as keen on it as I used to be. Also scents like Exceptionel are frankly suffering from the same issues as Emblem...just too safe and maybe a little boring? Controversially perhaps...I think Legend is a pale version of A&F Fierce a scent which I like the smell of generally. I think if you're going to copy a fragrance at least make it on par with longevity and projection. Fierce is more intrusive for me and smells more industrial, which in a fragrance of this type is oddly better. Starwalker was 'pretty nice' but sadly discontinued I think... because I don't see it anywhere. The only one I still love is Presence which is just such an odd creamy, spicy oriental it's the only one for me with any novelty value. I think the most important thing to note is that they've never made a bad fragrance and there's not one I wouldn't wear so despite all the naysaying I do rate Mont Blanc. They choose good perfumers and solid concepts that sell. Anyway...Emblem! Emblem opens with inviting fresh citrus and maybe a hint of exotic fruit? The heart is another Tonka washout for me though very pleasant but all too familiar and very much the en vogue accord for bland designer fare at the moment. There's a hint of violet and spices, clary sage and cardamom, cinnamon is evident. This scent although not similar does lean toward Legend more than their other efforts. Likable, wearable and as many have mentioned the bottle is great and a perfect way to ram home the brands logo. I'll be honest I would like to try this fragrance again because I didn't really get much idea of longevity or projection and you never know it might grow on me?
Nah....not feeling it. I got some samples and have worn a couple of times now and I'm afraid I'm even going to revert on my original thoughts which were that this is average at best, it's not. Emblem is such a lacklustre outing from Mont Blanc very disappointing. Has that same synthetic, aquatic colone molecule thing which comes on strong in the opening and settles to a creamy Tonka affair...not good. Similar to many recent releases Invictus, Eros, and Burberry Brit rhythm. Surely there is more interesting olfactory songs to sing? Lazy stuff designed purposefully to have mass appeal, Mont Blanc have steered themselves in that direction after very original scents to begin with. Can't really blame them for chasing popular concepts they are in business after all, who cares about maintaining integrity with true fragrance fans who obviously weren't in big enough numbers to make starwalker, Individuel and Presence big sellers.
This Tauer is typically french like classic french cuisine or something? Simple elements brought together to create something multi faceted...Andy has nailed the brief on that one. An unfamiliar take on a lavender fragrance which from the name I had incorrectly assumed was going to be a very green affair. However, Reverie au Jardin is a slightly creamy vanilla/tonka/resinous base, sweet powder from orris root and rose but classic notes of oakmoss and lavender. It's clean, nice, interesting and great for a spring/summer fragrance but ultimately not to my taste. It lasts well and projects nicely too.
Andy Tauer just has this knack of making really unique scents. He's either a very gifted creative force or he has researched other fragrances massively because they seem to be very consciously different from anything out there...not an easy thing to do. His first two (Masculines) were great and could've been thought of as a one trick pony, not that Lonestar memories and L'air du desert Marocain smell alike but are certainly share the same signiture feeling. Having tried a few more of his fragrances now I see that he's very diverse and tackles lots of different accords in a unique way. This is not to say that they're always to my taste but I appreciate his innovative approach and commitment to the craft. So Eau D'Epices is a surprise package and strangely as complex and as many notes as it has, cinnamon is big player giving both sweetness and warmth. The opening is sweet swirling around with jasmine, orange and spices mainly of cinnamon/clove it's almost too much to bare. I think the orris root and ambergris are responsible for the sweetness too. I get labdanum and and overriding warm base of amber but here's the kicker...an orange blossom/tuberose white floral which develops and becomes the heart of Eau D'Epices. Just thought I'd mention I smell a definite tea in the drydown too...not sure what's giving that effect and it takes a while to come out but it's definitely there. That could've spelled disaster for this fragrance as I'm not a huge fan of them but it works really well with the spicing in this composition. I like this one but like many recent smaples I've tried...it's not for everyone. I'm gonna have to wear it again properly to see how it performs in a typical situation. Long lasting and good projection from what I can tell so far.
Wowee!!! What a sweet intense opening it's a fruity tangerine and bergamot then exotic ylang ylang and jasmine with labdanum. This beautiful amber accord is not for everyone and I can totally understand some being sickened by Mazzolari's Ambra. This could be construed as feminine and it sort of is but I really love it because it's warm throughout. The drydown is a total contrast to the opening, with all that stickiness and floral business out of the way it becomes a very deep and sensual amber accord with sandalwood. This for me represents a distinct gender shift because to me it becomes a more masculine affair way into the drydown. I really like the smell of Ambra it satisfies my love of Amber accords and super sweet fragrances with exotic floral elements, also expensive feeling resinous qualities...so it ticks lots of boxes. You know what though? I wouldn't wear it...far too sweet and cloying and I know it would get on my nerves after a while, this is one I can appreciate from afar. If I smelled this on a woman... I think I would fall in love. I understand why this one has the votes divided...not everyone's cup o tea.
Numero Uno can't help but have high expectations with a name like that. It's a classic take on the chypre type perfume I'd have sworn there's oakmoss in here as it has that trditional feel. In essence it's a woody warm, slightly floral, herbal, musk fragrance. Opens with bergamot and clean vetiver then the sharp labdanum, and myhrr start to come through. Then as it dries down settles to a more herbal type fragrance with patchouli, all these elements excellently balanced and don't take long to transition & quickly settle into a singular entity. I get a kind of animal smell, it's a natural one of pheromones, like skin or more specifically...scalp. Bare with me on this one. Some fragrances evoke this quality of when I kiss my girlfriend on the top of her head and I get a slightly herbal, soapy, shampoo, hair and warm scalp smell. Sounds a bit pervy I know...I don't have a scalp fetish honestly. So a good fragrance then...good but not great. It certainly communicates what it needs to with clarity and has good longevity and projection on my skin.
I was just through thinking how I've enjoyed all the ODIN samples I've tried so far without exception but not one has blown me away yet and I was really hoping Century would be the one to really wow me! I had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn't but that's no attitude to take into a blind fragrance test! Anyway....as I applied Century I was treated to a sweet opening of vanilla, amber and myrrh which set my pulse racing! It's an almost caramelised sweetness but you can tell it has a base firmly rooted in woods...yet it's not very woody in a tradition sense...if that makes sense??? Maybe it's the combination of birch tar, vetiver and patchouli that lend it the quality? I dunno? The mint note is there and comes on after a couple of minutes but it's very soft indeed, no sharp, cold menthol blast more of a hint of creamy peppermint . I found it unpleasant in this middle stage and a bit lacklustre after an opening I perceived as beautiful Century started to turn on me. Now I'm just bored by it, it's still smells good and arguably nicer again as it dries down but strength wise it's very poor I'm lucky to get a couple of hours from it. I will be wearing it again and will update this review if my second wear somehow liberates some magic...but somehow I doubt it. I have to hand it to Century I audibly moaned in a sexual manner when I first smelled it (not many fragrances make that happen!) but it just disappointed thereafter. Like sleeping with a beautiful woman then waking up in the morning and realising she will probably never love you, you have nothing in common, it'll never last! Realising... ultimately you're alone in the world.
Seylon from ODIN opens with citrus and a bitter orange which remains throughout. The vetiver comes on after the settling few seconds and it's a slightly smoky earthy texture with a definite hint of nutmeg. When everything settles finally the vetiver becomes very clean and woody with oakmoss and the warmth of benzoin too but with an almost powdery feel. It's a very good interpretation of vetiver nothing jarring or cloying, no intrusive top notes and the drydown only improves the overall smell. ODIN continue to impress me with their repertoire of fragrances, their signature seems to be warmth and balance. I'd wear ODIN 08 Seylon but I'm not crazy about it, if you like scents like Tom Fords Grey vetiver you will like this one.
Pentachord verdant is a dark horse it's not like anything I've tried before, which is something that Andy Tauer does well and should be proud of. The opening is a fresh blast of green leaves and the unmistakable scent of ivy encased in a puff of smoke which quickly dissipates. This is quickly backed by a menthol coolness of mint, strangely although this is a green scent the mint doesn't smell very authentic...if that makes sense? What I mean is it's not like smelling mint leaves more like a clean, cold, minty sensation. Mint is very evident thoughout and I'm surprised it's not listed in the notes here. Then Verdant takes a turn for the earthy and soil like which is not that typical patchouli dirt but somrhting which to my nose is entirely more palatable. The drydown is still lush and green but with sweetness, a hint of leather and tobacco but only a hint this fragrance is not deep but has a lovely mixture of green metallic and earthy notes. Pentachord Verdant is very interesting stuff...I like it! The projection is actually good it's a sneaky one just when it seems very quiet you'll get a wave of it coming at you. Doesn't last on my skin though but worth a sniff for the initial reaction, couldn't justify buying it but I enjoyed sampling.
This is my last Xerjoff sample (probably ever!) and I was really hoping for the masculine tones of the last one I tried 'Kobe' (I think?) Anyway, the opening is absolutely spectacular in that I was completely tricked into thinking I knew what to expect from this fragrance. WRONG!!! That opening is a quality wonderfully spicy sandalwood, labdanum & musk absolutely intoxicating. Okay it's not very original but very masculine and the quality of ingredients is translated clearly for me. However that lasts all of a few minutes before Richwood becomes unbearably floral and has a creamy edge from sandalwood and vanilla which is being soured by other notes to come off as hand cream. There's still some vague fruitiness and Remanence of that opening which just about makes it bearable and interesting to sniff. It's a remarkably well blended fragrance again from Xerjoff but not something I enjoyed all that much except the first 3 minutes or so. (update: it does improve again into the drydown and becomes woodier again with lovely sandalwood then right at the death... earthy patchouli which smells really, really nice when this subdued and in the vein of something like LIDGE or Tom Ford Noir.) The argument about price will rage on. I've said it time and time again, I believe if you have to take price into consideration... you can't afford it! This is what luxury brands rely on, people who have the money regardless of how much quality the ingredients have. The price reflects the exclusivity and name of the brand and that's what you're paying for! I don't have a huge disposable income but I do love fragrance and purely on my personal taste I could be tempted by a fragrance at this price point but it would have to be very, very, special indeed! More and more I realize that many exclusive brands like Xerjoff just aren't worthy of the expenditure.
Okay...so I first reviewed this several years ago (below) and have recently got another sample as I’d forgotten what Richwood was all about. It’s an interesting excercise, to revisit some perfumes, especially because my tastes are a constantly shifting landscape. However, my thoughts remain unchanged and reading my review was interesting because I thought EXACTLY the same thing. This fragrance is high quality, complex, interesting and pretty wonderful perfumery, and there’s definitely something about it but the florals at the heart of Richwood make it boarderline unwearable for me. Very unusual to love something (because I do) and not like it at the same time, a peculiar paradox.
Wow! Dhofar is masculine no doubt about it this is the old spice/brut but for princes or fools depends how you look at it really? I'm not a huge fan of these classic, old skool masculine 70's/80's type fragrances but they have a time and a place and I do appreciate and wear some. I'm not one to gush or exaggerate (hopefully?)and although I'm comparing it to cheap & dated male fare, Dhofar is very classy and multi-faceted beyond belief! The journey from opening sniff do dry down is surely an interesting one. Opens strong with a slight petrol type vibe you find in a few Xerjoff frags it then becomes clear what this one is about. There's clean citrus fruits pop out and then a hint of lavender nods toward a fougere type fragrance. Then a heavy woody spice from sandalwood with a bold, clean and green pine note. The resinous nature of labnanum and an incense vibe with a calming herbal aspect too. Then very clean, powdery, soapiness of carnation as it dries down this is more complex than the first impressions would indicate. What I love about Dhofar is that it has none of the sour, mossy or musty elements which sometimes drag these fragrances down for me. The nose here has been very careful to create something which although not unique, gives the impression of it by re-imagining, like a great cover version of a classic song. The bottom line is, would I pay the extortionate price for this fragrance? and the answer is... Almost... but probably not. One thing is for sure Dhofar reminds me of my dad and it's sure to do that for people of a certain age. I think for all the positives I've stated about just how good Dhofar is and I'd even go as far to say it's probably the best masculine aromatic I've ever smelled. However the price tag is prohibitive it's only for those who can afford it and if you can.... great! If not stick to Fendi Uomo or Versace pour homme...or nameless other classics.
