I absolutely love this! Contrary to most peoples thoughts (judging by the reviews here) I actually think Cristalle eau verte is quite complex. Starts out with a refreshing blast of bergamot and lemony citruses, the clean strength and lasting power of neroli. It then becomes quite green and fresh to me, I also swear I get a hit of black pepper...seriously I do, although no such spiciness or seasoning is present. A base of musk which is present throughout the entire transition finishes off this fragrance. This oozes Chanel class and for me could easily be a unisex fragrance, I wouldn't bat an eyelid about wearing it. I love how different this is to the original which is too bold and old Skool feminine for my tastes. I may well get this for summer.
Nonplussed is a nice word and probably the way I would describe my feelings towards this fragrance. It's not at all bland but rather a bit stale perhaps? I love incense fragrances and believe they should be heady & rich but sometimes come off as weird and this is one of those occasions. I had expectations of love for this juice but all that I felt was disappointment compared to the brilliant Ambre Fetiche. Will any other Annick Goutal fragrance reach those dizzy heights again? I hope so. Heavy on the smoke and pepper in the opening Encens Flamboyant doesn't do much in the way of freshness. The fir becomes apparent and just makes it darker if anything. I'll be honest this could be a slow burner and may well require some more time to get my head around.
I've tried Mandragore a few times now and I have to say it's unique. A herbal, spicy fragrance that opens with citrus then becomes all about a heart of aniseed, mint and pepper. The mint is very menthol like and darkly medicinal in it's feel. I can't help but feel this fragrance is like something from a bygone era, almost a medieval potion mashed in a pestle and mortar by an apothecary. I love the smell of star anise and the combination with mint and sage just in essence but not something I'd consider wearing on my skin also the longevity of this juice is not up to scratch for the quality I've experienced from this house in the past. An interesting fragrance this one, worth sniffing out.
If ever a house carried a definitive signature it's Acqua di Biella and Ca Luna is no different. So similar to the rest of the line but different in so many ways this is a super delicate blend of resins doesn't come off as heavy at all. Ca Luna has a clean shaving soap vibe with does evoke a masculine, barbershop type feel while having a slightly herbal quality and greeness. This is a perfect mixture and comes together well and pretty suited to my skin like Baraja was. Every note mentioned here is in such harmonious balance that it's hard to pick out individuals the Ivy note is interesting and natural then mastic, galbanum and pepper at the heart with musk and sandalwood in the base. It's nice, really nice and I'd wear it. not sure I need it though...maybe a couple more wears and I'll be sold on it.
Sweet? You weren't kidding! My girlfriend works for a duty free company and had tried this some weeks ago, she told me about it as she knows my love of sticky, sweet gourmands. First just let me comment on the bottle, it's a cool concept but somehow came out a bit clunky. It's okay but resembles an overweight and distinctly poisonous looking butterfly as much as a cute bow. That aside the scent is sweet caramel and inherently feminine peach and jasmine. That initial sweetness does settle after a minute or two and reveals a slightly (very slightly mind) more mature fragrance. This being said Bonbon is too sweet and would get on my nerves (on anybody) after a while, it would be a while too it has great longevity. Bonbon is certainly not suitable for this man to wear. This could've been a triumphantly bold gourmand fragrance but it just sadly lacking something for me and falls into the realms of a sweet fragrance for women who like that sort of thing but nothing spectacular.
Before I had encountered truly beautiful Vanilla fragrances this is pretty much what I imagined they all smelled like...gentle, musky, feminine and pretty lackluster. Okay so I've given the game away from the beginning, this fragrance lacks imagination and some complementary notes which could make it sing. Vanille Insensee isn't bad at all, very pleasant citrus notes in the opening which lead into a vanilla musk scent which perfectly wearable. I just didn't feel the same degree of enthusiasm as the lady who was showing me the Atelier range. She couldn't wait to have me try this vanilla and while it's really nice I think I'll pass on it. I think I like my vanilla to be heavier, more gourmand and with bolder elements to make it pop. On the positive side it lasted well and I've not smelled anything bad from this house, so far every outing has been a solid one.
Fate woman feels like an homage to the masterpieces of yesterday, a child from another era. I see from the mixed reviews that it's a love or hate fragrance, but to me it feels like a masterpiece on its own right. Fate opens on my skin with a crisp bergamot and powdery narcissus. It feels vintage but fresh at the same time. There's an underlying darkness that gives off a certain nostalgic vibe throughout, curtesy of oakmoss, leather and vanilla. As it unfolds, the florals become more prominent. It's all about yellow flowers on my skin, with a touch of jasmine; underneath I can feel the spicy core of Opium, pulsating on my skin with its floral spicy opulence. The leathery castoreum conjures Bandit, worn by a mysterious stranger in the night. And then comes my favorite part, the vanillic creaminess of Shalimar, with its bergamot opening and sensual musky base. The description looks simple and quite different from your standard Amouage; and at the same time complex and beguiling. That's where true artistry lies. I was prepared to feel just meh, and frankly I was surprised by how much I enjoy Fate. It's like meeting old friends that you've lost contact with and catching glimps of perfumery's glorious past. Fate woman is completely unisex, has a big sillage and amazing longevity. I feel it's a must try for anyone who loves vintage perfumes. I feel they've set the bar high and I'm looking forward to their next release. In my opinion it's a masterpiece and I'm slowly getting smitten by their line. Though I'm sure my wallet will argue! 5*!
Mmmmm...this is a yummy gourmand! I love it when vanilla comes out like this, it's soft but beautifully deep at the same time. Serendipitous has a chocolately vanilla wafer nature which reminds me of Montale chocolate Greedy and vanille Absolu. Great stuff lasts very well but I need to wear it again to test longevity and projection against vanille absolut, love this though.
I really don't understand why this fragrance has got such bad votes on here and it's not even my cup of tea! That's presuming the majority of contributors are voting on the smell of the perfume and not how offended they are by the flacon. Very briefly on that...I don't know about the issue enough to pass comment really? I will say this I'm not someone who enjoys the unnecessary suffering of animals nor would I argue that it's a necessity to eat them or parade around wearing them but there's many things in the world I don't like or agree with but endure them anyway. I hope that doesn't sound ignorant or could be accused of hypocrisy, I simply don't know enough about the specifics of the issue concerning this perfume to form an opinion. Anyway...A Rebours is not what I'd expected. It's a strong floral musk which is animal in nature but no where near to the extent I was anticipating. The opening is one of orange blossom, freesia, carnation and powder, the musk is strong as well but never sours the florals, well blended stuff. The over all feel is one of a talc, powdery, white floral and with a hint of violets. From this I was waiting for a dirty animalic dry down like that of Amouage Gold Man but it never came thank heavens! The civet and castoream are tame and just give a warm comforting base to what is a pretty unremarkable scent given all the hype and controversy. Lasting power is good but not epic like I previous thought and projection is pretty big when first applied then settles down. So there you have it A Rebours is a perfect marriage between musk and flowers and it gets the balance right for me. Not my scene but worth checking out if you like this sort of thing.
4160 Tuesdays? Seriously that's the name of your fragrance house? I don't care if you've got the best explanation in the world, that's a stupid name. The name of this juice however is quite inviting, I like all things Cuban and was expecting a great scent. Opening is so sweet it goes beyond anything I've encountered, I'll give it this it's unique but opens horribly. The main thing I get is vanilla a huge dose of vanilla and a strange tobacco accord which comes off more like a badly done chocolate and takes a while to settle which to be honest never really does. This fragrance is on a knife edge between divine and down right awful and it can't make it's mind up. The coffee note is not evident when you smell it directly but from a distance an occasion whiff of coffee would drift in my direction. The main thing is that the dark heart of old Havana doesn't sit right. The drydown is a bit better a sweet sugary vanilla and even a hint of coconut I should be creaming over this fragrance but it still has an unpleasantness which I can't explain.
Birdie opens badly! I'm not a huge fan of patchouli at the best of times but I can appreciate it on occasion, however not in this creation. The opening reminds me of the smell you get from a stale old tent you've had in a shed for years. Even the green notes in this are strange and sand? Is that because of the golf theme? Odd! It's slightly dirty earthy and even a bit of the sea in there as well. The dry down isn't too bad the patchouli matures and takes on more of a familiar character but still not something I like or could ever envisage willingly putting on my skin. Update: hmmmm...second time around and it hasn't gotten much better. However this is a very interesting and evocative patchouli. There's a super natural smell to me which reminds me of hanging out in fields as a kid getting upto no good. A faint misty smell of farmers fields, grass, hay, evening air a fishing pond perhaps maybe the canal...it's quite vivid. All this was within close proximity to a golf course so the theme kinda stands up. I don't know what it is but I've started to get a real appreciation for earthy fragrance but would still never wear this one.
Massively strong boozy opening of whisky and I mean malty, to me this doesn't smell of rum. It has got a leather accord mixed in there with Guaiac wood and oud adding to the overall highland, cask aged single malt feel. I don't think this perfume is beautiful or balanced just quite harsh especially in the opening but it does dry down to an interesting, luxurious and powerful scent. So Gold Leather is a full on fragrance, no holds barred on the leather front either, it's pretty intoxicating in more than one sense of the word! I'd have to try it again but it's certainly a contender for my collection because of it's uniqueness. It might be a little too much on the boozy side though for me...only time will tell.
A really nice fragrance and one of my first adventures into Atelier cologne. Quick comment on the bottle, it's big and quite bland but with a nice touch of that leathery feeling stopper. Pleasant warm oriental notes, resinous benzoin and with slightly floral top notes mixed with mandarin orange. Ambre nue is very nice but doesn't blow me away it's a solid effort. A bit of a typical slightly more feminine leaning amber with a slight feel of Elixir des Merevilles, this is better though. All in all very good...plenty of nice amber scents out there.
Amazing fragrance!!! Absolutely amazing!!! This is simply brilliant The JTC has a third knockout! Ivory route, More than words, now this what a treat. My first impression was PRADA LUNA ROSSA EXTREME, I love that fragrance and never imagined a classier more upmarket version that was released over a year before...this is it! 40 Knots has a marine accord without the tiresome awful cheapness of designer marine fragrances(excluding LUNA ROSSA), it is even a little salty at first. It's so much more than I'd anticipated, 40 knots has a deep amber base which shines throughout, it feels opulent and warm. It even has a hot sweetness of cinnamon or clove running through it. Projection and longevity were very good. I would wear this... if I could afford it. I can't get all three... that would be ridiculous! I'm not sure I want any either? I'm on the fence as much as I've enjoyed them. Fingers crossed Birdie will excite me too because that would top off a predominately good range of fragrances from Xerjoff. Are they worth the money? These are for people that if you have to worry about the price you can't afford it!
Wow!!! The JTC collection has just stepped it up a notch, what a fragrance this is!!!! Gorgeous! Stunning!!! Wonderful!!! The opening is one of dried fruit, a creamy patchouli and Labdanum, the rose steadily grows after that, all the while my senses tingling with excitement...because I know what this fragrance is delivering. Rose/Oud combo of the highest quality with a dimension of patchouli, the sharpness of labdanum and I detect a bit of frankincense and myrrh. Have I smelled anything like this before? Of course I have... But it's a winning formula. Something about the opening of this fragrance sets it apart a little bit from the likes of Armani Rose d'Arabie (which is incredible too) to which it is very similar. I think the rose in this is strong yet quite subdued it's as much about oud and resin for me. Xerjoff have created a truly brilliant (if not very original)thing here and about time too because after trying a fair few of their fragrances now I'm still on the fence about them as a house.
This is a weird fragrance the progression of notes seem to go backwards! The opening is incredibly woody and Oud was the first thing I recognized but it's overpowered (no mean feat)and literally after a minute or so...Gone! This fragrance then begins to morph completely into a crazed scent which reminds me of public toilets. Really hate that analogy, it makes me sound like a philistine because this juice is one of the most opulent things I've ever smelled but unfortunately it has that eye watering thing of highly concentrated/industrial strength cleaning products. One tiny application and I can tell already this is up there with the strongest perfume I've ever got the chance to smell. It's not quite the urinal cake of Amouage Ciel man it's actually bearable. I get the rose aroma but it's very unconventional more like Turkish delight! Seriously that's what Nemer smells like and of course I assume they flavour Turkish delight with Turkish roses...so it makes sense. I know I'm a genius! :) So odd that the woods come on so strong at first and then transition not so subtly into a complete sharp floral bomb! I love saffron and I suspect that's where the sharpness is coming from, although with so many strong elements in here I couldn't pick it up for sure and I'm normally very sensitive to saffron. I thought Tigerwood was a golfer? well no wonder he gets laid so much if he smells this good, the woody element to this fragrance opens strong then sits gentle underneath for the duration of the experience. I can't help but admire this fragrance for it's gutsy approach and I'm positive many fragrance lovers will be bowled over by it, I am but not in the right way. It's weird because it doesn't smell of any of the component parts but all at the same time all of them at once...usually the mark of a great composition. Very high quality ingredients have been used and Nemer is a unique combination but everything is fighting for the limelight to my nose and as such nothing shines. Update: Oh yes the woods have come back out to play and the drydown is really really nice a such a contrast to that turbulent opening which lasts several hours.
To me this is a sugary floral, Tiare flower and ylang ylang with a thirst quenching hint of aquatic seabreeze and an exotic cocktail type feel to it. I'd largely disagree that this fragrance is all about the lime margarita thing which it does vaguely conjure up in the opening but soon becomes apparent Batucada is more about the flowers. It leans toward the feminine for me but do you know what...that doesn't bother me in the slightest. I love this fragrance...I really love it. Not sure I could pull it off with such a butch reputation to uphold, another wear and I may have an answer. L'Artisan is a good house offering quality and invention at a slightly more reasonable price this is yet another good one. Update: Oh yes!!! Wearing this today and I have cemented my position finally. I will be purchasing Batucada it's tropical wonder juice so, so good and really unlike anything I have currently. It was between this and Antigua which came in a close second place.
I'm firmly in the middle here to be honest. Opens really well for me I love sweet scents and this one instantly reminds me of some sort of fruity sweet thing, can't for the life of me think what it is. maybe like fruit bon bon sweets or something? That natural orangey, ylang and yes raspberry opening is then suddenly met with (and I don't mean to be crude here) a kind of pissy note. As it settles the vanilla is right there throughout which this creamy complex array of sweet notes. I really like it! It's kind of contrary to my common sense which kinda makes me think this is a bit of a stupid fragrance or a mess of notes! Marshmallow!!! That's it smells like marshmallows for a split second then swirls through some other notes...what an odd beast. Another wear is on the cards and it could go either way to me honest this and judging my the votes this fragrance is the epitome of polarizing!
Yes it is pretty similar to Man 2 certainly puts me in mind of it but it doesn't quite have the same spicing, pepper sure but not that of nutmeg and caraway. Montale Greyland hits you with a fantastic opening of cedar ginger and pepper then turns to warm sandalwood, guiac and vetiver decent spicy woods! Some fragrances claim to be woody, Greyland is unapologetically wood and spice and I love it as much as Man 2 or Encre Noire. Has great longevity maybe not as legendary as other Montale's but possesses as much as you'll ever need.
My final scent in the sherbet series and I was looking forward to this one so much! Thankfully it didn't disappoint...I love rhubarb the taste the smell, the synthetic apple based flavouring in sweets...whatever I love it! Every fragrance I've ever encountered with a Rhubarb note has been an instant hit with me but this one takes the biscuit. This doesn't appeal to my slightly snobby fragrance head this goes straight for my childlike soft centre and makes me love it uncontrollably, as much as I love Rhubarb pie! My oh my... it's absolutely beautiful sharp, sweet Rhubarb but just like the rest of this series surprised me with subtle complexity of very mellow, exotic floral notes from orchid and the tiniest hint of vanilla. A strong woody base would've grounded it and maybe lent some more substance to the fragrance but I didn't detect any. All that positive stuff but then a huge negative is that the longevity is pathetic! I don't think I've ever used that adjective to describe even the most feeble of juices but this really is gone in Minutes rather than hours, never known anything like it! If Mark Buxton's devil in disguise is similar I need to hunt that down and see if it lasts better because otherwise I would've bought CDG Rhubarb in a heartbeat! Such a shame.
I say this is a woody floral scent which when it's dried down is complex enough to be interesting but subtle enough to just as easily be forgotten. I fear I am getting ahead of myself. Not being someone who is overly familiar with Osmanthus, I must say it's a lovely fragrant smell mixed with jasmine in this composition it's very nice. The opening is really sweet, playful and quite feminine with ylang ylang and a boozy berry scent which fades quickly but made me stand up and take notice. Then it just becomes a bit lack luster, pleasant but far from special. I think the tongue in cheek title of this fragrance is definitely poking fun at pretentious blurbs associated with brands like By Killian which @Sherapop points out brilliantly below. I've only tried 3 Etat Libre d'Orange fragrances so far in my life and each has been a real experience Dangerous Complicity is no exception.
Woah! I literally can't wait to sample this one! I thought agave was a fruit? shows what I know! That thumbnail of it looks awesome anyway. I know Jo Malone has a fragrance containing agave but it's not that common, Phaedon haven't had any bad scents so far and this seems interesting.
Okay so I'm pretty seasoned in Montale fragrances now...I've tried a lot of them. Red Vetyver is one of the stragglers after working my way through various Aouds. Yes...I thought to myself...how much can this smell like Terre d'Hermes? Well... ALOT! is the answer. The opening is that gorgeous juicy orange tempered with dry earthy vetiver the spice of pepper and cleanness of cedar. It's a stunning fragrance done very well and it's the age old question..."who did it first?" or more ominously..."Who copied who?" (I don't believe in intentional copying in most cases BTW) well I think this was out in 2008 and Terre was 2006 if I remember correctly? But more importantly is there anything which sets this apart from TdH and the answer could well be starring me in the face. Recently I tried Terre d'Hermes EDP for the first time and pitted it against the faithful EDT. The main difference was that I prefered the 'ever so' slightly boozier, heavier and more fruity quality of the EDP in smell. However performance wise the EDT beat it hands down and the fragrance never changed from beginning to end, just straight delivers. I'd say positively Red Vetyver possesses the great qualities of both! The opening is exploding with orange fruit like the EDP, the bitterness of the EDT is there but it has the transitional drydown from the EDP. That drydown incidentally is really nice and long as I've come to expect from Montale. So Is it worth trading this for Terre d'Hermes? No. That's no offense to this fragrance but even if it lasts longer that has never been an issue for me. How about Montale make a copycat of D&G's the One that lasts 12 hours...then they'd have a winner on their hands!
woah the opening starts out harsh, like a fresh marker pen stinging my nose with a combo of fruit and labdanum. When it settles a little however it's a super sweet cotton candy hint of coffee and vanilla...sound familiar? Well instantly to me this smells like a stronger, deeper version of ROCHAS MAN. Seriously the likeness is uncanny. I think what makes it deeper is a smooth honey/tobacco edge to it and that labdanum for me pushes it to a more niche level...If there's such a thing? It kind of dries down like a Le Male musky vanilla but still with that lasting power and an edge of class. It's quite different to Rochas Man by the same rule as it drys down it becomes less and less like it. In terms of sweetness and refreshing qualities I personally prefer the cheaper option. As it goes on...I get that note I don't like all that much (Calone I think?) It's the same unpleasant synthetic sea like aquatic note from the dreaded 212 Surf I tried recently...but when low in the mix it's tolerable and actually adds something to the composition. In longevity and projection terms this beats hands down and so it should at this price. Xerjoff have something which seems common here to 1 million (I see the likeness but not overly) or Rochas or Le male or even Zegna intenso in the drydown but the Italian house have done it slightly better. Doesn't offend me...but I wouldn't wear it all the same!
