Great citrus and fruit opening which turns ever so slightly soapy but never tips any balance too far. This is a good subtle scent I enjoyed it but it didn't blow me away. Diptyquesque (hahah) all over really! Some triumphs but in the main just consistently likable but not exceptional fragrances, across the board. I'd need to try it again to see if I could pick out more notes in this one.
Okay so I was expecting good things from this as the only other Kenneth Cole fragrance I've tried is Reaction and in my opinion it's excellent. My high hopes weren't dashed either, this is yet another fruity/musk combo which is fresh and smells really good as I'm a totally sucker for mandarin notes. I was expecting something darker, spicier, woodier maybe? and smokey too from a name like 'Black' and some of the reviews here but this is light and uplifting for me. I wish I got some incense or smoke but I just didn't. It's just a pleasant fruity/woody/musk scent and was actually very pleasing to my nose but even more fleeting than Reaction in that the longevity was poor on my skin. Maybe it requires another try to get more of the other qualities of this scent but all together a nice smelling scent.
This one is officially unisex but often touted as being more feminine and I can see that but don't let that put you off because despite this I think it's almost wearable for me. A very nice, Iris note opens a really clean, delicately spiced scent which then reveals a smooth leather quality. Another good composition from Penhaligon's the amber and tiny bit of vanilla in the base are subtle and make for a pleasant dry down... I really enjoyed this.
Well...I'm shocked that the town I live in has a Penhaligon's boutique and I must say it's one of the most beautiful shops I've ever been in, like a victorian chemists or something? Anyway...When I asked the lady at the counter how long it had been there she said "...around 12....(she paused as I thought she'd say months) she turned to her colleague and said "Is it 12? Yeah 12 YEARS we've been here!" It's very small and tucked away so easily missed but I still can't believe it's been there for 12 years and I've only just found it! So Elixir? I'd asked this question before of other Penhaligon suppliers "Do you have anything with incense in an eau de parfum?" and they always come up with Elixir. I've tried it a couple of times now and I must say I really enjoy it, like many from this house it's very well blended indeed. For me though although it has some smoke and spice to it the main player is rose and it's a very nice rose the spice is subtle, with a gentle incense running through it. This is actually one of my favourites and that's saying something too as I do like a lot of their creations. Difficult to pick apart the notes like penhaligon's Sartorial, Opus 1870 etc it's complex and well done. The main reason I was interested in this one was the concentration, as my main gripe with this house is the longevity. Elixir is better but still not good for the price and if you're looking for a powerhouse this isn't it. I really like this one though and may add it to my collection in future.
As far as citrus/fruity fragrances go...this ain't bad at all, actually quite pleasant! Sharp citrus at first then fruity and a little floral and a woody base it's a good fragrance and has much better longevity and projection than Ferrari black, so quite heavy and not really light at all. Pretty good stuff.
Okay so a Ferrari fragrance and this was actually the second one I tried and I preferred the first to be honest. I was expecting something less safe and frankly boring from Ferrari especially this black version maybe something deeper but no. A very nondescript and poor fragrance which has really bad longevity. Doesn't smell bad at first but disappears quickly.
DURO!!!! The HARD ON of male perfumery! I saw a video of some guy reviewing it on youtube and he claimed that the name had sexual connotations. I had to correct him at the time thinking 'Duro' just means 'Hard' in Italian and it was just his dirty mind and the marketing material talking about what a masculine statement this fragrance makes. That's the intended concept anyway...and as I said I was skeptical. That was...until I got my nose on it! Wild this one... make no mistake! If you like wood up the wazzoo this is the fragrance for you! Loud woodiness of dank strong Oud and a harder denser wood combined with it. Then there's the spice it's hard but not in a cooking spice type of way or even a hot chili kind of way, it's dry woody spice...almost like the natural spicey scent that would come from a piece of exotic wood. This fragrance for me is absolutely everything I look for in a masculine powerhouse. The spice perfectly tones down the unpleasant quality oud can have. You know? that bit when it takes a nosedive after the initial almost sweet strange amber quality. Anyway...the price of this juice is high, extortionately high some might say but I still felt Duro was a worthy purchase because of how bold and strong this juice is. Longevity and projection are massive as you'd expect from extrait de parfum. It's not especially unique smelling this one but what can I say? It has a certain appeal & I was charmed by it.
This scent has struck up a great balance, unlike the tennis pro it has been made for. Don't know if anyone has noticed but Rafa has one massively developed arm and one little, puny, skinny girl arm. To be fair he's evened things out a little since then. Lanvin impressed me greatly with Avant Garde but I still didn't know what to expect from this sport fragrance having never tried the original L'Homme. Well it's very nice indeed the opening is a little of what you've smelled before...citrus lemon CK One kind of vibe. Once the initial sharpness of the lemon dies down it becomes a mixture of fruit, can't quite place what though? The mixture of musk and herbs is perfectly executed in my humble opinion. Leave it to dry down for a while and it turns into a gorgeous scent which rivals any sport fragrance I've ever sniffed out for freshness.
Woah! Woah! I'd anticipated my meeting with Leather Oud with much trepidation not just after looking at the notes but seeing a few negative comments in the forum. I like Oud (genuinely, I know what it's smells like!) Leather, in principle is great and a favourite note but can be and often is... done badly. It's the animalistic element and beeswax to this that worried me. It just seemed to compound the other acquired tastes into a hellish mixture that could easily be awful...I was thinking Montale's cuir d'Arabie but with animal stink thrown in for good measure. Just for the record I like the bravery of the Montale it represents a different kind of leather and the dry down is fantastic it's just the opening and first couple of hours that are almost unbearably horrible! Anyway...To my surprise this fragrance is really good. It's inkeeping with the trend of this Dior range, notably being really well blended indeed. The Oud is great and not stifled or distorted by the leather the animal quality is actually really good in the context of this fragrance. The longevity is massive and the animal quality is manageable in the dry down. As one reviewer has mentioned it smells like sex...and that's a good description. Insanely raw and primal yet somehow finessed at the same time this is not for the faint of heart in terms of wearing it... I'm still not sure whether I would myself as I prefer something with spices. This perfume is bold and makes a real statement don't have any preconceptions or write this off without trying because like me, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Patchouli overdose!!! This thing is banging and green in a way that I haven't encountered before to be honest. It's not the sort of thing I'm used to. Even the patch dominance seems unfamiliar when accompanied by these other grassy and tobacco notes, it could be the concentration...I don't know? It's a weird one...but I do like it. Hindu Grass intrigues me and encourages me to get my nose on it again. I'm staggering my nasomatto reviews having tried everything(ex.Pardon) they have to offer and I was only compelled to purchase Duro at this high price. The jury is still out on Black Afgano. I'm not sure when or where I would wear Hindu Grass it's a daring scent and no mistake.
As I mentioned in my original review below the patchouli in this fragrance is more 'hippy' than a chocolatey 'Tom Ford type' but it's more than that. The green and earthy notes surrounding it create a kind of floral almost natural soft leathery feel especially in the dry down. What a dry down it is too...magical! This juice has a opulent quality that you only get from a very high end fragrance, it's stunning to be honest. It teeters between green freshness and an intoxicating patchouli that to me is unique. There's notes in the drydown too which are almost rough against the general smoothness...if that makes sense? I love it anyway and definitely more impressed a second time.
Okay so... is this going to spellbind anyone? I doubt it! It's very reminiscent of many Acqua di Parma's really, fresh citrus and fruit in the top with a super clean, delicately spiced woody dry down. I found the opening to be very citrus and green too but pleasant and then the slighty rusty vetiver underneath is revealed. I get a slight tea vibe and some cardamom too. To be honest, contrary to reviews on here the first time I tried it I found the vetiver quite earthy. On wearing it for a second time it's much cleaner and more reminiscent of Jo Malone vetyver, or 154. I think it's common knowledge that I like a good perfume like this when it's well done. I'm not sure what this retails for but I'd imagine it's expensive so in that case I'd say go with an alternative. I will say this... it has good longevity. Update: 31/01/23 Wow Nearly ten years since I reviewed this one. Have I got much more to say on this? Nothing earth shattering to add but I like the use of vetiver here, it's very functional in that if you like root like, dry, smoky vetiver this is perhaps not for you, but paired with citrus in this context it shines beneath all the fresh stuff making a woody, musky, wooly sort of feel. It's paired back, understated but has a certain quality and power to it, and not a trace of ....oh ISO E SUPER or Ambroxan...yada yada is propping it all up, at no time does it retreat into a single aroma chemical or boring base, it's blended right to the bitter end. Underappreciated I'd say. Thoroughly enjoyed wearing it today.
Right!!! So for the authentic effect, I decanted some onto a bent spoon and burned it a little before injecting and let me tell you it smelled awful! Okay what's with everyone going on about the name? If you think about it most china (ceramic) is white and paint hues are named 'China White' without any intended drug references to street names for smack! Where do you think that came from anyway? What would people rather it be called....'Snow White'? Which would have ridiculous fairytale and still further drug connotations! RANT OVER! As for the smell of this it's BIG and BOLD! Nasomatto don't know how to do anything else. Even with a scent like this which is powdery and floral it's an industrial Iron fist in a velvet glove. I get lots of animalistic musk from this which under normal circumstances I wouldn't like especially in a floral scent but this is intriguing to me. I have to say I quite like china white not for me to wear but I can definitely appreciate it. It has a unique edge and I can't think of many scents like it.
Again the name is very deceptive here...not a Oud centric fragrance at all but hey I think you've got to look past a simplistic name like simply 'Oud' as a creation with a base in Oud. (I'm sure it's in there somewhere?) I love saffron, styrax and Myrrh and was hoping this would deliver something special and it kinda does? I truly haven't made my mind up on this yet. I hate to label things with a sex but I'm going to anyway haha! Something about this leans slightly more toward the feminine as I felt with Casbah. I know, I know it's strange but that's the impression I got. This being said It's not too feminine to dismiss me wearing it and that is the usual gauge I use to determine how much I like it. The fir and saffron in top of this fragrance make for a bewildering opening that soon subsides to reveal an almost rusty, very dry resinous vibe. Although I quipped about the oud at the top of this review it is present but lends a harder quality possibly from the combo with guaiac wood. This is a strange one for me didn't hit me as instantly as Bois noir as a keeper but definitely worth another sniff especially if like me, you love Myrrh.
Something I left out of my review below is that this fragrance opens with masses of balsam fir which comes across very menthol and strong then the resins kick. I like this fragrance still not for me though.
I don't know what it is about me a fig based scents but we seem to be drawn to each other like some sort of fatal attraction. Strange really despite the usual feminine association. Interesting that the review below compares this to Fico di amalfi and naturally who wouldn't make the connection. However as somebody who has the ADP and loves it I must admit Figuier Eden is better. Not that I see this as 'high end' compared to the Fico in truth most of the Armani Prive line are pretty lackluster for the price. The opening of this scent is really good, fresh, juicy and bursting out of the bottle, with the addition of iris which to me really makes the fig pop! Fico is a little watery and subdued in comparison, to me more suited to summer, where as I see the Armani as being a little more versatile. The drydown of Figuier is more powdery and you definitely get the iris contributing to a longer lasting scent on the skin. The verdict is good...very good if you like figs you could do a lot worse than this but arguably better too.
Okay so I'll comment briefly on this as I didn't consider it for myself but rather my girlfriend for her birthday. Now that I've bought this and peony blush I have decided to give them to my mum for Christmas instead as they're probably more up her street. I had a discussion with the lady in the Jo Malone boutique and she said this was not a big seller and judging by the comments here I'm not surprised. Personally I thought it was lovely. For me it doesn't have the sweetness of jasmine or the waxy, soapiness of white florals like tuberose or orange blossom but something about it was really gentle and soothing. Perhaps it's the freshness of the mint which is easy to perceive without being too minty and makes this fragrance pleasant. I like it for a woman and even a man could pull this off if he wanted...not me though. Great scent and underated in the Jo Malone collection in my opinion.
Oh Lanvin Avant Garde how you've ducked under my radar all this time. I've been aware of this fragrance for ages now and I've had the opportunity to try it on a couple of occassions and passed it by. At this point I'd just like to add that I'm not sure why I didn't want to try it because I love to shoehorn in the words/phase(?)"Avant Garde" into conversation and the presentation of the product is very good so you'd have thought it would be of interest to me? Anyway... Thought I'd check out the notes on here and when I did, I didn't hold out much hope...beeswax and tobacco...hmmmm? I love tobacco but there's many variables within that accord and I straight just don't like beeswax unless in some very special circumstances. Well... These are very special circumstances indeed! Love this fragrance it's a smooth, dark, resinous masculine juice which combines a very good rich tobacco with the quality of beeswax and the combination is such that I actually like the beeswax! It just works this one, very warming and great for winter. Avante Garde is a stand out juice at a great price can't recommend this stuff highly enough.
Ambre Nuit is an absolute knockout! The opening is wonderful and then it just gets better and better in the dry down. I adore it! I've sniffed many amber scents in my time and this one is an instant favourite...surpassing the likes of Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche and Tom Ford Ambre Absolute. Ambre nuit is so well put together it genuinely had me hooked and constantly smelling myself because it's so divine. Really unexpected from Dior too. I was honestly thinking...'Here we go again...I'll probably like it but it's yet another amber...' boy was I wrong! The nostril stinging sensation that I usually get from potent niche amber's is just not apparent with this creation, it's smooth from start to finish. A very subdued and gentle amber which has the perfect balance of sweetness and spice. The rose is so well blended it offers up beautiful qualities without once smelling like rose...if that makes sense? It's no projection or sillage monster but the longevity is pretty good. This scent stays close to the skin and is so natural it's almost a skin enhancer...if that makes sense? Although if I knew anyone who smelled like this naturally they'd probably have a perminent harem of folks following them around trying to sniff them. Great fragrance...well done Dior.
At first when sprayed this had me excited a dank, mouldy Oud woodiness with almost sweet top notes that are perfectly complimentary. I thought this had the quality and balance of MFK Oud but sadly as it develops past the opening couple of minutes or so, it shows it's true colours. It's not bad as such but just very weak and longevity is poor. This is odd because I would've thought they'd use the same quality of Agarwood for all this collection (with the gold stoppers) and Oud royal is good and Myrrhe imperiale (although doesn't have Oud) is a favourite of mine. The leather in this is there but not very pleasant and luckily not very strong when it emerges, nor does it stick around for long. Cuir noir is certainly not smooth or luxurious and does evoke more of a rough tanning vibe which is supposed to be Armani's intention. This fragrance is not bad just lacking in originality and strength at this price point. The dry down is subtle but pleasant if you like Oud...That's all I can say really.
Okay brief re-review as I've started on my second sample. I pretty much agree with my original sentiments a great smelling, resiny, Oud opening, quite sweet actually, which matures to a rough leather and vanilla this could be so fantastic if only it lasted. I must say I'm really enjoying the second wear this sent is right up my street and I'd even put up with the longevity & projection issues if it was significantly cheaper.
Great, great opening on this one I was drawn in from the very first sniff, strange really as I like patch (I mean who doesn't?) (Ps I am aware some people don't I was being rhetorical.) But I'm not crazy about it and don't often consider fragrances with patchouli in the name. Also, this is my first delve into this collection from Dior and it's off to a good start let me tell you. It has a menthol almost medicinal vibe in the opening and a little fruit not really what I expected but very pleasant. The patchouli becomes really chocolaty in the dry down like cacao & sweet leafy soil mixed with truffles or something? So not sweet gourmand chocolate just that lovely dark thing patch does when it becomes like chocolate. This is a good blend and the whole vibe puts me in mind of Tom Ford Noir or like an uncluttered black orchid...in other words...heavy on the patchouli as you'd expect. My verdict was initially this was my favourite until the amber one I tried dried down and I really how gorgeous it was. So this is no slouch its a good, extremely well made fragrance and the price is pretty reasonable considering the amount of juice you get. Oh...just one minor criticism of this line. Dior have taken a minimalist approach to the packaging on these but in my opinion they look cheap and nasty. The bottles displayed on the Dior counter are bright (crazy juice colours)and easily recognisable but they look to me like cocktail syrups or soda stream flavours or something...not high end perfumes.
Okay well this one is a strange combination of pungent Lavender, deeply spiced with pepper and nutmeg. A great fragrance and although this should be right up my street I just fail to see how I could pull off wearing it. The lavender is as accurate a lavender smell as you can get, totally natural and extremely fresh like pure lavender oil. Comparisons to Luna Rossa from Prada are obvious due to the dominance of this note along with the spicing. In my opinion though this is more traditional, medicinal and reminiscent of aromatherapy oils than the more contemporary Prada. It's not just that though, the whole look of the bottle and branding give the impression of a old apothecary style product. As it dries down it mellows slightly but you do get a strength from this juice that is unrelenting then disappears. I get this fragrance I really do, unfortunately as I mentioned I just couldn't wear it myself. Very good though.
I'm not going to criticize Tom Ford (or Fraud) for this this creation due to it's name. I'm no Arab but I don't think it's takes one to tell that the note breakdown at least is not evocative enough of Arabian purfume...one would think. Yes we all think of Oud and Incense but are they really such authentic Arabic ingredients? What's wrong or not authentic about Oakmoss, Rose, sandalwood? I really don't know? Like I said I'm no expert so I will give Tom Ford the benefit of the doubt on this one. Anybody else who's not an expert should too! The more pertinent problem I have with Arabian Wood is that I simply don't like it all that much. I get Cedar, oakmoss a hint of rose and just lots of masculine woods. This fragrance is nothing special at all and to me is very ordinary male oriented and a real let down for the private blend.
Reading my review below...What an idiotic boob I was some 5 years ago. I've dug out an old sample of this and I'm wearing it today, maybe (definitely) my tastes have changed over that time. I still kinda see what I meant but I'm probably more nostalgic about Arabian wood because it's discontinued in a forbidden fruit kinda way? That is a bit of a stupid reason because I think it's due to the sheer quality of this fragrance. As for my criticism of exactly how Arabic is AW, Well what could be more middle eastern than roses, jasmine, precious woods and resin? That's what this is, a primarily floral perfume with a healthy dose of oakmoss and woods to keep it honest. I think it's clean & beautiful but at the same time has that velvety smooth and sexy, Turkish delight darkness of TF Noir de Noir. Sometimes you have to stand back to appreciate great art and that's what I've done here. It's strong and projecting like mad. Rose and floral perfumes, however nice initially, usually start to get on my nerves after a while and this hasn't. AW is decent and makes me feel a bit special wearing it too, because of the perfect mixture of care free flamboyance and masculinity. I think what I expected in my original review was more sandalwood or oud because of the name but this has a much more refined and subtle edge than many arabic perfumes.
I've tried this about 3 times on my skin, over a number of months and I've got a feeling Eau Duelle could grow on me through further investigation. It's very unique I can't think of anything I've smelled that resembles this, almost like a combination of notes that shouldn't work but somehow just do. Resinous spice, tea, juniper, cardamom, ambergris, musk and then vanilla! It sounds like a 'shitmix' as I affectionately called a plastic bottle mixture of whatever booze I could steal from my parents spirit cabinet when I was a kid. Needless to say these concoctions (usually a dark brownish hue) were not a smooth carefully blended cocktail, more of a burning firewater with no discernible genus. Anyway...that's exactly what I'd expect from this especially with the vanilla being so integral in its make up but its not at all confused. Eau Duelle has a lightness of touch which really lets the spices play around without being able to pick out the notes as such. The frankincense and elemi are present and surprisingly work well with the vanilla. Without further testing I'm at a bit of loss. I know I like it or I wouldn't keep returning to it and this could potentially be one of my favourites from this house.
I'm not surprised the notes in this rhyme... Lavender, Lemon and Lime, Pepper, Musk and Pine. It strikes a great balance similar to all the Penhaligon's I've sniffed out. Perfectly natural sharp citrus of Lemon and Lime(you can really smell both) with calming Lavender. The drydown yields a little pepper and gentle musk. My only criticism is that the combination of top notes give this a cleaning product type of vibe and I'm not one who usually says that about overly lemony or lavender fragrances because it's too easy to go there. At the end of the day I like and accurate citrus also love lavender and I like the subtle pinch of pepper, just works. This still has an elegance about it, Penhaligon's just pulls it off and Blenheim Bouquet has a clean feel but it's not the best offering from them although inoffensive and wearable.
At last!!! I finally have '...the Butt Plug of male perfume' as Mark (Robes08) called it on one of his videos. I blind bought it as it's one of those ones that comes up again and again and I figured it sounded like a safe bet. Firstly, the comparisons with Givenchy play intense alone made me want this juice as if it's anything remotely like it then it's in very good territory. As soon as I sprayed Rochas man I realised how soft it was the smell really takes time to settle and I actually get a great deal of fresh citrus in those first few seconds, then it becomes more apparent what this fragrance is all about. A very subtle vanilla, milky coffee and lavender comes through and to me it seems iced and refreshing not warm and decadent. Without referencing Givenchy Play Intense I was immediately reminded of it as this dries down and understandably so. If you then try Givenchy Play Intense side by side with this you realise there's big differences in notes. To me this is less sweet and more coffee like, it also is softer and stays closer to the skin. Anyone who has this and doesn't have Play Intense don't make the mistake of thinking you don't need it. My personal taste dictates that if you like this (which I do) you will love The Givenchy as it's an amped up, more gourmand, sexier, sweeter, stronger, more complex and longer lasting fragrance than this one. That's my view... but Rochas man has it's merits as a close skin scent which I must say, I really enjoy. Talk of the sweetness here is not that accurate, sure its sweet but the coffee (although really subtle) gives it a bitterness and reminds me of Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin as much as it does of Play intense. Anyway...my verdict is that It's worth a go for a blind buy and the kind of scent I will wear pretty regularly. My inital thoughts were it's a winter scent but actually that soft, cooling, calming vibe might be more suited to a summer evening in hindsight. This is a great juice and right up my street.
