Sienna (1990)
by Crabtree & Evelyn

Really like this one, will be going FB on it.

Slightly sweet and spicy leather fragrance which is a ridiculous steal at the price point. I smelled this first and let it dry down before going back to see how much it was.

It smells much MUCH more expensive than it actually costs and would suit anyone looking for a fairly powerful fragrance which can be worn in formal or smart casual situations very comfortably.

Recommended.

27th October, 2010.

This is intially very nice, warm spice with a firm supporting structure of leather. Within about fifteen minutes, however, it starts to descend into a very animalic region. Another five, and I might as well have just rolled around in a stable yard. After a little more time it regains its balance, heading back to the intial combination of notes but with the positions reversed - now the leather is on top and the spice supporting.

I really enjoy the start and the end of this, but don't much appreciate the journey between.

16th October, 2010.

Sienna is a good spicy leather scent, sort of like a less concentrated version of Kiehl's Pour Homme Essence Oil. What makes Sienna unique is the way the leather is treated: in most leather-heavy fragrances, leather has a sort of shiny, mildly oily smell, but in Sienna, the leather is pungent and smells almost like animal hide.

The only thing I don't like about Sienna is that the notes that give the leather its pungency smell very synthetic, and its syntheticness stands out like a sore thumb for a while. On top of the base leather I smell some bitter, almost harsh, citrus and wood notes, which smell to me like lime and vetiver. I don't find this to be a sweet fragrance at all, but rather a heavy and rough scent.

Sienna is not smooth at all, but rather is spicy and rough. It is dark and a bit crude, but its crudeness actually appeals to me. It's not a great scent by any means, but sometimes I just want to wear a rough n' ready fragrance that brooks no nonsense. Sienna is one of those fragrances, and I like that.

MY RATING: 7/10

2nd August, 2010.

I received SIENNA as a gift some years ago. I found it distinctively masculine then, very much in the style of Aramis, with notes of green citrus and spices over leather. While it is not as well-executed as some of the other designer takes on the same genre, it does smell far more expensive than it actually sells for, making this one of the better releases from Crabtree & Evelyn.

21st December, 2009.

A very very nice winter scent

A peppery warmth with a touch of sweetness

It is in the league of the Classics - Retro - Vintage scents - so not 2010 that it fits right in !!

Great life on the skin

I think this one should be kept secret as we all like something unusual and personal.

Formal/evening summers only - but a big bold wintery scent

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16th October, 2009. (Last Edited: 8th November, 2009.)

There is too much lavender in this for me. It reminds me of Tuscany by Aramis more than anything else. It's good but nothing special. I suggest Dorall's Mustang or Z-14 if you are on a budget. If not, there are plenty more things I'd prefer, even if I didn't mind lavender as much as I do, such as M7 or Michael for men (not that they are similar, but that they are also "heavy-duty masculine" fragrances.

My old "newbie" review:

I wonder if Dorall's Mustang is a copy of this. The differences are very subtle. I haven't investigated thoroughly (comparing side by side) because I don't like either one much. They are musky, with what seems to be mostly a cumin/soft leather accord dominating all the way through (after the top notes are gone, which I try to avoid). I don't get any clear wood note. It's the kind of fragrance you will probably really like or will hardly ever want to wear, though it's not nasty in any way. The top notes seem to suggest this will go in a different direction, but in any case, the longevity and sillage are very good to excellent. I'll give it a neutral because it doesn't have the dynamism I seek, not because I don't really like the scent all that much.

27th February, 2009. (Last Edited: 22nd December, 2009.)