Colours for Men (1994)
by Alexander Julian

I have to disagree with tvlampboy here, in that I don't find this "perfumey" at all. I obtained a bottle in a swap, without ever sampling it, so I feared that it might have strong geranium, for example, which can created what I consider to be a "perfumey" quality. Instead, I agree with 20scents. This is really smooth, but I don't find it especially fresh. It seems to have a minor animalic note, actually, but it's so smooth that no note can cause "spiking" issues. I don't find it "powdery" because it's not dry enough for that, nor do I consider it "creamy" because the blending is just right, and it seems to stop just short of creaminess. The only "negative" I could imagine is that some might find this boring or lacking in dynamism after a while. It seems "natural" enough and the longevity and projection ("sillage") are at least very good with my skin chemistry.

This seems to be the "blurb" on it (on various sites): "a sharp, oriental, floral fragrance. This masculine scent possesses a blend of oriental notes with sandalwood and patchouli." Don't expect to actually smell sandalwood or patchouli, however. I don't really think of it as an oriental fragrance, because it's not especially sweet and I don't detect much if any spice. How anyone can call it "sharp" is beyond my comprehension, unless the top notes are (which I avoid as much as possible). My guess on the notes: iris/orris, white floral, lemon, civet, amber and/or heliotrope, and perhaps moss. I'd say there are at least several others, which certainly could include sandalwood and patchouli, but the blending makes it difficult for me to feel confident about my ability to determine what's in here. Whatever the notes are, the perfumer did an excellent job of creating a unique fragrance (AFAICT) that is pleasant and technically sound.

2nd July, 2010.

Powdery beyond powdery -- the quintessence of powdery, in fact.
(n.b.: The underlying sweetness here is of the "perfume-y" type, not the gourmand type.)

A definite try-before-you-buy kind of frag, esp. in light of its high "discontinued, hard-to-find" price tag.

1st July, 2008.

I get a spicy, sweet and a mossy scent. I like the spice but not the sweet. It's not overly sweet but it's just enough to turn off the spice. It's very nice.

29th June, 2008.

Well, after going to perfumeemporium's website and all the positive reviews there and seeing it was discontinued I bought a few minis and now wish I hadn't. They smell awful. Maybe they've sat too long and just have gone bad. They certainly don't smell distinguished, clean or freh and with a hint of fresh flowers. I will never wear them and am thinking of putting them on the doorsteps of my apartment complex and I'm someone will come along and pick them up as they will be free of charge.

4th May, 2008.

Creamy,sweet and flowery,my fiancee says it smells like talcum powder.Warm and almost edible.I like this for occasional wear but a bit too cloying for everyday use.An unusual and vibrant masculine fragrance.

12nd April, 2007.

This one you'll either love or hate. It comes in a pretty, Egyptian looking bottle, which is a hint, perhaps, at the content: perhaps the most extreme flowery oriental for men around. It's flowery and creamy and flowery and creamy again and it's incredibly potent. I can see Southern Belles, or even better, southern-belle drag queens wearing this, Mr. Julian, I ab-so-lute-ly cannot. It smells too much like my auntie's cosmetics case. I respect it though. It does what it does with aplomb.

17th October, 2006.