Reviews by Aaron01

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    Aaron01
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    Showing 1 to 29 of 29.
    rating

    Baie de Genièvre by Creed

    Baie de Genièvre Feuilles de Canneliers

    Top: Bergamot, cinnamon leaves
    Mid: Clove, juniper berry
    Base: Vetiver, ambergris

    I think of this as an upper class Italian barbershop type scent. It opens with a great blast of juniper combined with lemon and of course, cinnamon; the citrus note is present throughout. The eventual drydown is upon a rich, wet vetiver and some soapy note that gives it its barbershop quality. A lot of people think it to be a cold weather scent. As someone who lives where it's basically 65*F all year round, I think it works quite well when it's warm, even hot, out.

    This is truely one of my favorite Creeds and is shamefully underrated, especially among its rather pedestrian bretheren.

    29th May, 2011.

    rating

    Bigarade Concentrée by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

    Eau d'Hermès lite!

    Jean-Claude Ellena seems to be a fan of Roudnitska's EdH as his scent Déclaration for Cartier paid some serious tributes. Bigarade Concentrée is no different, insofar as the homage that is paid. It opens with a mild dose of cumin, much more subdued than with EdH, and whereas EdH has a more clean citrus Bigarade Concentrée has a rather ripe, orange/lemon PEEL (emphasis intended) melange. This lasts for the first hour or so and you're left wondering if perhaps this will follow the same progression as EdH or take its own course, which infact it does. When EdH takes a turn towards a base of lavender, vanilla, tonka and leather, Bigarade Concentrée stays with the ripe citrus peel in pure linear JCE fashion.

    I'm a fan of most things minimal, I rather enjoy ambient drone music so I'm not as bored by JCE's linear scents as other people seem to be. Why they keep expecting something different from him is beyond me; don't anxiously await for the newest Britney Spears album hoping it will be like Coltrane (I appologize for putting them in the same sentence), you know what you're getting into. In anycase, I rather enjoy the linear ripe citrus drydown; it's fresh without being "fresh" (read: boring and aquatic) as so many modern scents are and it's also rather enjoyable.

    I think of this as a really excellent vanilla ice cream, you know what you're getting every time and it always delivers, just don't expect complexity and you will enjoy the ride.

    I've only worn this scent in temps above 80*F and it has perfomed beautifully. If you like Eau d'Hermès but find it's a bit too cloying for hot weather than this is truely the scent for you. This scent lasts a fair while on my skin, but yours might be different, I would suggest trying before buying solely because of the longevity.

    I imagine this is one of those scents that is great for playing golf in the summer while smoking a nice cigar.

    17th February, 2010.

    rating

    Bois Rouge by Tom Ford

    Opens with a crisp citrus accord (bergamot?) and then dries down into a base of cedar, sandalwood and patchouli sweetened by some vanilla, a little amber and to my nose maybe even a little cinnamon.

    Unfortunately this scent stays fairly close to the skin, not unlike some of its brothers from the Private Blend. It certainly doesn't project in the same fashion as something like Tobacco Vanille does.

    It is however a very gentelmanly scent, in the same vein as Guerlain's Heritage (EdT), Habit Rouge (EdP ), or Creed's Bois du Portugal. However I'm not sure I prefer it over them.

    I hesitated to give it a thumbs up, since projection and sillage are such large factors with scents, especially with this kind of price tag.

    7th August, 2009.

    rating

    Jules by Christian Dior

    Top: albanum, artemesia, bergamot oil, cumin, green notes, laurel, lavender and wormwood
    Middle: black pepper, carnation, cedarwood, sandalwood, rose and jasmine
    Base: amber, oakmoss, tonka bean, olibanum, musk, fir, Russian leather and castoreum.

    Not worth the exorbitant prices on ebay, but this is an excellent fragrance. Jules opens with a spicy herbal blast very similar to Santos Concentree (Cartier - 1982) but as it dries down it differs greatly. The drydown is very smooth and the more prominent notes are the leather, oakmoss and fir, some cumin, wormwood and sandalwood are left over from the opening.

    Jules is not as dark a scent as Santos Concentree, but it's in the same vein. The dryodown is slightly sweet and very green and masculine.

    16th March, 2009.

    rating

    Forest Rain by Kiehl's

    I had high hopes for this one. Opens with a fair bit of citrus, the vetiver is fairly light, certainly not as earthy as VE or RdV and lighter than the Hermessence Vetiver Tonka. There's a bit of musk, but again, it's a bit soft and light, the drydown is a mix of the vetiver, musk and lilly of the valley.

    I'm not sure why it's called "Forest" but I definitely can see the "rain" part of the name as it does have a wet feel to it but I had hoped for some more coniferous notes.

    16th February, 2009.

    rating

    Santos Eau de Sport by Cartier

    Wow! How on Earth was this one discontinued??

    It opens with the trademark Santos spice blast, but with a bit of citrus to mellow it out, as it starts to dry down you're treated to a creamy base, thanks to the tonka, vanilla and amber, that blends so perfectly with the spices and citrus. No part of it is overbearing, all elements (spices, citrus, creaminess/sweetness) come through oh so perfectly. Don't let the citrus fool you, this is no Aqua di Gio, this is still just as masculine and spicy as the original Santos, the citrus and vanilla base simply compliment it and help to round it out.

    To my nose, this is far better than Santos (original formulation - silver and clear bottle, NOT the black reformulation) and Santos Concentree. But, while you can plainly tell that this is a member of the Santos family, it is the perfect companion for one of its brothers.

    If you are a fan of the Santos line, do yourself a favor and get this one

    10th February, 2009.

    rating

    Cuiron Pour Homme by Helmut Lang

    I bought this blind simply because I always wanted to try it and there was a big sale going on....little did I know that it would be discontinued right after. I had been searching for a leather scent like Cuiron for a long time, after sampling many scents which claimed to be leather based I grew weary that my quest would never be fulfilled...little did I know.

    The balance between the plum and the leather and suede is amazing. The best way to describe it is if you crushed up some plums and put it in a suede lined, leather bag. The leather in this scent is so deep and rich, it reminds me of the smell you get from brand new leather goods (wallets, belts, bags, shoes etc...). This is real leather, this is rich leather, this is awesome.

    Prices have skyrocketed online for this since HL left the company that was producing this, even if it's around the $80-120 range that another reviewer quoted, that puts it on par with most niche frags; this one blows Creed's REL out of the water and makes Knize Ten seem like a faint attempt at leather.

    If you happen to cross this in a store selling it at the original price, buy their whole stock!!

    3rd February, 2009.

    rating

    Orange Spice by Creed

    My first thoughts were "Kouros, is that you? Why were you rolling around in an orange field?" But once you spray them on each arm for a careful juxtaposition it's very easy to tell where these scents are different.

    Kouros opens dirtier due to the heavier civet and the oakmoss, the clove adds some spice to it.

    Orange Spice lacks the harsh opening and has a far more subdued clove note, it can smell a bit like Kouros, but there's a very noticeable mandarin and orange note that stick with you the whole time and compliment the must and civet (?) quite nicely. The orange note is not as raw as say, FM's Bigarrade Concentree, which smells like orange peels, it's almost like that smell of fresh orange juice, it's quite noticable and it flirts with you and adds a nice balance to the scent. Upon the drydown it becomes much warmer and starts to blossom, bringing out the "dirty" notes, but the oranges never leave you.

    I don't particuarly like citrus scents, but this is one like none other.....and I love it

    16th January, 2009.

    rating

    Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

    Like Dior Homme's Eau Noire or AG's Sables, but with a sweeter base (and lacking the chocolate from EN), thanks to the amber and a much softer herbal accord. There would appear to be some ceder in the middle which mellows it out a bit as the spicy notes start to fade. The drydown smells of amber, vanilla and still the memory of the herbal blast upon the opening.

    Far more unisex than the aforementioned scents. If you liked those, but thought they were too spicy or masculine, this is the one for you.

    14th January, 2009.

    rating

    Kiehl's Original Musk by Kiehl's

    Simple but great! It has a reminiscence of a milder, softer Kouros but it's short lasted. A great musk that's mixed with some orange and silght floral notes. A great fragrance that lasts a long time

    13rd January, 2009.

    rating

    Andron for Men by Jovan

    No idea why this was discontinued, this one is great and better than most of the stuff that's still out. It reminds me of the best parts of Boss One and Givenchy Gentleman mixed, yet alltogether a different scent. Lots of patchouli, musk and castoreum in the drydown.

    13rd January, 2009.

    rating

    Mazzolari Lui by Mazzolari

    Lui has a fair bit of patchouli, sandalwood and above all a strong base of amber. If I had to compare it to another niche frag I'd say it's a warmer, less herbal version of Parfum d'Habit. But it almost seems like Givenchy Gentleman, minus the civet and dressed up. If GG is a bong smoking hippie, this is his refined brother who wears bespoke suits and goes to black tie events.

    It took me a couple wearings to "get it," but I'm glad I stuck with it. Thumbs up, A+, looks like I'll be buying this one. If you like masculine frags, this one is a must-try.

    28th December, 2008.

    rating

    Sandalwood by Art of Shaving

    Love it! Sure there's the eucalyptus note but it doesn't last that long and frankly it doesn't bother me. I grew up next to a grove of eucalyptus trees so the scent has never bothered me.

    The sandalwood in this, as well as their other shaving products, is rather amazing; rich and full. The scent lasts all day, and then some more, has some good projection and sillage. Not overpowering but not a shy one. I get lots of compliments from the ladies on this one so that's always a plus. It also smells different from about 99% of all of the scents that people wear out there, so you'll definitely stand out.

    If you've never smelled sandalwood this is probably a pretty good barometer to gain an understanding of the scent.

    If you really like sandalwood, this is the one for you; no watered down mamby pamby sandalwood here.

    18th July, 2008.

    rating

    Bulgari pour Homme Soir by Bulgari

    Smells a lot like Chrome by Azzaro which is an overused scent. I would expect this one to follow suit based on the smell and the name.

    18th July, 2007.

    rating

    Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana

    Another Aqua di Gio clone. No standout qualities over any other cologne I've seen at the counter.

    I found it vile and couldn't wait to get it off my skin.

    Don't waste your money on it.

    3rd July, 2007.

    rating

    Santos Concentrée by Cartier

    Very spicy and dark is this extremely masculine fragrance.

    I don't think the nutmeg and cumin are as dominant in the Concentree as they are in the original Santos, but they're definitely there. This is an "in your face" type fragrance which seems common from those of that era (80s).

    I use it all year round in nearly any type of setting; very versatile. Not one of my longer lasting fragrances but I get above average longevity out of it (~10hrs).

    Defintely reccomended, not as easy to find as one may like, but I've found it at high end department stores (and of course online).

    29th June, 2007.

    rating

    Royal English Leather by Creed

    I wanted to like this one, especially because of the heritage behind it, but I just couldn't.

    I don't detect any leather notes at all. The top is dominated by mandarin and then it dries down to a fruity, powdery base.

    Smells remarkably similar to Knize Ten, considering the price difference if I were to buy one it would be K10.

    Was not the leather scent I was (and am) searching for.

    28th June, 2007. (Last Edited: 22nd April, 2008.)

    rating

    R de Capucci by Roberto Capucci

    Great fragrance in typical 80s style. I don't see the comparisons to Aramis, seems to be a little closer to Antaeus than anything I've smelled.

    Very masculine, refined, elegant and classic. A great purchase and despite being discontinued it can still be found online.

    I don't know why RdC doesn't get much attention but it should, it's a lot better than most of the scents people usually talk about.

    28th June, 2007.

    rating

    L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme by Issey Miyake

    What a dichotomy. This is the scent that started me on my path of fragrance collection and connoisseurship, a perennial favorite of mine, yet I couldn't get rid of it soon enough.

    Like all aquatic citrus scents this one is overly popular with the Abercrombie Generation, alongside Aqua de Gio you will smell this one everywhere.

    I got the most compliments on this scent, but I just can't wear it anymore. I try to stay as far away from scents like this as possible now.

    Good for the Sheeple, not for me.

    28th June, 2007.

    rating

    Bel Ami by Hermès

    They don't make them like this anymore! The 70s-80s seem to produce my favorite fragrances and this is one of them.

    Bel Ami is a very masculine fragrance that bleeds sophistication, I think it best suited for romantic evenings or winter days.

    The opening is remarkably similar to Yatagan, I believe this is due to the presence of wormwood, after that it changes into a very different leathery-herbal scent with a touch of lemon to top things off. The balance between the lemon and herbs seems to shift throughout the wearing and constantly brings you in for closer sniffings.

    This will see heavy rotation in my wardrobe. An easy 5 stars for this one.

    28th June, 2007.

    rating

    Gucci pour Homme by Gucci

    The opening smells like root beer (or another soda) to me. I like root beer but I don't want to wear it.

    I like woody scents, but this one doesn't do it for me. Not a bad scent, I notice more things about it each time I try it, I just can't get past the root beer.

    A lot of people say this is a "cedar" frag, I don't know why, I don't smell any in it, but if that's the case Jack Black Signature Black Mark is far better.

    27th June, 2007.

    rating

    X for Men by Clive Christian

    Not worth the money. Maybe it's the juice I was testing but I didn't think it was very strong at all. Not much sillage, projection or longevity out of it. The only thing I noticed was the pink pepper

    If you want pink pepper, get Isfarkand instead. Your wallet and nose will thank you

    27th June, 2007.

    rating

    Vétiver Extraordinaire by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

    VE is my favorite vetiver out of all of the ones I've tried. It has such a dirty yet clean smell to it that makes it intoxicating.

    Similar to Creed's OV, but at the other end of the scale. No lime and soap, just vetiver and some woody notes. The opening is a little rubbery, but that dies down fairly quickly and paves the way for the vetiver onslaught.

    There's not much that I can say that hasn't already been said. This is an extraordinary fragrance that lasts and lasts, I've gotten over 24 hours out of it.

    2 thumbs way up! Worth every penny.

    26th June, 2007.

    rating

    Cumming by Alan Cumming

    Like the man whose name is on the bottle, this frag is execptionally weird.

    It starts out extremely strong and harsh, so much so that it was a little off-putting at first. As the fragrance dries down it morphs eloquently into a cacophony of odd, yet delightfully pleasing notes.

    Definite "try before buy" fragrance. If you do try it, don't judge it from the first spray or even on the card. Spray onto your skin and let the notes blossom.

    This smells like NOTHING I've ever smelled before. Which makes me like this even more. After this I'm definitely checking out some of Christopher Brosius' fragrances.

    My one qualm is with it's longevity. The longevity is somewhat above average, but perhaps it's not as long as I'd like (~24 range). I wish this was an EDP instead of EDT.

    Alas this an exceptional frag, Top 5 worthy, and may be one of the few fragrances that I add a spare bottle to my collection.

    13rd June, 2007.

    rating

    Original Vetiver by Creed

    Exceptional. OV is a clean, fresh, soapy vetiver. The vetiver isn't that noticable in the opening, you get a lot of the lime and soap. As it dries down the vetiver starts to blossom and really develop quite nicely and the lime (I believe it's lime) still lingers to add a certain panache.<br><br>Yes this frag is expensive, but it is one of the better vetivers I've smelled and is worth the money (it can be found for very good prices online). I find this frag to be perfect for the office. It's clean, refreshing and not "insulting." <br><br>It wears well with good longevity (9+ hours) and good sillage.

    27th May, 2007. (Last Edited: 2nd April, 2008.)

    rating

    Chanel Pour Monsieur by Chanel

    An excellent fragrance that exudes refined class and good taste. Why the thumbs down then? It lasts 3 hours TOPS. This would be an exceptional fragrance if it lasted.

    It opens with a burst of lemon and the drydown is a powdery moss.
    Despite having lemon (a citrus) it's very original for this time period. It's just a shame that the longevity and sillage are absent with this fragrance.

    Do I regret buying this? No, not really. Will I replace this once I've used up my bottle? God no.

    I equate this fragrance to speed dating with a supermodel. Fun as hell, but it doesn't last for long so make it count!

    If you want to buy this, decant into a small spray bottle and carry with you for touchups; they will be needed.

    24th May, 2007.

    rating

    Vetiver Eau Glacée by Guerlain

    I find this one better than the original Guerlain Vetiver. The tabacco note is missing and there is an added mint and citrus to it. Because of the removed tobacco it loses that "sweaty" smell that the original can give off.
    It's perfect for warmer weather in my opinion. Smells very fresh, clean and masculine. Has good lasting power with good sillage, not overpowering. It's an excellent casual scent.

    20th May, 2007.

    rating

    Yatagan by Caron

    Possibly favorite fragrance! The slight celerey-esque note dies within minutes and lets loose to a barrage of woody-goodness; imagine walking through a deep pine forrest.

    An unmistakably masculine fragrance. This one takes huevos the size of bowling balls to wear. I cannot imagine any woman wearing this. If you're tired of the banal aquatic citruses this is for you. This is the type of fragrance that beats up Acqua di Gio and takes its lunch money.

    18th May, 2007.

    rating

    273 for Men by Fred Hayman

    I bought this blind (for $10) because of the reviews that said it smelled like Antaeus. It was not a lie, the top notes do smell like Antaeus. But, upon the drydown it becomes too floral and powdery for my taste.
    It's not a bad cologne, great value, but it just doesn't work with me. I'll stick with Antaeus.

    28th April, 2007.

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