Reviews by beltz

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    beltz
    Canada Canada

    Showing 1 to 30 of 30.
    rating

    Kuang Shi by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

    From the BPAL website: Bust out the dzang dzi! This scent honors the zombies of Chinese lore. Mandarin orange, white musk, mango, and white sandalwood.

    It indeed smells like it claims with the mandarin orange and musk more apparent to me than the rest. It seemed more complicated than just oranges and musk so the other ingredients must be it. Its white musk is rather kinky.

    Unlike other BPAL oils, this one is white and thus less likely to stain your clothes.

    It lasted about 4 hours on me.

    16th June, 2009.

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    Dragon's Blood by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

    The BPAL website says nothing about its ingredients. All I can tell is a simple flower oil, not sure which, and that it will stain your clothes badly. It is red like blood, that part is done really well, and the oil takes about 30 minutes before it dries enough that it would stain anything that touches it. Anyway I don't really like it.

    16th June, 2009.

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    Blood by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

    A sweet concoction with some deep incense in it. The incense is dense, not very smoky, and reminds me of a church. The sweetness made me doubt the name blood at first as a good choice, but when I detected the incense, it added some sense to it. It lasts a good amount of time.

    The liquid looks like saliva with a bit of blood. Keep in mind this is an oil, not a perfume, so you can't put it over your clothes or it will stain it red.

    15th June, 2009.

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    Black Forest by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

    Smells like a very natural coniferous forest, and close to a Christmas tree (fir?). I really like it.

    4th June, 2009.

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    Morning Glory by Calgon

    This is a wonderful fragrance and it comes as a body mist. You can buy it for under 10$.

    My ex girlfriend wore it and her skin always smelled very nice, for hours after she would put it on. Since it's a body mist, it's something you can apply liberally over your skin so that your whole body will smell nice, especially up close.

    I have no idea what the notes are, but I give this a thumbs up because it smells very nice.

    2nd June, 2009.

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    Maestrale by Profumi di Pantelleria

    This is a woody perfume with some weird ingredient I have never smelled before which smells very damp and... human, and kinky. I got this gem from another basenote member and I highly recommend it. It is one of the few woody perfumes I have tried that did not smell very dry - as it mixes a dry and a damp ingredient. Anyway, this is definitely unique and I highly recommend it to other men. It is masculine.

    28th May, 2009.

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    Mesmerize by Avon

    That weird, cloying, disgusting egyptian brothel / embalming fluid others have mentioned? Close to the cloyingly sweet aspects that make Musc Ravegeur what it is. That becomes far more evident in the dry down, where you will get some very similar notes to Must Ravageur's vanilla. It isn't as cloying, it doesn't last as long, and it is quite weird, but it's worth a try for it's originality.

    You need to be open minded for this one because it is true that it is weird at first. But I think it's the type to learn to like. Also, I disagree that it is simple, I think it has evolved a lot over the last couple of hours on me.

    5th February, 2009.

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    Organza Indécence by Givenchy

    This is basically Hypnotic Poison but a bit less milky, and with woody notes in it. Basenotes lists Jacara Wood, but to me, it's just similar to other woody fragrances, but I don't remember if this is sandal or cedar wood that I remember.

    This is also very similar to Hanae Mori for women. To me, Hanae Mori is Hypnotic poison, but less milky. So Organza would be close to that too, only with wood.

    It is pleasant, and this is a deep, creamy vanilla. I think this is something I would love to smell up-close on a woman.

    26th January, 2009.

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    Clear by Neil Morris Fragrances

    A great, long lasting fragrance with good sillage. I wear two sprays on my neck and I can easily smell this wonderful fragrance for a few hours at least - 3 hours so far, even though I am not moving or sweating to heat it up.

    The odor is haunting and I really love wearing this one while walking. It smells very fresh, but not in a sharp citrus or aquatic kind of way. It is more like a light, sweet grapefruit than a sharp one - so it is perhaps less masculine than common grapefruit fragrances. I still love it and would wear it anywhere.

    It is much better than both Jo Malone and Comme des Garcons' grapefruit fragrances, and quite different as well.

    31st December, 2008.

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    Vanille Absolu by Montale

    I love wearing this. It has good sillage and it smells intoxicating. It's a "humid vanilla" instead of dry, and it does smell a bit medicinal, but I soon fell in love with it when I actually wore it for a few hours. You will smell it on yourself when worn on the neck or chest so it is a fun fragrance to wear for your own pleasure. Note that at first, it reminded me of a popular lip balm which is why it seems medicinal. If upon applying it you notice that too, don't worry, after an hour or so worn on yourself, you will forget that association and love it.

    17th December, 2008.

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    Passage d'Enfer by L'Artisan Parfumeur

    I'm bad at guessing perfume notes so it took me a while to figure that the weird smell I was getting was a very smoky incense. I thought the name was appropriate. It is very weird and oddly, it makes me think of what a level-boss would wear in the videogame Diablo 2. Say Mephisto or Baal. Demonic.

    8th December, 2008.

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    Yvette by Michael Storer

    I like Yvette for the weirdest of reasons. People often associate perfumes with memories, and usually in a romantic way. This won't be the case here, but memories is the reason why I like Yvette.

    When I was 10 years old turning 11, my house was set on fire on Christmas Eve. It's not as bad as it sounds like, but I mention this since I associate two perfumes with it.

    Comme des Garcons's Tea smells like my house the day after it burned. It was partially damaged so we could enter, and it smelled of burnt wood, which was nice in an odd way.

    Yvette smells like a product used in a "smell machine" contractors used to make the burnt wood smell go away. They had repaired the house but for a few months, it would still smell like burnt wood. This machine produced a "pink" scent that gradually overcame the smoky odor. Yvette is very similar to that odor, and so my memory associates 6 months of insurance money coming in, buying me a Super Nintendo with the newly released Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat and other gems... As I said, this wouldn't be a romantic review. I was 11 year old when we started using the smell-machine. Now I want a bottle of it.

    4th December, 2008.

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    Love in Black by Creed

    This is a very original perfume. It is quite different from what I am used to, and I am one of those who tries a hundred samples a month. It definitely takes some getting used to but if you like perfumes that drastically evolve over the course of its first two hours, that are very feminine and sensual, and if you enjoy something DIFFERENT, then you will like Love in Black.

    The first 45 minutes in particular, there is a very odd ingredient, somewhat nutty but it's hard to say. The beginning reminded me of what I felt when I sampled "Cumming" perfume, by the actor 'Alan Cumming'. As you'd read in Cumming's reviews, it is quite unique and not for everyone, but it is so original that many people love it.

    Now, Love in Black is not that original... but its beginning has something in it that will weird out some and intrigue others. I was intrigued by it, but as is often the case for weird smells, I enjoy them especially if they evolve into something more for everyone later on, or if they just end up weird. This one becomes feminine, sensual and very sweet at the end and seems halfway flowery-sweet, half-gourmand-sweet.

    Whether you end up liking it or not, Love in Black is definitely a unique experience and worth the try, especially if you are open-minded enough for its beginning.

    2nd October, 2008.

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    In The Summer Kitchen by CB I Hate Perfume

    This stinks. It does what it says: it smells like your kitchen in the summer.
    Think of banana peels left in your overflowing garbage for a few hours, and some spices. It smells like fruits becoming too ripe, in a bad way, and is not very pleasant. However, it is accurate to its name.

    12nd August, 2008.

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    Mugler Cologne by Thierry Mugler

    Similar to Original Vetiver, but the dry down is different. It gets far woodier, and a wee bit smoky. Also, it does not smell as "clean" as original vetiver. Regardless, it is a nice scent to own and I would say it is also better than Annick Goutal's vetiver.

    17th July, 2008.

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    Ambre Canelle by Creed

    A very sweet amber and cinnamon scent. It has powerful sillage so do not over apply, or you might smell like an old lady at first. It isn't very masculine because of its sillage and sweetness but I love wearing this for that very reason - you are constantly reminded of what you are wearing and it is pleasant. However, I still prefer to wear this at home because it's not something I want others to smell on me.

    17th July, 2008.

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    Bois Farine by L'Artisan Parfumeur

    A very fun scent to wear. It's not sexy, sensual or something to attract others, but it sure is pleasant to wear. It smells like flour far more than wood and is pretty linear, in a good way. It's too expensive for its own good though, but it's very interesting to try.

    17th July, 2008.

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    parfums*PARFUMS Series 2 Red: Sequoia by Comme des Garçons

    An average woody/forest scent that does not have much sillage. You will forget you are wearing it and even up close, I found it hard to tell if I liked it because I could barely smell it.

    16th July, 2008.

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    Memory of Kindness by CB I Hate Perfume

    As said on the CB website, it smells like tomato leaves. Nothing more. It's a very, very natural scent and it definitely makes you think of being outside, in the summer. I was trying to figure out the reason for the name and my guess is that the creator of the scent probably planted tomatoes with a loved family member. It's a pleasant smell but although I was impressed at first, I don't think I would wear this again, except for when I miss the summer. A "freshly cut grass" scent would be better for that still.

    15th July, 2008.

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    M2 Black March by CB I Hate Perfume

    This is a water based perfume. This means it contains some perfume oil and water - no alcohol. As such, it lasts longer but has no (as in zero) sillage.

    It really, REALLY smells like autumn. Damp earth. Fallen leaves. At first. It evolves and becomes a bit sweater, but it still smells like nature, although perhaps a bit later than the month of March (in Northern USA/Canada).

    This is something that would be nice to mix with water and spray around your house, to give it an outdoor natural scent. It is nice to wear once or twice to try it, but I'm not sure you'd want to use this as a fragrance except for kicks and giggles.

    15th July, 2008.

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    Tea/Rose by CB I Hate Perfume

    Forget the Unisex label. This is a lady's perfume. I don't mind wearing a feminine perfume, so I would still buy a bottle.

    It smells like roses and something else sweet, that doesn't overpower the rose top note. The other thing probably is raspberries if I believe other reviews.

    It has only decent longevity although my shirt still smelled like roses the next day and my skin smelled some kind of sweet, red smell. Can't tell if it was roses for sure.

    If you aren't sure about my claim that this is a lady's perfume, please keep in mind that all of CDG's perfumes are listed as Unisex, and that some of their male fashion shows feature men wearing pink dresses and other ridiculously feminine clothes. I think it just has to do with CDG's philosophy rather than an unbiased claim that this is wearable for both genders.

    Again, I still would wear this (I'm a 26 year old guy) just like I would wear some of their other feminine scents such as Burnt Sugar.

    15th July, 2008.

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    Very Irrésistible for Men by Givenchy

    I really love this one. It smells something like citrus with hazelnuts and a bit of coffee. It lasts a long time. On my skin, I could still smell it a bit after 14 hours.

    It is very pleasant and I find it very light to wear. It is not cloying.

    This is also a gourmand scent, and not overly masculine. I think it could be labeled as Unisex.

    15th July, 2008.

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    parfums*PARFUMS Series 7 Sweet: Burnt Sugar by Comme des Garçons

    I am in love with this. I love gourmand scents and this one fills the role better than any other I have tried. Sadly, it is discontinued.

    It smells like its name. Burnt sugar. Caramelized brown sugar.

    It has great longevity, decent sillage and I would eat the stuff and bath in it if I could.

    15th July, 2008.

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    Original Vetiver by Creed

    I have bought THREE bottles of this stuff. One at a discount online store, two at official Creed stores (Neiman Marcus and Holt Renfrew). I think the samplers I bought were amazing but that the bottles I paid for were awful. The product always had very little lasting power. I am weirded out because it smelled so nice years ago when I tried the sampler. Either Creed ran out of good vetiver, or something is wrong with my nose that affects how I smell OV but not how I smell tons of other perfumes.

    Other than that, it is one of the cleanest scent I have ever smelled, and I get compliments every time I wear it during it's short duration of 2-3 hours max.

    And by the way, I have even sprayed it about 10 times on my shirt, left my shirt at home, came back a few hours ago and you could not even tell that there had been perfume on it. That is not normal as even a cheap cologne should make a shirt smell good for a long time.

    15th July, 2008.

    rating

    parfums*PARFUMS Series 3 Incense: Kyoto by Comme des Garçons

    An incense scent with a fruity side. Its fruity side somewhat similar to Terre d'Hermes. It does not last very long but has good sillage.

    15th July, 2008.

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    Sables by Annick Goutal

    A gourmand smell that is a bit between burnt wood and maple.The obvious brown color and its dry feel reminds you of sand (sables) if you think hard enough. It is a wee bit spicy and has good sillage. You will smell it on yourself every few minutes without having to move to smell your wrist.

    The odor is not cloying however and did not even bother me. And I still felt like smelling my wrist up close every few minutes too because it smelled so good (and made me hungry).

    It has very good longevity too and I find it very masculine for a gourmand scent. That must be because of the burnt wood aspect of it.

    15th July, 2008.

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    Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin by Lolita Lempicka

    I love the smell but it's too weak. Even if you pour a lot, the smell remains very faint. And if you apply a ton of it, you will just start sneezing. It doesn't have great sillage and has decent longevity. It smells of a spicy aniseed.

    15th July, 2008.

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    Le Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier

    It smells very nice although it might be too popular for its own good. It has good longevity. It might smell synthetic, but who cares, it's a nice smell either way. I have almost finished my bottle and this is one that I will feel bad about if I don't get a new bottle.

    It's a very sweet smell with powerful sillage so you should not over apply it.

    15th July, 2008.

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    Le Dandy by D'Orsay

    A very sweet, boozy, and pot-pourrit like smell. Very high longevity and good sillage but you will still find yourself bringing your wrist to your nose often to smell it. It is hard to resist. It smells very sweet but not feminine.

    15th July, 2008.

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    Bois du Portugal by Creed

    A very nice woody and spicy scent. It lasts a decent amount of time, but don't expect much more than 5 hours. It is very manly and seems to be made for a 40-50 year old. Anyone can wear this, but I just mean that it doesn't exactly smell of flowers or something sweet.

    15th July, 2008.

    Showing 1 to 30 of 30.

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