Reviews by Sunsetspawn

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    Sunsetspawn
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    rating

    Cuir d'Oranger by Miller Harris

    I swear the leather in here is birch tar, but I'm not having the allergic reaction that I typically get with birch tar.

    Whatever, because this stuff is great. This is the reason why we browse the niche. Cuir d'Oranger is a big, juicy, orange covered leather. Isn't is great when the name matches the smell? I found myself using up my sample just by accidental sniffings. Every so often I would get the urge for just one li'l spray. Eventually it added up, and I realized that I needed to do my full-day test before I whittled my fairly large sample away to nothing.

    I'm still not sure it I want to smell this way, but that could just be because I've never smelled anything like this so my brain is having a hard time categorizing it. And yet despite the peculiar uniqueness of a leather, orange, and moss combination, it's also comfortingly familiar. I strongly urge everyone to at least grab themselves a sample to experience this.

    31st January, 2012.

    rating

    Royal Aoud by Montale

    This isn't the nose searing oud that I found in Black Oud, which is a big improvement. When oud is uncontrolled it just smells like band-aids, astringents, gauze, and various other goodies you'd find in a hospital. Somehow this has been softened to a degree that has it more resembling a brand new sneaker. The smell is still sterile, but it's classy and clean. It still gets annoying at around the tenth hour, but oud is a harsh smell no matter how you dilute it.

    28th January, 2012.

    rating

    Boise Vanille by Montale

    The dominant players here are vanilla, patchouli, cedar, and iris, in that order. These are the notes that you're going to be smelling the whole time. There is a boozy vibe that starts out monstrous and slowly fades to a whisper over the course of about 6 hours, after which it completely disappears. I can only guess that this effect is the result of the slight citrus on top of everything else slowly evaporating, but I should make it clear that I never got a clear citrus note in here.

    The overall experience is very good, and the only downside to this fragrance is that as the glossy "booziness" wears off, the iris becomes a little more prominent and it gives off this lipstick-crayon vibe that I'm not terribly fond of. It's 3-4 hours of amazing with a slow taper down to solid, and that works for me.

    Wait a minute, I just went back to the sample and the boozy vibe that I had experienced was indeed a result of the citrus.

    27th January, 2012.

    rating

    Turquoise by Olivier Durbano

    The first two hours of Turquoise are so damn good that it's a surprise when things finally do go south. It starts off conjuring images of a rocky beach and misty waves. And I really need to reiterate the ROCKY element of the beach. This beach vacation wouldn't be complete without a glass of iced tea, and Turquoise has it. I'm actually very impressed with this in the early stage and my reaction was almost emotional. I was ready to make a purchase within the first hour.

    Now, somewhere around the beginning of hour two I noticed a change. Suddenly I was wearing a harsh cleaning product with a lemony edge. Was this the same fragrance? Unfortunately it wasn't, and I had to thank my level head for the fact that every fragrance must pass a full days wearing before I will even considering buying it.

    It doesn't serve my purpose.

    25th January, 2012.

    rating

    Vanille Intense by Parfums de Nicolaï

    There really isn't too much to say about this one. It opens with a brilliant vanilla liqueur scent that I just can't get enough of, and unfortunately I mean that in a literal sense because it's over within two hours. After that the lavender starts to dominate the sillage and I completely lose interest. Lavender just isn't a good enough smell to hold court and dominate the way it does here. Such behavior would typically tilt a fragrance into the "negative" category, however, due to the fantastic opening I'll just lay an obnoxious neutral onto this fragrance with a rolled up newspaper. "No, bad Vanille Intense, look what you've done to the carpet!"

    22nd January, 2012.

    rating

    Patchouli Homme by Parfums de Nicolaï

    When first sampling at close range you can smell all sorts of goodness that ISN'T patchouli, like rose, vanilla, and bourbon, and it makes you wonder why this is just called "patchouli," and it also makes you imagine how this is going to evolve when you give it a good wearing.

    Well I'll tell you what happens. You get a solid sillage trail of patchouli. Sure, it's warmed up and softened, and rounded out, but the bottom line is that when actually worn this becomes nothing more than the sweet, sweet base of the Mugler Pure line. That's not exactly a bad thing, but the whole experience feels like something is missing. The other ingredients don't have the volume to keep up with that patchouli trail and they only serve to "process" the smell like some sort of chorus effects box or pro-tools plug in. What the hell was I talking about again?

    Right, Patchouli Homme...

    Anyway, I'm giving this a neutral, but it's entirely possible that my desire for the base of the Pure series will land me with a bottle. So why not a positive if I might buy one?

    Because I would much rather have another Pure Coffee or Pure Malt, and I'm sure that as soon as I get my Pure Havane down to less than 80%, I'll want another bottle of that.

    21st January, 2012.

    rating

    Tom of Finland by Etat Libre d'Orange

    This fragrance is dominated by a fairly pleasant "dried fruit" accord, or at least that's the impression that I get. This is joined by a faint powder and latex smell that really puts TOF in unique territory. Despite it's uniqueness, I can't really heap any praise upon this beyond "solid fragrance."

    14th January, 2012.

    rating

    Bel Ami by Hermès

    I got a flu a day after testing this, so I never had a chance to review it while it was fresh in my mind. I do recall that my impression was neutral because the heavy floral component accompanying the leather didn't achieve the desired result. I know I can't rock straight-up leather, and it needs to be cut with something mellow, but I think floral is the wrong direction for that mellow, or at least this floral is. It's a solid composition, but I don't know how wearable it is.

    12nd January, 2012.

    rating

    Acier Aluminium by Creed

    "Acier Aluminum?"

    That's the ticket, laddie!

    Let's just put the metallic angle aside, because it ain't here; I think everybody is suffering from the name's power of suggestion.

    To put it simple, Acier Aluminium is spicy, musky, dark, slightly woody, and has a bit of banana. It works well as art because it's familiar, yet odd.

    It's the banana that ultimately makes this a, "no thanks," for me. It's not bad or anything, but just a bit odd.

    Iif you're a banana lover then by all means get yourself a sample, because it is well done.

    29th December, 2011.

    rating

    Tonka Imperiale by Guerlain

    So I tried this yesterday and now I need to go to Liberty Medical. It's just ridiculous how sweet this is. Tonka Imperiale is just a bunch of dessert fillings without any complexity or depth. This should've been an easy win for Tonka Imperiale because I'm biased towards Guerlain; it's my favorite house . I couldn't wait to LOVE this so I could add one of these uber-luxe Guerlains to my collection. Well, nurtz to me. Perhaps it could work on a woman.

    If you can't get a sample of this but you feel that you need to understand it, just empty a can of Reddi-wip into your mouth.

    21st December, 2011.

    rating

    Signature pour Homme by ST Dupont

    This really shines in the first three hours, but then it cools off and becomes a minty-chalky mediocre fragrance. Technically the transition is gradual, but by three hours in SPH is no longer a contender. It's a case of the top notes seriously outperforming the bottom notes, and I don't really have room in my collection for that. I'm also kind of glad that I'm not crazy about it because it's been discontinued and the price is through the roof for the remaining stock. I tend to get crazy over discontinued things that I really like.

    I've heard people compare this to Gucci Envy and Carven Homme, and I can actually attest to the later comparison, so you've got accessible, and better, alternatives.

    20th December, 2011.

    rating

    Sandalo by Lorenzo Villoresi

    From this moment on I think everyone needs to stop comparing this to Santal Noble. They share 1 thing in common, and that's sandalwood, and even that is not the same type of sandalwood smell (it's pretty similar, though). Sandalo and Santal Noble will ultimately fill two completely different roles if you have them both in your collection. You might like one and hate the other, and the comparison isn't fair to either.

    Sandalo is actually pretty fresh. It seems like it would be perfect for Spring. That note pyramid is pretty spot on, and the balance of it is damn near perfect. You can smell everything separately, and yet the overall fragrance is greater than the sum of its parts. The balance is so perfect, in fact, that I honestly don't think this should be named Sandalo. But it is, and the sandalwood that is present is buttery and delicious.

    19th December, 2011.

    rating

    Vetiver by Lorenzo Villoresi

    LV goes over the top and makes a brutally green fragrance. Now, while "fresh and clean" are usually adjectives used to describe green fragrances, that is not the case with Vetiver. This is more like a vetiver salad, with everything acting to highlight the green.

    Maybe you would consider it a solid positive to smell like you've been rolling around in produce, but I just feel that it's incomplete.

    19th December, 2011.

    rating

    Route du Vétiver by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

    I cannot describe this as it's fantastic in a very unique way. It definitely screams Laporte.
    Sure, it's got vetiver, and it's also got patchouli, but beyond that I'm at a loss. And even those two notes that I can identify are presented differently than I have ever smelled them before. It's earthy and outdoorsy and even a bit wet, but it's also extremely refined and sophisticated and yes, very French.

    The bottom line is that RdV is magical, and my only issue is that I'm going to need to smell the current version to make sure it's as good as the sample that I received which I am assuming is vintage. If it adds up I'm going to buy a bottle.

    I can't do vintage hunting anymore.

    14th December, 2011.

    rating

    Patchouli 24 by Le Labo

    Patchouli 24 opens with smoke and patchouli, and although the smoke seems dominant up close, the sillage is full of patchouli. This is my favorite part of the fragrance, as the patchouli reminds me of the kind in TM's Pure Coffee. Unfortunately,this patchouli slowly fades away leaving behind a mildly pleasant smoke. And doubly unfortunately, I'm mildly allergic to this smoke as it seems to be derived from birch tar. Most peculiarly, I don't start showing symptoms of the allergy until the patchouli is gone and the only thing left is the smoke.

    This might be great for someone in a metal band because of the smoke smell, but seriously, the patchouli just isn't pulling it's weight and that makes me a sad panda.

    14th December, 2011.

    rating

    Fuel for Men / DK Men by Donna Karan

    Did you ever wish that there were five choices instead of three?
    Did you ever notice that if you start a question with, "did you ever," you immediately read it in Andy Rooney's voice?
    Did you ever really like the opening few hours of a fragrance only the have it taper off and become meaningless at about 4 hours in. By lunch I I kept thinking to myself, "this ain't so hot," but I know I felt like a million bucks at around 10.


    So this positive comes with a disclaimer that the magic wears off quickly, but it absolutely lasts long enough if you're entering a "first impression" situation.

    That's an important sentence, so it gets its little area. So how does it smell when it's chewing bubblegum and kicking ass? It smells like a wonderful fruity, ambery, suede with a slight marzipan vibe. And what happens to hurt it so much later? Well, it certainly doesn't go "bad," but it definitely gets the pizzazz drained out of it.

    It is what it is.

    13rd December, 2011.

    rating

    Oud Cuir D'Arabie by Montale

    Smelled up close in teensy amounts, (the way you might first smell something when you receive a sample in the mail), the oud, rose, and leather are a beautiful combination, and I really thought that this fragrance was going to be a winner. Unfortunately, when applied properly for a daily wearing, the sillage tells a different tale as it wreaks it's dirty havoc all around the wearer. I don't know the mechanics of it, but for whatever reason this just becomes an earthy mess that has no identifiable detail. It isn't disgusting, and I wouldn't use the term barnyard as that implies animals and doody, but it is definitely outdoorsy, and NOT in a green or fresh kind of way. The rose does peek through about 5 hours in, but that's too little too late.

    I cannot recommend this.

    13rd December, 2011.

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    Knize Ten by Knize

    I was so preoccupied with whether or not I could, I didn't stop to think if I should...

    smell like leather, that is.

    I searched high and low for THE leather scent, and now that I've found it, I don't really think I want to smell like it. It's not bad, but it's just so damn "leather."

    It doesn't have the polarizing opening of Royal English Leather, so that could be seen as a plus. It also isn't quite as good in terms of the actual leather, but only by a hair; it just has this hint of rubber in it that some could find to be "meh."

    It isn't dark, or uber-masculine.

    It's just leather.

    27th November, 2011.

    rating

    Private Collection - Bois de Copaiba by Parfumerie Generale

    This entire composition is dominated by one of the notes from Creed's Royal English Leather, which ultimately weakens the fragrance. Beneath that it's a fruity, soapy, leather with a solid helping of some type of wood. I honestly didn't recognize this wood at all, but a little google-fu regarding the word "Copaiba" helped me out a bit as to what it was.

    go ahead, I'll wait...

    Irrespective of what the wood is, it smells like a quality piece of furniture. And now that I've googled Copaiba I understand that this could be because a resin is harvested from the tree and used as varnish. Of course now I'm just speculating and pontificating and I'm sure I look like an ass doing so to any botanists reading this. And there's also a bit of a cereal note in there too.

    Anyway, it's that damn REL note that keeps me from loving this.

    23rd November, 2011.

    rating

    Havana Vanille by L'Artisan Parfumeur

    Thumbs down, not in a completely disgusted sort of way, but rather an utterly disappointed sort of way. This is very weak in both longevity and sillage. There is no power here in any way, shape or form. And pyramid shyramid, I can explain this much more gooder than any official copy can. Havana Vanille opens like the vanilla extract you might find in your kitchen, and quickly moves into a baked goods desert-like phase. This isn't anything spectacular, and the lack of power makes it all the more flaccid. After this phase it becomes a little more akin to vanilla cream soda, and it's here that the accord begins to fade into generic, boring vanillaness.

    So while I wouldn't be all that mad if an SA went all NYPD on me with this, I also would never wear it if I were gifted a bottle.

    22nd November, 2011.

    rating

    Amouage Silver Cologne by Amouage

    Silver has that frankincense note that Amouage seems to be putting in everything, and it's a damn fine note. Still though, the whole composition just comes off as rather boring and "soapy." Actually I got a compliment and the adjective used was "soapy," which is why I'm now using it.

    Anyhow, Silver is a bit sharp, and is definitely quality, but the overall scent is similar yet inferior to Ciel. In fact, it's so inferior to Ciel that I don't see myself wanting to wear it again, and yet Ciel I'm going to spring for.

    How's that grab ya?

    3rd November, 2011.

    rating

    Yatagan by Caron

    I am almost 99% certain that my sample was vintage because it came from the court and it is straight-up MONEY, son. We're talkin' SOLID GOLD! In fact, the quality of the smell alone just screams vintage.

    Anyway, I've been messing around with this itty bitty sample for awhile now not really knowing what I was smelling. I also finished my sampled with a full wearing today and I tried my damnedest to analyze that divine odor that was emanating from my chest. Unfortunately the scent was a wildly evolving entity so it's hard to remember how I smelled this morning whilst still smelling myself now, but I'll try. In fact, most scents remain fairly similar throughout their development despite "pyramids" that the manufacturers often release, and this is quite a different animal.

    It opens sweet, planty, and woody, with a hint of greasemonkey, and kind of resembles doing man-stuff in a forest. I suppose people don't usually chop wood while rebuilding an American V8 in the middle of the autumn foliage, but if you did it might just smell like the opening hour of Yatagan. By the end of the development, some eight hours later, Yatagan has morphed into the most wonderful leather with a hint of patchouli. In fact, it rather resembles Tom Ford's Tuscan Leather at this stage, but with the yayo turned down to an almost indecipherable whisper.

    I need to find a store with a tester and see if the modern offering resembles the goodness that I have sampled today, though I somehow doubt it.

    30th October, 2011.

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    M for Men by Marilyn Miglin

    This is overtly masculine, woody, mossy, civet laden insanity. It goes too far, and the foul funk officially makes this the dirtiest fragrance I've ever had the misfortune to smell. It's actually not horrendous, but because it goes WAY too far it is rendered unwearable. A sample might be fun to play with every now and again, but upon wearing this I was quickly made aware of how much I DIDN'T want to smell like "M"

    29th October, 2011.

    rating

    Fiore d'Ambra by Profumum

    At first I was not impressed with the powdery, straight up nature of this amber, but sometimes things can happen in a "development." Within about an hour the powderyness subsides and gives way to a little bit of a luxuriously odd soapy smell and a bare whisper of a sweet leather. I'm sure these are just impressions because I'm not seeing anyone else mention it, nor does the official copy on that website where it can be purchased. Perhaps it's because there is actual ambergris in here, or perhaps it's the opium, as I'm unfamiliar with both of these odors. Whatever it is, it's delicious and occasionally borders on edible, but it never quite gets there. I'm am a bit disappointed with the sillage and longevity, but sometimes that's the way the cookie crumbles with a fragrance.

    28th October, 2011.

    rating

    L'Eau Bleue D'Issey pour Homme by Issey Miyake

    Some may feel that this is a love it or hate it type of fragrance, and I couldn't argue. I see both sides of that coin after wearing this and I remain passionately ambivalent. LEBI is a bright masculine floral that I suppose would work well in the Spring, but I don't care enough to find out.

    I would like to point out that the smell isn't blue, but rather purple, for whatever the hell that vague thought is worth. Though I don't mean to compare it to grape drink (ummm, it's purple) because there are no grapes in this smell. There's also a salty, woody note that likes to rear it's head up every now and then, and I would say to it, "salty, woody note, why don't you stick around longer and become dominant." And this note would reply, "no no good sir, that's not what this fragrance is about, it's about floral weirdness," as it runs away and hides under my desk.

    Up until now I haven't mentioned the aquatic undertone here, and I've neglected it for a reason. See, there is an aquatic note floating around in here, but I don't want you aquatic hunters to get mad at me because I misled you. The aquatic note here doesn't speak of the ocean, but it makes the floral weirdness "drinkable."

    In conclusion, I have no desire to buy this now, but it's odd and pleasant enough that if I were to receive it as a present I would wear it sometimes to "shake things up." I could also have a moment of remembrance six months from now and decide I need to re-asses my opinion. So I stand in neutral territory, but I am looking at the positive's green grass.

    26th October, 2011.

    rating

    Fou d'Absinthe by L'Artisan Parfumeur

    It is masculine. It is piny, green, and woody. I do wish the smooth absinthness would keep it's glaze throughout the experience, but it does fade. In fact, it fades to a powdery vibe that can downgrade my opinion of a fragrance a bit. However, that isn't my "issue."

    My "issue" with this fragrance is the similarity to Polo, which is absolutely not a bad thing, BUT, Polo conjures images of older Italian gentlemen in the Bronx wearing suits sitting around a coffee shop on Arthur Ave., and so does Fou d'Absinthe. The imagery is so strong that I can only guess it comes from actual memories from my childhood. Even if I were more of a toughguy, this can never be for me because of this association.

    23rd October, 2011.

    rating

    Chrome Sport by Azzaro

    A refreshing citrus aquatic laced with ginger and white musk. This is much less sharp than the original Chrome and I can't help but like it more. Chrome Sport is perfect for work and perfect for play. I probably shouldn't have tested it on a day in which I had a meeting, but it was all for the best.

    It is what it is, and you know what it is. It really isn't any different in character from the legion of fresh, citrus aquatics out there, BUT, it does its job damn well. It isn't that great in the sillage and longevity department, but it's competent .

    28th September, 2011.

    rating

    Dolce Amaro by I Profumi di Firenze

    White musk and sweet tarts, or smarties. Yeah, smarties, that's it. Simple, uninteresting, uninspired, chalky drek. That same soft, milky white musk is used here, again, but it's combined with nonsense. I'll give it the consolation prize though, and that would be that I was complimented. Still doesn't change the fact that I don't like it one bit.

    24th September, 2011.

    rating

    Melograno Selvatico by I Profumi di Firenze

    Very similar to Acqua Mirabile Odorosa di Firenze, but instead of Honeysuckle, we have pomegranate. The composition is very simple, and really only consists of three elements. Aside from the fruit, there is also an aquatic feel and a white musk. The balance between the bitter pomegranate and the sweet white musk is nice, and despite its simplicity it's surprisingly unique. But like Acqua, it's unique within the genre of fresh, and within that genre it is firmly planted, for what it's worth.

    21st September, 2011.

    rating

    Chèvrefeuille Original by Creed

    CO is a sparkling green floral that can come off as slightly effervescent. It's certainly unisex and inoffensive, as well as being much more old-school than the newer Creed offerings. It lacks punch and swagger in terms of the smell, and it also lacks sillage and longevity. The word, "boring," comes to mind.

    If memory serves, Arôme 3 is similar, but better.

    18th September, 2011.

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