Reviews by centerpin

    centerpin's avatar
    centerpin
    Germany Germany

    Showing 1 to 22 of 22.
    rating

    Dzongkha by L'Artisan Parfumeur

    I couldn´t help it but I thought of dentists at work and India when I first smelled Dzonghka. A somehow pepperminty clinical opening with a spicy/incense undertone. It is a unique scent and a worth trying composition and I am sure it has some fans out there. The drydown takes away the sharp start and the whole thing becomes more mellow and rounded, but it is not a very easy and pleasant scent, it stands off a bit-but why not?

    16th August, 2010.

    rating

    Ambre Extrême by L'Artisan Parfumeur

    A simple scent with a balanced powdery vanilla impression-pleasant, nice and longlaating, but nothing special at all. A safe buy- it definately will trigger compliments, but all in all way too mainstream and therefore also a little boring.
    You buy it for your wife, I buy mine something else.

    16th August, 2010.

    rating

    Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger

    Tommy smells.everything mixed together,it was probably composed on Acid.
    maybe it tastes good. whatever.

    24th July, 2010.

    rating

    Aramis by Aramis

    This is again one of the classics where I am not too fond of the EDT because it is too strong and cloying. I have tried the EDT several times over the years,knowing about its greatness, but it never attracted me to buying a bottle. I generally do love the start very much but then it just gets too much. So I finally bought the After Shave in the hope for a more decent sensation.
    What a revelation! Fantastic! The Aramis Classic is such a wonderful chypre and a true masterpiece. The after shave delivers everything I love about this fragrance plus a nice cooling drydown. It is still long lasting (5 hours) potent and complex.
    I love the patchouli in it and it is a true 70s reminder. Aramis is beyond being judged to be dated or not, it is anyway only for men who do not care ubout the latest trends. In my opinion nothing for men under 40,yeah, sometimes you just have to wait for the good stuff. Yes I do agree that it is a milder form of "the beast" Yatagan (which I have also reviewed), it is animalistic, old school but also to a degree romantic.I have to admit that there is sometimes an slight impression of "old ladies handbag" and also a certain bitterness, but it doesn´t bother me at all-it is just not an "easy" onedimensional scent.
    I personally do not see Aramis as the perfect business fragrance, for that it is too dominant,potent and "room filling",it is more a fall/winter leisure wear fragrance. I will continue to use Givenchy Gentleman for business. By the way, the Aramis Maltplexx hair gel is the best on the market in my humble opinion.
    If you are interested, here are my 4 all time favouites(all After Shave):
    Spring/Summer:
    Eau Sauvage(business)
    PacoRabanne(leisure)
    Autumn/winter:
    Givenchy Gentleman(business)
    Aramis(leisure)

    24th July, 2010.

    rating

    Comme des Garçons 2 Man by Comme des Garçons

    Why not. This is a pleasant woody scent with a little vetiver drydown, harmoniously mixed and recognizable.
    The longer you have it on the more it looses its first attraction,the composition is all in all not complex enough to be a thump up. But it is still worth to give it a try and wear it for a season.

    16th July, 2010.

    rating

    Antaeus by Chanel

    I don´t really know what to say. I do admit that Antaeus is an unusual and very complex scent. Definately more intersting than most of the modern stuff. The start is shockingly strong and sort of unpleasant, I am sure that there are men who can pull it off, but here I have to pass. The scent then changes into some sort of urine character until it finally manages to become sweeter, more mellow and sort of likeable. The composition stays in the long run nice, warm and pleasant but until you finally reach the promised land you have to pass at least two gates of hell.
    Do not try this under 35. Do not wear this in summer.

    16th July, 2010.

    rating

    Grey Vetiver by Tom Ford

    This is not a bad scent, definately not. It smells pleasant and it is a well balanced composition, but it has one diadvantage: It is nothing special.
    It is just the basic Guerlain vetiver scent plus a simple spritz of fruit.
    Too mainstream, too simple and by far too expensive.

    23rd February, 2010.

    rating

    Eau Sauvage Fraîcheur Cuir by Christian Dior

    Sorry, but I have to ruin the quota here. I was extremly dissapointed about that new interpretation of Eau Sauvage. I have to admit that I also was extremly hyped up due to the good revues here and fell almost into a depression after I sprayed it on for the first time. It is nothing special.not at all.
    It is still Eau Sauvage, that´s why the review gets a neutral, I mean it is still one of the best scents ever so I cannot give it a bad rating.
    But I have to say that I can hardly smell any leather in that formular, after 10 minutes drydown there is maybe a little hint of leather which last for another 10 minutes and then the whole sensation is gone.
    Fraicheur Cuir smells a little cleaner and softer than the Original, actually they took out the dirtiness and replaced it with nothing.
    I am angry.
    The idea was good,but didn´t work, I guess they didn´t have the courage to really try a new scent so they they just did not enough-too mainstream.
    It smells nice, soft and lemony. Doesn´t stay long on my skin. 2 hours maybe. I am angry.

    23rd February, 2010.

    rating

    Paco Rabanne pour Homme by Paco Rabanne

    June 2009. I have just bought a bottle of Paco Rabanne After Shave to bring with me to my vacation in Sicily. This was such a good choice. This perfume is a jewel and all time claasic-perfect for everyday wear and especially fantastic in summer. Do not judge Paco Rabanne pour homme from the first 20 minutes! The start is a mix of floral, green notes together with the typical smell of a bar of soap and has all in all a barber shop character. I cannot say that Paco Rabanne smells distinctive and exclusive, it has a vary independent charcter and gives a shit about ongoing trends. After 20 minutes the whole mix calms down to a very pleasant and harmonious composition. I cannot identify what precisely is in Paco Rabanne but I agree it smells most likely like a bar of soap- and you know what-that is fantastic-I was walking around in Sicily,it was really hot, and I smelled so clean and fresh throughout the whole day. After the morning shower it was real fun to splash the Paco Rabanne in my face-in the beginning it smells like a forest after rain. It is long lasting and has a very pleasant and masculine drydown. It is definately a dominant scent but can still be applied on the skin generously. Try it!

    24th June, 2009.

    rating

    Yatagan by Caron

    Ok, I cannot give a thump up if I just do not like the smell of a perfume-this is the case with Yatagan-I just don´t like it!
    But I know that it is an outstanding composition and a very unique scent in this now so boring world of men´s perfume.
    The only problem with Yatagan is that you can´t wear it unless you are e.g. a fat, hairy, (maybe gay) truckdriver,or just a (maybe heterosexual) men who likes to live his weird obsessions somewhere in the dark.
    Yatagan can only be worn by a small group of men and I personally don´t want to meet these types of men:
    Yatagan smells too wild and savage for me: testosteron, sweat and patchouly with a little bit of ass. If perversion could smell than that would be it.
    I´ll pass on this one.

    23rd June, 2009.

    rating

    Original Vetiver by Creed

    After a good start the Creed Original Vetiver collapses within an hour into an unspectacular composition of vetiver and lime, all in all a soapy impression without the extra little kick. It is not bad but just pretty boring, just nothing I would buy.

    5th July, 2008.

    rating

    Vetyver / Vétiver by Givenchy

    This is a review for the actal relaunch:
    Im a fan of the Givenchy Gentleman-the best scent I have ever smelled so far.
    The Givenchy Vetiver is also a very sophisticated, elegant and masculine scent. It has everything what is missing in the Guerlain vetiver. It starts with a citrus note and then the vetiver comes through and just stays perfectly on the skin. It gives a lightly saopy, clean impression-never too much but still intense and longlasting. very well put together.

    5th July, 2008.

    rating

    Duel by Annick Goutal

    Sorry, but this smells like hamster cage!

    4th July, 2008.

    rating

    Mark Birley for Men by Mark Birley

    My wife loves this edt on me and I also have to say that I got a lot of compliments on it.
    I personally think that Mark Birley is a good edt but after a while it just got boring. It is not good enough to be on my top list. As other reviewers already mentioned- it is not long lasting, when you spray to much it gets annoying and smells primitive, if you use a little then it just fades away after an hour. The after shave also doesn´t tingle on the skin, which is for me as a lover of classic after shave lotions absolutely essential- I also don´t like mild pepperoni.
    The good thing about Mark Birley is that it is hard to get and just not a lot of people wear it. It is a noble, nice all around year scent(especially good for day time), no doubt but it can`t compete with Eau Savage or the classic Armani edt.

    4th July, 2008.

    rating

    Lacoste (original) by Lacoste

    Lacoste is great and for me a true reminder of the 80´s. It is simple,fresh,unique and sporty.I love it.

    4th July, 2008.

    rating

    Ébène by Pierre Balmain

    To review a perfume which has been already discontinued is like speaking at a funeral.
    But Ebene de Balmain deserves it. Ebene is a very unconventional scent-once you have smelled it you will never forget it. I was 14 years old and it was my 2nd eau de toilette(after Tabac) which I owned. I loved it even then, but it was way to strong for a little boy. It smells like very, very expensive, luxurious soap. Waves of patchouly and geranium mixed with the freshnes of mint leaves plus an additional leather note enter your nose-everything very strong and dominat, not an easy scent- pleasant,but also easy to overdose.
    It is a all around year scent, perhaps easier to digest in winter. Ebene is in the same category like the Givenchy Gentleman, just a great, exceptional, complex composition-nothing for the masses.

    3rd July, 2008.

    rating

    Acqua di Selva by Visconti di Modrone

    This scent reminds me immeadetaly of the commercial where some too tanned athlets jump from the accapulco cliff and you see the jump first in slow motion but the dive into the water is shown in regular speed again.
    I have bought the after shave and the first impression is an accord of freshness: mint, lemon, basil and vetiver in a good an (on purpose) slightly unbalanced combination-just a good start- the only disadvantage: after an hour the whole sensation is over. But what more to expect from a cologne for a very reasonable price?

    3rd July, 2008.

    rating

    Eau Sauvage Extrême by Christian Dior

    It should be called "Eau Savage too extreme". I can´t say that it smells horrible, if you use it wisely it is an ok perfume, but nothing compared to the original Eau Savage.
    The original Eau Savage is for me the best male all year round scent of all times-just the No1.
    Eau Savage Extreme smells intensly fresh, is simple structured and has no story to tell. Just like an oversized plastic lemon- actually Eau Savage Extreme could be perhaps a good summer room spray.

    28th June, 2008.

    rating

    Gucci pour Homme by Gucci

    This is definately a courageous composition for a modern perfume. I personally think, although it smells not very "pleasant" but it is still a very harmonious composition. It has such an interesting, strong appearance that most people at have a clear opinion about it: either you like it or you hate it, there is not much room in between. Yes it smells a little bit like pencil sharpener but it also reminds me like of desert, plenty of oil, money and luxury-it has a very oriental start. After a while it gets softer and a little too much vanilla is taming down the rough beginning and some of the first attraction(or disgust) is lost.
    It is a strong, warm and unconventional, long lasting winter scent.

    26th June, 2008.

    rating

    Vetiver by Guerlain

    I am still trying to like it, but the longer I use it the less I am fascinated with that smell. The opening is amazing, the first five minutes I think: thats it!...but the vetiver scent turns pretty fast into a soapy, slightly greasy smell -still mixed with the fresh vetiver main note, but by far not as pleasant as the start off. It is too sharp and,in my opinion lacks a harmonius composition.
    It is a perfume which impresses when you walk by it, but the longer you have to do with it the more it starts to annoy me( and my family). I had high expectations due to the high ranking of the Guerlain Vetiver-and I admit it is still better than most of the perfumes out there, but I didn´t fall in love with that one.

    26th June, 2008.

    rating

    Armani Eau Pour Homme by Giorgio Armani

    My wife doesn´t allow me to wear Eau Savage because she says I smell like a used cars salesman-so I was looking for an alternative. After testing about 20 different summer fragrances I finally remebered the classic armani fragrance. I am a fan of after shaves and the armani EDT and After shave are perfect as a summer scent: fresh, clean, not sweet but still very pleasant-light and also longlasting. It is a classic citrus scent with decent but complexe layers of spicy notes underneath which makes armani an top 10 scent for me. It doesn´t have the "dirtiness" of Eau Savage but at least my wife agrees with it. It is also an absolute positive 80´s reminder....

    23rd December, 2007.

    rating

    Givenchy Gentleman by Givenchy

    It took me about 4 weeks(!) to like Gentleman. I knew from beginning on that I have found something very,very special. The patchouli topnote is brutal at first and I got extreme headache at first(also due to an accidental first overdose´). After 1 hour the patchouli became more mellow and the vetivier and leathery notes slowly became more dominant in a perfect, perfect, very perfect mixture.
    A very masculine, complexe scent which gets better and better and better. I prefer to use the after shave which is a little better for everyday wear and the patchouli start is not so intense.
    Now after using it for 3 months I am in love with that scent, I get a lot of good feedback and it is now my favourite winter after shave.This smell separates the boys from the men- do not try it when you are under 35! And do not give up after the first try-you will get rewarded-Gentleman is a brilliant and unconventional scent!!!

    20th December, 2007.

    Showing 1 to 22 of 22.

Latest Threads

Partners


  
Useful Links

Read, View, Friend, Follow

Get in touch

Basenotes.net
BCM Box 1111
London WC1N 3XX
United Kingdom