Reviews by DULLAH

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    DULLAH
    Turkey Turkey

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    rating

    Montana pour Homme by Montana

    Blue Box Montana Homme
    =
    The Bogart Pour Homme of fresh/citrus/soap scents.
    Is it cheap? You bet.
    Is it great? No.
    Citrus and soap in rare form? Absolutely.

    Imagine:
    35% EDP of Nicolai's Cologne Cedrat
    20% EDP of Nicolai's Cologne Friction
    10% white barsoap
    8% Creed Orange Spice
    7% Red "ICEE" Frozen Slush drink
    5% Jacques Bogart Eau Fraiche
    5% Trumper GFT
    5% Lemon Joy dishsoap
    3% Italian Ice with the peel and seeds in it
    2% Maitre Ambre Precieuax

    Starts with a big lemon note, dries to a clean, soapy, musky scent. citrusy/cool/slushee note remains throughout, as does the Lemon Joy. Ends at a light taste of a semi-sweet, pale amber like the Maitre. A true Bargain for those wanting long lasting citrus, who don't positively hate really soapy scents, and don't mind a tiny taste of Orange Spice/Kouros. (no urinals, just the soapy musky smell)

    Thumbs up.

    28th June, 2011.

    rating

    Fougères Marines by Montale

    Roman_Nik is right, this does heavily remind one of a very popular, ubiquitous 90's scent, but it's not polo sport.

    Montale's Fougere Marine is something like an EDP-strength version of Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger. Lovers of Tommy should definitely try this. The cranberry, subtle spices, plentiful greens, and overall signature of Tommy is there. Of course the ingredient quality and blending is better, but that's to be expected at this price point.

    20th June, 2011.

    rating

    Cédrat by Parfums de Nicolaï

    Remember those red, white, and blue popsicles called "Bomb Pops", which now since the Bush era are called "Patriot Pops". If you like the white section of those, you will LOVE this Eau De Cologne by Patricia Nicolai.

    Ok, so it's not 100% white lemon popsicle, it also evokes the smell of high quality Italian Icees, the ones where the seed and peel is still plentiful amidst the frozen treat. I cannot stress enough that this Eau has a certain "frozen" aspect to it, probably due to the Benzyl Benzoate in it. Benzyl Benzoate always reminds me of those pinkish-red ICEE slushie drinks available at every 7-11 in the 80's and 90's here in Chicago.

    And while it evokes a not-to-sweet, nicely, pleasantly tart frozen citrus treat, it still manages to stay very classy. The only real downside here is abysmal longevity....but it is, afterall, an Eau De Cologne, so this is sort of expected. Nonetheless, i will always own this one, as when I have a craving for this particular frozen citrus scent, nothing else even comes close.

    8th December, 2010.

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    Aventus by Creed

    A tart, synthetic fruity-pineapple fragrance, that dries to a very very light, mossy and smokey masculine base with a little vanilla and ambergris. If this was a designer fragrance, with a retail price no higher than $80/125ml, it'd be a good buy....but qualitatively, and even compositionally (perhaps more embarrassing for creed), Aventus, in no way is worthy of anything close to it's retail price....$280/120ml.

    It begins with a very strong note of bergamot oil, green apple candy, and givaudan's cassis...this is a very unisex and fruity opening, on the sweet/candied side in texture and flavor, but thankfully, it's lacking excess sweetness that would have really made it a bit too similar to Power by 50 cent (which also used a ton of the givaudan cassis)....creed does a half-hearted job here of tempering the cheapness and syntheticness of the fruit notes, with a little natural bergamot oil, but I feel this stage needs some more light elegant supporting floral and tart citrus notes....but that is just my personal taste, others may like the very sweet, wet, synthetic fruity opening as it is, nearly bare.

    When the bergamot oil fades, as well as the plastic-y top ends of the green apple and cassis notes, a fairly good, tart Pineapple note moves in, and the composition is improving here. The tartness in prominent, and this is welcome, as the top was really quite close to being way overly fruity in a most cheap and unimpressive way. Accompanying the pineapple here, are very light notes of Jasmine and Rose, and these are much more apparent on the skin than on fabric. Another welcome addition here is that the green and brown tones of the basenotes are beginning to show themselves.

    As the scent dries more, the Pineapple doesn't completely fade, and the combinations of the wetness of the synthetic florals, and the sharpness/bite of several other notes, including Patchouli, keep the image of pineapple alive...as a very smokey Birch tar note comes in...this stage is my least favorite of the scent....as the rubbery/plastic-y cheapness of many of the synthetics used here is most apparent, and rather than being smoothed over by a stronger presence of the base, or by a natural floral note or a natural spice note, they are simply given a slightly burned finish, from the birch....burned rubber isn't exactly what I expected in a $280 fragrance between the Pineapple/fruit, and the moss/ambergris.....but that's what we get......

    after the smokey birch and rubber subsides, my favorite part of the fragrance begins.....albeit in far too quiet of a manner. This wonderfully masculine, and yet still very contemporary base is a combination of a very green synthetic oakmoss note (moss that literally lasts forever BTW, longer than the musk), a light patchouli note, a pleasant Ambergris note (to my nose a combo of Ambroxan and Ambrettolide), and a vanilla accord that seems to be more Isobutavan than Vanilla, but this is very welcome, as that smooth strawberry/cocoa/caramel smoothness of isobutavan keeps some of the image of fruitiness alive all the way thru the dryout. And along with that strawberry nuance is a "cake frosting" type of vanilla...a little more contemporary and gourmand that the vanillic notes used in many other creeds, but I like it. The base is kept contemporarily fresh by Lyral ( a smooth floral note), and a long-lasting white musk cocktail, seemingly composed of mostly habanolide. I can't get enough of this drydown, but it's so weak, that one must drastically over-apply the fragrance, to get a good presence of the wonderful basenotes. And I don't enjoy those topnotes enough to put on that much of it.

    I really wish this fragrance had some more balance and elegance....keep the Pineapple and birch notes right where they are, but around those two starring notes, increase the presence of moss/patch/ambergris/lyral/musk basenotes, a heavier presence of some dignified floral midnotes, as well as some more bitter/sour/tart notes in the topnotes. But apparently it's selling well, and if those sales persist past the holiday season, I doubt CREED will make any tweaks to this formula to bring more balance. Unfortunate, as I feel this base, if made stronger, could really anchor this fragrance and many others, but instead, it lays far too quietly and passively, under a synthetic Fruity top of very questionable composition and quality, for a fragrance of this price, and from a house that specializes in top shelf fresh masculines, many with utmost natural appeal.

    So while I'm not a big fan of this scent in it's current form, it is a good designer level masculine fruity scent,with a very weak, but compositionally good base, that hopefully shows more promise for the future direction of CREED than either Royal Exclusive does.

    Update: 4/25/2011
    That initial review was based on a weaker, fruity/rubbery batch, lot # C4210E02

    My opinion of this scent is getting better, based almost entirely on what I feel is CREED's best batch of this scent...lot # C42B10J01.....this batch has an incredibly good drydown, very rich and elegant and masculine. The heart seems to have gained a little more spice/wood from my previously reviewed batch, even if it seems to have it's apple/currant/pineapple presence reduced, either comparatively to the strong base, or willfully...I'm not sure. But what I do know is I like this batch of Aventus the most of the nearly dozen different batches I've tried. Build upon the exact formula of C42B10J01, please, and I may eventually place this one right up there amongst some of the better millesimes. But before I compliment too much, I must say that nearly 2/3 of the other lot numbers are still not worth anywhere close to $280/120ml

    15th November, 2010. (Last Edited: 26th April, 2011.)

    rating

    Spice and Wood by Creed

    This fragrance can be re-created in 4 steps:

    1. Have a friend standing 6 feet away smear 3ml of high quality cedar absolute oil (bark, wood, leaves/needles) on some rubber gloves, throw the gloves into a cold, full ashtray.

    2. Have this friend cover their hands with some stale ground cloves that were ground 20 years ago, and cover you hands in this powder, then put on the oily/ashy rubber gloves.

    3. Take only the smallest inner core of an apple, and cover it in black pepper, and give it to the friend. Have them proceed to eat the apple core (bitter seeds and all), holding it with the ash/cedar covered rubber gloves.

    4. Inhale from your safe distance

    Dunno who approved this.

    22nd October, 2010.

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    Prelude to love ...invitation by By Kilian

    This, so far, is the greatest unisex, synthetic, inoffensive scent of the 21st century. So slept on. Citruses, Iris, Freesia, Neroli, Baies Rose Pepper, Cypriol, Leather, Musks

    Not terribly captivating or original, but incredibly good for what it is.

    If you like any of the following scents:

    Eau De Cartier Concentree
    Xerjoff Kobe
    Amouage Reflection man
    Kiton Black
    Dunhill Fresh
    Bvlgari man

    I would highly recommend this, as it does what they all do, much much better.
    Perfectly unisex. PERFECTLY. The most underrated, and perhaps the best (although cruel intentions is quite good), of the Kilian line.

    17th September, 2010.

    rating

    Verveine Narcisse by Creed

    For the long time I have scoped Verveine Narcisse, I had always assumed it would be a citrus/green/floral scent. I knew very well Verbena (vervaine) came in two distinct varieties, Lemon Verbena and Wild Verbena, yet out of optimism favoring my own taste I imagined it Lemon Verbena, with a rich Narcissus flower, and some Woods/moss.

    Now the Moss is certainly here smoothing over the top of the whole composition, and it is good quality moss. However, the floral notes smell partially natural, and partially "80's feminine synthetic". Perhaps a few more "dry" notes that cut down the "wetness" and "rainy" notes of Verveine narcisse would camouflage this synthetic more. Beside the moss and florals is a very green, very grassy, almost "weedy" Wild Verbena (vervaine) note, and it gives the whole composition a needed natural "bite".

    I wouldn't say there is much progression between the notes, it just hovers around the same theme, which is does quite well:

    That of a grassy, mossy, weedy flower garden, after a very heavy rain, one so heavy the air is humid. Think Seattle flower garden on a warm day type humid green-ness.

    Qualitatively not quite on par with Creed's Private Collection or limited edition fragrances, more like a late-comer to Creed's feminine eaux de toilette line, just before the Millesimes came in.

    All in all, interesting, fairly high quality, classicly themed grassy/mossy green feminine floral.

    16th September, 2010.

    rating

    Royal Scottish Lavender by Creed

    I have lots of respect for each of the woody/herbal/mossy "older gentleman" scents that creed makes. From BdP, Private Tabarome, BdG, Bois De Santal, Cypres Musc....I truly appreciate them all.

    But this is my personal favorite "old man" creed. I have liked it since I first tested it, and put off buying it for a number of reasons, the most practical of which being: Royal Scottish Lavender isn't really all that accessible, contemporary or "mainstream friendly"....but I kept coming back to it so many times when testing, that I HAD TO buy a bottle finally (lot # CH21U05).

    It starts with a blast of tart Citrus, and fresh, natural Lavender oil, a Lavender that smells precisely like what my fingers smell like 10 seconds after rubbing the lavender buds between them. Not too bitter or soapy like many Lavenders can be, very natural and endearing in scent.

    This tempers, becomes greener and more mellow, accompanied by a light spiciness from clove, and then my favorite part of the scent begins to show.....it is a scent that reminds me of the literal first stick of incense I purchased with money from my own pocket......

    ...Fred Soll's Red Sandalwood with Special Herbs. This is a natural resin incense that smells incredible...and Creed has managed to capture this in the base of Royal Scottish Lavender!!! It contains Red Sandalwood, Pinon Resin, and doesn't mention what type of "special herbs" it uses, but one of them certainly could be Lavender resin. Anyways...

    Red Sandalwood is not the same type of Sandalwood often used in perfumery, it is ontologically different, used more in folk medicine than anything else. Pterocarpus Santalinus (Red Sandalwood) has a drier, spicer, more medicinal smell than the smooth, almost buttery smell of Santalum Algum, or the smooth/dusty/sweet smell of Santalum Spicata.

    And in addition to this wonderful woody note and the remnants of what seems to be a Lavender-root infusion or lavender absolute, there also seems to be a very classsic and beautiful mix of both Ambergris and Castoreum here. If you have smelled the castoreum in Cruel Intentions, the same olfactory profile pops up up here. And the Ambergris is alot like many of the older Creeds, and less like the Millesime base.

    All in all, this is such a spectacular take on Lavender, and it is many many worlds ahead of the #2 ranked lavender scent, Czech & Speake's Oxford & Cambridge. However since it is a very classic, non-contemporary scent, I will advise everyone to test prior to buying. But if you're like me, in your appreciation for very natural, almost medicinal scents, you will absolutely love this.

    Two thumbs way way up.

    5th September, 2010.

    rating

    Astor by Geo F Trumper

    This reminds me so very much of an edc-strength version of Maitre's Bois Moussu. It got the exact same masculine mossy note, but in a light concentration, flanked by a light citrus up top. One of the better Trumpers.

    31st August, 2010.

    rating

    Cereus pour Homme No. 7 by Cereus

    From all the reviews I was expecting more GIT/CW/Chez type stuff, but I got a megadose of my least favorite, most shrill/powdery of the Ionones. The ionones are left far too naked in this scent for my tastes. Ody got it right when he said "piercingly translucent". That piercing shrill powdery/floral ionone obscures the rest of the notes for me rendering them unenjoyable. Which is strange, as another entirely synthetic scent, Kiton Black, uses the same ionone at similar concentration, and it doesn't bother me at all. This scent just isn't proportioned right for me. Comes off more as a modern Grey Flannel than any of the GIT/CW family. I love Cereus #4, but of #7, I'm not at all a fan.

    15th August, 2010.

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    Costes by Hôtel Costes

    My 2nd favorite rose scent behind Windsor.

    This is somewhat of a combination betwwen some of the fresher spicy/peppery scents like Opus 1870, and some of the better Rose scents like No. 88. It's about as masculine as 88, but not as masculine as Windsor.

    The Rose here is the main star, and it is of higher quality and richness of tone than some other highly touted Rose scents here on BN, such as Amouage Lyric and Caraceni 1913 (I like neither), and the spices (mainly pepper) are the most prevalent note following. The woods/resins are light in the base and provide the masculinity, enough so, that the Jasmine and Lavender notes don't make it too overtly feminine for a man to wear.

    I personally wouldn't wear it, but it's a very very good scent. I especially appreciate the incredible opening.

    15th August, 2010.

    rating

    Greenbriar by Caswell-Massey

    Redbeard describes this well. It has much in common with the cool water/freshman/git/aspen/garrigue/chez family, but there seems to be a certain natural botanical herbal feel to this one that makes it classier than all of those aforementioned family members but GIT. It's also the most masculine of them all besides Garrigue and Aspen. Yet it is still nearly as floral as any of them besides GIT. Overall a wonderful scent. An excellent value that sits above it's price point just like many L'Occitane scents......Caswell Massey's best imho.

    8th August, 2010.

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    Cereus pour Homme No. 4 by Cereus

    Like many in Cereus' line, this is a well-blended, higher quality and longer lasting version of several popular designer scents.

    Those who compare this to D&G Light Blue pour femme are not far off, it shares the same impression in it's long lasting bergamot/citrus/apple/water lily/muguet accords. And although it does have both fruity and floral notes, they are tamped down when compared to Light Blue. It is also noticeably less sharp/shrill than the D&G.

    It is also more natural in it's green apple note. I am sure there is an ample amount of the usual synthetic "green apple" note used in vitamin waters and chewing gum, but it is rendered in such a way that upon close sniffs, or on the flipside, upon very heavy application, the "green apple zest", literally smells quite like the skin of granny smith apples, very vegetal and waxy in texture.

    And despite being a fruity scent, the sweetness is neutralized very well by a long-lasting sour lemon/citron accord, and the dryness of the papyrus/cypriol. While this dryness is detectable, it is not too dry or heavy like some cedar accords, it is instead a light and tasteful masculine dryness, fitting for this scent.

    As the scent evolves further, the citrus burns off, and the apple note becomes less fleshy still, and more leafy/waxy, the papyrus moves in to make things drier, and a light spiciness comes in, presumably cardamom and maybe just a little nutmeg.

    Once the apple and spice are absent entrely, the papyrus is then balanced by a light pleasant lilac/floral quality.

    Prior to testing this, when seeing papyrus listed, I was expecting either an overly "sueded" base, like in Cereus #14, or overly mineralic, like Cereus TDH-cousin #5. Seeing apple listed, I was expecting an overly sweet fruity core, like in the Kenneth Cole or Donna Karans, but got a nice surprise when I found a tasteful and discreet scent.

    My favorite of the Cereus line so far, only one left to try is #7.

    30th March, 2010.

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    Cereus pour Homme No. 5 by Cereus

    This comes off as a shy, less masculine shoegazer version of Terre D'Hermes.
    It's ok i guess, but since it's derivitave done worse, thumbs down.

    30th March, 2010.

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    Green Water by Jacques Fath

    There are two currently avaialble versions of this, the 1993 formula, which is in a matte glass bottle with grass green juice and gold trim, and a 2008 formula, in polished glass, more of a light green juice, and silver trim.

    Both scents seem to be loaded with natural ingredients, giving a quality far above their pricepoint.

    They both share the mint and citrus much in the style of Creed's Selection Verte in their top notes, and they both share prominent Basil in their heart/base, but as they drydown, there are large differences in emphasis, even though the note listings are similar if not identical.

    1993's drydown is much more about herbs/thyme and a very good earthy oakmoss absolute with even a slight cumin note that works very well.
    2008's drydown is much more about grassy/leafy notes, and a very strong orange blossom/Neroli which gives a fresh, almost castile-soap vibe to the drydown.

    They are both truly excellent underrated scents, but I prefer the 2008, as I am a neroli lover.

    30th March, 2010.

    rating

    Bogart pour Homme by Jacques Bogart

    Is it a top-shelf in terms of quality, no. But the proportions and lack of rough edges or any sharpness make this a very easy-to-like scent. just be careful on the trigger, as it's diffusiveness and longevity is top-shelf, perhaps second only to joop in the longevity dept of all the contemporary scents.

    Starts of with subdued/muted cocktail of fresh water lily/green notes/floral notes. I choose the word muted to pay homage to the olfactory-texture of this scent, which is very much heavy and muted in the style of Sung Homme or other 80's fresh powerhouses.

    It slowly opens up into a heavy and thick floral/tonka scent, with just enough of that huge "80's oakmoss" note (armani ph, drakkar, santos, etc), just enough to temper the sweetness of the tonka, never to much that would confuse this scent with those dated scents. And even though this Oakmoss/cedar/patchouli play the background, and are not obvious at all upon first or even 2nd or 3rd smell, they still ad that heavy/masculine olfactory texture to this wonderful composition.

    For everyone who has smelled tonka/coumarin by itself, this is as close as i have smelled to a tonka soliflore. Tonka bean is sometimes percieved as the smell of sweetened pipe tobacco, or the smell of the classic Jergens cherry/almond lotion, and it has a long-lasting masculine sweetness.

    The only other note that dominates as much as the Tonka does, is a very long-lasting and pleasantly subtle floral note known as Lyral, it is a sort of violet/water-lily/lily-of-the-valley type of note, one that really keeps this one smelling very contemporary, and even fresh, or at least "fresh for such a heavy/strong scent"

    And to think all that can be had for $0.15/ml, and that a typical application of this would be less than 1ml, it's probably the best bargain I can think of for those seeking a sweet contemporary scent that is still very decidedly masculine.

    A+ for jacques Bogart

    notes:
    Calabrian Bergamot, Spanish Lavender, Water Lilly, Aromatic Leaves, Wild Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, Morrocan Rose, Masculine Floral Notes, Spices, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Cistus labdanum, Pipe Tobacco, Lebanese Cedar, Marine Amber, Vanilla, Tonka Beans

    1st March, 2010.

    rating

    Ralph Hot by Ralph Lauren

    Out of all the feminine mainstream/designer gourmand scents, this is easily the best one.
    Suitable for teenage girls all the way up to 30's or so.
    Very good for cold weather.

    As for the scent, it's almost like a more carefree version of another one of my favorite winter scents for females: Tom Ford's Black Orchid. Both these scents have the same level of sweetness, never too much, and a luscious thick texture that reminds me of olive-to-brown skinned girls who exfoliate every inch of their body until it's butter soft. This is no bony scent, it is soft and substantial in all the right places.

    The main accord is just straight up endless desserts, spiced pastry, French toast, coconut cream, mocha, almond extract, just an endless smooth combo of delicious sh!t. Yes, there are other floral, musk, and wood notes which sober it up, but they only serve imo to keep the scent from getting too sweet, and they succeed masterfully. Dead sexy in cold weather. Fully recommended as a winter scent for any teenage girl or young woman.

    16th February, 2010.

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    Wellington by Geo F Trumper

    This is alot like Blenheim Bouquet, less stern and slightly lower quality.
    A very fresh citrus/eiucalyptus/pine that could have used some warm and natural floral or wood notes. But definitely for those looking for a sweeter, funner version of Blenheim Bouqet

    14th January, 2010.

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    Amouage Homage by Amouage

    Starts off very feminine and rosy, but soon recedes back into a very good balance of the Oud and rose, with many woody and dark notes to back that blend. the heart combo of oud and rose is of extremely high quality, and lasts a very long time with even a single drop. This heart carries a very nuanced combination of ingredients in it's generous sillage. these nuances include: red licorice, labdanum, sweet fruit, fresh myrrh resin, and many other subtle floral and woody nuances. it then fully dries down after nearly 24 hours to a pleasant spicy/floral/woody accord of extremely high quality and warmth.

    The overall feel of Homage is similar in many ways to Jubilation XXV, with a strong presence of rich sweet labdanumin both, only with a far more natural, less honeyed/sugary, and more floral character. I think Homage holds rank easily atop the Amouage line. As well as holding rank as one of the better releases of the decade.

    30th November, 2009.

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    Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford

    Let me start this by saying I think Tom Ford is a strange, obnoxious, and unwarrantedly-arrogant person. However, in some limited applications, his sense of taste is appreciable. i especially appreciate the packaging of his fragrance line, but this is of absolutely no importance in judging the scents themselves. i find his fragrance line to be vastly overpriced for it's overall scent-quality, and many of the woody scents I find really uninspired and heelchasing of niche trends, seemingly without much foresight or concern for how history will Judge. With that said, Tobacco vanille is the one scent i think will be judged quite well many years from now.

    The first whiff of sillage basically smells like a heavy does of unburned clove cigarettes, but that quickly gives way to a delicious pipe tobacco and nilla wafers. this is a very strong scent, which needs only a very light application to be noticed by others in the room.

    While a light application smells natural, a heavy application, within minutes, will expose itself as far too synthetic for it's price range. The tobacco note is a very nice one, but i can't help but find the synthetic vanilla and spices to smell too much like the genericly transparent "vanilla/coconut auto freshener sprays", especially it smells transparent and synthetic in warm weather, rendering it useless for me except for fall and winter.

    With all that said, i still like the scent, and own it.
    It is my sweetest and most gourmand scent, and despite it's cocoa and marshmallow notes, I still find it just barely masculine enough to wear, unlike Guerlain's SDV or any of the other scents with Vanilla in their title. One scent that this does share some similarity with besides the guerlain, is the drydown of L'Occitane's Eav Des bavx. So I would recommend everyone looking to buy Tobacco Vanille to test that one and see if it's woody/spicy/incense notes, which render it a far more masculine scent than Tobacco vanille, produce an effect that makes the heavy tonka/vanilla they both share more palatable and wearable.

    On the flipside, for readers desiring a more feminine scent with similar sweetness and unbeatable longevity/sillage, try Tom Ford's Black Orchid, these two scents definitely share several strong diffusive basenotes, although the overall impression is different. I think Black Orchid is one of my favorite gourmands on females, whereas Tobacco vanille is one of the only gourmands I could wear myself.

    I would rate it neutral due to it's price pint being so vastly over it's quality, but I try to avoid factoring in any other factor besides the scent itself into my final judgement, so this is a thumbs up. Tom Ford's best.

    notes:
    Spice notes, Aromatic notes, Dried Fruits, Cocoa Powder, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Pipe Tobacco, Tobacco Leaf, Tobacco Flower, Wood Sap

    30th November, 2009. (Last Edited: 1st March, 2010.)

    rating

    Yatagan by Caron

    yes, i get a dirty celery root at the start, but quickly this moves to Thyme, thyme, thyme and more THYME. Yes, there is a patchouli/vetiver interplay, and an animalic dirty note under everything, but the star of this scent to my nose is THYME. Not quite as nasty as everyone jokes, but very heavily herbal and rooty/earthy/dirty. Smells alot like some of the dryer foothills and mountain ranges of the eastern mediterranean, with all the plentiful aromatics and shrubs hanging heavy in the air.

    30th November, 2009.

    rating

    L'Anarchiste by Caron

    I agree with SirSlarty that Spiced apple sauce is what this evokes more than anything. It's hardly what I would consider an Anarchist's scent. This is more of a gourmand sans vanilla. A very pleasant mixture of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and juicy, tart fruits, with a dry cedar tempering any sweetness to keep it from being cloying in any way at all. i would recommend any fan of Creed's Baie De Genievre test this and see if it's not too modern for them, as i assume it won't be. Overall a very unique and naturally appealing spicy scent that does not overly rely on wood and sweetness to anchor it's spice.

    It is also another wonder that pleases equally in almost all weather conditions. And has excellent longevity, projection, and sillage on top of that. i am not sure what element[s] in L'Anarchiste give it such excellent diffusiveness across all it's notes, but I really commend Caron for this achievement. While I have respect for nearly their entire line, this one is the most contemprary and accessible, which is strange given it's title.

    If this were unknown to the perfume world, and were released in 2010 with a different name and more accessible packaging, it could easily fetch upwards of $1/ml at retail. Another one of the few scents which I will always keep a bottle of in my wardrobe.

    30th November, 2009. (Last Edited: 1st March, 2010.)

    rating

    Jean Marie Farina by Roger & Gallet

    This is somewhere between Maitre's Pour le jeune homme, and 4711, surprisingly, more towards the former.

    Opens with a bright citrus cocktail that is sweet and tart, and opens into a combo of orange blossom(neroli) and orange leaf/stem (petitgrain)...This smells quite alot like the aforementioned Maitre scent.

    ...that then slowly mixes into an herbal/spice combo of Rosemary and Clove, which ends up smelling like Basil, as there are shared aromachemicals amongst them.

    There is a slight floral Rose note to balance the Clove into the drydown, and at this point, the clove and Orange blossom smell alot like the drydown of Truefitt's West indian Limes, but with some extra masculine edge, I assume from the herbal notes.

    All in all, this is a classically constructed scent with a natural appeal far above it's price point.

    Both thumbs up.

    25th November, 2009.

    rating

    Windsor by Creed

    A Green Woody Floral of unreal quality. Only a single handful scents of the several thousand I have smelled qualify as legitimate Art. At first sniff, this immediately held rank as my official formal scent for the forseeable future.

    Starts off with a mixture of Lime, Pine, and camphoraceous topnotes of both Cedar and Eucalyptus. Gin contains Juniper berry, citrus peel, and Quinine, and those play a light supporting role here. This stage is crisp, uber-clean, almost medicinal in it's Sparkle.

    The best Rose note you've ever smelled starts announcing itself behind the green top, and this is my favorite part of the scent that i wish would last forever. At this point, the camphor has evaoprated, leaving just the incredibly fresh leafy smell of the Eucalyptus, and the lower, very dry essence of the pine keeps the scent from being too sweet, here also another intersting canadian herbal/floral shows itself: Solidago Canadensis. I know this scnet well, as it has been one i have tinkered with often in my own scents. At this stage there are also notes I cannot place that smell of many things unexpected: the smell of a new knit-silk sweater, British Kaolin Clay, other very slight floral notes.

    As time goes by, the Rose note takes center stage, and it is of unbelievable quality. There is none of the synthetic shrillness of Caraceni or Amouage Lyric man, just natural beauty of the highest order. And along with being an incredibly high quality Rose, the variety is unique, secreting a woody and more masculine resin from it's stem and foliage than other varieties. With still plenty of green leafy notes, herbal notes, and other florals flanking it, this Rose persists as the main star for quite some time. And while it shares a similar quality with the wonderful Damascus Rose in Amouage Homage Attar, I find Windsor's rose superior, and after all, "Moss Rose" Nuits De Young is a genetic adaptation of Damask Rose brought to Europe in the Middle Ages.

    Also, there is a very slight tropical note I cannot place, almost papaya like, and this works wonderfully with the green, herbal, and floral notes. The Rose scent stays very prominent above the fray, and for good reason, as one simply cannot get enough of it's uber-pleasant sillage.

    After many hours of this incredible Rose scent, an extremely dry Cedar moves in, and shares the stage with the Green leafy notes, herbal notes, Rose and Floral Notes. As time passes, the sweetness of the rose decreases, while it's unique woody resinous notes (unique to "Moss Rose" varities) still are very strong. there is also a subtle leather note, it balances perfectly with the Cedar, and as the scent works the through it's last stages, the balance never loses it's perfection.

    Incredible.

    21st November, 2009. (Last Edited: 1st March, 2010.)

    rating

    Acqua Fiorentina by Creed

    I agree, it is alot like "Scent of Peace", "light Blue", and "Eclat d'Arpege".
    It's top notes are nicer than those 3, but not by a significant enough margin.
    This would benefit greatly from some Iris, and Ambergris. Possibly Lilac.
    It is a very nice, light fresh scent.
    But as it stands, it is not remarkable enough to warrant the price.
    Get Eclat and spend the money on something else from niche that actually is of utmost quality.

    20th November, 2009.

    rating

    Infusion by Bombay Sapphire

    Very interesting scent.

    I don't drink alcohol, but always liked the smell of this gin.
    Yes, it has the classic juniper smell that all gins do, only juniper of a higher quality, and such delicious lemony almond/spice smoothness. And a very refreshing tonic note. Not the same tonic note used in Versace Eau Fraiche and Quercus, this "tonic" is higher quality!
    Also has some of the sour yet smooth citric notes str8 outta Allure Edition Blanche.
    Surprisingly does not have an overly synthetic olfactory profile.
    Very very good, so I stocked up.


    Almond, Lemon Peel, Liquorice Root, Juniper Berries, Orris Root, Angelica, Coriander, Cassia Cinnamon Bark, Cubeb Pepper Berries, Grains of Paradise (Guinea Pepper) [ginger species]


    21st August, 2009.

    rating

    Citrus Paradisi by Czech & Speake

    I'm a citrus lover.
    And I generally like classy and aloof scents.
    And don't mind earth or dirt.

    This is a huge dissapointment for me.

    If you like dried up grapefruit peel, with no sense of juiciness of the fruit, and very little refreshment, layered with a very common-smelling and bitter early-80's masculine scent. This is for you.

    I was expecting a refreshing grapefruit note with something dirty and earthy in the base. Instead I got bitter, dried up peels, and a very un-dirty, rather formal, and rather stern base that I have smelled before in late 70's and early 80's masculine scents.

    Both thumbs down.

    16th July, 2009.

    rating

    Frankincense & Myrrh by Czech & Speake

    It has the familiar synthetic "bleachy" frankincense that is used so well in Heeley's Cardinal, only instead of being blended with real Boswellia Serrata oil like the heeley and Tauer's Incense Extreme, this Frankincense note is blended with very dated and familiar masculine scents that really don't evoke Myrrh or frankincense.

    Another dissapointment for me from Czech & Speake.

    16th July, 2009.

    rating

    Baryshnikov Sport by Mikhail Baryshnikov

    Still like this one more than all the other 90's "aqua Blue" colored fresh synthetic scents (see: Nautica, PE360, etc). SHares what could be the same old synthetic tangerine note with erolfa, and to that adds Armoise Mugwort, Ginger, fresh aquatic notes, and a cooling eucalyptus. It's held up better than you'd think. Underrated 90's fresh.

    3rd July, 2009.

    rating

    Brooklyn by Bond No. 9

    A very "dim" and "timid" spicy/woody scent.
    Cardamom and Cypress are the stars, and the overall impression is dissapointing and totally unworthy of being named after the borough.
    Bitter, boring, and lame are not what I expected from that note pyramid.
    Another total yawner from Bond no.9.

    28th June, 2009.

    Showing 1 to 30 of 138.

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