Reviews by HDS1963

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    HDS1963
    United Kingdom United Kingdom

    Showing 1 to 30 of 70.
    rating

    Eau Sans Pareil by Penhaligon's

    The original Eau Sans Pareil is an absolutely beautiful fragrance, truly elegant and evocative, combining a vague barbershop feel with a beautiful perfumed air of distinction. Woody and aromatic in feel and a very slight powderiness giving it a dry but sweet edge.

    The Anthology series version is nothing at all like the original.

    I am really quite shocked that Penhaligon's would issue what you would expect to be a "re-release" edition of a former scent, that bears no resemblance to it's forebearer at all. Don't get me wrong, it's pleasant enough, just not exceptional, which the original most certainly is.

    So, thumbs most definitely up for the original but only a neutral for the Anthology release and a thumbs down for Penhaligon's for what I feel is a piece of commercial sleight of hand.

    29th November, 2011.

    rating

    Juniper Sling by Penhaligon's

    The opening of Juniper Sling is outstanding, a flurry of heady Juniper and audacious spices. Then emerges a really fantastic leather note, which if truth be told, should last much longer as indeed should the gin flavoured juniper note. The combination of these two is really magical for the brief time they co-exist.

    I'm giving this a thumbs down though.

    The 100ml retails for over £100.00 for a fragrance which has mayfly-like longevity.

    Unless Penhaligon's want to start developing a reputation for over-priced but short-lived fragrances like a certain other niche house much lauded in these parts, then this should be reformulated to EDP. The basenotes are so muted, so close to the skin for such a short period of time it's almost embarrassing.

    From start to finish - ie the point at which I can no longer smell it at all - is around two hours. Others have had the same experience.

    Great packaging and a beautiful bottle won't make up for the fact that Penhaligon's have got it wrong on this one.

    It's not worth the price tag, which is a shame because at the outset this promises great things which the final denouement doesn't deliver.

    Disappointing.

    16th October, 2011.

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    Vermeil for Men by Vermeil

    This is a wonderful fragrance.

    At first you think it's going to be a standard macho fragrance, but noooo, it's not. The dry down is absolutely fantastic. A terrific tobacco note mixed with what I am sure is some rose.

    Absolutely an under-rated classic. Love it to bits and will always have this in my wardrobe.

    16th October, 2011.

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    Perfect Night by Bella Bellissima

    This is an astonishingly good scent and very mistakenly marketed towards women.

    Quite simply put I have rarely smelled an iris based fragrance this good.

    There is an animalic "dirty" feel to this fragrance that suggests sex, pure and simple.

    That note comes from, according to Bella herself, from dried iris root which apparently is hung to mature.

    The result is a heady, baudy but intoxicating fragrance that is really a revelation.

    Men can definitely wear this, and, from my own experience, women love it on the male skin.

    One of the best new fragrances I have smelled in maybe ten years.

    25th August, 2011.

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    Voleur de Roses by L'Artisan Parfumeur

    Absolutely fascinating and beautiful rose fragrance this one.

    This smells like a dirty rose, one that's not the kind of virginal rose that a beautiful young woman would wear. The patchouli gives it that kind of dark, knowing smile of one that knows just a little too much of the ways of the world.

    It has a kind of enchanting boozy quality to it at as well.

    Easily carried off by a man this one, it is a dark, utterly captivating fragrance and was the first of the L'Artisan line I ever bought.

    I love it. Highly recommended.

    29th July, 2011.

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    Homme Exceptionnel by Mont Blanc

    I have yet to meet a woman yet who doesn't love this fragrance.

    It is also one I have gone through fastest in the last year or so since I bought it - which out of a fragrance collection of around 200 bottles isn't bad going.

    I'm not going to do the boring note by note breakdown of it, save to say this, it just WORKS.

    I love it and will be buying a second bottle very soon.

    Recommended.

    28th May, 2011.

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    Aki by Tann Rokka

    I don't understand the negativity towards this fragrance.

    I've been wearing it all day and it has more of a kinship to Habanita than anything by Guerlain.

    It's not as full on as Habanita, which if over-applied can be overwhelming.

    I echo jrd4t's thoughts that it is a raw, sexual fragrance though. It is a dirty, besmirched smoky vanilla with skanky floral notes in the mix.

    It's unquestionably sexy as hell though, it invokes sultry warm evenings with the smell of coarse but aromatic tobacco smoke in the air.

    I'm going to pop this fragrance's cherry and give it a thumbs up.

    If you like your tobacco florals to have a hint of getting jiggy with it then you should be rushing out to buy this.

    It's an EdP too and for a niche fragrance, very reasonably priced.

    I like this. A lot.

    Grrrrr, helloo gorgeous...

    16th March, 2011.

    rating

    No. 88 by Czech & Speake

    It's taken me a while to "get" No.88.

    I think it's because I never really warmed to the opening of Bergamot and Geranium. since I am not a huge fan of Geranium (hence my dislike of Malle's Geranium Pour Monsieur).

    But that is to really miss the point of No.88, because on my skin this is an arresting fragrance that draws many compliments.

    I don't find it a particularly gothic fragrance in the way Salvador Dali pour Homme could easily be descirbed, or even another dark "rose" fragrance Ungaro III could similarly be caged.

    What I do find it to be is an absolutely stunning rose and incensey fragrance which is so well crafted and blended it puts most others to shame.

    The heart and basenotes of No.88 are a work of art, beautifully put together to provide for strong projection and longevity. The only thing I question slightly is the inclusion of Vetiver in the pyramid, since to my nose the drydown of No.88 is a pure combination of rose and sandalwood whilst retaining that incense quality which emerges from the heart onwards.

    Anyway, it's an unqualified success and a definite thumbs up from me.

    23rd February, 2011.

    rating

    Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford

    I'd read the reviews of this and had anticipated it greatly.

    I can honestly say this is awful and I don't know what the fuss is about. I absolutely love tobacco based fragrances and own a fair few. But dear God, all you get is an overpowering tobacco and a dreadful amped up vanilla that is sooo sweet it rots your teeth.

    After half an hour I had to wash it off, it was turning my stomach.

    I could live a lifetime and happily never smell this again. In fact, I just might.

    7th December, 2010.

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    Sienna by Crabtree & Evelyn

    Really like this one, will be going FB on it.

    Slightly sweet and spicy leather fragrance which is a ridiculous steal at the price point. I smelled this first and let it dry down before going back to see how much it was.

    It smells much MUCH more expensive than it actually costs and would suit anyone looking for a fairly powerful fragrance which can be worn in formal or smart casual situations very comfortably.

    Recommended.

    27th October, 2010.

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    Sandalwood by Crabtree & Evelyn

    I can honestly say this is one of the worst Sandalwoods I have ever encountered.

    After wearing it for a few hours and it utterly refusing to die, despite me attempting one washing off of it, I felt faintly nauseous.

    I find this cloyingly soapy and sweet to the point of being able to rot teeth.

    It has a dry synthetic quality to it amongst the sweetness which I find off-putting.

    There are much better Sandalwoods out there which have a far more enjoyable ride, TOBS Sandalwood Cologne and of course Trumpers, which are also from that barber shop tradition, would be two that spring to mind.

    I would not recommend this and don't ever want to wear it again. A definite thumbs down.

    27th October, 2010.

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    KL Homme by Lagerfeld

    By Man, Gucci Nobile and yes KL Homme.

    This is a beautiful woody oriental that blends so smoothly to a dry down that is rich in vanilla and oriental spices. It's has elements of the best parts of the Lagerfeld Classic drydown, but is smoother than honey running down velvet.

    It's beautiful and should never have been discontinued. I have a bottle. I want more, but sadly the world's stocks are running very very low.

    And that, my friends, is a crime.

    10th June, 2010.

    rating

    Bogart pour Homme by Jacques Bogart

    This has become one of my favourite tobacco fragrances. The scent pyramid here doesn't list tobacco for some reason, but trust me it's there, in fact the drydown is extraordinary, retaining a beautiful smoky tobacco accord forever. All the time combined with a delightful subtle floral note throughout.

    The opening is not what I'd call a spectacular flourish, but to be honest, that kind of misses the point.You don't buy this fragrance for the opening, you buy it because the heart and basenotes are really fantastic.

    This is a potent fragrance too, you will be noticed wearing this and you will be complimented on it too. It is quite simply a great fragrance. The longevity is remarkable too, to the point where this EDT kicks sand in the faces of EDPs which claim greater skin duration.

    Bogart pour Homme is an all male fragrance, which doesn't just go down the route of traditional woods to establish its masculinity. It's tobacco, tobacco, tobacco... did I mention it drys down to a great tobacco?

    Recommended.

    29th May, 2010.

    rating

    Grey Vetiver by Tom Ford

    I'm still standing here waiting to be blown away by this. But since no such gusts of amazement have yet struck me, I can only conclude that I don't rate this that highly.

    I can't shift Guerlain's Vetiver from my olfactory memory as I wear this. It's like an inbred cousin with a few genetic twists to distance it from Guerlain's classic.

    What I find inescapably odd about this fragrance is a kind of rubbery note in the head and heart notes which gets in the way of me enjoying this as much as I perhaps would. But this is only perceptible when the nose is brought two a couple of inches from the skin, but nonetheless it's there.

    I can't for the life of me figure out why this has been dubbed "Grey". Green would have been more apposite as it is undoubtedly a fresh green interpretation of Vetiver.

    I lasts though, boy does this one have staying power. Do I like it enough to buy it? No. Do I hate it? No. It floats in that sea of fragrances which I wanted to like more, but just didn't.



    18th May, 2010.

    rating

    Patchouli Homme by Parfums de Nicolaï

    I think this is an absolutely superb fragrance. I like it easily as much as New York.

    As Vibert says, it's a suit and tie patchouli, elegant, complex and with great longevity.

    There's nothing in it's evolution that doesn't work. It starts off very potently, evolves slowly and smoothly.

    In short it's a beautifully blended, well crafted fragrance which will always find a place in my fragrance wardrobe.

    A very definite thumbs up.

    27th April, 2010.

    rating

    Carré d'As by Parfums de Nicolaï

    I sampled this recently after not smelling it for several years and the first thing that struck me when it came out of the bottle was... Platinum Egoiste.

    It's so similar to the Chanel, once I made the connection I just couldn't shake it.

    Yes it's well blended and has decent longevity, but I already have Platinum Egoiste and if I run out, I will buy that rather than this.

    27th April, 2010.

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    Harrods for Him by Bond No. 9

    This is awful.

    The name evokes something that is going to smell exclusive and expensive, instead you get a fragrance that would struggle to justify itself as a dime store fragrance.

    It's thin, sharp and pointy at the top and then as the heart notes emerge with a clumsy violet leaf tripping itself over as it crashes through the door, offering a kind of Hugh Grant "Oopsy daisies" apology it then kind of disappears into a nebulous indistinct mush of quickly fading basenotes.

    I have a great many fragrances which struggle to be worn on a given day. This I would turn down if it were on offer at Superdrug next to some new creation by the Beckhams.

    From the company that gave me the wonderful Riverside Drive, frankly they should be ashamed of themselves. This is poor. Very poor.

    31st March, 2010.

    rating

    Angel Schlesser Essential by Angel Schlesser

    I wear this.

    It's supposed to be a woman's EDP, but in reality it is a really quite lovely rose parfum with great woody undernotes.

    I actually bought it by accident thinking the Ebay listing I bought it on was for the male version. When I got it and realised my mistake I tried it anyway, and actually found it to be so good I had to keep going back to it. Reminds me a lot of L'Occitane's Rose Nuit de Mai which also has a similar structure.

    If you are a man that is not afraid of rose, you'll enjoy this, there's plenty happening as it dries down and it retains just enough wood throughout to enable a man to carry it off.

    On female skin it is really lovely.

    You won't find it often, but when you do, buy it, it really is a lovely experience.

    22nd March, 2010.

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    Santos Concentrée by Cartier

    In a way I'm a bit reluctant to write this review, because if I told you how good this was, then everyone would start wearing it and it would be less "special".

    But it is that good. No, really it is.

    Nothing Cartier produce smells as good as this. The opening maybe a little eyewatering, but it has to be in order to clear the way for one of the most sublime heart and basenote combinations out there.

    It's smoother than the EDT, it's better blended, richer and longer lasting.

    Is it masculine? Oh yes, unashamedly so, it's no blushing violet that's for sure. But what it projects is magnificent. Warm. strong, deep, spicy woods.

    There are other fragrances which attempt what this does, but none do it quite so effortlessly as Cartier Santos Concentree.

    Elegant class in a bottle. For men.

    18th March, 2010.

    rating

    Original Santal by Creed

    Either there is something wrong with my nose or there is something right with my nose, because I am at a loss to explain my diametrically opposed opinion on this.

    Joop? Are you sure?

    Joop is a sledgehammer of ghastliness which rams into nostrils like a berserker linebacker gatecrashing a party. The only similarity to me is that some of the opening accords tip a hat to each other, but there the similarity ends.

    From there on in the quality of the blending and ingredients with Original Santal make their breeding apparent and the elegance of this fragrance come through. Yes, it is sweet, but I've never had a problem with that, sweet fragrances seem to work well on my skin and I get complimented often when wearing fragrances with a sweet or floral theme to them. Someone mentioned Mont Blanc Individuel earlier and yes, I can see that in the mid range of its evolution, but Individuel smells flat and unrefined next to Original Santal.

    People get very hung up and antsy about the amount of sandalwood in OS, it is there, but it is rounded off and smoothed out, which when combined with the orange tree absolute works very, very well.

    The vanillic, tonka bean dry down remains for HOURS, but what I like is that many of the heart notes including the ginger and cinammon still project a soft reminder to the nose of their presence.

    I don't particularly like most Creeds, but I love this one. Excellent sillage and longevity and one I greatly enjoy wearing.

    12nd February, 2010.

    rating

    Brit for Men by Burberry

    I bought this never having read any of the reviews on it in the BN directory.

    I am astonished by the negativity and opprobrium levelled at Brit here.

    My first impressions of this were that it was a rich, smooth oriental, with enough spice to keep it sexy and with a well blended rose accord which makes its presence felt through the dry down. On my skin it doesn't smell overly powdery, instead it comes off as an expensive and distinctive fragrance that works well with a business suit.

    Yes, it's sweet in places and projects the sweetness above the skin, but has a delightful musky undernote combined with an all-male wood base. It's in the same ball park as another favourite of mine, Desir by Rochas, I really like it.

    It has excellent sillage, even far into the drydown, where, several hours later, you are still aware that you have this delicious warmth emanating from your skin.

    Baby powder? Baby wipes? I don't think so. This is a refined and elegant oriental which is certainly bottle worthy.

    12nd February, 2010.

    rating

    Jako by Lagerfeld

    Grapefruit, Mandarin, Calabrian Bergamot, Indian Davana Essence, Mysterious Plum.

    Middle Notes
    Cardamom, Indian Ginger Root, Brazilian Rosewood..

    Base Notes
    Indian Sandalwood, Arabic Incense, Musky-Leather Accord..

    Jako doesn't scream, it clears it's throat and then speaks calmly. This is a world away from the hairy-chested bicep flexing of Lagerfeld Classic. As others have noted, it does open brightly with a fresh bright and fruity air. As the opening makes way for the mid-notes cardamom and ginger make their presence felt, which, if you are someone like me that happens to like these two accords, is very welcome. These notes never truly fade as the leather and sandalwood notes in the base remain.

    At the end it does wear close to the skin, a sillage monster it is not, but it has a lovely kind of comforting musk to it at the end with a vaguely spicy feel to it.

    All in all Jako, is easy to overlook, which is a shame, because it is a very very pleasant fragrance indeed, one which I enjoy wearing on a regular basis.


    10th October, 2009.

    rating

    Old Spice White Water by Procter & Gamble

    Tell you something, if Bond No9 released this, it would be purchased at the prices they charge.

    Ok so here's how it went. I was in Tescos today and was looking to buy something for the sake of buying something, so I tried this. Walked around a couple of aisles and came back and bought it.

    This has elements of Opus 1870, Cool Water a bit of Baldessarini original about it. Folks, this is really really nice and at a ridiculously low price. Smell expensive for next to nothing. And it lasts well too. Lovely dry down...

    I really like this.

    3rd October, 2009.

    rating

    Amouage Gold Men by Amouage

    Well this one completely leaves subtlety out of the dictionary.

    It's like having a flower shop drop on your head with a particularly bellicose civet doing it's business with it's glands all over you and then dousing you in musk.

    It is one of the most potent fragrances I have ever encountered, a couple of generous sprayings of this could be used as a counter terrorism measure. It's not entirely unpleasant, but the drydown reminds me of a cheap musk I bought recently because it blended well with some other things.

    Is it worth the money? I don't honestly think it is. It's okay, but is a long way short of being beautiful, engaging or in the least bit attractive.

    27th June, 2009.

    rating

    Mister by Jasper Conran

    The official notes for this are: pelargonium, basil, Artemisia, tonka, patchouli, timber, musk and tobacco. When I first encountered Mister by Jasper Conran I didn't like it. But there was something about it that fascinated me and kept pulling me back. It is now a FB purchase and on regular rotation with me.

    I absolutely love it actually. It's very male and has an amazing and unusual drydown which makes for compulsive sniffing. It has a boozy sweet-but-bitter opening which I really like, which smooths out with a vaguely floral yet still boozy drydown rich in patchouli and tobacco. It also has fantastic longevity and projection. Not many other fragrances smell like this. Considering the prices you can buy this for in many High St and discount retailers, it represents a bargain if you ask me for a really great fragrance which if you blind tested it you would swear was from a more prestigious niche house.

    I don't get the disinfectant accord someone else noted.

    I think it smells distinctive, elegant and classy. Recommended.

    19th June, 2009.

    rating

    DKNY Men (New) by Donna Karan

    I absolutely surprised myself the other day and tested this at the insistence of my girlfriend. I don't normally do mainstream designer fragrances as I have become somewhat bored with them all smelling the same, What was the biggest surprise however was that this smelled very good. Very good indeed in fact. So much so that she was purring like there was no tomorrow and couldn't wait for us to get home. I'll leave that there out of a sense of decorum...

    What does it smell like? Well, it's spicy and woody with a vaguely floral note, in fact many of the notes don't really stand out as such they all seem to blend in a way that seems to suggest that they smell better than the sum of their parts.

    It's very male, with good projection, sillage and longevity. I have been ordered to buy a bottle. So I suppose I will have to now...

    Women do seem to like this one, so, for all those who constantly ask "What fragrance gets you the most compliments?", add this to the list.

    I still can't believe I've just written that.

    8th June, 2009.

    rating

    DKNY Delicious Night by Donna Karan

    I really love this. It's a heady oriental with a really seductive drydown. Everytime my girlfriend wears this I always comment on how nice she smells. It has good sillage and manages to be very sexy as well as being spicy and head-turning.

    I would very much recommend it as a present to any woman who likes orientals. It's surprisingly good in my opinion.

    11th May, 2009.

    rating

    Helmut Lang Men by Helmut Lang

    This is a woody floral for men. And an absolutely superb one.

    Any many who enjoy floral fragrances will love this. All this stuff about it being buttery is missing the point by a long way. The initial top notes are a heady blast of well tempered lavender, rosemary with a hint of tangy orange. Jasmine is particularly noticable in the top. There are distinct notes of Cedarwood in the heart notes lending it something of an edge.

    But it is the drydown which is where this fragrance truly excels. Yes there is vanilla, but there is also a sweet rose note well blended with it (akin to the drydown sweet rose note in Hammam), alongside which are noticable sweet accords of Patchouli (patchouli leaves I think because of the lightness of it?) and a particularly nice clean Sandalwood.


    Now, here's the interesting bit. This is sold as an EDC concentration, which would lead you to think it was going not last long. Nothing could be further from the truth. It lasts for a long time, longer than many EDTs I have. But it appears to wear close to the skin - almost to the point that you think that it's gone. What you notice though is that it is still gently projecting for hours. If, like me you put a monitor spray on the back of your hand, hours after you put it on you'll notice this lovely vanilla rose accord suddenly as your hand passes your face. What this also indicates it that it is you are projecting this lovely soft and gentile aura around you.

    Is it a fragrance for a gentleman? Yes of course it is! It oozes classes and refinement. If people can consider the cloying mess of overly sweet vanilla that you find in the drydown of Pour Un Homme by Caron a gentleman's fragrance, then this most certainly is. And it's better too, better blended, more subtle and in its own way unique.

    A big thumbs up. This one's a keeper.

    It's not as powdery as others have noted, the sandalwood ensures that it retains sufficient edge throughout to avoid it disappearing into a full on powder.

    24th March, 2009.

    rating

    Black Orchid by Tom Ford

    Dark, mysterious and utterly intoxicating. And, I think, more masculine than feminine.

    I've worn this since I bought a bottle, many times and women uniformly love it on me. It lasts for eternity on your skin and clothes and draws you in like a beshadowed hidden desire. It is as unique as Hammam Bouquet and as utterly compulsive as a scent to draw you in and seduce you.

    This is a dark hot humid night where pheromones tease wantonly and leave the wearer waving a passport to a sultry sigh-turning-to-aching-gasp of exquisite desire fulfilment. It is where the road to perdition lies.

    And when it does eventually fade. You can do it again. It's not better than sex, but it evokes or creates the essence a lot of the best sex you will ever remember.

    19th March, 2009.

    rating

    Number 3 / Le 3me Homme / The Third Man by Caron

    Lavender, Rosemary, Anise, Bergamot .

    Middle Notes
    Geranium, Jasmin, Rose, Fern, Carnation .

    Base Notes
    Amber, Musk, Moss, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Tonka, Vanilla.


    This fragrance stinks. It doesn't reek, it doesn't scream, it STINKS.... of class, refinement, elegance, understated confidence and excellence of taste. In the same way that Yatagan has a beauty unto itself and off the skin, so does Le 3e Homme de Caron. To go nose to skin on this fragrance is to miss what the perfumier intended in its creation.

    Anyone fearful of a volley of Lavender shells crashing into your nostrils upon first scenting of this, are quickly reassured, as the fusillade only lasts a short while before the gentle diplomacy of the florals take over, lie you down and massage your psyche with beautifully blended rose and jasmine supported by a slightly piquant geranium adding just the merest hint of edge. It somehow manages to do this without ever becoming overly feminine.

    At this point it is an auric fragrance, projecting itself in a second skin around you, soft yet gently insistent - if this fragrance were a facial experssion it would be a smile with the eyes more than the mouth and with one slightly raised eyebrow, saying than you for letting me in, there's more to come which I can assure you you will love. Is it naughty? Oh yes, but with the kind of naughtiness than hints at, rather than suggests; that caresses more than fondles.

    You see, what belies all this is a carnal heart. Go an hour and we still have the suggestion of florals, but we also have an awareness of a softly sexy musk and patchouli base mixed with a vanilla that is sweet, but not so sweet you could put on weight from it.

    If the change from Lavender to Vanilla in Caron Pour Un Homme is a Hyde to Jeckyl transformation, with harsh Lavender to sickly vanilla, the 3e Homme is the evolution of a Prince to a King, one who intends to sire a fair few heirs to the throne.

    Always beautiful, always masculine, a classic and deservedly so.


    12nd March, 2009.

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