Basenotes - Reviews by Madamemagenta

United States

Showing 1 to 30 of 71.

A Scent by Issey Miyake

walking through a thicket of Convalaria after the rain. Typical no nonsense kind of stuff you would expect from the house, but hardly so inspired as it could be. Wear in spring.

30th November, 2009.

Report Review

My secret weapon. When I have guys who don't usually wear fragrance ask me for something appropriate for (fill in special event here), I show them Reserve. Kind of a Drakkar Noir light. Classy, clean, tasteful, in the way a grey flannel suit was in the 1950s. Mavericks move on: there's no adventure here.

30th November, 2009.

Report Review

Jacomo de Jacomo by Jacomo

Mmm, smokey... Winter scent. For macho, hairy chested men who have a secret longing for a gold medallion when they go to the club. Dry down is better behaved with less clove and more smoke. Use sparingly, and not in the office.

30th November, 2009.

Report Review

Perles de Lalique by Lalique

Subtle, smells to me like a new Cedar bench in a rose garden. Yes, there is pepper, but quiet and demure. Lasts. Lovely.

12nd November, 2009.

Report Review

Talisman by Balenciaga

If Dior made this, it might be called 'Poison Gourmande'. I tried the parfum... more to come.

12nd November, 2009.

Report Review

Reaction T-Shirt by Kenneth Cole

As the name suggests, casual, had-to-throw-something-on kind of stuff. Go buy some soap; You'll smell just as good for so much less.

30th March, 2009.

Report Review

Burberry the Beat for Men by Burberry

Got that pepper/citrus thing going on; if you smell it strait from the bottle, you might think, "bug spray". But this is a changer, and smells very different and well behaved on the skin. Decent staying power. Try before you knock it.

30th March, 2009.

Report Review

Ma Dame by Jean Paul Gaultier

...but ours is one louder
Shirley Temple kind of fruity notes with citrus. If you could smell the neon at the Flamingo in Vegas, this is what it would smell like. Nice idea, but so very, very loud.

30th March, 2009.

Report Review

J'ai Osé Baby by J'ai Osé

Syrupy chypre.
I would expect this smell from something called J'ai Ose, but not something in a baby bottle! Half new century, half 1978, all messed up. Who were they marketing to?
it does last, and the right skin can pull it off...I just don't know who.

30th March, 2009.

Report Review

mat; Cherry by Masakï Matsushïma

Don't let the cherry embellished bottle fool you here...
There is a blissful little burst of cherry at the very start,but it disappears into an ozonic, melony, floral nebulosity. Perhaps not the most original, but certainly not unpleasant. Nice for summer. Lasted longer on my skin than I anticipated.

1st January, 2009.

Report Review

Mintea by Masakï Matsushïma

MAT; throws us another fragrance masquerading under a deceptive name. Awful lot of citrus, not so much mint. Dries down to something resembling EdC. Good scent for the squeaky-clean-scent types, and lasted longer than I thought.

1st January, 2009.

Report Review

Mat; Chocolat by Masakï Matsushïma

Cocoa in the raw. Upon closer inspection, this is rather complex, another case of an elaborate recipe to make a seemingly straight forward scent. Great for folks who like chocolate scents without smelling like an eight year old. Fun.

1st January, 2009.

Report Review

Cinéma by Yves Saint Laurent

Sweet almond cookies. Oh, and some flowers and resins, too. Lasts, and gets more resiny with time. Not bad, but you may have more luck with Hypnotic Poison (both smell like Play-Dough on me).
NOTE: I sampled the parfum.

1st January, 2009.

Report Review

Costes by Hôtel Costes

Took me a few days to come to terms with this stuff.
Unisex? Sure.
Girly? Not even.
This spicy, herbaceous cologne has a most complex personality; the kind that you don't know if you can get along with until you get to know it better, like some long lost crazy uncle.
Accords are conspicuous and it has impressive lasting power for an e.d.c.
Split personality cologne.

4th November, 2008.

Report Review

Fou d'Absinthe by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Nice harmonious herbal, although the anise and other sweet spices make it feel a bit feminine to me. Moderate lasting.
I don't think this is a landmark scent, but I admit I would want to know more about the man who wears this.

12nd October, 2008.

Report Review

Tea for Two by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Smokey, Milky Lapsang Souchong tea with honey and biscuits. Very pleasant, reminds me of mellow afternoons with a good book. Lasts longer than I thought, but not all day.
I'm not sure this is a good thing to smell like. Not sexy, not sultry, not playful, not fresh and clean. Then again, it's not a bad thing to smell like...

12nd October, 2008.

Report Review

Murmure by Van Cleef & Arpels

LIES!
I opened the parfum and sniffed the stopper (yes I know better) to find an intense blast of nutmeg. Hoping for more, I put it on and found a completely different odor... A white floral!
No fair!
It's not a bad white floral, and parades around with a rather macho herbal backdrop which keeps it from being too cloying. I also smell the "flower shop" of both the flowers and the cut and bruised stems. Don't overdo this one, as I suspect it will cause headaches in sensitive noses as many white florals do.
I just want the nutmeg...

12nd October, 2008.

Report Review

Terre d'Hermès by Hermès

Spice caravan on a wet dirt road. My mind has gone wandering into where the guy wearing this may have been. Mmm.

7th October, 2008.

Report Review

Miss Me by Stella Cadente

Pink bottle and juice with a jumble of pink plastic crystals on top. Can't expect anything serious here, so I'll play along.
Rather a lot like a candy necklace to start, but without the overused syrupy fruits to back it up. Mellows to its resinous core, although it never really loses the candyness. Seems to last.
Another scent I have trouble figuring out whom the intended consumer is.

7th October, 2008.

Report Review

Black Orchid by Tom Ford

If the manufacturer claims their product is a "classic" I am immediately skeptical.
The truffle note is a stroke of genius, but it's strong enough to make me think of exactly what it is: fungus.
Heart and dry-down have a happy (unsweetened) chocolate vetyver harmony rounded with orchids and berries in such a way as nothing is too sweet; nothing to dry. Nicely rounded, and stays put for hours. Pricey.
Too pretentious to deserve a thumbs up.

6th October, 2008.

Report Review

Trouble by Boucheron

Nice floral-oriental, except for the fact that someone threw Spree candies and fruit Loops in it. I feel like an eight year old parading around in her mom's dresses and heels.

6th October, 2008.

Report Review

NOU by Como & Brigante

Knowing that Claude Dir is responsible for this concoction, I expected a more juvenile, casual scent. Then again, I'm a sucker for iris.
The first time I put it on I could barely smell it, and I will take into account a little olfactory fatigue that day. The second wearing confirms that this is subtle, and not for those who like their perfume to announce them from fifty yards (shame on them!).
I notice the orris and vanilla orchid most, combined with a hint of new casmere scarf. Not the most well rounded thing I've worn, but I find the powdery, buttery iris goodness balanced nicely. Seems to have some longevity.
All in all not bad: still feels casual (I suppose "no underwear" is casual), and I'm not sure it's worth the price. The good news is they claim no artificial ingredients or coloring. Yay.

25th September, 2008.

Report Review

Touch of Spring by Lacoste

GREEN!
Cucumber and honeydew with a little ozonic twist. Playful, casual, youthful. I can't fault it, because I feel it was honest with me from the packaging to the dry down.
This is an appropriate application of a limited edition.

25th September, 2008.

Report Review

L by Lolita Lempicka

Whimsical bottle and scent. If you're looking for serious, you won't find it here.
The top note: I have just walked into the candy shop in the old part of town that makes their own fudge and candied fruits and nuts, but also sells Nerds and Skittles. I assume it will continue to have childlike behavior...
...but am I wrong? dries out to a plate of sweets put out at the gentlemans club. Musks and woods put those insolent gourmande notes in their place, and round this stuff out nicely.
Very rich.

25th September, 2008.

Report Review

Silver Rain by La Prairie

Not what I would expect from abottle that looks like a silver rain drop. Flowers, fruit compote and cookies. The anise is potent enough to make me think of other fragrances that exploited it first, so I struggle to justify the cost. Super cool bottle.
Bottom line: nice teen scent with a big price tag. Who wears this?

25th September, 2008.

Report Review

Curious by Britney Spears

Cliche fruity floral. Demands layering for longevity. Cool bottle.

25th September, 2008.

Report Review

Kate Spade Beauty by Kate Spade

Like honeysuckle?
Bright fresh honeysuckle and green tea and citrus fruits. Transitions are very subtle- is this a single accord fragrance?
I have met few scents that change so dramatically from person to person. Try before you buy.

25th September, 2008.

Report Review

Fancy by Jessica Simpson

Typical sugary, fruity gourmande. It's not bad; it's just not very original at this point. Bored now.

16th September, 2008.

Report Review

Yatagan by Caron

You just went for a long ride when your horse decided to fall down in the herb/veggie garden. Earthy, rich herbs that mean business with manly, animalic notes to back them up. You will not like it if the smell of celery bugs you.

16th September, 2008.

Report Review

Rochas Man by Rochas

Like the odor itself, but most men I asked (with an unmarked blotter strip) thought it was a womens fragrance. Perhaps this was marketed to the wrong gender?
Cool packaging:)

16th September, 2008.

Report Review