Basenotes - Reviews by beau_mode

United Kingdom

Showing 1 to 13 of 13.

Cuir d'Iris by Parfumerie Generale

This is so-so, ok. I must admit I didn't fall head over heals for it. I get a mild iris note without much distinction. I get a tiny bit of leather, then it all goes a bit too patchouli for me. I don't see patchouli listed on the Basenotes site, but I swear there is loads of it here. While I don't mind patchouli and I know it is used a lot in leather scents, I don't get a huge leather slant with this one.

21st March, 2010.

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Cuir Venenum 03 by Parfumerie Generale

I was quite disappointed with this perfume. On my skin I got very little leather except in the initial opening and then it developed along very similar lines to my nose as Feminite du Bois. Not exactly the same, but a similar vibe. I got a plum note but perhaps it was more the grape/apricot others describe with the myrrh.

I give it a neutral because it is quite well made, but I find it a bit boring and not what I am looking for in a leather scent.

21st March, 2010.

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Hot Water by Davidoff

Mediocre is a kind work to describe Davidoff Hot. On my skin it develops more as a fruity oriental, oh dear. The red colour of the bottle conjures up juicy images for me too, rather than hot. I also found it far too sweet and although not initially evident, it has that same cola-sweet, slightly zingy-fuzzy burnt smell with cedar ie generic department store accord that I hate in modern men's perfumery.

27th August, 2009.

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Eau de Quinine by Geo F Trumper

I enjoyed this, without being blown away. The top and middle notes remind me strongly of Guerlain's Habit Rouge but this similarity diverges in the drydown, A bit old fashioned and fusty, but cetainly worth trying out. Is there a note of quinine in this? I honesty couldn't say. I've drunk various drinks which are meant to have quinine in, such as bitters and indian tonic water, but I must say I don't get that association here.

21st June, 2009.

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Gris Clair by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

I was fortunate enough to be given a bottle of this for my birthday last year.

When I originally tested it, I found the cold & ashy note most appealing, but I find tha for some reason my nose picks this up far less these days. I mostly get lavender and amber, which I like, but I wish I got the ash- smoky note a bit more.

Like all Lutens, this does not lack longevity and I can easily get 14-plus hours of wear on my skin. I would recommend one applies with a light hand.

13rd March, 2009.

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Chypre Rouge by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

I've only just tried a sample of this, so I need to give it time ot grow on me, but the topnotes are really strange with this one. It reminds me of the smell of curried bread, which we used to use to go fishing for carp in our local dam. Its not necessarily unpleasant, but the association for me is rather odd.

18th January, 2008.

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Yatagan by Caron

I find it strange: so many reviewers refer to this fragrance as wild, untamed, in-your-face, rough, unwearable, and so on.

On my skin, Yatagan tends to go winey, a little like the initial fermentation smell you get when grapes start to go manky in hot early autumn sun. Then it dries down to a fairly standard woody scent, with a hint of the smokiness of Gucci pour homme.

To my nose, this doesn't come across as wild and daring as people make out. Although, in 1976, I could imagine this being a bit outre. Someone said that Yatagan is wild and uncouth while Knize ten is a gentleman, or something along those lines, but to be honest, Knize 10 was the surprise package for me: a blast of raw leather that knocked my socks off, and not necessarily in a nice way.

I certainly don't mind it, but I don't crave it enough to want to buy a whole bottle.

17th January, 2008.

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Caron Pour Un Homme by Caron

I must admit, of the three Caron men's frags I've tried, pour un homme was initially the most disappointing. I wasn't a fan of the powdery vanilla drydown. But after persisting with my generous sample from Les Senteur in London, I found it growing on me. When we moved into the colder months, I found that once the lavender note had faded, there was an animalic undertone to the vanilla which came out in lower temperatures and it tempered the sweet powderiness.

A few months on and pour un homme is my favourite, whilst I have grown a little tired of Yatagan and particularly the 3rd Man.

Yes, this scent is perhaps a little old fashioned, but it oozes an understated sophisticated class and is a comfort scent. Brilliant

17th January, 2008.

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

I must say, I agree with Ruggles on this one. Of the three Caron's I was sampling ( Yatagan, Pour un Homme and this one) 3rd man immediately appealed to me. However the second time I wore it, it also bored me, while the other two Carons grew on me gradually.

I also think that 3rd Man is trying to do too much, and in the end, it is neither here nor there and as a result, lacks character for me. If someone asked me what the main accord was for Yatagan or Pour un Homme, I could describe the scent, more or less, but the 3rd Man leaves no lasting impression on me and thus I can't even recollect what it smells like. And for this reason I give it a thumbs down.

20th December, 2007.

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Bulgari Black by Bulgari

When I first smelled a sample of Bulgari Black, I loved it, and bought a bottle on impulse. Although I don't mind the scent now, I find the vanilla dry down quite cloying and that puts me off. If there was more going on, once the rubber/smoke note fades, I might have enjoyed this more. I am not the greatest fan of vanilla at the best of times, but I do admire this mainstream scent for being a little out of the ordinary. If anything, I prefer wearing this in hotter weather, even though the vanilla would lead me to think it would be better in cooler weather, but for some reason it doesn't work like that on my skin - heat seems to bring out the smoky/rubber accord more, which I prefer.

3rd December, 2007.

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Knize Ten by Knize

I agree that this fragrance is extremely potent and long-lasting. It easily lasts 10 hours on me. I am not generally a huge fan of leather scents and those that I do like tend to be ladies leather, which is sweeter and less overbearing.

I thought I liked Knize 10 until I smelled it on another man on a train, who sat down next to me. The smell was repulsive, as he had obviously over-applied it, and since then my association has become a negative one.

I think the deciding factor for me is that on my skin the harsh, raw leather is constant - I smell it from the the moment I spray it on until I wash; I suppose some might say that is the point, or desirable effect of a leather scent, but it is too much for me. I prefer a hint of leather in a drydown, rather than a relentless blast of testosterone-fueled bovine.

30th November, 2007.

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Obsession for Men by Calvin Klein

On a card, the drydown was particularly nice, but once I wore it on my skin, this fragrance turned extremely sweet on me - amber and vanilla were the dominating notes, not my favourites in any case.

This fragrance appears a little dated to me and while I can appreciate what it must have been like to wear this in the eighties, it is not one I would buy and wear for myself.

14th November, 2007.

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Givenchy Gentleman by Givenchy

The jury is out on this one for me. I like the initial topnotes, but as it dries down, there is something about this scent that reminds me of the original Polo Green. Although I didn't hate Polo, it didn't do much for me either. Similarly Gentleman has the same connotations for me. So, I don't mind it, but certainly wouldn't buy it or wear it regularly.

14th November, 2007.

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Showing 1 to 13 of 13.