Fragrance Reviews by brainpower1972

I was eager to sample this, because it is so popular on basenotes, but I’m afraid this is not for me. The first impression is that is has a very realistic and very strong rose note. If there would be powder in Black Aoud, the rose would have turned very feminine. Luckily the rose is counterbalanced by woods, which makes this scent unisex. I still do not think, as some people do, that this is a masculine scent. I can wear sweet fragrances like Dior Homme without feeling awkward, but the rose note in Black Aoud is way too much for me. When after hours the drydown sets in and the rose fades, things get a lot better. This is an interesting scent, which would probably smell great on the right person, but I just do not feel comfortable wearing Black Aoud.

Quite fruity! On my skin it is a light scent that does not last very long. It’s more fruity than fresh and I have a hard time finding the aquatic notes some other reviewers mention. Unforgivable is nice, but without personality. Totally inoffensive, but at the same time totally forgettable. And I agree with tdrps that Unforgivable smells girly and not really masculine. Still, I think it is quite a decent fragrance for casual occasions and is probably more suited for younger persons. The fruity notes of Unforgivable somehow just never feel quite right on my skin and when I’m in the mood for casual-fruity-fresh-aquatic, I would prefer Acqua di Gio over Unforgivable.

Tried it in the winter and smelled tar and sweetness. Not unpleasant, but it did not develop. When I was cooking something with onions and Chinese spices, I found out it mingled well with the scent I was wearing. I had a bit of the sample left and decided I should probably try it again in spring/summer. I tried it again in spring and the combination of a tar smell and the sweet spices reminded me of a pancake restaurant in my hometown, which is located in an old ship. This makes this scent a bit of a gourmand for me that reminds me of a place which is 2 km from my home, instead of reminding me of far away deserts. The bitter tar note is a good counterpoint for the sweet spices and gives it the needed masculinity for me to be able to wear it. I think this scent is definitely on the masculine side of unisex.

I really like it and it is quite unique, but I don’t think I will buy a bottle of it. The problem is that I don’t see many situations were I could wear this one in public. For a day at home it is great, especially in the summer holiday. In a relaxed state of mind this scent is able to transport you to a time in the past and it has an adventurous feel to it. The tar note reminds me of wooden ships and brings to mind images of pirate films.

While testing this, I found out that I really do not like anise as a note. This scent smells like a candy store. As a child I loved candy stores, but as an adult I do not want to smell like that. This is cloyingly sweet and lacks development and personality. Longevity is good though, but in this case that was not a good thing for me. Avoid this scent!

This was the first eau de toilette I bought. I choose it mainly because I really liked the design of the bottle. After having tried it, it has been my favorite for years. As I remember it, it smelled like leather or tobacco (although it probably was wood), which I found very pleasant and fitting for a masculine fragrance. At the same time it smelled a lot fresher than some of the other wood based fragrances I came to know afterwards. Sadly it is not available anymore in the Netherlands. I really miss it. Definitely thumbs up!