Reviews by foetidus

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    foetidus
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    Cuba by Santa Maria Novella


    I am totally smitten by this tobacco scent—the first tobacco scent I can say that about. There’s a little – very little – citrus / spice something in the opening accord, but it quickly settles down to it main tobacco message. At first sniff, I thought that there’s not much complexity to this scent, but I found it’s more complex than I originally thought. The tobacco note has a slight aromatic aspect to it – something like a hint of a sharp lavender outlining the tobacco note. That aromatic note, with the leather note which supports the tobacco, is what makes this accord so special – it a surrealistic tobacco accord that I find compelling. The leather is very well done. Normally I would object to the presence of some leather, but the way the leather is presented here, I really enjoy it. The fragrance is linear, but it is so rich and fulfilling that the absence of movement benefits rather than detracts. Linear and very long lasting — SMN’s Acqua di Cuba lasts on my skin for over twenty-four hours. Very impressive fragrance and a must for a tobacco lover.


    22nd October, 2011.

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    Marbert Man by Marbert


    I can see why Marbert Man is a cliché… it is old-fashioned, super strong, and a long suffering snicker-fodder. It is aromatic, aldehydic, leathery, spicy tour de farce. The basil / lavender opening screams “out-of-date” while the leathery / mossy base smugly ignores any kind of fashion of the last quarter of the twentieth century as well as the first decade of the twenty-first. Marbert Man is neither smooth nor pleasant, but it does have character. I enjoy smelling it but I would not enjoy wearing it: It’s too much of a cliché… although a sort of rare and weirdly-satisfying “up-yours” cliché. I’m glad I tested it and I’ll keep the small decant handy to smell every once in a while… It’s like not being able to look away from a car crash.

    16th October, 2011.

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    Au Lac by Eau d'Italie


    I like Au Lac. Along with my liking it, I must agree with Off-Scenter that Au Lac is not niche quality. The opening is citrus / creamy green which very soon morphs into a creamy osmanthus… and calone. It is attractive and enjoyable and oh so reminiscent of so many very good women’s designer scents of the past dozen years. From the creamy citrus beginning to smooth jasmine / amber / papyrus base, Au Lac is balanced, refined, subtle, and hopelessly neutral. I don’t get this as a marine scent at all, and I firmly concur with Off-Scenter that for a true niche quality aquatic floral one would be wise to seek out Heeley’s Sel Marin. And, yes, Bulgari Aqua Pour Homme is also better than this. But I do like Au Lac – I just don’t like the price.

    16th October, 2011.

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    Aoud Gourmet by Martine Micallef


    At my first testing the aoud came across primarily as an aromatic background to a caramel-sweet foreground. The more often I’ve tested Aoud Gourmet, the more aoud and the less caramel I get. I’m happy with the direction the fragrance took. The aoud note never becomes strongly impactful, but it has come to dominate over the sweet accord of honey, sugar, marzipan in the opening. It’s a civilized aoud… (or neutered, depending on how one feels about that particular note). As to the other notes listed in the top two levels of the pyramid, I am barely aware that patchouli, cedar, nutmeg, musk are present. If the pyramid notes actually ARE there, they are incorporated into the sweet / aoud accords seamlessly. This is a highly refined fragrance.

    From my description, Aoud Gourmand doesn’t seem very interesting or complex... But it is much better than my weak description of it would indicate. In the actual wearing, AG sends off a sillage that is a lightly exotic and comfortably sweet. The soft sillage is quite enjoyable as it disperses its occasional wisps of mystery. It’s an easy wear and has quite good longevity.

    16th October, 2011.

    rating

    Furyo by Jacques Bogart


    It’s been a long time since I smelled a fragrance that opens so rich, varied and full. I immediately get the patchouli, rose, cinnamon, honey, jasmine, lavender, and a bit of wormwood: All these notes are discernibly clear and smooth. It’s wonderful… it’s nostalgic… and it’s a bit sad to think that this is what one could once expect from a fragrance. But they don’t make them like this anymore, and more’s the shame.

    Vintage Furyo doesn’t project strongly off my skin. It is mild and very smooth. I don’t get the bergamot of the opening – perhaps it was lost in the aging. Usually for me, a civet note will come through strongly, but I don’t smell it anywhere in the several layers of this complex scent. The opening sans bergamot lasts for a long time before it transfers into a more floral texture without the opening’s wormwood, aldehydes, and honey. It performs as a firm skin scent through the middle texture and through the long-lasting basenotes. In the basenotes, the patchouli still rules in conjunction with a smooth musk and with a little help from some moss and amber. I get neither vetiver nor vanilla. The same generous Basenoter who provided me with a small decant of vintage Furyo, also provided me with a small decant of the reformulated Furyo. Unfortunately I spilled the vial of the reformulation after only one cursory testing of it. It seemed stronger than, but similar to the vintage version - but without the depth or smoothness – but the reformulation was enjoyable.

    I love the vintage Furyo. It’s rich and delicious.

    9th October, 2011.

    rating

    Grey Vetiver by Tom Ford


    At first I enjoy the citrus / sage opening – it’s very clean, balanced, and even perky. The grapefruit is neither sour nor sweet and the orange blossom provides an excellent orangey-floral feel to the opening accord – quite attractive, and I enjoy it for about fifteen minutes when it begins to turn a bit sour. At the end of its opening, the fragrance has gotten a little vague and uncommunicative to me, and that could be because it is moving into the middle level which contains some of my more iffy notes – orris, nutmeg, and pimiento. I don’t dislike any of these notes, but all of them have performed nastily on my skin in one fragrance or another: It took me only three testings for the nutmeg to come to dominate the middle level… Nutmeg-grabbing-domination of accords happens quite often to me, and I dislike it every time it happens: I have several fragrances that have eventually grown so nutmeg “dominant” that I never wear them anymore, and after three testings, there are enough nutmeg emanations to tell me that this scent is not for me. The base of Grey Vetiver is a pleasant, warm, oakmoss / amber / wood accord. The pyramid given for Grey Vetiver in Osmoz does not list vetiver as a note – I rather agree with that omission. I do get some vetiver but not enough to satisfy this vetiver lover. After the excellent opening, I don’t find very much in this fragrance to admire or enjoy…

    9th October, 2011.

    rating

    Sex in the City - Love by In Style USA


    Sex in the City – Love – is a perfect example of a fragrance made on the cheap. It’s spectacularly bubble gummy, generic, and synthetic. Not that it actually SMELLS synthetic – its CHEAPNESS overbears even its elemental syntheticness, but the synthetic molecules manage to deposit themselves in the back of my mouth without triggering my olfactory cells... I get that feeling that I've been chewing on a Buick. Hard to describe the notes and progression – it’s simply a massed fruity / floral / bubble gum disaster. Soft sillage and average longevity. If this is love, I wanna be without it.

    9th October, 2011.

    rating

    Rien by Etat Libre d'Orange

    I don’t get the blackcurrant bud in the opening, but I do get leather and aldehydes. I’m surprised at the leather because it is a rather strong version, and yet I barely dislike it… I hate most leather notes. There’s a definite smoky / incense aspect to this leather – the pyramid says “frankincense” but it smells more smoky to my nose, possibly because the leather is so strong. There’s also some spice that I can smell but not identify. Powder? Not really… nor do I get much vanilla in the base. The leather dominates from beginning to end to such an extent, that I do not consider myself as a good judge of what’s really happening in the fragrance: It’s an interesting fragrance and my main reaction to it is that I don’t exactly like it, but I’m surprised that I can tolerate it. Rien has very little movement or complexity for me. It’s a long lasting fragrance with better than average sillage

    I will vote a neutral for Rien, but I’m tempted to vote a thumbs up simply because it’s a strong leather scent that doesn’t revolt me… they must have done a lot right in this one.

    9th October, 2011.

    rating

    Gaggia by Santa Maria Novella


    I get a rather straightforward aromatic, almost solofleur mimosa scent that is not what I usually think of mimosa (sweet acacia)… this mimosa note has a quite attractive, strong aromatic (green?) element to it, as well as a old fashioned feeling to it… of course, Santa Maria Novella fragrances usually do have a charming rustic aura about them. It took me several trials of the fragrance to appreciate this particular mimosa note: The first two times I tested it I noted a gooey, almost slimy feeling to the main mimosa accord and this slimy note was coupled with a too-strong aromatics feel. It took a few testings for me to begin to appreciate the basic presentation of Gaggia. Now I enjoy the floral / green mimosa note... the aromatics have lessened and the gooey ambiance has completely disappeared to my nose. As the name of the fragrance suggests, Gaggia is almost a solofleur offering and I find it is quite linear. Even though I’m not much a fan of floral fragrances in general, Gaggia is a clean, fresh, pleasant fragrance – it ends up performing like many other SMN fragrances: natural smelling (non-synthetic), pleasantly rustic, short-lived… and oh-so-charming.

    2nd September, 2011.

    rating

    Ocean by Tipton Charles


    A strange one that I don’t quite know how to consider. At first the only thing I smell is the oil. (The fragrances from Tipton Charles are oil based, I believe.) I can certainly smell the oil here… And when the other notes begin to show through, I find the accord a bit fuzzy and I have difficulty deconstructing the accord into individual notes. Suffice it to say that this is a pleasant, fresh smelling citrus accord that is soft without much complexity, After twenty or so minutes the “ocean” accord shows up when the fragrance takes on a synthetic ozonic behavior and that’s where it stays. The ozonic note is generic and pleasant. Ocean Essential is not very complex or, to be honest, interesting. It is a light, fresh fragrance that has very good longevity.

    2nd September, 2011.

    rating

    Florentia 22 – Pesca e Fiori by I Profumi di Firenze

    I’m not typically fond of fruity florals – the more fruity the combination, the less I like it. Florentia 22 is super fruity to my nose… it presents powerful notes of sweet, unrestrained peachy peach . I’m not nearly as particular about florals… there are only a few I don’t appreciate in fragrances… One of those is a strong lilac note… the lilac notes in fragrances often deliver powerful aromas that I do not find in the scent of actual lilac bushes.,, and I sometimes find lilac notes cloying and overbearing. Florentia 22 presents a strong, super sweet lilac note along with its peachy peach and, as if that’s not enough, F22 has the added torture of a certain irritating green note. I don’t know what ingredient is responsible for that annoying green odor – I have met it before in six or eight fragrances, but I’ve always been too busy washing the fragrance off my skin to note what note is causing the malodor. If I were a little more paranoid than I actually am, I might believe that this fragrance was purposely designed to disgust me.

    2nd September, 2011.

    rating

    That Man by Revlon


    Revlon’s That Man is definitely a blast from the past… It presents a gentlemanly arid herbal / wood resinous accord softened by a background of masculine mixed floral texture. It’s an accord that I had enjoyed many times in the distant past and I like it even better now than I did fifty years ago. Undoubtedly masculine, and if it’s outdated, I certainly don’t care because, as uncomplicated as it is, it smells so great. Easy to wear… Easy to accomplish anywhere from subtle to powerful projection simply by adjusting the amount applied... Linear… Moderate longevity… Another wonderful classic drugstore fragrance that I wish was still in production.

    17th August, 2011. (Last Edited: 19th August, 2011.)

    rating

    Around Midnight by Mark Buxton

    With its sophisticated structure and its woodiness, this should be the exact type of fragrance that I love. But love doesn’t happen. It has a nice opening – sophisticated, balanced… I don’t think I can label it except for saying that it is spicy green, but not strongly spicy nor strongly green. I can also say that it is perky but not loud or gaudy. I think the chamomile and jasmine are responsible for the smoothness and pleasantness of the opening dominated by pepper and geranium. Around Midnight gets a lot more serious after the opening: The castoreum and patchouli move in to take control in a dark, somewhat bitter way. I don’t appreciate the ingredient quality of this second accord… it comes through as neither pleasant nor interesting. When the bitterness eases, the remainder of the fragrance is persistently and disappointingly generic.

    Around Midnight could have been a contender but I feel it misses on its delivery. It starts beautifully, but for a time it turns bitter, harsh, and then uninspiredly generic. Soft sillage and average longevity.

    17th August, 2011.

    rating

    Baume au Doge by Eau d'Italie


    This is a rich but soft incense / soft spice treat. Baume du Doge opens with a beautiful, balanced, sparkly spice / citrus accord with the cinnamon dominating the spice part of the equation. After a respectable length of time, the opening cinnamon is replaced with cardamom and then the cardamom, with black pepper. By the time the pepper has weakened, the incense from the heart accord has risen to prominence. These progressing accords from the opening to the base are varied, excellently balanced, and completely satisfying. The subtle incense is the core of the fragrance – it is rich, elegant, and wearable… The spices, too, are lush and discreet. The drydown is woody and spicy, and it comes across to me as a resinous, spicy, and a tad-more-than- skin scent.

    This is not a fragrance for someone who is looking for strong projection, and yet, in spite of its reticence, it is oddly fulfilling. Baume du Doge is beautifully elegant and discreet with longevity that is a bit disappointing, but it’s my favorite offering from a favorite house.

    17th August, 2011.

    rating

    Dolce Patchouly by I Profumi di Firenze



    A generous Basenoter – a lover of classic powerhouses – provided me with a decant that was simply labeled “Dolce Patchouly.” For a while I was confused as to the producer of this scent. When I was informed that DP is made by I Profumi di Firenze, I accepted that information without a doubt: It has performance characteristics similar to Spezie de Medici and Fresco di Vetiver… unique, strong character, linear, and somewhat reminiscent of the long-ago-and-far-away. Where it departs from those other two IPDF fragrances is that Dolce Patchouly has tenacious longevity. As a patchouli fragrance, DP takes primarily a resinous interpretation of patchouli. It is a raw, spicy patchouli accord that I experience… It is neither smooth nor head shop, but it is not especially aggressive. Whatever aggressiveness it exhibits is caused more by the spices, herbal elements, and aromatic woods than by the patchouli. Contrary to its name, DP is not at all sweet to MY nose: The Basenoter who provided me with the decant mentioned a strong anise note… which would have proved the name… But I get absolutely no anise in the mixture: the drier spices and herbs overwhelm. This is one of those fragrances that does not seem as potent as it actually is: In reality it delivers whiffs of resinousness at unexpected intervals for a long, long time. Its tenacity is unreal!

    From what happens on my skin, I have no idea why Dulce Patchouly is listed as a fragrance for women. On my skin it is dry, rustic, and borders on aggression… a veritable model of masculinity. I would be amenable to wearing this fragrance, but I would not find very many occasions to do that. I like it, but it’s not a thumbs-up fragrance for me.


    17th August, 2011.

    rating

    Juozas Statkevicius / Josef Statkus by Juozas Statkevicius

    The opening is a beautifully done incense accord that is accomplished by undoubtedly high quality ingredients and artistic blending. The incense is luxurious and its supporting jasmine and amber elegantly round out the resinousness of the incense and wood. The core accord of incense, jasmine, and amber is reinforced in sweetness by vanilla and benzoin that provide the perfect balance. I don’t determine much movement or change in the process of Josef Statkus Eau de Parfum… It is linear and it keeps a sophisticated low profile. Distinguished and interesting, it is the most elegant incense fragrance I’ve encountered.

    22nd June, 2011.

    rating

    MCM 24 Evening by MCM


    This is a ‘90s introduction that was pretty much in the form of an ‘80s men’s power frag… but 24 Evening appeared on the scene a decade too late. By the time it made its entrance, the Cool Water / Eternity tidal wave had been in effect for several years, bringing in the flood of light, aquatic, synthetic fragrances for men. MCM 24 Evening had everything going for it except poor timing and unfortunate karma. What an excellently constructed complex masculine fragrance this is! It has green, fruit, citrus, lavender, spice, florals, tobacco, amber, wood, civet, leather, moss, tonka, and vetiver… these notes are not presented in one of those atrocious conglomerate accords that took over the ‘90s: Most of the various components come across in balanced, compelling combinations, with the individual notes competently presented in full, rich but not overbearing accords. In addition to the movement of mutating complex accords, I get a tamed civet and somewhat varying floral notes through the run of the fragrance. The movement has the refined civet joining in the progressing and subtlety changing accords with ease and very little drama considering the complexity. I get little sweet from the amber and tonka, but the aromas I do get are not harsh and must have been softened... The sillage is civilized and the longevity is excellent. Although the notes and construction are similar to the power fragrances of the ‘80’s, this is not a complete ‘80s power fragrance – it is too controlled and refined for that. Masculine, solid, and exceptionally well made, it is two thumbs way, way up on this one…

    22nd June, 2011.

    rating

    Menthe Fraiche / Fresh Mint / Eau de Menthe by Heeley


    As the other reviews say: Minty fresh and clean. Menthe Fraiche is an enjoyably fresh minty fragrance. The mint is supported first by maté and later by a green tea note and finally by a light white cedar note. I particularly enjoy the full green richness that maté supplies to a fragrance, and maté works especially well in combination with the mint and cedar. Menthe Fraiche is quite linear, but that’s all right because the accords are so enjoyable. Soft projection and, for a mint fragrance… decent longevity.

    22nd June, 2011.

    rating

    Dior Homme Sport by Christian Dior


    On the one hand, Dior Homme Sport might disappoint because it is dissimilar to Dior Homme. On the other hand, Dior Homme Sport is a pleasant, refreshing, nicely performing fragrance that does exactly what a sport fragrance is supposed to do. It is not original – its opening reminds me of the tradition colognes with its grapefruit / citrus livened up with rosemary and ginger: I’ve enjoyed the combination in the fragrances I’ve found it in. The middle accord gets a little thin for me, but I’m grateful that it doesn’t overdo the ginger and lavender… I find that both of those can get annoying if not carefully presented. The middle makes nice use of the elemi in its green neutrality… an enjoyable counterpoint to the more dramatic opening, but still, it could be a little stronger. The base is a well done but standard wood drydown where its sandalwood, vetiver, and cedar are discreetly presented in an accord that stays fresher than its woodiness would indicate.

    In spite of its shortcomings, I like Dior Homme Sport very much… I enjoy its lively and refreshing ambiance while it remains natural and suitably masculine. It has enough vibrancy, complexity, and elegance to it to make it the kind of winning fragrance YSL’s M7 Fresh used to be before it was reformulated. Decent sillage and shorter than typical longevity.

    22nd June, 2011.

    rating

    Gardenia by Molinard

    This review is of Gardenia from Molinard’s 1849 series. 1849’s Gardenia is basically a solofleur and at first I can tell that it is somewhat intended to be gardenia, even if it is an uber-chemical presentation of that flower. The fragrance fairly quickly loses its temporary olfactory resemblance to gardenia, and becomes very much like an economy laundry detergent – I suppose that the “laundry detergent” smell is the risk that perfumers take when they try to make a complex scent like gardenia on the cheap. This is one of those synthetics that I can actually taste when I smell it and I find it totally off-putting… No, sorry, this one’s a loser.

    22nd June, 2011.

    rating

    Shocking by Elsa Schiaparelli

    My sample of the vintage version came from a generous Basenoter … I did not realize the extent of her generosity until I Googled for some information about Shocking and found that this is one of those fragrances whose values have soared. I was SHOCKed…

    Sweet! Honey sweet… with lots of florals. This is an exuberantly perky, feminine, perky-feminine fragrance. The florals form a delectable bouquet of rose, jasmine, and lily of the valley. I can’t pick out the individual floral notes, but the group of florals smell really good. The base is as enjoyable as it is standard: It’s a nice smelling sandalwood / patchouli / amber / musk that presents no surprises, but had good sillage and longevity. Shocking is a bit synthetic and maybe even a little cloying (if over sprayed), but it also exhibits life and vitality in refreshing excess. It’s an enjoyable fragrance.

    22nd June, 2011.

    rating

    Vintage Blumarine by Blumarine


    With my first testing of Vintage Blumarine it opened harsh and aggressive and didn’t do much to improve itself for the rest of its run. I got a citrus opening clouded a little by an inferior peach note. The florals of the middle primarily formed some sort of rose / lily combination that comes off neither enjoyably nor strongly from my skin, but I didn’t actually dislike the combination… it was more boring than cloying. The base was a generic wood / amber. With my next testings the harshness of the opening didn’t show up – in fact it was pleasant in an uninteresting sort of way. The rose / lily dominance of the middle level changed to a generic mixed bouquet that allowed me to retain my initial ambivalence. And the base disappeared into something more powdery / musky than woody. In whatever guise Blumarine Vintage presents itself, it is not a very interesting fragrance.

    22nd June, 2011.

    rating

    Voyage d'Hermès by Hermès

    The opening of Voyage d’Hermes is irresistible. The opening and heart of the scent emanate delicacy, sophistication, and genius. Translucent… refined… perfectly balanced… The crystal clarity belies its complexity of citrus, spices, tea, and woods, … Voyage d’Hermes is an iceberg of a fragrance in which 90% of its substance is submerged under a startlingly pleasant simplicity. The citrus / spicy opening is enjoyably unique – the black pepper takes a slight dominance over a delicious, balanced spice / citrus accord; and then the fragrance moves to a more complex accord where the expended pepper is replaced by a delicate artemisia and tea... so very sniffable at this point. The drydown is a bit of a disappointment because it does not carry through the high level of inspiration of the opening and heart accords… the spices, tea and artemisia are lost. I get a lot of white musk (I’m not a big fan…) backed up by some (apparently compulsory nowadays) cedar from the base: this is not an exceptional accord and it suggests synthetics, but it is acceptable.

    By the very nature of its notes, Voyage d’Hermes has problematic longevity, so I won’t hold its lack of longevity against it. While it lasts it is an attractive, modern fragrance – especially its opening and heart. I’m not a fan of several Jean-Claude Ellena productions, but in Voyage d’Hermes, his minimalistic style works beautifully.

    7th June, 2011. (Last Edited: 8th June, 2011.)

    rating

    Pheromone for Men by Marilyn Miglin


    Pherómone opens with a rather raspy herbal accord… There’s more scratchiness involved in the opening than can be explained by the herbal (basil – thyme) heart notes – I don’t know where the raspy tone is coming from, but I find it more interesting than annoying. I think my confusion might be confounded by the honey from the base of the fragrance, which supplies a sharply sweet, somewhat urinous note that clashes with the thyme note. The herbal rusticness is pretty much all I get from Pherómone. As with some other Marilyn Miglin fragrances I’ve tried, I don’t get much of a base: they seem to either be very short lived or they last but are linear. In the case of this fragrance, it has good sillage and very good longevity.

    I don’t dislike the fragrance, but I’m not sure I like it very much, either – it will take a lot of getting-used to for me to get a positive feeling for it. It is interesting though… and unique. Like other Miglin fragrances, it is Miglin-unique and not a copycat of some other fragrance. Pherómone’s herbal scratchiness and slight dissonance set it worlds apart from the usual run of designer fragrances. It reminds me a bit of a gentler, kinder Sud Est by Romeo Gigli. If I had been doing a blind test on this, I would have thought it a niche fragrance…

    7th June, 2011.

    rating

    Givenchy Play Intense by Givenchy


    Not bad at all. Sweet… and lots of notes that are difficult to separate out of the linear accord… a bit synthetic but pleasantly so… The entire run of the Play Intense has a creamy, caramel-like, sweetness to it that can easily be taken as a gourmand – and yet it’s nowhere near cloying: The sweetness of the fragrance is nicely tempered by the deft use of patchouli and labdanum and what appears to be some rather exotic wood notes. The result is a pleasantly sweet fragrance that boasts not the slightest shadow of seriousness… or depth. It’s a youthful fragrance… and it’s nicely put-together and refreshingly enjoyable.


    7th June, 2011.

    rating

    Narcisse Noir by Caron


    The citrus in the opening of Narcisse Noir EDT misses me. I get only a slight bergamot note and potent white floral accord dominated by jasmine and narcissus. For me, the accord is pretty much straightforward white floral, and it changes little through the entire run of the fragrance. I looked forward to the musk and civet that were mentioned in the scent pyramid, but they did not come through for me at all. I’m not fond of this fragrance – it is a little too uncomplicated and loud for me, but, considering that, I do not find it cloying or off-putting, either… just dull. It has strong sillage and unreal longevity

    7th June, 2011.

    rating

    Fat Electrician by Etat Libre d'Orange


    I understand the reason for “electric” as part of the name: With my first whiff the vetiver / vanilla / opoponax combination smelled like a blast of electricity. The note didn’t last long and the vetiver accord continues on a path of becoming weaker and more synthetic. I’m not getting much more from this fragrance than a not very interesting vetiver / vanilla accord. This is not the first scent I’ve smelled that combines vetiver and vanilla into a fragrance’s dominant accord. I’ve gotten a somewhat similar metallic vetiver in CSP’s Vetyver Haiti, and I wasn’t impressed by that scent either. I’d say that this is an interesting use of vetiver in Fat Electrician, but it’s too metallic, synthetic, and electrical for my taste… and then after that disappointment, it wimps out… disappears from my skin within an hour.

    7th June, 2011.

    rating

    Eau de Cologne by Geo F Trumper

    Cologne has a pleasant citrus / floral opening: a clear and nicely sharp Neroli, lemon and bergamot accord combined with rosemary. I think there is a trouch of rose in the mixture, too. It’s certainly a very good representative of the eau de cologne genre in quality, aroma, and performance. For Trumper’s citrus fragrances, I prefer GFT—it’s much more complex and warm and interesting. For Eau de Colognes, I think there are better ones than this, although this is a very nice fragrance.

    7th June, 2011.

    rating

    Fleurs de Bulgarie (new) by Creed

    There’s an off, sharp green note in the opening that almost pushes the fragrance too much. At that point the fragrance borders on cloying, but these excesses have completely disappeared in a few minutes. Fleurs de Bulgarie’s initial heaviness is necessary in order to build up the energy necessary to release such a beautiful and lasting rose accord. This is one of the most flawless rose fragrances I’ve encountered. The rose note is clear and natural, beguiling and emotive. It is backed up by a light—very light—touch of ambergris and musk, but, for all practical purposes, it is a pure rose scent. Fluers de Bulgarie is quite elegantly feminine, has excellent longevity, is linear, and is incredibly refined. No seeker of the perfect rose scent should miss this one—it is definitely a contender.

    Originally submitted 2007/05/24

    7th June, 2011.

    rating

    Vocalise by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

    Vocalise is quite a nice feminine fragrance—unassuming florals and solid fruit notes, but, as solid as the fruit accord is, it is not at all heady or aggressive. The accord is quite refined, possibly because the currents keep the fruitiness under control. It’s a pretty scent, feminine but not girly; comfortable, with a step toward elegance, without being stuffy or pretentious. It is not noticeably sweet to my nose, which alone separates it from the multitudes; it is a clean scent that is very enjoyable to be around in casual and professional environments. Linear, long lasting, and understated, Vocalise isn’t showy; it is tasteful and appropriate for quiet, perhaps introspective occasions—and also, I guess, for singing.

    Originally submitted 24 May 2007.

    7th June, 2011.

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