Fragrance Reviews by Ged

This was the first serious fragrance I bought, when I was about 20. Up til then I owned Cool Water, New West and Safari. Ten years on, it remains in my top 5, quite possibly close to no.1. It is truly incredible from start to finish.
One of the most impressive openings, around, it blasts out of the bottle with a sharp accord of lemon, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. This accord dominates throughout, even as the drydown reveals sandalwood, it manages to stay fresh and spicy all day.
This is the quintessential business fragrance. It has great longevity for a day at the office, and would be impossible to offend anyone. On the contrary, it gets many compliments (along with GIT and Rive Gauche, the most for me). It is ridiculous, insulting but very opportunistic that this is available for $30 for 100mL!!!

My wedding fragrance, and a perennial in my top 5.
I find the lemon, carnation and leather to be the dominant notes, integrated so well to give a very smooth effect from start to finish. In the age of oceanics and gourmands, it could be accused of being a little "simple", but often the simple things in life are the best. Unique, hard to find, classy, its longevity belies its EDC label, and often will last 12 hours on me with generous (6 spray) application.

A honeymoon in Paris.
Me, "pre-BN", but still interested in fragrances, see the Guerlain Flagship store on the Champs-Elysees, and I was introduced to Derby. I bought it on the spot, despite the price.
This is, for me, my most formal fragrance of all. More than Heritage, Bois du Portugal, Dunhill 1934 and other I own.
The reason for this is that, while others have a hint of warmth, swetness or sexiness, Derby is bone dry, to steal a wine term. Possibly the only one which comes close in terms of "seriousness" is Vintage Tabarome.
A bone dry composition of mint and herbs which gives way to florals and moss. The overall effect, to my experience, is of a very expensive soap, and I feel clean in a very distinguished, but not necessarily "fresh" way. The sillage and longevity are impressive. I don't often get to wear Derby because of its formality, but when I do, I feel like I have balls of steel.