Basenotes - Reviews by Gblue

Gblue

United Kingdom

Showing 1 to 30 of 75.

Kapsule Light by Lagerfeld

oh, no. tangerine, some generic 'fruits' and soapy musk.

19th July, 2009.

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Kapsule Floriental by Lagerfeld

red wine and dusty violets. reminds me a little of stephen jones x cdg and creed love in black.

19th July, 2009.

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Kapsule Woody by Lagerfeld

acetone-plum-cedar. not awful, but not outstanding.

19th July, 2009.

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Dzongkha by L'Artisan Parfumeur

fruity-floral opening with deep whisky, sweet incense and wood. good, but not for me.

19th July, 2009.

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Timbuktu by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Malt vinegar with dusty benzoin and that soft papyrus wood note (the wood that isn't cedar from Gucci pour Homme).
No thanks.

19th July, 2009.

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Dzing! by L'Artisan Parfumeur

toffee with a metallic edge, sawdust and nail polish. nothing dirty for me, which is a shame!

19th July, 2009.

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Mûre et Musc Extrême by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Smells exactly like it says on the tin. A nice potent blackberry/raspberry combination on soft musk.

19th July, 2009.

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Tea for Two by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Smoky lapsang souchong and a burning roll up cigarette, with hints of vanilla and amber in the background. Really liked the opening but got bored quickly.

19th July, 2009.

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Chergui by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Smells like the Vanilla-y goodness that is Sailor Jerry Rum.
(Hello, Bvlgari Black, is that you in there?)

14th July, 2009.

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Muscs Koublaï Khän by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

I find this really a rather friendly, soft, slightly fecal musk. Not scarily skanky, not powerful. Perfectly "meh", which is not what I was hoping for.

14th July, 2009.

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La Myrrhe by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Aldehydes in all their soapy fatty glory, with an powdery, slightly orange-like myrrh and anise.

14th July, 2009.

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Iris Silver Mist by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Carroty Iris in the opening. Violety Iris in the middle. Cold like winter air. Rooty Iris at the end.
Very good showcase of Iris.

14th July, 2009.

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If you've smelled Armani Code, then you know what this fragrance is trying to smell like. "honeyed" "orange blossom" and "musk".
The body products didn't match the scent at all and had random scents thrown into them.

8th April, 2009.

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Moschino Friends Men by Moschino

As Juliet once said "What's in a name? That which we call Sécrétions by any other name would smell as Magnifiques"

In other words, it smells very similar to Sécrétions Magnifiques. Which means it's salty metallic citrus.

16th March, 2009.

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Hidden Fantasy by Britney Spears

It’s essentially Fantasy with the rough cotton candy note removed. A relatively polite fruity-floral of no discernable interest, aside from the fruits are more tropical smelling than sugary. Drydown is creamy and woodsy, with a fruit cocktail dessert - straight from the tin.
Not awful but not amazing.

15th March, 2009.

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Love of Pink by Lacoste

Has a very short-lived fruity topnote, which turns into a cheap-smelling sugary Musk really quickly and stays there. Wish it smelled as good as the ad looks, rather than frosted and fuzzy like the bottle.

15th March, 2009.

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Ocean Lounge by Escada

Every year, the Escada summer editions get fruitier and 'spikier'. This one might be the sweetest so far, with a strange Calpol note that is very off putting.

15th March, 2009.

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Kylie Minogue Couture by Kylie Minogue

Couture is probably her most grown-up release so far. For a brief moment in the top-notes, it smells like a slightly sweet Flower by Kenzo. Then a strange citrus note takes us into distinct “Kylie territory” - sugary floral. However this is much lighter than the other fragrances bearing her name - think icing sugar not cane sugar. Reminds me of a sweet I ate as a child, but can’t really remember what it was or when. Into the heart it feels like Insolence would smell if it had taken sleeping pills, a quiet (but louder than the rest of the fragrance) Violet-Berry-Vanilla-Musk accord. Dries into a Vanilla-Musk-Woody scent.

15th March, 2009.

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DKNY Men (New) by Donna Karan

The opening is familiar, with a large dose of the cucumber-like aromachemical, Calone, and what feels slightly citrus. Like when you get a waxed Lemon at the supermarket. But there are powdery Iris undertones, which makes the aquatic note smell really weird.
The heart reminds me of several fragrances. It’s plasticky, but not as much as Bvlgari pour Homme Soir. Not as aquatic or citrus as Acqua di Gio, nor as dry or powdery as Infusion d’Homme. And it’s aromatic, but not as much as L’eau Bleue d’Issey pour Homme, with it’s potent herbs of Provence note. It also reminds me of Ted Baker M. It reminds me of so many things, it’s as though many good ideas that work in different fragrances have been thrown together in one bottle, and put directly onto the shelves without checking that all the ideas work together.
The drydown is powdery, musky Cedar, before it finally turns into an indistinguishable sour, off pitch note that eventually fizzles out and leaves me completely underwhelmed.

15th March, 2009.

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Endless - The Lovely Collection by Sarah Jessica Parker

Smells like a mid-range floral body spray.

15th March, 2009.

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Twilight - The Lovely Collection by Sarah Jessica Parker

Covet + Incense and Sandalwood. The best of the trio.

15th March, 2009.

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Dawn - The Lovely Collection by Sarah Jessica Parker

The weakest of the Lovely Collection. Aquatic floral.

15th March, 2009.

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M by Ted Baker

M has a citrus opening, which smells like lemon, but it’s not. It’s Yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit used during bathing, and is usually cut in hot springs to scent the water. There is also a sweet Tea and Pepper note, which feels similar to Bvlgari Pour Homme Soir. There is an Ozonic, breezy feel throughout the topnotes.
The heart bears a warm, light green leafy note, over a scent like Hay, with a light fizzy Incense accord. Slightly smoky, but it’s really been given a light touch and seems as though it’s being smelled through a veil of steam. There are similarities to Odeur 71, with it’s abstract incense note, and L’eau d’Issey. The Coriander is also present, with a quiet Rose note similar to dunhill London’s.
The drydown is a powdery, soft, rooty Vetiver, with Chocolate. Which smells a lot better than it sounds. It’s surprisingly sensual and just smells great.

15th March, 2009.

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Allure Homme Sport Cologne by Chanel

As an Eau de Cologne, you don't expect much. A soft citrus is about it. With Cologne Sport you get buckets and buckets of sharp Lemons. Like some strange kind of lemon made of plastic, that still smells of lemons. And any lemon scented bathroom cleaner or cleaning fluid. It doesn't go anywhere or do anything apart from Lemons. If you want to smell of lemons, buy this. "Awakens and invigorates" says Chanel. "BANG and the dirt is gone!" says Barry Scott of Cillit Bang.

15th February, 2009.

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No. 5 Eau Première by Chanel

No5 Eau Premiere is the newest interpretation of the fragrance. The original No5 was the Parfum, released in 1921 for gifts to the customers in Chanel boutiques. The Eau de Toilette was released in 1924 to make it more accessible. The Eau de Parfum was released in the 1980’s to contend with the power-fragrances of the time - like Poison and Opium. A common misconception is that the EdP is the “original”. I’d like to dispel that myth.
The marketing for Eau Premiere wants us to think of No5 as a painting. Eau Premiere would be the watercolour. My interpretation of this is that it’s transparent, with soft edges. If No5 really is a painting, I’d like to extend the metaphor.
The Parfum is the oil painting - beautiful but “thick”. The top note of mainly Neroli and Aldehydes persist for hours, and eventually there is a rich buttery floral left on the skin.
The EdT would have to be a 1920s Art-Deco work, the Aldehydes here are softer than in the Parfum, the top notes are more ‘Peachy’ and it has a soft, powdery and Rosy heart. Romantic and classy.
The EdP would be an ugly piece of Pop-Art. Loud, bright Ylang-Ylang over a sharp and Fatty Aldehydic note, similar to the Aldehydes of the time demonstrated well in Estee Lauder’s White Linen, with a slightly Animalic and dry Iris base.

With Eau Premiere, the first impression is indeed of lightness and transparency. The Aldehydes have obviously been toned down, as it doesn’t smell quite so ‘old’. They are in no way sharp or offensive, but instead have a feeling of modernity, they are still familiar. With the toned down Aldehydes, the citrus note that has been hidden behind them is free to make an appearance. A light lemon citrus topnote is supported by a light Neroli in the background. This makes the opening distinctly “fresh”.
The heart is a soft Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine accord, slightly fecal and inky, and a floral bouquet note, which suggest flowers but never explicitly reveal themselves.
The base is warm, soapy and almost buttery and lingers on the skin for a good 4 hours. The sillage reminds me of the No5 soap - I get a wonderful waft of it whenever I open the drawer that it lives in in my store.

The best thing about Eau Premiere is that it is still obviously Chanel No5. I like that a lot.

6th January, 2009. (Last Edited: 22nd June, 2009.)

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Insolence by Guerlain

he problem with the EdT is that it smells of hairspray right away. Making a customer wait about 30 seconds for that to disappear is hard work - I speak from experience. It went from Hairspray, to Parma Violets to Bubblegum, to a very girly Berries and Musk drydown. Insolence in its EdT form is nice.
The Eau de Parfum, on the other hand, is the Berries with other fruits amped up in the top notes - I'm convinced I smell insolenceedpPineapple up top. EdP smells immediately warm, smooth and creamy. The top also gives a tease of Iris and a floral accord. Intensely bright, or radiant, this projects quite a distance. The card I sprayed last week still smells strongly of violets.
The heart notes are both radioactive in intensity (don't look directly at it!) and incredibly persistent, dry and soft Iris, sweet and rich Vanilla, sugar-coated Violets with dirty and indolic Jasmine lurking in the background.
The Violets are ever-present in Insolence, sat on top of a warm, sensual Musk note. The drydown of Violets, Iris and Tonka remains incredibly brash and ballsy - I believe it's very much the perfume for a sex kitten.
To me, Insolence EdP is the perfect floral-fruity fragrance.

6th January, 2009.

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Kenzo Power by Kenzo

Power opens with a delightful heady Citrus and Aromatic blast. On me it is more Citrus, on a card, more Aromatic and spicy. But there is also some hairspray weirdness on my skin for the first few seconds.
As soon as the Citrus note evaporates, it smells as though I’ve just been covered in lots of Talcum Powder for a few minutes. In the background to the talc is the ‘abstract’ floral we’ve been told is here. Slightly Rose-y and very pretty, for lack of a better word. All this time, there is a sweetness to the fragrance as well.

The heart of the fragrance continues the powdered, floral theme, but it’s sweeter than you’d expect from the notes. I definately smell Iris, the dry, powdery, slightly floral root of the Iris flower. And I feel as though I can detect Heliotrope, which also gives a powdery quality to the fragrance - try Ghost Sweetheart (on a card) to see what I mean. The sweet note is either Ambrette or Tolu, which is slightly vanillic. Also, there is something of Orange here, which could be coming from the Freesia, the slightly orange and jasmine scented flower. It smells more of Orange on the card than on me, though. And I must mention the sugar-coated Violet note that also seems to appear here. It’s like the Violet sweets but with a lot more sugar on, a quieter version of the pronounced Violet note in Guerlain’s Insolence. All the while, Power manages to radiate and cheer me up. It’s quite a happy fragrance.

As we reach the basenotes, the ambery, almost incense-like Labdanum appears, bringing incredible warmth to the fragrance. In this classic, dry Cedar wood base is where I believe Polge has hidden his Dior Homme accord, a light Leather, Iris and Cocoa trail seems to live here in the basenotes. I hope to find this in more of his fragrances, as it’s very appealing to me. I also noticed a similarity to Guerlain Cologne du 68 in the drydown.

5th January, 2009.

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Opium pour Homme by Yves Saint Laurent

I like Opium pour Homme. I like it a lot, but I don’t know if I’m ‘mature’ enough yet for this one. It smells beyond my years. I’ve never liked to thing that fragrances have an age bracket, but perhaps 23 is too young to wear some scents.
First spray reminds me of bay rum, or maybe Gaultier2. It’s boozy and very Vannilic.
The booze note evaporates quickly, and leaves me with a herbal, aromatic scent that reminds me of Jicky, but nowhere near as animalic.opiumph
There is a slightly Peppered, soft Ginger note. It’s not an abrasive, OTT Ginger, like the one used in Dior Homme Sport.
Driesdown into a soft, sweet Cedar and aromatic scent and the Lavender is what strikes me most at this stage. This is what smells too grown up about Opium for me. I’ll have to keep Opium for years, just to see if I ever feel like I’m mature enough for it.

3rd January, 2009.

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Opium by Yves Saint Laurent

Opium is a real powerhouse. I’ve only applied one spray and it certainly projects very well, and this is only the Eau de Toilette … I’d love to experience the parfum!
Opium opens with a powdery, sweet Cinnamon note. Slightly spicy and exactly as I remember it from years ago when Mum would wear either this or Coco whenever she left the house.
20 minutes in, the powder is still present on top of what smells to me of rotting petals. Pungent, and I’ve been told “overpowering”. I disagree!
The powder gives way to a warm, almost leathery but not quite, Vanilla/Jasmine combination. It’s a clean Jasmine, if you’re wondering.
Then, I get what can only be described as burned vegetation on top of kola kubes (much like Youth Dew), which moves on to a balsamic, oily, ‘thick’ note and the powderyness returns, and it reminds me of the strong Sandalwood note that was found in Samsara all those years ago - these days, Samsara is a watered down charicature of it’s old self. Sad times.
Long into the drydown is one of the most beautiful Incense notes you are likely to find outside of Comme des Garcons fragrances, the Incense is very soft and it draws people in. It’s worth the ride. Opium is delicious and incredibly addictive. I think it could work for me, if I apply it sparingly.

3rd January, 2009.

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Comme des Garçons 2 by Comme des Garçons

Suitably different for me. Banana/ink opening is fun.
After a while all I get is ink, which is great. I really like the idea of ink as a fragrance, but I'm glad I don't have to apply big blobs to my wrist and chest to get the effect.

2nd January, 2009.

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