Fragrance Reviews by moltening

I've never been a fan of green and herbal scents, and this is the only one that will stay in my wardrobe. To me, Harmatan Noir is different because of its sweetness and touch of smoky black tea. The mint is a very nice "Parfumerie Generale" touch, pushing it into a more light-hearted territory while still remaining brooding.

In the end, while other scents bury you in a dense herbal garden with endless layers of "green", Harmatan Noir brings you to a desert abode at night, sitting outdoor quietly besides your garden of herbs and spices with a cup of mint tea with lemon peel in hand to battle the cold wind of the desert night.

Oh, one more thing, to see "what it's all about," be sure to spray liberally.

Dark smoky black tea served with a lemon peel in a wooden tea cup. Like foetidus said, I get something "leathery" in this as well, but I think it's a good thing that contributes to the scent's dark character. It's a bit on the light and subtle side though -- so be sure to over apply! During wearing, I get the feeling that "I want more" and "This is not enough" -- so this is one of those scents that would be best if reapplied now and then.

Cinnamon in limbo.

There, but doesn't feel like cinnamon.

Conscious? Nah. Dead? Not yet. Alive? Yea, it's somewhere in there.

Masculine? Nope. Feminine? Probably a bit.

This one is so middle of the road, suspended in mid-air, and even has the ghost of Paco Rabanne's "Paco" in it. The initial top notes are pretty harsh and nothing to get excited about... but then it gets better with the entry of even harsher cinnamon after the bergamot fades -- ending up smelling like a snowball on a bed of flowers sprinkled with cinnamon.

Cinnamon is cleansing and is an extremely terrible scent if used in the bedroom. Outside, it works pretty well as a veil-like light (but harsh if sniffed up close) scent.

Thank god it's only 30ml.

This is like an EDP version of CK One. Spicier and greener. Was a blind buy -- not quite what I expected, but not bad at all.

IMHO, best masculine rose scent ever. Period.

Cedary, crispy, clean, and with a radiant sillage "aura" plus excellent longevity. The cumin in here is actually pleasant -- not the ones you'd expect in say.. an Indian dish. (Don't get me wrong I love Indian food!) Either way, this is charming and bottle-worthy.

Not as assaulting as Montale's Black Aoud -- or "nice, but not that nice" like L'artisan's VdR, or hard to wear like FM's Une Rose. The list goes on... this one gets it just right.

... And this is coming from someone who usually dislikes roses.

Sharp. Chaotically peaceful. Similar to 'Let me Play the Lion' but greener and with a blackcurrant dropped in, which spoils it for me.

As a lover of tea, from the roasted genmaicha in CDG's Tea to the muted 'violetized' black tea in GPHII as well as "real" teas for drinking, how can I not love this? Living in Thailand, I have access to a wide variety of teas from the region. Well, this was a "love at first smell" experience for me.

Smoky, rich, mildly sweet, and honeyed -- with a feeling of timelessness. Perfect in my book. It's pretty dark, but is not sinister at all.

What's even better is that this is not a "difficult" scent... It's pretty easy to understand and appreciate.. even for non-enthusiasts. This one is a compliment-magnet and does well with the ladies... I find it very easy for me to wear. Unique, elegant, and versatile.

A winner is T42.

I grew up around temples (and incense) that have a scent similar to that of Kyoto's.

... And yet it still does not bore me, despite being decidedly linear. Comforting and contemplative.

On the other hand, people could say that "It's just incense." Well, tell them that you don't feel like carrying around burning sticks of incense.

The opening is a bit cataclysmic and "everything all at once" -- which isn't exactly a bad thing. I appreciate sharp (discordant) bracing openings sometimes, and this is one of them. Provokes thoughts of "Come again?" "What?" and "Wow." at the same time.

I haven't gone through the entire Bond line yet, but this is definitely in the top tier.

Resinous and incense-y with mix and match florals to create a sweet faux-metal tin can effect. I smell a patchouli-thing going on in there as well -- with the cedar too.

At $230 for 100ml -- you'd have to sit down and think for a very very long time. Thumbs up, but for now, my wallet will stay in my pocket.

Reminds me of my elementary school years.

Rubber eraser on a wooden table -- albeit a fairly exquisite one that has just been washed with soap.

Fairly heavy and heady. Am I the only one here who thinks it has a "Luctor et Emergo" thing going on?

Not exactly boozy for me -- all I get is nauseatingly synthetic vanillic sweetness with leather that feels like it got wrapped around a soaking wet dog. Somehow, it feels "muted" and powerful at the same time -- something that doesn't fare well with me.

I expected to like this, but it is rather "out of date, "fairly arrogant, and smells quite surprisingly cheap. I can see why it's discontinued. Sorry, but thumbs down.

In a Haiku:
Between dusk and night
Gusts of dreams from distant lands --
A gift from wind's flight

In single words:
Exotic. Dry. Incense. Mesmerizing. Tranquil. Dusty. Spicy. Poetic.

and in leetspeak...
OMFG!1!1! tHi$ r00Lz.. gr8!

If I had the option to choose Ten Thumbs Down, I would.

This one makes me nauseous for some reason. Sweetly uncomfortable. Sillage is okay but the "sillage" itself that is given out is lackluster.

Smells similar to Dunhill Blue.
With hundreds of better offerings -- avoid like the plague.

Sweet. Powdery. Violet-ey compliment-magnet.

Makes a good and exciting first impression -- but bores quickly.
Like a one night stand.
Or most blind dates.
Or MacOS X.

An aged (not exactly "rotten") orange sitting on an old wooden bench.

Somewhat tranquil -- but overapply and you'll end up smelling like a toilet cleaning/floor-washing liquid.

Fig lovers -- this may be the holy grail you've been searching for!

As for myself, I'll be frank -- I'm still not convinced. It's like sitting under the shade of a fig tree -- then someone mischievous suddenly starts spraying coconut juice. Annoyed, your S.O. tries to ignore the troublemakers by cutting the unripe figs she had just picked into halves and throws them back at the misfits. Finally, they leave after being terrorized by the green-ness of the figs. Sadly, by the time you try to sit down and enjoy the scent of the figs -- you smell nothing because there are no figs left -- just the faint smell of leaves and the wood.

Gaultier² = Sweetness²

Amber.
Vanilla.
Musk.
That's what you get at first
-- and that's what you'll get in the end as well.

On the skin, it feels warm, radiant, tender, and organic. Beneath the surface, my nose also senses something that is slightly animalic. At first sniff, it smelled very familiar to me -- like something forgotten long ago in childhood that I had found again. A good intimate scent that should be used only in certain places and at certain times. I'll let you be the judge. :)

Bottleworthy? Let your nose (and tolerance of sweetness) be the judge for this one.

If Scent Intense was the color of dark dark grey, I'd say 21 would be creamy white with a little pinch of yellow.

On me, what I got was a strong (but velvety) milky/caramelly wood with very noticeable whiffs of spices (cumin? saffron?). I'd say it's organic, warm, comforting, and "enveloping." It's complex, sophisticated, and has very decent longevity as well. I like it a lot and find it interesting and different, but I'd go for a bottle of Scent Intense first. A bit on the feminine side -- but can be pulled easily by just about anyone.

If I was to describe how Marine smells in one word... it would be this: CHEAP.

Generic. Boring. Bandwagon-esque -- and nothing like the original. (What seaweed note? Where has the posidonia gone?)

Much lighter and way sweeter. Don't get me wrong -- I love alot of sweet scents but this is the run of the mill "synthetic fresh calonic" that ends up making alot of money for designer houses. For me, this one smelled embarrassingly generic and sickly citrusy sweet. I'm not being harsh here, but IMHO it is Bvlgari's worst and also cheapest smelling scent.

This could've and should have been marketed as a totally different fragrance -- not a spinoff of Aqua. It could've been unisex/pour femme as well. Before buying it, try it a few times. I really couldn't stand it on myself.

A surefire two thumbs down!

Safe, but not as "generic" as it may seem.

The sweetness of the initial blast is a bit annoying - but thankfully it goes away real quickly and pretty much ends up being spicy. I get ALOT of ginger.

I believe this scent even has a bit of personality. Believe me -- you can do a lot worse than choosing Starwalker.

I'm on my second bottle now. Recommended use: Leave it in your fridge and take it out for a spray after taking a shower.

Man, where do I start.

On me, this is a rosey-jackfruit fiasco. Simply disastrously sickening on me.

Imagine being trapped in a sea of roses in the shell of a titanic GMO jackfruit. Then suddenly, a spice carriage selling pepper, lime, and vetiver decides to crash in -- sending the rosy citrusy top into oblivion. The sweet fruity notes are far too sick and nauseating for me to handle without going "ugh" -- and this is coming from someone who enjoys Gaultier2 and Lolita Lempicka au Masculin as well as some of Serge Luten's syrup-drenched sweetness.

This is what I call sweetness done the wrong way. It also smells synthetic, so 90's, and so CK. Then guess what, it even gets worse after that the longer it stays on your skin! Yes, yes, I know I'm being harsh and that this scent at least deserves a neutral rating. It definitely wouldn't offend people around you, but there is a high chance that it would offend you, the potential victim/wearer of this scent.

Bottleworthy? To put it in the politest way I can -- hell no. :)

Echo was meant to smell synthetic, crisp, and fresh with its light ozonic metallic sweetness. Well, that's what you get.

When I think of Echo, I think of the city. A very "urban" scent indeed. Kudos to Mr. Rashim for the bottle design though.

If Odeur 53 was a comfort scent of sitting in a garden of pixelized leaves and sunshine that's right next to a pool of soapy water that is filled with sentient robotic fish while being blown on the face by gusts of sweet refrigerated air --

...then Odeur 71 would be like standing alone, being the only human in a desolate robotic landscape with miles and miles of plastic-covered buildings that block out the sky. In the distance, you also see some robots burning pieces of rubber and other various synthetic material. They are there, but they make no sound. Everything is silent -- and the dust of the barren synthetic terrain are blown onto your face.

Bottle-worthy? Well, this is something I wouldn't want to smell like -- so I'd say no. It gives me a headache when overapplied.

"A comfort scent of sitting in a garden of pixelized leaves and sunshine that's right next to a pool of soapy water that is filled with sentient robotic fish while being blown on the face by gusts of sweet refrigerated air."

WARNING: Initially, it smells like nothing, but try over-spraying or over-applying and you might find yourself running to the sink with a headache to wash it off. Even when applied lightly, the sillage and longevity is surprisingly monstrous for such a clean scent. There is a sharp synthetic note in Odeur 53 that I believe to tell the wearer's brain that "Hey! There's something that smells chemically dangerous around you! Here, have a nice headache. This should make you take care of the smell!" However, after a while, your brain gets used to it -- then you can start spraying that 200ml bottle of yours like there's no tomorrow.

I have sampled both 53 and 71 and I at first have found both to be pretty underwhelming. Initially, I thought that 71 was more interesting/challenging and that 53 was too overly subtle. (note: boring oblivious nothingness) However, a few days ago, I sprayed some GPHII on my body and applied a very little bit of 53 on my hands from my sample vial then went outside. It was very windy that day. I walked around then suddenly I wondered what smelled so nice. I knew that it wasn't the GPHII. Then I realized it was the 53! The combination of the evening breeze with Odeur 53 was in my opinion, strangely amazing.

I was also surprised at the sillage that was given off. When sniffed up close, it's nothing much to get excited about -- pleasant, but nothing too exciting. Kinda like "my skin but better." When I smell 53, I think of "refrigerated chlorophyll, cellulose, and air." For me, it's a very "green" and transparent frag. A good frag for a windy day.

Overall, it's pretty unique and easy to wear. Try layering Odeur 53 first and a bit of Sequoia on top for a pleasant surprise.

Bottle-worthy? Not really -- IMO, there are other CDGs you should go for first. That didn't stop me from buying a bottle though! =)

On my skin, this is extremely boozy (sweet rum), slightly woody, and with just the right amount of spices. This isn't "redwood," but instead bits of wood that is sprinkled on an exotic red cocktail of rum and spices.

This is going straight to my wishlist. Despite being named Sequoia, note that wood does not take the spotlight, so if you're expecting a good ol' woody-wood fragrance -- you're in for a disappointment.

Overall, it is a very addicting and magnetic scent with loads of character.

Bottleworthy? Yes please. =)