Basenotes - Reviews by Indie

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Kapsule Light by Lagerfeld

This actually smells like a cleaner, more washed-out version of Kouros Cologne Sport-- but much, much lighter. Probably too light for some people, however I like it.

15th December, 2011.

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Égoïste Cologne Concentrée by Chanel

I just got a bottle of this Concentrée from eBay and it's absolutely incredible. It's deeper and spicier than the original-- and my nose detects almost Guerlain-like touch of civet in the base, which gives it a nice roundness to balance the sharp, sweet spices. I get rose and carnation too. Very woody also.

Like Le Grand Duc says-- it's much denser than the current EDT. Kind of reminds me a little of Donna Karan's original Fuel for Men, just a little. This is going to be great in cold weather.

If you see this, GRAB IT!

7th September, 2011.

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Cerruti Image Fresh Energy by Cerruti

I like this!

A couple years ago I was doing a quick "fly-by" of the Marshalls bargain bin fragrances and I saw this-- it was super cheap, but I'd have to buy it blind. To be honest, I never really thought Image was anything special (and it seems to have dropped off the face of the earth after a few years of relative popularity-- it reminded me a lot of Azzaro Chrome, which is another scent that bores me).

OK, on to this one. I had to run some errands today and I hit myself a few times with Image Fresh Energy before leaving the house. First off, the bottle is tasteful and relaxed looking. The actual nozzle mechanism is one of the coolest-- you depress the lever on the top, which leans sideways to the right and the juice sprays out the left side. It's a very satisfying design.

As to the juice. As with the original Image, this one is very SOFT. I think that's one of the reasons I sometimes thought of it as boring. It has no sharp edges, but it's just gentle, relaxing and cool-- like some soap I used in childhood. As I was doing my errands I kept picking up random whiffs of something amazing, but I didn't think it was me. Finally after smelling this fruity, sweet almost plummy accord in three separate locations throughout the day, I realized that it was definitely from the Image Fresh Energy. Yes, there is something narcotic in there that tickles me like Versace's The Dreamer and Lagerfeld's JAKO (another underrated gem).

This is a very green, mild scent-- and where some scents seem to quicken my pulse and make me hyper-- despite this having the word "Energy" in the name-- I find this to be a very, very relaxing fragrance to wear. It actually calms me down a bit from my usual high-strung state to where I can actually focus and be productive.

Cerruti Image Fresh Energy is not a scent that is ever going to set the fragrance world on fire, but if you have a chance to try it-- or even get it blind at a low price, go for it. It makes a very nice "vacation" scent for those days when you want something a bit low-key and laid back, yet very nice smelling.

Very nice stuff!

22nd August, 2011.

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A*Men Pure Havane by Thierry Mugler

Fantastic.

This is NOT Pure Malt after a smoke break as some would say.

They really nailed the honeyed tobacco accord in this one and it's one of the best ever, for me. Very narcotic feel in the opening that just draws you in completely. It's smooth, seductive and full-bodied. Some tobacco scents just don't conjure tobacco, but this one has so many facets that I connect with a nice cigar or pipe tobacco even.

Also, many tobacco scents can be a little on the stodgy side, this one tends to have an element of levity and fun about it. Not entirely serious, in keeping with the Mugler spirit. I don't know how long it will be available, but if you like sweet tobacco scents, don't wait too long and take a chance on missing out!

26th April, 2011.

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Bazar Homme by Christian Lacroix

I was reorganizing my drobe tonight and decided to give myself a spray of Bazar... I figured out what this is... it's a clone of Hugo by Hugo Boss-- the for men in the canteen looking bottle. This one has a few subtle differences, such as melon, but it's mostly a riff on Hugo. Not bad, but it's very synthetic smelling with the woody-amber fixatives. I think Hugo is better and more nuanced, but this one does smell good in a generic mid-'90's kind of way.

22nd April, 2011.

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Surface Skin Tonic by Aramis

They don't make them fresher than this. They also don't make this anymore. It's a shame.

Cucumber, mint, citrus and the feeling of a melon, but not the actual smell of a melon. This is the coolest scent I've ever tried. Back when I bought it, I didn't reflect on it much because I was already racing on in the search for heavier and more mysterious scents. At a certain point, you look back over your shoulder and see a few worthy aquatics like Surface and L'Eau D'Issey Pour Homme that were there along, deserving more praise.

In an overcrowded market of similar aquatic scents, Aramis Surface is definitely the needle in the haystack. If you stumble across this for a decent price, get it.

20th April, 2011.

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Bang by Marc Jacobs

I initially gave up on this one and wrote it off.

Revisiting it, I find it much better. I admit to being crazy about pepper but iso e super is kind of a touchy thing-- many of my favorite scents have an overdose of it, but I think too often, it's used to try to make something out of nothing.

I think I get this scent now. It's a musky, savory skin scent-- almost salty. It's not extremely loud in the sillage department, but oh what it does on skin! When you spray this on your arm and let it settle into your skin, it's like the steam rising off a fresh, hot, buttermilk biscuit. Sounds weird but it's true. Bang makes me think of a crossroads of two different Comme des Garçons fragrances; Harissa and Ourzazate.

I was and am a huge fan of Ralph Lauren's wonderful, discontinued Black Pepper tour de force, Extreme Polo Sport. Bang is the closest thing I've smelled that captures what is so attractive about pepper notes.

If you want to understand the appeal of Bang, you really have to spend some time with it and get used to the way melds with your skin and infuses it with a nice musky quality that is almost edible.

I'd really love to see an EDP of Bang.

17th March, 2011.

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Bel Ami by Hermès

Owned a bottle of this for a couple of years, but I've only just now begun to truly appreciate Bel Ami.

Never smelled the vintage stuff, but I have the new bottle and it's fantastic.

The opening is kind of weird. It starts off like leather, orange juice and One-a-Day Vitamins. I initially thought this scent was too "funky" for me to pull off, so I never wore it. Last year I encountered some random person wearing Bel Ami and wondered to myself, " Jesus, that smells amazing. It's Bel Ami. I had no idea it was that devastatingly good." I'm not gay, but I wanted to stand in the guy's wake for an hour, it was so pleasant. It's weird sometimes how you can only properly appreciate/evaluate a scent when you smell it on somebody else.

The drydown reminds me a little of a more masculine cousin of Acier Aluminium. Different notes, but a similar kind of golden-brown/ sepia slow motion bliss. I prefer Bel Ami. It manages to be opulent and rich, while also somehow trim and shapely. The vetiver here reminds me a little bit of the drydown of Timbuktu, almost like a metal darkened by a heavy patina.

I can't really pin down why Bel Ami is so good, but much like Rive Gauche Pour Homme, you know it when you walk past someone wearing it.

8th March, 2011.

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Porsche Design Essence by Porsche

I got a 1 oz travel size of this for a low price, and it's decent stuff. I didn't have very high expectations. It's kind of somewhere between L'eau D'Issey and D&G Masculine. Kind of a fruity teenage kind of scent. One thing I like about it is that I've smelled a ton of other fragrances just like this one that were ruined by an overdose of synthetic cedar wood notes; this scent does have some of that aspect, but in manageable levels, never overwhelming the aromatics. I almost get the hint of fruit punch.

A decent sports fragrance that would be nice for after the gym. Maybe it's robin's-egg blue bottle, but I find this to be a tranquil, relaxing fresh scent. Not anything to go gaga over, but far from bad.

28th January, 2011. (Last Edited: 8th May, 2011.)

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Équipage by Hermès

I have a vintage bottle of this. It makes me think of Stanley Kubrick's version of Stephen King's "The Shining". Kind of formal yet coldly foreboding, much like The Overlook hotel.

"All work and no play..."

25th January, 2011.

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Sentiment for Men by Escada

I was surprised to see the negative review of this one.

Escada Sentiment Pour Homme starts off like an Aqua di Gio gone tropical and then warmed over with red-hot candies. I find this to be a fantastic fresh scent to wear in cold and hot weather alike. I don't get a lot of vetiver here, but I wouldn't really want an overbearing vetiver note in this kind of scent anyway.

This isn't a scent that I can write a lot of purple prose about. It just smells really good to my nose. Very underrated.

14th January, 2011.

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Acier Aluminium by Creed

This smell gives me a weird association-- it's like being a child and stumbling upon a sex toy in a drawer at somebody's house or a dirty magazine-- you know it's something to do with sex and you've been taught that sex is something for grownups-- you're curious and feel a rush from seeing something you're not supposed to see.

Acier Aluminium does conjure up orgies (Whoever said this scent remininded them of Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" was so right!), and cold medical/dental equipment. A very sexually charged, kinky fragrance.

It's strange how it goes on smelling like Juicy Fruit gum, and then kind of gets a tad powdery and moves toward civet. I have to say, I love the opening chord, but the drydown doesn't sustain it and as the fruit fades, it slides into a more opaque texture-- going a bit ambery and soft. I read reviews that say this scent is "manly"-- I'm not sure. It's at least unisex, and I see women wearing it very well, as it connotes more than a hint of the scent of female arousal. I guess a guy could pull it off, but I'm not sure if I'm that guy, so I've never been brave enough to really give it a shot.

One odd thing about Acier Aluminium-- If I take a prescription sedative or sleeping pill, this becomes my favorite scent to smell, bar none-- there's something about enjoying this scent when I'm in a chemically induced relaxed state. It's a soft sweet hazy golden pillow of amber light. I think somebody else compared it to "Vanilla Sky" and I agree with that as well.

This is the most unusual Creed I've encountered. Highly original and provocative.

30th December, 2010.

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Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin by Lolita Lempicka

Body Kouros meets Mat; Very Male. Expect the compliments to be Good n' Plenty.

21st December, 2010.

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Bulgari pour Homme Soir by Bulgari

I'm a huge fan of Bulgari Pour Homme and Extreme. Soir is a fantastic continuation of this line. Take a shovel, point in into the grassy earth, give it good kick and turn up some dirt... you look down to see gummi worms crawling through the fresh, clean soil. Clean earth and candy, that's what I get here. I love it.

9th December, 2010.

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Eau Sauvage by Christian Dior

Sometimes when I put on Eau Sauvage, I feel like a little boy putting on a suit and tie and trying to play "grownup". I kind of forget that I AM grownup now. Oh well.

As some have said this scent is kind of predictable, but it's good. Some people think of Guerlain Vetiver as the scent of their fathers. For me, I think of scents like this one and also Monsieur de Givenchy, though I'm doubtful my dad ever wore either-- I associate him mostly with Aramis, but for some reason, Eau Sauvage brings me happy memories of my dad.

Either way, it's a good scent to grow into. Fresh and herbal, yet almost cold and metallic-- like putting your nose to the screen of a well used electric shaver. Very much a man's scent-- I can see where some might find it unisex, being a citrus, but this one is all man. I don't get the alleged vetiver note. This was supposedly the first mainstream fragrance containing the material hedione-- a very important note in perfumery. I detect its abstract dewy, jasmine and sunbeams accord in Eau Sauvage. Those in-the-know have said that this has been reformulated so many times that all the windows are broken and the cupboards have been ransacked, but to the nose that has no frame of reference, it's still a good scent on its own.

8th December, 2010.

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John Varvatos 10th Anniversary Fragrance by John Varvatos

Cinnamon toast with no butter, no sugar.

Somewhat gourmand, though a bit dry and stark in places. Retro. A melange of Ambre Sultan, A*men, and Rive Gauche with the much of the sweetness replaced with bitterness. Not a bad thing, in fact I like this one quite a bit. My nose detects isobutylquinoline in the black leather accord and it often tends to suck the calories out of most compositions. The bitter nature of the orange increases this dryness. It tends to smell like the point of equidistance between a lot of different popular fragrances.

A kind of patchouli halfway-house.

3rd December, 2010.

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Diesel Green Masculine by Diesel

Even if this fragrance was terrible, I'd have it in my collection for the bottle alone-- the bottle is clever, fun and looks cool too.

The scent isn't my favorite, but it's pretty good- It smells like green Gummy Bears living in a pine forest. Very sporty and outdoorsy, a tad synthetic and a bit simple. I wear it every once in a while when I want something fresh and green.

1st December, 2010.

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Bleu de Chanel by Chanel

I can agree with reviews that say this scent is not earth-shatteringly original, but I've found that each time I wear it, it earns more future wearings.

There was once a trend of "blue" mens scents-- I don't mean the "aquatic/marine" scents but rather those that were kind of an icy blue thing. They dominated the drugstore scene for a while but most of them were cheap-- I recall some cheapo scent called "Actif Blue" by Brut that was cheap, but kind of interesting in its crisp blue signature.

I think Bleu de Chanel is an attempt to go back and revisit this somewhat forgotten era of the "blue" fragrances which came after Cool Water and before Acqua di Gio--yet do it with much higher quality materials. Bleu de Chanel strikes me as a somewhat fresh, youthful "blue" scent with a nice steely structure and most importantly, a quality drydown.

I think Jacques Polge has tucked a little bit of Antaeus' leather accord into the base, along with some suede. The vetiver is one of the strangest parts of the base. Standard note, I know, but for some reason I cannot smell it at all inside the composition of Bleu de Chanel-- until the next day, when the rest of the scent has vanished and a glorious vetiver note comes strutting out. It reminds me of the vetiver note in Lanvin's somewhat underappreciated Vetyver-- probably because of the grapefruit/vetiver combination which leans toward the wet earthy type, rather than the dry cedary.

While Bleu de Chanel was a bit of an impulse buy for me, I warmed up to it rather quickly and I find that it's a serious contender on any given night. The way it performs on my skin is more than acceptable. I get compliments and I think it goes well with my style. It isn't ostentatious--it's a bit reserved but sturdy and not at all shy.

I think what people dislike about it is that it somehow doesn't smell "French"-- to me, its character seems a bit German-- like something Jil Sander, Wolfgang Joop or one of the older Hugo Boss releases (yes, Hugo Boss used to make good stuff). I think of some of the bits Bleu de Chanel remind me variously of pieces of Boss #1, Elements, Dark Blue--and then some. A lot of the German scents have that macho, steely (yes, I'll use that descriptor a second time) fresh synthetic (dihydromyrcenol) top over a leathery base with a kind of clinical toilet water middle. Sounds bad but I kind of like it in practice.

A very good scent, but hard to judge on one or two wearings. Not a mindblower on its own but can be the perfect complement to the right wearer.

30th October, 2010. (Last Edited: 3rd December, 2010.)

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A*Men / Angel Men by Thierry Mugler

This is one of the giants of the modern age of perfumery.

There are so many different things going on in this scent and really it's almost a wonder that it works at all, let alone flawlessly. Like the women's version, it's immediately identifiable. It's also very, very strong and lasts a long time.

The reason why this scent is such an enigma is because of the push/pull discordant notes that fit snugly between the sweet, foolproof notes. It's hard to screw up a scent with chocolate, vanilla, bergamot and patchouli-- but it's also hard to make such a palatable melange of ingredients rise above the status of cheap room candle and rise to the ranks of the true perfume classics.

Tar, helional and coffee bean are the three notes that make this scent what it is.

The tar is such an unusual note and it does so much to balance out the gourmand heavy nature of this scent. It remains into the drydown, very necessary to keep the whole scent from turning into a melted Snickers bar.

The helional is another odd structural note in this one. Usually helional is employed in aquatic/marine accords without feeling out of the ordinary. Here though, it gives a strange, strong "seaweedy" feel, that evokes almost a dirty lagoon. Strange, but necessary-- it gives a time and place, as well as a slightly worn in feel to the scent as a whole.

Coffee beans are used here to give a bitter balance to the chocolate/caramel/vanilla base. I get the wonderful scent of opening a bag of freshly roasted whole bean coffee and taking in the deep, slightly bitter aroma.

Patchouli has its own inner tension and it works very well as the heart of this scent. Warm, yet having mint facets (and being combined with peppermint here) it has a coolness too.

There's a very rich gourmand quality to this scent, and it evokes more than just the sum of its parts. I smell a busy yet relaxed kitchen around holiday season-- there is some warm sweet anise bread in the oven. There are some after dinner liqueurs lingering on the palate. A kind of anticipation of loved ones being near soon.

I don't wear A*Men very often, but rather save it for special times, usually around the holidays. Believe it or not, as strong as it is--I've smelled it in low doses on people at the gym and it was nice to smell. I don't recommend it as a gym/warm weather scent, but some people can pull it off. It's a scent constructed of massive contrasts. Anything but lightweight, somehow it finds balance and like two Sumo wrestlers on opposite ends of a see-saw, their feet barely touch the ground.

Incredible.

8th October, 2010.

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Kouros Tattoo Edition by Yves Saint Laurent

I find this to be the one version of Kouros that smells like Kouros and yet is not difficult for me to wear with confidence.

Original Kouros can remind some of pee, Kouros Cologne Sport can remind some of poo (manure specifically), but this is the one that is "just right". It has the unmistakeable clovey, incensey, patchouli/fresh laundry Kouros signature. The animalic notes are dialed back quite a bit. The added fresh notes here are rather full bodied and fleshy-- not like the wan, screechiness of many modern clean scents.

This one is very modern, yet still edgy with its retro overtones. It has all the best parts of Kouros, while being easier to wear.

Put Kouros on a shelf; take the white bottle down occasionally to sniff and admire-- but this is the one to wear.

20th August, 2010.

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Infusion de Vétiver by Prada

This strikes me as a cousin to Creed's wonderfully overcast, slightly sweet and ashen ionone packed Vetiver (1948). The ginger notes do alot to give this impression. I've heard someone else describe tarragon as almost a "chilled butter" kind of smell-- and I get this impression here. The opening gives a buttery, cool almost honeyed introduction. There is a rush of pepper and coriander--a bit like an ice cold martini of the finest gin. Then I get the base of vetiver-- it's like a very toned down Encre Noir type of woody vetiver note.

Though I was initially a bit underwhelmed by Infusion de Vetiver, I began using the shower gel and it made me understand and appreciate the subtle facets of this scent. It wears close to the skin, but I've gotten very nice compliments on it from coworkers after I thought it had worn off.

I have and wear a wide range of vetivers. This one has got to be one of the lightest and softest-- and to me, those are valuable attributes. It's very safe, crisp and clean, but the buttery tarragon/ginger notes give it an almost musky, savory culinary character which is unique. It makes me think of something that would go with crablegs and a nice seafood dinner. I also get a bit of that bubblegum note that I associate with two of the other Pradas for men (Infusion D'Homme and Prada Amber pour Homme).

I'm a huge fanatic for Infusion D'Homme, so it was a no brainer that I'd pick this one up. It's similar and though they both contain vetiver notes, Infusion De Vetiver's is much more prominent.

Not the strongest scent in the world and sometimes I do refresh after a few hours, but it's just a great smelling EDT-- the topnotes are unique and give a new flavor to the overplayed vetiver theme. Nice balance of clean and earthy. Maybe a bit minimal, but that goes along with the "Infusion" concept. I enjoy this one a lot.

14th August, 2010.

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Green Valley by Creed

This is one of the most stunning, seductive fragrances you can wear in Spring and Summer. It's so green, fresh, pure and yet very refined and expensive smelling. As others have said there is a very perceptible progression in how this scent wears over time. I love the minty, green opening. Green Valley has probably one of my favorite violet leaf notes. I've also begun to notice the creaminess of the sandalwood even in the opening. As it goes on, the patchouli/woods base takes over and I enjoy this stage just as much. The blackcurrant bud note is very pleasant and gives this scent a nice bittersweet tension. There's almost a taste of Chambord lurking in there somewhere.

This feels like a more natural, pastoral cousin of Green Irish Tweed, without all of the dihydromyrcenol. I love Green Irish Tweed, but I think Green Valley is the one with more natural good looks. Either way, they both grab attention.

14th May, 2010.

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Tom Ford Extreme by Tom Ford

I like Black Orchid, and while I think it can be worn easily by a man or woman, Tom Ford Extreme keeps some of the intriguing qualities of Black Orchid while tailoring it into something a lot more masculine.

I really love TF Extreme. It's a very dark, spicy, leathery formal-ish scent-- a very seductive choice for an evening scent. I initially thought the longevity was poor, but it can be deceptive. I wore it out last night and halfway through today I took a bath-- oddly, after I towelled off I noticed the wonderful musky smell of TF Extreme had come back to life and radiate nicely off my chest. I'd thought it was long gone!

TF Extreme gives off a luxurious, dried fruits/spice vibe with just enough caramelized sweetness to balance the dry woody amber. I also agree with Mike P.'s assessment of it smelling like an expensive shoe store. I love the way the leather is done here-- a bit of shoe polish and the kind of patent leather that goes with a fine tuxedo-- I think the "tuxedo" feel is what Tom Ford was going for here.

For an important evening, you can't fail with Tom Ford Extreme.

10th May, 2010.

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Concentré D'Orange Verte by Hermès

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do with my allowance money was to bike down to the convenience store and buy a pack of orange bubble gum--Hubba Bubba or Bubblicious. I'd unwrap each piece of gum and line them up in front of me. I'd begin chewing a piece and in about 60 seconds when the flavor had started to wane, I'd spit it aside and replace it with a fresh piece. I would repeat this process until I had exhausted the pack. It was an exercise in futility, trying to keep that tangy orange wave of flavor surging over my taste buds forever-- like trying to maintain an illicit high. Coincidentally, wearing the original Eau D'Orange Verte EDC is sometimes a similar race against time.

Fortunately, Concentrée D'Orange Verte smells a lot like the orange gum I loved as a kid. Refreshing, juicy, crisp and cool. There is also a bit of dirtiness to this scent that I think gives it a necessary depth. And the great thing is that it lasts a long time and projects very well. I find it very satisfying and it works great by itself and also in tandem with the original during the spring and summer months.

30th April, 2010.

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Habit Rouge Sport by Guerlain

I like this. I smell it and I imagine some bizarre collaboration where Guerlain allowed Comme des Garçons reinterpret Habit Rouge. it has bits and pieces of the original Habit Rouge, but it's very peppery, cool metallic, floral and somewhat green with the bamboo.

It's like there are two separate scent "genies" living inside the same bottle. You have the original Habit Rouge whose name is on the lease, sleeps in the master bedroom and pays most of the bills; then you have the sporty, rooster-haired transient young rake who sleeps on the couch, answers the door and chips in for the cable. Odd couple or symbiosis? You decide.

The only downside for me is sometimes that cold steely note amidst the spices brings me back to painful memories of my Cinnabar wearing mom plowing a metal comb through my hair in an effort to make me look presentable before church. OUCH!

15th April, 2010.

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Mr. Hulot's Holiday by CB I Hate Perfume

This has replaced Comme des Garçons Odeur 53 as my favorite "anti-perfume." Don't get me wrong--look at my wardrobe and you will see that I like a good old stuffy Guerlain as much as the next guy, but there are times when I'm looking for a vacation and I want something simple, clean, attractive and untaxing to the nose.

Mr. Hulot's Holiday (Water Perfume) is a familiar, warm-yet-cool, relaxing getaway to innocence. Don't spray it on and start looking for the leather suitcases, driftwood, etc. like you're checking items off a grocery list--just put in on, close your eyes and let your mind drift...

It does smell like the ocean, but it's not a rough, foreboding chop of waves; it's a warm, salty embrace on a secluded beach under a gray overcast sky. A cool breeze blows over you every few minutes giving you a few goosebumps. There's a soapy component to it, but it feels so natural and a part of your own skin. Very peaceful and serene.

I've found the longevity to be very good with this also. The sillage is not extreme, but then I'm not one of those people who like their fragances to shout; it does exactly the job it's given. I was a bit taken aback by the alcohol-free water perfume at first, but I came to realize that sometimes the alcohol can interfere with the topnotes-- and the water perfume actually feels really good when you spray it on skin; it's mild and doesn't feel astringent. Also, I've found that this is one scent that does not irritate my sinus allergies; some scents give me a stuffy nose, but this one doesn't. I remember some of the Demeter scents being a bit flat and having little development-- this one is very high quality and while it may seem a bit linear, it's well made and sticks around for a long time.

If you're looking for something relaxing, clean and unlike anything mass-market, Mr. Hulot's Holiday is something you must try,

4th March, 2010.

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Gucci Pour Homme II by Gucci

Unbeatable in the category of "first date" scents. I could see this stuff knocking Acqua di Gio off its roost in terms of popularity--but I hope not, because I don't want to have to stop wearing it.

Spicy, woody and warm--but with a violet coolness. This one is goof-proof. Go ahead and give this well-balanced crowd pleaser an extra spray. The folks around you will not mind. Nice heavy bottle and cap also.

14th February, 2010.

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L'Eau Bleue d'Issey Eau Fraîche by Issey Miyake

This is very different from the original L'Eau Bleue D'Issey, and in my opinion superior. It's very minty in a way that reminds me of peppermint gum. There are a lot of mint based scents out there, but this one is very unique; it also brings to mind a peppermint mojito. As implied by the name, it's very fresh, but I get a hint of "warm rocks" which was one of the accords of the first L'Eau D'Issey Homme (not the blue one). Not a lot of people know about this one, but it's really a good one to have for warm weather.

28th January, 2010.

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D&G Le Bateleur 1 by Dolce & Gabbana

I bought this on a whim, and almost immediately regretted it. It's so aquatic and fresh that it's beyond cliché. Makes Acqua di Gio smell like Old Spice. But then, when a scent crosses over that far into enemy territory, I confess that my "sympathy for the devil" gene kicks in. Oddly, I reach for this when I want to smell like someone else, someone good (apologies to Lou Reed). Sometimes, I want to walk out the door not feeling like a neurotic mess of complicated shadows (apologies to Elvis Costello).

This is very obviously as synthetic as they come. But again, this scent is so UNLIKE anything I'd wear, yet I find myself wearing it anyway. I have a beautiful, loving collection of the finest top quality fragrances waiting for me at home, yet I find myself stepping out with this cheap street corner floozy on occasion for reasons I can't fathom. (no apologies to Tiger Woods.)

13rd January, 2010.

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