Fragrance Reviews by JaimeB

This scent is dominated in the beginning by a very clove-like carnation note, which is great if you like it and too bad if you don't. It's what comes after that makes the scent a winner. The aromatic aspects dwindle as the fougère accord of bergamot, moss, and tonka bean begins to emerge, supported by a lovely floral bouquet with cyclamen, jasmine, and lily of the valley. This is given depth and roundness by a very wine-like clary sage note. As it approaches its base notes, an ambery-woody accord takes over, with subtle accents of fig wood and pine. This is more or less a formal scent, but it can work well for office wear or more casual social occasions, especially sporty or a little more dress-up ones.

One of the early aromatic fougères, along with Paco Rabanne pour Homme (which is at once greener and sweeter than Azzaro, and which was introduced five years earlier). This one is a bit sharper and more aromatic in that direction, with juniper berries, cumin, and the mysteriously haunting note of clary sage. This is of moderate longevity and sillage, with a very pleasant drydown, with musk, leather and amber complementing the fougère base of oakmoss and tonka bean. It speaks elegance in a slightly edgy key, but resolves into warmth and comfort. Very nice for cool weather, and equally suited to work and social occasions, in my view.

A very clean, gentlemanly scent featuring lemon and verbena notes, ably supported by lavender and spice, a hint of fresh floral, and an oakmoss-woody drydown. An eau de cologne-style scent whose sandalwood, oakmoss, and musk base gives it a hint of the oriental genre. Very classic and chic, it has a minimalist feel that makes it seem much more modern than the Cold War baby it is. At almost fifty years old, it is still in style today.

Saffron and cedar make this eau de cologne memorable, and different from others in the genre. i don't quite smell the blood orange here (that's what the name 'tarocco' means in Italian). The citrus notes that are the hallmark of the genre are fine in this one, however, and seem to complement the spice-and-wood theme very well. Incense rounds out the accord and gives it a bit of distinction and suavity. One doesn't tire of this; it makes a good steady scent to wear in fine weather.

This one used to have bulging muscles, but has been reformulated down to a slimmer figure. It still has some power, and for nostalgic reasons, I continue to like it, though it is no longer what it was in the 70s and 80s. (Yes, children, I do remember those days: I was already grown up then!) Yatagan retains an unusual floral-aromatic accord within the chypre genre. What it seems to lack now is projection and longevity. Wishing for it to be what it once was is an exercise in futility; it still boasts a lively presence for its unusual character and its animalic undertones. I'll say it's still a thumbs-up. Many more alterations, however...

Antaeus is a masterpiece of its genre. The combination of myrtle and clary sage in the top note is an incredibly powerful reinforcement of the woody notes of cedar and sandalwood, and the perfect complement for the chypre accord of bergamot, oakmoss and patchouli. In fact the patchouli function in the chypre accord is helped by labdanum in the base, as well as being strengthened by the animalic notes of beeswax and castoreum. This scent has a wonderful sillage and longevity. It is attributed legendary powers of seduction. That's as may be, but for whatever reason, it undeniably turns heads. Some people put this down as a power scent from the 80s; they may have reason to categorize it that way, but it is paradigmatic of its type, and far above even the best of its imitators.

Fresh, spicy, resinous, with a good drydown of musk and resins. Good for fair cool to warm weather and an upbeat mood. This has a pretty good longevity on my skin, as well as a moderate sillage. For me, this is not the best of the Frédéric Malle line, but that's because my taste runs to heavier, more complex scents. For what it is, this is very well-balanced and well-constructed fragrance.

Luca Turin, in "Perfumes: The Guide," presents an analysis of a few scents which would derive them, among them Bois de Violette, Bois et Fruits, and Un Bois Vanille from the earlier Féminité du Bois.He traces its history, ultimately deriving its concept from Chanel Bois des Îles through Caron Parfum Sacré to the cedar and fruity accord that Pierre Bourdon conceived while in Marrakech, and then passed on to Christopher Sheldrake. He in turn made it into Lutens' first introduction for the Palais Royal Shiseido collection. Turin says that Bourdon and Sheldrake "generously credit each other" with the concept; but the technique of "overdosage," in which a background note in one version of a scent is brought forward to a central position, each one in turn, to make a series of related perfumes, says Turin, is Bourdon's bit of genius. I don't know if you can properly call these scents "flankers" of Feminité du Bois, but the family resemblance is unmistakable.

Turin goes on to pan Un Bois Sépia, but Un Bois Sépia is just as much one of the flankers of Féminité du Bois as the others. It is the one that emphasizes the woods and resins and soft-pedals the fruity notes of the parent scent. Sandalwood, cypress, vetiver, patchouli, and opopanax make for an opulent effect that is truly memorable. Un Bois Sépia is not the most delicate, nor the most stunning, of the series, but it might fairly be said to be the subtlest, and to have the densest base note of the pentad. It develops incrementally through the soft, then the sparkling, then the deep aspects of the accord. Not the greatest in longevity, nor in sillage of the group, but perhaps the most soothing and comforting.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Lime
Middle Notes: Rose, Angelica, Orange Blossom, Galbanum, Ginger, Nutmeg, Saffron
Base Notes: Pine, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk, Incense
A rose is a rose, is a rose... but in this case, so much more than a rose! The spicy and oriental notes abound to escort and support the rich, pure Damask rose in this scent. Her only floral competition is orange blossom, and the rest of the spicy, resinous crew make her smell pretty green and just a little bit earthy. This is going to be a trip to wear!

A heavy contender at the start, this is best after it has a chance to wear down a bit. Definitely not one to overapply, either. Having given those caveats, however, this is a remarkable scent. It speaks confidence and power, and after having been retired for a time, it has earned enough recognition to return, only slightly chastened, as l'Âme d'un Héros. Citrus and herbal to start, the original then goes into a heart of strong herbal, green, and spice notes slightly relieved by ylang-ylang; woods, leather, and resins in the base complete this green-herbal chypre. Not for the faint of heart or for casual wear, this must be kept back for greater needs and occasions. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for the soul of the valiant and questing knight, it's as necessary as a coat of chain mail.

This is a very nice green scent with a good supporting base of oakmoss and woodsy notes, notably patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, and birch. The birch here doesn't make a particularly leathery impression. The tangerine in the top will do for bergamot, so I guess this would pass as a woody-green-floral chypre with rose, jasmine and iris doing the heavy lifting for the florals section. There is a touch of incense in this, which is due to the resinous quality of rosemary; any maker of church incense knows that you can atone for inferior frankincense by adding a little good rosemary oil into the mix. Galbanum, grass, and rosemary are a good green note here, with just enough of a hint of dissonance between the dense rosemary and the slightly sharp-and-sour grass note.

Green, astringent, spicy-floral eau-de-cologne type scent. Basil, petitgrain, carnation are the hallmarks; moss, amber and musk, the support; and caraway is the surprise. Definitely classic within the genre, but just innovative enough to be really distinctive in a very wide (and sometimes shallow) field of eaux de cologne. In my view, the best of the Guerlains of the genre.

The French invented papiers d'Arménie, strips of paper that were impregnated with incense notes of benzoin and frankincense. These were burned to perfume the air in the home in the days before air fresheners. Guerlain has updated the concept into a beautiful oriental fragrance that deepens the resinous notes with patchouli, rich woods, and balsams; at the same time it is lightened by florals and brought out by delicate spicy notes. This is really a distinguished shared fragrance, and a smooth and elegant presence for any wearer.

I seem to remember an incarnation of this from the 1970s, but I must be dreaming. It goes on great, like gangbusters, but quickly goes much quieter. Still, it never backs away beyond detection until the very end. People classify this as a spicy scent, but I would call it spicy-green, since the spice seems to be there mostly to liven up the green bits. This is very pleasant to wear, especially in the daytime and in fine weather. The notes are the uplifting kind, so it works to sustain or create a good mood for me. I've seen the "drugstore" version of this, but I think the one I have must predate that, because it seems to retain the complexity I remember from the original.

This is far from the usual, pretty much on the edge at the very outset. Later it tames down a little, and winds up smelling creamy and elegant. An anarchist in youth that has come to the finer things of life later on? The early phase does have much of the firebrand about it; the drydown speaks of maturity, but definitely not of disenchantment or resignation, with a bit of powdery musk still showing the nonconformist edge. The bottle I have was a gift from a friend of excellent taste, but it was not brand new when I received it. On my skin it doesn't fulfill its reputation for longevity, but perhaps the bottle is old enough for the juice to have gone off a bit. I can always spray a little more to keep it going... and I do think it's worth keeping it going!

A nice, typical masculine from Molinard. This is a kind of hybrid between chypre and fougère, without being either: it has the lavender and oakmoss of a fougère, but lacks the expected tonka bean; it has the oakmoss and patchouli of a chypre, but none of the chypre top note of bergamot. Still it does very well as a quiet, unassuming sort of scent, perfect for the workplace, where those sorts of values are appreciated. It does equally well if one is in a contemplative mood, or is in need of soothing reassurance. Well made and pleasant, but not meant to be exciting. That's cool by me, sometimes — sometimes it's exactly what I'd like.

A fresh, spicy fougère suitable for sporty, daytime, or casual wear. It also makes a good workplace scent. While this is nothing earth-shaking or terribly innovative, it is a good, somewhat quiet, and fairly suave scent. Freshness from pineapple in the top, with rosemary, coriander, juniper berries, and basil for herbal and spicy notes; there are delicate florals in the heart, sporting lavender to pick up the herbal top, lily of the valley for subtlety, and a touch of jasmine for depth; oriental base notes of woods, amber, and more spice (clove and absinthe) complement the oakmoss and tonka bean which, with the lavender, give the fougère triad. Smooth, suave, acceptably (or deceptively?) well-mannered.

A salty, slightly bitter scent, with overtones of spice, a sweet floral note, earthy root notes, a celery- like note (lovage) and an underlying iris almost devoid of powdery effect. This is a tour-de-force of a fragrance, whose character is beautiful without a trace of prettiness. The beauty is in the audacity of it, and in its extreme rawness and earthiness. The geranium and one of the vetivers in it are called "Bourbon," after the pre-French-Revolution name of the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, an overseas region of France; this island is a perfumer's emporium of exotic white florals, aromatic grasses, vanilla, and geranium, among others. Anyway, wear Sel de Vétiver, and you're bound to attract attention!

Very nice. The pine needles are fun, but to my nose, what makes the scent are the unspecified spice notes. The woody oriental drydown works very well with this set of notes, as does the sap note, which lends a touch of sweetness. Some sources list fruit notes in this, but I don't get that out of it. I think it's the sap notes that are pushing the sweet thing, along with some sweet spices. Characterized by considerable longevity and decent sillage.

Dredged this up out of the distant past because I saw the review in Turin's book. It really is an extraordinary scent, and I remember that when it was introduced it was very controversial. (Am I revealing my age here?) It was a novel use of green notes in the top to overwhelm the citrus,
and the sweet floral notes and almondy, slightly powdery drydown seemed out of character with the rest of the scent. I guess we would now say that Grey Flannel's nose, André Fromentin, was a visionary. A leap of the olfactory imagination, for sure.

From the magnificent Estonian website parfyym.pri.ee:

Top Notes: Galbanum, Petitgrain, Neroli, Bergamot, Lemon
Middles Notes: Violet, Rose, Narcissus, Mimosa, Iris, Sage, Geranium
Base Notes: Cedarwood, Vetiver, Oakmoss, Tonka bean, Almond

This is technically a fougère, I guess, because of the oakmoss and tonka bean in the base (but without teh usual lavender), but it comes across as a wacky green floral, with the bitterness of petitgrain and galbanum playing against the sweeter middle and woody-oriental base notes. I rarely wear it, probably (to be honest) because even after all these years, it still shocks me a bit. But I've come to love the progression and the puzzling change to that soft drydown. Hooray for cognitive dissonance!

Issey Miyake
A Scent
(2009)
Daphne Bugey
Top Notes: Lemon, Verbena
Middle Notes: Jasmine, Hyacinth
Base Notes: Cedar, Galbanum

This is very reminiscent of green florals going on. One thinks of Chanel No. 19, or even Vent Vert. Then the accord takes on a persistent and unpleasant note of acetone. (That's right, nail polish remover.) I suspect something I've smelled before in other scents that listed a synthetic musk note, but I don't know which one. It doesn't go away for quite a while, maybe 45 minutes, but even then, traces linger. If it weren't for this, I could give this an excellent rating, but I can't really say I admire anything so synthetic and chemical-smelling. On the basis of the objectionable note's eventual attenuation, I'll stretch a point and give it a neutral score.

Quite a simple, yet effective presentation of a kind of "terroir" smell: the smell of a piece of land and its associated vegetation. The much-discussed silica or flint note here seems to me really the product of pepper and geranium notes augmented by dry, woody notes, though there is likely some synthetic that tweaks that into a bit more stony vibe. The citrus top seems to acquire a greener feel under the influence of these. Some people complain about sillage and longevity of this scent, but I find the base notes do a good job of fixation, even though the sparkling nature of the top notes does dissipate relatively quickly. This is an intellectually satisfying piece, rather than an emotional one. I can't bring myself to think of it as sexy, but then, they don't all need to be that. This is very good just as it is, when worn for what it's good for. Keep it on tap for cool, uncomplicated occasions.

A classic chypre from the 1980's, with prominent moss notes in the base. The "woody notes" definitely include patchouli, and the mandarin stands in for bergamot. The floral bouquet in the middle is classic and very tastefully done, so the florals don't tip the balance against the base notes. Marketed to women, but the drydown is fine on a man, since all the florals in this are now commonly found in "masculine" scents and fall well short of screeching levels.

"Parure" means ornament, adornment, finery, often in the sense of jewelry. This is indeed sparkling and brilliant, like a ball gown or a diamond tiara. Green, citrus, and aldehyde notes in the top give the sparkle; deicate florals shimmer in the heart note; and orientals, leather, moss, and amber give depth and just enough gravitas in the base. In the drydown, this takes on a curious, cinnamic note, which has really been present all along, and just waiting its turn for the others to get out of its way in order to shine more brightly. A Jean-Paul Guerlain classic, without a doubt, worn as happily by some men as by women.

Cascarilla bark comes from a plant native to the West Indies, Croton eleuteria. Cascarilla bark is (among other things) used to flavor the liquors Campari and Vermouth. Maybe that's why it makes me think of Negronis (minus the gin, of course). But at least part of the magic in Feuilles de Tabac comes from the weird triangle of sage, coumarin, and tobacco leaf. Tonka bean (the coumarin note in this) is usually found in fougères, which this definitely isn't. The patchouli rounding this out into a kind of woody-oriental vibe doesn't make sense either. Even so, all in all, this is one of the best and most novel tobacco scents out there. It deserves to be better known. I don't wear it enough, but that's got to change.

Geranium and rosewood in this do an amazing job of making you believe you are smelling roses. This is reinforced by the cinnamon notes in both cinnamon bark oil and cassia bark. The actual florals, in the top note here, are white florals used with a delicate hand, and closely associated with citrus notes, which also exist in attar of roses. The capstone of the rose deception is in the addition of sandalwood, the final brush stroke in the simulation. The bergamot-oakmoss-patchouli triangle make of this s perfect classical chypre, worthy of Houbigant. As suitable for men as for women, if worn lightly. Sadly now withdrawn from the market.

Spice, florals, and woody oriental notes; this hits all the major fragrance groups popular in contemporary unisex fragrances. A bit powdery in the heart and consistently spicy almost throughout, its woody oriental character doesn't fully emerge for a while. It never really loses that pervasive spicy edge. The first time I tried it, I didn't much care for it, but it came to grow on me with successive trials. I suspect for many it may be an acquired taste, with its slightly metallic edge and sharp coriander-cardamom persistence. The dry down can be a bit screechy if overapplied, so beware. On the whole, substantially satisfying for a sufficiently acclimatized nose.

A rather traditional fougère-style scent that doesn't seem to have any coumarin notes in the pyramid. Still, it is a bit herbal and mutedly floral with some spicy aspect that also seems not to be listed in the pyramid. The base is very classic for men's fragrances: amber, moss, musk, and unspecified woods. The woody note seems to have a bit of a leather cast to it, so it may be birch. It seems to be a real eau de toilette strength, and so not extremely long-lasting, but it doesn't do too badly in that way either. Its chief appeal is that it's kind of stereotypically masculine in a gentler, more refined sort of old-school way. Definitely male, but not a big, bold 80s-style power scent, Its drydown is really quite satisfying. I give it high marks. It's a pity it isn't better known, but it comes from a South American company, though the nose, I believe, is from Geneva, la Suisse romande (French-speaking Switzerland). Et voilà!

Not at work today, so I thought I would get away with a little mischief in the form of sporting this rosy, honeyed fragrance. It shouldn't raise any eyebrows if worn on a man, but of course, people being what they are, it would... One of the originals from the L'Art et la Matière series, this is a beautiful composition of rose attar (the purest form of rose oil extraction), honey notes (for a slight animalic quality), and a blend of subtle spicy notes; the whole gives this an incredible cachet. It has a nice, but not overwhelming sillage and very good longevity on my skin.

I'm in the minority among Basenotes reviewers of this scent. Here's my take on it: Elite is woody-floral with a green citrus top. The notes, to my nose, marry very well. It seems a bright and optimistic fragrance, not what one would usually think of when seeing patchouli, cedar, oakmoss, vetiver, and sandalwood all stacked up in a fragrance; but in Elite, the top notes and the unusual combination of lavender and tuberose give the whole a real lift and brighten it considerably. Even in the drydown, the gentler notes persist. This may not be to the taste of those who prefer "modern" fragrances, but it's pretty well put together and deserves the occasional outing.

This is a flanker that improves on the original Apparition Homme. The notes are deeper and more well-balanced. The whole hangs together better than the original. The chief improvement is in the heart note, where the Chinese anise and coriander reinforce the licorice in the base and make it more of a blended accord. In the base, vanilla and amber form a rounder, softer foundation with the licorice than the vetiver alone did. The dryness of the black pepper in the heart is also gone, in keeping with the softer feel of the Intense. The projection and longevity is not softer, however; rather, both are stronger. This was at Neiman's for a bit. If you can find it, it's definitely worth a sniff.

Different enough from F pour Homme: Apple is out, black pepper and tonka bean, in. This is nicer than F pour Homme, because it feels rounder, but also because it has a much more prominent labdanum note in the drydown; or perhaps the tonka bean just amplifies the sweet, resinous nature of the labdanum. Whatever it is that does it, it works. Still nice for work or casual situations, it now adds something to make it pleasant for an evening out as well.

A good, summery scent with bright, crisp citrus in the top, pretty florals in the middle (including the unusual blue lotus note), and a smooth, oriental base. This is a good fresh scent that is acceptably circumspect for a man to wear discreetly. It's well and truly uplifting and energizing, redolent of sunshine and gardens and pleasant company in a relaxed and warm setting. Sweet without being cloying, it soothes and calms and sets the heart at ease.

A very nice green floral chypre for men, not given the kudos it deserves. This is a very good example of how the "feminine" idiom can be made to fit the "masculine" market through simple marketing and tacit acceptance. There's nothing in this that is inherently exclusively suited to either gender, but it's abundantly clear that acceptance is everything in a case like this: slap an authoritative label on it, and that's what it becomes — nay, what it has always been! Perfect for cool, rainy weather.

Brooding, sensuous, mysterious... Citrus and floral top note; bold spices in the middle; woody and rooty base — a near-chypre in my book, except for the lack of oakmoss. This is a haunting fragrance to wear, and not for the timid. It has a definite presence and a notable sillage. Best for evenings out or romantic ones at home, but fine (judiciously applied) for daytime socials. A scent of confidence, self-assurance, allure, and animal magnetism; be all that, or use with caution!

Fresh and woody without smelling artificial. I smelled this and liked it even better on my skin than on paper. Speaking of skin, I want to say that this smells like a skin scent; yet it has a definite, if subdued projection. I think it will be good for daytime and casual wear, especially in cool to mild weather. The standout in this one is the elemi, which subtly takes the edge off the ginger, and which also hangs around longer than you would expect for a top note, wafting in and out all during the ride.

A very fresh woody oriental, I would say, but this is a bit green also. I like this quite a bit better than the Concentrée flanker; I think even though it's not as intense, it has a more floral and less peppery character. Of late, I have found that sharp peppery note less appealing. Not very long-lasting, although the drydown is definitely quite nice. Sillage diminishes as it wears off. The base notes keep this going a little bit longer, and are largely responsible for that really wonderful drydown. Just as true of this as of the Concentrée: Simplicity and transparency have their charms.

A very good cologne, with an unusual accord of verbena, tarragon, neroli, geranium, and cedar. Not your usual stuff; balanced beautifully, and very well blended. It has good sillage for an eau de cologne, and decent longevity, too. The mood is definitely sunny and upbeat, if a bit cool.

A green and herbal rose chypre for men. This is no rose scent for any but the most daring woman. The juniper, artemisia, castoreum, leather and strong herbal top notes put this squarely in the traditional "masculines" camp. The rose, jasmine, orris, and carnation lend an air of sophistication and distinction, but don't "pretty up" the scent in an ornamental way; they are organic to the structure and tie the whole together by smoothing and balancing the fiercer bits. This is not a shy scent either: both longevity and sillage are prominent. This is suave, elegant, yet natural and relaxed for the man who can carry it off. That would be a confident, smooth, and out-going man of the world.

Herbal and woody in the base with mint and citrus in the top, going on to sage, sandalwood, and the resiny-sweet note of mastic in the heart, Teck is somewhat old-school (as other reviewers have pointed out), but dead elegant. Very strong sillage at first, that mellows after a while, but never really goes away. Strange in that for a woody fragrance it still manages to have a definite sweetness to it. The sage note plays a more prominent role as this progresses: one of its chief virtues is that it has a clear progression throughout. Good balance, fine construction, and overall elegance make this a fine example of a masculine that could become a classic, if only more people knew about it...

A bright, floral eau de cologne style fragrance with woody-musky base notes and a novel green note, dill. On me one of the most refreshing and novel EdC-style scents I've come across in a long time. This is especially good in warm weather, and always produces an up-beat, lighthearted mood in me. This lasts a long time and the drydown is very smooth. Also, reapplication is not a problem, as it can be with many eaux de cologne, which are not friendly to perspiration and require soap and water before reapplication. Not so with this one; reapplying is worry-free.

Something round and woody, fruity and oriental under this green floral. Some people think this is death by tuberose, but I find it deep and anything but screechy. After a few minutes, this is not so much about white florals as it is about oriental base notes and fruit wood. A very fine EdP by Guerlain. Can this be worn by men? Be patient, men, and see how this dries down on your skin. If you are lucky, it might just work for you!

A spicy aromatic fougère scent from the early 70s. Fresh and spicy top notes lead to a heart of woods and florals, with a base of amber, resins, musk, coumarin, and vanilla. Great sillage right off and then gets quieter; longevity varies depending on temperature. An appealing scent: fresh, energizing, suave, not overwhelming.

A classic scent from Guerlain with a rich floral palette balanced by green galbanum, spices, and oriental base notes. Looking at the pyramid, one imagines something very rich, perhaps even heavy, but this is blended with a very light hand. The overall impression is ultimately fresh, airy, slightly spicy, and green with a lingering hint of the florals. Good longevity and decent sillage characterize this fragrance. I think most men wouldn't find this impoassible to wear — in the EdT form, at least (on which this review is based).

One of the nicer old Creeds, from 1856. This is slighty 'soapy,' but not in a bad way; the lavender is very fresh. Supporting in the head note is citrus, and in the base, vanilla. This is not one of the ambergris-dominant Creeds. No need to be too sparing with this, for if you go too light, it will not last or project. A moderate dose will achieve a better effect, and then the sillage and longevity will be worth the trouble. Overall, a very classic old-school lavender, elegant, but not stuffy; a good country or more relaxed town fragrance. Soothing, tranquil, but not sleepy; rather, I would say it is more energizing than otherwise.

Quite old-school, not very strong, with a somewhat limited sillage. This is a very straightforward sandalwood, with a little bergamot in the top and some other woody and coumarin notes in the base, plus the ever-present Creed signature ambergris. Not great on longevity, this scent is nevertheless redolent of aristocracy and conservative notions of style. If you like solid and reliable scents that send a message of (perhaps slightly smug) self-possession and self-regard, this is for you. The other possibility is that you like something very obviously old-fashioned; simple, yet brilliant in its simplicity; and satisfyingly (if fleetingly) beautiful; then this is for you, too. Personally, I think I'll take it on the latter terms.

A very lovely, very intriguing woody floral-oriental from 1922 by Ernest Daltroff, founding "nose" of the house of Caron. This is a chypre in structure, with a citrus top and oakmoss in the base, but in an oriental base note with sandalwood and vanilla. The heart notes are rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, orris root, and precious woods; the "woods" here may include some things we might usually call spices, notably cinnamon. The balance of the floral notes in the heart is exquisite, with just enough orris root to soften and blur the slight sharpness of the ylang-ylang, yet without making the scent in the least powdery. This is a real classic, and in spite of the floral nature of the heart, not something particularly feminine; the general tone of Nuit de Noël is not very different from, say, PdN New York. This is a real classic, timeless in the original formulation; even the EdP is full and generous, round and redolent. Even if you never wear it, you must smell this to get a reference base for the woody floral-oriental as high art.

The notes in this sound marvelous, and it is an eau de parfum. Going on, however, while it's a very nice, I find the sillage modest for an EdP and the longevity a bit disappointing. The scent itself is well made, progeressing nicely from top to bottom. I'm a big fan of clary sage, so its presence here is very welcome, and it makes a wonderful accord with the angelica root and incense. There's no citrus listed in the top here, and indeed, that citrus brightness which might have made it a bit more vivid seems to be missing. A lovely floral accord of jasmine, violet, and orris root in the heart is touchingly simple and subtle, yet elegant. Finally the base of leather, vetiver, and sandalwood is unimpeachably masculine and grounds the scent in that territory. I can't help wishing this stood a]out a bit more from the skin. You've got to get very close to detect it properly, and the lack of any light or sharp note does make it a bit heavy. On the other hand, it's a lovely bit of work, well made and showing good development. I suppose one can't have everything; but one still wants everything, doesn't one? I want to give it a thumbs up, but I'll call this one neutral. I think Buxton could do (and has done) better.

One of my all-time favorites. Balanced, classic, well-blended, and above all, engaging to those around me. When I wear this to work, people always remark favorably about it. My supervisor has followed me around sniffing my sillage as we went. She's a real fan of this scent now, although she didn't know it before she first smelled it on me. To take a slightly more analytical approach, let me say that lavender, rosewood, and clary sage make a beautiful opening accord; the muscatel note of the clary sage does wonders for the marriage of the other two. The florals in the middle notes are also a classic accord of rose, jasmine, and geranium, but with an extraordinary lily of the valley note which lifts them into something far less predictable. Coumarin, woods, and vanilla in the base make a gracious underpinning for the notes above, and just enough patchouli rounds out the whole quite elegantly. One word to sum it up? Intoxicating.

Strange and wonderful, a congeries of exotic notes, from agarwood (oud) right down to mandrake root. Along the way, there are such commonplaces as bergamot, mandarin, rosemary, amber, musk, and vetiver, but the exotics really transform the usual suspects into strange beasts in and of themselves. The overall effect is one of mysterious, slightly pharmaceutical exuberance and sensuality. Mandrake is a plant steeped in lore, a member of the deadly nightshade family (along with belladonna), a plant that induces delirium; and whose resemblance, because of its bifurcated root, to a human figure with arms and legs, caused it to be used in arcane magical rituals. John Donne, the 17th century Anglican priest and mystic wrote in his famous Song: "Go and catch a falling star/Get with child a mandrake root,/Tell me where all past years are/ Or who cleft the devil's foot,/Teach me to hear mermaids singing,/Or to keep off envy's stinging,/And find/What wind/Serves to advance an honest mind." Like the lyric, M7 is mystical, magical, and profound.

Slightly smoky, spicy, woody with a touch of citrus and booze over sandalwood and leather. Olivia Giacobetti designed this one for Lubin, and made a splash in a new pond. By that, I mean this is not her usual style — she usually has more subtlety and finesse than this, but less gumption; here she has dropped some of the reserve and picked up a bit more edgy energy. There are curious notes in the pyramid (the cult of the exotic?) like doum palm and black cumin. This is a great cool-to-cold weather scent, bringing warmth and soothing vibes into the mix with the up-tempo, more typically masculine notes. Decent longevity and good sillage (while it lasts) are positives for this juice; the only small negative is that it could be a bit more tenacious. Overall, very nice: comfortable, but not boring; trendy, but not outré.

Borneo 1834 is not quite like anything else. The camphor note seems to come on quite strong on my skin right off, with just a hint of the cocoa from the base note. This strikes me as a rather strange combination, especially because I imagined the patchouli would chime in first, but on me, it waits a bit longer to appear. While it's waiting, a hint of white florals begins to emerge, along with the spicy edge of cardamom. Galbanum begins to enter the picture, and then, finally, the strains of patchouli begin to play, along with a touch of labdanum. This is a beautiful scent which unfolds quite dramatically, with good longevity and moderate sillage. Later, when the rest of the players have gone to bed, patchouli and cocoa remain to provide the famous signature of Borneo 1834 that everyone talks about.

Some have called this a chypre, but the predominance of lavender in it makes it seem more of a fougère to me. That is neither here nor there, I suppose. What is interesting about this is the sort of old-world, old-school masculine vibe that was so dominant in men's scents until thirty years ago or so. Dating from 1873, Sandringham (named for Sandringham House, a crown estate of the British royal family in Norfolk) seems like a snapshot of mid-to-late-Victorian masculine elegance and (perhaps not too happily) probity. It does have a bit of the stuffed shirt about it. At the same time, the woody base in the back note is a tad rougher, leading the redoubtable Baron de Charlus (channeled as archly as ever by our own Naed_Nitram) to allege that it has "perhaps a hint of the royal brothel about it." The drydown is softer, and comes fairly promptly, though it lasts quite a long time. In fact, for longevity, this is one of the more remarkable scents. It is getting hard to find, as with so many bygone classics; nonetheless lovers of period pieces will quite likely adore this.

To my nose, this is very reminiscent of Floris JF. Looking at the published pyramids, there is only a superficial resemblance, but I feel haunted by the similarity in overall impression. The biggest difference is in the opening, where the neroli note in this gives a much sweeter impression than JF. The wormwood (artemisia) note makes the JF a little more "medicinal" also. In Marquis, juniper, neroil, and galbanum join citrus notes to add complexity in the top notes. Lavender and herbal notes are the chief components of the heart, with clary sage, rosemary, basil and mint featured there; spicy coriander and green angelica add depth in the heart as well. "Exotic spices" make the interest in the base note, supported by the usual suspects: amber, moss, and woody notes. Overall impressions of Marquis include: an opening that is fresh, but also a bit sharp and definitely sweet at the same time; good projection and sillage with a decent longevity; and a markedly mellower drydown, for which one must wait a good hour or more. Not for the timid, but if you like green, herbal, a little sweet, lavender, and hints of spice, this could be for you. As for me, I'm quite happy to wear this bit of nostalgia from 1928.

A spice-laden juice that has more of the oriental or aromatic fougère about it than any other genre (because of the tonka bean in the base, I guess).The top is largely citrus with a good dose of anise, the heart a warm and unusual accord of cinnamon and ginger, and in the base quite a pronounced woody air with sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, and patchouli. Except for the absence of floral notes, the Essence version of Must pour Homme seems recall the feminine version rather than the other masculine offering. This strikes me as a cool-to-cold weather scent, primarily because of the hearty spice accords, and at the same time it seems to suggest an evening or slightly more formal context than the plain Must pour Homme. The longevity and sillage are fairly tenacious, and the development, while somewhat limited, does tend to play out to a woodier place than where it starts. I find this very pleasant, a bit bracing and energizing, and an overall good thing. Kudos to Cartier for this!

A rich top of citrus and other fruit notes leads to a dense and heady heart of rose, white florals, carnation, orchid, orris, a hint of leather, and vetiver; all this is rooted in a base of vanilla, sandalwood, amber, tonka bean, and civet. The overall effect is rich and voluptuous for a blissful moment, whence it tones down to a warm and slightly animalic effect; then the drydown goes through the florals and leather to a purring oriental accord softly whispered like warm breath in the ear. The whole is one of the gentlest, most captivating romantic voyages a perfume can offer. Discontinued, very hard to find, but if you can find it, grab it and make it last for as long as you can.

Somewhat understated woody-fruity scent with hints of oriental and floral notes. This is not quite as lasing or as sharply delineated as Bois de Violette, but is a nice down-tempo scent with a distinctly elegant air. The sillage and longevity are relatively strong, and, thought it seems a bit like a "skin scent," it has a definite flag zone, from inside which it can easily be recognized. A good choice for a relaxed day or event.

Very lush blend of sandalwood and floral notes brightened by aldehydes, fruit notes, and citrus, and then richly anchored in woody resiny musk. Vetiver and benzoin contribute some of that richness. There seems to be a bit of amber, too, but that isn't in the original pyramid, and may be a modification of the recent reissue in the EdT strength Exclusifs de Chanel series. This can certainly be worn by a man, especially as a special-occasion evening scent. The florals and fruit notes are very well balanced by the woods and the darker resin and musk notes. Ernest Beaux was a genius, and his work is timeless.

A leather chypre from way back, when these things were still pretty robust. This one is pretty well-balanced, however, and not at all overwhelming like some of the scents from this era. The notes are pretty standard, with a bit of floral (rose, jasmine, carnation) buried in the heart and not given too much chance of poking out very far. Still a nice scent for day or evening wear; modern taste might see this as too forceful for the office. A light hand should compensate for any disquiet on that score, however. Maybe not a deathless classic, but still holds up pretty well on this old dude.

Violet flowers, leaves, and cedar. The cedar is the perfect foil to bring out the floral aspects of the ionone note as well as the greenness of the violet leaf. In The Guide, Luca Turin sings the praises of this scent, speaking of the rotational nature of the notes from Feminité du Bois; he analyzes the swapping around of the prominent note in each of the derived scents, and expounds on how the violet and cedar are brought out in this one. I can't believe that the prominent notes are the only ones here; there might be hints of honey or beeswax, cinnamon, and orange blossom in here, but deftly relegated to the background. These or some other elements spice, soften, and impart a warm, animalic note to the mix. Beautiful, fairly lasting, subtle but sensuous. One of the best.

Gualtieri refuses to publish pyramids or discuss the notes that constitute his perfumes; still, they are, for the most part, remarkable for their tenacity and sillage. I suppose that's why people are content to pay his prices without knowing what's in them. I find China White to be oddly floral, powdery, and spicy while keeping a somewhat chemical or medicinal air about it. It's both mysterious and straightforward; by this, I mean it seems quite determined and forthright, yet it is difficult to wrap one's mind around, hard to parse. The upshot is, I like it. Next to Duro, I find it the best of the line so far.

It does smell a bit like sandalwood, though there's none in the pyramid. Basically, it's the spices and the patchouli-oakmoss that make this scent. Bergamot is always a nice touch... I suppose this is technically not a chypre, because there's tree moss rather than oakmoss in it, but it kind of qualifies. I like this for cooler (but not cold) weather. It does seem to project a bit, but not excessively. It's warm and slightly spicy because of the clove bud oil and cardamom. Like many Floris masculines, it's "safe" for office wear, so I'll go with that for a casual Friday.

A somewhat ambery leather chypre, about which very little information is available. From my nose and what little I could find, I would guess some of the elements in the juice are bergamot, a white floral, amber, a leather note, and oakmoss. I have it in EdT form, and it is quite nice, with a moderate sillage. It has a fresher aspect than many leather chypres. Perhaps this is something about the citrus and white floral working together. I have no idea about the perfumer, the date of introduction, or its current availability. I found it in a tiny shop here in San Francisco. I think it's a small gem!

Rather strong on the birch tar (Russian leather) note at first, but then this dries down to reveal a more ambery scent. The incense, labdanum, and styrax in the top combine to give an assertive oriental impression. Though the leather predominates for quite a while, it only finally disappears quite late in the drydown. Powdery benzoin and iris soften, but do not overwhelm it. In fact, for a scent containing such a definite powdery heart, it hardly comes across as powdery at all. I have to say, though, that this fragrance, while quite lovely, is overall a very close approximation of Guerlain Cuir Beluga. This is not very apparent at first, but as the development progresses it becomes unmistakable; so I would say if you have Cuir Beluga, you may not need this one at all.

"Cuir pleine fleur" is the French term for the highest quality leather. This scent is really quite a good leather, using birch and suede notes carry the leather impression, and supplementing and supporting them with rather green-tinged florals (violet and mimosa). Vetiver in the base gives this a good anchor for longevity and a decent sillage. It is really rather captivating, recalling somewhat such famous and classic suede-leather scents as Tabac Blond and Cabochard. A definite keeper!

An incredibly smooth, slightly leathery eau chaude-style of EdT. The top notes are classic eau-de-cologne formulation, citrus with a dash of lavender for an herbal-floral effect. The middle notes combine spicy notes (among which cinnamon predominates) with green-herbal sage and florals. The base is a conflation of chypre (labdanum and moss) and fougère (tonka bean), but the lavender in the top tilts this to an overall spicy fougère modality within the eau chaude family. Good longevity and sillage. Warm, full, yet not quite rich, it is elegantly confident; nevertheless it is quite genteel in its restraint. Very much a "class act."

Curious to relive the experience of Polo after wearing Polo Modern Reserve, I decided to wear them back-to-back. This is a woody chypre in the 1970's style, full of green, woody, and spicy-balsamic notes; jasmine, carnation, geranium, and rose for florals in the heart; then the whole is anchored by musk, tobacco, patchouli, moss, and woods. Indeed, it is redolent of the days of my youth. I remember it as sweeter, but then, maybe I was sweeter myself back then. I could have sworn there was a honey note in it. It still strikes me as a sporty scent, maybe not so young now as I remembered it; some of the stronger notes make it seem more mature. I don't think this is dated, but then styles cycle back through the ages, and while they say retro is only for people who weren't around the first time through, I think I'll chance it.

Spice and herbal notes lead off, with a white floral and resinous note to follow. Later, patchouli and woods with soft leather. This strikes me as a casual or work scent more than as anything really dressy, but it could probably be stretched to that end. Being a modern scent, it can defy convention as far as that. This harks back more to the original Polo (Green), and I think I prefer both of these to Polo Blue, Black, or Double Black.

An engaging aroma from the start: gentle, but a definite presence, making a fresh and slightly spicy impression, not exactly floral, but something woody-resiny tinged with moments of floral notes. When it dries down, it smells remarkably like clean, fresh skin, redolent of warmth and health. How Roucel does it is a mystery; from the pyramid, one would expect a slightly floral woody oriental. Indeed, in a sense, it is just that; nevertheless, it is the "skin scent" par excellence. Truly amazing how the warmth of skin can be encapsulated in such a fragrance!

A fresh and sparkling blend of florals, resin, musk, and amber. This is a stimulating scent, which energizes with its unique blend of orris, geranium, and white florals skillfully blended with sweet violet and rooted in mastic resin, vegetable musk, and amber. The orris plays its powdery note against the resin in a surprising harmony, as the other notes chime in to balance and blend. This has good longevity and moderate sillage; it's just the thing for the office on a mild,sunny day.

A sleeper. Goes on kind of soft and then slowly unveils its charm. A bit of a gourmand scent, with a mellow chocolate note, it is mainly green, slightly floral, and woody. The list of notes reads a little like an evasive suspect being interrogated by the bad cop, not wanting to be too specific: sap notes, undergrowth notes, woody notes — who knows what these things might really be? The fact is, however, that they work. Some think this rather too pale, but its beauty is in the subtlety of composition and in the balance of the elements. To me, it's just lovely and very smooth, suave.

This is listed as a woody or leather chypre, depending on the source. It is an example of the 1980's style surviving into the early '90s. Lots of people swear this is a ringer for the discontinued Polo Crest; I wouldn't know. To me, this is a blast from the past as a men's scent. The notes, spice, green/herbal, and citrus in the top note; mostly floral in the heart; and wood, moss, amber, and leather in the base, are archetypal for the genre and period. It reminds me of the days when we called such things "Way cool," and so it still is.

Fresh, minty, green, woody, oriental. That about sums it up as to notes. It starts of quite green-minty, then passes through a kind of faux-vetiver phase, where it smells almost (but not quite) like vetiver. I believe this is due to the minty notes starting to yield to the patchouli and labdanum in the base, the combination of which does seem to mimic vetiver. The mint never quite completely dies down, but rather yields mostly to the woody oriental notes of the base. This scent is remarkable on me for longevity, even now, over twelve hours after applying, it still holds on. The best sillage is for the first six to eight hours, which is also quite remarkable. The development is rather limited, but effective, and the scent is pleasant, if not groundbreaking. Overall, a plus, and worthy of Cartier, but perhaps not the best thing they've ever done in men's fragrance.

To my mind, one of the most interesting ambers on the market. Ambergris, together with Peru and Tolu balsams, give a genuine and classic rendition of amber fragrance in the base note, while amber, vanilla, and nutmeg provide a generous and fulsome heart note; the top is a brilliant stroke of olfactory imagination, pairing lavender and myrtle to produce a spicy, smooth, and slightly floral-herbal introduction to the piece. I always thought Jean Laporte was a genius, with Santal Noble, Parfum d'Habit, and Eau des Îles to his credit, and this is just confirmation of his skill. In my book, this beats most of the other leading ambers for sophistication and sheer beauty.

If you don't much care about longevity, this is a fine scent. If, on the other hand, you're going to be a bugbear about such details, you'll probably stay away from it. So. apart from the issue of longevity, let's talk about composition: This has quite a cast of characters, from herb and spice to fruit and flowers, through incense, woods and gourmand notes. It has everything a fragrance could have, albeit in a slightly precarious (but convincing) balance. It does have a (somewhat limited) development, and it smells, frankly, very nice. There aren't many others quite like it. On points, I'd have to give it a "thumbs up." On value for money... well, that's for you to decide.

This is a very well-blended vanilla-based oriental. The harmony is so tight that it is difficult to pick out a lot of the individual notes. The "cotton" note is vaguely present as a kind of "clean linen" or "fresh laundry" vibe, which does come across a bit in the top note. The overall impression from this is of a more-than-typically fresh and slightly floral vanilla. It's the sort of thing that might be a daytime office scent, or a subdued evening fragrance. Not something I'd wear a lot, but definitely good to have on tap.

This review is for the 2007 reissue. Unfortunately, the notes listed for this on the tester (and in other sources) are just a skeleton of the 1970 version. Whether any of the other original ingredients are present is very hard to say, as I never smelled the original; but it is just possible that Givenchy had some reason to give just the bare bones of the notes, and that not all of the original pyramid was eliminated. I certainly hope that is the case. In any event, the 2007 juice is still beautiful, and while it doesn't have a great deal of longevity, it is quite lovely while it lasts. It preserves the chypre character, right down to the oakmoss, which is commendable, because it is now restricted under EU rules. This version is available only in EdT. Whatever the answer to the question of reformulation, this is a very good scent — a definite "thumbs up."

The base notes of almond and musk conspire with the sage and honeysuckle to construct a green note with a curious edge to it which is half herbaceous (the sage) and half powdery (almond, tonka, musk). The honeysuckle is an offbeat stroke of genius here: honeysuckle wood shares a note in common with catnip, nepetalactone, which has both a pithy-woody smell and herbal note. While the construction of this scent is fascinating, the overall impression is a bit odd. That's not necessarily bad, if you like odd, and I occasionally do. This isn't cheap, and I bought it, so in this case, I guess I like odd.

A very pleasant green floral, in my opinion suitable for both sexes. It strikes a fresh-floral note and reveals the green and mossy woods aspects more and more as it dries down. Citrus, fruity, and green notes (with marigolds) in top lead off, followed by a floral bouquet of white flowers with honeysuckle, orris, and a light rose, all supported by a base of woods, musk, and moss. This is especially good to wear in fine weather; it matches the sunny mood. Its a pretty optimistic scent, giving one a feeling that everything is going to be just fine: "Everything's coming up roses and daffodils" (well, narcissus...). A very definite thumbs up for this Daniel Molière classic from 1982.

Top Notes: Bergamot, French Lavender
Heart Notes: Cedarwood
Base Notes: Mysore Sandalwood, Bourbon Vetiver, Amber

One of Creed's most popular and best offerings. This is a fresh woody-oriental fougère-style fragrance of good breeding, the sort of thing a proper gentleman would wear to his club or a board meeting. For me, lacking such lofty venues in which to shine, it does for work at times, but more often for a nice evening out. Bergamot, lavender, cedarwood, sandalwood, Bourbon vetiver, amber (perhaps some hint of cinnamon?): very balanced, yet well and closely blended, with a very slight development, as befits such a stately fragrance. The longevity on me is about average; the sillage is quite marked at the beginning, but tapers off gradually, making a discreet exit. Too correct? Perhaps, for some, but not without a certain charm, and above all breeding... (How we do hate that word 'class'!)

A good near-fougère which is clean and fresh without being too soapy. The top notes are quite vivid, fresh, and striking. They lead into a floral-aromatic heart, and the scent then resolves into a mossy, musky and very slightly powdery drydown. I like this one, even if it does resemble a few others, because it is extremely well done. The construction is very careful and balanced; it is complex and shows a superior development. The longevity is moderate, but it does have a decent sillage until it winds down. You can be a little more liberal in application with this if you want it to last longer. A good, solid scent with potential for classic status someday.

A wonderfully complex chypre with the addition of aldehydes. This is mainly floral, but classed sometimes as a spicy oriental because of the base notes. It has a strong green component in the top notes (galbanum) supported by citrus notes and white florals. The heart is iris and narcissus softened by vanilla and spiked with aldehydic notes. The pure perfume has a marked oriental feel, probably put forward by oakmoss, orris root, and musk; moreover, there is remarkable sillage and above average longevity. A Jacques Guerlain classic from the 1930s that still captivates today.

Serge Noire opens with a blast of something camphoraceous, and (maybe it's just me) a bit of body sweat. Then it's cinnamon for a bit, followed by incense and dark, slightly smoky woods. Later, there are hints of labdanum and castoreum. (Yes, maybe that's the slightly sweaty note that gave a nod at the beginning, or was it an unspecified spice note, something like fenugreek? — remember the opening of Santal Blanc?). This scent seems to be made entirely of base notes; nothing of citrus, florals, herbals, or any of the others that typically inhabit the upper levels. In spite of that, this is a winner: dramatic, surprising, yet a bit melancholy in its preponderance of darker tones. I would say it's one of the better recent Serge Lutens offerings.

According to Michael Edwards, this is a woody oriental, but other sources class it a s an oriental fougère; in any case, it has a fairly prominent lavender note, which gives it a distinctly fougère feeling. The opening is very bright and pretty, but gets slightly muddied by the strange combination in the heart notes; one hopes it might have worked better if it had been balanced differently. I think cinnamon and sage is probably a tricky pair to pull off together. The base notes, however, are pure musky oriental, sandalwood and vanilla with musk, giving just a touch of powder. All in all very wearable, it does approach some of the great scents in quality, recalling the feel of Chanel pour Monsieur in some ways, for example.

I find mrclmind's review spot on about Gentleman as to notes and overall composition and development. A word about the mysterious Paul Léger, a perfumer for Firmenich, to whose nose this scent is attributed. As far as I have ever been able to ascertain, he is only otherwise cited as a collaborator with Roger Pellegrino, Raymond Chaillan, and Robert Gonnon in the creation of Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs. Gentleman has a hint of chocolate and smoky woods in the beginning, both charming and elegant; the base is more old-school, not very fresh or modern, which some people consider a bit "old" or dated. But Gentleman remains a great classic chypre, not much worn any more, and so perhaps interesting for those who would seek a touch of class and originality for their urban dandy man-of-the world wardrobe of scents.

An incredible mix of green and woody aromas, with a touch of florals, leather, oakmoss and patchouli. This would qualify as a chypre based on notes, but it's unlike any other chypre I've ever smelled. The mix of green and woody notes is unique to my nose. This is a fragrance that would really shine in cold weather, having enough projection to radiate from the skin without the aid of of warm air temperatures, but it can be worn well in cool weather as well, adjusting the application. Quite a coup for Dominique Preyssas, about whom I unfortunately know very little, except that she designed Le Dandy for d'Orsay, Talisman for Balenciaga, and a couple of men's scents for Jaguar. Definitely worth a sniff if you don't already know it.

This smells more green and hay-like (coumarinic) to me than any of the pyramid notes would suggest, I suppose the green tea and cardamom-usk combination might fool my nose into imagining that. This is a very fine and subtly constructed scent. I think some people are put off by the impression that this is not very tea-like; this is immaterial to me, not being much of a tea scents fan. Edwards calls this a woody-oriental, but it has something of a fougère feel to my nose. I find it to have a moderate sillage for a while, but not an extraordinary longevity. Still, I would rate it a pleasant and nicely constructed scent. I find it somewhat reminiscent of 1998's Fath pour l'Homme (Olivier Gillotin, who also did Cereus No.7 Dior Higher and Higher Black, and the new Ed Hardy Men). I find that same slightly acerbic hay note in pour l'Homme, too; I do think, however, that I find pour l'Homme slightly preferable to this one.

A very strange congeries of notes in this, but it really works as a fresh, invigorating scent for me. Violet and basil with anise and licorice in the top is a bit odd; rum and orgeat (that almond-flavored syrup they mix with fizzy water to make Italian sodas) with sandalwood and tonka is kind of outrageous in the middle; and praline with cedar, vetiver, and vanilla is not entirely unheard of, but pretty rare in the base note. A lot of surprises in this one. Is it a gourmand or a fougère? I think it's a bit of both — but licorice, praline, rum, and orgeat definitely sounds like something to eat and drink to me... The funny thing is that I'm not usually partial to gourmand-type scents, but for this, I'll make an exception. On a nice mild or slightly cool day, this is simply... What? Delicious!

The first impression I get from this is the licorice/anise smell. It's fresh and exciting to my nose. The softness that comes later in the woody and creamy notes is lovely too, but the spicy elements are what make this one for me. The unexpected (and barely noticeable) myrrh note in the base is astringent and bitter enough to keep this from turning too sweet on my skin. There is a bit of resinous aroma there as well. And the cedar and sandalwood make this a characteristically "masculine" spicy woody-oriental. Very nicely done, and very versatile too.

A sand desert in the Sahara (an erg, or 'sea of dunes') stretching from NE Niger into W Chad lends an unlikely name to a mostly floral scent by Paco Rabanne from 1988. Citrus, cassia bark, lavender. rosemary, and other green notes lead off into a heart of florals (carnation, jasmine, lily of the valley, and iris) and green and sweet spicy notes (anise, artemisia, tarragon, and cinnamon) on an amber-leather base (amber, cedar, leather, musk, patchouli, and vetiver). The overall impression is not only green-floral, but also warm and spicy with a touch of animal sweetness. (Oh, didn't I mention honey?) This is a scent that has cruelly been discontinued. I guess at some point, someone decided that guys didn't want to smell so flowery. Hah! What did they know? This is unique, beautiful, even daring — a creation for men not ashamed to be noticed and admired, even for a certain flamboyant style.

Well, this is a rehash of the women's versions with a few tweaks, as other reviewers have mentioned. The biggest difference is that the Infusion d'Iris was an EdP, whereas Infusion d'Homme is an EdT. Perhaps that's where the longevity issue comes in for some people. To me, this scent is a nice warm weather player that could be introduced into the summer lineup. If it wears off after 3-4 hours ( which isa its duration on my skin in tests), I don't much care, It is rather mediocre. On the whole the women's is better, longer lasting , and a little better crafted to my nose. The flanker for men? No earthly reason for it especially when the original was as perfectly unisex as any slightly woody-oriental eau-de-cologne style scent.

Green citrus bergamot, white-floral citrus neroli, green-floral honeysuckle, white-floral lily of the valley, the sweet spice of nutmeg, woody green vetiver, and the new-mown hay note of coumarin from tonka beans. Altogether a woody and green scent with traces of sweet florals and spice, with a dryish edge of coumarin powderiness. Vetiver with a touch of fougère? Yes, but too much vetiver to allow lavender in, so a kind of fougère manquée. Yet J-P Guerlain's instincts were dead-on; the right balance for a softer version of the 1961 Vétiver, if anything even woodier, less harsh, for removing the screen of rougher base notes and revealing more of the vetiver. It's quite nice for men, too — despite the rather sexist name.

Amoureuse is one of four DelRae offerings, all by Michel Roudnitska, the son of Edmond Roudnitska, another nose of some repute. Amoureuse is a kind of chypre, with citrus top and oakmoss base, but it is a little woodier and greener than most floral chypres. Its sojourn on my skin begins with a floral bouquet, slightly sharpened and enlivened by tangerine, and discreetly spiced by cardamom. At the end comes a beautiful accord of cedar, moss, sandalwood, and honey. In the middle of this is a bouquet of white flowers: tuberose, jasmine, and white ginger flower. Apart form the tropical nature of this accord (which reminds me of things I smelled on vacations in the islands of the Pacific), is the unusual blending of white ginger into the mix. This is the beautiful scent of the lily Hedychium coronarium, whose original range is in the Nepalese and Indian Himalayas. How to describe this scent? It's rich, penetrating, with a slightly acerbic edge, and definitely heady. It's not a very common note in perfumery, but it gets some use in "female" scents; however, I think in this accord it can be very sexy on the right man. (Me!)

Woody, rich, deep, with sandalwood and vanilla supported by a strong amber-oakmoss base and reinforced by a fragrant coffee note and a medley of spices in the top note. This scent has great longevity on me and gives off a definite air of sophistication and savoir-faire. It's one of my favorite special occasion scents, and I'll be wearing it to the wedding of a couple of friends today as I watch from the sidelines and sing the tenor part of Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus with the choir.

So we are now engaged in discussing the chauvinism of minor differences. Is this like many other citrus-woody scents? Well, yes! This is a very popular genre, possibly impelled by the desire of many men to smell inoffensive and "light." And yet... Versace pour Homme, while functioning perfectly well within this market niche, is better than almost all the others in a couple of respects. For one thing, it manages to marry a slight aquatic note to the dominant citrus in this while retaining a sense of proportion and good taste — something that can't be said for the vast majority of aquatic-accented fragrances, which let the monster in without then being able to tame it. Secondly, this offering manages to make an interestinmg use of quality notes, among them: a lovely petitgrain that mediates bitter orange leaves; a mild blue heliotrope that bespeaks a floral breath of spring; an elegant and pleasantly winey-floral clary sage note; and a deeper woody note in the form of a gentler oud than one normally finds. This fragrance is definitely no powerhouse, but rather a medium-light warm weather scent that nevertheless has good longevity and decent sillage. If you wanted to do the "citrus-woody inoffensive" dance, this would be the elegant way to choreograph it, with a light hand, but with flair and brisk artistry.

A smooth, warm ambery aoud scent comes right off the top and already contains, in germ, all the notes that follow; but they reveal themselves more and more as the drydown progresses, and shine softly with a mellow light. This has quite a good sillage, and on my skin at least, excellent longevity. Some people say this a scent for intimate moments, and I can see why they think so. It does have a somewhat seductive effect on people who have smelled it on me, although I can't say I was in the market when that occurred. Pity!

A chypre of distinction that has become a classic over the years. I find it a pleasure to wear this on festive occasions, but it even feels good just to wear it to work sometimes. The top notes are dedicated to the citrus clan, the middle to the spices and herbs, and the base notes to the woods, mosses, and roots. This is as it "should be" for men's scents: refreshing, intriguing, grounded. Yet this is a formula that gave a new face to male elegance in its day: lemon, verbena, and petitgrain replace the traditional bergamot for citrus; the base note forgoes patchouli for vetiver — and so it has passed from innovative to classic.

A very pleasant, eau-de-cologne style fragrance, like most of the series. This one is especially nice in the drydown, with a citrus-violet-green-amber vibe that persists rather well. The early stages of the scent tend to be a bit "pushy," by which I mean a little too sharp and slightly lush, perhaps even a bit "feminine" in the conventional parlance. That is brief, however, and really easily tolerable, when you consider where the scent ends up. This is very fresh and green-leafy, nice for warm days and upbeat times.

A refreshing, masculine, tonic fragrance. it is characterized by spicy and green/herbal notes, with citrus and fruit in the top note and a woody-ambery base. I first encountered this scent a few years ago and took it on a trip to Hawaii with me. At that time, I was very struck by the juniper, angelica and spice notes, which along with the citrus, put me very much in mind of gin and tonic. Ever since that time, I have always associated this scent with the Islands and with the cocktail hour. I think these are pretty good associations for a fragrance, so I can't help but think highly of it.

A limited edition, this is a beautiful composition based on mimosa, rose, and jasmine with beeswax absolute and heliotrope. The mimosa's floral note is slightly green, lending a bit of freshness to this rather rich fragrance; the beeswax gives depth and a gently animalic touch, while the heliotrope contributes the gourmand redolence of almonds and cherry pie. It is definitely an opus of elegance and style, deep and reassuring. Ellena's genius for making a great deal of a minimal set of ingredients is amply evident here.

A very fresh woody oriental, I would say, though a little genre-bending is evident here. I like this quite a bit, even though it's not my usual style; I think the freshness and the juxtaposition of acontextual notes is the main reason. It also helps that the persistence of the coriander helps make the drydown amazing. This is especially nice in warmer weather, but anytime I want a bit of a lift, it is a welcome break from heavier, denser concoctions. Simplicity and transparency have their charms.

I used to think I liked Lanvin Arpège pour Homme even better than Dior Homme because it seemed drier to my nose. I think that impression comes from the patchouli in the base of Arpège pH. It seems to make a big difference in the overall feel of the scent. Now, I'm beginning to think that I like them both, but in different ways. the Lanvin does strike me as a bit drier and perhaps more stereotypically masculine than the Dior. But the remarkable thing about both of these is that they brought iris (orris root) back out of exile from men's perfumery; they set the clock back to 16th century Tuscany and made iris a men's note again. That wasn't easy. Others had been trying, mostly niche houses and "edgy" noses. These were the ones that broke through to the larger market.

This is a controversial scent, as you can see from the reviews in Basenotes. It really is a strange scent. I think the quinine note in it is responsible for both the positive and negative reactions. It's not exactly aquatic, but combined with the citrus notes, it makes for a lightly smoky and slightly metallic edge to the top note. I guess this is intrigued some and puts off others. The middle is a somewhat diverse collection of typical heart notes, woods, white floral, tobacco. Where the main interest lies for me is in the base notes: tonka bean, vanilla, and musk make for a bit of powderiness there; but the touch of labdanum and clary sage take it to a different level. On my skin, the powder hangs in the background, but the clary-labdanum win out. When to wear this? Warm weather definitely; when you are in a sunny, optimistic mood, too.

A charming, soft, yet spicy woody-oriental. The distinctive top note is probably mostly the result of combining lavender and betel pepper. The florals in the heart note (geranium, jasmine, and carnation) are sharpened by thyme and enriched by labdanum (an ambery resinoid). The base note anchors all these in cedar, patchouli, vanilla and a touch of leather. The overall impression is somewhat soft, but stimulating and uplifting, which is largely due to the spicy and woody notes. Having said that, it should be added that the floral notes provide a a captivating romantic aspect to the fragrance as well. Great in all weathers, this could be a work fragrance or something to brighten a casual evening engagement. It deserves high marks for its suave, self-assured, warm, and sprightly character.

A very nice blend of herbs and jasmine together with the deep, woody note of patchouli. This is very, very green — deeply and intensely so. The herb bouquet is splendid, especially with the citrus notes. The choice of the somewhat woody-camphoraceous Arabian (or night-blooming) jasmine (Jasminum sambac) for the floral note in this scent is also particularly suited for use with the sharp herbal notes, because this species of jasmine is also spicier, muskier, and more penetrating than either Jasminum officinale or the grandiflorum varieties. The drydown with patchouli in the base also marries well with that standout floral note, and when it mellows, it smooths out beautifully. This is a definite keeper.

A woody oriental of the "old school" that inspires hatred in some and admiration in many others. Opinion is divided on whether this smells "masculine" or "feminine," and that may well show how subjective those notions can be. This is not something I would wear very often; I have to admit that at one stage, it reminds me of the smell of a childhood closet. Well, that's pretty subjective and idiosyncratic, too. Basically, this is a complex blend and ends up being pretty satisfying, especially as far as longevity and sillage go. A snapshot of the past? Maybe that's why it's called Classic.

A bit sweet, a bit powdery, but not too much of either. Others have mentioned that the drydown is awesome, as it indeed is. Personally, I don't find the opening at all taxing to my nose. I enjoy the whole journey. It is a bit dressier than some others, but nothing you couldn't wear on a day off for a little excusion to someplace nice and fun. This may be elegant, but it's far from stodgy!

A chypre of unusually masculine character. In spite of the inclusion of ylang-ylang in the formula, this isn't remotely a stereotypical feminine scent in feeling. It may be the one note that rings false in this chime; it seems out of place with the more herbal floral of lavender, and certainly with eucalyptus and the other herbals. In conjunction with the musk, the sweet floral makes this scent a bit powdery at first, although that impression diminishes after the first twenty minutes or so. Then it blends more smoothly into the rest of the formula and largely loses the powdery aspect. This fragrance took a little getting used to for me, but once past the rough spot, I now like it quite a bit. In the end, it comes out as a slyly suave and even slightly rakish bit of work, the sort of thing to wear when one is in the mood for fun and a little taste of the offbeat in life.

Pepper, Frankincense, Patchouli, Benzoin, Leather, Woods, Orange Peel, Spice, Dry Amber, Vanilla.

Quite remarkable as a woody oriental, with spice and a hint of leather. It is rather dense, complex at first, but ends in a patchouli-oriental-woody drydown. The name suggests the famous carved and lacquered Chinese screens which were transshipped to Europe from treaty ports, such as the British Fort St. George and the French Pondicherry, along the Coromandel Coast of southeastern India (parts of the current states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu). Apparently there were some such screens at the apartments of Coco Chanel, and according to the firm's blurb, these made her "faint with happiness." I suppose the woods in the fragrance represent the screens, and the patchouli and spices are meant to evoke the mysteries of India. If you ask me, this is one of the best of the Exclusifs de Chanel line.

A leather-chypre slant with a strange, evocative set of notes. Labdanum serves for the leather note in this, with curious companions in the heart note of coffee, frankincense and the surprising floral ylang-ylang. Myrrh in the top (it's usually a base note) with a green, but slightly anise-like tarragon for support. Galbanum in the base (usually a top note) echoes the tarragon, and patchouli and vetiver are just typical of Jean Laporte. The effect is marvelous, even enrapturing (to me, at least); it is rich, with a green undernote that both delights and astonishes, so deftly tucked into a dry woody-oriental-leather scent. Laporte at his best, it is on a par with Santal Noble and Parfum d'Habit for masculine elegance.

Top Notes: Grapefruit, Basil, Bergamot, Galbanum
Middle Notes: Jasmine, Juniper, Heliotrope, Pine
Base Notes: Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Benzoin

I like the top notes in this, and the rest is interesting, but it doesn't quite seem to make a whole. It is a bit on the sweet side, and could use more balance. On the good side, it is fresh and comfortable to wear in warmer weather, if you don't mind the sweetness too much. I have seen pyramids for this that claim jasmine, juniper, heliotrope, and pine in the heart and don't mention vanilla in the base. That's the pyramid I included in this review , from parfyym.pri.ee. Those notes seem to make some sense to me, although I think they would make for more balance and more projection than I get from the juice in the bottle I own. I think this is OK, but I had hoped for greater things from it, so the best I can do is give it a neutral rating.

Citrus-herbal with woody oriental notes of depth and character. Etro has done a very good job on this one. The base notes really work well together, and are responsible for giving this a slightly smoky, mysterious vibe. I think this could work as a daytime scent in cool weather, and as an elegant fragrance for evening dates, especially ones where one wishes to project an air of urbane savoir-faire and coax one's companion to explore an enticing invitation to get to know each other better. The heart note contains karo-karoundé, an "exotic and carnal flower" (osmoz.com) from Africa that figures in a few other scents and lends a real air of mystery, beauty, and sensuality. The incense, opopanax, cedar, patchouli, labdanum, and amber in the base also contribute to making this deliciously deep and rich. Too bad Etro is getting harder to find...

A lot is going on in this one, and while it's very nice, maybe not everything fits. Is this a fougère or an oriental? I can't quite decide; perhaps it's trying to be both. I agree that this uses pretty good ingredients for a designer scent from a smaller house, and while it smells decent, I can't really say I think it's well constructed. The balance seems to be a bit off on the sweet side, and while it packs a good bit of sillage at first, the initial impression breaks down fairly soon and becomes a bit muddy. This is not a bad scent as these things go; it's just that it seems to hold some promise and then doesn't fully meet the expectation. I'll have to go for a neutral on this, although it's fully good enough to wear for everyday work or such routine events.

A very fresh floral oriental with hints of grasses, fruits, woods, spices, and oriental notes. Here is the essence of late spring or summer in search of refreshment from the heat and the consequent languid, muggy afternoons of inactivity. The promise is of a soft and cooling breeze scented by a riverside garden retreat. Ellena has here penciled a minimalist sketch of such a garden, matching everyday and exotic elements in an easy balance over a woody-oriental base suggesting ease and luxury. A very fine scent for the seeker of peaceful respite from stress and ennui.

One of Dior's great men's scents. Relatively unknown for a while, it dropped below the radar until Dior began to offer it more widely for sale again in the U. S. a couple of years ago. This is a woody, leather (and tobacco?) scent with some unusual green notes in the top. Florals in the heart are kept in low profile by the more assertive notes, but are definitely there and eventually revealed for what they are. The base is woody, mossy, leather, a touch of oriental, and the impression of tobacco. I suspect this is a scent made to please a man. Don't think it would appeal much to many women, though they might grudgingly tolerate on a man they really liked...

Parfums d'Orsay
Le Nomade
(2000)
Top Notes: Berries, Cardamom, Coriander
Middle Notes: Patchouli, Vetiver, Cedar
Base Notes: Bergamot, Coriander, Sage, White Musk

This is a spicy, woody scent that seems to be seeking its way, and almost manages to find it. The notes are classic for the genre, and the opening is very effective. Once, I sprayed it on at the gym, and the dude a couple of lockers down asked me if it was Cartier. I have to admit, it does bear a superficial resemblance to Eau de Cartier, especially the Concentrée version, but it doesn't have the legs. I wish this lasted longer on my skin, because the opening notes are so promising, but alas! It misses the boat. It just needs something warmer, perhaps a touch of florals, and some decent projection and reinforcement in the base to keep it going.

Vaguely chypre-like (bergamot in the top, patchouli in the base, but no oakmoss anywhere), this is a pretty good scent. A warm spicy, slightly floral heart with a bit of Japanese influence (yuzu citrus in the head; bamboo and hibawood, a Japanese genus of cypress, in the backnote). The overall impression is: a rather floral start; segué into a fairly spicy heart; soften and round out the spice with deep woody notes for the drydown. The development is good, longevity somewhat above average, sillage very good for the first third to half of the course, then tapering off to more of a skin scent. In my personal universe, this doesn't rival Sud Est, my favorite Romeo Gigli œuvre; still, it proves to me that Gigli hasn't lost its touch!

Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile uses bergamot, orange bloosom, hibiscus, mimosa, and cedar to bring out orris note and to wrap it in the sweetness of white florals. The amber and vanilla base gives this a distinctively floriental bent. I feel it's particularly beautiful in the EdP version.

Jean-Claude Ellena engineered The Different Company's Bois d'Iris in his typical stark, minimalist splendor. Iris joins vetiver and bergamot in the top note; cedar, narcissus and geranium in the heart return to the theme of woods, white floral and rosaceous tones, but in a different modality, making the economy all the more striking; then just simple musk domination in the base. Bois d'Iris is rather stark, and a bit sharp to my nose, and perhaps this is due to the extreme balancing act on such a narrow base; no oriental notes here to round out the iris, and the vetiver gives its slightly sour grassy-woody head note to help throw this into a minor key. A very different iris, but an intriguing one.

A spicy-floral chypre from 1970, this is a heady combination laced with aldehydes and some clary sage in the top notes. Carnation is the head of the floral accord in the heart with jasmine and muguet completing the triad. A chypre base adds musk, coumarin, vetiver, and vanilla for depth and roundness. Some people find this slightly medicinal (I suspect the nutmeg and mace play a role in this impression); others, like me, just find it exotic, like a beautiful face endowed with a strikingly odd nose — but the tones are so warm and rich, the angles and planes are so perfect, the underlying structure so blatantly classical that the beauty of the whole is undeniable.

This would be a classic aromatic fougère if there were oakmoss in the base, but it's close, anyway. It's fresh, upbeat, but rather light, with noticeable, but not very prominent sillage. This is a good scent for an informal day of fun, or for a time when you want to feel energized, but not hyped. I would say this is mellow, but alert; you've got all its attention, and it's got yours.

A woody oriental of some distinction. It is a very smooth scent, and although not entirely linear, the development is somewhat modest. The notes are typical of the genre, with some florals in the heart. The base notes are very characteristic and form quite a solid foundation. In contrast, the top notes are a bit unexpected, with some fairly strong spicy notes to support the citrus and lavender. This is a fine evening scent, but it also does well for a relatively formal event during the day, or just for making one feel elegant and debonair.

Vetiver, tobacco, coriander, cedar. These are the main notes in this classic of Guerlain's golden age of men's fragrances. The best way to wear this is in black tie. Wing collar, cuff links and shirt studs, an impeccable pocket silk. Then the aroma can develop to its full glory, in the surroundings where it feels most at home. This really is an elegant scent, whenever and wherever you wear it.

Flowery, spicy,fruity, aldehydic, musky, woody; this scent is remarkable for its brilliant composition, its juxtaposition of notes that work together beyond expectation. This is the genius of the true nose, to make a scent that works in balance despite odd combinations by gauging exact proportions to achieve a novel effect. Ropion here succeeds in spades, making a rich floral-woody-oriental with subtle marriages of fruit and spice, using apricot to enhance the florals, and clove to reflect the carnation, and then tying it all together with a classic and straightforward woody oriental base note. This is an extraordinarily rich floral, shimmering and complex, with carefully arranged modulations to carry one through the seemingly seamless development in precise order. It's one of the best of an already excellent set in the Éditions de Parfums series.

Strange and a little raspy at first, this eventually sorts out to a very subtly resinous place after passing through some violet-evocative notes. I say "violet-evocative" because this is not the modern take on violet, which is more about violet leaf than it is about the elusive floral violet, which is nearly impossible to distill from the plant and must be hinted at through the use of ionone and other synthetics. The "violet" in this fragrance takes after the floral side in spades. It is well balanced, however, with citrus and other fruity notes in the top, and nicely anchored in a mossy-woody base. This gives the scent the feel of a chypre. It's a fairly deep take on the title player, but then most of the Special Blends are at least somewhat deep and dark. This one, though, does manage to end on a subtler note. It becomes quite soft and elusive at the end. In my book, it's one of the better ones from this series.

I almost like this very much. It is very pleasant in general, but something seems out of place. I think it might be the chamomile in the top notes. Whatever it is makes this smell a little bit (to my nose) like someone's been rolling around in lawn clippings. It never quite disappears, but it does linger less prominently after a while. The rest of the composition is quite beautiful, and has great longevity and decent sillage, too. On the whole, this is a sweet, floral scent of some distinction. When you wear this, you definitely won't smell like just one of the crowd.

A rose scent with a difference; this is made, I believe, as a warm-weather alternative to "bigger" rose fragrances. Pear in the top contributes to a lighter, fresher and fruitier introduction; the heart accord tempers a yellow rose oil and absolute with a lime flower "neroli," and light, green-tinged florals of mimosa and lotus; the base is largely a vegetal musk, ambrette seed, a good fixative with a light touch as well. This is a great daytime wear for hot days and an elegant companion for warm summer nights. Take note: this is a limited edition — a very suave and yet intriguing one.

Woody, spicy, slightly floral, and gourmand all at once, this is an unusual scent. The top is citrus, spice and resin; the heart, white floral-sandalwood accord on a tea and chocolate gourmand center; and the base, with patchouli and the malvaceous seeds of hibiscus, gives an intriguing slant of depth and provides fixation anchoring the whole. This produces an overall feeling of warmth and woodiness as well as a touch of resinous earthiness, both of which enhance the mildly floral central gourmand theme. Very nice for day or evening social occasions, it radiates the right amount of warmth and inviting coziness to set one's companions at ease.

A classic floral oriental, very full as to aroma, and quite satisfying. The floral bouquet is very nicely balanced; also, it has a judicious underpinning of vanilla and vetiver, with a bit of amber and tonka bean. Some noses detect a touch of rose in the heart notes; others don't. This is probably not a scent that most men would want to wear, but I would be game for giving it an outing on my skin in certain "safe" situations: for example, I'll be wearing it to church this time out. It would also do for me on a private or intimate occasion, but not for anything too public or official. Judicious use by males to be encouraged, IMO, if you're up to it.

This is a very woody, yet at the same time lactonic, creamy scent. There is a good deal of spice in this, and some perfumer-arty things like bergamot, moss, and clary sage (very sophisticated and traditional notes). Kashmir wood in the top is backed up by vetiver, cedar and patchouli in the base. The labdanum in the heart gives aid to the creaminess, yet veering off a little toward ambergris, its closest scent equivalent. Tonka and vanilla add an oriental dimension and a roundness to the woody and spicy notes. To me , this is one of the best of the Costume National line; milder, but at the same time more complex, better balanced and more skillfully constructed than the other offerings from that house. This is also an EdP strength. A very welcome addition from Costume National, and a clear demonstration of how good their stuff can be! Kudos to Juliette Karagueuzoglou, the nose responsible for this.

I've got to confess that I love hyacinth, and in this scent the hyacinth is beautiful. Also, I have to say that I don't like melon notes; but in this, the watermelon seems to be there mostly as a "boost" to the hyacinth and lilac. The base notes are woody-oriental, and provide an excellent foil for the florals. A floriental with watermelon... Go figure! I wouldn't have thought I'd like this, but I do. Going on, I thought it a bit feminine, but the green note that haunts the hyacinth and lilac keeps it from going over the edge, and it does mellow out pretty well. In any event, Diptyque sells it as a shared scent, and ultimately, I think they're right about that.

Very much in the classic mold, this is a winner. It is elegant, restrained but not diffident, and it has a quiet confidence and dignity about it that bespeaks its breeding. Patricia de Nicolaï is a grandaughter of Pierre Guerlain, brother of the famous Jacques; perhaps one can see in this that there may be some truth in the Guerlain family mystique. New York is a beauty, a structured composition with a clearly discernible development. It says sophistication and style, but in a timeless mode. I don't think this one can easily be forgotten. Its balance, tenacity, subtle development, and sillage all make it a classic.

Leafy green at first, then figgy-pudding fruity, and finally a round accord of rich wood and coconut. A very nice scent. It seems a bit sharply green at first, but the edge soon wears off to reveal a softer, pulpier fig note. The best is the final drydown, which does last longer than I thought at first. The sillage on this is moderate after the first stage; and while the longevity seems better than the first time I tried it, it still isn't as long-lived as many other scents. Alas, if Diptyque could improve longevity, it would make their offerings much more attractive!

Woody, spicy, oriental. A hint of leather in the base and the civilizing influence of iris in the top. Some people find this a bit sweet, with honey and amber, but I prefer to think of the juniper, cypress, myrrh and patchouli. It seems to me that these balance the sweetness and never really let it dominate the scent overall. This is a bracing scent to me, it keeps me focused and energizes me. While I mostly turn to it in cold weather, it seems perfectly suited for cool summer nights as well. It can make a very nice dressed-up evening scent.

From parfyym.pri.ee, a slightly different take on the pyramid:
Top Notes: Mandarin, Basil, Caraway, Rosewood, Osmanthus
Middle Notes: Lavender, Geranium, Verbena, Jasmine
Base Notes: Vetiver, Musk, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Amber, Incense, Benzoin

An aromatic fougère with an unusual caraway top note that makes it smell a little like pepper and a little like dill for the first few minutes. Osmanthus is another unusual top note in this fragrance. After the mildly acerbic top, the heart is a fairly typical floral fougère bouquet, which as usual, features lavender. With tonka bean for the coumarin note (de rigueur for fougères), the base also heavily incorporates oriental notes, giving this a rounder, subtler finish than its start. Very fresh, nice for cool-to-temperate spring days, with which our San Francisco summers abound.

One of the loveliest, gentlest, and most extraordinary of fougères. Lavender and new-mown hay (for the coumarin note) are the backbone, with patchouli for strength and balance and a sandalwood-vanilla combination for the creamy, oriental finish. Wearing Privé is pure joy to the spirit. Uplifting far beyond the average inspiration of scent, this is a work of art characterized by balance, taste, and economy of line rarely paralleled in the recent history of masculine fragrance.

A deep, spicy and herbal impression slowly melts into something more animalic, resiny, and oriental; a strong allusion to chypre construction can't be missed in this scent. The whole seems particularly innovative in the weight of spice and herbals vis-à-vis the chypre theme. The total lack of florals in a chypre is quite striking, really. This is barely balanced at the tipping point, but its audacity gives it the edge it needs to pull off the stunt with panache.

Oh, this is a very odd scent; but who said odd was bad? There is something very unsettling right at the top, and most people seem think that it's the fenugreek. Who am I to disagree? I don't have a better theory. Fortunately, this awkward stage doesn't last forever; eventually Santal Blanc settles down into a spicy, musky iris groove. Then it's fine, but it does lose some of its projection at that stage. It should be obvious by now that this one isn't for everyone. I go back and forth on it, but today I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.

A citrus bomb with decent staying power. This is nothing terribly creative, but it smells good and satisfies the desire to be fresh and upbeat. The drydown passes out of the bright citrus territory into a more astringent mode before descending into the base notes.

A very green spicy top sets the tone for this revival of the classic chypre style. The innovative stroke here in the green chypre sub-genre is the inclusion of cassia buds to provide a aromatic woody-spicy note in the top. The floral bouquet in the heart is not novel, but seems to me to be remarkably well-balanced. The classic chypre triad bergamot-oakmoss-patchouli gives this a truly classic profile, and the inclusion of sandalwood and vetiver in the base reinforce the woody hint first given in the cassia buds. All in all, very classic, yet satisfyingly updated with a bit of zing. Luca Turin says this is a man's chypre, and I think I agree. At least one woman reviewer on Basenotes does too. By now, the floral accord in the heart would be no surprise in any men's fragrance. I like this for cool to temperate days or summer evenings, but it works pretty well in any weather.

One of the early so-called aromatic (or herbal) fougères. This class of "fern" scents ("fougère" means "fern" in French) traditionally include the trio of oakmoss, clary sage, and coumarin (in this one, that's the tonka bean); they also often include lavender. Jean Martel's take on this cleverly introduced rosemary and laurel. These are both herbal-resinous notes that aid in yielding a much stronger projection than the earlier fougère scents. The rosewood in the top adds a fresh, floral-woody note, and the honey in the base gives some depth, richness, and a bit of animal "sweat." The times were right for this pumped-up version of the fresh, lighter masculine EdT. It was, after all, the era of the muscle car...

Starts off with a saffron, rose, and oud accord and a hint of something mysterious and deep, which eventually reveals itself to be a black truffle note. The rest of the base note is a version of the chypre foundation made slightly oriental by the addition of vanilla. The scent is any thing but linear; eventually, the base notes take over, and in the end the tree moss and vanilla hang out in front, with the ghost of roses and saffron. As with the other Special Blends, the kickoff is much stronger than the ending, but this is by no means a slouch. The unusual ingredients, the novel reference to the chypre genre, and the complex farewell make it a tour de force.

A very fresh and green summery scent. The notes suggested by iMaverick in his review (see below) seem very plausible to me. The first time or two I skin-tested this, it seemed to me that the notes faded very quickly, but more recent testings show it to last longer than I had originally thought. The real reason for getting this, however, is the beautiful accord of the ensemble. The green notes and florals truly do recall, as Luca Turin says in The Guide, the most dramatic moment in the evolution of Pierre Balmain Vent Vert.

A complex and delightful scent and very old-school from the days when only women would have worn such a thing. The top is green, but only slightly; the aldehydes and bergamot are what really come across in the top. Classic floral heart, with the orris root giving a bit of strength and character. A woody-oriental and slightly musky base note finish the picture. To me, this is really reminiscent in tone and feeling of Ténéré (but not really similar), though much less spicy and woody; I think it's the florals in the hearts of both that make for the seeming connection.

Green and semi-fougère (without the coumarin), but very subtle and beautiful. This is a discreet and masculine perfume that is uplifting and energizing because of its cool freshness and green aura. The florals in the heart note are present, but not overwhelming, and the base is mossy-woody with tobacco and oriental touches. This is elegant and open, outgoing, and far from staid; and yet, it gives the impression of decency and uprightness, the mark of an honorable and forthright man.

At first blush, woods and pepper moderated by incense and saffron. This also claims a rhizome called curcuma, which can be (among many other things) turmeric, the spice that gives a yellow color to Indian curries — but I doubt that would be much use to a perfumer; instead, this reminds me of a rhizome I met in Indonesian cookery called 'kencur' (or as it was spelled in the Dutch colonial days there, 'kentjoer'), which is called zedoary in English. It has a slightly bitter but vaguely floral-fruity undertone which I think seems to fit in with what I can detect in 8 88. This is definitely a haunting fragrance, with an air of mystery and exoticism about it. Very engaging, with a touch of floriental in the heart and an amber-patchouli finish. It's quite well-done in the off-beat style so typical of Comme des Garçons.

It's credited to Antoine Lie at the Estonian website parfyym.pri.ee, which lists the following pyramid:
Top Notes: Pepper Wood, Coriander, Curcuma
Middle Notes: Geranium, Incense, Saffron
Base Notes: Amber, Patchouli

A remarkable rose accord that smells like a men's cologne. In his review in The Guide, Luca Turin says this is founded on a base called Animalis™ by Synarome, which he says includes allusions to castoreum and civet. That may well be; or could it be that the list of notes includes cumin to throw us off? Who can say. Anyway, the galbanum and rose (with citrics and spice for reinforcement) in the top note introduce the delicate rose and violet heart and its slightly dirty cumin smudge, and set it all up on a foundation of oriental woods, roots, and amber. The upshot? A slightly puzzled look and the thought : "Why does this guy's cologne remind me of roses?"

Starts off with something jarring, discordant; I think it may be the mint disagreeing with the galbanum. That lasts for a few minutes. In fact, the first time I tried this on my skin, I was very put off by it. After a relatively short time (perhaps 15–20 minutes), however, things start to smooth out and the cypress begins to come out and dominate (or at least tame) the earlier accord. Then the scent becomes quite elegant and manly in a woodsy, musky sort of way, with a touch of the Creed signature ambergris rounding it out and mellowing it; and, voilà, the caper is pulled off smoothly and seemingly effortlessly!

Hermès Hiris is a beautiful take on iris, mediated by Olivia Giacobetti, and even though a lot of lists call it a feminine, I think it is really very gender neutral. The remarkable thing about it is the "carrot" note in it. It used to be, in days of perfumery yore, that carrot was a note used to supplement and complement the orris root's characteristic dark, earthy smell. Coriander, carnation, almond wood, cedar, and honey notes seem to be the best support for the carrot flower accord in this. It's one of the most inventive orris scents out there, and yet it also strongly evokes a classic tone from days gone by.

The pyramid:

Top note: Coriander, Carrots, Ambrette
Middle note: Neroli, Rose, Orris, Hay
Base note: Cedarwood, Almond tree, Vanilla, Honey

A spicy, rose oriental with good sillage and staying power. A bit on the formal side, but not impossible for more casual occasions. The rosewood in the head note is critical here; it sweetens the top and moderates the acidity of the citrus. Also a brilliant touch is the coriander and the vegetable musk of ambrette seed. These two combine with the oriental elements in the base to enliven the central floral note of rose. Very smooth and elegant. One feels debonair when wearing this.

A bit spicy, with nutmeg and the clove overtones of carnation in the heart on a woody-musky base, with opening notes of lavender and citrus. I suppose this all makes a kind of fougère, though with vetiver standing in for a coumarin note and no oakmoss in evidence at all. I like this for its slightly sharp, fresh character. It is satisfying and has decent projection, sillage, and longevity. This is the perfect everyday scent, frank and open, plain-spoken and naturally winsome just as it is.

A spicy fougère with good projection and sillage. This is my favorite of the YSL men's fragrance line. The floral heart is the pivot or fulcrum between the spicy, citrus, and herbal top and the woody, tobacco and coumarin base. A satisfying accord, and for me, on the day after his passing, a fitting way to remember the great designer who lent his name and brand to it.

Pretty mellow, with a kind of fresh, almost fougère kind of quality to it. A little fruity and lactonic at the start, it manages to be spicy and woody and complex in the latter phases. Overall, it seems at first that there's not a lot of development, nor a lot of sillage either. Perhaps this is due to sensory overload. All 68 notes are listed right on the label, but in French, of course!

If you really need to know, here's the Cologne du 68 Complete List, as listed on the label:

1. Bergamot 2. Green Tangerine 3. Lemon 4. Clementine 5. Cedrat 6. Orange 7. Blood Orange 8. Limette 9. Grapefruit Leaf 10. Basil 11. Fennel 12. Star Anise 13. Lavender 14. Bay Laurel 15. Cypress 16. Elemi 17. Thyme 18. Myrtle 19. Bigarade Petitgrain 20. Tangerine Petitgrain 21. Lemon Tree Petitgrain 22. Pear 23. Violet Leaf 24. Ivy Leaf 25. Gentian 26. Sap Note 27. Black Currant 28. Freesia 29. Lily of the Valley 30. Hazelnut Leaf 31. Cyclamen 32. Cardamom 33. Coriander 34. Black Pepper 35. Pink Peppercorn 36. Nutmeg 37. Ginger 38. Frangipani 39. Magnolia Flower 40. Orange Blossom 41. Peony 42. Rose 43. Carnation 44. Ylang-ylang 45. Lychee 46. Fig 47. Blackberry 48. Immortelle Flower 49. Mastic 50. Opoponax 51. Amber 52. Benzoin 53. Vanilla 54. Cistus Labdanum 55. Heliotrope 56. Iris 57. Tonka Bean 58. Sage 59. Musk 60. Patchouli 61. Agarwood 62. Cedar 63. Sandalwood 64. Vetiver 65. Botanical Musc 66. Praline Note 67. Myrrh 68. Lichen

The onrush of notes makes it seem like everything is on stage at once, but the eventual dissipation of the top notes reveals a much spicier scent supported by richer notes of woods, sap, mellow florals, and amber-tobacco accords. The first blast settles into a calmer mood, with a feeling of nonchalance that isn't quite lack of direction, but perhaps a willingness to let things come as they may. A lesson in detachment for the perfumista who wants to pigeonhole scents, this one is far to encyclopedic to permit such a reductionist approach. The only thing to do is to relax and enjoy the ride. Very pleasant on the whole, slightly muted, but quietly distinguished. Cologne du 68 is not straightforward and obvious, but cannot escape notice and appreciation for the attentive nose.

A mélange of green-herbal, spicy, and floral notes on a chypre ground. This is a very fresh, green chypre, however; a substitution of tonka bean for the patchouli in the base could easily have made it a green fougère, and the lavender does lend it that sort of character. This comes only in eau de toilette formulation, which is rather appropriate to the freshness of the composition.

Sous le Vent is French for "leeward," as in the name of the Leeward Islands. The scent was supposedly composed by Jacques Guerlain for Josephine Baker in 1933, for her to apply after her dance performances, which were the rage of Paris at that time.

How can I describe it? Fresh, green, neither feminine nor masculine. I feel it would be suitable for day or night; it would probably be better in warm daytime weather than in cool. It is a bit light-handed to expect much development from it apart from moderate to warm temperature.

The scent starts out very fresh: dry citrus, herbal, very green. It becomes subtly floral, the jasmine not predominating (but boosting the floral side of the lavender a bit); the carnation contributes a clove-like spicy freshness, and then there's some more green. The iris comes on as slightly earthy, but never chases away the green theme; and the woody notes give it depth and a certain roundness. It has a decent sillage and longevity for an EdT, but doesn't project especially far. Hug someone, though, and they're sure to notice.

Overall, the fragrance is refreshing and energizing; I would call it generally subtle (by which I *don't* mean weak); the subtlety is in the art of the blend and in the balance.

If you can find it, it's well worth a sniff. ...Oh, and in spite of Josephine Baker, not just for women...

Who needs one more review of Dior Homme?

If you think you do, here's my take on it: This was an unusual scent for men when it first came out. It seemed a bit too powdery, too floral, too sweet. Yet it made an instant hit in a big way, and other designer fragrances for men began to feature iris in imitation of it. I know this isn't for everyone but let's face it: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Having said that, let's look at the composition. Iris: powdery; lavender: herbal-floral; cacao and amber: sweet. But also, sage: green; bergamot: green-citrus; cardamom: spicy; vetiver and patchouli: woody; and leather. There is a lot of balance for the powdery, sweet, and floral notes. I believe that balance, along with the novelty of this kind of offering as a mainstream men's scent, is what made it a success.

I wear it and like it; sometimes I think I like the even more reviled (and to my nose drier) Lanvin Arpège pour Homme even better. Both of these bring iris (orris root) back out of exile from men's perfumery; they set the clock back to 16th century Tuscany and made iris a men's note again. That wasn't easy. Others had been trying, mostly niche houses and "edgy" noses. This was the one that broke through to the larger market.

This is another classic from a hundred years or so ago. The folk wisdom is that this was the follow-up EdT version of the 1889 Jicky.That may or may not be true... Now there is an EdT version of Jicky, and I can tell you, personally, I like Mouchoir de Monsieur much better.

The official notes (from the Guerlain website) are:

Head notes : Lavender, bergamot, verbena;
Heart notes : Rose, jasmine, neroli;
Base notes : Fern harmony, patchouli, vanilla, iris.

Other folk wisdom says there's civet in this, but Guerlain doesn't seem to confirm that... or are they just trying not to alarm the timid among us? Or is it possibly subsumed under "fern harmony?" I definitely smell something like an animalic note in this, but perhaps it's just because I want to believe it's really there.

In any case, my take on this one is that it's a beautiful snapshot of what masculine elegance seemed like at the turn of the last century; and having said that, I want it to be the epitome of masculine elegance today as well! The feeling I get when I wear this is superb, like walking on air. No matter what's going on in my day-to-day pedestrian existence, I can't believe there's anything to be concerned about if I smell this good.

The wonderful thing about M de M is that you can wear it in just about any temperate weather, although I do think it's nicer in the spring, on a cool-to-mild day. People who encounter it on me seem a little perplexed at first, but if they've noticed, they usually have something very good to say about it. It's quite different from anything else out there (except maybe Jicky), and so it usually gets remarked on a bit more than the run-of-the mill scents people are over-exposed to.

I have worn this to work, although for me, it works better for leisure situations. It's just that it's hard to be other than carefree when I'm wearing this; it takes an effort to feel I'm seriously responsible for anything other than existing and communing with the beauty of life.

If there's one word for this scent, as far as I can tell, it would have to be "optimistic."

A bright, citrus and oriental scent, with touches of galbanum and iris. Perfect for warm weather, which is what we're having as I write this. This is fairly enveloping and rather rich, even a little creamy, without being in any way in-your-face. Pleasant, uplifting, cheerful. My only issue with this is that the combination of iris and benzoin makes for a slightly powdery drydown; and yet, this is less powdery than I would have expected. The oriental notes and the galbanum fortunately seem to go a long way toward mitigating the powdery effect.

There are different versions of the notes: some include rum, ambered cherries, and chocolate; others, Moroccan geranium. I couldn't tell you everything that's in this one; but the overall impression is spicy and oriental, and maybe a hint of green and leather. This is certainly an energizing scent for me. It has a great deal of "presence" without being loud or raucous. A bit sharp at first (perhaps the nutmeg and anise?), it dries down to a suave and elegant finish.

This is a fairly green floral perfume. It starts with a citrus top note sweetened with ylang-ylang and moderated slightly by green leaves. The heart blooms with muguet and cyclamen, softened by the slightly acerbic note of linden flowers. The base is a woody-musky blend, which supports the whole as effortlessly as if it floated on air above.

This is an airy, springlike scent. The blend of the notes almost inexplicably produces an unmistakably green aura which one wouldn't expect from the fragrance pyramid. The linden note is definitely central to this, its slightly bitter, sharp overtone altering what would otherwise be a rather run-of-the-mill sweet floral accord into something far more intriguing and satisfying. This is marketed as a shared scent, and I believe it can be, though I expect it will appeal mostly to women. Air signs (like this Libran here), the tender-hearted, and the idealistc among the male crowd, however, may find this pleasing, I suspect.

Thirty years later, this is still around, and still pleasing, at least to some people. I have been on a green kick for a few days, so this one came to hand today. I think the green top is the most captivating part, but the floral-spicy heart and the woody oriental base with a touch of leather make this a winner all around. Leather chypre; bergamot in the top, moss and patchouli in the base: the classic formula.

Elegant, but approachable; comfortable; relaxed yet confident. This is the late seventies guy feeling his freedom and totally cool with it. Is today's world so different? Maybe this is one sense in which we could call this a "heritage scent."

Very green and slightly soapy. I like this one because it keeps a tradition alive that seems almost to have died out. It smells good, fresh and green, and it backs that up with a good, solid construction. The foundation of this in woody oriental notes give it presence and lasting power. The middle notes with jasmine and carnation are sweet and spicy, which makes for a kind of "romantic" feel to this scent. Moss and fir in the base make the drydown a little different from today's usual. This is an older, fresher style of woody-oriental accord.

A little smoky, a little leathery (birch tar?), but mostly herbal and citrusy. This is edgy enough to be bracing, but not enough to be annoying. The best thing about it its is straightforwardness. It gets to the point and keeps to it. It is not linear; rather, it develops quite nicely. Even so, it sticks to its theme and is consistently lemony.

This is great for warmer weather, but the smokiness makes it appropriate for cooler weather or evening wear as well.

A spicy-floral chypre with eau-de-cologne overtones. Quite an old-school scent for today's taste, I suppose, but still worth the occasional walk in the park. Love that woody-oriental drydown weighted with the chypré oakmoss-patchouli accord. I like this for daytime business wear in mild weather. I would wear it any other time I felt moved to, though; I find it's quite versatile. This is a scent I would call well-tailored, both in the sense that it's well constructed and that it goes well with a coat and tie.

Rosemary, basil.... and something like jasmine, I think. So, I checked, and one website gives the following notes;

lemon, rosemary, basil, bergamot, caraway, fruit note
jasmine, rose, carnation, orris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood
oakmoss, vetiver, musk, amber

I think that sounds like a more complete picture of this scent. Roudnitska's early classic. Very hesperidic, but balanced in a kind of extra strong form by some pretty muscular heart and base notes, beyond the old eau-de-cologne tradition.

Beautifully and subtly green and herbal on a base of powder and vanilla. This is perfect for a warm spring day. I'd call this a shared scent, though Delrae lists all their scents as feminine. I find it intriguing for its hay-like quality, even though there is only the coumarin note of tonka bean to account for that. The blending of the herbal notes seems to reinforce the dryish hay note remarkably well and very artfully. I especially appreciate the dry quality of the herbals in this. It isn't very lush at all, just slightly sweet and barely lavender-floral, which is really more herbal than flowery anyway.

An incredible green chypre for men. Why this was ever discontinued is a great mystery to me. It is one of the best of its kind. The herbal notes — rosemary, lavender, and tarragon — take the lead, and are soon reinforced by a galbanum accord in the heart. The citrus, herbals, and spice in the top notes are transformed by the florals in the heart and a classic woody chypre drydown lingers with subtle green hues persisting until the end. If only it weren't so difficult to find! I have one bottle in reserve, and then... pfft!

Woody, aromatic, spicy, herbal, fairly sweet. I find this a very appealing scent. Like most Hermès creations, this smells elegant and toney. I can wear this to work, but not too often; it seems to attract too much attention and distract coworkers and the public. It's perfect for an evening engagement of a more personal character, dinner or a date; perhaps it would be most appropriate at an elegant soirée. One of things it does suggest to me is a black tie affair.

The juniper berries and cedar really take the lead with this. Lavender, spices and vanilla provide the underpinning and do the heavy lifting. I'd love to be dressed up sitting at a polished wood-and-chrome bar sipping a Negroni wearing just enough Rocabar to turn a head or two.

BTW, I hate the silly blanket thingie. WTF was up with that?!

Key words: Smooth. Elegant. Relaxed. Confident.

This is the first Delrae that I fell in love with, although all of them are rather special to me. I find the BdP scent quite comfortable to wear in some circumstances. I probably wouldn't wear it to work, a job interview, or a first date. For a more intimate or romantic occasion, however, I would readily spray some on.

It's rich, "tasty," and quite captivating to my nose. The woody-amber notes in the base are the chief feature after the first notes begin to drop out, and they are really very warm, but (to my mind, at least) not overly lush. I wouldn't say the effect of the drydown is so much powdery as "dusty" — a bit dry and a touch earthy. I think that kind of grounds the fragrance solidly and well, but it doesn't overbalance the delicacy of the brighter notes which still linger. This is what i would call a shyly sensual fragrance: not at all voluptuous, but tender and warm-hearted.

Norbert Bijaoui's formulation is beautiful. The Estonian website parfyym.pri.ee gives the following notes:

Top Note: Bergamot
Middle Notes: Rose, Mimosa, Cyclamen
Base Notes: Sage, Amber, Cedar, Vetiver

I think this is a fairly masculine rose scent. I know the florals sound rather feminine, but the sage and woody-oriental notes in the base really turn this into an offering that both sexes can wear comfortably. If there is one point on which I would fault it, that would be the weakness of the sillage and the longevity issue. These are not serious drawbacks, however. The scent does project a bit, just not strongly enough for my taste.

Of all the scents from this house, this is definitely the best to my nose. I have to add that I like the name also. It does have that old-timey character to it, being the title of an old Neapolitan love song. When I think of this scent, in my mind's eye I see an old sepia-tone photograph of a couple in circa 1905 clothes, she with a Gibson Girl hairdo, and he sporting a handlebar moustache.

It's a very affecting scent, and rather romantic — in the dreamy, old-fashioned way that seems sadly forgotten nowadays.

Some controversy about whether the green note in the top of this scent is basil or peppermint. I couldn't say for sure, but it seems peppery and minty to me. This is really a kind of chypre, with patchouli, amber, and even a slightly leathery note of cedar in the base balancing the citrus top note. What I love about it is the vivifying and refreshing tonic effect it has on me. Of course, it is a hesperidic scent, not extremely long -lived, but this one does better than many others by building in that chypre-style base.

The inevitable comparison to Eau d'Orange Verte, its much earlier predecessor, is IMO entirely moot. I don't think they're all that similar, or at least no more similar than any two citrus scents would be. Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin, Jasmine, Neroli are the notes for Ed'OV; all citrus and white florals.

I don't own Ed'OV. It's no that I don't like it, but that I like Concentré d'OV much better. It's much deeper and more aromatic. And, of course, I'm a sucker for chypres and any hint of leather.

I have smelled this, but have never given it a full wearing, so pardon me if I miss something here. I really find this very appealing at first, but in the drydown, it goes through a rough patch on my skin in which it becomes rather harsh. After that's over, however, it goes back to being quite agreeable. I wish it lasted a little longer in the top note, which I find very beautiful; but then I think this is an EdC concentration, so there's not much hope of lingering top notes! But I do like it quite a bit, so I'll give it a Thumbs Up!

This is my favorite version of Déclaration. I think the appeal is that the basic Déclaration idea is translated into an Eau-de-cologne style. The re-balanced citrus and green notes in the top take some of the bitter birch tar edge off the basic fragrance and enliven it just enough to make it a good warn-weather wear. The trouble is that it's nearly impossible to find; but the trade-off is that the bottle I have is huge! Jean-Claude Ellena has done a great job on this one!

I find this version of Déclaration very energizing and invigorating. It hangs around just enough, with good sillage, but it's not a one-two punch. With warm weather approaching, I find myself looking forward to the treat of wearing this again.

The heliotrope and violet in this definitely recall Après l'Ondée, the centenarian classic from the redoubtable House of Guerlain. It is a somewhat fleeting impression, an allusion to the former masterpiece, a point of departure, if you will, into the modern tribute offering that QVlaP seems to be.

And this does stand up very well on its own, with a base note of sweet praline and musk, ever so slightly powdery. The rosemary in the top is a departure from the original, too. This is an inspired move, bringing a needed touch of green to the neroli note. The heliotrope-violet combination seems to be subtly transformed as well, either by an undeclared note, by the interaction of some of the newer notes, or by the suppression of the blackcurrant note from Al'O. Perhaps it is just that they brought up the heliotrope from the base notes into the heart. The deletion of benzoin from Al'O does reduce the powderiness a bit as well. Eliminating the orris root certainly further reinforces this change away from powder.

Fresh, and perhaps slightly more penetrating that Al'O. QVlaP is at once sexier and shyer. A different consciousness for a different age.

Does this surpass, negate, supersede Al'O? Oh, no... that would be impossible. No one can erase a high-water mark like that! Also, on its own, it isn't really in competition with its inspiration. It just uses some of the same words to say something new. That was then (bow low!); this is now!

Top note: Bergamot, Rosemary, Orange Blossom
Middle note: Heliotrope, Violet, Jasmine
Base note: Patchouli, Praline, Musks

Spicy-woody cedar that is nice for casual wear. The top is classic, and the spice touches to the heart note are a very good complement to the main notes.

Sillage is very moderate, and longevity is about average. The only bad thing I can say about this is that it's too comfortable to really grab you. It loses some points in my book for that.

Scratch that earlier review. Crossed wires!

I find this a very presentable and pleasing rose scent in a fairly masculine mode, according to the way things used to be considered. The cumin in the top is not what does that, although it is a nice tribute to the older style of slightly "dirty" rose scents. The cedar, vetiver, gaiacwood, and oud are what butch this one up a bit.

A very nice longevity and a good, steady sillage get Rose 31 a lot of well-deserved compliments. If you are willing to forgo the more obvious masculine commonplaces, though, I think there are other scents that can do the same in a more workmanlike way. Une Rose in the FM series and Montale's Black Oud definitely come to mind in this connection.

But this is for sure no slouch. If like me, you can't have too much rose, this is definitely worth owning.

Billed as a re-release, this is very close to the notes in its declared original, Coriolan. For that it deserves high marks. To my nose, however, the overall effect is somewhat diluted from the earlier classic. Some people thought, of course, that Coriolan was rather too brash. It certainly wasn't shy.

This is a very good fragrance on its own. Even as a successor to Coriolan, it's quite good, considering what other houses do to reformulate their classics without even having the grace to rename them. I would say get the original if you can still find a decent bottle. This one is close enough that you don't really need both. Still, you may want to have it around if and when Coriolan approaches its final disappearance and becomes impossible to get. It will definitely remind you of what you'll be missing.

I happen to like saffron, so I guess I'm predisposed to a favorable review of Safranier. The top is nice, citrusy and green; then the saffron, flowers and sweet spices declare this to be an unabashed oriental. The woody musk drydown is the perfect grounding for the other notes.

This is rather sweet and spicy, but not overly floral, in spite of the heart notes. It's soft and quietly elegant. The only drawback is that it doesn't develop a lot of sillage on me, and it becomes more muted as it progresses. Still, all in all, it's quite a good scent.

Sycomore is a woody, rooty scent at first. It then develops a smoky impression, which persists on my skin for a fair bit. Then comes the chypre top, neroli and bergamot, and slowly the heart-note florals, three of the usual suspects — rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang — with the less customary honeysuckle. Woody, musky notes in the base have already made an early appearance in that opening woods-and smoke accord, but they persist quietly, with the florals, especially the neroli and honeysuckle-laced heart notes keeping the lead.

For me, this is a shared scent. As a chypre, it hovers in the middle ground between the old feminine and masculine styles. The smoky woods and the slight greenness of the honeysuckle, together with tobacco and cedar in the base help keep it ambiguous within the old scheme.

This is perhaps a bit understated. It doesn't develop a massive sillage on my skin, but it is noticeable if one gets close enough to converse. It's worthy of Polge and Sheldrake, I think.

What's the overall impression? You meet someone who's a little rough around the edges, and in hanging with him, you discover progressively that he's a sweet and tender guy. He's surprisingly capable of a lot of feeling. He's not at all coy, but his innate shyness still reserves a little corner of private mystery.

Top notes: Bergamot, Neroli
Heart notes: Ylang-ylang, Rose, Jasmine, Honeysuckle
Bottom notes: Cedar, Violet, Tobacco, Sandalwood, Musk

A fougère with some chypré overtones. At times I think this is understated; at others, simply well-mannered. Definitely not loud. The only thing it reeks of is elegance. The fruit is there to enrich the other notes, but it's the aromatic nature of Le 3ème Homme that dominates. Lavender, rosemary and clary sage are the main players in that aspect of it. Clary sage in particular is the soft muscatel note which gives this its distinct character. Very good for daytime and casual wear, but also very much suited to the office.

Fresh citrus and white flowers with musk and spice in the base. This is a restorative on a warm day, and a very bright and optimistic scent. It doesn't pull any punches. If you're looking for a watery, well-behaved citrus floral, this isn't it. If you want to fly the flag, though, it's your baby! After it dries down, you can take it out for a walk.

This is one of the best of the Exclusifs line. A chypre without oakmoss. A chypre based on an iris-pepper accord. Iris, rose, jasmine, sandalwood, pepper. Polge says he used a variety of patchouli he likes to replace oakmoss in the base, which he finds too bitter. An oriental chypre.

These are things one reads about 31 Rue Cambon. It does come across as a chypré scent; but without the oakmoss it leaves you hanging, tantalized to figure out if this chypré scent is a true chypre or not. The equivocation on the genre theme is central, but the overall impression still satisfies. It is modern: not too rich, but making allusion to the old familiar richness of other chypres we have known. With expert fancy footwork, it dances around the chypre concept and leaves us gaping at the mystery of its construction. With all the fragrances in the Exclusifs series, Chanel is playing the notes very close to the chest. Skeletal descriptions of the pyramids, mere allusions to this or that ingredient, when you know there are dozens of elements in the mix.

Conclusions? Beautiful, captivating, tantalizing, allusive, mysterious... Everything a perfume should be. Everything the wearer would like to be.

This is right up there with Cuir de Russie and all the other great leather scents. This one is definitely in the masculine mode, very straightforward, yet seamlessly constructed so that it hangs together as a unity. To the delighted nose, this could be a novel single note and hardly seems like anything constructed. The words for this are natural and unselfconscious. A benchmark masculine leather-chypre.

I completely agree with Vibert on this. The immortelle (everlasting flower) and almondy heliotrope are the perfect foils for the soft leather of CB. The creamy character is due to these two elements, I believe. Immortelle is used to round out florals, chypres, and ambers. It possesses a syrupy, honeyed, and slightly nutty aspect with hints of tobacco and red berries. Not overly fruity, it piques the nose just enough to give the impression of a fruity richness while hardy revealing the fruit on a conscious level. Heliotrope's almond touch reinforces the nuttiness and adds a soupçon of cherry pie (again, subtly and just under the radar).

Amber and vanilla in the base, of course. Would this be Guerlain without them?

I recently decided to get this new creation from the Arts et Matière series. I have to say that I find it captivating. The top notes are classic: an aldehydic peach with orange blossom and rose. The scent then flows into a heart of white flowers with musk and a hint of violet. It finishes with a vanillic-coumarin and sandalwood flourish. It is gentle and not at all loud, but it has a definite sillage. The character of this is reassuring and nurturing, indulging the senses in a wonderfully innocent, yet opulent gesture.

I think in certain circumstances it can be worn by a man, lightly and with a suitable insouciance. Probably not for work or a first date, to be sure; but for a quiet afternoon, a spiritual moment, an intimate walk with a knowing lover. Wear it and wink at the world; be shy, but win the universe's tacit compliance with a frank and indisputable suchness.

A classical ambery floral from the hand of Jacques Guerlain, the master himself! This one is quite a voyage, in a couple of ways.

First, it is definitely a trip down memory lane. Just over a hundred, this lady is still remarkably fresh and not at all out of style. She is gentle and unobtrusive, but makes a strong statement for subtlety in the best sense of the word. Even though Après l'Ondée wears remarkably well today, it does hearken back to an earlier time. This is the time of no-time, when time didn't matter, and leisurely life was a given; before the mad rush and stress of modern life, there was a still center that can even now be touched in wearing this scent.

Second, it is an olfactory journey of elegant, gentle turns and subtle surprises. Right at the beginning, the gentle clove-scented hint of carnation begins to appear, even as the top notes are still unfolding. The violet and cassie are subtly piquant, prefiguring and blending with the carnation, a prolepsis of future charm. The white florals, jasmine, ylang, and neroli, form a chord, broken across the top and middle notes. The mimosa in the heart echoes the cassie-acacia in the head. Heliotrope in the base picks up from the headier florals above and anchors them along with it in a sweet bed of amber, vanilla, and musk. The journey is smooth, a stately development and interlacing of themes: hesperides, acacias, white florals, rose, oriental notes, and the gentlest animalic touch of musk.

The subtle melding of accords wafts the gentle breath of spring; this is the perfect time of year for a scent such as this.

It can be a pleasure to renew acquaintance with the lost art of a true master, as was Jacques Guerlain. This is a perfume for today, but, sadly, I feel it would never have been made today. Yet the secret of a classic is that it, too, lives in the land of no-time, where the passing of hours, days, and years cannot touch it; where it is beyond the reach of decay and loss.

A floral for men, and what a floral! An incredibly rich mix of floral notes in the heart with a citrus-fruity herbal top, and grounded in woods and amber. A kind of light chypre accord (no patchouli, but oakmoss in the base, with citrus top notes) complements what is essentially a fougère fragrance. Can men wear this? Some men think it feminine, but it was made for us, guys! I say "Hop to it!"

The name, by the way, is French for "senseless," "foolish," "insane." A good name, I think, since it really does drive me crazy!

A top note accord of citrus with green and aromatic notes yields to a floral-fruity heart undergirded by woody oriental notes. This is one I had nearly forgotten, but wanted to revisit after reading Luca Turin's review in "Perfumes: The Guide." I confess that I thought the top notes a bit harsh, but now I see that they lead to a beautiful masculine floriental with delicate resonances that are well worth wearing for their subtle radiance.

An unusual, fresh leather scent, with different takes on leather combined into a smooth progression from fresh, through spicy, to woody-ambery notes with a hint of tobacco. The levels are knit together by a chypré theme with bergamot in the top and an amber-leather labdanum taking the place of oakmoss in the base. The impression is one of seamlessness and overall elegance. It cries out for cool or cold weather. It clings to one like a second skin, but is not a skin scent; i. e., it has a decent projection and sillage. Enveloping, warm, plush, comforting.

Smooth and stunning in its opening, this scent is a pure floral-aldehyde masterpiece. The aldehydic rose-violet note makes its appearance alongside the top notes, and then the whole settles into its floral-aldehyde heart and woody oriental and musky base notes, quieting a bit and dropping a notch from its initial peak. The rest of the ride is milder, and more intimate and charming as it wins you over with seductive murmurs of slightly powdery sweetness.

The turpentine in the top notes sounds harsh, but it doesn't come across that way. I would call this scent subtle and restrained, yet it does have some sillage, and on my skin at least, considerable longevity. I think the most satisfying thing at first is the camphor, which is not the mothball smell of chemical camphor, but the ethereal and penetrating, slightly medicinal incense note of camphor wood crystals. From there, the woods, incense, and moss take over, and the herbal touch of thyme tends to mellow the forest accents. Definitely clean, masculine, even a bit lumberjack. Refreshing.
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Mysteriously floral and resinous at the same time, this combines the African karo karounde flower with frankincense and myrrh; it supports these with earthy vetiver and patchouli and crowns it all with spicy pink pepper and green notes of mango and papyrus. Unexpected combinations reveal Bertrand Duchaufour's art. This is an uplifting and cheerfully mellow scent, great to wear when you want to feel good.

Olivia Giacobetti is the nose behind this fragrance.
Notes: Lime, Pepper, Ginger, Star Anise, Cedar
A fresh, slightly chypré scent with a simple opening and a smooth drydown. The notes remain throughout in harmony; though the combination of notes gives a feeling of complexity, the scent is essentially linear, with even the lime note persisting into the drydown. Essentially close to the skin, the sillage diminishes fairly quickly, but the impression reemerges with moderate exertion. Simple, elegant, fresh; this is a great scent for work.

Lui is a very comforting woody scent, with bits of fresh, green and floral. On me, it goes through a bit of a rough patch between the top and middle notes, but it recovers very quickly, and the rest of the ride is very pleasant. I think this can be a dress-up scent, but I wouldn't exclude it from casual attire days. Maybe not for torn jeans... I don't know what buffalo grass is, but it reminds me of something I first knew as sweet grass. I think it contributes that bit of sweetness I find in this fragrance, but that could be the neroli, too.

A strange but wonderful combination of mostly woody and spicy notes, with some fruits and nuts thrown in for good measure.
The cypress in the top note drives the fruit straight into the juniper and spice of the heart note, so it doesn't fully come off as a fruit-heavy mix.
It dries down to an unexpectedly floral-oriental note; quite a nice ride, but one with only moderate sillage. The effect is romantic and enveloping. It feels good to wear it.
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A strong citrus and green opening, with floral notes following in profusion. Melon and salycilates provide a mysterious softening effect while hardly being noticeable in themselves. More softness as coconut and musky notes round out and anchor the fragrance. The scent is not overwhelming, and though it is floral it is equally suitable for a man or a woman, in my view. It has some sillage, but is not overly intrusive. Dominique Ropion shows his skill as a perfume artist in the subtle nuances of ingredients which in themselves don't stand out, but rather round out the main players.

I find this vaguely reminiscent of Bond No. 9 *Gramercy Park*. On the whole, I think I prefer this one, and it's a lot less expensive, too. The ivy note is a kind of linear theme here, but the other ingredients, the cyclamen and the ambergris in particular, give this a lift on the one hand and an anchor on the other. As far as green scents go, this is a pretty good one. The other Diptyque green scent, *Virgilio*, is much more herbal; *Eau de Lierre* is smoother, a little less harsh. I think I prefer it to *Virgilio* as well.

For once an Allure variation worth the trouble. This is nice and fresh, a little sweeter and more powdery than the earlier versions. It wears well, with decent longevity and sillage. I don't get much leather in this, though.

This is a beautiful take on the scent of Scottish broom flowers, with supporting characters, most probably ambergris, but other green notes for sure. This is a very uplifting scent. It really puts the heart back into one. Great fro daytime wear, and I think it's equally suitable for men and women. It is in EdC strength, but gives quite good projection. BTW, the name is Ginestra, with an "a" at the end, in case you need to do a search on this.

I liked this one at the beginning; it has a fresh top note. Later, when it matures a bit, it turns more leathery. It stays in that mode for a while. In the last stage of drydown, it returns to a sweetish, spicy place. On the whole, I would say it's quite nice, but short of truly special. Still, I feel it could be a good work or casual evening scent.

Not earthshaking, but decent. Of course, we expected more, but for $60 a bottle? Get real. The Extreme will be better, but this is as good as a lot of stuff I've paid more than $60 for.

Nice scent. It comes off as nothing special at first, just a citrus scent with a little herbalness and spice in the top notes. The special part is in the drydown. There the more skillful accords become evident. The freshness remains, but richer notes of lavender and jasmine emerge , and oakmoss and amber and rich woody notes follow:

Tangerine, Grapefruit, Lavender, Spice, Jasmine, Oakmoss, Amber, Guaiacwood.

This is a captivating scent. It grows on you slowly, but it blossoms beautifully. There's a lot going on in this scent. The pyramid is crammed with different notes, but somehow, it's all making beautiful harmony. Apart from the hesperidic notes in the top, the rhubarb and cypress (also in the headnote) pick up the cedar, sandalwood, and vetiver in the heart. The floral accord lends a touch of sweetness without overwhelming the greener, spicier and darker notes. Some oakmoss in the base gives this a chypre quality, anchored by the florals and bergamot; and yet this is balanced by oriental notes in the base. It's not cheap, but in my estimation, it's much better than some that are even more expensive!

This is a beautiful, traditional masculine scent. It isn't shy at all. It begins with a very pronounced mandarin (tangerine) note, and then gets more floral, green, and spicy as it begins to dry down; all this without letting go of the citrus accord. Having said all that, you'd really have to classify this as a leather-chypre scent. The drydown, which is noticeable for hours, lingers in the leather-moss-amber-patchouli base witha hint of cumin. You certainly won't smell minty-fresh by the end, but you will smell manly!

Really interesting:

Top: Clementine, rhubarb, green notes, ozone notes
Middle: Nutmeg, cardamom, jasmine, cinnamon,
Base: Cedar, juniper wood, iris, sandalwood, amber, musk

Kind of unprepossessing on paper, but much better on my skin. A resiny, deep woodsy accord right off the bat, slowly evolving into something a bit sweeter and slightly awkward for a bit; then it projects a really piney, resinous note with a hint of floral sweetness (the jasmine or the iris?) and a tantalzing bit of saltiness. Ended up leaning into the wind by the junipers plastered to the ground by years of sea squalls. This is a cool scent overall, but paradoxically, will probably do nicely in cooler, wetter weather.

If you are looking for a woody, masculine scent with a touch of leather, this is your baby! This is perfect in cool to cold weather, or for a cozy evening by the fire with a special person. Of course, it exudes warmth, elegance, and sophistication in public. Just be careful, if you wear it too well, it might make your S. O. a little jealous!

A beautiful oriental. I saw this ibn a little perfume shop and picked it up right away. It was the last one on the shelf.

The carnation-rose-cinnamon accord is lovely; it is slightly reminiscent (to me) of Caron Bellodgia, but in a more masculine key. This would be very comforting on a gray, rainy day!

Aldehyde, Bergamot oil, Lavender, Lemon, Orange, Rosewood, Carnation, Cedarwood oil, Cinnamon, Fern, Geranium, Jasmin, Patchouli, Rose, Sandal, Amber, Benzoin, Civet, Musk, Oilbanum, Vanilla

Top: Bergamot, Vetiver
Middle: Coriander Leaves, Vetiver
Base: Sandalwood, Vetiver

I must say this smells vaguely familiar to me, though I cannot recall ever having seen it before. Givenchy claims they are relaunching a men's EdT from 1959.

It is the coriander leaves that make the scent; the top notes are citrus and the base, wood. The vetiver, of course, is everywhere. The overall impression is quite distinct from any other vetiver fragrance I have smelled. The coriander leaf is a kind of rough green herbal note that isn't exactly spicy, but suggests a hint of spice. Strangely, in this mix it doesn't smell very much like the coriander leaves you use in cooking (the familiar cilantro of Latin American and Asian cuisine). The vetiver (in itself a rather earthy note) somehow transforms the coriander leaf into something less pungent and more... well, exotic... and ethereal. I think if I hadn't seen the note listed on the tester bottle, I wouldn't have been able to guess it was coriander leaf.

The juice is really very captivating. I sprayed a little on one hand, and nine hours later, I can still smell it quite clearly; and though it is projecting quite a bit less than it was at first, it maintained a respectable sillage for about five hours. There isn't a very complex development, but there is some, going from a rather distinct light vetiver to revealing the green coriander, and then stabilizing to give a lighter impression, altered to a woodier vetiver. The phrase I would use for the overall effect is a kind of earthy-ethereal depth.

Have lately been interested in mimosa/cassie-type scents. I have recently been given Mimosa pour Moi from L'Artisan Parfumeur, and decided to buy Calèche Fleurs de Méditérranée. Both of these feature mimosa. Farnésiana mingles it with cassie (acacia flower, a related plant). Both are very green florals and seem to me to be very uplifting. The sensual aspect of perfumes is somewhat offset by the spiritual in the case of these notes, IMO.

With notes of Iris, Lime, Patchouli, Rose, Ylang-ylang, Musk, Violet, Ginger, Cardamom, and Civet, it is quite powerful and perhaps most suited to evenings and cooler weather. But I love it! Really chic, and just a little bit dirty. Kind of French in that way. I found it intoxicating from the first. It is really a very rich scent. With time, it dries down to a much softer accord in which the iris, violet, and lime become more pronounced -- or at least less obscured by the heavier base notes. Just couldn't let it get away from me.

I know a lot of you guys don't like almond and cherries, but I do; it must be a heliotrope note, 'cause that's what I know that smells of almonds and cherries. Like some others here, I felt it too strong at first, but after it has a chance to settle, it turned very soft and soothing. On me, at least, it's not particularly sweet after the first twenty minutes or so. It takes on a kind of dryness, actually, that's very much closer to the skin than the first blast. The notes listed for it on Osmoz.com are:
Top note : White Almond
Middle note : Fruity Note, Rosy Note
Base note : Amber, Vanilla, Balms

Wow! The leather is really great with the citrus and jasmine; I got the leather right away, and it slowly creeps up more and more until it balances the rest of the notes. This would be great for a special evening out, or for cooler weather and nighttime generally. The leather is not overpowering, but it's just a little suede-like (not completely, just a hint in that direction).

Bergamot, angelica, iris, honey, hawthorn, jasmine, heliotrope, white musc. It manages not to be cloying, in spite of the honey and heliotrope, which can really take over if not tamed and balanced. Also, it retains an aura of freshness, even into the drydown. The sweetness seems to be from the jasmine, honey and heliotrope; yet the green hawthorn and angelica do wonders for keeping it bright. Really like this one. I thought the 10% concentration would be a bit light, but I think any more in the direction of EdP strength would have made this too heavy. I get the Eau Chaude idea: sort of cologne-y, but with some warm undercurrents.

This is very good and fresh, but with a slight twist in the heart: the artemisia and cypress here give a really strange woody accord; or possibly it's the "exotic woods" listed in the base. This scent reminds me (in a good way) of the stuff my granddad used to wear. It smells, masculine, refined, European, and ever so slightly bitter. I think its' a keeper!

This is a beautiful green chypre that is perfect for any weather. At first, it is a little sweet and rather floral; but after it settles, it comes into perfect balance. There is some galbanum in this for sure, and the green note persists all the way into the drydown. At the end it is fresh and green, with just a hint of the former florals. This really lasts, by the way; I can still smell it faintly almost twenty-four hours after application. Captivating, uplifting.

A magnificent essence, blending dry juniper berries and barely sweet, slightly green cinnamon leaves. The vetiver base smooths and gently marries the two.

You could wear this to work or to a daytime affair and be very elegant. If you wore it in the evening, you would be the height of sophistication, yet in a perfectly unassuming way. Anytime you wear it, you must take on an air of entirely natural self-assurance, an almost unspeakable sense of comfort in your own skin. Ah, how deeply satisfying to wear this!

Ethereal, mystical, deep, but in a strangely wide-eyed, transparent way. It is the soul of freshness, yet slightly earthy; clean, yet subtly sensuous. This is a gem from the 1930's. It seems to soft-pedal the distinctive Creed ambergris basenote, rendering it more diffuse, harder to pin down to the flesh; it even seems to float in and out after the first three hours or so. A haunting fragrance, eminently worthy of the magisterial House of Creed.

Dunhill [B]Pursuit[/B] is a good, spicy-musky scent with a mildly ambery drydown. It's a little sharp at the start, mellows into a short phase that seems to feature grains of paradise, a little warmer and woodier than at the beginning. Then it begins to take on the ambery and slightly chypre aspect and settles down into that for the rest of the ride.

I like grains of paradise (sometimes called Melegueta pepper, Guinea grains, or maniguette). It has a hint of pepper or allspice, mixed with a myrtle-like note.

This scent is great if you're a fan of this central spicy note, but if you're not, I'll bet it isn't going to rock your olfactory world.

The notes (from Osmoz):

Top note :
Bergamot, Grapefruit, Gentian
Middle note :
Clary Sage, Geranium, Nutmeg, Juniper
Base note :
Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Amber

Fruit de Bois is subtle and elegant, and somewhat unusual: a fresh woody scent. The first thing to hit is a very clear accord based on gentian, a kind of herbal-floral note. It shares that with lavender, but gentian is herbal in a dryer, less sharp way, with overtones of new-mown hay.

Next, the clary sage comes through with its unmistakable note of elegance. It contributes the slightly fruited note that appears in the scent's name. In combination with the juniper, it echoes the herbal note from the top accord. The geranium is subtly floral, and the nutmeg is a barely recognizable spicy aura in the background.

Finally, the base is a little drier than the list of ingredients might suggest. The cedarwood brings a hint of bitterness, relieved by the mild sweetness of the amber, the soft richness of sandalwood, and the green rootiness of vetiver.

Overall, a very distinctive bouquet. It says elegance in a modern mode; and it's not too old-school, in spite of the traditional nature of the notes list. The combination of gentian, clary sage, geranium, and juniper is unique. I would say this one breathes quiet and a hauntingly tender feeling.

The packaging claims citrus, bergamot, ivy, ginger. I smell some wood in the base as well. It's an EdP strength. Kind of green at first (the ivy, I guess) and then sort of spicy and slightly sweet (ginger and bergamot?), but the green note persists.

Very nice, quite different from anything I've smelled before.

Keywords: Modern, clean, fresh, green, slightly spicy, and (maybe) young.

Worth a sniff, if you're not too much into traditional formulations. This one is different!

I like this one much better than Sexual pour Homme. It's definitely fresher and has a clearly fougère cast to it. The list of notes make it sound a little better than it is, but for the price, it's not a bad buy. I think it's fine for the office or a casual evening out. For what it's worth, most women seem to like it.

A very fine scent. The angelica and bergamot make it fresh and green, and the vanilla softens it and rounds it out. It lasts a long time on my skin, and it retains a hint of the top notes even hours after application. I feel the green note makes it as suitable for men as for women. It is a very uplifting scent. Daniela Andrier did a great job on this one!

I've worn this, and I think it's perfectly suitable for a man to wear for a special evening out. The chypre accord is based on the oakmoss, and the florals are not overpowering, but balanced with the spicy notes, making just the right combination to be flattering on a man. So, guys: Don't be shy! Try this one; it's elegant and sensual at the same time!

Aubepine Acacia has a subtle drydown. After an initial burst of hawthorn, it settles into a lemon verbena for a few minutes, but be patient! On my skin, this then gives way to a beautiful marriage of hawthorn and acacia farnesiana. The hawthorn is honey-like and a little reminiscent of almonds. This fragrance might appeal to women more than to a lot of men, but I don't think it's impossible for a confident man to wear