Fragrance Reviews by L'aventurier

Espionage is one helluva classy scent. Although it opens with a bit of fresh bergamot, the bergamot quickly fades as the scent is taken over by very smokey (camp-fire-like) cedar and leather with a background of rose, jasmine, tobacco and vanilla. There’s also a nice musk in the drydown (ambrette seed). More mature than youthful, and little more masculine than feminine, but easily unisex.

At first I thought this was too “classic” smelling, but as time wore on, I really found myself enjoying Espionnage. It’s not quite a casual scent in my books, making it hard to wear without a nice shirt or suit, but if you wanted to, you could wear this anytime. Like I said, it’s kind of old fashioned and classic smelling, but it’s also modern and fresh – the best of both worlds.

A similar scent to Espionnage is Miller Harris’s Feuilles de Tabac, but Espionnage blows it away IMO.

nota bene: What’s really fascinating about natural perfumery like Ayala’s is that your nose never feels bombarded by the fragrance – it just wafts in and out as it pleases in the most comforting way. Due to the natural ingredients, my nose often becomes anosmic to Ayala’s perfumes pretty fast, but I like it that way because it lets me focus on my day without a constant barrage of perfume distracting me. It’s hard to put into words, but her scents just blend perfectly into your aura. Two thumbs up to Ayala Moriel.

8.5/10

Although this doesn't really agree with what the other reviewers have said, for me, Royal Water smells mostly like crisp peaches over some light florals and a bit of musk. It's a pretty light scent if you ask me, and sort of generic smelling too. Even though it's well blended and enjoyable, it doesn't really strike me as amazing or noteworthy. Contrary to what Creed would like you to believe, it's also not the essence of Princess Diana in a bottle.

There are better Creeds on the market than this, and even though I find RW to be a little too feminine for me, I wouldn't even really enjoy wearing it if I were a woman. On the positive side, it is uplifting and cheerful.

6.5/10

I mostly get rich and strong vanilla, heavy jasmine and leather in this one. I heard this was inspired by horseback riding, and it succeeds in my books as being reminiscent of the activity, due to its saddle leather vibe.

Royal Delight, even though created in 1993, strikes me as an old fashioned fragrance. As someone else mentioned, it smells kind of old school and might feel a bit dated for some. So unfortunately, in my case, this is another Creed fragrance that I love to smell but don't really want to wear. Although it's a little dated, I still feel that it can be worn at any age - I don't associate RD with any age group in particular. So even though Royal Delight isn't necessarily a challenge to wear, it's definitely something strange and beautiful that isn't necessarily easy to wear either.

Once again with Creed, this fragrance has great quality ingredients and masterful blending. RD is probably one of the last Creeds that they used mostly natural ingredients in, before the creation of Silver Mountain Water and Millisime Imperial (which are both masterpieces anyway).

Thinking of all the 200 fragrances I've tried so far, I can't really think of anything else in particular that smells like this, so I'll conclude by saying RD is also pretty unique.

7.5/10

Pretty simple - a natural, slightly sweet, spicy cinnamon scent over ambergris. Very enjoyable on myself, but I don't think others would enjoy it as much as I do.

Like the other Creed's from back in the day, Ambre Canelle smells very dated and old-fashioned, but in an eccentric and nostalgic way. It also has the same great quality and blending the other older Creeds have. Like Royal Scottish Lavender, I can't really see myself wearing this, but I would love to smell this on an older person, (male or female), perhaps in the age range of 50+.

Overall, Ambre Cannelle is a simple, yet strange and very interesting fragrance worth trying for fragrance aficionados. I wouldn't suggest trying it though if you're looking for something modern and easily accessible.

7.25/10

Very heavy on the lavender with a bit of clove and only a hint of vanilla in the base. Royal Scottish Lavender was very powdery overall (typical lavender), and I didn't get a lot of amber... From the notes listed, it might seem like this could smell a bit like Rive Gauche, but surprisingly it doesn't. RSL is a very old fashioned scent, and might only appeal to an older crowd, but its a great fragrance at that.

Like Creed's other, older fragrances, this stuff really stands out due to its high quality of ingredients. I wouldn't wear this "out" since it's not very sexy (nor does it have much "life") but I would wear RSL to relax at home while listening to music or reading a book. If you don't like lavender, steer clear from this one!

8/10

Roses, greenery, and a lot of patchouli in the drydown. Voleur des roses might come off as a bit feminine, yet it can easily be pulled off by a man. What's unique about Voleur de Roses is that the Roses smell wet and fresh - you can almost smell the greenness of the stems too. While some people find that this ends up being patchouli 95% of the time they're wearing it, VdR actually maintains the smell of roses on me into the drydown maybe a hours later. I really love this one. If you're looking for something bohemian yet chic and romantic, give this a shot.

Of course no review of VdR would be complete without a reference to the similar fragrance Black Aoud, so... The main difference between the two is that VdR is lighter, fresher and more "green" smelling, while Black Aoud is darker, heavier and smells more like dark voluptuous roses with a more bad ass patchouli vibe. (Picture Black Aoud as big, dark red roses, while VdR is more like smaller, light pink roses).

8.5/10

Pine! That's it mostly it, with cardamon, spices and a bit of citrus like others have mentioned. Epicea is a very simple fragrance, yet it's very natural smelling and enjoyable. The only downside to Epicea is that it smells very mature, as in 65 year-old dad or grandpa mature. Therefore, I can't see myself wearing it, being in my early 20's. I would however love to smell this on someone else - I can maybe picture this on the most "outdoorsy" of my friends.

Epicea is a great example of what Creed could do back in the day. It's really a shame that great quality fragrances like this only make up a very, very small percentage of the market these days. I can understand how this wouldn't appeal to the average, modern fragrance buyer, but man, it must have been some great stuff back in the day.

7.75/10

I think enough has been said about this one that I can keep this review short. The scent pyramid on BN actually describes A-Men really well. My 2 cents here is that although I loooved A-men the first few hours I was wearing it, the last few hours were fragrance hell. Although I love patchouli, the patchouli in A-Men smells kind of "arm-pitty." Unfortunately the dry-down was all arm-pitty patchouli which became really unbearable and the potency of it all gave me a headache and made me nauseous. This is powerful stuff - even after washing it off my wrists, I still smelled like A-Men 24 hours later. (Ironically, I hate it when a fragrance lasts too long). Overall, I'll pass on A-men. Nice idea for a fragrance though.

6.5/10

Atrac is right - Azzaro basically took Ck One and (IMO) improved it by making it more crisp, less musky and more metallic. It's kind of like the refined, sophisticated version of CK One (whereas CK One smells more youthful and playful). Check out my review of Ck One (below) and keep the changes mentioned here in mind, then you'll have an idea of what Azzaro's Chrome smells like.

Once again, like Ck One, this is a synthetic fragrance at it's best. The only reason I don't like to wear this is because it also reminds me of the 90's a little too much.

7.25/10

CK One:

It's pretty hard for me to describe the notes in this one. It's one of those fragrances that you "just recognize" if you've ever smelled it. Ck One is a very clean, citrus-y floral (synthetic jasmine) with a touch of unrecognizable woods and some very fresh-smelling musk in the base.

It's pretty hard for me to describe the notes in this one. It's one of those fragrances that you "just recognize" if you've ever smelled it. Ck One is a very clean, citrus-y floral (synthetic jasmine) with a touch of unrecognizable woods and some very fresh-smelling musk in the base. It's actually a very good example of a synthetic fragrance at it's best.

I used to wear this and CK Be all the time when I was about 10-13 years old, and it brings back some very good memories. (I always liked CK Be a lot more though). I really like CK One overall, but unfortunately I can't wear it these days because it just screams the 90's for me.

On a final note, Azzaro's chrome is very, very similar to CK One, but it feels more modern and crisp, so I'd probably recommend it over Ck One.

7.25/10

I have to start off by saying that the potency of Mechant Loup is among the lowest I've ever encountered. The fragrance itself came off as very dry hazelnuts, spice and non-sweet honey in the worst way imaginable. Like Rachelsf has said, in the base there is this other horrible note that L'artisan fragrances sometimes have - it smells kind of chemically. To top it all off, there's also this weird, wet note that smells like stale dog fur after being out in the rain or something. Maybe my imagination is just a little too out there, but I REALLY didn't like this one. Maybe my sample was off... Maybe my nose was tired... Either way, I can't say much else about this. While the fans of Mechant Loup continue to love it, I'm attempting to erase the smell of this from my memory.

3/10

Odeur 53 smells kind of like the smell of a thunderstorm X 10 with some burnt rubber (like over-worked car brakes) and a clean laundry smell. Those are only some of the many notes, but those notes stuck out the most for me, and that’s the best way I can describe it in a nutshell. It’s also surprisingly light and fresh, yet it does come off as very synthetic (after all it’s part of CdG’s synthetic series!).

Strangely enough, when I first tried Odeur 53, I thought I smelled light bulb dust – I was surprised because that’s listed in Odeur 71’s notes, not Odeur 53. Then I got the burnt rubber and nail polish, etc, etc. It’s a lot easier to pick up on some of the other notes in this when you look at the scent pyramid. I think a lot of the notes are subjective - for example, if you want to smell plastic, it's there. If you want to smell honeysuckle, it's there too...

Other than how it smells, well… it’s not amazing but it is quirky and wearable. Like others have mentioned, it has lots of sillage, and it seems to last a good while too. Fortunately it doesn’t get too annoying, and it makes you feel like you’re pulling off some crazy fashion statement in the fragrance world.

Overall, just like Muscs Koublai Khan, Odeur 53 goes into my books as a more of a work of art than a scent I’d like to wear, thus the neutral rating.

nota bene: SirSlarty is right, you really can't smell this for the first 10 minutes or so; then it just wafts up out of nowhere.

7/10

Le Maroc pour Elle is basically a powdery, dusty rose with jasmine, and a small touch of cedar wood that smells a little incense-y/resinous. It’s kind of old fashioned smelling and very heady. It’s also worth mentioning that the rose in this is similar to the rose in Czech & Speake’s No. 88, but a lot more "powdery." I was quite disappointed, since Le Maroc is not really “sunny” like described on Tauer’s website. On the bright side, if you're looking for something feminine and bohemian, this might work. If you're a male, this might require some effort or the right kind of personality to pull off (it's pretty feminine).

Although it’s not bad, Le Maroc doesn’t evoke the kind of imagery or beauty as L’air du Desert Marocain – be forewarned that this isn’t the female version of it either. Creed's Jasmal is *kind of* similar to le Maroc, but I prefer Jasmal much, much more.

6/10

Bitter orange peels, red pepper and vetiver over a heavy base of cedar (Ie. Iso E super) and something that smells a bit like dirt. Although the cedar and dirt notes in Terre D'hermes are the most enjoyable part, they give me a headache and they make the fragrance smell very chemically over time. The composition here by Ellena is impeccable and people always seem to compliment me when I wear this, but like I said, there's some sort of synthetic note in this that bothers the hell out of me.

As I've mentioned in my review of Red Vetyver by Montale, that synthetic annoyance isn't present in Red Vetyver, making it the preferable one of the two for me. If you try Terre d'Hermes and you like it, don't bother trying Red Vetyver. If you like Red Vetyver but haven't tried Terre d'Hermes, give it a shot, you might like it. Finally, if you didn't like Terre d'Hermes, give Red Vetyver a try, it's smoother and less annoying.

7.75/10

At first whiff, I got oranges, cumin and women’s anti-perspirant (the white bar kind). After a little while, the armpit association has toned down and it's getting more powdery, but I just can't shake the feeling. I didn’t even know this was a Jean Claude Ellena fragrance going into it, but I was sure it was due that uncanny combination of cumin and orange. The sillage really does smell like a stronger version of Bulgari's The Vert, as nthny has said.

Anyway, I’m not blown away by it. Although I’m intrigued, it smells dated for some reason, and the anti-perspirant thing isn’t too nice. ZZtop is right that this is only interesting because it shows where Ellena came from (and nowadays with Terre d'Hermes, we know where he went!) Quite frankly TdH is much better than this, and so is the similar fragrance Bigarrade Concentre from Jean Claude Ellena.

Final note: I like it, but I wouldn’t wear it. Definitely unique, but I wouldn’t recommend it either. If you like this, you should try the other Jean Claude Ellena fragrances I mentioned. Even if you don't like this, you should probably try Terre d'Hermes - it doesn't have that armpit thing going on.

6/10

A "sparkly" lavender and *slightly green smelling fragrance. I was surprised to find that Reverie smells kind of synthetic (Iso E Super maybe?), and no notes really stood out over the others for me besides the lavender. I really didn't get much of the base notes in the pyramid, let alone the pyramid at all. Its very nice, and very feminine, but more of a room spray in my opinion. It's not at all like L'air du desert marocain and not as beautiful or sensual either. While Reverie is a well constructed fragrance, I'm not particularly fond of it, nor am I intrigued. The worst part was that the first spray of this was so potent that I could taste it in my mouth for the first few hours – not a very pleasurable experience. On a final note, I would suggest not to bother with Reverie au Jardin unless you are a middle aged woman.

5.5/10

Rubber tires, hot black roofing tar/pavement, and sweet, smokey vanilla. Surprisingly sexy and wearable, however I don't enjoy smelling like tar. Very strong stuff and not for the faint hearted. One of those fragrances you might like if you love the smell of a busy urban city like New York, especially when there's lots of construction and road-paving going on. (If you live in Montreal like I do, you'll know the smell of fresh pavement quite well, all the while wondering why we still have so many potholes!)

Some say this is similar to Dzing, but I personally don't see any resemblance. I'm sure there is something similar to Bulgari Black out there, but I can't think of anything else very much like it (in my limited fragrance experience).

7/10

Ginger bread and smoky tea, with milk and honey. Sounds great - doesn't smell so great. I'm an avid tea drinker, with a cupboard full of organic teas from all around the world; yet Tea for Two doesn't do much for me. It's a little too sweet on the honey, and I don't enjoy walking around smelling like ginger bread cookies either. If you've never smelled Lapsang Souchong tea (like in T42), I might help you guess how T42 smells by telling you that T42 is reminiscent of a very sweet Chai Latte with honey.

Although the tea note is nice, it goes off into the background pretty fast as the honey and ginger bread notes take over into the dry-down, ironically making me lose my appetite. If you love tea, you should try this, but don't bother if you don't like lots of honey in your black tea.

6/10

.......Really? Like... MAN. What WERE they thinking? I agree with Carl999 that this smells like a cheap and powdery, watered-down rip-off. How can I describe this... old lady perfume? Dollar store perfume? The only highlight is that it reminds me of the original – but minus all the good stuff. Don't even bother trying this unless you live in an environment near the equator.. otherwise this just may break the heart of anyone who's a fan of the original Le Male.

5/10

This is so fresh and youthful - lime and soap over some pungent musk that has a unique "kick." Like it's neon color, MC is so bright and quirky that it instantly puts me in a better mood. IMO, it's not as soapy as others say though - for example, it's not that fresh out of the shower feeling or soapy suds, but more of a crisp and clean citrus feeling. Sillage and strength are low, but that's how it's supposed to be. In Mugler's words, it's a cologne for people who don't like cologne.

I used to wonder why I couldn't stop sniffing this on myself until I found out what the "s" note is from fellow Basenoter Dimitri's blog. The secret was surprising, yet... not so surprising. As Dimitri explains, underneath the citrus soap is one of the dirtiest notes imaginable... Quite an ironic masterpiece in my books.

If you thought this was too quirky, try Original Vetiver by Creed. At twice the price, the vibe is similar, with slightly better quality ingredients and it's longer lasting. The biggest and most noticeable difference between the two would have to be that OV doesn't have the dirty musk base of Mugler Cologne.

If you're looking for a clean and fresh fragrance with low sillage, you might also like "CKbe," which also smells clean and green like Mugler Cologne's, but smells different altogether.

8/10

M7 smells mostly like sweet cherry cough syrup, over a touch of vetiver (green-ness), and a good dose of agarwood/aoud (think animalic and wet rotting wood) and "amber." Once again, a fragrance that might not sound good from my description, but it’s pretty enjoyable. It’s a bit synthetic, but not cloying if you go with just one spray (which is by far enough in my opinion). I can’t tell whether the agarwood is synthetic or just bad quality, but that doesn’t really matter since the fragrance itself comes off as OK quality overall. On a positive note, M7 is very, very sensual and unique – two primary qualities I look for in fragrances. If you like M7, you might also enjoy the line of "aouds" by Montale, which are better quality overall.

Although I didn’t quite like this at first, lately I’ve grown fond of Agarwood and Eastern-style fragrances, so now I can appreciate M7 a little more. In fact, M7 has the kind of vibe I’m looking for in my holy grail of fragrance, however I just can’t bring myself to buy a bottle because I feel that somewhere out there is something similar to M7 with much better quality ingredients – perhaps an Indian or middle eastern attar. The search for the holy grail continues….

7.25/10

Silver Mountain Water opens up with black currants and then morphs into what smells like an ink/petroleum note over some green tea and patchouli. It might seem counter-intuitive, but the ink/petroleum note is actually what I love most about SMW (maybe because I love the smell of petroleum at gas stations). Finally, like Millisime Imperial and Green Irish Tweed, SMW dries down to an ambergris (animalic musk) base. The whole progression up until the drydown is extremely fresh and crisp.

IMO it’s the perfect fragrance for spring and fall. I’m not adding much to the reviews here, but I have to say that SMW is really something special. If you don’t like it at first, try a few other fragrances then come back to it. It does turn a little sour on my skin after a while, but I’m sure that it’s just chemistry. I don’t want to overdo the praise on this one, so let’s just end it here with me saying I love it.

9/10

It's funny how when a fragrance is made of predominantly synthetic molecules that are far stretches from naturally derived scent molecules, people tend to give very different descriptions of what the fragrance consists of. For example, I found Attitude to be fragrance with some sort of miscellaneous citrus, coffee, a strange raspberry note and musk, while the scent pyramid states a whole bunch of fancy ingredients like "sicilian lemon" and "chinese cedar." (I'm willing to bet the chinese cedar is simply something like Iso E Super).

On the whole, Attitude is almost feminine, very unisex, sweet and playful. This would easily suit someone in their teens or early twenties. Older than that and I would suggest Armani Code if you're bent on wearing something from Armani.

6.5/10

Please forgive my lack of a descriptive review on this one, but all I can say is that Euphoria is simply a chemical mess. Citrus and ginger? Who knows... the whole time I wore this I couldn't specifically decipher any notes, because everything smelled "like" something, but always a blatantly cheap and synthetic version of the real or better quality thing.

While Euphoria is somewhat enjoyable, it's a shame to other classic fragrances in the CK line. It seems to me like CK just wanted to release something with a huge profit margin (I can't see the ingredients in a 50 mL bottle costing more than a dollar to make). On a positive note, this is waayyyy better than CKIN2U.. I don't even think that one's worth a review.

4/10

Sampling Cruel Intentions, I mostly only got aoud, a bit of bergamot and castoreum (very animalic musk). I actually found Cruel Intentions to be quite unpleasant at first, as it's very "dirty" smelling. I enjoy aoud on its own and castoreum as a supporting note in other fragrances, but the combination of the two wasn't so great on me. To an unsuspecting nose, the notes of aoud and castoreum together can be rather strange and off-putting.

Although I didn't quite "enjoy" Cruel Intentions, I still respect it. When I first tried CI, it made me re-define my perception of what perfume could be. It might not be conventionally "good" and doesn't fit the mainstream idea of sexy, but it does fit into some strange compelling niche with its dark animalic vibe. I picture Cruel Intentions on a mature man, with a strong ego, who's defining qualities are power and reputation instead of romance. It definitely provides the wearer with an aire of "je ne sais quoi."

6.75/10

Fresh coconuts and lime over rum, sugar and musk. I agree with Kahuna Cowboy that ViW is basically Bath and Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena, however with much better ingredients.

I'd like to echo the consensus that this isn't an earth-shattering fragrance, but it's very enjoyable, fun and somewhat sexy. The ingredients are all skillfully blended and top quality, like most Creeds. Even though one might associate the coconut with sun-tan lotion, this doesn't smell like sun-tan lotion at all.

At the price Creed charges for this, it might not be worth it to buy a full bottle. However, if you can afford it, by all means enjoy!

8.25/10

Opens with a lot of frankincense and a candied/jam-like note of rose and I’m guessing a bit of clementine. Stays pretty linear the whole time. I feel that this is far more “red” and “embery” than Tauer's Incense Extreme, which to my nose, was very ashy.

I enjoyed experiencing Incense Rose, but at the end of the day, I found myself not really crazy about it. Also, it’s not comforting, nor do I like the character. It's not like IR is annoying or not enjoyable, but it just doesn't do anything for me. Perhaps I feel this way because I'm subconsciously comparing it to Tauer's masterpiece, L'air du Desert Marocain. Either way, Incense Rose just doesn’t put me into a mind state I enjoy, like say, no. 88 or LdDM do. Although it does smell good, it's just not for me. I'd probably appreciate this more on a woman than myself.

7/10

Mostly vanilla and cinnamon over a fecal yet somehow strangely sexually-attractive musk. This stuff has a definite "wow" factor to it – it makes you do a double (if not triple) sniff! Overall I think Musc Ravageur is a little more feminine than masculine, but definitely unisex, so don’t let those comments deter you from trying this. I’m not compelled to wear or buy this, but I’m definitely impressed.

7.5/10

This is much, much better than I thought it would be. In a nutshell: Black Aoud is a bouquet of dark, moist roses over a supporting note of aoud (smells like animalic, damp and rotting wood in a good way) over a base of patchouli.

While Black Aoud is pretty reminiscent of Voleur des Roses, the aoud makes its more masculine, gives it a rounder quality, and makes it feel darker. On the other hand, Black Aoud is also a kissing cousin of No. 88, however BA replaces the incense note with aoud, making it the more sensual of the two.

Overall, BA gives off a very strong character, being both romantic and mysterious. While it’s a little too strong for my liking, many will rejoice in its concentration and longevity. Very unique.
8.5/10

Smells like they say – burnt sugar/cotton candy, sawdust and animals in a circus! I keep telling myself this isn’t wearable, but I can’t help going back to my sample just to get another whiff. There’s something just so captivating about this – it triggers some sort of deep instincts in my psyche and I just can’t forget about it. Dzing truly is a masterpiece and if you’re having trouble like I am with the circus connotations, just tell yourself it’s an amazing leather scent, which in essence, it is. I’d recommend Dzing as a great introduction into the world of niche perfumery.

8.5/10

Unforgivable smells ALMOST exactly like MI, only there is an herbal quality added to Unforgivable (I'm guessing to avoid copyright infringement). It's also missing the ambergris and realistic ozone notes of MI, but essentially, Unforgivable is a complete rip-off of MI. Others may see resemblances to Wall Street, but I imagine this is because Wall Street smells a little like MI, which smells like Unforgivable...

All in all, the differences aren’t big enough to buy MI over Unforgivable, unless of course you, yourself, notice (the huge) gap in quality between the two. The gap in quality might not be obvious at first, but it becomes blatant when comparing the dry-downs. I’m actually really unimpressed with "Diddy" but then again what did you expect from him? A groundbreaking fragrance from a man who based his whole career on "sampling" other people's music in his rap songs? I think not.

Ranting aside, if you don't like ambergris (an animalic musk in MI), go for Unforgivable. If you want a better quality fragrance and you enjoy ambergris, get Millisime Imperial. I personally much, much prefer Millisime Imperial.


0/10 for Diddy

Geir smells more like a really refreshing "mountain scent" fabric softener or laundry detergent than anything else to me. I don't smell any really discernible notes, and it feels pretty synthetic. At that, I'm still a big fan of this stuff, but I can't imagine buying a full bottle. I'm also not sure about that "cool" note in it - It's really hard to describe, since the note doesn't smell like anything, while it simply feels cold... strange and disconcerting. As Wiley1st said, don't overspray, unless you want Geir to get all "chemically" on you.

7.25/10

Like others have said, this is predominantly jasmine. "Jasmine" by KM is a very simple, minimalistic scent. (I also get a little bit of honeysuckle sweetness like other reviewers here have mentioned). This fragrance starts out smelling much like the jasmine you would find in jasmine green tea, then dries down to a powdery, feminine jasmine. A little too feminine for me to pull off... Nice though - wouldn’t mind this on a girl.

If you're looking for a "jasmine and green tea" scent, try "The pour un Ete" by L'artisan parfumeur - it's not quite the same as sniffing some organic loose leaf jasmine tea, but it's as close as I've gotten so far.

7.5/10

It's hard to explain how this smells without actually sending you in the wrong direction. Nutmeg, clove, orange, rose? My advice would be to take all the descriptions in everyone's reviews here and put them altogether to get a good sense of this stuff. I guess I can add that NE also kind of synthetic, and smells like a makeup bag, or plastic, or.... man I don't even know. Noire Epices is so unique that I'm not even sure whether I like it or not. I mean I know I can pull this off, but is it really worth the effort?

Noire Epices is such a strange and dissonant scent that I'm not really compelled to wear it (and I'm a person who likes weird smelling fragrances). So I guess NE is at least good for when you wanna smell different. I might also add that it's more feminine than masculine, but not in girly way; it's more of a womanly smell. I personally think that there's way better stuff out there but this is still worth trying because it's just so damn funky. It takes the right kinda person to pull this off. A definite "try-before-you-buy."

6.5/10

The best way I can describe Rive Gauche is that it's a sweet and soapy lavender with a hint of patchouli. I’m pretty confident that if you took all the ingredients of Brut (that stuff in the green bottle at the pharmarcy) and re-synthesize them into better quality ingredients, you might have something like Rive Gauche. Although Brut is dated, Rive Gauche doesn’t quite feel dated… although it does smell “old school” as others have said. Kind of like how old school loafers, skinny jeans and fedoras came back in style in the mid-to-late 2000s, Rive Gauche is that old barbershop cologne your grandpa wore, but it’s redone in a modern way that works. That said, I think any age can pull this off – it just makes you smell like a clean intellectual.

On the negative side, RG is a little too strong for my liking – one spray lasts more than 24 hours and is a little overpowering. I haven’t tried RG Light but I imagine I would like it better. Too bad it's only a limited edition - If you have a bottle you don’t want, let me know!

7.5/10

Wallstreet is definitely up there with Millisime Imperial as one of, if not the best aquatic fragrances. WS in a nutshell is slightly sweet cucumber over the salty, refreshing smell of the sea. Although this is reminiscent of Millisime Imperial by Creed, WS is pretty different, in the sense that it has no ambergris and the melon is replaced by cucumber. The two fragrances are only similar because they both have a “sea” note in them, with WS’s ocean vibe being a lot stronger. WS also lasts a lot longer than MI, but it's more linear. On a final note, when you really think about it, this really does smell (fittingly so) like crisp dollar bills too.

8.5/10

In short, MI is mostly a juicy melon note over natural ambergris (an animalic musk) and some sort of (pretty realistic) sea/ozone notes. It's hard to say just what kind of melon is in this, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's just some synthetic molecule that is based on melon. IMO, MI is the ultimate aquatic and definitely in my top 10 favorite fragrances of all time. It’s unfortunate that MI was blatantly copied my Sean Jean in their unforgivably sh*tty fragrance, “unforgivable” which smells like a dollar store cologne rip-off of MI (Unforgivable is basically the same scent, but without the ambergris and smooth construction of MI).

nota bene: I feel that the newer Creeds, (1990’s and on) are mostly synthetic, but with a good percentage of natural ambergris and other essential oils like oak moss (you can see this on the box). The older, classic Creeds seem to be better quality and more natural, but I don’t particularly like them. MI is nice mix of both synthetics and naturals, in the best way possible.

9/10

Like others have said, this does smell very, very similar to Terre D’Hermes. In my mind, that’s a good thing though. Although I’m sure both RV and TdH smell pretty different next to each other, they would probably smell the same to an unsuspecting nose.

The main difference between the two is that Red Vetyver replaces the orange of TdH with grapefruit, and seems to take it easier on the synthetics. RV is better IMO, since it seems to have less of that synthetic dirt/mineral note + Iso E Super combination that annoys me in TdH.


I’m pretty sure this was released after TdH, meaning it’s not very original (and a pretty blatant copy of TdH!), however I do like it better than TdH. Seeing as how this an improvement and not a cheap rip-off (like Unforgivable by Sean Jean making a sh*tty version of Creed’s Millisime Imperial), I feel compelled to give this an unbiased rating, regardless of copyright infringement.

8/10

I would simply describe this as extremely sexy grape powder with a hint of vanilla coke. Magnetism might sound weird or not too good according to my description, but this really is great stuff. In comparison to fragrances like Creed, Magnetism smells a bit cheap, but it’s as good as it gets for the price.

It’s also noteworthy to mention that Magnetism would easily pass as a unisex fragrance. Although it doesn’t necessarily feel feminine, I can easily imagine a woman wearing this (and to be honest I’m pretty sure I have smelled this or something like it on a few women).

Overall, I would consider Magnetism to be one of the sexiest, playful fragrances I’ve ever smelled. The only downside is the cheap ingredients. If you’re looking for something manly or mature, steer clear. If you want something young, sensual and unique, give this a shot. The best age range would be something in the teens and early twenties.

7.25/10

In a nutshell, this is basically anise (kinda like black licorice) over extremely sweet (and cloying) vanilla.

I don’t mind synthetic ingredients – some of my favorite fragrances, which I consider to be masterpieces, are primarily synthetic. However, Lolita Lempicka is a synthetic bomb of fragrance which is headache inducing at the least. What did they put in here? It almost feels toxic… Strange enough, this stuff actually smells great, but only for the first few minutes, at which point I start to feel nauseous and light-headed. If you’re sensitive to certain perfumes or fragrances, stay away from this one.

4/10

Expensive soap and suede. I like it. Prada pour Homme smells soft and comforting, like a trendy and clean person’s apartment. Doesn’t smell too synthetic, although I doubt it's all natural as it appears to be when looking at the ingredients on the metal part of the bottle. This can get annoying if over-sprayed, yet overall it's pretty sheer and light. I feel compelled to mention that the suede kind of smells like my dog a bit (as strange as that is!). The question now is whether that means that my dog smells good or whether Prada smells like my dog…

8/10

Smells like… fake violets on steroids.. or something. Narcisco Rodriguez for Him, by the same nose as Le Male (from Jean Paul Gaultier), has the same artificial feeling as Le Male but none of the same notes and not much of the sweetness of Le Male. Like most of Francis Kurkdjian's work, NR is very synthetic, but in this case not cloying or annoying. In my mind, it's kind of like a more serious, less playful and matured Le Male, but it still has that same “je ne sais quoi” vibe. It does smell damp, but in a good way. Also reminds me a bit of Rive Gauche, but much less strong and smells nothing like Brut.

Green Valley by Creed also smells similar to NR because of the strong violet presence and patchouli, but other than that NR is pretty unique. So if you want a similar, more natural smelling fragrance, try Green Valley. Although NR is not my style, it’s pretty good and something special. Definitely worth trying.

7.5/10

Heavy on what smells like pine and cedar (I’m not sure what Hinoki wood smells like on its own), this fragrance has a meditative quality about it – feels kind of like a place out in the country here in Quebec, but with a touch of something comforting like the smell of a steam room minus the sweat. As others have said, this really does smell like a wood shop too!

Hinoki smells like what I wished Creed’s Epicea would smell like – a modern piney, woody fragrance. It’s not sensual but it is sexy and mysterious. I like.

Strangely enough, this is one of the few perfumes my dog didn’t run away from – she actually liked it. I guess her forest dwelling wolf genes are still dominant in her after all.


8/10

Great stuff! The only thing that smells synthetic in this is the white musk, which is actually quite enjoyable and not annoying – overall, StH comes off as very high quality. It’s also very smooth, and has a slight gourmand aspect to it, even though I wouldn’t classify it as a gourmand.

On my skin the patchouli is actually very faint (in comparison to some others’ reviews). While the patchouli is just a background note, sugar, rum, woods and white musk take center stage in a perfect symphony of notes. Real sexy, sensual and natural smelling. Might not be worth the money, but if you can deal with the hole this creates in your wallet, go for it. Truly a favorite of mine.

ps. If you’re bored or just simply interested, check out the by Kilian website for the entire listing of ingredients in this as well as their other fragrances. I’m not sure about percentages, but if you like “mostly natural” fragrances, by Kilian claims to be one them.

8.5/10

Let me start by saying that this only smells like ocean because you expect it to. In reality, it smells more like baby wipes, something slightly fecal (a la Musc Ravageur), and a slightly salty kind of play-doe smell with overtones of Noxzema creme… Not at all what I was expecting! It smells less like the ocean, and more like human skin drying in the sun after a dip in the ocean. To me, Aqua di Sale is a definitely a skin scent – over-apply it and you’ll probably just get a bunch of play-doe and Noxzema – wear the right amount and you’ll end up smelling like as though your skin just naturally smells great. Although Aqua di sale smells more realistic than Sel de Vetiver, I personally prefer Sel de Vetiver because it smells (different and is) better overall with the same kind of effect…

nota bene: While Erolfa and Aqua Bulgari smell more like the ocean, Sel de Vetiver and Acqua di sale smell more like ocean-kissed skin. (Therefore, Acqua de Sale is one of those fragrances I can only enjoy on skin, not my clothes).

7/10

To create Escentric 01, just take Black XS for men, take away the pralines and spices, then add more Iso E Super and make the lime EXTREMELY sour instead of sweet, and there you have it. This was seriously SO sour that when I think of it, my cheeks twinge the same way they do before biting into a lime, only in the worst way. It actually makes my face feel weird! I guess it's obvious that I really didn’t like this at all. The heavy does of Iso E Super in this is intriguing, but the fragrance is linear and boring overall for me. For my daily dose of Iso E Super, I'd rather stick to my Black XS for men and Light Blue for women, (they're both heavy on the Iso E Super, but much more complex and much, much better).

If you'd like to discover what Iso E Super smells like, try Escentric 02 instead (it's pure 100% Iso E Super with NOTHING ELSE), and skip this one. Then go out and try either Black XS or Light Blue for a nice mix of supporting notes and most importantly, your money's worth.

4/10

Dry, yet somehow damp and green. If you enjoy or know what real yerba mate smells like, this is similar, but disappointingly different. It smells more mossy than grassy, and more musty than fresh. I didn’t really enjoy this, since it smells old fashioned and kind of like a bitter, damp swamp, instead of how I imagined it would (ie. fresh Japanese green tea (sencha) and yerba mate). Well… I’ll stop complaining and just say that I didn’t like it.

I feel bad giving it a neutral because I admire Ayala's work (especially Razala), but this just didn't do it for me.

6/10

Take some orange, add some vanilla, then add some metallic "clean bathroom smell" and urinal cakes. Surprisingly, its not as bad as it seems, and its pretty fascinating, however I just don’t “like” it. It doesn’t smell “good” and it doesn’t smell “bad.” Anyway, there's better stuff out there, and it feels a bit dated to me anyway. On second thought, maybe I’m being too open minded - this stuff can be pretty gross. My extreme fascination for it is slightly overpowered by the smell of urinal cakes and I’m starting to feel nauseous. Well, you might like it. Definitely worth trying, especially if you like to smell unique. After all, it may react completely differently on your skin.

9/10 for originality, 4/10 overall (for me)

All I really get in this is simply amazing vanilla. I know there are other notes in there, but they’re all very well blended together. Although there is something in there that is obviously a tad synthetic, it’s top quality and one of the best vanillas I’ve ever smelled. The vanilla here reminds me of the vanilla in musc ravageur – there’s even a hint of something naughty here, but it’s far from the musk of musc ravageur. Also worth mentioning that this is just as feminine as it is masculine.

Rarely, a perfume will smell how I imagined it to smell, but that is the case here. Great stuff. I’d rather get my vanilla fix from L’air du desert maroccain, or musc ravageur, but this is up there in my favorite vanillas.

8/10

To my nose, this was all grass and... some other hard to distinguish stuff. Smells really good though, like clean grass and light lemony soap. Nothing to write home about but nice, and goes well under the radar. If you like this, but aren’t intrigued, try Mugler cologne. It’s similar, much sexier, but a little more synthetic and lime-y.

Unfortunately, after a while I noticed something in this that is very bothersome… there is this chemical note in it that wears off with time, but MAN is it ever gross. Is it cinnamon floor cleaner? Acetone? I’m having a hard time describing it but all I can say it makes me not want to wear this. Rather ironic since otherwise, this smells so natural! What a shame...

7/10

This opens like a cacophony of notes, like the best spice rack you’ve ever smelled. Cardomon, cinnamon, clove, pepper, nutmeg, etc. Smells amazing. Would I wear it? Probably not. This stuff is very mature and classy, but not in the way I like to smell, and not in the way that I find appealing or sexy. It is however very, very well blended and top quality. If I wanted to smell like a spice rack, I would have found my holy grail.

9/10 for quality and craftsmanship (even though I don't want to wear it)

For me this is slightly salty grapefruit and vetiver with a floral tinge. Not a lot of character but it's very nice, and really does remind me of the smell of one's skin after a swim in the salty ocean.

Don’t ask me why, but this reminds me a bit of En passant.

8/10

Everything here is blended flawlessly into one smell that is multi dimensional and uni-dimensional at the same time. Sensual, sexy, natural, spiritual…. couldn’t ask for more. The ambergris and aoud give it a sensual quality while the florals make it charming, and the myrrh gives it a spiritual touch. It doesn’t smell modern or old-school. What’s nice about “all-naturals” like this is that although they don’t smell as intriguing as synthetics, they smell so much more soothing and peaceful. Razala never gets annoying and doesn't bother my nose one bit.

On my skin, it starts with rose and jasmine above everything else, with a nice touch of animalic ambergris and myrrh (which is incense-y). The dry down is mostly sweet ambergris and jasmine, with a soapy overtone.

On my shirt, it stays more incense-y the whole time, with a highlight of rose and aoud, very reminiscent of No. 88 by Czeque and Speake and slightly reminiscent of Black Aoud. On my shirt, I might even mistake Razala for No. 88 if I weren’t told which were which.

9/10

I thought I would hate this. Then at first spray, I absolutely loved it. Then I realized this is what all the douchebags in Montreal wear. Worst of all, they overdo it. Either way, once I put those associations to the side, I came to terms with myself, and admitted this is a masterpiece. It’s sexy, youthful, clean, and has the tiniest bit of barbershop accord to it giving it some class. It’s also unique in the sense that it’s a gourmand that doesn’t smell like cookies, but more like some sort of other dimension candy that doesn’t exist. Although Body Kouros and Lolita Lempicka have a similar vanilla base to le male, those fragrances get annoying on me while le male just stays so fresh and amazing the whole time. Strangely, if this wasn’t a synthetic, it wouldn’t be so good. I also have to reluctantly admit that I’d probably give this a 10/10 if it was niche or not so over-worn by everyone and their mother.

9/10

What a beautiful and unique fragrance. I have to start off by saying that the biggest problem I've had with niche fragrances is that they usually smell "old." (And when I say old, I don't necessarily mean "bad" but just, well, why the h*ll would you want to smell like you're 70 years old, even if you ARE 70 years old?!) Anyway, L'air is amazing because it smells "mature" (AND sexy) without smelling "old," in a way similar to how Vetiver by Guerlain smells great on middle aged men while still steering clear from smelling geriatric. (Note: this smells NOTHING like vetiver by guerlain). Even though my 19 year old ex-girlfriend says L'air du desert smells like old man, it's only through association and a bad choice of words - other girls that I work with who are in their early 20s love it. What I'm trying to say is that I STILL love this stuff, even though I never wear it because my age (22) and personality can't pull it off.
My rambling aside.... if you want to guess what L'air du desert smells like, just go Andy Tauer's website and read the listing - it's exactly how he describes it, both in imagery and ingredients. As for who this would suit.. Well, you'll just have to smell it. All I can say is that I think it's preferably worn by someone who is rugged and mature in personality, regardless of age. Last but not least, take it easy on the trigger for this one.

9/10

Oh god. I thought this would be my holy grail, but instead it just smells like unwashed genitalia doused in rose oil or some old world perfume. Put it all together, and you get the smell of an old, unwashed man wearing old man cologne. I admire the construction and idea of this, so I feel bad giving it a thumbs down, but please, please, please think strongly before you decide to wear this – it really turns me off, and I’d probably be disgusted if I smelled this on anyone. Not to be cocky, but my own genitals already smell better than this. I think Muscs Koublai Khan is definitely of an ironic fragrance, because in this modern era, we tend to wear perfume to smell good, and usually to mask our own body odor, whereas MKK MAKES you smell like body odor (if not genitals). SO – if you want to save money, just shower less and use light amounts of perfume or cologne and you’ll get the same effect, all the while still smelling like your YOURSELF, and not someone else’s genitals. Total waste of money in my opinion. Muscs Koublai Khan belongs in a fragrance museum, not on my body.

5/10

WHOoooooaaaaaaaaa.... man is the sample I got of this ever potent. It's like getting slapped in the head by a giant BOUQUET OF TUBEROSE AND ORANGE BLOSSOMS. I'm having a very hard time jumping onto the unisex bandwagon. Although I'm sure SOME men could pull this off, I personally can't see myself wearing it - it's just too PERFUMEY. Besides the fact that this also reminds me of an air freshener my mother used to use around the house, this would be great on a woman who wants to be noticed. It actually smells pretty close to how I imagined Candace Bergen would smell! Just please take it easy on the trigger - if you wear too much of this you might catch me gagging nearby. Gets a neutral 'cause I personally wouldn't want my girfriend to wear this, but I also wouldn't mind.

7/10

For some reason, the combination of wheat and lilac ends up smelling grapefruity on my skin. I like it, but I'm not blown away by this on paper either. It's definitely nice and smells like the name - En passant is the smell of just "passing by" a huge, intense (and perhaps wet) lilac bush, while very distant, wheaty bread cools in the window sill of a very distant house, and for some reason you're holding a cucumber (which doesn't stand out at all either). Although I enjoy En Passant and respect it for its creativity, it's not my style and I see it more as a feminine fragrance. I'll have to "pass" on this one...

I might get a lot of heat for this, but I just can't stand Chergui. After 2 tries, I've had more than enough of its overpowering syrupy-sweet smell. I like gourmands and sweet fragrances, but this is just too sweet in the wrong way. Not only is Chergui more syrupy than maple syrup from Montreal, but it makes me think of a middle aged bohemian woman (which is not what I'd like to smell like, considering I'm a 22 year old male).
Balance out the syrup, and this would be more classy and wearable - otherwise, I'm sorry to say "Bleeccchh."

5/10

This smells like a slightly floral, branchy tree or bush that I tumbled into in my youth, on a sunny day. The notes I get the most are those of grapefruit, petitgrain, neroli and sandalwood and for some reason a touch of leather. Either way, this fragrance speaks for itself - it's elegant yet can be worn casually and it's just remarkably intriguing. Like most Creeds, the notes are blended into a smooth and beautiful composition, however, (as Vibert said below), it (fortunately) doesn't smell anything like Millisime Imperial, Green Irish Tweed or Erolfa. Neroli Sauvage is a very unique, signature-type scent that has lots of character. It's fresh, crisp, citrusy and woodsy without smelling at all like the many L'eau D'issey clones out there.

This is one of the few Creeds which is actually somewhat worth the money. If you're looking for something unique, try this. So far this is my favourite Creed fragrance and the only cologne I bought this year. This is perfect for daytime in the spring and fall, but it can also pass for a summer scent. Age range is anywhere from the 20s and beyond. This is definitely worth trying at least once. Although it's not incredibly sensual like le Male or Black Xs, its simply beautiful, alluring and gives off a great vibe.

9/10

Update: I just bought another bottle of this and it smells totally different than my previous one. Other reviewers were right - each batch seems to be different so beware! While one bottle was woodsy and long lasting, the other was simply citrusy, and only lasted an hour. I had to return it...

First off, this smells amazing - it's very unique, fresh, sensual and alluring. My problem with FdM is that it's cloyingly synthetic, and after an hour or two I can't stand it anymore. I agree with "heythatslife" on the plastic flowers... It's really a shame that this feels so cheap, synthetic and cloying because the idea, composition and vibe from this scent are just so great. If you like Neroli, try Creed's Neroli Sauvage - it's way less sweet, way more natural smelling and has a woodier base than FdM - it's also one of my favourite spring to fall scents.
IMHO, Fleur du Male is a day scent for any age group, but I have to say it's more of a youthful fragrance. It's a spring-summer-fall fragrance, which is casual and/or formal but not very good for the office or business meetings. It's also very floral and feminine, so if you're looking for a macho and manly smell, don't go for this. Overall, FdM is like rosy, blissful love in a bottle - but unfortunately for me, it's the kind of love that gets annoying and sickly all too soon.

6/10