 | Angeliques Sous La Pluie by Editions de Parfums Frederic MalleIcy, cool, peppery, woody. 5th April, 2010. |
| | Ambre Nuit Cologne by Christian DiorA strawberry tinged rose over a transparent and sweet amber base. There's also a slight powdery facet, but it stays under the radar all the while keeping the whole thing from going into candy land. 12nd February, 2010. |
| | Bergamotto Marino by Gianfranco FerréSweet bergamot and orange, chalky florals, a touch of seaweed and musky ambergris. The way it smells doesn't strike me as groundbreaking, but I'm addicted to its clean vibe. Bergamotto Marino smells to me like fresh new sneakers with a soapy orange-floral twist. 3rd December, 2009. |
| | Oud Wood by Tom FordA fresh oud fragrance? Who would have thought? 3rd December, 2009. (Last Edited: 10th July, 2010.) |
| | New York by Parfums de NicolaïA beautiful oriental fougere, with a classy, yet comforting and laid back vibe. There is no doubt in my mind that New York is a masterpiece, however I'm not compelled to wear it, as I associate the way it smells with older gentlemen of my youth, such as my grandfather. Thumbs way up nonetheless. 3rd December, 2009. |
 | Absolument Absinthe Le Parfum D'Interdits by Liquoristerie de ProvenceA soapy generic floral that doesn't smell like absinthe at all. A total marketing gimmick and rip-off. 30th November, 2009. |
| | Midnight Oud by Juliette Has a GunVery similar in structure to Dark Rose and Black Aoud, however Midnight Oud is sweeter (there are slight strawberry overtones to the rose) and the dark, barnyard feel of the oud is lightened here, due to a cleverly placed accord of geranium. Midnight Oud is, in other words, a sweet rose fragrance with notes of cool and fresh geranium supported by patchouli and a modest oud note in the base. I do think this is the most wearable rose/oud fragrance released to date, but I also find it to be somewhat perfumey and a little feminine (although still unisex). 26th November, 2009. |
| | Costume National 21 by Costume NationalCostume National 21 is an amber fragrance, and while it shares some similarities to the famous ambers such as Ambre Sultan, Ambre Precieux and Ambre 114, it's anything but generic-smelling and easily stands apart from the aforementioned ambers due to it's unique notes and modern feel. It's more or less a smooth amber fragrance with milky overtones, a perfect dose of patchouli and slight accompanying facets of clary sage and vetiver. In the base is a sumptuous vanilla with a touch of oud and other ambery resins, giving it a sexy edge without going into animalic territory. I see it as the younger, sexier and less austere version of L'Air du Desert Marocain. 26th November, 2009. |
| | Dior Homme Sport by Christian DiorSmells nothing like the original Dior Homme and comes off rather synthetic and generic. By naming this fragrance after the original Dior Homme, Dior has not only disappointed fans of the original, but also let those down that expected a sport version of it. 23rd November, 2009. (Last Edited: 15th December, 2009.) |
 | Givenchy Play by GivenchyA citrusy fragrance with a sensual and peppery-woody-amber base. Sad to say, but the best part about this one is that Justin Timberlake is the poster boy. Other than that, it's pretty enjoyable, but nothing special. I can't find anything terribly wrong with it, but the ingredients are cheap and the actual way it smells is pretty generic. It's definitely not a disgrace for Timberlake to be endorsing Givenchy Play, it's just nothing to be proud of. I think fragrances like Black XS and Escada Magnetism do the sexy-playful thing much better. 23rd November, 2009. |
| | L'Eau de Jatamansi by L'Artisan ParfumeurDiamondflame nails this perfectly in his review, so I won't bother describing the scent. I will however detail my thoughts and experience with L'Eau de Jatamansi, among other all-natural fragrances. 23rd November, 2009. |
| | Dior Homme by Christian DiorPicture your mother's make-up bag, cocoa powder and leather and there you have it: Dior Homme. When I first tried it, I wasn't enthused. So I tried it again, and came to the conclusion that I actually liked it. When I tried it again after that, I realized that yes, this is a fantastic fragrance, but it's not as groundbreaking as it is often made out to be. Although Dior Homme doesn't necessarily smell feminine, this kind of thing has been done before in countless feminine fragrances over the past few decades. The real surprise to me is that it took so long for someone like Olivier Polge to capitalize on this style of fragrance and market it to men in a modern-smelling fragrance. 23rd November, 2009. |
| | Eau d'Orange Verte by HermèsMy favorite citrus scent, and I've tried them all. Orangey citrus over a mossy and leathery base. Smells old-school, but not dated or too animalic. Great quality ingredients and incredibly refreshing without being too transparent. The feel is just right - not too thin (doesn't feel like it's lacking something) and not too thick (doesn't feel heavy at all). On top of it all, it's a citrus scent with character, which is a rare feat. 23rd November, 2009. |
| | Bulgari pour Homme Extreme by BulgariBulgari PH Extreme is the fragrant equivalent of blasting classical music on huge speakers at a deafening volume. It just doesn't work and loses all it's charm. While I absolutely love the original Bulgari PH, the Extreme version just came off too loud, synthetic and uncomfortable for me. The main difference between the two is that the Extreme employs a nice grapefruit opening that the original does not have, all the while overdosing on all the harsh ingredients of the original and none of the soft, musky ones. Instead of being zen and understated, Bulgari PH Extreme is chemically and.... well, too extreme. 23rd November, 2009. (Last Edited: 15th December, 2009.) |
| | Lolita Lempicka by Lolita LempickaCan't remember what the specific notes in this are, but a friend of mine wears it and it smells nice on her. Lolita Lempicka's caveats, however, are that it smells rather cheap and synthetic. It's really easy to overdose on this, meaning a few sprays too much can turn into headaches and complaints from those around you. Nice enough, but if you must wear something heavy, sexy and modern, I'd rather smell something a little more classy like Chance by Chanel. 23rd November, 2009. |
| | Mitsouko by GuerlainUtterly hideous and beautiful at the same time, Mitsouko is probably among the 10 best fragrances ever created on the planet, and I'm basing that opinion on the reformulated versions - I can only imagine what vintage Mitsouko smells like. 23rd November, 2009. |
| | Après L'ondée by GuerlainA cool, wet and creamy white floral scent (I smell ylang ylang and iris above all) that dries down to what smells like the best vanillic talcum powder ever created (ie. Guerlinade). Named so exquisitely in french, the name translates to "After the Rain Shower." Other than Tokyo by Kenzo, I just can't think of any other fragrance that smells so much like the air after a cool rain shower. Don't get me wrong though, Tokyo and Apres l'Ondee are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of the way the smell. While Tokyo is electric, synthetic and upbeat like Tokyo city after a drizzle, Apres l'Ondee is a natural, fresh and damp garden of ylang ylang and iris after a rain storm. 23rd November, 2009. |
| | Lumière Noire pour Femme by Maison Francis KurkdjianA sweet rose fragrance with facets of strawberry over green and chewy patchouli and musk. Reminds me a lot of the Juliette Has a Gun fragrance line, however Lumiere Noire pour Femme is done with a lighter hand and less drama. Not quite as magnetic as Lumiere Noire pour Homme, yet this is much darker than the its male counterpart and much more mysterious. It might not be a groundbreaking fragrance, but it pulls all the right moves. Lumiere Noire pour Femme is a fragrance for a mysterious femme fatale, but its bright and fruity notes like strawberry result in it being pretty and accessible at the same time. True to its name, Lumiere Noire is black light - dark yet luminous. 20th November, 2009. |
| | Ultraviolet Man by Paco RabanneI've never worn Ultraviolet myself, but a good friend of mine has been wearing it for years. It's a very strange fragrance, and it's unique in the best way. It's such a unique fragrance that I'm not even sure what the notes are - the best I can describe it is "sweet and musky, with a salty ambergris drydown." While the drydown is ambergris heavy, it doesn't smell like the drydown of a modern Creed fragrance. Rather, the ambergris is salty and slightly bitter, with a powdery facet to it and very, very diffusive. Ultraviolet has this amazing quality where it just surrounds the wearer, creating an aura of sweet musk without overpowering. I agree with the people who say it's very synthetic, but I can't say that's a bad thing. It might not smell natural, but I've never found it to be cloying, cheap or annoying. 20th November, 2009. |
| | Blu Mediterraneo Mirto di Panarea by Acqua di ParmaVery interesting indeed! I have to admit, that while the actual smell isn't earth shattering, I've somehow never smelled anything like it. The opening is a strange citrus that somehow feels aquatic - not in the calone sense, but like an actual glass of water. Soon Mirto di Panarea starts to showcase it's blackberry leaves (picture the smell of black currants + green leaves) and some crisp (not flowery at all) florals. The base is a little woody and a little musky. 19th November, 2009. |
| | Citizen Queen by Juliette Has a GunA sweet blend of rose, vanillic amber with powdery overtones and skanky leather basenotes. Even though there's no patchouli listed in the pyramid, the skank in Citizen Queen makes me think of patchouli (I'm pretty sure I don't smell any though). Definitely pretty far on the feminine side of the spectrum, but I can see how you could pull this off if you're a stylish man (the leather gives it a dark and masculine touch). Dimitri is spot-on in his review, and I agree that Citizen Queen employs a great mix of classic (ie. old school) and modern notes. I really like this scent, but it's pretty loud and a bit too dramatic for me. I would, however, absolutely love smelling it on someone else. 19th November, 2009. |
| | Blu Mediterraneo Fico di Amalfi by Acqua di ParmaVery citrusy opening followed by a creamy fig and natural, woody cedar. Although Fico di Amalfi isn't all I thought it was cracked up to be, it's fresh, clean and comfortable. My only gripe is that the fig gets to be a bit hand-soapish, but over all I can't complain. Highly recommended to all fig lovers. I like it equally as much as Philosykos, yet I prefer to wear Fico di Amalfi over the Diptyque. 19th November, 2009. |
| | Blu Mediterraneo Capri Orange / Arancia by Acqua di ParmaBeautiful citrus-orange opening that dries down into sweet orange life savers. It never goes into the candy zone, and the other herbal and musk notes save it from being too sweet, but I'm still not sold on it. While the opening is promising, I'm just a little disappointed by the dry-down. Nice, but not one of my favorites from the line. 19th November, 2009. |
| | Blu Mediterraneo Tuscan Cypress / Cipresso di Toscana by Acqua di ParmaWeeeeyyyooo this is refreshing! The opening is a beautiful, natural blast of eucalyptus and rosemary, while the heart is a powdery yet not-too-thick lavender. Deep in the basenotes is crisp and woody cypress. Like a dip into ice cold water at the top of a coniferous mountain. I haven't tried this in the summer heat, but I can see the lavender *perhaps becoming a little too powdery on days with high temperature and humidity. I'll update my review when the summer comes along. 19th November, 2009. |
| | C16 by IndultSlightly rubbery, slightly indolic, slightly skanky and somehow slightly clean. While the fragrance C16 is named after a certain musk molecule with 16 carbon atom bonds, there's no doubt in my mind that this is in fact a musk cocktail, and not simply the musk molecule "C16." To my surprise and delight, the fragrance progresses from one musk to another in an olfactory slide show, starting with a bit of skank similar to the musk in Kiehl's Original Musk and eventually drying down to a clean white musk similar to Les Nez's L'Antimatiere. 18th November, 2009. (Last Edited: 10th July, 2010.) |
| | Enlévement au Sérail / FK3 by MDCIA beautiful and simultaneously ugly (ie. jolie-laide) fruity chypre in the mold of Mitsouko, but more complex. Very reminiscent of the vintage Guerlains and a worthy homage to Mitsouko. 18th November, 2009. |
| | Ambre Topkapi / PB by MDCIA translucent and fluid amber, heavy on ambergris with smoke, spices and a juicy apple note that almost goes under the radar. No powder or heavy amber here - just smokey yet transparent amber. A little bit generic in style, but a great fragrance overall; if you don't expect an amber fragrance, you'll appreciate it more. The ingredients are rather synthetic for such an expensive fragrance, but Pierre Bourdon has succeeded in combining them in a way that gives Ambre Topkapi the feel of an aged scotch whiskey. A fragrance for a cultured and experienced man who has seen it all. 18th November, 2009. |
| | Cologne pour le Matin by Maison Francis KurkdjianFresh oranges and lemon over an airy lavender and orange flower, supported by a powdery musk reminiscent of bed sheets. The smell of a loved one who wakes up after an afternoon nap. Soft and soothing, yet refreshing. 17th November, 2009. |
| | Cologne pour le Soir by Maison Francis KurkdjianI liken Cologne pour le Soir to the smell of slightly honeyed skin on someone who has been burning frankincense and drinking red wine. Dark and gothic, yet also comforting and stimulating. My favorite of the line so far. 17th November, 2009. |
| | Lumière Noire pour Homme by Maison Francis KurkdjianIf you've ever sniffed Narciso Rodriguez for Women, loved it, and wished there was a male equivalent, here it is. Lumiere Noire is a rose and patchouli mix with a touch of cinnamon and cumin over a base of clean egyptian-style musk. The texture is thick, yet smooth and airy. Despite what you would expect, the blending is seamless and the aura is clean and sensual. It's most definitely unisex, but not necessarily feminine. Great stuff. 17th November, 2009. (Last Edited: 10th July, 2010.) |
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