 | Vetyver Uomo by MaliziaI like this scent. Yes, it is inexpensive. Yes, it smells of vetiver. But, on my skin it becomes extremely smoky, and I don't mean incense from church, I mean drinks with the guys at the bar. I, myself, don't smoke, so this has been a bit of a conundrum for my friends who swear it smells like I've been sneaking puffs out back. If you like a smoky vetiver don't miss this one. I will still use it on occasion but don't plan on giving up my faves - Etro and Sycomore. 7th July, 2011. |
| | Shalimar by GuerlainShalimar has always confused me. Two women I knew in the 1970's wore it, and it smelled quite different on each, so I never could find it's identity. Last year i purchased a brand new bottle and sprayed it on. The top notes were lovely, but the drydown was pure coumarin or some coumarin substitute. Sadly, coumarin becomes quite bitter and uncomfortable on my skin but lasts forever. I tried it a few more times with the same results. Shalimar was moved to the back of the cabinet. 16th May, 2011. |
 | Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin by Lolita LempickaAnise is quite prominent in the top notes but is quickly replaced with coumarin. I love anise. Coumarin, however, is another matter. When used in small quantities as a supporting player it has great value, but as a lead ingredient it becomes obnoxious fairly quickly. Sadly, this is the case with LLAM. I don't doubt the quality of materials and construction. 30th August, 2010. |
| | Escada Homme by EscadaThis opens like a typical powerhouse from the 80's, strong, rich and complex. But, it quickly fades, and you are left with galbanum, galbanum and galbanum. Sad that it did not deliver on the promise of it's opening. If you like galbanum, this is great. It tends to smell like cat piss on me, so I won't be wearing it again. 28th August, 2010. |
| | Lavender by FlorisLavender usually begins to smell like cat piss on my skin, Jicky being the exception. This seems very true to lavender, and I love it when it's not on me. So, I use it on sheets and in my drawers, and it lasts an amazingly long time. 15th July, 2010. |
 | Trussardi by TrussardiI'm a fan of this scent as well, but having sniffed it first in 1984, it is apparent that it has been reformulated. The ancient juice was much ruder and more animalic, much more leather. I loved the old stuff, but this new version is much easier to wear. I would now describe it as a classy dry chypre, emphasis on dry. It is gloriously fresh with florals that burn off fairly quickly and is easily a unisex fragrance. Incredible value for the price. 25th June, 2010. |
| | Jicky by GuerlainLavender tends to become medicinal/urinous on my skin rather quickly, so I approached Jicky with some trepidation. However, I was rewarded with a very gentle scent. The lemon evaporated quickly and the lavender appeared in the most restrained setting. The vanilla was hiding at the edges but never took over. This is a surprisingly simple scent. I took a vial to work and shared it (and it's history) with some of the women I work with. A unanimous positive response. I could wear Jicky day or evening. I recently wore it to a coffee house that had a live band with a kid on the bongos. It was perfect. 23rd June, 2010. |
| | No. 19 by ChanelThe most beautiful Chanel scent I have yet to smell. It opens with a dry green string quartet, but then, the curtain rises on a symphony of precise notes, each ascending in a crescendo towards a glorious oakmoss drydown. Very intentional and sophisticated. No. 19 radiates assurance but never shouts. I have only tried the vintage juice, and don't know what is currently being sold, but with the current rules governing oakmoss usage, I am afraid the new formulation may be inferior. Perhaps this is why Guerlain discontinued Parure. Just a thought. 23rd June, 2010. |
| | Tokyo by KenzoI love this fragrance. It is so delicate and sparse just like the traditional wood and paper houses of Japan. I can think of no other scent that sums up the minimalism of Japanese aesthetics so beautifully and succinctly. On my skin this perfume is filled with numerous subtle details that reveal themselves only with patience and attention. There is no sillage to speak of, but I have no problem with longevity with one squirt lasting for about six hours. This is definitely my favorite Kenzo so far. 3rd May, 2010. |
| | Narciso Rodriguez for Him by Narciso RodriguezOnce Tania said it was "a well-made fragrance for mean, forgettable people" I knew I had to have it. And, in the winter, she was right. It smelled like cold concrete. Bare, harsh and mean. But I put it on again today in the warmth of spring and was very surprised by the difference. It is lovely and totally inoffensive. The concrete is still there, but now it is beneath my feet, and the world is filled with green notes. This is modern and substantial but not beautiful or glorious. I enjoy the construction and the idea, but I fear that it will never rise from the middle of the pack. Except in the deep winter. 19th April, 2010. |
| | Magie by LancômeThis is a very unusual scent! It begins at Chanel No. 5 and there starts a continual, non-stop evolution until it ends up at Chinatown and then begins to disappear. My bottle is a vintage aerosol from the 1960's that has been in a box since forever. I'm not kidding. The Chinatown accord is unmistakeable. I ran around the house sniffing my wrist until I could place it and then compared it with my sample of Chinatown. Almost identical. If you like a classic scent that is always on the move, this is the one for you. I have not smelled the modern formulation, but I can't imagine it could compare with the vintage juice for complexity and surprise. 12nd April, 2010. |
| | Winter 1972 by CB I Hate PerfumeOn me, this is a fairly straightforward aquatic (but fresh water not salt) without the zest of citrus or the warmth of woods. It does have a synthetic sweetness, but it's really all about the water. CB must have spent winter of 72 in a temperate location or a bathtub. Again, a "non-scents" idea for a fragrance. This is getting to be a sad one-liner. 29th March, 2010. |
| | Fire from Heaven by CB I Hate PerfumeYes, apparently they do hate perfume. 28th March, 2010. |
| | Gold by Donna KaranThis scent is all brilliance. Radiant from beginning to end but perhaps one of the dryest lilies I have tried. I tried to wear it out in public, but the sillage is just too much. I felt self-conscious. The drydown is so subtle and delicate and, each stage rewards you with some small change that enriches the experience. I was prepared to hate this as I'm not a big fan of those apple things, but this is special and quite potent. Truly, a statement from beginning to end. 8th March, 2010. |
| | Aramis Life by AramisP.U. Stanky clone drone. Totally worthless. 16th February, 2010. |
| | Nahéma by GuerlainI wore this yesterday (not at work) and can only marvel at how gloriously smooth a peachy rose can be. Most rose scents are too overwhelming, but Guerlain allows the rose to move in and out of the swirl, making brief appearances behind the vanilla, above the peach or below the aldehydes. One moment it sparkles and the next it whispers. When will Guerlain come to it's senses, particularly olfactory. I realize most people will not spend the money for a bottle of Nahema, but surely, once they smell it, it will be difficult to return to Britney, Celine, J-Lo and Mariah. Perhaps this blog may help to educate a starving public. 16th February, 2010. |
| | Parure by GuerlainPerhaps the most glorious oakmoss ever. Michael Edwards classifies this as a mossy wood (classic), but that is so misleading. Parure is so much more. Every note is perfectly in place, the graceful yet powerful top notes, the dry, rich middle tones, and the softer but only slightly sweeter drydown. Perfection in a bottle. Why is this fragrance so often overlooked? I rarely see it in a top ten list or a "greatest" collection. It would have to be in my top 20, as so many of the older Guerlains are. I pray there are no ghastly reformulations in the future for this earthy, gorgeous creature. 11th February, 2010. (Last Edited: 20th March, 2010.) |
| | Cuiron Pour Homme by Helmut LangWithout a doubt, the most boring leather I have ever smelled. If this were a painting in a museum it would be the one you walked by without even noticing. Sad really. 8th February, 2010. |
| | Hugh Parsons (Blue) by Hugh ParsonsSynthetic sandalwood all fancied up and put in a pretty blue bottle. Keep the bottle. 8th February, 2010. |
| | Haute Provence by Parfums de NicolaïWierd stuff. It starts with a blast of lavender, but that quickly disappears. Then it is replaced by a jumbled mix of who-knows-what which eventually morphs into the same drydown as Petit Ange, her perfume for children. And the it lasts and lasts and lasts until you are uncomfortable or, at the very least, bored out of your gourd. Remember, I warned you. 8th February, 2010. |
| | Ambra by EtroThis is a very odd beast. I like it quite a bit and have worn it often, but it is a rubbery amber, almost as if the resins and gums have been cooked a bit. Don't get me wrong, it's still sweet and rich, but it is also a little playful. The drydown is fairly linear but very warm and comforting, not exotic in the least. I would recommend this for evening wear. It's a bit too rich for the office. 7th February, 2010. |
| | Ambre Précieux by Maître Parfumeur et GantierThis is an amazing, sweet, rich delicious amber and very strong as well. I have to dilute it when I wear it. Alot! I am not a particular fan of straight-up ambers, but there is no arguing with the quality of this concoction. The drydown is like a good bottle of red wine. It keeps changing as the air mixes with it, but you still know it's wine, just more delicious. So it is with AP, a multitude of little changes in the drydown but never leaving the amber framework. Arguably one of the very best ambers. 7th February, 2010. |
| | Je Reviens by WorthDial soap. I remember this from my childhood. My parents were partial to the orange bars, and it was my family's soap of choice for years. I had no idea that they had stolen their fragrance from Je Reviens. I found a vintage bottle online, in it's box, still wrapped in cellophane. I am not a vintage collector, so I popped it open and gave it a spin. Sadly, I can't really appreciate it as perfume at this point and feel the need to go rinse, as if I failed to wash all the soap off during my bath. However, there is no doubt that this is a carefully constructed floral and quite potent as well with obvious coumarin in the drydown. I am fairly anosmic to violets, so that may prejudice my review, but I still think that many may find this attractive. I do not know what the modern formulation smells like. 7th February, 2010. |
| | Guerlain Homme by GuerlainWhat is this? L'Instant Sport? Empty, vapid and should have the name Dana written across the front. (Sorry Dana.) I am sick to death of the trash coming out of Guerlain, and I'm a Guerlainiac! When will someone with balls step up to the helm and steer this ship back to quality? Am I asking for too much? 19th September, 2009. (Last Edited: 19th April, 2010.) |
| | Dans Tes Bras by Editions de Parfums Frederic MalleUnwearable, unbearable, disappointing and way, way overpriced. This is one of only two fragrances to make me sick to my stomach. Like many Roucel creations, this one splits on my skin resulting in strident top notes and booming base notes with no middle to hold them together. This might not be bad if the scent evolved, but it is dreadfully linear and just downright painful. I do appreciate when artists try to push the envelope, but there should still be something of interest inside the envelope. 31st August, 2009. |
| | Insensé by GivenchyThis stuff gets better every time I wear it. First, I thought it was thin and uninspired, but I gave it a second chance. The second time it was better. The third time was the charm. The floral opening is quite restrained and light, but the scent grows richer in the drydown, and i can't stop sniffing myself. It wears fairly close, and I have never received any comments about it. Sometimes I like a scent that is just for me; it appeals to my selfish side. Very nice. 31st August, 2009. |
| | Opening Night by Lucien LelongSadly, this is quite awful. It may have been innovative in 1935, but it smells just like every other drug store cologne from the 70's. Heavy, sweet and overpowering. It is endlessly linear and boring. I have a 4 oz. vintage bottle. Luckily I love the bottle. 31st August, 2009. |
| | VSP by JovanI found a small bottle of this on ebay and grabbed it up. My sister used to wear it back in the '70s, and I thought it was wonderful. Sadly, the ebay bottle had run its course long ago. Jovan should bring it back but only if they can work diligently to make it as yummy as it was before. I remember it as being lively and sassy and very green but classy at the same time. 17th August, 2009. |
| | Tweed by Fine Fragrances & CosmeticsI have a vintage bottle of Tweed. The top notes are all but gone, but the drydown is lovely and very similar to L'Heure Bleue. Sadly, at the end, it does not share the quality or the longevity of the famous "guerlainade" base. but quite nice none the less. 10th August, 2009. |
| | Lutèce by DanaIf you love coumarin or Tonka, this is your scent. On many people it is reminiscent of vanilla, but on me it smells like the plastic they used to make baby dolls out of. Yuck! Not my idea of enjoyment. 25th July, 2009. |
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