Reviews by jonnyt

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    jonnyt
    Switzerland Switzerland

    Showing 1 to 29 of 29.
    rating

    Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford

    I don't understand the negative reviews of this. I'm not a huge fan of many of the Tom Ford line but this one was a real stand-out for me. Many have tried to make a big, rich flower and amber accord but most have ended up too thick or too sweet and cloying. This for me gets the balance perfectly right. Powerful but subtle and most importantly, it gets positive comments from the ladies...

    20th July, 2009. (Last Edited: 10th September, 2009.)

    rating

    Endymion by Penhaligon's

    I think this is a great 'stepping stone' fragrance, a good example to give to someone who normally wears CK or YSL and is interested in more classic fragrances but isn't yet ready for anything too exotic or unusual.
    With the lavender, amber and vanilla, it is almost too soft but the beautifully balanced heart and base notes have a much tighter hold on things than the mass market frags that this resembles. If you think this smells generic, you owe it to yourself to try it again and keep smelling throughout the development to see how really well this is made.

    12nd March, 2009.

    rating

    1805 by Truefitt & Hill

    If only it lasted longer...
    I fail to understand how one could dislike this, it's such a simple and refined formula. Yes, it won't win awards for originality and it's certainly not daring but it's a well made, clean, classy citrus/ oceanic that can be worn in any situation and like all the classic old English barbershop brands, it's relatively inexpensive. It is vaguely similar to L'eau D'Issey but without the sneeze-inducing top notes.

    11th March, 2009.

    rating

    Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa by Acqua di Parma

    Much better than I expected. Given its name, I thought I was going to be sniffing an 'extreme' version of the original but this is an entirely different beast.
    It is much less sharp than the original but more deep and complex, it is a warmer fragrance that would suit the winter months far better than it's older cousin. Very wearable in a modern, well-made way but whilst retaining the expensive and classy aura of the original.

    10th March, 2009.

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    Niagara by Courrèges

    Nice, starts quite exotic but warms down to a sweet floral. Smells clean, almost a little soapy.
    This is quite hard to get hold of, and expensive if you can find it. If it had something more interesting at it's heart (a rum note perhaps?) it might be worth searching out. As it is, try it if you see it, but don't go to any effort to hunt a sample down.

    10th March, 2009.

    rating

    Hermèssence Paprika Brasil by Hermès

    An interesting perfume but ultimately not worth the very high price.
    Starts almost juicy with the paprika being quite sharp and light, not really gourmand like at all. As the middle notes come through, a rooty vetiver appears but the flowery notes keep it from becoming too heavy. It's an interesting take on vetiver, brighter than most and with all of Ellena's creations typically well made but I won't be buying a bottle when my sample runs out.

    23rd February, 2009. (Last Edited: 18th March, 2009.)

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    Platinum Égoïste by Chanel

    Someone said that this smells of money. I agree with an edit, there are many frags that evoke the rich upper classes (older Guerlain, Trumpers etc), this makes me imagine recently rich Russian oligarchs or pop-stars.
    Very well put-together with great longevity and silage. I'd wear this more often but since I noticed the 'blood' note, I've been distracted by it.

    30th January, 2009.

    rating

    Straight to Heaven by By Kilian

    A very rich and opulent fragrance as you'd expect for the price.
    The pachouli smells quite creamy with the rum and musk in the background and I find the balance very good. I like the Montale ouds but they're a bit strong for me and I like the Serge Luterns range but find them a bit soft so this is the perfect mix for me.
    It's definitely unisex as the flowery top-notes are balanced with the deep base.
    When my sample runs out I'll be hoping they've dropped the price somewhat.
    Definitely one of the niche fragrances that smells as expensive as it is.

    23rd January, 2009.

    rating

    Wellington by Geo F Trumper

    Like a lemon sherbet rubbed in pine needles.
    A lovely sharp opening that I imagine cut through the muggy smoking rooms of Victorian London that has aged remarkably well. Smells refined and classy without coming across as old fashioned.
    The flowery notes warm up in the middle to replace the citrus and the whole thing lasts ages.
    A quality, timeless cologne.

    23rd September, 2008.

    rating

    Hermèssence Osmanthe Yunnan by Hermès

    I think this is one of the most beautiful and subtle scents available today.
    It has a lovely floral note that is much softer than usual feminine scents but without being too 'powdery'. It has a wet feeling to it but is nothing like the usual male 'ocean' scents.
    I find the whole thing incredibly refreshing without being too sharp and if it weren't so expensive, I'd wear it all the time. Stays close to the skin and has only average longevity but this is really a sophisticated scent for the wearer, not something you would wear to a club to attract the opposite sex, by the time they get close enough to be entranced by it, your work is already done...

    10th September, 2008.

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    Guerlain Homme by Guerlain

    I think this is a really nice scent. It is certainly a less niche and more mass-market effort from guerlain, but as long as they keep making the classics, I don't see any reason to begrudge them a big-seller that will probably introduce thousands of guys used to wearing generic Boss or Armarni scents to a 'proper' house.
    I do get a hint of the Guerlain base smell through this underneath a much more contemparary top, almost as if they mixed a little Habit Rouge with some YSL Homme and L'eau d'Issey.
    Silage is ok but a big problem for me is that after 2 or 3 hours, it had completely disappeared. On my skin, I almost always get many hours out of even weak perfumes, so this was a little disappointing.
    If they could make it last longer or if they bring out an edp or extreme, I'll be first in line.

    3rd September, 2008.

    rating

    Infusion d'Homme by Prada

    Oh, I really didn't like this.
    All I get from opening to drydown is vetiver, totally overpowering all the other ingredients.
    And it's not a nice or balanced vetiver, it's a stale, old smelling vetiver.
    I found the whole thing so acrid that I am wondering if the bottle I used may have been cooked.
    Silage was average and it lasted about 3 hours, which is pretty short lived for my skin.

    3rd September, 2008.

    rating

    Hermèssence Poivre Samarcande by Hermès

    This is a lovely, elegantly made scent.
    Yes it is on the light side but I don't have a problem with sillage or lasting power.
    Smells very fresh and natural with delicate spicy accords balanced with the herbal ones.
    It doesn't come across as complicated but for me that's no bad thing, it's unfussy and warms on the skin to a luscious creamy smell.

    17th July, 2008.

    rating

    L'Homme by Yves Saint Laurent

    A slightly sharper and fruitier version of Guerlain's L'instant PH that smells less distinguished and more mass-market.
    I agree with others that this is a tame fragrance for YSL but I think it still smells good. I would recommend this to anyone who currently wears CK or Hugo Boss scents as it has that light, slightly synthetic feel to it but is better than most of it's competitors.
    I wore for six months and my wife got quite attatched to it, to the end that she didn't want me to wear anything else! So it has the desired effect on the ladies...

    16th July, 2008.

    rating

    Bigarade Concentrée by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

    I wanted to love this as I really dig the idea behind this line and am generally a big fan of Ellena's work but for me the bitter orange smell is just too strong, wiping out almost any other note.
    I appreciate that it's a very well made perfume and the top note is certainly distinctive but on my skin, it's simply too linear. If I wanted to smell strongly of bitter orange all day, I'd never wear anything else...
    Edit: In summer, the frangrance gets warmer and softer with time and so I find I am wearing this more and more. Unexpectedly , this has become a real grower for me.

    16th July, 2008. (Last Edited: 21st August, 2009.)

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    Carnal Flower by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

    A beautiful, full, powerful fragrance that beautifully balances out its top and middle notes. Like smelling a bouquet made from 20 different flowers all at once.
    Great sillage and longevity but even though I generally have no problem wearing unisex and even some women's perfumes, this is just too floral for me.
    I find it hard to imagine a straight man pulling this off successfully.

    16th July, 2008.

    rating

    Timbuktu by L'Artisan Parfumeur

    What a wonderful smell!
    Makes me think of wandering round an ancient cathedral with the wafts of frankincense and myrrh over the light spicy topnotes.
    Although it teeters on the side of being a bit heavy, the green notes give it that bit of lightness that keeps it beautifully balanced.
    My only problem is that I can't find enough excuses to wear it as often as I'd like as my wife isn't too keen and I think it's a bit exotic to wear to work.

    16th July, 2008.

    rating

    L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme by Guerlain

    The first few times I smelled this, I was indifferent. My mind was changed when I sprayed 3 times on my neck and I could really get a feel for it as it warmed up.
    A truly sophisticated scent that I can seem myself wearing for many years to come. I can't really imagine a scenario where this wouldn't be appropriate, summer, winter, daywear, work, evening...
    I do wish that it projected a little more but it does last for hours so that kind of balances out.
    My fiancee's favourite fragrance on me used to be YSL Homme and when I moved on to 'better' perfume houses and fragrances, it took me a while to find one that she preferred and this was it. I'll be wearing it on my wedding day.

    16th July, 2008.

    rating

    Curzon by Geo F Trumper

    A very 'classic' cologne that is the epitome of the Trumpers line but for me, this smells a little dated. To be fair, it is over 100 years old and I would wear this if bought some but I think Trumpers make some equally distinguished colognes that have a better balance and come across more timeless. (eg Wellington).

    16th July, 2008.

    rating

    Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta by Acqua di Parma

    For me, this is the reference cologne. I don't think it stands out for originality and there are certainly 'younger' smelling scents out there but like the original (which, to be honest, I find difficult to differenciate from this) it oozes sophistication and class.
    It stays fresh all day and if I were going to a classy hotel or hanging out with royalty on a yacht, this is what I would wear. It is a classic in a timeless way, not dated at all except in the way that it evokes an image of a moneyed English Gent.

    30th June, 2008.

    rating

    Terre d'Hermès by Hermès

    Really lovely. I'm a fan of Ellena anyway but this was even better than I anticipated. A very 'rich' feel to it without being overly heavy. Great complex dry-down and it lasts a long long time without being overpowering (well, after the first 5 min).
    Gets the most compliments and looks from women af all the scents I've worn as well.
    In a word; sophisticated.

    25th June, 2008.

    rating

    l'eau de parfum #3 green, green, green and green by Miller et Bertaux

    A really great fragrance and a big favourite of mine. Very like Hermes' Jardin Mediterranee but that's fine with me as I love that as well. The purest green scent out there, smells very natural. Top notes quite like the Hermes but perhaps more full and less flowery. They only start to get different during the dry-down.
    My only critisisms would be that it is relatively hard to find and doesn't have as much staying power as I'd like.

    25th June, 2008. (Last Edited: 16th July, 2008.)

    rating

    Un Jardin en Méditerranée by Hermès

    A revelation for me. The first time I smelled it, it was like nothing else I had ever tried; flowers, grass, sea breeze, like the best of nature and oh so green!
    One of the very few fragrances I'll put on at night when I'm alone as I love it so much.

    25th June, 2008.

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    M7 by Yves Saint Laurent

    A great fragrance. Spicy and full of lots of flavours that gel perfectly.
    For a newcomer to perfume, this may come across as strong but for me, the middle notes are much lighter than lots of musky and heavy men's scents.
    A stand-out amongst mass-market fragrances.
    Problem on me is that the middle and base notes come across as stale and almost mouldy. I'd wear this if the top notes stayed around a little longer.

    25th June, 2008. (Last Edited: 16th July, 2008.)

    rating

    Vetiver by Guerlain

    I wanted to love this as the bottle is beautiful and I still haven't found a vetiver that suits me but I was disappointed. The vetiver smells so old on me, almost acrid. The opening is ok but once the fresh notes disappear, I'm left with a middle that smells almost mouldy. Not for me.

    25th June, 2008. (Last Edited: 16th July, 2008.)

    rating

    L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme by Issey Miyake

    I have grown tired of this scent after having worn it on and off for 14 years. Once you've sampled more niche fragrances this starts to smell a bit synthetic. That said, even though every man and his dog seems to have a bottle and it has been imitated countless times, I still think that this is the best of its kind. Top notes verge on being too sharp but middle is simply lovely and it stays 'fresh' for hours on the skin. A smell that can cut through a smoky bar and a bona-fide modern classic

    25th June, 2008.

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    Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent

    You can't sit on the wall with this one, you either love it or hate it.
    Whilst I would never wear it as I find the musky civet note suffocating, I can appreciate that it is amongst the best of the big 80's fragrances and I'm secretly jealous of men that can pull it off.

    25th June, 2008.

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    Green Irish Tweed by Creed

    One of my favourites. Has a bit of a reputation as being passe to perfume collectors in the way that Cool Water is passe to everyone else but it will still be very individual to 99% of people you meet in the 'real world'.
    Similarities to Cool Water are more pronounced for the first hour, after that, GIT definitely has a more complex middle and base that warms very nicely.
    As close to a fragrance that can be worn any time of day, any time of year as there is.

    25th June, 2008.

    rating

    Fahrenheit by Christian Dior

    If you're going to stick with mass-market brands over the more expensive niche fragrances, this is as good as any.
    Manages to both smell like a lot of the new mens edts that came out in the 90's but also keep its originality.
    Younger women tend to like this.

    25th June, 2008.

    Showing 1 to 29 of 29.

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