Basenotes - Reviews by Nezdelupe

United Kingdom

Showing 1 to 9 of 9.

Gringo by AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo

If you've tried Grezzo d'Eleganza, you might be reminded of it, especially the opening phases. At first I thought it was Grezzo with extra citrus and some peppermint. Is that the shared castoreum, perhaps? And then it develops into a really complex set of accords which to my nose is dominated by peppermint, with Mysore sandalwood (creamy smooth), rose (to deepen and join with the sandalwood), a hint of vanilla (to sweeten and kiss the others), and frankincense (to sparkle a little and raise our heads). A really interesting and enjoyable experience. I have only just tried it though and will be interested to see what it might be like in larger doses and in different weathers (it's winter right now).

Lasts ages, has good sillage for 2-3 hours and then retreats gradually to medium/low sillage - just above skin level. (A really good tip, if you don't know it already, is to put some on the front of your wrist. Every time you raise your hands towards your face, you'll smell it. I also like to put some on my sideburns - the hair seems to hang on to the oils longer/evaporation is a little slower.)

How does it make me feel? It's quite a zingy feel from the lemony peppermint, which is youthful and with the castoreum a bit frisky, but it's also sophisticated and centred, rather as L'Aventurier perhaps has already commented. I will certainly enjoy the rest of my small sample and, depeding on how my other Via Profumo samples pan out, it may well reach the Buy a Bigger Bottle list!

2nd February, 2011.

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Tabac by AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo

I was very surprised to read JBHoren’s review, especially his experience of it as being like newly mown grass. There is almost nothing green in this for me. My experience of Tabac is very much in tune with the other reviews so far; I too have fallen under the spell of this warm, heady fragrance. It is so complex and well blended that I’m not sure which elements are tobacco and which are other things entirely. As others have already done a fine job describing things, I’ll add only some brief comments. For me, the fragrance is in part a cross between a Padron maduro anniversario cigar - dark, rich, sweet (but not overly sweet), fermented or pressure-cured tobacco, with accents of cocoa and hazelnut - and “Turkish” tobacco - sun cured leaf from N. Africa, Turkey or Greece, with spice and a little dryness/light hay-ness. There are also hints of dried fruit (prunes mostly, I think), tea (or is it bergamot orange?), something rose-moss like and even the faintest, merest whisper of butter cooked mushrooms. (I have never had labdanum pointed out to me as a smell but wonder if the earthiness of the rose/moss/mushroom is labdanum?) With the more noticeable but still beautifully balanced softness of tonka and vanilla, I’m in heaven. This will definitely be a regular frag for me.

Slightly worried about what would happen if he fell under a bus (does he have his recipes written down - does he have an apprentice?!) and I can’t wait to try some of his other fragrances.

28th October, 2010.

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Spanish Leather by Geo F Trumper

I love this juice. It's not as sophisticated or as complex as many others but it is addictive in its warm, classic, slightly soapiness. It seems to be widely appreciated by the women in my office, which is more than can be said for one or two of my other frag choices. On my skin, it's a mix of a warmer, more friendly version of Creed's English Royal Leather combined with shavings of Imperial Leather soap. I've only just rediscovered Trumpers, having been introduced to them by my Dad, many, many years ago. I'm in the same camp as someone else writing here in that Trumpers as a house forms a triumvirate of favourites, the others being Guerlain and Creed. Yummy.

8th October, 2010.

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Eau de Verveine by Penhaligon's

I get all of the listed notes; after an hour or so they're all at play together, which for me isn't necessarily a good thing. I find this combination of sage, lavender and cedar quite difficult to enjoy and the adding of musk and vanilla just seems to make a silk purse of what I think for me is, I'm afraid, a bit of a sow's ear. I'm giving it a neutral because it keeps my interest through its disharmony and doesn't particularly offend. I won't be buying a bottle though.

30th September, 2010.

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Silver Mountain Water by Creed

A deep blackcurrant tea, with a milky stone metallic lifter note coupled with a violet and herb (was it the faintest hint of rosemary?) accord. Early on, bright, sparkling and uplifting, developing into a warmer, heartbeat of core Creed Millisime with currant and the other aforementioned notes. The result is persistent to my nose, in a background kind of way, prompting me to take regular and proper sniffs to get the full effect. (Get your nose right in there and even the early high notes can be re-found!) Fairly linear but complex all the same, and the interplay between the notes keeps it deliciously interesting. Seems to last at least 7 hours on me (autumn season), although I’ve yet to establish the power of its projection and sillage. Green Irish Tweed could be in the process of being dislodged by this brew as a regular daytime frag for me. Yummy.

14th October, 2008.

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Ambre Russe by Parfum d'Empire

Once again Vibert's take on things is similar to mine. Rather than simply repeat his review, I'll add simply that this is a brew which on my skin seems to meld with my own natural scent (in complete contrast with something like Terre d'Hermes, which smells like itself and is pretty much the same on everyone). The result is a warm amber that's subtle and nicely balanced. Nothing earth shattering though and I too would have liked more leather or booze to keep things interesting!

13rd October, 2008.

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Cuir de Russie by Piver

Wonderful birch high note but it lasts only seconds on me before heading straight into quite a sweet powdery carnation, honey, leather melange. Give it an hour or two and on me it develops, with the occasional spicy note along the way, into something reminiscent of Habit Rouge but in my opinion not as balanced, interesting or sophisticated as that and certainly a million miles away from the masterpiece that is Chanel's Cuir de Russie.

I tried the re-issue and not the original/vintage stuff. I can imagine an earlier version being a fabulous 70's French gay brew, as eluded to in other reviews here.

8th October, 2008.

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Idole de Lubin by Lubin

Vibert's comments express almost exactly my own experience of this one. Like the man says, it is quite a challenging fragrance and I like that about it - keeps my interest, both sensually and intellectually. I'm on the verge of struggling with many aspects of it, especially the amber/palm/sugar/red sandalwood sweetness in the dry down. All in all, although I really enjoy the creativity and artfulness of Idole, for me it is an occasional treat rather than a regular indulgence.

9th July, 2008.

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Acier Aluminium by Creed

I’m new to this lark and this is my first review. I’ve tried several Creeds in the past (GIT is a daily standard) but this is certainly different from the standards. I got the high notes others have suggested, enjoyed them and just wished that they’d hung around for longer than 20 minutes. However, I found the dry down on me to be quite an unpleasant experience. Yes, I got the warm amber and spice (a hint of cinnamon’s in there), but I couldn’t shake off the peculiar sharpness that reminded me of Mitsouko gone sour. It’s like a ship’s head/toilet and I found it completely overwhelmed everything else. In fact I found it so nauseating that I had eventually (4 hrs later) to wash it off. Powerful stuff too – I only used two small tester vial drops. Maybe it’s my chemistry and maybe it’s a bad association with sailing holidays with my Dad (!) but this ‘un gets a thumbs down from me.

29th June, 2008.

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