Fragrance Reviews by Joe_Frances

In the battle between English Fern by Penhaligon and Wild Fern by Geo. T., I finally and reluctantly decided on the Trumper, although it was close. I love the smell of fern in a man's fragrance, it is so fresh and unique. Department store colognes DO NOT include this scent. The problem is that neither of these lasts very long. Still they are terrific, and in this race, it's the sweet, natural smelling Trumper's Wild Fern by a nose.

Joe

This is a very fine Fern fragrance, which is classic without being "old fashioned"; formal but not stuffy. While I like it very much, it loses out by a leaf to Wild Fern by Trumper which is just a tad more lively and interesting. English Fern, however, has its admirers, and for good reason. It is a rich fragrance and very much carries the smell of indoor ferns, whereas Wild Fern is a bit lighter and "out-doorsy". The Penhaligon is nevertheless an excellent choice. And an almost perfect fragrance for the business man who wants to stand out but not obtrusively so.

Joe

It smells nice enough in a sort of generic way, it just doesn't last long enough. There is not a lot of structure to this one, I guess you could say it is diffuse in its structure [is this what some others refer to as ozone?]. If you spray it on too heavily, the initial impact [30 minutes or so] will be too much; apply it too lightly and it is gone by the time you leave the house in the morning. Why can't we have both subtle AND longer-lasting fragrances for men? Am I asking too much? There are so few, and this is not one of them.

I am very captivated by LV Uomo, and I think it is one of the best mens fragrances on the market. It is, I guess, a citrus fragrance, but the vetiver, neroli, patchouli; as well as seductive layer/s of rosewood and/or sandalwood, add incredible complexity, depth and an incense-like haze that is IMHO unheard of in a citrus fragrances. It is very interesting to study what Maestro Villoresi did in developing the fragrances he created in the "blue bottle" line. Hein started with Uomo and then subsequently mae the other creations in this classic line. Uomo has all the elements that he later singled out in his those creations such as Sandalo, Incensi and Vetiver, etc... There were all in that first great fragrance as an astonishing burst of creative energy with all the essential notes he loves, then inspired by Uomo, he broke them down, and singled out certain of those notes for discrete renditions in his later fragrances in this line. Most creators would make the individual fragrances and then later on in a career, add them together as a summation of the creative experience-- the final statement. Villoresi did the opposite. It is fantastic! Yet, this fragrance will not startle one; it doesn't shout its special-ness. It awaits recognition of its unique qualities. I usually associate citrus frags with the warmer months, but I think Uomo would honor the wearer anytime of the year, it is such an amalgamation of hot and cold elements, but perhaps it would be best in the variable climate of the transitional seasons, Fall and Spring. Highly recommended and treasured, now, in my collection for years.

Well, a reasonable interval has passed since my "neutral" review of Chevalier D'Orsay, and after the passage of a year, I must change my vote to an enthusiastic thumbs up! The reason for this change had nothing to do with an adjustment in my sense of the Cd'O that I purchased; it was the fact that I tried and ended up purchasing a new 100ml bottle in NYC that smelled much better than the smaller bottle I had previously bought on-line. The web product was sweeter and more subdued, nice but not really great, and was a little too feminine for me. In fact, I believe it was an old bottle, and "past its sell by date". The bottle from Bergdorf's was made up of mostly of the same notes, but was fresh with a more dominant lavender and other "masculine" elements completely changed the overall accord for me, and gave it a sharper edge. This new bottle is a great fragrance, and it is now one of my signature fragrances. Rich, warm, subtle, but not tired and truly wonderful. I agree with all the positive reviews that came before, and disavow my prior vote,based upon this newly discovered "evidence". The appeal is granted. Chevalier d'Orsay wins. Right has been done.

Hugh Parsons Blue is a fragrance easy to miss if you try it once and make up your mind within ten minutes of initial application, and don't check in with it throughout the day. It takes a bit of effort to fully appreciate this awesome fragrance. The secret of this brilliant scent is that it is many different things as it sails blissfully through the day, and has one of the most brilliant evolutions of any fragrance I have ever tried. It can be citrusy and formal, then over the length of a day it becomes warm and inviting and goes on and on. In a phrase it has one of the best most impressive fragrances I have ever tried. Early on, the fragrance smells citrusy and a little starchy, and is a bit formal, fresh and clean. But later it evolves into a warm, rich sandalwood and spice fragrance that holds on to the citrus and starch, but blends everything into a glorious structure that maintains it hold on your consciousness for up to twelve hours. I admit I missed the point on this when I first bought it. In fact, I wanted to sell my Parsons Blue when I first bought it. After a few months I realized it was very special. Now it is something I want to have in my wardrobe for the foreseeable future. It is one of my signature scents. I just pray "they" will keep making it.

An intriguingly complex fragrance that has some rose in and out of the scene. Love this, but I find it hard to understand and fully appreciate. I think of this is a sophisticated avant gard fragrance with enigmatic sharp/soft olfactory elements, that is one thing indoors, and something else outside--- particularly in the winter. In the cold weather the notes pop like mad with almost shimmering 3-D sillage. Although I don't see cinnamon in the pyramid, I smell a distinct rose and cinnamon combo in the chilly air, that is out of this world. When worn in warm weather, the rose in DC 1913 has to fight for its place in the sun and it is a tad lacking in excitement. I smell no tobacco, sadly, although there is a lot of incense that I can't define as frankincense, since I have no earthly idea what stand-alone frankincense smells like. This doesn't really smell like a fragrance that evolves from a custom tailoring connection or heritage, as does Kiton fragrance. It would be a closer association to say this fragrance takes its inspiration from a quality high-end art gallery or small chic museum, IMHO. Keep it light on application and it can be subtle and sophisticated. Overdue it and it's probably obnoxious. A masculine semi-rose best for Fall and Winter.

A pretty nice vetiver fragrance that is on the light side of the scale of rich, earthy vetivers. I like this well enough, but not sure it stands out in the crowded field of vetivers as something extraordinary or "must have". There is no special seduction here, unless you are easily seduced by vetivers. The Villoresi is far more complex and intriguing; the FMalle drier and more sophisticated; and the Floris far more strangely radical yet conventional and wholly enigmatic. The Tauer is nice enough, but not enough for me, sorry to say. Enough said.

A very green and somewhat synthetic fragrance, Ivy League is a touch disappointing after trying and buying the flagship giant Domenico Caraceni 1913. One might think of freshly mowed grass and some light mixed field florals with this and be somewhat content. The only problem is that it smells like a DuPont illusion of a fresh fragrance. The old motto, "Better living through chemistry" comes to mind. For a similar but altogether more natural and convincing take on the same subject look for Profumum's Victrix, which is twice the price and probably worth it. As it is, this is not an ordinary fragrance. Think clean and green, and you're pretty much there-- but is that really associated with anything Ivy League?

This is a very intriguing fragrance. Smooth, soft, distinctive, neither masculine nor feminine, it is the scent of ambiguity and charm; refinement that doesn't seem to fit into easy categories. This Nose likes to push the envelope with seeming opposites. Lemon and amber; neroli and cedar-- what can we make of these notes? It is not for us to figure out. Why bother to try to figure out what is going on? I find this refreshing in the morning with citrus notes; playful in the afternoon, keeping me uplifted with light florals; and calm in the evening with amber and cedar. Not spicy really; not fruity, it is a very special fragrance that could be worth the pot of gold it takes to acquire. We are moving into slightly unchartered territory here. Bravo!

A wonderful fragrance that is true to its name. A beautiful, masculine green spring and summer fragrance that is very special and very desirable. Not much more needs to be said. It smells wonderfully natural and easy to wear. Very expensive, but this is a very companionable product.

The continued search for the most intriguing rose fragrance led me as in a trance to the fragrance counter at Barneys for an extended testing of this curious little thing. Rose Noire is makes no suggestion of night or darkness, in my opinion. Citrus and especially grapefruit is about as 'noire-ish' as orange juice. This is neither day nor night, but definitely not night. The notes are riotous, yet subdued - - traffic in the distance. A modern work, like modern music or modern art, more discord that accord, yet toned down to a moderate contemporary sensibility-- a whisper. I am at a loss what to make of this. How can you hate a low-keyed fragrance that won't get you in trouble with the fragrance police or the secretarial staff? Isn't it interesting to wear a fragrance that is elusive and perplexing? Yet, who can walk out of a concert humming a tune by Cage or Ligetti? Do you understand the foreign allusions in the poems comprising "The Four Quartets"? This is not easy to relate to. Yet it is interesting. Citrus and musk together, generally work together like onions and mayo in my book. Ultimately, I find this hard to related to and very expensive to boot. In the final analysis, rose is so not what this fragrance is about, at least from the way the notes played out on my skin. A fascinating totally different citrus fragrance is the best way I could describe this. Try it if you want to know what a citrus with a suggestion of rose is like; buy it if you can relate and are quite well off. I dare you. Avant garde and cooly intellectual so, maybe it is more a conceptual art piece than music. A brave artist's experimental piece, multi media and in a non-existent foreign language. Hmmm. Maybe it's the work of a mad scientist, a genius, who knows. I know life is strange enough, I don't need a strange intriguing fragrance. At least not right now.

I love the leather in this. It is fairly up front and dominant in a way that is difficult to describe except to say that if Tom Ford hadn't done this perhaps Santa Maria Novella might have. It is wonderfully unusual and can be modern, classic, generically masculine and unisex at the same time. I love dominant leather fragrances, and this is right up there. Compare and contrast with Spanish Leather by Santa Maria Novella first. I can't tell the Spanish from the Italian, but both are muy bien, multo bene.

This is a great fragrance for a women who doesn't want strong florals, but wants citrus and sweetness. It is as John Fletcher said in the wonderful movie "Double Harness" it is, "cooly virginal yet alluring." I love it and think that a woman who wears this with style and panache has got to be noticed, and more than that take seriously, if not taken to dinner. Atmospheric, brilliant and subtle, Diorella is one of the best woman's fragrances available. Speaking as one who admires this from the boy's side of the fence, ladies, if you don't want roses or lilacs, go try this. And rent the movie, "Double Harness"- - it is one of the greats from the early thirties. Diorella makes me think of the brilliant and wonderful Ann Harding. No one in Hollywood today, except maybe Diane Lane, comes close.

Green Irish Tweed is a wonderful scent for a man who is ambivalent about fragrances. It is strong, cool, a bit distant, but not unappealing. It is iconi? Well, I am afraid I have trouble separating this from Cary Grant, who supposed wore this it certainly smells like Cary might have in "To Catch a Thief" for one. Of course he supposedly he wore a lot of things, when he wore things. Yes, I love green fragrances, and this is very green-- green and tweedy, if you must. A man who loves vetiver, but wants a little more than just vetiver should rush out to try this. But remember Cary Grant, don't rush too quickly. Iconic? What a bore, it's only a fragrance. Chill out with GIT.

Yellow rose and some wood, this is a soft somewhat sweet mellow floral that is absolutely lovely. Lovely, I think, for a special lady, like Katherine Hepburn, who wears trousers, drinks Famous Grouse, and smokes. For a guy? A close thing, but in the final analysis, I think not. I wear my samples in the evening when it is soothing and rich and works with a dressing gownt, but only then. Thumbs up for ladies and a neutral for the fellows. Try it if yellow rose fragrance intrigues.

This is a very odd fragrance indeed. It has elements of classic barbershop, mixed with all sorts of stuff that is supposed to include pomegranate. I suppose there is pomegranate, it certainly is like pomegranate, because it's sour and seedy. One could possibly find SMN Melograno "refreshing" -- tart and refreshing. Unfortunately, I find the tart turns to our and as time goes by the sweet/sour elements become a muddle that never resolves into anything very satisfying. I can imagine wearing this and people around me making that exaggerated sniffy sound with their noses, wondering what the heck that smell is. I don't want to be the cause of all that. Might be good to wear liberally if you have unexpected company and you had hoped for a quiet weekend alone.

A number of good scent companies make something called: "Spanish Leather" but in comparison, they are pale pastels compared to this gutsy leather concoction from Santa Maria Novella. The leather accord is not masked, spiced or sweetened. It is presented here as a straightforward smooth leather smell that is strong and almost gets into your throat. I have no earthly idea what makes this "Spanish", per se, but it is most assuredly quality saddle leather with all its sonorous richness. Yes, I meant sonorous rather than olfactory richness. The one magical thing about this is that it makes me think very directly of the sound saddle leather makes when it is moved or twisted-- that pulling skin sound of leather. No other leather fragrance actually makes me think of the experience with leather itself, except this one. Not for the faint of heart, but for the few who really want leather polite saddle soap.

The fragrance for horsemen; duck hunters; lovers of the 'County Set' lifestyle-- stylish outdoorsmen all, and this is their fragrance. I think of Evelyn Waugh in the beautiful bold plaid country suit, maybe with plus-fours and boots. After a long, happily tiring day out on the estate, one settles back into a friendly old leather chair before the fire, caressing a crystal glass generously poured with a single malt, and a whiff of Equipage adds to the experience perfectly. I get a lovely cinnamon note here, although it does not appear to be in the list of elements. I like this fragrance very much, although I generally shun florals, but this one is definitely for the "old boys". It is a complex masculine thing, with a lot of English sensibility, which is amazing for a French product.

Paratus is a lovely, clean, citrus, pine and patchouli fragrance that is manly and somewhat cool in presentation. Works in any circumstance, business, formal or "off hours," it would be a great choice for a man who doesn't like the idea of fragrances all that much. It is difficult to get subtle and distinctive, but this succeeds. You won't get "ooh, I love your cologne" but you might hear, "hmmm, are you wearing cologne or is that just YOU?"

Say it's you.

This is a soft, woody incense fragrance with just a touch of dark gourmand that is very charming. I first tried it at a very posh mens' tailoring shop in Seattle, and was advised that it was a favorite of the establishment's Microsoft-type clients. I said, " oh really?", and wondered....how many of those guys wear bespoke suits? A very nice gentleman's fragrance with aspects of English and Italian vibe to it that you never see around, but is excellent in a very subtle way.

Opulent, decadent, theatrical, sweet and strangely pungent, this is one wild fragrance! If I went to a perfume museum, I might spend time admiring this. But if someone said, "How about wearing this?" I would have to say, you've got to be kidding! This goes best with opera pearls and elbow length gloves. If my wife wore this, I would feel a little sheepish in the restaurant as the waiter would likely give me a funny look. Wear this to work, gents, and people will talk.... a lot.

This is one of the most elusive fragrances I have ever had the pleasure, privilege and frustration to wear. It is suave, soft, beautiful, masculine, feminine, angelic, spiritual and distant. Some scents are bold and "out there"; others are subtle; others are what they call "skin scents" in that they ride close to the skin; this is a soul scent. You can only smell it tangentially and by inference by looking into one's soul. Like an old church with no present incense wafting, but a lingering impression of incense that was once there but is now mostly gone. That is how I experience this most amazing fragrance. Angelique Encens Tangentiale, what is that? Is that my Angelique Encens? Maybe, maybe not; strange I thought it was, how nice it was. Too bad I really can't smell it. Best for those who fully understand Kierkegaard's "Being and Nothingess". The perfect scent for the equally elusive Greta Garbo. Unisex, but better for gals. Holy Subtle. I would get it if I could get it, but I don't really get it. My loss I guess.

Another hip, mod, up-to-date, "with it", cutting-edge fragrance that IMHO smells like a little old lady's cedar chest filled with cherished memories, such as doilies, ribbon-wrapped letters, pressed flowers and such. I smell the sweetness and the cedar and all I can think of is knitting and the victrola. Maybe I am too retro to be truly modern, but I would run as fast as I could away from this. As John Wayne might have said, "What'a ya kiddin' me?" Considering everything, this could be the signature fragrance of Quentin Crisp, or his ma-,a'

The words that come to mind with Bois d'Orage are: harsh and off-putting. On the political side: it's radically anti-establishment. This is a fragrance for Camus or Satre. "If you don't like what I am wearing, well what is that to me, eh? You do not understand." It is the polar opposite of Blenheim Bouquet, which can also be off putting (at first), and has been described, correctly, I think, as aristocratic. "My fragrance? Well, I am not entirely sure, madam, whether I am actually wearing a fragrance. Perhaps you are mistaken?" While I truly prefer unabashedly masculine fragrances, and despise some so-called "men's fragrances" that are too floral or too sweet, this is at the other extreme. It could use a dash of something nice in it. All in all, not a fragrance I could warm up. I guess I am not a radical enough to understand.

This is a monument to the artistry of perfume making. It is very hard to review such a nearly-perfect product. There is something about the hot pepper note in Patou PH that is a complete stroke of genius that makes this unequalled, and that would leave one wondering: where ever did he think of that?! It is iconic, unique and supremely sophisticated and masculine in a way that few, if any, fragrances today could ever be. It is rich, slightly warm, incredibly complex; sweet only for a moment, and the moment's gone. Too great to last, it is sadly gone, and like Garbo, all the more alluring for its absence. You can catch a hint in samples, and see its name mentioned, but to get a lot of this, enough of this, well, that's not really possible is it?

G-11 by Profumo is in my estimation the most underrated top quality fragrances on the market today. In fact, it's so underrated it's essentially unknown amid the din and hype of an advertising climate that seduces everyone of every age to buy mediocre fragrances. G-11 is a rich, smooth, intoxicating scent that is green, fresh and herbal up front, and develops into a rich, tobacco and warm spice finish that lasts and lasts. It is not sweet and is very distinctive. It's longevity can only be described as tenacious. As with a powerhouse EdeP, which this is, apply sparingly for best results. On luckyscent.com, I called it an Aramis for the 21st Century, unabashedly masculine but not aggressive and definitely not dated, it is made to be appreciated by men of all ages and anyone fortunate enough to be nearby. I am sorry that our friends in Los Angeles have dropped it form their roster. If only more people could have gotten over the unappealing name and given this a try! G-11? What's that, an international summit conference that young people like to protest against? No, it's one of the finest EdeP's on the market today, and in a word it is great! Passed over by many who fail to appreciate subtlety and class, think of the Brioni add: "Be One of a Kind". That applies to G-11, in spades.

Mogul is a 21st Century incarnation of a late 1970s-early 1980s powerhouse fragrance. It bears a resemblance to it's a second cousin on its mother's side, the redoubtable Hugh Boss Uno, both of which are gently bewitching. Mogul differs from its ancestors in that it is not overwhelming, and will not cause consternation in its wearers as to whether its sillage will cause disruptions (read coughs or snide comments) in the commercial, social or domestic setting. In fact, Mogul is a gent, it is rich citrusy. warm, sophisticated and nicely complex in a 21st Century way -- just a touch sweet as it develops, but not so as to be a problem. It is not like late 70s Van Cleef & Arpels or Givenchy Gentleman, which are loved and revered, but can not be warn without a high degree of prudence and sharp self-awareness. You should always be careful not to over apply anything, but Mogul is less likely to cause problems in this area. This is a subtle smell of power and sophistication that can make it onto the street with confidence. A distinction has to be made with a fragrance such as Birley, which one could also call a subtle, sophisticated, and (perhaps) moneyed smell. The fact is Birley is purely contemporary, whereas Mogul harkens back to the earlier age, and successfully updates the vibe, as I have said above. I would have wished I had perceived the patchouli note called out in this pyramid. I didn't, but in the final analysis I was all right with that. This starts off fresh and green and moves to mellow more bronze-like aspect. While it is not too strong, it amazingly lasts all day, moving to the mellower aspects of its nature as time goes by. In the final analysis, Mogul deserves an enthusiastic thumbs up because it stands out nicely from the stampede of "me too" fragrances, and while it is totally contemporary, it has a character all its own, and has an ambitious goal to reflect classic taste, and succeeds. More Pierce Brosnan's "Thomas Crown Affair" than Steve McQueen's, yet it still reflects Thomas Crown; not an easy feat, and very well done. Works in all venues, can go to the best parties.

Clubman is a Victorian gentleman's aftersahve, that would work well with straight razor and waxed moustache. Actually, for a very small custom, it is the essence of what many, including yours truly, have been searching for in the way of an ultimate barbershop fragrance. This costs about $200 less than Antico Caruso, and is in the same ballpark. Only problem, it is oily and can be cloying, especially if you've had it for a long time. By the way, the same thing applies to the other fragrance named here by Profumum.

This fragrance convinces me that a lot of what we think of as "leather" fragrance is actually a saddle soap fragrance, which we associate with leather. This is a wonderful combination of saddle soap and barbershop with just a touch of an unidentifiable "dirty" element that makes it very interesting. Clean and yet not entirely clean. A wonderful masculine fragrance of great suavity and charm, Trumper's Spanish Leather goes beyond any label as "casual" or "dressy". Yes, it's casual and yes it's dressy, leathery and yet, more than that. An excellent product from a first rate house.

Of the trinity of Dior/Slimane specials, this is the least interesting. Not that it is uninteresting, because it a lovely mild slightly sweet fragrance that is totally unisex, and although I like the rosemary, I am a little down on almond these days as a touch cloying. Overall it is light, pleasant and expensive. Cologne Blanche will not appeal to anyone looking for distinction in their fragrances, but might be a nice alternative to someone who is in touch with the vibe of something like Anvers or the preferable and worthy Anvers 2.

When I first bought Arlington, I was disappointed with the weak staying power which I initially observed in the winter. After months in the drawer of neglect, some messenger angel must have whispered in my ear that I might try it in the summer. Lo and behold, in the summer it doesn't vanish in 20 minutes! It is surely a light clean fragrance, but it lasts for about four hours and can be detected by those in fairly close range. This is a very diplomatic fragrance, and a charming but introspective fragrance, if that descriptive can be used for cologne. It doesn't call attention to itself, and as a consequence, you smell clean and great, but people just think you are just a charming, bright guy who uses a nice soap with a distinctive citrus and fern aroma.

I apply the clear liquid liberally from the splash bottle (the only option) with no fear of a citation from the Air Quality people, and feel great when I leave the house. My wife, who rolls her eyes if I wear something too strong (Yardley Gentleman!!!), takes a big breath and wants to give me a kiss and hug as I go off wearing Arlington. Imagine that! I bet not even DR Harris wouldn't think Arlington is a "sexy" fragrance. Well, I highly recommend this for summer, or to anyone living in a warm climate. Arlington is the best argument I know for the proposition that some fragrances are simply best in certain seasons, and less good in others.

Joe

This is among the most wearable of vetiver fragrances. It is subtle, charming and companionable. It is also complex, intriguing and versatile. Soft but with good longevity, it is not too forward'; it is not noisy. This is not at all your natural "just out of the ground" rooty, dirty vetiver that would appeal most to agronomists. No, it doesn't have an essence of recently cultivated terra firma after a heavy rain storm. No, it is a vetiver that smells nice and clean. It is a very lovely, charming fragrance that has equal elements of old world charm; Italian barbershop propriety and unassuming elegance. This is not an overly masculine vetiver, and while I believe it is primarily a man's fragrance, it might do well for females looking for something with suavity and a touch of bite that is not overly floral or in any way "girly", There is a touch of floral too, but just a touch. So, it's not really "unisex"-- what a crass name. It's more universal for the discerning. Aesthetically catholic, like Acqua di Parma, but less......, well one hates to say it but, less common.

Mazzolari Lui has an intriguing motor oil and dirty rags element that reminds me of a workshop, yet it co-mingles this with the subtle sweetness of what I think of as great bourbon, which gives it an overall accord that is deep, dark, unique and wonderfully masculine. It is almost impossible to pin this fragrance down as to what it is, or how or when one might wear it. In the final analysis, this thing of picking and wearing fragrances is a very personal business, and if you like bold and dark fragrances you will love this. At first I thought it was for casual wear. Then I tried it in a light application in winter with my favorite suit, and it was truly excellent. I could see Clark Gable or Robert Mitchum wearing this. Also, strangely enough, Dirk Bogarde. Figure that out if you can. If you love Givenchy Gentleman, but like me have trouble conceiving it as something to actually wear in public, I think Mazzolari Lui lightly applied would be a terrific choice. Of course, I would recommend you wear it first in a small gathering of friends who will tell you the truth. You'll want to know if you can pull this off. Odds are you will. Rare; expensive; impossible to describe fully: yes, yes, and yes. Great? Answer: profoundly great. We may have missed out on Patou Pour Homme, but this is still in production so no need to sigh and wish. And no excuses! You can get your hands on this.

To this point, my experiences with rose fragrances have not been very happy ones. My reaction to Hammam Bouquet might be compared to the way one might react to having a black widow spider crawl up the side of one's neck while trying to fall asleep. I liked VdeR all right, but not a lot. I, therefore, approached Le Labo Rose 31 with misgivings, and maybe a bit of pornographic curiosity. Just looking with one eye open, I peeked and wondered: "How bad could this be?" Well, pepper married to a rich but not sweet rose makes a fantastic man's fragrance! It has been a long time since I was taken by surprise as much as I was with this. My experience is different that RS's. If I had found this to have been a sweet rose fragrance, I think I would have passed. As it is I found the red rose notes were clear and a touch austere, but not too strong, and the pepper is sufficiently sharp to make it truly a man's scent. They say there are 31 notes in this. I must be lacking in olfactory discernment, because I can make out only 2 clearly, but they are great, so I am not disappinted, or searching for the others. Maybe they will turn up eventually. This will suit a lot of men, I reckon; not just dandies or fragrances enthusiasts, but also a lot of stylish men of a wide range of ages and tastes. It also has decent longevity. I asked a couple of daring women co-workers to sniff this, and strangely and almost startlingly, they didn't detect the rose note first. The said it was clean and fresh and manly. True, they may not be NOSES, but they are the people I see five days a week, and they liked this. So, the results were very positive. For me, this is a true mood elevator. I can't help but smile when I put this on. What a pleasant smelling surprise!

Clubman Special Reserve is terrific! It starts of sharply with leather and tight balancing florals that I can't make out, in terms of specific notes. It's strong and manly, and it reminds me of the leather fragrances that were hot in the late 70s and very early 80s. As with all Clubman fragrances (at least all the ones I know, which are NOT all the ones listed) it's got a wonderful authentic barbershop vibe. The dry down brings in a touch of amber/vanilla that softens the sharp accord without necessarily sweetening it. This is a fascinating inexpensive fragrance that has the potential to have cache, if anyone would bother to notice. It is manly, and gentlemanly at the same time. Best, I think, for a casual lifestyle: either a nice suit with an open collared shirt, or cowboy boots, jeans, and LL Bean. Somehow it puts me in mind of Clark Cable in some of his later films. A straight up guy, kind of tough, but kind of funny. That's what this is like. A special reserve for a regular Joe.

The opening of Trafalgar is very promising. Sharp yet slightly floral, it was a nice barbershop fragrance, as you might expect from T & H. I liked it a lot, even if it wasn't terribly distinctive. The problem was/is the drydown, wherein I detected a "cedar-and-mellon" mix that I really didn't like. Longevity is moderate, but since I didn't care for this after about thirty minutes, that was a bit of a blessing. My sense is that Truefitt & Hill wanted to make this something of a traditional fragrance with modern elements. The modern part went astray, IMHO. Stick to their traditional fragrances, which are worthy,

While this smells a little dated to me, I still seen to be drawn to it. Could that mean I am a bit dated myself? Well, maybe but let's get back on track. This is a very nice mixture of half strong uberman powerhouse; and half sweet guy that appeals to me. Something about a whiff of lavender; mixed with a touch of honey and backed up by pachouli that intrigues me. It's a pretty tasty scent sandwich. I think of Indiana Jones when I smell this-- very masculine and a touch romantic. It would be a very nice place for some guys to start in search of a signature fragrance. For some us, it might be a place to go back to when we feel a little "dated" ourselves. Hurray for yesterday!

On me Blenheim Bouquet started off as a fairly sharp lemon and pepper fragrance with a touch of sweat, that morphed into a softer pepper with a touch of sweet. I didn't smell any pine, or herbal elements at all. This was not at all sexy or even concerned about being liked by anyone at all. I guess the word haughty comes to mind. The reason for wearing this? I am sure I don't know. Maybe the wearer just likes it for its cool aristocratic panache. I would certainly appeal to someone who likes a dressy and somewhat formal fragrance, but not too formal. This would work well for a teacher or a tailor or someone who wouldn't want to wear anything suggestive of sex appeal. Fascinating in it goes its own way, when most fragrances today are going in other ways. Would love to smell this on someone else. My guess is that it wouldn't smell anything like it did on me. It likes to be appreciated from a distance.

After seeing Aramis on mens' fragrance counters for over 25 years and avoiding it for its obvious mass market appeal, I am thinking that it is time to purchase it afterall. A healthy sample from the soon-to-be-no-more Marshall Fields was dry, resinous, spicy, minerally, fairly long-lasting and very pleasantly masculine. The drydown makes the various harmonious notes (which are a bit "up front" at first) subtle and assured. I must say that the mens' fragrance counter staff at one of NYC's larger menswear emporia wasted no time in dissing Aramis to me one day, suggesting that it was dated and worse that it is made from artificial ingredients. (I have no basis to admit or deny such statements and ignored them.) In response, I asked if that were true why did they sell it? It was suggested in response that some men ask for it. I said, "maybe alot of men like it." Much as I prefer to find my own path in this area, which often leads me to "the road less traveled" area of small niche makers, I feel that Aramis is, after all, quite terrific! It would be fine for both work and social ocassions. It must be that I had to wait until the hoopla and hype disappeared before I would venture to this product. I am not sure. Maybe it's that I too have somehow incredibly turned that corner to incipient modern maturity from an advanced stage of youth (puer eternus). Or maybe I have just decided not let my Edmund Burkeian prejudices against what has obviously appealed to many cloud my experience of this most worthy long distance runner.

Applied prudently this is a very impressive, and elegant mens' fragrance from the heyday of 80s powerhouse blends. I apply it sparingly, and it still lasts a fairly long time-- a good four to five hours. JHL is warm and sweet spicy with a lovely dominant cinnamon note. At times I am concerned that JHL is too forward; and a bit "perfume-y" Nevertheless, it is a very fine scent that's it in my regular rotation in the Fall and Winter months. Maybe a little bit dated, but its rarity and beauty make it special.

Joe

If Aramis 900 were really original Aramis with an added subtle hint of rose to cut the rougher notes, then I would have absolutely loved this. I am enthsiastic about Lorenzo Villoresi Sandalo for this very reason-- a austere dry sandalwood with a beautiful subtle supporting rose basenote. But Aramis 900 is not this way. To make a musical analogy: I love florals that are the fragrance equivalents of violas not violins. The violin is the lead in the string quartet, and they set the pace and play the melody. The violin is the up front player. The viola plays a quieter supporting tone that makes the music more rich and profound. A string quartet without a viola would be too strident. You don't really notice the viola, but without it the music just wouldn't be right. In the same way, I really like florals that play the viola part-- the support, the complex feature that does not have to be up front. Here in Aramis 900, IMHO the florals are too forward, too much the violin, not the viola. As a result, this is a unisex fragrance tending dangerously toward a matronly sensibility, and not by any means unabashedly masculine. Caveat emptor!

This is a subtle rose, cedar and sandalwood fragrance that is an introverted cousin of Rose 31 by Le Labo. Where Le Labo has a similar presentation, the personalities are different. In comparison, Rose 31 is more upfront, with greater projection and longevity. 10 Corso Como is wonderfully subtle and understated. A great place for a guy to experiment with rose. Why is this listed as a woman's fragrance only? Guys and gals will like this, or love this depending, on their appreciation for very subtle fragrances.

Of all the currently available Spanish Leather fragrances, the Santa Maria Novella has the strongest leather element. Everything in this fragrance that is NOT leather or saddle soap simply supports the leather element. Wonderful in its natural exposition of leather, but who wants to smell like a beautiful worn English saddle? Not recommended for dress or semi-formal occasions, except maybe Derby day.

A very nice slightly sweet fragrance that has some of the ruminative cola elements of Sables, but goes a different way from there. Less "dark" in its overall aspect than Sables, the leather is in evident at the start, but soon fades and disappears all together fairly quickly. Although I am dubious about the supposed historical antecedents of this fragrance in Imperial Russia, and its packaging that alludes to Colonial America, I still think it is a very good winter fragrance that is most assuredly not like everything else on the market. And, it is also very inexpensive. All in all, a sound option.

Taylor of Old Bond St. Sandalwood is a moderately rich, soapy sandalwood fragrance with a hint of rose in it. The longevity is about 3-4 hours, with moderate to heavy projection for the first hour or so, after which it hovers close to the skin. Recommended for mature audiences or young fogeys only. Works well with tweeds and Lacoste tennis shirts. If you think of wearing this for "clubbing" it had better be the university club or gentlemen's lunch club.

Shocking! This to me smells like a dry cleaning establishment. That wonderfully outrageously seductive smell of dry cleaning fluid. Makes you want to go into that romantic business. My dear, my I hem that skirt for you? Like my frag?

First let me say that in my quiet contemplative moments I have to admit that I love Givenchy Gentleman. Second let me say that in my public persona, I am deeply concerned about even possibly wearing Givenchy Gentleman. This is a very potent fragrance, with a very upfront patchouli that really carries. I might consider wearing this in private, or in public after about five hours of development. I couldn't, however, put this on before dressing for work and expect that anyone would sit next to me on the comuter train with anything short of the disdain one might have for a fellow traveller smelling of insecticide or mothballs (not that this smells like either, that's not the point). My concern about being a NYC commuter and wearing this is based upon a true test application. When I was testing GG I sprayed some one evening before going to my 7:08 Express, the last express out of NYC on my line. A fellow commuter sitting on the other side of the train obviously noticed the GG, made a pronounced sniffing sound and gave me a look that was not subject to misinterpretation. That look said, "your stink is making it hard for me to concentrated on my laptop, you 'idiot'." I conclude that the public no longer accepts or understands these kinds of uber-masculine scents. We have to face that fact, and admire it in the privacy of our own domains. But that's not really what I buy fragrances for......... If it didn't smell so damnably fabulous, I would give it an unreserved thumbs down; but it smells so good! This would go very well with a sharply cut Savile Row suit, and hand made gloves-- the kind of things we hardly ever see anymore. To me the image of Dean Acheson comes up when I smell this. He was the last great Democrat bureaucrat. A liberal cold warrior from the late 40s and early 50s Acheson was a great dresser, but perhaps he pushed the envelope a bit with his obvious style. He had a dramatic face and sported a small slightly turned up moustache. GG would have been perfect for him in those early Truman years....

A refined, pleasant classic British (in this case Scottish) barbershop fragrance. I don't find it particularly distinctive, but it is evocative and pleasant. I speaks of quality without ostentation; and convention in the very best sense of that. Not quite sure if there is anything in it, or about it that would distinguish it as "Scottish" as compared to "English" but will leave that to more partisan noses. As I smell it, it is in the same ball park as some of the grand old Trumper, Taylor's and D.R. Harris stalwards, except it is more expensive. The dry down results in a slightly acrid note that I don't like very much, but the overall effect is all right, masculine and distinctive. For mature blokes with a bit of dosh in the pockets. Makes me think of T.S. Elliot. Does that help at all?

Grafton wants to be the soul of the shaving cream smell, and one can appreciate that it is a nice traditionally-styled mens' fragrance. Unfortunately, it has two drawbacks IMHO: it's a little too forward and a touch synthetic. It is strong and long lasting, but just a bit too aggressive for me, kind of like a Brooks Bros. fragrance on steroids. This is not very subtle, nor distinctive for that matter. Trying to get the right application of this is tricky. It reminds me of the showers in some hotels that are either way too hot or, with just the slightest turn the other way, way too cold. Grafton is either too much or not quite enough. That's another sign of a synthetic product, to my way of thinking. Ultimately, it seems to be more American than English. I might get this someday, but for now, no, not really. Not when there are so many other great mens' barbershop fragrances out there.

This is for the "new" Carven Vetiver, not the one that comes in that bottle at the top of this section. The "new" Carven (or is it really the "old" Carven come back to life?) is a very fine smokey vetiver that is graceful and fully of manly charm. I think it has some of the tobacco essences that one finds in the Guerlain, but a little less of it. The overall effect is green, rich, pungent, dry and very pleasing. It is not a vetiver full of wet earthy roots. These roots have been dried and cleaned up a little, but not too much. If this is a re-release of an older product, and not something new, then Carven has come to its senses with a very good product that deserves a try and a new audience of admirers. My only gripe with Carven is that it is too short lived. Many quality vetivers are tenacious, this one fades into the background in about 3 hours. I would have liked a bit more.

Tried this at Barneys, and at first I liked it a lot. I put on a very heathy dose. The sales clerk bemoaned the fact that the fragrance doesn't have a great following, even though she thought it was fantastic. I tried it for a day, and I lost interest within a few hours. Although it started off possessing unique aspects, after awhile, it morphed into something rather ordinary, smelling very much like a lot of other perfectly nice but not unique fragrances. So, I would conclude with two words: attractive, but ordinary.

This is a mild fragrance and mellow fragrance that reminds me somewhat of Avers 2 in its subtle richness. The 80s powerhouse fragrances were known for their strong personalities. Their style was to be rich and strong, and they were not shy about making their presence known. Well, those greats have been displaced by the often sweeter and more subtle stuff of the 21st Century. Anvers 2 and Frank 2 are a combination of the richer, warner, green and brown elements of that earlier time, morphed into that subtle, and some might say, inoffensive style of today. These two No. 2s are the best of fragrances typifying today's sensibility. They are the best, in my opinion, because they are not too sweet; not really unisex; not washed out and not lacking in personality. Powerhouses they are not. But they are not weaklings either. Frank No. 2 is to the Silicon Valley type what the earlier generation fragrances were to the Wall Street types. To each his own. Good stuff.

Heeley Cardinal has a pretentious name and a wonderful smell. It's light, bright incense of a very Roman Catholic variety; and contrasts with CdeG Avignon, which is darker and more gothic. It is also clean with just a touch of a soapy note in the development which I find works very well. I don't know if the current rage with incense fragrances will continue, but I hope this stands the test of time. I wonder, was there ever a Cardinal Heeley?

This is a beautiful warm and bracing woody fragrance that is both somewhat familiar and yet hard to pin down. What is that smell? Does it remind me of Dad- - is it something from long ago that I used to wear? Or is it rather something really new and hip? And what are those incredible notes? I smell wood, spice, some subtle floral and something like cough medicine all perfectly blended together. The cough medicine thing gives it that bracing edge that keeps it from getting too tame or cloying. It is not a loud fragrance, but it's not washed out or too reticent either. This is rich but subtle with very decent sillage. It's probably not going to appeal to a lot of kids (i.e., anyone under 30) but if you like to smell good and manly, this is right up there. I think of Clark Gable as well as Ronnie Reagan. While Royal Briar is by no means dated, it has something of a late 1950s-early 60s vibe, which would make it just right for anyone who likes that era, particularly those who like the look of Thom Browne clothes. Men who wouldn't normally wear fragrances may very well like this, and wear it proudly. Carful on pouring out, this comes only in a splash, and it comes out fast! You bring the substance, this helps with the style.

Joe

PS: At $25 for 4oz, this is an all out steal guys, go get it!

When I first tried this all I could think of was Christmas trees. I thought that as well on the second, and third, and fourth applications. This was, I thought, the fragrance of a freshly cut Christmas tree. Well, on first application, it does sort of smell like that, but that image doesn't begin to explain this singular fragrance, This is a beautiful forest fragrance with all the green and sharp notes; all the light and even the softness one might experience standing alone in a deep wood. If you are in search of a fragrance that attempts to be a window on such natural beauty try this. But remember, whatever you do, try not to think about CHRISTMAS TREES!

Maybe it's just me, but I like Colonis Intensa AND original Acqua di Parma. Yes this is different in some ways, but similar in others. It has the distinctive AdeP Italian citrus sensibility; but it is well...more intense, and somewhat longer lasting. Strangely, this fragrance is somewhat "two sided"-- it's AdeP all right, but then it has a somewhat more burnished, stronger element that is not all that AdeP. It's AdeP with a more forward, alternative side that comes through as wearing of it progresses through the day. The original is younger; fresher; and a little simpler. This is a bit more complex, with a few little spikes. It last a bit longer and has more development in the drydown than the Original, which is wonderfully more fresh, and so hopelessly evanescent. What a great name "evanescent" would be for a fragrance!

I bought Yardley Gentleman fragrance because I own, use and love the smell of Yardley Gentleman brilliantine, and wanted that aroma in an EdeT. Well, it's not the same. Not the same at all. Where the brilliantine is a warm yet subtle lavender scented hair pomade that you just want to sniff all day, this is frag that is a hodge-podge of overly aggressive elements that fight each other as well as the wearer. It is plainly and simply off-putting and will soon send you back for your slightly shy but lovely DR Harris "Arlington" (that's what it did to me) for an opportunity to wear something that speaks of subtlety in a classic English fragrance. To make matters worse, it goes a bit "funky" at mid-point in the day, and smells just plain odd, until that stale-thing passes and it moves on to a much nicer spicy clove finish that does not ameliorate the overall experience. I wanted to love this despite the less that positive reviews here, but I am afraid they were correct. I will stay with the wonderful Yardley Gentleman brilliantine and look for the complimentary lavender fragrance to go with it, but this one goes into "the drawer of neglect" for a long rest.

More than a year Later: a follow up, a reappraisal, and yes, a reassessment. First, my initial disappointment with Yardley Gentleman was due to the fact that I had a preconceived notion of what I thought this should smell like, since I love/d the Yardley Gentleman Brilliantine. Second when I first purchased it, I used it too heavily. This is one powerful fragrance! The results were deemed by me not to be good. I tried it for a couple of weeks, but ultimately, thought it was not a good scent. After a long time, I took it out of the "drawer of neglect" where shunned fragrances go for long periods of time. I put it on my swap list, but got no takers, so eventually, I took this out, and tried it again, but with light double-misting doses, After a few days and I few applications, I realized I had made a terrible mistake. This is a charming, unique fragrance with lovely cinnamon, clove and sandalwood notes that are terrific. The light grapefruit was not something I cared for earlier in our relationship, but now I have come to appreciate how nicely it sets off the spices, and and how beautifully this evolves and develops making Yardley Gentleman eminently wearable in all seasons. I would have liked the lavender to have been more prominent, but I didn't design this, and I should, as we all should, appreciate such things on their own merits. This is not a "hip" fragrance; it's not trendy or clubby; but as someone who appreciates Chevalier d'Orsay and Aramis, this is a wonderful complement and counterpoint to those other two. I think it could go well in more casual situations than can the other two. This is a great grown up fragrance, it's fun and fairly light when applied properly, and it's best for guys over 35 or so. I guess you can tell, I really like this a lot now.

Now that this is discontinued, I wonder what it was that I was actually smelling at the discount fragrance purveryors over the last few weeks? The bottle is not the attractive clear crystal glass that appears at the head of this review, it was swirled frosted glass, not unlike the one for Edition. It smelled all right, interesting, but not the compelling, ultra-great scent that is the subject of encomia here. And I am a total sap for great traditional fragrances, and would have snapped it up in a second if it had been anywhere near great. I am suspicious and therefore, neutral as to what is now being sold as Dunhill Men.....

Update: April 2008: I found the real Dunhill for Men at the Dunhill in NYC, and have to report it is one of the finest classic mens' fragrances I have ever tried and owned. These are the last bottles (1,000 shipped to the NY Flagship store) that will ever be made, and I bought two. May go back for more. This is a warm, sophisticated, fresh, modern timeless fragrance that is without peer.

Some discount stores sell this, but it is not fresh, and it is IMHO suspect. The real Dunhill for Men is one of the all time greats.

Soapy; standard conventional; inoffensive green smelling; mens club bathroom smell. Nice. All right. Reminds me of the the glass cylindrical containers in golf course mens rooms with the comb in the blue water. Who ever actually uses those combs? Who would use this? Oh, right, my dear departed dad would I guess. A cologne of happy memory.

I love the rich, warm, spicy chemistry of this old dog. Love it, and think a lot of John Barrymore (born Blythe, I believe) in his large-print herringbone sports coat, and large sized personality, wearing this stuff. This is a warm spicy sandalwood that is wonderful and strangely exotic in a not too obvious way. I want to live in that 30s-40s black-and-white movie world, and I love this stuff. I wonder what happened when John and Cole both wore this to the same dinner parties? Style versus style. Let's join the club!

This is one fine American barbershop fragrance. The aura is of the 1950s and early 60s; the images are of "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit' and the drink? The dry martini. I also think of the AMC Movie Channel program "Mad Men" or some of those films with Rock Hudson and Tony Randall, in their Midtown Manhattan jobs and romances. Best if worn by younger guys, who can pull off that Thom Browne suit look. Play it for a true retro feel or militant Prep and you've got something terrific. On me it might be a bit boring since I couldn't fit into those Thom Browne suits, and frankly wouldn't be caught dead in one anyway. More "Yank" than Grafton and Rive Gauche, but of the same school, and what a great school it was. More subtle than Grafton, it lingers close to the skin, to be appreciated by that special someone who makes your martinis. I think I love it.

Classic, beautiful and memorable, every woman should try this. It is a little formal, but works as a casual fragrance as well on the right lady. It has an enigmatic element to it, both knowing and yet vulnerable; sophisticated and yet unaffected. A woman I knew and loved wore this, and if I ever catch a fleeting trace of it, I am filled with memories both happy and a little sad. Like Chanel No. 5, it is in a class by itself. Easy to overlook, it is very special. Strange how that happens. I am not sure I am thinking of the fragrance or she who wore it. What a way to add to memories!

An opulent rich winter fragrance for a certain type of lady. Warm and almost indescribably atmospheric, this fragrance is branded by a outrageously expensive watch company and as a scent is pretentious in an understated self-aware way. I would buy it for my wife because I just love it, but she is not ashamed to say that sometimes she does dishes and laundry. The truth is that this might just be too difficult a fragrance to live up to if you do housework. This is for a woman who wears tasteful, expensive suits all the time; and whose bag, gloves and shoes always match. It is fantastic, but how many can pull it off? Candace Bergen or Dina Merrill yes; your girlfriend? Probably not, unless your name is Cliff Robertson.

This should be called "Le Dandy" not the current offering from D'Orsay, which is a plumb watered- down concoction compared to VCA pour Homme. I have tried Van Cleef & Arpels many, many times hoping that the virtues so highly praised here would become apparent to me, but alas they haven't. I admit it's well made; complex and heady; and it surely stands out. And if you wear this you WILL also stand out! The problem in a word is that it is too perfumey for me (the expression "phew!" comes to mind). Frankly, I love a lot of fragrances that are supposedly best suited for mature men. I am chronologically just getting into that classification myself (an advanced stage of youth I call it), but I can't go for this yet. I am too young. It reminds me of a certain type of rich guy, a big doughy businessman who looks a little like the late character actor Jesse White, and has lunch regularly at "21", the Four Seasons, or some such, and has at least a nodding acquaintance with luminaries such as Henry Kissinger and David Rockerfeller. The suits are shinny and expensive and so are the big cufflinks. He used to smoke a cigar everywhere, but times have changed. He tells the much younger women he is boring at lunch that Henry is an old school chum, and that he gave him his favorite cologne Van Cleef & Arpels for his birthday. She tries to be impressed. I have tried to be impressed as well, but have not come around to loving this. But I am not giving up entirely, I am just going to wait for the urge to have a "niece" half my age to take to lunch or dinner, then maybe this will come in handy.

Intense rose, very forward, very challenging, has strength similar to that of C&S 88. Could enjoy this in private, but I have a few of those already. I would prefer a milder rose that is much more subtle. Reminds me of the scent worn by a boozy old aunt who visited us every Christmas back in the mid 60s. What I remember most is her strong rose perfume and her mink stole with the dead animal's fierce looking head and teeth as the clasp. Too much for guys for most guys. Makes me think of Milton Berle in drag (come to think of it, so did my dreaded aunt). Pass.

At first, all I could think about was classic cars-- everything about them, tires, leather seats, and something else about cars and gas stations that I couldn't quite put my finger on exactly. Nostalgia is a perfect name for this mens' fragrance, I thought. Later, the development was hard to describe, because where this beauty ended up for me was......something like a moderately warm wood and rasberries! I don't get it exactly, but as the car smell and leather dissipated, that was my experience. My thought now is that I like it; I respect it; and I admire the creativity it took to make this, but I think it's just a bit too avant garde for me. Someday, maybe. I have to give it a positive review, ultimately, because it is so incredible and what is lacking is not in the product reviewed, but the reviewer, who doesn't fully understand the product. Wow!

If you fashion yourself a prep-master with a Range Rover; a golden retriever; a Ralph Lauren lifestyle, or wish to have such things in the future, Racquets is a better option for a scent than the RL stuff which is too obvious. A wonderful 25-40 year old man's fragrance with all the right connections and associations. Very nice, classy, subtle. Hard to explain.

A nice soft modern scent that is slightly sweet, slightly woody, and distinguishable from the whole army of ozone fragrances by its aura of warmth and charm. Despite the fact that it is light, it has some staying power. For young people, who wear Prada, and stay out very late. Unisex.

A little dirty, a little leather, something funky more like Mick Jagger than Mickey Spillane about this. I am not sure I would want to be caught wearing this. I am not sure I could live up to the "wild side" ambiguity. Courtney Love could do it though, absolutely. Someone should sent it to her, and a little Cafe Noir for when she wakes up sometime the next day.

I don't know... this is surely a lovely smelling cup of coffee. In fact its better than the smell of any Starbuck's dark roast or Verona; and it is complex and all. Maybe I just need to wake up and smell the Cafe Noir, but it's not the way I want to smell. I would rather be the "smell-er" not the "smell-ee" of this. One for a diffident minority view.

The initial double shot application of this could make one want to immediately run away and deny any association whatsoever with ones self. After a relatively short period of isolation, one will notice the opportunity to re-enter civil society as the fragrance loses that urinal stall blue cake and porcelain smell, and becomes something incredible; hard to explain; august and almost spiritual that could only be really understood as the result of the via purgativa that had just ended. Not sure others would see it this way, but the dry down on this is one of a kind, beautiful and yet still strong. A blind buy on this is not advised, in fact, it should not be legal. For mature audiences only. Handle with care. Open other end. May become habit forming. Oh, sorry, still smelling this for purpose of this review...What was I saying....?

This is great stuff! Starts a little strong as a lot of quality fragrances do, but in a short while morphs into a lovely cigar and leather fragrance that is very lyrical to the wearer and totally polite to those in the vicinity, and it goes on and on much like a lyric poem. In latter stages the leather and tobacco meld into something that is so homogeneous that it is hard to distinguish the elements, and it is spicy and rich but alas rather fleeting. I may have to raid the old piggy bank again. Gentlemen, you will REALLY LIKE THIS if you like unabashedly masculine fragrances with tobacco notes. Es moy bien, verdad.

First of all let me say that this is a fantastic barbershop fragrance! One of the best I have encountered in a long time. Where Antico Caruso and Rive Gauche for men are great Italian and French barbershop smells, this is a great American barbershop scent. It is a stylish classic. Maybe it's a tad dated, but even in allowing that, I mean "dated" in a good way. It's the smell of a well-groomed gent. Yes, it's a little nostalgic, and it would probably appeal most to men over 40, like me. The name is a bit misleading, Sandalwood doesn't really play a leading role for most of the development of AMS. At first there is far more lavender than anything else. Then, a little later, lavender shares the stage with sandalwood, and they do a terrific duet. Then it becomes mostly sandalwood with lavender support, but at that point, 4 to 5 hours after application, the fragrance stays pretty close to the skin. It is by then soft, dry, mellow, straight-forward sandalwood, but it is subltle. It is clean, masculine, and gobs of lovely character. Where some others try, and sometimes suceed,in evoking a classic scent--this is the real McCoy; the iconic scent they are trying to emulate. The makers were out of their minds to discontinue this. All I can say in summation is: if you "get it", and if you can get it, go get it!

With a lot of the Polo/RL signature elements, this is the best of the bunch, and a rich, smooth, "grown up" Polo fragrance. Nice in its way, in fact, Safari is a weigh station on the way to something more mature and more personal to the wearer. But for what it is, a very pleasant weigh station, it is a fine thing.

This is very appealing old world barbershop scent. Very nice and nostalgic, it hits the bull's eye with traditional-smelling shaving cream. Where Antico Caruso suggests obilquely the barbershop affect, and distills and abstracts it; this IS the smell of shaving period. Very comforting, soothing and clean, it is probably best for the man who likes to be thought of as "clean cut". Is that still a viable phrase? Well, this would work with a nice suit; pocket square and a discreet little boutonniere. The well dressed man about town has showered and shaved as is ready to go out for the evening.

Early evening desert winds refresh the punished air as a smoky offering to the Eternal God wafts into the village spice sellers shop, in a simple cedar building at the edge of a trading oasis. He stops from his tasks recognizing the lambent serene presence that has come to him, and he prays looking out at the sky blending purple-blue with pink, and the same comes to me,as I lift my tired head from the computer screen at Eliot's violet hour in the Big City.

I love real "MENS" fragrances. No girly stuff, thanks. Well Yatagan is a problem for me. Maybe it's too much of a good thing. The pine reminds me of kitchen and bathroom floor cleaner. This stuff plain disturbs me. I think it lacks elements of reserve that I also respect and prefer. I imagine if used very sparingly it could be all right, but I just can't do this. This is taking mens' fragrances too far in to the stratosphere of astringency.

Interesting that the creator thinks of this has the smell of a fresh white shirt. To me, it smells somewhat like the Tide that one might use to wash that shirt. Based upon the reviews of eminent members here, I acquired a bottle of this and you could say we "dated we spent some quality time together for a week this Spring. We went out together in the evenings; we took rides in the country; we even went to work together. For some reason, I don't know why, we really didn't hit it off. I didn't really like it that much, and in fact I was a little bored. It was nice and I am sure it must have been me, not the Lanvin Pour Homme. On the other hand I am it sure it liked me either, that much. But we agreed to part good friends; so, I introduced it to someone who looks pretty decent in a crisp white shirt. Maybe they will work out. I guess you could say we just didn't have the right "chemistry".

VE is a terrifically sophisticated vetiver fragrance. It is not overstated nor too strong; nor is it a vetiver trying to bring out the "true" vetiver note by imposing a contrasting citrus element on the user. It is so perfectly blended that the mid-tier and basenotes are hard to discern. Eventually, VE tends to disappear into the skin, and yet it hovers over it in a edifying way. Very masculine, not sweet, but not rough, brash or dissonant either. Where other vetivers can be a bit difficult to wear, this one is a sheer pleasure to put on. The only bad news: greatness does not come cheap.

Really wanted to like this as I do feel an affinity for classic fragrances, but this didn't do it for me. It was somewhat sweet and somewhat animalic, with a synthetic smelling bite all of which just didn't appeal to me. There was an essence of sweat that deodorant couldn't quite cover, so they hang out together. I kept thinking of some of the older boys at Metro Area Ivy League eating Clubs with their too fast clipped speech; old blue blazers with a missing button here and there; whales on their corduroys, and well-worn pique golf shirts that just can't be cleaned thoroughly anymore. This may just be a little too fogey even for me, and I am generally proud to be one myself. Maybe in five or ten years...

My first blind buy of 2007, not bad since it is May, and my New Year's resolution was to give them up entirely. Anyway, Peterman's 1903 is a very nice light man's fragrance. Doesn't really smell "vintage" to me. I think it is very contemporary very early 21st century - subtle, lean, and "atmospheric" rather than full-bodied and rich, which are adjectives that I apply to older fragrances. In any event, it is very enjoyable. You have to put quite a bit of this to get much projection and complexity. I love the citrus and tobacco elements here. The tobacco evolves from a dry, straight forward ,mild burley to a sweet cavendish aromatic. Lovely. This is a good fragrance for spring and summer,and it reminds me a bit of Il Profumo's G-11, which has a lot of the same notes but more of them. It only lasts about 2.5-3 hours on me, but those are nice hours. Could they come out with a "extreme" version of this? Enjoy!

A perfectly acceptable fragrance, but not very distinguished or memorable. Plays a lot of nice notes but in an audition, would not stand out, and wouldn't likely get a "call back". It fades into the shadows compared to the wonderful G-11 which has a pretty terrible name but is a great fragrance.

I don't usually review lady's fragrances, but I happened to have had a chance to smell this, and it is terrific. Beautiful rose that works well for a sexy young woman. Someone else said this and it is true: this is a really fun fragrance. This is a very sexy parfum that will drive men crazy. I think of Marilyn Monroe in "The Seven Year Itch" a beautiful young lady with almost overwhelming natrual sex appeal, driving the middle-aged man insane. For a mistress or a girlfriend or someone who loves life and loving. Not for the shy or retiring type, and test before purchasing, as this will not work for every woman out there, believe me....

This is a beautiful sweet sensuous fragrance that makes me think of Joan Collins in her hay-day. It is floral and flirtatious and a bit provocative. This is a scent for men? I don't think so, unless the bloke does a great Joan Collins impression.

Wonderful suave cinnamon and orange fragrance, this can be worn in the warmer months when the JHL is put away. This is an acceptable unisex fragrance, and I usually hate unisex stuff. Fairly linear-- there isn't much development, but that is not a problem if what you have is choice, and this is. Great for casual and dressier applications, I have been seduced by Rousse.

You wake up one morning, and while searching for your Blackberry, you notice in the mirror that you have zits!Zits! And not only that, it's not your house or apartment, no....you are home again, a teenager, and yes, Dad is in the bathroom going at it with his electric razor. No more Art of Shaving for you, or Serge Lutens, you creep into the bathroom, and there's only one bottle on the shelf, and that is an opaque bottle of British Sterling, and the whole room smells like the citrus and male hormones- - a room full of high school boys, and you pray that you will wake up, but no, no, not yet... Everything smells like British Sterling, and Your Dad... your Dad is not your Dad, has become Rod Serling......and you are in the twilight zone (fade to creepy Twilight Zone musical crash noise)

The fresh smell of green grass, freshly mowed. Ah, verdant lawns, and spring air. Nice, really nice. Oh, but where's the vetiver? Could it be that OC didn't want to call this Original Grass? Nice, polite, country fragrance. Not what I would be looking for in a vetiver.

This is a very light rose-fragranced aftershave. It should be understood, however, that the rose smell could be considered merely as an after thought for a product that is meant to soothe the skin and not pleasure the nose. Accepted for what it is, it is very fine, and the smell is appealing for the few minutes it can be discerned in the bathroom. On that basis, a positive review is called for.

Think: Dr. Pepper with a dash of some kind of motor oil and wild growing French herbs, and you're on the right track, but there the adventure only begins. Sables is dark and intoxicating. It is reminiscent of Eau Noire not in the way it smells but in the way it projects: they both create a special ambience- -a little atmosphere all their own where the seduced air is just a little thicker than the common air around them. Where Eau Noire is dark green, Sables is ambery brown. Sables projects a moderate suave sweetness that is somehow totally masculine, warm and sophisticated. It has moderate projection and longevity. This is good. Anymore, and it could be too much. Just make sure to apply Sables prudently. The only way I can give even a glimpse of this is to come back to the opening and say there is a strong hint of Dr. Pepper, or maybe its root beer, cut with motor oil and exotic herbs, probably some little flowers, and maybe there is sandalwood in there as well. Who knows for sure? But whatever it is it is absolutely perfect for a man who loves rich fragrances. The verdict: Thumbs up? What a banal way to judge Sales. Annick Goutal, of happy memory, I salute you! What Estee Lauder did with JHL for her husband you did with Sables for yours, and we are so lucky for that!

I detect a light patchouli and musk, with very little mint. The mint might have helped. The overall effect is ethereal, certainly it is not an earthy fragrance, as patchouli and musk would suggest. Rather, it is more sea and sky. Light and appealing to some, I find it insubstantial and without context-- it is on the cutting edge (or the bleeding edge) of unisex, neither masculine or feminine. It is a fragrance of uncertain commitment; not objectionable, not common, not particularly compelling either.

This is a beautifully conventional high end fragrance circa 1960. The term lavendar water works with this. It is light and watery, and makes me think of old Rock Hudson-Doris Day movies, in which the NYC business men wore medium grey suits, skinny ties and drank martinis after work. Since that seems to be the style again, I would think Monsieur de Givenchy would be a nearly perfect fragrance for right now. So, put this one on, stop over to the King Cole Bar, and ask Rock to shove over when you stop in for a cocktail. You will offend no one with this one, and I am sure not a few will like your style.

This is an absolutely wonderful sandalwood cologne that is warm, rich, subtle and gentlemanly. It is very natural smelling and would be welcome in personal as well as business contexts. It is at once mildy astringent in almost a healing sense, yet mellow and rich on the drydown. The sandalwood is as good as it gets. It reminds me somewhat of the much more expense Sandalumm by Profumum, which is a bit more bitter, and forward. This is an old-fashioned cologne that bespeaks heritage, tradition, and the often sought-after barbershop smell. It is a tad oily. Men should be flocking to any place they can get this. Unfortunately, the only places I can think of are the London shoppe on St. James's near Jermyn St. and a couple of the specialty pharmacies in NYC that advertise carrying hard to find fragrances. In any event if one is lucky enough to find it, one should try it, then buy it. This is truly a hiddent gem.

This reminds me a lot of L'homme Sage by Divine, but a bit spicier. It is definitely not exclusively a ladies fragrance. I wore it for about four days to great effect, but did not purchase it because I felt the incense element was not its strongest suit. This is a charming spice fragrance that is warm and very friendly. Wearers looking for a little incense layered with spice and a little fig or other dark fruit will be very happy with this.

A fresh, clean woody scent of cedar, that to me is reminiscent of the split logs in a lumberyard. This would make an excellent substitute in the spring and summer to a citrus accord. Moderate longevity, this is natural and evocative of a wood that is not warm or mellow like sandalwood, but clean and crisp. This is not at all sweet. Works in all types of situations, and is marvelously different from what others are likely to wear. Very apppropriate for men of all ages.

This is similar to the suave and sophisticated Kiton Men, but with a slightly "dirtier" leather note. It has a touch less staying power that the original and is softer and a tad sweeter in the drydown. This is a very nice fragrance that despite a name that might suggest a dressy evening affect is IMHO a bit more casual that Kiton Men. Derivative, but worthy.

Of the new exclusive fragrances from Chanel, I like this the best. It is so subtle and so apparently unassuming, but utterly, utterly beautiful. At first I thought it was unisex because it is not floral or really sweet-smelling, but a lady/co-worker who went on a fragrance run with me to Berggies tried this and in comparison to what I was wearing, this was definitely a woman's perfume of the highest order! It is very sophisticated, and I think of Catherine Deneuve; Diane Lane (my fav!); Michelle Pfeiffer; Sandra Bullock all being great wearing this. It is not just for more mature women, but it is perfect for a woman who is mature without any reference to years. My co-worker is in her mid-20s and it was superb on her. Chanel Eau de Cologne will not shout its presence across a room, or make a big statement; it is as I said subtle. But if you notice the lady and want to get a little closer- - and maybe just a little closer still, you would be intrigued, very intrigued by her quiet perfume. "What is THAT?!" you will say just to yourself (if you are prudent). This is a fragrance that makes only part of a statement the wearer whats to make: the rest of the statement is everything else that she is about. Depending upon the whole statement, this fragrance will fit right in. If you undersand what I am saying: buy this!

LV Vetiver is a wonderful refreshing, utterly masculine fragrance that will make any man's day a little more intriguing. Vetiver mixed by Maestro Villoresi is elegant but with just a touch of the rough edge to it. It's earthy and probably somewhat casual, in a nice linen and silk jacket kind of way. Everthing LV does brings Italian sensibility home. Think of spending a leisurely afternoon in Verona or Venice, you are watching others furtively milling about, as you sit in an outdoor cafe/bar, sip an glass of Gavi observing the passing parade with just a hind; just a suggestion of LV Vetiver and that is the proper setting to understand this. Think of Daniel Craig the new Bond on a mission in Italy, in that scene in Verona or Venice ready to leap into action at a moments notice, and you've got one image for LV Vetiver. Not a pretty boy scent by any means, but right for the right man.

This is Santa Maria Novella Pot-pourri's out of control love child. Maybe not Pot-pourri, just pot, in various senses of that word. My inital reaction was "this is awful!". And that was my view for a long time. The elements attack each other and the wearer. The drydown is pretty nice, and appealing, but that's a three hour wait, which for me is the time it takes to fly down to Orlando, and that is too long to wait.

Avante garde so be on your guard. This is tough stuff.

As an unashamed Villoresi fan, I was happy try his Patchouli, and found it very minerally and spicy at first. The drydown went to a soft natural affect that to my mind was warmly "feminine" that is subdued and refined. I like this but wouldn't wear it myself. It would be perfect for Debra Winger. Someone should send her some.

Sienna by C&E reminds me a more sophisticated, refined Italian cousin of Devin by Aramis. Where Devin is astringent and borderline caustic, this is subtle, herbal and spicy and thankfully not sweet. It is a lighter, more aromatic version of Devin, and for that reason is worthy of attention. It is calm and rich, very wearable and I would not hesitate to buy this, and may yet do so, but I find I am more drawn to the Villoresi fragrances which I feel capture the essence of the Italian ambiance more accurately, at a far more problematic exchange rate however!

Oh my gosh! Dark red roses and bug spray| A haze of foul white powdery pesticide floating around the flower. I coughed, I gasped, I ran from the store. The roses were being invaded by some kind of killer insects, and this is the stuff that will kill them off. Powerful, not in a very good way. Maybe someday I will like this, but probably not in this lifetime.

This is a hard fragrance to describe. It is a little woody with a touch of linseed oil for sharpness, yet with a definite gingerbread and chocolate overtone. Resinous and a little forward at first, it does not live up to a 21st century conception of a commercial fragrance. It is rusticallly attractive; linear,and somewhat short lived. D.R. Harris goes its own way here, and if a man is looking for something unique, this might be worth a sniff.

My first thought: the greatest, loveliest sweet/sharp vetiver ever! An absolute must have...Then I checked back with it in about an hour and...and....there's nothing there. Not a trace, not even a memory. Too ephemeral for me. But out of this world while it lasted. Oh well.

A sexy man's fragrance from the late 80s. A little too overtly sensual for me these days. Although I like it, and the notes are intriguing, I think it tries just a little too hard to impress. Wouldn't wear it to work; and in the evening my intentions would be a little too overtly signaled. I'd like a little more mystery.

This is an elegant masculine fragrance that suits a man of accomplishment and self knowledge. The calm scent of a man who considers himself a man not a "guy". Well dressed and well mannered. This fragrance is not really age specific, but suits maturity at any age. Gratifying to wear, intriguing to sense, it is style. Iconic. Indispensible. Not easily pigeonholed. Sophisticated.

Eau de Victoria Secrets. This smells like the sachets ladies use in their lingerie drawers, or those fat little hangers for their intimate garments. To think someone things this is a man's fragrance. Unbelieveable.

I love dark fragrances. Corot is one of my favorite painter, and my wife thinks his landscapes are depressing because they can be so dark. Dark and green, that's what I love. I adore Eau Noire for that reason. It is ambery, and dark green, creating an almost other worldy ambiance. It must have been inspired by Jean-Baptiste- Camille Corot. Why else would it have a French name.

Not being someone who likes "sweet" fragrances, I would not expect to like this, but I really do! The honey could be cloying, but it's not; the iris seems like it could be too much of a good thing on top of the honey; but it's not. The woody base that I smell (but I guess isn't there) puts it all together in an astounding harmony. A friend of mine a bachelor in Colorado who bought this said that it drives the ladies wild (he likes that).So, I love it, but can't buy it. I would spend all day smelling my wrists. How would that look!? Ultimately- - -too good.

Not crazy about this at all. Might have been called Dior Me Not for Men. Guys looking for new Dior men's fragrances have much better options (Bois D'Argent and Eau Noire).

Joe

This was "THE" brilliant iconic preppy citrus fragrance symbolizing quality, class and priviledge, before Ralph Lauren came along with Polo cologne and took over the No. 1 spot with this constituency (1967-1982). I think it is reference in hallowed tones in The Preppy Handbook. It is an excellent boy-man scent without great longevity and can be worn in all contexts, but in my mind it goes best with a Lacoste tennis shirt; rumpled khakis; banged up old beach shoes; a dog; and, a beautiful blonde girlfriend. Old hulking woody Jeep Grand Wagoneer extra!

Wonderful fragrance, and my favorite of this maker thus far. It has a dark green foresty top note and a warm not- very-sweet amber botton. It is rich and subtle, and darned if it doesn't remind me of something more "main stream" but I can't place it. The amber makes this fragrance a near great. It is the closest thing Forbes has to an elegant fragrance. Not a sexy or power smell, but being Scottish I guess you could say its The Laird's toilet wataer, and yer donna try it laddie unlessen yer got the kern in yer pockets. I like it very much, but the price might require me sell a half interest in the Glenn house, and I am not sure that it is worth that much. Still, very fine stuff, worth a try if you can find it!

Saks Fifth in NYC has Forbes Limes Ltd. and it is very nice. Not a sweet lime fragrance, nor is it very sharp. It is sort of in between, and as it dries down, I sense some pine in the mix. I may be wrong, but something like pine or some other fresh green comes into the picture after the first hour. Long lasting for a predominantly lime scent (at least four hours). Not my personal "cup of tea" but very nice, and the best lime I have encountered.

Joe

Spezie is another incredible "hit" from the magic laboratory of that genius Lorenzo Villoresi. The spices in lush mixture and profusion, almost not a fragrance to wear, but something to bask in; to wallow in; it conjures up the image of a dark woody garden store room full of hanging, drying herbs and plants, some you've never heard of, and some you know. This is fragrance that can provide ecstacy for a earthy spice and herb lover. It borders on excess, and maybe you'll wait a few moments before you present this on your person to the world. But, oh, that glorious time alone with Spezie!

Arome 3 is a fantastic fragrance. It is a rich, wild amalgamation of lavender, sage, jasmin and something that smelled (to me) like licorice or anise. I was ecstatic about it and my sales guru-pal at Bergdorf's thinks I am his secret weapon in the sales wars this Christmas season. I am trying to sell the stuff to others! I love D'Orsay, and this is a new one on me, but I was totally wowed and must have it. Where Villoresi Wild Lavender is dry, rich and straight-forward, this is is a mixed warm/cool fragrance with greater complexity and a touch or romance. I can see how it would work for woman, and I often dislike unisex fragrances, but this is IMHO a predominantly masculine fragrance that is too great to pass up. The Count has done it again!

Joe

PS Now can someone tell me what "Pastoral" is in the elements mix?

This impressed me as very nice, but dated. Maybe I have been trying a lot of new fragrances lately and there are a lot of very interesting things around today, and this reminded me of a lot of great late 80s-early 90s stuff. For some reason I just can't get that excited about it. I wouldn't say its passe nor does it lack character or style. Still I think this is close to something I wore in the dark ages a decade or so ago that I have finsihed with, without looking back. Don't mean to be mean, but I won't run out to get it.

At first, I have to tell you, I was a little stunned by Tilleul. This stuff smelled like lightly sweetened hay, maybe hay and honey, and it was heavenly, absolutely heavenly! While it lasted I was obsessed with it. Ultimately, however, I concluded that IMHO this is a lady's perfume, a young lady's perfume (or maybe a young man's, say someone in his late teens early 20s). Anyway, I picture the ideal user of Tilleul as a natural blonde, who is not pretentious or affected; someone who is fairly natural without making natural-ness into a political or "life-style" statement. A person who eschews most florals as too obvious and ubiquitous. When I think of Tilleul I think of Grace Kelly but not as a princess or an actress; or maybe Diane Lane. What a fantastic fragrance this is!

One of the mysteries of the fragrance business is how a perfumer can take the same elements others use and achieve startling results that differentiate his product from those of others. There is nothing here that others haven't used or are not now using to make mens' fragrances that seem a lot alike, and yet 1872 distinguishes itself by clearly communicating a sense of luxury and calm that is almost hard to imagine from these humble elements. Bottom line: this is an incredibly sophisticated, masculinely beautiful and subtle fragrance that exudes style and well-being.

Clive Christian is an interior designer who makes incredibly expensive high quality kitchens, among other things, and this fragrance epitomizes his view of the world as it should be. He must be an incredible perfectionist. I am not sure I would want to know him.

This is a tremens fragrance that makes me want to orare en lingua latina. This is vere Ecclesiam Romanum fragrance, right out of the Liber Usualis. Credo that in fact it was inspired not just by Liturgia, sed The Tridentine liturgy! One must make distinctiones recti in that the current Missae does not often employ holy smoke reaching for the rafters the way the Old Mass did. So, while I love Elf's description of this as "The Liturgy in a bottle," for its veritas et scimplitas, I would amend it ad dixit that this is The Tridentine Liturgy in a bottle. Gaudeamus igitur!

Joe

Wild Lavender/Inglese is a wonderful fragrance. It is very clean and not sweet but rather is like a very natural breath of fresh air. But this beautiful fresh air has the scent of wild lavender! Lucky us! I guess I prefer the name Inglese, but I will take Wild Lavender. Chandler Burr says that lavender is his least favorite scent because it is a cliche, well if this is a cliche, it is also true to what it is-- a cliche, like the Italian countryside; beautiful vistas and peaceful surroundings. This marvelous fragrance will put a smile on your face. If you are a fan of lavender without sugary additives, rush out for this LV gem. Pity it doesn't last longer, but don't get me started....

Joe

Happy to report trying this several times at the AOS shop in Manhattan, and being quite captivated. At first, it seems somewhat rather one dimentionally lemony, but it is not, it wears very well, and morphs nicely to something that is a little like Acqua di Parma, but more straight forwardly citrus, and a little more smooth. Not too sweet; not too weak. If it is still around (in production), I plan to try it again and if the response is the same, to pick some up when the seasons change back to the warmer side of the scale as this could be an excellent warm weather addition to my collection. Check out the AOS website for all the ingredients. Worth looking for if you are a mellow citrus/lemon fan looking for more longevity than you get with most others.


Joe

This is a very nice pungent woody smelling sandalwood fragrance. It is simple and straight forward. The supporting notes remind me of linseed oil, or some other wood finsihing product. Everything in the mix supports the woodiness of this. I think of a fine table being polished and a great shine being produced. This is another wonderful sandalwood fragrance that may be great, but does ot standout in my experience. It does not have very good longevity on me. It is not particularly distinctive. Like fine clothing, it is well made, and comes at a premium price, but doesn't shout "hey look at me!" Maybe I am affected by past experiences, but I prefer Trumper or Villoresi sandalwood fragrances that add distinctive supporting elements.

For the first three hours, this was sandalwood soap for me. The image was so strong that I could see the tappered bar of light beige sandalwood soap in a wooden dish. That was it. Then, after three hours or so the oriental incense and other herbal notes and a little citrus came in as the scent died down. Very nice, this has a interesting evolution. This stuff is etheral and calm. The words mild and unique also come to mind. A very nice unobtrusive, personal fragrance that is down an entirely different street than any of the currently popular fruits or sweets containing colognes.

Joe

Le Dandy is a warm, spicy slight strong boozy fragrance that is just a touch too sweet for me. It takes a dash of the dandy in your lifestyle to get away with this. It would make no sense to wear this with very crubby clothes; or with very ordinary "Everyman" apparel. The name says something, so take that into consideration. It would compliment a man who cares about how he looks and dresses, and likes warm spicy fragrances. This reminds me a bit of JHL, which I am using this Fall to increasingly good effect. Since I already have JHL, I have enough whiskey in the bathroom for now. I would not be surprised , however, if I went to Le Dandy when the JHL runs out and I can't get it anymore.

Joe

So funny, my experience with a sample of this is was so different from Willem's. I did not find Antico Caruso complex at all. In fact, olfactory complexity is not this scent's strong suit in my book. I loved the initial onset of sharp and soft tones, sweet and yet astringent, exactly what I like. It was at first, quite wonderful. But that only lasted a very short time, sadly. In minutes, not hours, it all went to almonds; almond paste and powder. The overall impression was not unlike the filling in an almond croissant; slightly sweet almond paste. Perhaps there was an oblique reference to sandalwood, maybe, but just. Could have used a bit more sandalwood IMHO. That's it. But it is/was nevertheless compelling. Simple and yet so rich in the presentation of beautiful straight forward elements. The only variation I sensed was that at times there was the distinct allusion to baby powder, or perhaps talc, which became very vivid for brief periods- - same smell, mind you, just more powdery, but that came and went. This is not a strong fragrance, everything is very subtle but it is fairly long lasting. The only way I can describe this in the final analysis is to suggest it may very well be the virtual apotheosis of the fragrance of Pappa's medicine chest cologne or almond shaving cream. Holy smoke, I guess that's saying quite a lot! So, is this Antico Caruso worth its high cost? Ah, now that's the question. Maybe yes. Probably yes. I will have to meditate on this.

Joe

This is a "darling" scent, sweet, powdery, floral and very pretty. So gents, ignore the unisex appellation and just give it to your "darling" but buy the magnificcent LV Uomo for yourself.

Thumbs up for females, down for guys leads to a neutral overall.

Joe

All the right notes but, but, but, just too darned sweet. If only FM had toned down the sugar to about half this would have been perfectly outrageous.

Joe

Austere, minimal, a bit of shimmer, and a bit of smoke. A very clever fragrance for "today" that's for sure. You take in a little of this through the nose, and you ask; "WHAT IS THAT?" At first you are intrigue, and you like it and wonder why. Then you smell the fruit, and you recognize it as soft ripe guava, and you think, do I want to smell like guava? I never think of myself as a guy would would be complimented in my appearance by the presence of some guava around my neck. So, no thanks, I'll pass. Maybe if I were 25, I would like this. But I'm not and I don't.

Terre d'Hermes reminds me of a beautiful basket of fresh oranges and Clemetines. I personally don't care for fruit fragrances, but this one, I think, is special in that just three spritzes should give you your daily allowance of vitiman C. Now, what other fragrance could say that?

Joe

This is a wonderful, rich, clean, spicy fragrance for the sophisticated younger man. If is far and away better than any mass-market/designer fragrance. It is very distinctive. The ideal client for this is under 35; maybe even under 30.

Mario Justiniani is correct: love it or leave it. I left it. Received this as a gift. Nice, all right, but could not relate to it. Wore it for about ten days, still couldn't recognize the scent even after the last day of use. Down into the "drawer of neglect" until it somehow disappared. This is a very personal thing- - men and their fragrance choices. One should not give them as gifts purely because the giver likes something, unless the giver KNOWS the recipient likes somehing already, and doesn't have it. Absolutely nothing wrong with this. It is somewhat warm, somewhat spicy, somewhat masculine, a teensy bit sweet all in the nicest way. Yawn. I guess my friend mistook me for someone else. Who, I wonder?

Joe

Very popular I hear from the smell mavens at Bergdorfs, but doesn't have much of a smell at all as far as I can discern. I would call it the anonymous nomade or the disappearing nomade, that could make it seem a bit more romatic or interesting.

Joe

Yes, it's nice. It's all right. Masculine and unobjectionable. Just can't buy my fragrance at the CVS. I realize I am a snob now. What can I do? Maybe I'll go back to it when I am retired and I need to economize a bit more.

Joe

An excellent bright, classy, and classic summer citrus fragrance that just makes one feel great. It has that "unique" quality of communicating that it is exclusive and expensive without being overbearing or particularly "showy" in any way. Until I found Lorenzo Villoresi Uomo this was my favorite Italian fragrance. Still wear it, particularly when I travel since it comes in a beautiful small travel falcon. Even the glassware and stoppers/caps are beautifully made. Something evey man who is interested in fragrances should try and probably own, at least once. I could see how this could be a guy's signature fragrance. Absolutely.

Green, fresh, just a tad minty. This is an excellent spring-summer high end sport fragrance. Wearing this, one is reminded of an exclusive golf course or tennis club. In fact there is IMO only one scent that is similar, and that is the VERY, very hard to find "Par Four" by Detaille, which is not on the roster here, but is also a top sport fragrance. I wore GV for about four years, and will get it again one day. One of the few fragrances I acutally ran out of before I ran out on it.........Excellent in every way for a scent of its type.

Joe

I owned this for a long time, and frankly it was THE fragrance of my "wild and wooly" bachelor days in New York. (Not a drug taking, disco dancing, or "all night raves" wild and wooly, a different wild and wooly. Not debauched, think trying to be debonair. Lots, I mean LOTS, of girls liked the ballet, the musuems; the theater, and gin and tonics, at least back then they did. And they really liked boys who liked those things too. Boys who were not kids, boys who worked hard during the day and who wore Bel Ami.) Anyway, Bel Ami smells dated to me now and is associated with other times and other places, so even though my wife liked it and bought it for me last year(not knowing Bel Ami was my good friend when I dated other girls), I surreptitiously got rid of it. True it is has an exceedingly rich and spicy/woodsy smell; with a great incense and citrus on top; and, true it will make people see you as sophisticated and cultured and maybe the proud possessor of a well- endowed preppy's trust fund, as far as I am concerned enough is enough. It's a new millenium. Time to move on and build up the 401K. I am a dad now, and my fragrance thoughts and inspirations should be about other things. By the way, however, if you are into your "wild and wooly" early to mid 30s and living a really fun money spending lifesyle in a major metro area, and you DO like to go to the theater and the symphony and to foreign films as well as places like the Hamptons this could be your sexy but serious scent of choice. It will attract the right kind of ladies to your money.

Funny how things come around and around. Sometimes after a very long time. I wore Epicea years ago, I mean over ten years ago, and loved it. I thought of it as my signature fragrance. But after a year or more I got bored, as I am apt to do, so I abandoned by old true love. Why? Who knows. But today, I tried a spray again. Memories came back and I felt, surprised yet comfortable with the smell. It was a Proustian-- rememberance of things past. It is so green, yet so spicy and so lively. It was absolutely ME. Why? Why didn't I keep getting this? I had no answer but I have been thinking about it all evening. A masterpiece. A singular experience, as if one recognizes oneself in a fragrance. A perfectly balanced softly sweet, spicy very light pine scent. Sophisticated but not stuffy; well-bred but not dull; sexy in a slightly ambiguous way; just a bit too soft and a bit too ephemeral, but overall as suave as the best songs of Cole Porter. I am off to Bergdorf's to get somemore. Welcome home, Joe. Where ya been?

Not the holy grail I am looking for in the "ultimate manly barbershop fragrance", but very nice-- VERY nice. Yes, maybe a bit generic, but not lacking in character and distinction, in fact it has a lot a character, structure and poise. Men can confidently wear this. It is subtle, read that to mean modern. Kiton makes the finest and most expensive menswear in the world. That does not influence me in the least in this review, and it surely should not influence anyone in making a fragrance choise, but once I made up my mind about this one, I looked back and said, "yes" I can see how this reflects that sense of Italian good taste. Don't buy it to impress; don't buy it for the name. Buy it because you tried it, and it works for you and says something positive about you-- in a very subtle but very nice way. Think Cary Grant. I know, I know Green Irish Tweed, but if he were here today, he would like this. So would David Niven and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Light and airy, with fruit essences that don't appeal to me. I think it lacks definition and structure. However, that which it lacks may be its strength to others. Don't knon-- but ulitmately don't care either. Not something I could imagine many guys would want to wear. Ok, not great, and expensive.

Joe

A wonderful long-lasting Sandalwood fragrance, that is the epitome of the idea of the evolving fragrance. This one morphs at least three or four times over the course of a day. This stays interesting in my book precisely because of its very capacity to naturally and ineluctably evolve. On me, the final touch is the best, a woody yet very clean and not too sweet carnation smell that I just love. Villoresi makes a carnation fragrance that is too feminine for me, but the carnation closing of this is brilliant and helps me feel fresh well into the day, regardless of whether things go well or not. This is pretty much a "must have" mens fragrance for the Anglophile and the sandalwood lover. Hurry, many US purveyors run out and can't seem to get it for long stretches of time.

The opening reminds me of walking into Notre Dame in Paris for the first time. Then it evolves to the taste and essence of the air inside "Smoky Mary's" in New York. "Smoky Mary's" is the nickname of St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in NYC where the incense on Sundays is so thick during the reading of the Gospel that people all around are coughing and rubbing their eyes in the pews as the unconcerned acolyte powerfully swings away with his turible. It evolves to something oriental and spicier, perhaps a Russian Orthodox Cathedral full of iconography. And it ends at Westmister Cathedral with a street person sitting in a back pew contentedly eating a small coffee cake while the sounds of Palestrina waft up into the black ceiling and mingle with the angels hiding there. Nice, but as much as I appreciate houses of worship, it is not the image I go for with mens' scents unless I am wearing a cassock. Goes well with organ music on the hi-fi. Fascinating in a way.

Joe

I love this fragrance. It has a mysterious sweetness that appeals to me. I say "mysterious", because, frankly, I really don't really like sweet-smelling mens' fragrances. Any sweetness IMHO has to be set off with a fairly equal "astringent" (say sharper) or other counter-balancing element. That really doesn't happen in this case, but I still love Tuscany a lot, and will wear it happily and often when the tweeds and sweaters come out in about a six weeks. It may be the simplicity of elements. Guys who generally shy away from a softer/sweeter smelling frag--- give this a try. The thumb goes way up on this one.

Vetiver, nutmeg and tobacco-- a beautiful melody of earthy smells that in this composition are fresh and subtly masculine. A classic beauty.

A very nice fragrance for a lady. Gentlemen: start your engines!

Joe

Men who are uncomfortable with most scents, and think them in concept "girly" would have no trouble with Duoro/Lords. I have often recommended this to business collegues with general great success. This is a first class "executive" scent, subtle, masculine, inoffensive but still pretty distinctive, not too long lasting, and in the end boardroom material. It won't win you the girl, but won't hurt your chances for a Vice Presidency. Far better than most mass market fragrances, and perhaps a good place to start for a guy interested in finding a fragrance to add to his wardrobe.

Joe

LV Sandalo is extraordinary, and would be my absolute favorite sandalwood fragrance were it not for the fact that it disappears too quickly on me. The sandalwood supported by a lovely dusky rose is incredible. Almost too lovely for a man, but for the driness of the overall effect. Where Taylor's of Old Bond St. and even Trumper's are "wet," if I may call them that by comparison, LV Sandalo is as dry as the Arizona desert in August. But what a beautiful driness! Unfortunately, on me this desert beauty fades like a mirage. The thumb goes up, but with this one caveat.

Joe

I am sorry to say that I find Devin to be off-putting. None of the notes worked at all. It opens with something like lemon-scented bleach; then that was shoved aside for an acrid incense mood; then a momentary respite with a little pleasant English pipe tobacco but then comes some smelly peat fire. An overall haze of mildew rounds out the picture. There was in my experience a true little pinch in the nostrils from this stuff, as you might experience from the smell of bleach or some pipe tobaccos. I guess I would have to say that the evolution went from bad to worse. I had high hopes and landed on my back side. The appeal of this eludes me totally.

Gendarme was for almost 10 years my summer fragrance. Now I have moved on to an extent, but I still have it and use it. It is a green almost grassy, cool and atmospheric fragrance that is ideal for warm weather wearing. It is, however hard to describe in detail particularly in regard to its longevity, because after a while, the wearer loses awareness of the scent, but others will make positive comments and you have to say, "Hey, I can't smell it but it is still there!" That's strange, but in a way, great!

Joe

I didn't expect to like this, but tried it along with the magnificent L'Homme Sage when the samples came, and what do you know? I really liked this. I bought this! I will wear this a lot this summer. The iris is balanced against the bacing vetiver and other notes, and it is a perfectly acceptable masculine fragrance. It is perfect for warmer weather as it is decidedly cool aspect. It might be described as a French barbershop smell, very, very, very high end, very unique French barbershop. This is a truly great floral-cool-bracing fragrance that is unlike anything you have tried before. You will not smell like anyone else when you wear this, and only those you permit close access to your person will smell it, and appreaciate it. You will be very happy wearing this scent. Applied in the morning, it lingers like a lovely song til evening.

Joe

My experience with Hammam Bouquet was a watershed event for me. I walked into Saks Fifth Avenue to try it, dressed for all the world as a young-middle aged business man in nicely cut suit. I tried on Hammam Bouquet and left the store as Marie Dressler in "Dinner at Eight" fat flapper, white cake makeup and all! I was in shock. I had to get back to my office to try and get it off. "Oh my dear this was reeealy something" my Marie personality said swinging the opera length pearls as I got into the elevator. I feared that someone I knew would come in and I would smile that Dressler cringly smile, and I would make him/her sick. Once free I realized that I do not like and can not wear strong floral fragrances. I prefer fragrances with vetiver, or those such as one of my favorites: LV Uomo; fragrances that are a bit bracing and not very sweet. If there is a floral note(and I like floral as a basenote a la l'homme de couer, or Sandalo by LV) it has to be balanced with an earthy or sharper note. Hammam is a strong rose fragrance that I don't think even my wife could stomach. That being said, I would not give this fragrance a "down" vote, since I don't think I can objectively rate it. How can one honestly give a bad rating to something that might be great, but is clearly not for the reviewer? I say go neutral, but don't go out of your way to review too many fragrances that are outside your area of interest. This one opened my eyes to what florals are all about and that is fine as long as they are not about me. Enjoy.

Joe

L'homme sage is a slightly warm woodsy, spicy fragrance that is as seductive as it is subtle. It stays close to the skin after an hour, but will be with you all day. Some intimate closeness will reveal its specialness to others, and will honor the wearer with admiration and interest from those who have the pleasure of enjoying it with you. Spectacular in a manly, calm way. One of the best of the new. Must try.

Joe

Had to try this one, as it has achieved what could only be called "cult status" for many. Well, I have to say it is amazing how the fragrance morphs from sharp pepper to nutmeg and ginger bread. I think that on me the lingering essence is the nutmeg, and all I can think about is cookies. Not good when you are on a diet, but you have to admire LV for his unique approach to blending essences. Not for me, but very singular, and could well be a classic in the making.

I wouldn't describe this as a soft fragrance. Maybe it does soften through the day, but if anyting, I would say it starts off rather tight. It is a fairly strong fragrance if worn too heavily. It is great, cool, complex frag best for warmer days IMHO. Very masculine, but not a barbershop fragrance. Subtle and cool is how I would describe it. One of my favorites for Spring and Summer.

This is a warm, sensuous, almost decadent fin de siecle scent. It wouldn't work with very casual or sloppy dress, but would suit a dandy. I don't wear it to work, but it is great for the evening out, when one is motivated by hopes of romance or conquest

When I first went to the SMN shop near SoHo in New York to purchase their wonderful shaving creme, I sampled Pot-pourri and thought it was terrible. Too strong, too petroleum like, and it was unimaginable that anyone would wear this. Having read the reviews here, however, I was very intrigued and went back. I put some on and went out to lunch. Ten minutes after application, the frag opened up to a magnificent incense like oriental spiced fragrance. Later in the day, I thought the scent had completely disappeared from my skin, but was occasionally present around me, a foot or more away. A little spooky. This is totally different from anything I have ever worn. It is challenging, and transformational in regard to first impressions and what one ultimate experiences. I am sure will be loved by some, hated by many. To me it is olfactory nirvana.

Santal is warm and lightly sweet. An extremely refined mixture of fragrances. While the name may suggest sandalwood, there is none. It instantly moved to the top of my list. Today I noted that the scent was a pleasant companion for over seven hours. A happy day indeed.

I agree that this is a magnificent fragrance. In fact, it led me to explore other Sandalwoods, and found that while I prefer Trumper or Taylor of Old Bond for Fall and Winter, AOS Sandalwood would be great for warmer seasons. The Eucaliptus tends to dominate somewhat and in my view, obscures just a bit the warmth of the sandalwood, still a fine masculine fragrance worthy of finding a wide audience.