Fragrance Reviews by Pollux

Odyseusm states that "Spazio Krizia Uomo is a strange, sweet..." Yes, this is right: a green opening much in style of many scents launched at the time of its release, in line of classics I don't particularly cherish, like CK's Eternity and Platinum Egöiste.

However, do not let these top notes baffle you, for they are just part of the opening; Spazio takes a complete different way in its mid and base notes. Thus, here is where comparissons to Moustache apply... sweet amberine/musky accords diverge it from its top notes, making Spazio a complex yet difficult to hold character. These mid and base notes could be described as "weak", they do not make a statement of any sort, it is a smell standing there waiting for the wearer to make a judgment but failing to do so. It does not bother nor it makes you feel comfortable. It would be similar to a very dim light trying to have some sort of presence but failing to do so.
However, Spacio's longevity is strange too, for I can feel a mixture of sweet and green notes lingering after hours of application, as if top notes were re-released by some obscure mechanism.

I would not say that this is worth having in any collection, and I am sure it won't be part of the fragrances I will be using frequently, but I can't deny it is a very curious blend, in this sense, worth studying.

A stronger, rounder, richer, more complete, fullfiling version of Roger & Gallet Pour L'Homme, which I guess might be due to the pressence of prominent indolic notes: whereas R&G pour L'Homme bergamot is circled by civet, in this case this can be one might as well think it could be the presence of musk and leather.

Acteur is very strong, not only in its top notes, also in terms of sillage and longevity, much in an 1980's way.

Unfortunately, it is very hard to find, at least on-line.

Is this for men? I guess it is not, even it reads so on the label. At first impression, it clearly smells like some classic perfume for women from the 1950's or even later.

Top notes made me recall two fragrances - at first, Chanel Nº 5; Later, YSL's Opium (the original, for women). The presence of very strong flowery and aldehydic top notes and clear powdery base notes made me think of them (I must assume I liked the powdery dry down).

Thus, Amouage Gold inspires a sarcastic comment, in terms that it would be the right choice for men eager to wear more than exclusive classic floral femenine scents but are afraid to do so.

Of course, taking in mind Amouage's prices, this proves an expensive option. So if your are among the last group of people, getting these fears away will prove a good choice in terms of savings. And in case you are being asked about what fragrance you are wearing, you will only have to mention Amouage Gold.

It is very alike to Davidoff's Zino, a strong oriental and spicy fragrance with heavy tobacco notes. It has good sillage but por longevity, at least on my skin.

It comes to my attention most reviewers describe it as "black". I don't know the reasons for this, but I asumme it must be the way the bottle is like.

A classic chypre, so classic that, as mentioned before, it gets one attention as to the year it was launched. As an analogy, think of it as being of the type of Chanel pour Monsieur due to its subtlety and charm.

Homme de Grès takes hesperidic - "lemons" - notes and keep Cabochard's base notes - leather. Thus, comparissons to Halston Z-14 are somehow valid due to the fact that Z-14 is a chypre, but while Halston has presence, Homme de Grès does not: it is the type of fragrance that won't get noticed by others, this meaning sillage is limited, a very valid attribute for those that still think that a man can only wear perfumes precluding this, even more so on social occasions.

A classic choice indeed, unfortunately discontinued, to no surprise. After all, Homme de Grès ' character is at odds with contemporary fragrance styles, specially when it comes to the fact that getting noticed seems to be the rule rather than the exception.

For those looking for similarities between Chanel pour Monsieur Concentree (C) and Chanel pour Monsieur (ChPM), let me say they are very different.

Both are leather chypres, ChPM is a sound creature of its times: gentler, subtler, I would even say denoting class because of an eau de cologne character that is absent from C - a common attribute in many men's fragrances before spicy / woody / animalic notes proper of women's scents were to be popularized among offerings targetted to the opposite sex; take, ie. Cabochard, 1959 and its male counterpart, Aramis, 1965, and compare it with Eau Sauvage, 1966.

Thus, C is pungent, harder, still gentlemanly but not as classy as the original, something that does not affect it at all in terms of its attractiveness.

Besides, Mr. Polge did a perfect job twice, on the shape of Chanel pour Monsieur Concentree and that of Tiffany for men. Both were launched in 1989, and both share many notes in common: unfortunately, I can not make a hand-in-hand comparisson, but judging from memory, I do not find many differences between both.

A simple version of Vetiver compared to Guerlain's, as well as an excellent option given its price.

It might also be an alternative to Vetiver by Adolfo Dominguez in terms of availabilty, given Zara's global presence. Take in mind Zara's and Dominguez' fragrances are manufactured by Antonio Puig, so this may explain analogies between these two.

Top notes are dominated by the presence of hesperidic (citric) notes, namely neroli (top note) and bergamot (mid note). Now, the vetiver is rooty and dry, giving it a powdery feeling.

As in the rest of the line, longevity and sillage are those of an eau de cologne (limited), but these can be graduated by application.

In the case of Antonio Dominguez' Vetiver, the structure is somohew similar to Zara's, but hesperidic notes are not so evident, though. It does have more longevity an sillage, as correspoding to an Eau de Toilette.

An acquatic sandalwood scent.

I am not fond of the first ones, but the sandalwood complements this quite satisfactorily. Sándalo has good longevity but very poor sillage, this meaning base notes won't make you smell like most.

A good vale-for-money option for those sandalwood and mainstream fragrance style lovers.

A classic amber scent on eau de cologne strength, sold at a very affordable price. Thus, sillage and longevity can be graduated upon by application.

A good option in terms of value for money.

A misleading opening that makes you think what it finally is not: a sillage / longevity beast much akin to Van Cleef & Arpels pour homme (VC&A) or any of the leather scents in use during the 1950's.

Leonard pour Homme is, thus, a baffling individual. It makes a grand debut but he does not keep up to this initial appereance. Maybe pressed by the fashion of the times it was launched, the presence of flowers and leather makes you think he must be a relative to VC&ApH.

But it looks like he could not keep on with this farce, so he gets rid of these frills and settles into very subtle, delicate floral notes, in such a traditional way it makes one recall so called "gentlemany scents". Wearing this makes you think he did not feel comfortable with fashion at all.

"Green" means, in this case, a sharp, pungent, aggresive feeling to the nose. It shares much of the same character of scents launched in the 1990's and easily found everywhere. Reviewers mention ginger, I can get bergamot on a very linear, straightforward way. I expected the drydown imporving it, and it does after one or two hours.

Get the traditional Ô, which is better blended. Subtler and fresher, in no way less masculine due to this.

The present version is the original one on a louder volume: think of a very traditional eau de toilet for men who has been reformulated in an effort to satisfy modern tastes. Present day Moustache opens with pungent citric top notes, the original also had hesperidic top notes, but they were far more subtle. However, drydowns for both are wonderful.

Take note this is not for those into the latest fashion. Roudnitska's creation is, even though a reformulation that sacrificed a good part of its character, still a classic, specially when compared to present day scents.

A good option for a low / mid priced fragrance.

You might regard this as a contemporary interpretation of citric scents, in that its top notes are acquatic, making of MbyAB a fairly common, far from original, fragrance. On some occasions I can perceive the presence of vetiver, while base notes are quite traditonal though, reminding me of such classics like Signoricci 2.

One more thing that comes to mind is the fact that sillage and longevity are not in line with those one finds in low / mid priced scents, making out of this option a good value for money in the case you are looking for attributes most people identify with quality scents.

A spicier take of Dior Homme with a prominent iris - like drydown, maybe Olivier Polge's signature? Feels too contemporary in its femenine character.

It is almost like Polo Crest with some notes of the original Polo. So I guess it will be quite welcomed by lovers of the now defunct Polo Crest. As for me, I appreciate the fact that is not, at all, in line with modern or present templates, which in the times being, is surprising.

A classic, inexpensive Spanish eau de cologne easily available in its country if origin as well as in many Latin American countries, made by Gal, a subsidary of Antonio Puig. The line is complemented with a stronger eau de cologne, soap, deodorant and talcum powder.


In Spanish, "heno" means fern, "fougere" in French, so I wonder if this is what the original fougere smelt like. Since I can't tell if this is so, I am resorting to notes I know of and I can easily perceive.

Initial notes are hesperidic-like, their main characteristic being that they are kind of sparkling. As it develops, it settles down to notes similar to the ones found in woody scents, later changing to a mixture of green -amberine notes.

As in all eaux de colognes, longevity and sillage are limited, but sometimes - I can not recall when or why, if it is because of weather conditions, accidental layering or foods eaten - I feel a very unique beeswax drydown lasting a very acceptable time.

Tried it from an old bottle; it has not been imported in the last ten years. Thus, my opinions must be taken with caution.

In my case, the "spicey" description most reviewers mention was limited to a very marked bergamot note that reminded me of Calvin Klein's Eternity, thus I am tempted to say that it might be Halston's version of Calvin Klein's classic 1990's scent.

It might be a good choice if you are fond of a spicy bergamot notes.

The first impression I got from Narciso Rordriguez for Him (NRfH) was... "this is very original and weird". After this, I realized analogous notes as those of Sisley's Eau de Campagne (SEdC).

Thus, I can't review NRfH without mentioning its main reference (SEdC): the logical thing to do is to compare notes as mentioned by the Base Notes Directory -

Sisley's Eau de Campagne:

Top notes: bergamot, lemon, basil, wild herbs, galbanum
Mid: tomato leaves, lily of the valley, jasmine, geranium, plum
Base: oak moss, patchouli, vetiver, musk

Narciso Rodriguez for Him:

Violet Leaf, Patchouli, Amber, Musk.

Well, so far, I must be wrong, ga ga or else, suffering from some sort of olfactory condition since common notes are just not that many: please do grant me the benefit of the doubt - I tried NRfH at a shopping mall and Sisley's EdC hand to hand once at home and the top notes, after one hour, were very similar. Take Eau de Campagne by Sisley top notes and make them strong as a perfume: both are green, but NR's is far from subtle.

After two hours, EdC's subtleness settles close to the skin while NR's stills lingers there. At that point, mid and base notes analogies dissapear, since the animalic and orientals notes in NRfH prevail.

Thus, if your are the sort of fragrance lover into "gentlemanly" or "well to do / classy" scents, conservative in style and demeanor, capable of enjoying Eaux de Colognes albeit their limited longevity and very shy sillage, or the EdTs with points in common with them, you will surely feel confident with Sisley's Eau de Campagne. Now, if your prefer scents that are bold, akin to "a la page" styles and / or lover of notoriousness, choose the later. Either way you won't be decieved, since both reflect these different styles in a very honest, transparent way.

I bought Roger & Gallet pour L'Homme (R&GPL'H) a couple of years ago because it reminded me of a long lost EdT, namely, Nina Ricci's Signoricci 1 - don't confuse it with Signoricci 2, this one later becoming Signoricci plain and simple.

There is no much information on R&GPL'H on the Internet, so I do not have any references as to this EdT's pyramid. Let me say it is a fougere on the tradition of the strong ones, maybe a product of perfume styles in fashion during the 1980's and thus influencing early 1990's designs.

Top notes are orange / bergamot-like: the term means that it might be identified as a citric scent, but as a matter of fact it is not. This citric-like character is far form the ethereal feeling common in well known citric creations like Dior's Eau Sauvage. In this case, it feels pungent and heavy to the nose because of a strong animalic sense in it that takes olfactory sensations to a heavy version of bergamot with leather. This extends to middle notes, while in the base notes there are leather / whiskey-like accords expressed in a talcum powder context. I might venture to say R&GPL'H is linear, but this attribute does not harm its quality and originality. It is based in bergamot, as the current fashion dictates, but it does it with a very classic twist, thus escaping the "acquatic - freshness template" so common today. This might tell you it is not a Summer / Spring scent, rather a Winter scent. R&GPL'H's style is rather conservative, thus, it would be suitable for conservative youngster and adults.

Under acidic skin pH, longevity as well as sillage are notorious, but after and hour or so it becomes a scent sticking closely to the skin. Be aware thus this might not be so in perfume-friendly skins .- which is not my case.

R&GPL'H's price is quite convenient, however, not easy to find.

This review is based on trials carried on on two samples, one from a bottle dating from 1981 and another one recently bought.

After wearing the old sample on my left hand and the other one on my right hand, I could identify some differences that I can't blame on reformulation - 25 years must have had an effect on the old sample. Still, differences are minimal. Thus, descriptions about Jules being "raunchy" and "manly" because of its indolic floral, animalic and leatherish notes are right. However, these floral notes are more prominent in the vintage sample, heavy animalic notes dominate the actual sample. In this one, floral notes are present in a shy, subdued way.

Jules opening is characterized by straightforward animalic notes, ground for the descriptions on its manlyness. The drydown is marked by the heavy presence of leather to such an extent that I have to run the risk of saying it is the most leatherish scent I have ever tried. Having said this, it is clear that notes are easily associated with what could be described as bodily smells. As I have said before, floral notes clearly present in the old sample are very much tamed in the new one, perceptible to some extent, but in a very subdued manner.

As you may have thought, Jules is not for the faint of heart or for lovers of contemporary perfume styles, in that sense it is in the antipodes of "fresh" and "clean" scents. For those thinking of buying Jules blind, take in mind it is far form being a safe buy. This may baffle those having read Jules being a "holy grial" or "must smell"; it might be so for those appreciating difficult to understand scents or aficionados into particular, unique or full of character scents. These statements can make readers conclude that Jules is a curiosity, at the most, a scent to be enjoyed at home but not to be worn. However, this is not so, Jules' strong character makes it suitable for winter time, and its sense of tradition makes it perfect for formal occasions.

Jules might not be everybody's cup of tea, but it is enjoyable in its uniqueness.

I don't like the inital notes of lavender - smells like medicine -, however, I love its drydown. Well, this is the choice if you agree with my observation: the delicacy of its drydown is right there in the beginning. It is masculine, crisp, clear, classy... and tradional. I regard it as a good proof of the quality of Spain's fragrance industry.

If you care that the EdT doesn't last much, in Spain it is available in 1 liter bottles at a good, convenient price.

Ubiquitous, back in 1982, now in 2008, then in the USA, now everywhere in the world: one must have to agree that it is truly a classic. The right choice if you are looking for sillage and longevity around pined, woody notes, as well as compliments from women around you. However, this is surely a turn off if you prefer discrete fragrances, or even if you are curious and want to try original designs.

Pretentiousness in a bottle: seen from afar you might think it is made of crystal, and the badge and cap made of silver... no, that isn't so. The scent is along this proposal in the sense that is classic-lyke, but something is absent.

A luxurious scent recalling excesses, perfect for a romantic night?

The botle is still in my wardrobe, its content almost unaltered. It was a gift from my parents made back in 1981 (!).

I remembered I did not like it at all. Still, many times before going to bed I insistently poured minimun amounts of it on my skin just to analyze the scent. Even though my efforts, I could not understand the designer's criteria: perceptions revolved around ideas of oriental luxury: excesess (well, the 1970's was a decade of excesses).

It was marketed in duty free shops under a premium price policiy. I will save you socio cultural explanations as to connotations of "rich" in Argentina, just to be straighforward, it is associated with bad taste - just picture yourself a "capo di mafia", celebrities or whatever (the sort of people that makes you ask yourself "who are these ones?"), and you'll get the picture.

So, I always imagined that wearing it while in an elevator would asphyxiate the rest of the passangers or, worst still, someone would arrive to conclusions about personal disposable income management.

Now, on the positive side, I can't stop associating top notes with intimate physicial occasions cleverly recalling romantic aspects through its basenotes.

Thus, I would suggest using it with care when having sex with your lover. One or two drops in key body parts can make the trick... if your partner likes it, of course.