Fragrance Reviews by Ken_Russell

How can I not love this scent? Despite the rumours about having changes and worsened along the years, for me it's one of the most classic, inoffensive and gentlemanly scents still available today. Besides the discreet, but persistent lasting power of 12+ hours on my skin (altough after about 12 it becomes a very dim, yet not vapid presence, it's just that i'm marginally aware of it, even after so many hours after application). What i love about this one is the clean, crispy warmth, the exquiste impression of effortless distinct and the fact that it developes into something containing much more than Vetyver- it takes quite a while to discover what is beneath the initial earthy and resinous blast of vetyver, but after that, the finesse up to the point of imperceptibilty of aromatic notes (altough "green, very different from vetyver, the spice and even a slight leatehry touch, which can neither be described as the dark, macho, gothic leather found in some scents, nor the vapid, teenie suede note found in others, it's rather an uncomon tobacco-leather mixture, including the most complex and uncommon association this note can trigger, come to life). I think it's admirable that a fragrance from 1961 is not only still available today, but also upholds very conservative standards of quality seldomly to be found in contemporary fragrance orld. Almost an oldtimer style trip into the depths of the (unfortunately) increasingly inaccessible of true Parisian chic. Hence, this one can be called- along very few other classics- one of the last scents of the golden age of French perfume,which, inspite of being a flawless masterpiece, a luxurious reflection of cououre, of both exclusively elegant and highly intellectual salons, has managed to avoid the trappings, complications and restrictiveness of niche marketing- it's not afraid to show that it's "just" a designer fragrance, however finely crafted by one of these few famous designer houses which managed to avoid the hype, the overblown frenzy created around the niche frags lately, counterbalacing them with
a simple, puristic reputation, a gurantee for outsyanding and countiously upkept quality, for sheer, undissmulated, but almost axiomatic, almost dogmatic quintessence of unquestionable elegance, that particular mood of French stylishness, which can be natural, sensual, bohemian, without failing one single second to be effortlessly mannered, elitist, high-class and high-culture at the same time. For this reason, i guess that GV and a very few other other equally cleant-cut close contemporaries from other traditional designer houeses, bear a name and a myth equal to an unlimited, always upkept promise and guarantee of good taste, somtetimes even putting some overrated, but much more moody, unpredictable and less sustainable niche houses in inferiority (and remember, this comes from a hardline fan of niche frags)- compared to these, GV is a more sober, apaprently more simple, but much more safe, inoffensive and discreet way to smell like niche and even beyond, for the cost and the implications opf a designer scent.

I became curious about this scent when i first read an article about it a German magazine, which, altough not specialized on perfume and not even lifestyle, granted Visit a quite generous article. Even more, the article was packed with poetic associations about this fragrance, raging from exotic food soaked in uncommon spices up to incesce in a church. While being skeptical that there ever is a scent capable to illustrate this, Azzaro Visit gave me soon different, altough equally uncommon associations. What i first smelled was a mere, bare youthfull teeny stenchwater so i moved on unimpressed. Many days later i tried it out again and, surprise, surprise, i found one of the best and untypical contemporary scents in the very same essence. One tiny flaw, why visit -ok maybe i'm uninformed / misinformed but it should have been called out of the cleanest shower, wonderland of spices or complex, stragely beautiful clenliness, to name only few of my sensations. It starts out as a plain, but correct refreshing aquatic and ends up in one of the most complex aromatic symphonies ever - altough the aquatic note stilll lingers on, even something youthfully ozonic and soapy, it gradually turns into amore mysterious scent, spicy up to the point of medical and toothpaste associations, still crisp, but also sensual and uncommonly romantic and sensual, a bizzare association of hot and ice-cold spices. If the youth of today ever wanted to smell original, classy and refined yet avoiding being both generic but also too conservative, this might be the right choice.

It might sound very odd, but i know at least one girl, on which this one smells exactly like Venezia for women. And since they discontinued grand old Venezia, i guess this a much more affordable alternative to wear a highly calssic, smooth, Oriental, with a slight tendency towards the more playful side, due to some uplifting florals and spices. Plus, it's highly persistent too, which means that it is in any respect great value for money- especially for female fans of the genere.

The true incarnation of 90's sensuality and excess, romanticism and fantasy, even tough a touch of 80's ( and even male scents from this period ) powerhouse is also present. One would expect an elusive, watery scent, rising like the ghostlike city from the waters, reaching the airy zenith, right? Wrong. This csent devoures, ethralls, captvates and is also highly tought proviking.You have to either love or hate it! An Oriental who's force comes close to the one of the original female Opium, yet with an extra touch of subtlety and floral delights which is much more underdeveloped in the French classic. Without being its imitator, i would like to the describe this as its more Mediyterranen, hotblooded, but also more romantic and dreamlike counterpart. Aslo, there are some lavish woody notes in it which make me- strengely enough, associate it with some calssics of exquisite woody fragrances for men, Creed's BDP among others, altough minus the citurs notes of the latter. Another similarity with both BDP and Opium is the highly formal component- romantic or conservative wear permitted, even required, however anything casual strictly forbidden if worn with this one. The fragrance industry will remain a constant mystery to me- if so few creations of pure genius, like this one, are being put forward, why do they discontinue them so abruptly? I would have liked to have smelled and felt this one lots and lots of ladies ( provided taht they have the distinction to match Venezia's stylishness )...

Underrate gem of sporty, casual scents and also extremely affordable. The citrus notes are smooth and youthful, having both an energizing and relaxing effect. A scent that arguably won't get one noticed instantly but still uplift one's mood in very pleasant way. At least on my skin it smelled very Mediterranean and giving me the feeling of indulging my body chemistry and my spirit.

Inspite of the agggresive and overtly mascho, muscular association of the name, this scent is a truly safe, wearable and quite mellow aquatic scents, basically a lighter version of the initial Everlast 1910, but with its strong tones significantly reduced and turned into a sweet, slightly unisex creation. What bothers me the most about this one is not the sweetness, but rather the synthetic subtext of this very sweet note. Not bad tough, but unlike the original Everlast, not too different from the bulk of usual mass market creations, however, even with less value for money than the original, it's still an ok, yet not outstanding, choice regarding uncomplicated summer /casual scents.

A bit like the original Chevignon( even the bottles are quite alike) for men from 1992 with a more marine, aquatic twist. Maybe this pair of scents is reminding of a much more famous duo: Boss Elements and Elements Aqua, not only beacuse of the concept and the two versions of a concept, but even the notes are not that different, while Chevignon for men is an earthy, leathery, more conservative scent like Elements, Best of Chevignon is, just like Elements Aqua, lighter, more unisex, crisp, fruity. Oddly, I tested this scent at a time with another Boss scent, Hugo dark blue, and compared to the latter, best of Chevignon was much better recieved of people in my company as it smelled, so they said, more masculine than Hugo dark blue( considering that typical Hugo sweetness it might be true). This one is (de-)lightfully aromatic, pushing the grren notes further than in other Chevignon scents, fresh, youthful enough to be considered modern, yet elaborate, elegant, masculine( even if listed as unisex), long-lasting enough to be a classic. So, besides Chevignon for men, another incumbent classic, with a more easy-going, yet not necessarily casual, experimental, playful approach.

First, I was quite uninterested by the combination of minimal citrus opening, paired with a strong leathery drydown. I mean, I love leathery scents and I have great respect for Givenchy, but I expected more from a leathery creation. But...I discovered an undisclosed smoothness, a certain almost unexplained refinement in it. The fascination for this scent was love at many, almost countless sights, which didn't start right away for me, but rather it took time, re-testing and reapplying on repeated occasions. And suddenly, I was smitten by the animalic background, which has both a dirty, bad-boy side as well as dose of intoxicating, wasteful, indulgent luxuriousness about it. Strangely, both ( and apprently conflicting ) opinions i frequently read about this scent in other reviews seem to be confirmed to me- without any dissonance, I can smell in it both the clean-cut, even slightly overdressed Wall-Street millionaire as well as the rebellious hippie with a greater passion for incense and exotic essences rather than hygiene, by the plain means of soap and water ( I know both statements sound a bit like prejudice, but I guess this scent takes the liberty to play around a bit with our most common misconceptions, without however being too experimental, but rather remaining a conservative above these controversies ). I guess i was at first put off by the base notes of this scent, which at firts bothered me not as much trough their harsheness, by their in-your-face display of almost juggernautish manhood, but a first impression of- yes, it was a superficial opinion, which I revisited, I radically changed in the meantime- a quite generic impression, generic meaning in this scent erathy, neutral, slightly choking and powdery, opposite to the subtelties of a multilayered fragrance, but not exclusive or focused enough to be a " soliflore " either- just a few " dirty " herbs ( characterization which I found more accurate here then in YSL PH Concentree, often accused for this reason ) and an either too yuppie or too psychedelic, to earth-bound finale. How wrong I was - and in this process, I also undesrstood Boateng's ( whom i deeply respect ) fascination
for this fragrance. Yes, while the overtly leathery and animalic base might be loud, offputting, long-lasting in a disturbing way, even stuffy and unidimensional, it's the very same source that fully justifies the genius and stylish simplicity of this scent. Take your time, don't overapply, take more time and then... all or most unclean, unsavoury associations this strong-willed base, not for the weak-hearted generated, are turned ( at least on my skin ) in while a while not groundbreaking or bedazzling, still very sober, distinguished, slighly reserved and formal but nontheless warm, self-confident and genuinely elegant old-school chypre male beauty. This very chypre impression is what i like most about it, as it becomes so richly fulfilling, so poetic without being falshy or artificial, if I not only wear it, but I also take enough passion. I would almost call it slightly, quite remotely, reminescent of two other French classics- Eau Sauvage and Chanel PM- plus the extra edge. And this very edge is actually that very opposite of the genericness that i first sensed- in fact, it has a certain very slow ( even as developement on the skin ), but very smooth and steady way of reviving associations rather with the old-world, with a certain ancien regime nostalgia, way before both yuppies and hippies were an issue, it takes one ( or at least in my associations ) back to a time of opulent aristocratic residences and musty, slightly decaying fortress walls, dramatic, almost theatrical landscapes, collectible old books, a fondness for masculine pursuit, for cigars and brandy, and a certain taste for formal wear ( arguably including leather, in the form of various costly accessories ). And all these associations can hardly be forgotten by me- this is why I actually, altough terribly late learned to discover and love this underrated gem, whose strenghts and deligths are not so easily acessible as it seems, nor as linear and unsurprising, as this scent's simplicity is just an apparent pretext for many hidden and passionate lurking behind an appearantly uninspiring, equal and unilateral first impression.

The most commonplace, atough not bad or unplesant incarnation of a "green" scent. That it is plesant and wearable goes without saying, but towards the end of the nineties it was so overused and overhyped that i think that it got an excessively good press, even ( or especially ) compared even to other Addas scents, which altough equally affordable, are much more creative and complex, e.g. Adidas Classic. Otherwise i can appreciate the citrusy and slightly aromatic opening, leading towards a woody base. Nice and quite good value ( for little ) money, but not quite my cup of tea.

Yet another female scent by Yves Rocher that smells very exclusively and will not age. For all the fans of classic florals outhere, this one is surely worth at least considering, even to become a long-term investment at an affordable rate. Three keywords come to my mind when i think about this one: clean, white and distinguished.

Subtle, yet energetic with herbal and aromatic notes. There is a certain old-school refinement about this scent, which actually combines both a clean, puristic high-quality timelessness with that certain touch of dandy eccentricity. The drydown is crisp, with discreet minty touches later to be found also in Envy, refined cedar and an unlikely, but superb mix of almost neutral, colder, green notes and the warmth, magnetism, mysterious, exotic and spicy warmth of leathery notes. Still, the allround impression reminds all in all of very high-class, high-end eau de cologne and citrus scents( or both ), only with a more woody, cooler- almost neutral, marginally aquatic too-, almost antiseptic, but also slightly smoky, yet not incense and tobacco notes.
Reminescent both of the iconic chypre smelling couture scents of the 80's, especially from Italian and even Spanish brands as they all, including this one, smell more or less Mediterranean, but also typical for the 80's, powerhouse and business-class, yet like the fully suitable and suggestive title says, also following and continuing a much older aristocrartic and conservative tradition of gentleman's scents, as it manages, inspite of the similarities with the 80's scents to transcend the materialistic, even if luxurious and powerful style of this decade and evolve to a more exclusive dimension, towards frail, suave, discreet notes embodying both the elusive, vapid vanity and the unattainable, distant, almost fairytale-like mood of the old world still dominated by nobility( and not yet by Wall Street ).

Refined vanilla, citrus and fruity notes. Both aquatic and solar fragrance, reminding of the two essential elements in any usual depiction of summer- sun and sea. Interesting balance between cool and hot, between fiery and watery, tough more inclined towards a northern depiction of a summer day: moderathe warmth while the more cooling notes tend to exceed, reminding far more of a pale sun with an elusive, almost mysteriously dim glitter. Also a sweet unisex quality making it quite similar to today's aquatic teenager scents, yet the drydown, the longer lasting impression is slightly more luxurious, as more classic and less synthetic ingredients of the woody and spicy kind are more obvious.

Picked this up at a ridiculously low cost and was pleased... Aromatic and powerfull, but less of an old men's scent than Marbert Man, this one being darker, leaning towards a more Oriental and gothic side, with several notes so strong and oily almost on the verge of being unberable. However, applied sparingly ( cause even two drops of it can almost outlast a day and be felt from a long distance), the smell surprises with musky sweetness and rich, deep woody notes. Long and almost difficult drydown, but bearing unexpected delights after a firstly almost painfull encounter with harsh, heavy and stuffy notes.

It would be a good fragrance, if it were not for two huge minus points- after a truly extravagant, smooth and multilayered aromatic opening which does not smell neither sporty nor synthetic at all, it descends into a sweaty, fleshy, ill-smelling, nauseating and hideous choking aftertaste- same problem as with Meditarraneo by Antonio Banderas, another low-cost scent which begins stylish like a second Roma Uomo, but ends up in the same schorching, choking rotten flesh way. The second problem- it does not last more than 1-2 hours in the best case.

Powerful, but a little too generic woody fragrance. Long lasting, sweet notes towards the end- the least masculine part about this otherwise overtly, energetically virile potion, spicy notes but also a rather questionable woody quality. As it is not a classic, nor very precious, expensive or elaborate, it can get almost any rating between vile and good ( but not perfect) depending on the wearer's skin, time of the day, season, accessorizing with personal wardrobe and so on...

At first, I expected a commonplace scent like many designer houses developed just for the sake of profit during the past years, something that doesn't change much about a market segment already owerflown with teeny creations of amss-market appeal ( even in the designer sector ) and a serious deficiency for exclusive, artistic or schock-value creation. So, the fact that Attitude stands out a bit- but not at a spectacular or ground-breaking level - from current genericness came as a surprise to me. On my skin at least it smells above average good and above average long lasting, yet I miss that certain ineffable extra to turn it into a pure masterpiece. I guess the closest definition of this fragrance would be a contemporary gourmand scent with dark Mediterranean notes as an undertone to the vast majority of edible ones, targeted at young urban adults and with an wearability somewhere halfway trough designer, high-class casual and relaxed, "classic with a twist formal wear". I actually love about this scent some outstanding notes, but the combination/overall impression make me give a neutral rating only. That dark Mediterranean style is one of this fragrances achievements- it's like the usual herbal recipe was reshaped, restyled in a more bad-boy, a more edgy and mysterious way, with more depth and strenght. Unfortuntely, there is also a fugdy, coffe-like bitter sweetness that counterbalances this otherwise flawless spicyness ( which would otherwise remind me of two of my favourites: Versace l'Homme and Esencia Loewe, if this one was less powdery and more classic, aromatic and resinous like these two ). This very coffee note makes it all a bit too powdery for my taste, but maybe a new reapplication ( and subsequent reevalution ) would take out the scorching dryness- which is by no means warm or sensual- of this one and leave me more romm to concentrate on the very notes which, taken separately, would have generated an indisputable milestone of perfection. At least the bottle has "attitude" rather than mass-market appeal
( because ironically today's fashion, whcih also applies to perfume equates attitude not with creativity, indvidual freedom, uniqueness, strong personality but rather conformism, unpretentiousness, familiarity inadequately, but smilingly and cunnigly sold as the former values ), reminding marginally of some hints of Art Deco in combination with some limited edition of a Zippo.

For an ardent fan of classic perfumes like me, this scent was close to a revelation, as i loved it more than i loved many of my personal favourites.
It's the right fragrance for all the ones who got tired of the overrating of boutique and niche perfumes and want to buy high quality, get it for less money and without being snobbish but at the same time having a designer scent. Very concetrated, can be overapplied very easily and can be percieved as offensive and rude if one truly does so. I know this from a female friend, who is neither a girly, childish, nor a bone-dry tomboy, in fact a tasteful, stylish, mature and intellectual and sophisticated woman who always enjoys a high quality scent and knows to tell the difference between something like that and the rest. Still, small quantities were enough and she already found it too strong, too musty, almost to the point of nausea. But that still does not affect my liking towards this scent, as tastes are something personal and men usually have slightly different tastes. I guess it was both the acidity and the very, very strong woody drydown that might get close to an unplesant experience, but still this is where this scent's quality lies. It has attitude, overlong persistence - in a good way, that is- and that touch of originality, of classic and indestructible value, that uniqueness and conforting feeling of dignified, self-assured classiness which never fails nor ages. Truly an uncommonly beautiful scent, on of the least typical and stereotypical for a decade that generated so many artworks of masculine fragrance.

A nice and fresh scent, but nothing more than this. Indecisive, just a combination of very neutral and unspectacular tones that lead to nowhere. After the daring and powerfull Caractere, this one is supposedly more modern yet misunderstandig modernity as inexpressive and synthetically artificial. Slightly aquatic and a touch too sweet to be seen as masculine.
Still not necessarily a bad scent.

Stylish female classic, I rember my mom using it once and I can recall how she applied only very little and yet it lasted for more than a day. Oriental musky notes with a floral and deliciously lush fruity touch. Very long lasting sensations. I mostly like if women wear it, with the condition that it matches the outfit, their age, the season and the time of day. Good especially for mature women, it would rether seem bizarre if a teenage girl used it, maybe beginning with the age 25+ onward.

Too macho, too offensively dark. They overdone the balsamic notes towards the end, so that the most lasting impression left is that of heavy and rather oily, intoxicating excessive use of vetyver-or some cheap, synthetic surrogate.

Altough i would like to disagree with previous reviewers, to me this scent has only a moderate/limited lasting power, while its sweetness is slightly overdone and unilateral. Without being a fan of macho scents, i miss a slight bit more edge and that certain manly something here, this one being rather underdeveloped even by the standards of the mostly ( but not mandatory, not necessarily ) affordable male scents by Avon.

For some odd reson, i guess this one smjells like the late nineties to me. It's amazing how many costly and not at all mass-market woody notes went into this one. The main recipe used here- a cocktail of rich, sensual, exotic woods- seems to have worked perfectly here, creating a virile, energetic, warm, lush creation that doesn't reveal how affordable it is.

Safe, uncomplicated mass-market ozonic-watery in a clean and easygoing style. This one would be much more liked by me if, aside from being mass-market, would not smell like most 16-18 year old male ( and not just male ) teens would smell- to be more precise, if it were less sweet, soft and generic.

I loved Ungaro III from the very first try. It is a very rich and sophisticated fragrance, but not necessarily as dark as other users described it- it certailny has obviously "dark" oriental, spicy, leathery-wooden tones but wisely counterbalanced and completed by citrus and fruity tones- somewhat like Fahrenheit with a lighter, fruitier and warmer finish. But maybe even the lighter notes harmonize perfectly with the slightly "gothic" touch of this scent- rather than suggesting fresh fruit and citrus, they rather resemble the scents a Baroque still life with fruits, autumn leaves and wine might remind of - overripe, almost slighly decaying rich grapes, leaves bearing a slightly wooden and smoky undertone, heayily scented desert wines, expensive Oriental incense... I associate with rich golden-brown, slightly melancholic landsacpes, textures and colours somewhat like in a Rembrandt painting. The bottle matches this sensation perfectly, its touches of old gold, the purple-violet glass and bottle-cap reminding of red marble is in perfect harmony with the content. A very balsamic and warm, sensual and luxurious version of a Mediterranenan-chypre scent.

Alongside Declaration, this one is one of the best masculine scents by Cartier. It is named after Santos Dumont a dandy and aviator who lived at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century and truly smells like conservative elegance. Stylish chypre scent with citrus and green notes. Starts floral and herbal, especially with a touch of lavender including all the chracteristic sweetness and warmth of this note, then it tends to end in a very leathery way, but inspite of the drydown, the citrus( almost lemony, Mediterranean note) is still very powerful, but mixes perfectly with the more potent, woodyand chypre ingredients. Literaly an old-school and old-world scent, luxurious and discreet, designed as if someone had the refined and elaborate pleasures of the Parisian dandy or the high-end resorts of the French Riviera in mind. Being a fan of citrus and chypre scents- as it is easy to notice- i truly was impressed by this one.

Yes, yes, definately yes! Can a scent get better than that? Sensual but understated, elegant but not excessively formal, distingished yet virile, divinely soft yet still robust and full of personality. It's hard to think that this was made in 1934, as it anticipates some masterworks in the style of the 1990's/2000's- and i'm only meaning the exceptional perfume creations of these two decades, setting themselves apart from perfume history, not the inflation of run of the mill products also typical of these decades. It's not only a timeless scent, i guess it came much ahead of it's time. The first impression slightly sweet, overtly floral, with a creamy and vanillic touch, but if this description might be suitable for a feminine scent, well, it's entire the opposite, as the second and more lasting impression, particularly during the drydown it becomes masculine, but with moderation and an immense velvet glove or cover surrounding a rich, energetic, robust and hyper-virile conservative chypre-woody touch. If Caron is the quintessence of French distinction, then Pour un Homme is one of the best examples for that, as it represent everything that French haute-couture, savoir-vivre, dandysm, luxury and indisputable, established reputation of good taste stands for. It comes pretty close to my own perception of the ideal scent, as it has everything that stands for an olfactory masterpice: a history to back it's reputation, a high-class yet not snobbish appeal, a certain niche ( almost shock ) value, since, altough a designer scent, it's a rather uncommon and unpredictable choice, the mixture of elitism and subtle ( not commonplace simplicity ), a fascinating harmony of inoffensive, warm florals and also some old-school ( yet not dated ) undertones, harmoniusly included in a suprisingly avant-garde mixture. I might just have found one of my latest favorites!

It might not have the distinction or the high price-high quality ratio of a leather scent by Creed, Trumper or Knize, but guess it's still good value for money for a postmodern allrounder, with more experimenatl rather than old-school macho leathery style. Suprisngly enough, it's far less synthetic than most mass-market scents and has a discreet opening of edible notes, completed by a spicy drydown, reminding more of sweeet woody notes rather than just the typical leather scent. And it' s in this very drydown, where this scent developes an edgy, partly soapy, partly exotic edge.

While being first appalled during the first try, perceiving it as far too sweet and powdery, up to the point of being repulsive and sickening, the more it interacted with my skin, the more i loved it. Yes, it is sweet, beyond any doubt, but it exhales that refined, moderate, extremely lightful, sparking, blissfull, cutting-edge sweetness, like few other male scents- among whom Roma Uomo, Uomo by Moschino, Escada, Ungaro III, JPG Le Male or Dali's Roy Soleil- were capable to capture. Needless to say, it's beyond any doubt a few degrees more exquisite and high-class than most or all of these scents. <br>Iconic for the notion of winter and/or evening scent- its complex aromatic drydown reminding of the olfactory joys various winter spices can bring. The name stands for British high-end sophistication, reminescent of Keats's literary work about a strangely, innaccessibly beautiful youth. While Blenheim Bouquet stands for the robust, middle-aged, socially, intellectually, personally fulfilled, almost age-and timeless dandy which already has achieved an unquestionable perfection, Endymion is the far younger, more androgynous, effeminate, ever changing and unpredictable dandy. It really smells effeminate like a glam rock superstar, but so stylish and little common, that, while it sparingly reminds of goth or metrosexual elemets, it's so many steps and classes beyond these to youth cultures, that it renders them primitive like parasites compared to an exotic, nearly extinct noble species, or a simple, average Joe-human compared to the Superhuman. It embodies both the British cult for effeminate manhood, dating back to the Elizabethan age, reaching it's peak during romanticism, decadentism and sybolism, and still being carried on by mods, glam-rockers or even today, but also in the showy yet exquisite display of rich and above all costly essences, seasoning, fragrant and edible ingredients dating back to the age when Britain was the flagship of colonial power, importing only the best of the best of the world's riches in order to suit the tastes of a continously eccentric and pleasure-seeking upper class. So, daring in its off-beat, revolutionary ( or rather evolutionare towards the supreme flagship and superhuman of the fragrance world) avant-garde but, for at least two reasons, deeply rooted in British tradition. Tradition and modernity at their best, perfectly combined: tradition opened to modern elements, modernity dwelling on the most worthy traditional values. <br>Endymion is a combination of all contrasts: carnal and provocative like a permanently aroused pubescent, yet more distant than an unnatainable star or diva, elusive and restrained not due to shyness but to a cunning and manipulative way, delicate but domieering and undoutedly superior and impossible to grasp or predict, yet never bossy or arrogant, it exhales the cold, dim yet hauting light of diamonds, demons, stars and the wintertime sun- it sparkles in a cold, distant, yet truogh it's mystery, also challenging, provocative way( the unique, cool but glittering spark of genius and immortality). A youth more mysterious than a Romantic poet, more cruel than Cesare Borgia, more outlandish than Ziggy Stardust, more seductive than Valmont or Sade, more ambitious than Julien Sorel and, above all this, more abstract and idealized than the most non-figurative religion, work of art or philosophical concept. After disscussing the - apperantly redundant, but extremely versatile and relevant- cultural, aesthetic, immaterial subtexts, i feel that the actual fragrance notes only confirm these statements. Uncommon, never too cheap or offensive sweetness, powdery drydown that never smells musty, dirty dusty, stuffy or cluttered. Refined spicy warmth, tough a moderate, armotaic touch of rare essences, exhaling that cold, wintery sparkle of demonic beauty and brilliant intellect mentioned above. These aromatic notes have a subtle, almost ozonic, oothing drydown, reminding of vanilla and other traditional winter spices, also slight touch of wood, but also a moderately bitter and dry edible note- coffee and cocoa combined, yet nothing nearto many mass market scents capitalizing on edible notes: here i never actually smelled a faithfull, 100% percent imitation of coffee, cocoa or vanilla deserts, i just guessed a very discreet hint of raw, unprocessed essence of the most expensive, precious, luxurious vanilla, cocoa or coffee. Also, a certain touch, yet only marginally edible-style of toffee, combined or increased by musky tones, and, as uncommon it might seem ( for this is a usually overtly masculine, sometimes rugged and potent ingredient), touches of leather, but, from the leathery note, only a mild, mellow, full-bodied sweetness and an effusive, but never too strong or heavy, just distant, unnatainable sensation of warmth being kept. The spicy notes also include woody and almost incense-like notes of pepper and other winter spices, which, however, are never too pungent or excessively aromatic, as their are combined into a softer, more balanced background correcting, neutralizing every excessive or overspiced note- it all seems to melt down into a bath of aloe vera, Neroli or lavender, adding a certain aquatic softness to the otherwise to harsh display of too spicy notes- indeed some cooling, watery, airy and almost neutral base. <br>Basically, this scent is also a more modern, more daring, yet never watered down-version( unlike many "eau" or "acqua" versions of established scents, chiefly extremely watered down and synthetic parodies, distorsions of exquisite classics) of Hammam Bouquet or Opus 1870- while it's never a cheap copy of these two, not even a lighter, more casual re-enactement. The similarities don't go further that all the three scents include, in different combinations and differently concentrated sveral sweet, leathery and aromatic notes, but , in my opinion, in Endymion they are at their best and show fragrance notes beyond the most daring, but also beyond the most elitist achievements of perfume-making.

If i was puzzled and neutral about Jazz, Live Jazz, altough it gets the same rating from me, seems to attract and to impress me more. There is much less of this way to simple woodyness found in Jazz, completed with a sweetness that just fails to be out of place. It is a rich, complex and quite less ordinary scent and while i'm not one of his most avid fans, i certainly respect and somehow, for some odd reson, even admire it, however not knowing if i would also wear it.

Unique and creative.. a thing of beauty wrapped in an outer shell which is almost unsavoury and harsh. And yet...after the initial blast of dark, almost rude and intrusive notes, the very incarnation of distinction unfolds on my skin. Something reminding of the grand old Drakkar Noir plus an extra Versace L'Homme botanical touch, the formal and somewhat authoritarian manhood of Aramis and Givenchy Gentleman too, while Smalto is a darker, but also more suave, elaborate and smooth cousin of these two.
It's clearly a scent i would wear in winter or during formal occasions, maybe in cold weather, anyway it gives me the sensation of a glamorous party while it's snowing outside, of impressionistic landscpae, of a certain herbaceous residual leathery note, mingled with hints of tobacco and moss.

A high quality fragrance and not as commercial and uninspiring as mosr\t CK scents, unfortunately way too heavy and slightly campy and dated. It's apity that the very scent who gets so much credit leaves one - without fulfilling its promise - waiting for more. The night version is much more smooth, complex and wearable. This one however, while not being bad, reeks of a dirty and slightly kinky alpha male. A powerfull and beyond any doubt walthy and successfull man who's refinement did not increase gradually with his rise. It smells of potency, yes, maybe a campy tastye for poweer and luxury, but it has also a backward dad-like element in it, something of an authoritarian family father with a darker and more closeted side. Nevertheless, i resent more the outcome rather tahn the combination as, just like i mentioned before, i can detect not few high quality ingredients, however crushed under a tasteless conglomerate of blunt brutishness.

When i first tested this i expected a cheap, unstylish mass market smell. I also expected something casual, sporty, soapy, maybe also sweet and unmanly, a teenage boy rather than a men's cologne. Well, u was wrong on both occasions. This one sells as if it's cvreator had two different, totally different scents in mind mingled into one. The first scent, also the first impression is taht of an 80's male scent, complete with luxury, the finesse yet also streght of chypre and lots of macho attitude. The second one is, just like the drydown more 90's or 2000's, more gourmand, fruity yet not too boyish or cold-heartedly post-modern.Oddly, these two entirely different concepts seem to dwell organically into each other, to melt into each other yet without ever rejecting each other. The only minor flaw is the unwilling misnomer - this is one of the scents that don't seem to be made by Everlast, as it reminds too much of a designer fragrance, to be more precise, of a well-made, classy one.

This i can truly call Fahreheit with a human face - a very deifferent scent compared to the initial Fahrenheit. Mostly, updated or lighter or summery versions of a clasic scent - the exceptions onkly confirm the rule- tend to be such a far cry from the original so that one of the few initial notes left are being brutalized and watered down in the worst way. But not in the case of this one. Tough it has a certain Hugo&Ck element of genericness in it, i'd rate it's genericness with style and balance, if it ever exists. All in all the composition is unpredictable and daring, with a note of playfull sensuality. A watermelon note is here provocative and delightfull, unlike the vile use of this note in AdG and Royal Water. Also, it stands out trough a solar, uncommonly beautiful combination of something that suggests both white flowers ( well, at least this is what i can detect ) and a certain clean laundry sort of freshness. And even if a masculine scent is apperantly the last place where to find such fragrance notes, yes it is masculine in a vibrant and constantly surprsing manner.

One of the truly fascinating scents but with a major problem - not masculine enough. Otherwise it would have gotten the perfect 10 from me. Anyway, the combination is smashing, altough the supreme icon of poweriness, it has a certain spicy appeal and a true vocation for being creative and untypical, hard to picture on any kind of wearer. It is one of the scents that start out brilliantly, but leave you nowhere. Anyway, it does however stand out clearly from the current scent market and it's also not necessarily typical burberry's.

Multilayered wood, puzzling wood, neutral wood... and some equally strange, tough not bad, cheap or unpleasant, spices. A cold and intellectually rather than emotionally structured scent. Oddly, i could never define the cathegory of this scent's typical wearer, and even more unlikely, to define it positevely or negatively. Bone dry and ice cold woods. Many puzzling detail that lead to absolutely no conclusion but a neutral impression, at least in my opinion.

I like this one more than Boucheron pour Homme, the latter being recommended to me if like classic chypre scents in the style of Eau Sauvage, Chanel pour Monsieur, Aramis or YSL pour Homme - whom i all love. Tough Boucheron pour Homme is a high quality scent, it impressed me less than the four basics listed above, as in my opiion does not really compete with their refinement as has something flat and too heavy in the drydown. Things were totally different with Jaipur homme. Strangely, i had less higher expectations from this one than with Boucheron pour Homme, but ended up loving it. It is one of the most unusual and almost niche-targeted Orientals still to be purchased today ( tough Boucheron is not a niche fragrance house ). It is artistic, evades any genericness and suitable for any kind of uncommon target with a more artstic side. Smells like Opium por Homme, with a touch of Gourmand Orientals, Santos and Must by Cartier and Zino Davidoff, but with a plus of that special extra something and an even greater amount of lush spicyness, maybe even at a higher degree than these already extremely powerfull and overindulgent scents. Still, inspite of its lasting power, it never plunges into vulgarity or loud, in your face, notes that even if used moderately seem to overapply. While it makes no secret of its warmth, opulence and seductive aura, it retains a smoothness and discretion of rare proportions.

Not as vile as it is usually percived as, but nothing special either. I'm just puzzled ho wso many classic and exquisite ingredients can amount to a result that is barely above average.
Now don't dislike this scent by any means, but i'm not impressed either. It has a certain gourmand twist combined with extremely havy and intoxicating Oriental notes. One might first say: " Wow, this must have been daring ( or not ) for 1994 " and move on to something else. As for me, while i respect all the fans this scent could possibly have, i'm sure i wouldn't wear this, as i need more subtelty and originality in a masculine fragrance.

Refined fruity-floral with some chypre touches. Inspite of its affordable price, i love to feel it on my female friends. Oddly, i don't percieve it as much as i girly scent, in fact, inspite of some sweet notes, it also has a more sober and mature side, with rich and extravagant powderiness with an almost masculine twist: reminding of the masculine scents of a floral and spicy nature, which are anything but girly yet have a soft and discreetly sensual side.

I never tought i'd change my rating towards Pur Monsieur, but reapplying it over and over again, giving it new chances to interact with my body chemistry i came to the conclusion this is one of the most distinguished and discreet masculine scents one can still buy today. I would compare it to Aramis, but with a few plus points- it is lighter , but in a good, not vapid way, subtler, less musty and stuffy and more complex than the latter; anyway both scents have a lot in common, they both stand for timless, yet not dated, old-school elegance, they both stand for that kind of refined yet firm masculinity seldomly to be found today, they both seem more formal rather than casual ( but both of them with a tender, twist ), they both have a tasteless and - paradoxically- sophisticated simplicity. I'd just gravitate more towards Pour Monsieur, as it has that certain extra. There are good scents, some of them also deserving thumbs up, and there are sheer masterpieces, standing for a trancendental beauty that is almost impossible to sum up verbally. While aware of this scent's value, i was still hestitating in which of these two groups it would fit best. My problem and my neutral rating came mostly from factors like excessively floral opening, to sweet citrus ( while this very ingredient could be more pungent and fresh ) and perhaps the most unplesant- the too dusty drydown, however my innaccurate perceptions should not influence, especially because after giving it a second, a third try, i realized how innacurate it was. Two choices- i might have smelled these notes as a simple olfactory illusion that rendered me to distort things and to become paranoid about ingredients which are not there, or , while these notes i hated were truly present, the combination did compensate totally, taken isolated they might be unplesant, but the mix exceeds in much more brilliant and captivating ways these displeasures. In other words, i might disagree with some of the components, but as soon as i percieve it as a whole, it's flawless and without any unbalanced edges.
I think this one smells like pure luxury without being showy or offensive, ever. The opening, in which i identify a faint touch of florals has the quality of not being either gothic floral, as in Ungaro III, nor fleshy, carnal, impudent as in 1881 Amber- two scents that i love and own, yet have this tiny minus point compared to Pour Monsieur, at least for the ones who are not fans of these particular kind of florals. As for the drydown i only identified a touch of dusty and musty roses first, reminescent of Ungaro II. I was wrong again after i got to know it better, while the similarities, but rather marginal, with Ungaro II remain, it is neither stuffy nor offensive is i smelled at frst. Besides, it's way more complex than dusty florals, which, oddly, i can barely smell now, but have been replaced in my olfactory perception as a wide range of perfectly matched chypre notes. If Blenheim Bouquet is aqn exhilariation of pine, this one must be THE exaltation of the finest and least offensive, at the same time most multilayered herbal and woody touches, especially during the drydown. While being elegant and meaninfulyy opulent, yes gentleman, this scent works with opposite sex, but it's not just the strictly physical attraction, probably induced by some timid beginning of edible notes ( but way less edible, sweet and androgynous as today's horrind metrosexual girly boy stenches ) combined with a grassy, energtic, fully masculine yet never brutish, still very decent subtext. I would rate that, while the ladies would first think of bedding and devouring its wearer, they would later also percieve an intellectual and deeper affinity with its lucky waerer, which would not erase, but only magnify and compensate more the initial attraction. That dfoes however not imply that this scent is overtly sexual, animalic, not even that much of a playboy scent- still i guess it is very likely to seduce because all its quality are implicit and never need to show off, therefore suitable for the man that is so self-assured that he can display his charm discreetly and marginally and it still goes without saying that he is the undisputed, yet never too obvious leader both in social and in personal life. It's actually a basic scent and
while it can spark passions, it makes and overall good, serious and decent impression of maturity and style whatever the occasions to wear it might be - either on a business meeting or the most formal and glasmorous ball among the richest of the super-rich or the most conservative of the last aristocrats, the wearer can never go wrong, as it priojects solid, ultra manly yet ultra gentlemanly values, a true self awareness and self-esteem doubled by gracious yet never false, prudish or submissive modesty, an access to the highest spheres in life yet appering ass the most natural thing in the world, designed for perfection yet never intimidating trough it. Speaking of perfection, this scent has a minor flaw that makes it stop just millimeters short of achieving it, the moderate lasting power, as it survives at most 2-3 hours on my skin, but then again this is not necessarily the scent's fault ( body chemistry and so on )- wihtout this, Pour Monsieur would get from me the perfect Ten, or rather the perfect Eleven plus.

One of the most puzzling olfactory presents i ever got: smells at the same time nice and vile, therefore the definition of the neutal scent. Like an improved andf more nightlife oriented version of the poor lasting power synthteic Pro Sport. It has a certain edible note and if it were not for the cheap character of this very note, it would certainly smell more credible and refined. Clearly youthful, but not only fresh, i'd rather say it has a certain note of dark exoticism, but strangely crafted in a generic teenybopper way. It makes me feel younger than my real age and i guess this is truly the best for those hitting puberty without much knowledge of scent ( either i'm well over that or never was like that in the first place ). Actually, it starts off very spicy and almost virile in a stylish way, but devolves and sinks into a hopeless, unilateral accord of showergel, cocoa beans and caramelized sugar, only sweeter and more synthetic, more flat and boring than these indgredients could ever smell. Younger buyers would congratulate me for owning this, telling me that girls will truly like to eat me up like a candy or take over me violently- but never be fooled: the lasting power is so low that it is barely smelled by its wearer after only few minutes, not to mention anyone else so the girl will not even have the opportunity to know him and even less to seduce him.
The other great cathegory of fragrance fans, the conservative wearers of niche, boutique and independent, the faithful customers of Creed, Lutens and AdP ( to whom i feel closer than to the first ), will most lkely advice me the opposite, to avoid this one swiftly and mercilessly: tough even they might suprisingly have a very short and intense revelation ( but no lasting relationship ) with this one, as completely new and uncommen experience, as deliberate cross-dreessing and unaccessorizing, as memory from a different and never truly lived life of preteen and teen trendiness.
Basically, it's just like the many
" black ", " dark" or " night " versions of most 15-20 year old wearer's scents but without the quality, lasting power and more expensive ingredients some of this fairly good fragrance houses ( Boss, Paco Rabanne, CK, Emporio Armani and so on ... ) are using. But it also has the potential to create a cult following as it is not entirely vile and badly crafted, as it also has some plesant sides.

Generic? Indeed, beyond any doubt. I guess this scent revolves exclusively around the famous " Boss sweetness " which can range from atrocious to pure genius from scent to scent. This one seemed to have landed right in the middle, yet slightly less effeminate and mainstream like the other mass produced Boss scents appearing almost every second and which are spposed to be masculine. While suitable for teenagers, i would associate this scent with 20 something, at most 30 something young executives, officials or members of the vast suburban middle class, maybe as their office wear, but i think it's a little to casual for that, but most likely in their spare time or during their night out downtown, clubbing.

Even tough i usually cannot stand CK fragrances with the exception of the superb all-time classic Eternity for men, being more a fan of much more classical, basic or dandystic scents, there is something about Obsession Night that fascinates me. It has style, smoothness and a certain combination between mainstream appeal and sophistication- something highly unlikely like someone trying to be original and still fitting into contemporary fashion trends. Besides the notes listed before i seem to sense even a slight note of blue cedar in this one, quite similar to Eau de cedre bleu by Yves Rocher, which is more afforbadle than this, but shares the same unusual and exquisite woody note. Of course, the suede element is also plesant as there are watery notes, the latter exhaling a crisp and mellow smell which suits almost any age group and even both genders of wearers. Besides Eau de cedre bleu, i'd compare this one to Joop Nightflight, even the more precious Endymion or some aquatic Boss scents, in particular Elements Aqua, for reasons which i feel very intensely yet cannot express very logically and properly a this moment, as the memory and the associations of scents are often very nondescript.

Very different from the classic must, tough launched during the same year. I would rather compare it to Santos, say, its less elaborate, more down-to-earth, less aristocratic, more raw and extroverted relative. The first impression is herbal yet not grassy or green- herbal in a medical sense of the word, somwhere in between thereapeutic tea, cough syrup and cooling mint-scented ointment. For the ones who find this note unimressive and offputting, once this rather hard and blunt outer core is gone, a woody-aromtaic note near to perfection is awaiting, reserved yet firm under layers which would, at first, leave one to suspect very little of this fragrance's potential. Tough not as refined as in Bois de Portugal, Z-14, Rocabar or , again, Santos, the woody note in here is harmonious and adding that certain something just when the scent was about to turn generic. Luckily, this never happens, as this aromatic accord is a more human and enjoyable take on e.g. Amen's vile sandalwood-incence stick flavoured metrosexual syrup or a few gourmand Orientals like Le Male who seem not to make up their mind between being a girly boy clubbing scent or a decadently French-made niche Oriental quivering with bare and costly essence of prohibitive rarity. Must Esssence seems to have both outdone these fragrances and solved their dilemma: while a slight note of partly edible partly androgynous experimentation is present in the drydown, it is so discreet and so much appesed and even dettered by more aristocratic and conservative ingredients ( tough equally gourmand , but in a very different, more old-style slow-food, expensive cigars and grand cru wines' style ) they are hardly worth mentioning. What remains is the opulent woody drydown plesant in almost all Cartier masculine scents, however less Oriental than in Pasha, less mysteriously goth-dandy of untypical and highly refined extravagance, also less powdery and winter spices scented than Declaration.

Not as vile as the ultra-vile Hugo, but nothing spectacular either. And another thing i don't get : why on earth is mr. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers this secnt's official image, as the decadently stylish actor would be hard to imagine wearing such a scent, when he's in fact made for classics of dandyfied British masterpices by Creed or Penhaligon. Mismatched image, completely synthtetic and post-postmodern.

Heavy and uber-masculine in a classic, safe yet somehow uninspiring way. Far from being generic, vile, cheap-smelling or low quality, while it gives me the impression of undoubtable quality and costly ingredients, the citrus formula- tough i'm the most ardent fan of citrus scents- is rather plain and harsh in this case. For really outstanding citrus there is, in my opinion: Eau Sauvage, Armani PH, Grey Flannel, even Pour Monsieur, for the ones who like a more powdery twist, YSL pour homme, Acqua di Parma and a few Penhaligon scents- to name only the best known ( and, most likely, best loved). This one has a rather harsh, slightly sharp and too in-your-face herbal note as well as a too smoky, overly virile, blunt and stuffy drydown, bnut without these two minus points it would be one of the most refined chypres around and possibly the perfect masculine fragrance.

Not bad, not bad at all- tough a bit too sweet for my personal taste, it is a good quality and less conventional youth-oriented casual scent. Partly, i find it better than most Bosses, Emporios and Davidoffs for the same target, age group and dress code, tough financially speaking for much less. More, unlike many of these scents, it has an extra touch of
non-synthetic aromatics with a more manly, artistic and exotic touch. Somewhere in between the low- cost
( but often high-quality) Orientals by the Body Shop, chiefly Javari and all these iconic french Gourmand Orientals by Thierry mugler, Guerlain, YSL, Cartier, JPG that continuosly fascinate experienced and high standard perfume lovers. Inspite of the name, the commercial, the affordable price, it is only marginally triggered at energetic, easygoing, low-maintenance and horny young people, as it has a more outlandish, bohemian, dandyfied, conoisseur and mysterious twist. Not my favourite, but pretty close to being so.

This scent has not aged a bit- so different from today's genderless wuss-waters. Compared to Pour Monsieur, i even like it more than the also outstanding Chanel creation, i percieve this one simpler, a bit more crisp and zesty, but also belongiong into the same league: understated gentlemanly distinction at its best. It also has that soapy sensation later to be found in Rive Gauche, but unlike in the latter YSL scent the citrus note is more puristic, bettwer defined and less mellow, plus something of the Rive Gauche creamy, cool and slightly smoky drydown is also present. The difference to Rive Gauche is, while it retains the " fine shaving cream " -note, this one is more focused on citrus in more upfront embodiement, rather than the properties of a grooming product, the ones of this appearantly unspectacular ingredients are perecetible in an infinite number of variations and associations
( citrus can be fresh, juicy, relaxing, antiseptic, even sometimes provocative, both youthful and mature, both spontaneous and refined...). And just like other reviewers correctly noticed, it really has very little 70's style in it, as in my opinion it could easily pass for a ( multi-) secular citrus creation of traditional status as good as for a 80's scent, howvever not the hyper-macho scents, but the sober, puristic and straightforward achievements of that age.

This was in the grim, prerevolutionary Romania and all troughout the 90's a scent which embodied western lifestyle and at the same time the most generic aftershave, yet in a good way. However, i can't understand today's fashion to detract it in the very same country as worst scent ever- in fact, i guess i can understand this reaction as an opposition of sons and nephews
( not yet grandsons, but it will come soon) against a scent which, inspite of existing only from 1988 onwards seems to have a long history dating from the forefathers, being already an elderly statemesman / grand old dad fragrance. While i can fully understand the radical for or against reaction, most of its detractors must bear in mind on tiny thing: most of them condemn it even without smellling it, or only because it is conservative ( which does not equal necessarily dated, unfashionable or plain) or because, one of the most important bias, snobbery is sadly a well established norm these days, because it is extremely low cost. Still, it fails to smelll cheap and to a fan of classics and basics than me, it is a fr better buy then the tens of times ore costly Hugos and Waters and Acquas of no individuality. Besides the fact that it spoils my skin with clean-cut citrus and makes me literally smell like fresh out of the best barbershop in the world , like good quality shaving cream ( sensation whch is also present, both to me and others, due to the more exclusive Rive Gauche) and that comfortable feeling of staring the day revitalized and uplifted, bear also in mind that the aftershave from hattrick classic is one of the few which makes my quite sensitive and highly irritable skin not to loook like a bloodbank or a battlefield after shaving, which says a lot about this product's real value. Apart from that, it might not be the dermatological qualities that should be discussed here and believe me, i don't confuse the plesant aftershave sensation and their important part in my life with a good fragrance. Irrespective of that, Hattrick is a good fragrance and for an almost invisible amount of bucks/ euros..., a true investement. while the west was still giving the world one of the last true macho, yuppiefied and dandified powerhouse 80's masterworks, most based on the well-known citrus-chypre-leather recipe, this one follows in the footssteps of this formula, partly rubbing of, partly being taken to an anterior and more subtle interpretation- the serene yet mature and overtly masculine beauty of timeless partly cologne-type, partly herbal -aromatic, lighter yet equally virile and structured citrus, which shines at equally...understated yet formal and recognizable intensity in both quarter-of-millenium-old basics
and in some delightfully anochronistic present day creations which oppose to fading trends the certainty of a never misplaced or obsoloete vintage-style formula. How can i describe the scent? Besides the citrus, which altough very present and of great antseptic/ astringent quality does not truly stand out in your face but reminds of its presence discreet yet difficult not to notice, the drydown is a mellow yet rich and spicy note.
In my humble opinion it smells like
no-noonsense and exquisite manhood with both tender and extrovertedly energetic ( yet not coarse or tyrannic, blunt or banal) shades. It
was probably a good thing that the most affordable European aftershave ever got such exposure in my country, bacause ven if it's image value and esteem are quite low these days, it still was for many consumers who eiter lacked the cash or, worse, had the cash but never the taste or tradition in this sense, a good staring point of how a male fragrance shouls smell like, especially as a starter scent which was not so different from many designer or even boutique citrus classics. And tough i never belonged to the cathegory mentioned before, even in my mind hattrick classic was always percieved like to most simple and available definition of if not the ideal, han at least the " never-can-go-wrong" inoffensive, never obvious fragrance suitable for almost any occasion.

Retested this again and, while i will not change my rating, i must say that i found much more notes during my second try than just clean citrus and Mediterranean freshness. Now i also discover the warmth of Roma Uomo, Minotaure and Carlo Colucci and possibly even 1881 Amber. It has a serious touch of ambery sensuality and adds a distinguished, not overreacted note of discreet yet charm. So, fresh opening, still lighter than the obviously leathery Fendi, yet also the powerdy touch i tended to overlook once, but at second glance and sniff i discovered as a balanced and logical conclusion to its initial freshness.

Other reviewers compared it to most Boss and Calvin Klein scents i think they were right. It has the same generic quality like most perfume by these houses. It starts of fruity and floral and ends quite powdery and tough i am by no means a fan of macho scents, rasther their outspoken critic, this one seems to go way too far in the opposite direction.
However, being so andrgynous, i can understand why women love it- don't know how many women like to smell this on a man, but i've known quite a few who used it for themselves. It's actually fresh, but just as fresh as a usual showergel or affordable deodorant, which is not necessarily bad, but nothing extraordinary either.

One of the warmest and most sensual male fregrances known by me. And tough most Chanel fragraces, irrespective if female, male or unisex are timeless, this one is capable, while staying true to that famous atemporal " Chanel note" to also be truthful and not dissimilar to its launch year: 1999.
I mean, it has all this year stands for- the late nineties taste for a shift from hypermacho 80's and even eraly nineties to either more girly or simply more complex and avantgarde male scents ( this one is rather second cathegory), the cult for edible notes, gourmand scents and sweetness ( luckily in this one only with moderation), the interest for darker, night-time, slightly goth inspired scents. I discovered it all in Allure Homme- a faint, discreet sweet drydown and, call me mad, a slight memory of fellow 1999 Hugo Dark Blue, cause tough in Allure these ingredients go trough a more costly, haute couture, less casual, more formal interpretation, they both havge the same beeswax/honey on one hand, but also nightlife, slightly, but only remotely dark association, also with some ozonic touch. Interesting enough and quite trendy, but, just like other Basenotes users, i prefer- tough i'm definately not against this one- Antaeus instead.

Oranges, a taste ( or more accurately, a smell) of orange peel and some mandarin. I think this fragrance is all about Sicilian oranges- their olfactory intesity stronger than the one of regular oranges, the intensely red pulp and juice, their zesty, pungent and marginally powdery flavour. However, as it happens with many scents with edible notes, i would much more appreciate the Sicilian orange note in food and drinks rather than in a fragrance. This note is still very natural and quite raw, being at the same time the strenght and weakness of this scent: quite raw, even primitive, tough natural orange and mandarin notes are found even in aromatherapy oils or scented candles without being more artificial or less intense than in this costly perfume, there, the unilateral, simple character of this note is not an impediment as it is merely designed to relax and smell decent. However, this very same orange note is also a strenght: it leaves no dioubt about the use of good quality ingredients and natural essences. The fans of truly elaborate, conservative and smooth citrus will be much better served by the original Colonia from 1916. The fans of orange will find a probably equally natural orange note in Eau d'Orange Verte and even the mass-market Jaguar for man, the latter adding to the pungent orange note even an aromatic background of sweet and
spiced woods and moss.

To be used not only with moderation but also after seriously considering if this composition is truly what the wearer is looking for. Therefore i understand why so many people either love or hate this one- both attitudes are quite logical to me. After i tried it first, it smelled literally expensive, that kind of artisanal niche scent which seems to cry out loud : " i am not only costlier but also better than mainstream designer scents". Indeed, it does stand out from the mainstream, yet expresses also a somewhat strained situation how to combine Acqua di Parma's elitist appeal with ways to attract young consumers, who search daily digitally, interactively and virtually the newest, hyper-experimental, post-structural and post-postmodern synthetic lab scent?
Because this one smells clearly 2006 and has a faint memory of all mainstream ( and even mass market) fashion, fragrance trends of that year. What struck me first about this scent was, easy to guess, the sweetness and fruityness, however not as pronounced as in Mandorlo di Sicilia, but not that good to be seen by me as one of the notable ( and wearable ) exceptions that make fruity and sweet scents transcend beyond the quite profit-oriented limitations of this type of fragrance and smell that unique, distinguished, long-lasting or simply challenging almost up to the point of puzzling that none of their youthfulness, fruityness, commonplace appeal or avant-garde are an impediment. However this is not Fico di Amalfi's case, and either i can't value the certain warm, dry sweetness of fig or i have not just found the scent to make me reconsider the potential and achievements of this note. Still, this scent is legitimate and quite easygoing and inoffensive, without being, at least, as bad as Mandorlo ( a point where i totally agree with other reviewers dislike).

Distinguished, gentlemanly scent of great discretion. Classic and understated without being extravagant.
Crisp and clean herbal opening, mossy chypre formula as lasting impression.
Just like Theorema uomo, inspite of various structural differences, the sheer expression of both invigorating yet classy Mediterranean freshness.

Inocorrectly listed as a female scent, i looked up the company's website and several perfume shops and the unanimous opinion was that this scent is masculine. Reportedly created for Napoleon, i actually rediscovered this in a German perfume store, however i first tried it in a quite uncommon way: during highschool i read an article in National Geographic about perfumes designed for famous historical figures ( among whom Napoleon) was acccompanied by slightly perfumed pages and one of the featured perfume was this. Both in the article and in the perfume stores, much later, left me under the very same impression-smooth yet martial and sober, Mediterranean( what else?), with a very discreet citrus and fruit opening and a dignified and robust aromatic drydown. One major question remains- which was, undisputedly and beyond legend and controversy Napoleon's signature scent? His relationship to
4711 is said to be a historically inaccurate hoax, with Farina Gegenuber's eau de cologne the case is different from 4711 and even a few Creeds, tough only recently launched yet supposed to have existed in Napoleon's time but reorchestrated after a long period of oblivion, like Millesime Imperiale or Bois de Portugal which ancient and "napoleonic" formulas.
Irrespective of the historical context i consider this scent a well- guarded,
exclusive secret tip for the seekers of individuality.

Altough the rose note is slightly overdione, the mix is stylish and discreet. Smells not necessarily like a female version, but a more smooth, less synthetic and more filigrane version of the ( rightfully) hated Joop Homme. The both have the same " pink" feeling, the same gourmand caramel touch, but while Joop Homme degrades and dcays into notes of suger, burned incese and even burned paper, some even worse version of Kouros plus some synthetic illusion of plastic, Le Bain has a comforting moderately soapy, refined creamy note creating the sensation of familiar yet distinguished suede association and even high quality, slightly yet costly aromatic relaxing oils used by and and associated with high-end apothecary, batrbershops or bath-houses ( latter thing suggested even by the name).
I guess it makes way from another stylish creation yet to come ages after this one from Joop: the exquisite female Roccoco. And tough the latter is even more subtle, complex and much more groundbreaking, they both have several features in common: a frail, lightful, vibrant uplifting yet discreet quality.

What first appealed to me was the low cost, as i never expected to find a designer scent so affordable- but the value was at least inferior to the cost. I mean, i got the very same day, slightly more expensive, but in a far superior cathegory, Worth pour Homme, which, considering that it was reworked and cheapened ( not as price, but as quality) is still ages above this one. On one hand there are factors that attract me directly to enjoy and value a masculine scent- manhood, yet not too macho and with quietly confident discretion, elegance, puristic timelessness, lasting power, the capacity of being evocative and versatile and then there is Curve- quite the opposite of what i advocated before. While belonging to the " not bad" cathegory, it is still not good enough to be truly good. Abedazzling, even bewildering mix of various notes heading nowhere, maybe batter if taken and used apart.
In my opinion, too fruity and, i'm not the only one to notice, substandard lasting power. Drydown is, in my opinion, more feminine and/or unisex and while the first impression might still be promising, even if confusing, the drydown states clearly this scent's rather limited potential.

Way too casual and too mass-market as to please even the average perfume user.
Underdeveloped, unilateral aquatic, adding nothing to a market section already crowded and cluttered. Very usual teenage- argeted scent, tough teens can do themselves a treat and smell much better for much less. Maybe my dissapointement partly comes from the fact that i once went to an upscale perfume shop and asked the vendor for something truly unique, capable to change one's image instantly. In return, i got to test this, but obviously the salesperson's taste and mine did not match, as i always percieved this, as other users have already correctly noticed, as far too sweet.

Memories of 1999 in a redundantly casual, misplaced youthful way. Clearly belongs to the " scents that should have never been made" category.
Drakkar Noir is stylish, mysterious and long-lasting, tough heavy for some wearers, a more discreet version of it being probably welcomed ( however not overdone light and/ or casual). Well, this is the very mistake of this, it has so little of the original Drakkar left and becomes an utmost fruity scent like the most generic Boss or Davidoff. It has that sickening sweetness in between Hugo and Good Life- to stick both to the aforementioned fragrance houses and to a quite contemporary chronological context. And like in this two scents overdone vanillic and beeswax touches, even if this potential can be well-placed in other scents ( and even sweetness, with creativity and moderation for that matter) plus some synthetic fruity notes, again reminescent of that entire Boss youth culture and the most hideous fashion trends of the nineties. Sports and clubbing in the tasteless way, unispiringly ready for an undesrved success( it was, oddly, quite popular around its release date). Ah, the memories of the mass-market fragrance, irreswpective of price because afrfordable scents can be much more distinguished and longer lasting than expected or, the opposite phenomenon, designer scents can smell way too common.

Simil;ar to most Creed scents- i don't know why exactly i am constantly followed by this association, but it happens everytime i come across Duc de Vervins. Besides Drakkar Noir, it's also another Guy Laroche scenjt to whom i find this similar: the largely overlooked and today almost forgotten Horizon. Alongside with this wastly underrated scent, Duc de Vervins has the same smooth green opening, but not that agressive, repulsive herbal e.g in the style of Eau de Campagne, but the most elusive finely crafted aromatic note with a berly perceptible but still omnipresent backing of discreet chypre and refined, persistent and precious woody notes. So maybe a crossover between Horizon's elaborate "green" style and Drakkar's rich and almost spritualized tobacco, plus quite a few masculine Creeds.
Oddly, not neccessarily a minus point, more of a puzzling and bewildering detail, which i don't want or have to see as a minus point- the bottle and especially the monogram on it remind me rather of of a jet-set new money, even Texas-style millionare than an old-money aristocrat due to a strange mixture of showy megalomania and minimalism of the two letters. This, however did not affect the rating i attributed to this scent.

Cross-section of many affordable, moderately lasting and unsurprising scents, that still would be good everyday allrounders-that is for the ones without much concern for fragrance and/ or not a big budget for it either, that still want to smell a few degrees better than the cheapest mass-market aftershave and still not stand out- " classics" of this mainstream genere being among others, Transat by Yves Rocher or Glacier by Oriflame. Smells light, clean, casual and that's all, some might even find the medically intepreted( medicine- smelling, that is) ozonic- watery quality annoying. For the ones who need to stand out or wear something more lasting or just favour the classic, puristic elegance should probably skip this woithout having to go necessarily to the haute-couture, designer or even artisanal or niche fragrance as equally inexpensive original Old Spice is, at least me, ages more masculine, conservative, stylish and longer lasting.

Long lasting power, great presence, discreet floral notes- that is, before the Oriental burst in the end, still something missing... I think Antaeus has that certain extra, more originality, more complexity, a more mysteriously extravagant note, but egoiste, for the fans of Chanel and the classic style, is surely a good and no-nosense investement, tough not universally and daily wearable, having that sort of french-made panache more fitting the opulent and highly elaborate salon rather than casual outdoor sporty or recreative activites.

The name sound extremely promising, but the outcome is, in my opinion, only a moderate success. A certain herbal quality with medical minty notes, followed by a gourmand, even slightly liquorice-smelling spicyness. Smells, in my opinion, as a more casual, more odern and youthfully reworked version of a Mediterranean scent( Teorema Uomo?, 1881?...) made to appeal to a more mainstream and less mature and conservative target.

Rich, stylish and long lasting. Smells like a fresh Oriental, like a very traditional formula reworked in order to be less cluttered and lighter. The opening is marine, yet not a synthetic watery, the drydown has an ambery, almost leathery warmth, reminescent of Tuscany or Sienna plus the advantageous cost factor- being both moderately priced and long lasting, theregfore twice a bargain.

One of the smoothtest, unfamiliar and rich ( yet also discreet) florals i ever knew. Unfortunately discontinued, it would have still been capable to serve the distinguished, fashion- conscious female population in a way that would have left the male population breathless with admiration.

Almost too good to be a designer scent and not a niche, boutique, artisanal and limited edition fragrance - all in one.Alongside very few masterpieces, one of the fragrances that, even if all the other fragrances were wiped out, it would the truthful and credible image of how an odeal masculine fragrace should be and smell. The opening is clean- cut, enjoyable and lightful, it still does nnot compare itsself to the depths and richly fulfilling sensations yet to come. It's a slight lemon sherbet known i know from Versace Blue Jeans, however less casual and sweet, oddly one of the few cases where the almost edible hints of citrus, more prcisely citrus tea,, sweeets, or even syrup is not plain, blunt, unimaginnatibve or repulsive, but bears a certain solar playfullness even with a hint of ( tough not listed among the ingredients) invigorating neroli essence. To sum it up- that rare, almost unlekely turning point when citrus scented sweets are not artificial or ill-smelling, but lush and making the most of the balanced and pungent acidity of this note. The mixture between citrus and a chypre, spicy and woody drydown