Fragrance Reviews by perfaddict

OMG! Royal Delight is, eeerm, delightful. End of.

I am not too educated in the art and science of note identification and description, but i think i have finally learned what it means when jasmine et al are described as indolic. It means fecal, put more politely (do i get a diploma now?).

Yes, i get the initial floral blast. Yes, i get the citrus. I get all the notes described. I appreciate why RD has been describe as an "old world" scent (though it definitely is not "dated", except maybe to the Eau de Pure Oxygen Calone crowd) But what "jumps" out the most in this powerhouse scent is its strong fecal accord. As i write this in 30 deg C ambient temperature, perspiring slightly, the animalic accord is almost, just almost, overpowering. How horse games were played wearing this scent is beyond me. Must have caused the opposition and their horses a few fainting spells. All that said, this is what i love the most about Royal Delight. A delightful departure from what i have come to be familiar with in my limited exposure and ownership of Creed scents.

The longevity of RD is amazing, lasting 12+ hours on my skin and still not whispering even then. Sillage? Lets just say it overpowers my office airfreshener vanilla diffuser hands down.

I love Royal Delight, knew i would even before i bought it blind. RD is multiple thumbs up.

All good things that can be said about Azzaro pH have already been said by my betters.

Azzaro pH is a CLASSIC which will not be dated by the passage of time or the contrary opininons of mankind. Since 1979, i must be on my 5th or 6th 100ml bottle. I never knew what it was in particular about Azzaro that always got to me other than its great scent. Now i know its the ambergris in the drydown.

A true classic.

Salvador Dali pour Homme seems to attract a lot of metaphors, derision and the like. It also gathers good praise from those who appreciate (smell) its virtues. It is like Hugo's Quasimodo of Notre Dame, outwardly ugly, despised and derided, yet to those who really appreciate Hugo's story and the character of Quasimodo, a being with a beautiful and loving heart. His beauty had to be appreciated by his acts, putting aside the "negatives", giving him a fair chance in spite of his unappealing "externals" and reputation.

I love Salvador Dali pour Homme unreservedly and write this review surrounded the aura of its dry-down after 12 hours of wearing during a good day at work (coincidence? i dont really know) and yes, with a biased mind. The initial onslaught of leather-funked lavender and bergamot definitely requires a certain kind of wearer in order for SDpH not to be described as "hot tar and satan" and the other colourful metaphors here. My first sampling drew interesting looks from my 4-year old daughter and my wife. I initially thought: "what the blazes is THIS???!!!" I knew i was at a threshold of my fragrance experience and was glad i crossed it positively. Wifey liked it by the way.

To be honest, i still have not been able to get my nose around, by note, any of the florals i know are in this scent, but is the floral sweetness in it, apart from the vanilla, that makes this scent wearable. In about an hour into wearing, SDpH takes a turn into a much more mellow path, but all i can smell (and feel - strange!) is leather, leather and more leather. The notes do not indicate it but i always detected (subliminally?) castoreum, a lot of it. To confirm this, i have sprayed some AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo Castoreum (pure and natural as castoreum can be, with birch tar added) on one hand several times for a side-by-side with SDpH and yes, that is it. That "note" that has been described as blood, hades, smoke and what have you must be castoreum infusing itself into the other constituent notes. Sublime.

SDpH is one of those scents always in my nose while i wear it, yet it neither cloys nor wear me out. Rather, it keeps me thinking about it. In that sense one could say it is distracting, but positively and beautifully so.

As already indicated above SDpH's longevity is amazing. It is still going on significantly 12+ hours after!

Many thumbs up to SDpH and to the noses behind the scent. A fitting homage to the man Dali.

Although i used the original Oscar de la Renta pour Lui in my university days and up to the early 90's, this review is of the reformulated edition. An admittedly weaker version of the very rich original, but a good scent in itself. Unfortunately i did not have this positive nostalgic identification with the new Antaeus and therefore do not feel too short-changed having to use the new formulation.

The new pour Lui is still a powerful scent and not for those who just want an aura of scent very close to themselves. In the opening "blast" my limited nose gets the aldehydes, lavender and anise, although lots more is going on. I will always remember my first sniff of pour Lui in 1983 in which i thought it smelt like no other scent i had come across. I still got that feeling in my "re-union" first sniff of this edition 17 years after last using it. pour Lui is a scent which i wish could retain its top-notes throughout its life on my skin, and THAT is unusual.

A few hours into the wearing, i perceive a perfumey quality in pour Lui which reminds me of Sung Homme (which i only came across last month). It may just be me, but it is not a bad thing at all.

Despite my wish for a protracted top-note phase, the drydown of pour Lui is yet another matter entirely. The (mainly) oakmoss and musk notes are an experience! An experience one has the luxury of enjoying for a while, as the longevity of pour Lui is significant. On me it is one of those scents that survive mere water and soap.

Oscar de la Renta pour Lui (reloaded) is a very good scent which i will not hesitate to recommend any day, especially to those who appreciate 80s scents.

JHL!

My mother's Cinnabar of years gone by, but with a macho twist. This scent has gravitas. Certainly not for boys, but for the confident gentleman.

It starts off very strong (i like that) and would definitely overwhelm if not applied prudently. Like the ratings here indicate, this is a scent that will polarize opinions, depending on the demographic band the reviewer belongs to.

From my wearings to date, JHL is about cinammon and not too much else. The florals, patchouli and vanilla come to play later on when my nose has recovered from the cinnamon punch it most happily received on application. Fortunately, i have plenty of time to enjoy the latter phases of JHL because its longevity is pretty impressive. Living in the tropics i notice that slight perspiration (more like increased ambient temperature) turns up the aroma volume noticeably.

JHL is a sophisticated powerhouse which needs to be used with some respect. It is not for everyone, but i feel privileged to fall into the group who love it. Those who prefer scents that remain olfactorily invisible or silent need not apply.

Thumbs UP!

Dark Rose is a beautiful Rose/Oud fragrance. It starts of with a rather astringent oud note in harmonious accord with the rose and saffron. It does have a comforting berry accord in the dry-down.

DR has good sillage and longevity. I was impressed with its longevity, especially when i got slightly drenched in the rain, and it still smelled strong on my wrist.

I had always thought DR would be a darker, deeper scent than No. 88. I was proven wrong. The colours of the bottles should have been a good indication for me. Now i understand why DR is listed as a female scent, although its a perfect unisex.

I have only one "problem" with Dark Rose: I already have Micallef's Aoud Homme. As good as Dark Rose is, it pales significantly beside the Micallef. considering the relative scarcity of Micallef, DR is a very good alternative Rose/Oud/Saffron scent.

DR is a fine fragrance and earns several thumbs up.

There are scents that one wears and get strong sensual wafts of all day. Addict EDP is one of those scents, and after several full wearings the experience for me has always been pleasant. Addict makes me glad i love fragrances, mainly for what they are and not just for adornment or compliments.

I will not go into any analysis of the various stages/notes of this fragrance. Enough has been well very done by previous reviewers. However, ladies and gents, i may be wrong, but Addict is Alexander McQueen's Kingdom plus strong vanilla. The "sickening", "nauseating", "repugnant" ingredient (or conglomerate of ingredients) seems to be the same that makes Kingdom what it is infamous for. The strongly animalic vibe in Addict EDP is what excites me and saves the scent from being, errrr...., plain vanilla.

Uduandibeme cannot imagine a man pulling Addict off. Addict is one of my favourites and i usually forget it is targeted towards women. I am so glad i have an easily available alternative to my Muscs Khoublai Khan for when the mood hits me.

Addict is a fine, sensual fragrance.

I have been a loyal HR fan for 23 years, and have mainly used the EDT. My loyalty (or is it resistance to change?) was tested when i came across a bottle of the Legere version in a shop here in Lagos. Without hesitation or testing (no testers) i bought it on the spot.

On first application, i actually smiiiiiiled! What a bright interpretation of my beloved HR! It was the HR i knew very well, yet fresher. The amped-up citrus top notes blasting a hip-hop hit using sampling of a classic 80's funk hit. Beautiful. But i was so glad to be reminded this was still my beloved HR, so i felt less disloyal and thought i should appreciate HR's (first class) attempt at a modern makeover.

Maybe because i live in the (35 centigrade +) tropics, in about 30 minutes a strong olfactory perception i began to experience was that Legere is quite animalic. "Animalic" has actually not been an impression that came to mind in all my years using and loving HR. I knew i had made one of the greatest finds of my fragrance experience, so far, as i am a skank-fiend. Reading the previous reviews here, i was therefore surprised at pluran's take. I believe he is correct, in his climatic environment, so it just may be that Legere is a climate chameleon. In the dry-down the oriental qualities begin to shine prominently, the woods and vanilla also playing their distinct melodies in harmonious accord. The animalic vibe still lurks in and out throughout the dry-down, depending on skin humidity.

Legere throws out sillage even better than HR EDT. Longevity is amazing, par for the course with the Guerlains i love.

Is Legere better than, or inferior to classic HR? Hard to answer. However, i will just say that while i will always respect and defer to age and experience, when a mature person goes through a makeover and comes out looking better and yet mature, then i would think that the person is all the better (inwardly and outwardly) for the makeover. I believe both HR and HR Legere both have their place in the same wardrobe, so one has a HR for a specific mood, time and occasion.

Many thumbs respectfully up!

Amouage Lyric Man opens with a startling but beautifully breath-taking blast of rose and frankincense. My first impression was "this is QUALITY from the House of Amouage!" Few minutes after application, when the frankincense-induced nasal shock recedes, a beautiful plum note joins the symphony. This is a moist jammy plum in LM which i love, unlike the candied type my wife uses in her confectionery business. I am aware from the literature that there is oud in LM but it must be a very subtle oud, as i have not really detected it, and this after several wearings in both hot and cold surroundings. When the heart stage arrives the woody notes (not oud to my nose, but other exotic woods i cannot identify or name) make their presence felt, after which LM remains rather linear. To me this is a plus because it means i can continue smelling the harmonic beauty of this scent, and i never tire of it. I appreciate that it is because the scent is so well blended.

LM projects quite impressively, but is not what i would term a sillage monster. Its presence will fill a small room, subliminally though, not in the "open-the-windows!" way. Someone unaware one is wearing LM would ask what exotic room fragrance was being used by the hostess/host. That is not to blaspheme that LM is room fragrance grade! It WILL be noticed, and positively, i am willing to bet.

Applied in the morning, LM still smells appreciably on my skin till late at night. It really lasts.

I have worn LM to the office a few times, but i imagine it to be a scent for special occasions, especially when i am decked out in regal Nigerian traditional attire.

Like Vibert said, there is no shortage of rose-oud scents. I dont believe i have found my rose-oud reference yet (I am still hoping for a great experience with Le Labo's Rose 31). But for my rose-frankincense fix, i hope not to have to look further than my lovely LM.

Great scent. Many thumbs up.

One word: Beautiful.

I need to start out by saying that i have learned a valuable lesson to evaluate Reviews rather than try to "average out" the thoughts and opinions of threads such as this (i humbly duck all implements deservedly flung my way ;)).

Yes, the similarity to Grey Flannel is there. JUST there. Both scents are totally different interpretations of violet leaf. Grey flannel (from past use of 2 bottles) packs a round-house violet punch while NR tries to talk itself out in dulcet tones.

I got the wet cement, bacterial culture takes also. There is something earthy and slightly dirty in NR. Could it be the interplay between the musk and patchouli?

My greatest surprise was the "headache-inducing" opinions which made me approach NR with some masochistic foreboding. Headache? How could it be caused? Okay, i need to disclose that i am a powerhouse-frag junkie. However, NR is relatively mellow on first sniff. Good sillage, but discrete at the same time. It will not cause respiratory emergencies in an elevator. Rather, compliments may fly and addresses may be exchanged. Decent longevity as well.

I can go on and on but, in summary, NR appears to be much maligned in Basenotes threads. Everyone should sample NR open-mindedly. It appears to be a scent that chooses its friends.

Thumbs up!

I tested Arabie (bottle bought blind, but hey, its a Lutens) 3 times over 20 hours. I must have felt the same way Trebor felt initially, except that good money had been paid already. Almost too cloying and medicinal. Didn't get the fruitcake and the dates (and my wife bakes professionally) accords mentioned by more experienced reviewers.

Then suddenly, almost exactly an hour after, i understood why patience is a good virtue. Arabie revealed its soul. All mentioned notes began to perform beautifully, both solo and in symphony. I noticed that this transformation occurred when the oily sheen on my wrist (from application) disappeared.

Long story short, Arabie is beautiful, sublime. A good introduction to its genre. Strong yes, but nicely strong. Transporting and evocative. Good sillage and longevity. Arabie will always be in my wardrobe.

L'Eau de Navagateur! Spices. Blond tobacco. Coffee beans freshly ground. A blind 100ml buy, but one i will always be grateful for.This is a scent i have always imagined in my mind for a while. I thought i found it in Dior's Eau Noir, but L'Eau de Navagateur is IT. Its like a holy grail discovered. Deep, dark, always making its presence felt, but not overpowering. good sillage and reasonble longevity. I will always treasure this. Many thumbs way way up!

A living legend. Old Spice was the start of my exposure to fragrances. My first milestone. My Dad used the aftershave and was the only one he used all the years he was alive. He once said he couldnt imagine anything else he could evr use. Buying gifts for him was easy. I bought him his first cologne - Old Spice. I always sneaked splashes of both aftershave and cologne and thereby learned the art and science of decanting, as well as the differences between aftershave and EDTs. Old Spice will always evoke in me my sweet and happy early years, dad's discipline and unapologetic but great values.

The reformulated version is less spicy but is still very good. Old Spice is testimony to the fact that good quality is not only accessible at a high price. A well blended quality fragrance.

Shalimar!!! Heard about it for decades, bought it for my wife but never even tried it on myself. I will never forget my first try this morning. One word: Heavenly. Shatters my gender biases for good.

Strongly evocative of Habit Rouge which i have been using for over 20 years. Must be the iris and vanilla common to Guerlains. The initial citrus notes stayed for a while then gave in to the warm iris and ambery vanilla drydown.

Shalimar has found a permanent home in my wardrobe.

Many thumbs way way up!

After exeriencing Duoro, Endymion proved to be an over-hyped blind buy. Apart from the latte note, Endymion doesn't have much going for it.

Whatever it is that gives Minotaur its character is definitely present here. Beautiful but amber-lite. Respectable sillage. Good longevity.

Tried hard to like this one. It was too overwhelming, and i do like my 80's sillage monsters. Objectively CdG2, is complex and obviously well blended. There was just something about it that disagreed with me.

Carlos-uk is absolutely right in saying that MdeG is closer to Armani pur Homme than to Eau Sauvage. Beautiful interplay of citrus and woods. Sillage is not very pronounced but longevity is good, especially in moist sweaty climes.

A distinct powdery, mossy green scent. Evokes a mature confident gentleman. Here in the tropics the citrus evaporates fast, but the violet is always "around" like a kind of aura. Great classic.

Cuiron became my reference leather before i could try the vast field - a handicap i do not mind one bit! The interplay of plum, the leathers and (could it be) musk is something else entirely. Will buy it at whatever price.

One of the best i have ever used. And i am relying on 1980 and 1986 "experiences" . After Classic, D and Edition, Dunhill seems to have gone in stranger directions.

Kouros. Sensual. Different. Difficult. Powerful. Unapologetic. Primal. Animalic. GREAT. End of Story.

First bought EA no 2 in complete ignorance in 1981 and have repurchased repeatedly over the years. Definitely one of my all-time favourites. Will always buy whenever i come accross it. Classy and lasts quite well.

Amber Sultan! This scent delivers as much as the name evokes. Starts with an opening blast of spicy amber, drying down to an interplay of vanilla and amber, amber being dominant. I suspect that some animalic musk lurks deep in the mix, as i get this almost fleeting, almost subconcious whiff especially in the high temperatures here.

I bought AS for my wife and have had plenty of time to "experience" it on her, and she does likes the powerful stuff! I actually scored investment-volume brownie points with the gift. It seems AS will always feature in our wardrobe from here on.

A powerful, erotic fragrance. You want compliments? Spritz on some AS. Multiple thumbs up!

First used HR in 1988. Then in 1999. Then i have another one now. That for me counts for something!

HR? Tangy vanilla, a hint of cinnamon and very powdery here in the tropics. Its that powdery heart thats keeps attracting.

Definitely one of my Top 10 Lifetime frags.

I have been seeing AdP products for years, but never sampled any. I recently decided to sample one just to affirm my perfumista pretensions. I had never been so affected by a sampling like that day! For about 2 hours, AdP CA kept whispering, sometimes shouting, my name. I gave in after a while with the encouragement of my wife, and bought a bottle.

AdP CA is well blended, balanced and absolutely elegant. The white musk and amber notes really make their presence known, albeit discreetly.

A must-have in the wardrobe of the mature man.

I had read so much, and for so long, about MR and MKK in Basenotes, and, not being able to decide which to buy i got both at the same time! Thanks, Basenotes.

MR is a sweet musk unlike "dirty" and animalic MKK, and the musk, cinnamon, clove and vanilla are well projected, especially here in the usual 34+ degree (C) temperature. Musk and vanilla are the dominant notes though. The sillage is not close to the skin, as i had thought it would be. Actually, it makes its presence felt, rather pleasantly however, from all the feedback (read compliments) received.

Multiple thumbs, all up.

One word: Perfection!.I have been a fan of musk since the late 70s (Skin Musk an aunt used t wear) and became intrigued with MKK reading the rave reviews in Basenotes. Got it delivered recently to London where i tried it for several days in autumnal weather. My first impression was that the musk was as "dirty" as i had expected, although i don't claim to really have the nose for individual notes. However, it was when i returned to tropical Nigeria where i live that MKK became a totally different animal. The castoreum and civet really came alive! Playing at the background of the musk, those notes combine harmoniously into a powerful erotic accord, surprisingly not overpowering. Very long-lasting, with its "presence" never in question even for a moment. Always got nice compliments from both sexes and have become a true convert to the SL line. I will always have MKK in my wardrobe.