Reviews by manicboy

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    manicboy
    United States United States

    Showing 1 to 30 of 156.
    rating

    Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme by Van Cleef & Arpels

    VC&A ph was released the same year as Polo Green. Polo Green went on to become one of the best sellers of all time. VC&A ph, on the other hand, became an obscure and hard-to-find fragrance that has survived, despite it's unpopularity. I think there are pockets of men hidden in Europe who secretly horde VC&A ph, which can only explain it's longevity.

    So, what's VC&A ph like these days? Deep, dark and haunting, like a black panther hunting it's prey in a rose bush. A sinister tincture of castoreum and musk anchor this beast to a chain of rose, majorjam and balsam fir. Unlike Polo Green, VC&A ph has largely been untampered with and is still bares quite the bite. VC&A ph could be the most animalic designer men's fragrance on the market after Kouros. Its complexity defies explanation. Get it while you can while you can before that European horde starts to die off.

    15th November, 2011.

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    Versace l'Homme by Versace

    Know anybody who wears this? Yeah, me neither but that's not to say they shouldn't be as L'Homme is a splendid and unique but not compelling fragrance. Soft with ginger and citrus, L'Homme is not as hairy-chested as most make it out to be. Sure, there's an unidentifiable note that pokes like a thorn but it gives L'Homme some character. The ginger is also unique as I'm unaware any men's fragrance that built its foundation on ginger prior to '84. My only issue with L'Homme is that it doesn't progress much and one can get bored by it if you have a short attention span. Gucci Envy for Men followed in L'Homme's footsteps and has since outpaced L'Homme. Still, L'Homme deserves respect for being the first.

    9th November, 2011.

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    Coromandel by Chanel

    And here I thought Thierry Mugler had a corner on the fragrance market for that (in)famous patchouli & cocoa accord. Chanel and Jacques Polge take this accord to new, lofty heights unimagined by Mugler. In fact, it makes Mugler's Amen & Angel seem crude and obnoxious. Coromandel's lovely patchouli and cocoa accord is light, feathery, and sublime, like thin cheesecloth held over hippy dream of patchouli and chocolate. Never heavy. There's also delightful amber and vanilla here that complement and surround the patchouli & cocoa. Like others have said, I find this more masculine than feminine and it's one of Chanel's best and boldest scent in years. Too bad the other exclusives aren't this inventive and good.

    31st October, 2011.

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    Havana by Aramis

    Note that this review for the newer version. I just don't get all the positive and superlative reviews for Havana. First of all, I don't smell any tobacco whatsoever. None, no pipe, no leaf nor any smoke. I love tobacco and have many scents in my wardrobe to prove it. What I do smell is an acrid and bitter pimento/red pepper note that dominates into submission. Unlike the divine pimento note in PdN NY, the pimento feels like the chef put too much spice into the mole sauce. I can't smell anything else as Havana feels one dimensional and just plain boring. I can't help but feel let down after all the hype. This may be Aramis' poorest offering. Avoid unless you're into a nosefull of pimento and red pepper.

    22nd October, 2011.

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    Corduroy by Zirh

    Zirh, maker of many men's "beauty" products, decided to go after the men's oriental frag market. Can they compete with Guerlain, Caron and Bulgari? No, but they really don't need to with a this fairly innocuous frag. Corduroy is a warm, subtle and sweet frag that could be a flanker to Bulgari Black. Opens with a light grapefruit and cardamon aroma that quickly gives forth to cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. The progression feels natural and unforced, like the recipe has been around for years but to my knowledge, it hasn't. The smokey vanilla smells reminiscent of Bulgari Black's which is saying something. Costs next to nothing and highly recommended. Get this instead of Gucci Pour Homme II. You'll be happy you did.

    10th October, 2011.

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    Gucci Pour Homme II by Gucci

    After such a high note that Gucci PH struck, naming a frag GPH II it was asking for trouble. Could it ever live up to the original? Does it live up to it? In a word, no. GPH II tries to approximate so many men's fragrance trends of late into one weak and short-lived formula. Yes, there is violet, tea, pepper and cinnamon but it all smells rather cheap, kind of like not much money was put into it. At times, you wonder whether the perfumer took a big vat and dumped Narciso for Men, Bulgari PH and HeWood into it and called it day... or GPH II. There are many better tea-based frags on the market than this.

    GPH II is a yet another signpost on the road as to how dire Gucci's mens frags and mens' frags in general have become. Gucci PH and Envy for Men along with Rush for Men were tantalizing and ground-breaking, guided by Tom Ford. Well, Tommy's got his own house now and Gucci's house is standing on a deck of cards. Disappointment continues.

    10th October, 2011.

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    Lagerfeld Classic by Lagerfeld

    I must admit I'm biased towards LC. It was one of the first frags I ever bought. Was in high school and felt the intense need to smell "good". Can't remember why I chose LC over others but I never wore it and forgot about it. Haven't smelled it in over 15 years and bought a bottle, not realizing that it was the same frag I had purchased years ago. At first whiff, the aroma was unmistakable. The scent memory kicked into overdrive and suddenly it was 1988 again. Smelled the same as it ever did. Intensely sweet, powdery and musky. Vulgar and compelling at once. Back then, all I got was vulgar and dismissed it but who can blame a 16 year old boy? What I've since learned is that opopanax (surely a synthetic oil now) gives LC it's character. Combined with vanilla, orange and musk, opopanax's dirty, raspy voice is amplified like a microphone to sound like Sinatra at the Garden. There's really nothing quite like LC (combine PdN NY with Kouros and you're approaching it) and to find it in the bargain basements of the lower end of the shopping spectrum is either a pleasure or a disservice to this great frag. They broke the fragrance mold on this so get it while it's still good and available.

    22nd September, 2011.

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    Sandalo by Etro

    Does Etro still make this? Picked up Sandalo a few years back and it's a light woody scent if there ever was one. Is there real sandalwood oil in here? I would seem to think so as sandalwood is a very intricate and multi-faceted material from what I've smelled over the years. Sandalo plays on your nose: is sandalwood this smoky and rubbery or are they ancillary notes that were added to enhance the juice? I would lean toward the former but I'll never know. What I do know is Sandalo is a fine ode to sandalwood and is one of the best out there. The question is: Can you still find it?

    17th September, 2011.

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    Hypnôse Homme by Lancôme

    Great opening of cardamon and mint. Starts falling apart as the weak lavender and amber creep in. All surface and no feeling. If you enjoy topnotes exclusively and want to carry around a bottle all day to relive them, then HH is your fragrance. Otherwise, I can think of 10 fragrances in this genre that run rings around HH. Roucel must have had a off-day when he created this juice as only one day was needed to get the top notes right and 5 seconds for the base.

    13rd September, 2011.

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    Absolue pour le Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

    Francis Kurkdjian's career (FK to those in the know) started out so well with the groundbreaking Le Male, the superb Lancome Miracle Homme L'Aquatonic and the interesting Miracle Homme. His fragrances of late have been a big let down (see the dreadful Davidoff Silver Shadow, the forgettable JPG Monsieur Eau du Matin, and the cheap-smelling Narciso Rodriguez for Him). He seemed uninspired with the shoe-string budgets the majors gave him and the results showed.

    So FK's out on his own now with his own line. He's got his hands on good materials and budget restraints are a thing of the past. The question is - Is his house juice better than his recent designer duds? The jury is still out on that one, but Absolue pur le Soir is utterly boring and smells like every other niche amber/benzoin frag. It's got a nice honey note but with benzoin layered on top and the cedar/sandalwood on the bottom, it gets buried in the avalanche. My biggest issue is the lack of balance and progression. It's as heavy as a 100lb barbell and thick as maple syrup. Two qualities I don't want in a fragrance.

    13rd September, 2011.

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    1725 Casanova by Histoire de Parfums

    Grapefruit & anise are usually found in "fresh" fragrances and not in orientals. Here, the path of grapefruit and anise is followed by exquisite trails of vanilla, almond and amber. Novel approach and execution. Kind of smells like Lolita au Masculin but with more complexity of the citrus notes. At times smells like somebody mixed black licorice with marzipan. Unique and certainly worthy of the high price.

    11th September, 2011.

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    Eau de Badian by L'Occitane

    L'Occitane men's fragrances are outstanding and Badian is no exception. Badian has a classic opening of grapefruit and anise which is also used in Live Jazz and Must PH Essence to great effect. I can't get enough of this, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy a fragrance blind if I know that there's grapefruit and anise in it. Paired together like Bonnie & Clyde, Laurel & Hardy and Yin & Yang. Slowly gives way to a clove and moss drydown. Light and airy, nothing that weighs you down. Perfect for summer evenings in mid-west America dreaming of getting lost in Provencal lavender fields on summer evenings. Elegant and sophisticated.

    11th September, 2011.

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    Eau de Rochas Homme by Rochas

    Note this review is for the vintage Eau de Rochas POUR Homme (look for POUR on the bottle). Rochas' stab at the EdC genre. It's your standard EdC structure - citrus on top, herbs in the middle and musk/wood on the bottom. What makes EdR PH so good is the delicious and high-quality lime on top and an unexpected but delightful myrrh note in the base that sets this apart from the usual EdC fare. Rochas has rejuiced this probably due to the citrus oils but I've not smelled it so I can't really comment. Best to play it safe and go vintage.

    11th September, 2011.

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    Monsieur Rochas by Rochas

    Smoky fougère. When's the last time you heard those two words together? I'm referring to the vintage version of MR so I can't comment on the current batch. Guy Robert composed this shortly before he crafted Hermes Equipage which is somewhat similar to MR. In MR, Monsieur Robert takes the classical fougère structure and adds a tobacco-like accord to the mix. According to the "official" note pyramid, there's no tobacco listed in the juice so the smoke is either an illusion or a combination of other accords. There is mastery and alchemy here. I smell also cinnamon and that's not listed either. The effect of MR is like stepping into a comfortable drawing room where smoke remnants have soiled the leather upholstery, ladies are soaked in lavender and carnations have been collected in a vase on the coffee table. It's a joy to still be able to find vintage MR where the ravages of time have not erased this treasure. I just wish Monsieur Robert would've been imitated as fougères went the safe and clean route years after rather than the nuanced and elevated example Monsieur Robert forged with MR. The possibilities are endless.

    7th September, 2011.

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    Bowling Green by Geoffrey Beene

    In fell swoop, BG wiped out a decade of bad fougères. True to its name, BG is monumental green, similar to the great Polo (Green) but more restrained and laid-back. They also share a similar structure - piney balsam, herbaceous juniper, and woody (patchouli, moss, cedar) drydown. Nobody knew how good this was until CK Eternity for Men came out and the new emperor suddenly stood with no clothes on.

    Sadly, it's been discontinued but you can still find a bottle on the cheap i.e. Ebay. BG may not get the praise and press of Grey Flannel, but it's just as good. Understated and elegant.

    18th August, 2011.

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    Tiffany for Men by Tiffany

    Tiffany dresses to impress. Classic chypre structure from the hand of J. Polge. Polge actually steals from himself by tweaking the Chanel Pour Monsieur formula in TfM. It's a striking balance of fresh (bergamot/citrus), sweet (vanilla/amber) and spice(rosewood/oak moss) that will charm anybody in sniffing distance. It's been altered a bit over the years but it still sings like a canary on a sunny day. Not bad from a company that brainwashes men into buying overpriced jewelry for their significant other.

    10th August, 2011.

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    Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent

    Ah, the mighty Kouros! The fragrance and not the god! Will you ever forgive me for my transgressions? You were certainly not love at first smell or second or fifth. You took me forever and a month to warm up to your animal ways. How could I have ever thought that you were born and lived near a toilet? Blasphemy! The musk/civet that you secrete confused me as I've never came across such a aroma outside a lockerroom. But combined with the cloves, carnation, sage, and oak moss; you smell brilliant. Like an older gentleman rising from sleep on a sunny morning in the long lost days of the 80's. Hard to believe you survived the those days of excess but you still stand tall as ever. I bow down humbly in silence and gratitude.

    26th July, 2011.

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    Cool Water Frozen by Davidoff

    So, this is what happens when a flanker outshines its parent. The opening is tweeked with mint and grapefruit to grand effect. Opening notes stick around much longer than in big daddy CW and the drydown pumps up the musk and moss more which is CW's main fault. No grapey and cheap drydown here. Just a nice and pleasant interpretation of CW that outshines the original by mile.

    26th July, 2011.

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    Musk by Etro

    Etro are known for the flamboyant designs, crazy paisley and Italian flair. Given that CV, Musk is a pretty standard offering. Linear white musk and some wood (maybe sandalwood or guaiac wood) are pretty much the whole show. Lasts only a few hours like a good EdC but unfortunately, it's an EdT (Homer Simpson says, D'oh). That said, there's an allure here to simplicity and harmony. It's fun and light, too. If you can find a substantial discount, then get it. Otherwise, it's not worth the full fare.

    17th July, 2011.

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    Halston 1-12 by Halston

    Want to smell galbanum? 1-12 is a foundation built to galbanum. Somewhat overshadowed by Z-14 but just as good. Dirty green, kind of like the garden writ large. There's some citrus and oak moss in here but galbanum is the star of the show. Cheap as dishwater so get it while you can. No better scent for dirty, earthy green without a trace of patchouli in sight.

    8th July, 2011.

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    Dune pour Homme by Christian Dior

    Can we talk about fig? Yes, that sweet fruit that nobody really eats. With Dune PH, the perfumer surrounded a subtle fig with violet leaves and greenness. It's an EdC alright, but the bottle says EdT. Still, it smells great in the summer and is head-and-shoulders above all fig-dominant scents. Hard to find but worth it in the end. Uncharacteristically Dior but what can you do?

    2nd July, 2011.

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    1740 Marquis de Sade by Histoire de Parfums

    This review is for the older, vintage version. Like a 1000 sledgehammers pounding on your nostrils. This one is Intense with a capital I. Thick as thieves and not much clarity in sight. Heavy on davana and labdanum and not much else. Had high hopes for this one but in the end, it overtook me and I struggled to find my way back to civilization. Buy only if you like extremely heavy scents that offer no quarter.

    2nd July, 2011.

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    Bright Visit by Azzaro

    Here's an equation for ya: Chrome + Visit = Bright Visit. That said, this leans more towards Chrome and that's a sad/bad thing. Unnecessary and unappealing. Buy if only to cover up extreme body odour.

    2nd July, 2011.

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    Visit by Azzaro

    Well constructed but the materials are cheap. Pink peppercorn followed by nutmeg then incense & cedar. There's also a touch of sweetness here that adds to the complexity. Coming from Azzaro, it puts Chrome to shame, but that's not really saying much. Still, Visit is nice thrill for low dollars so it's recommended. Holding the bottle horizontally will yield a Star Trek sign. Did Trekkies ever wear this? Shatner may approve!

    2nd July, 2011.

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    Bulgari pour Homme by Bulgari

    Unlike anything that came before or after. A unicorn of a fragrance. Cavellier tried to capture the classic tea with lemon aroma and he succeeded with great success. Throws in white pepper and light musk to tie the whole thing together and the sum is greater than its parts. Despite the Pour Homme name, ladies can wear this too! Also, laid the foundation for Bulgari Black. Classic and timeless. Embodies everything good about Bulgari. Wears extremely light so go heavy on the trigger.

    2nd July, 2011.

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    Canali Men by Canali

    Yet another fruity amber pointed directly towards men. Rises above the dreck by focusing on pineapple instead of sour apple and guaiac wood instead of cedar. Has sort of a new clothes smell that you encounter at the entrance of Bachrach. Good but...like being the best player on a bad team.

    2nd July, 2011.

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    L'Eau Serge Lutens by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

    Smells like watered down (too much "eau") Chanel Allure Homme and comparing it to AH is doing a disservice. Boring and overpriced. Get Allure Homme instead for half the price and 5x the quality.

    30th June, 2011.

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    Incense Extrême by Tauer

    Should be called Frankincense Extreme. Hard to find anything else going on here but the Frankincense working hard. Boring as dish water but good materials were used. CDG does incense so much better and cheaper. Get 2 Man rather than this.

    16th June, 2011.

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    Chrome by Azzaro

    Ok, I'll admit that Chrome was one of my first fragrance purchases. Yeah, and I also used to like bad heavy metal too. Those admissions aside, how does Chrome smell to my nose today? Dull as dishwater, or in this case, dull as shower water. Fresh, clean and light and not much more. Fragrance for men who don't like fragrance. My nose and tastes are much more evolved and educated these days so I happen to find Chrome not worthy of my time or my skin. Standing next to the mighty Azzaro PH, Chrome is bilge water for the masses.

    13rd June, 2011.

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    Sun Men by Jil Sander

    Your enjoyment of Sun Men will depend on how much you like the smell of Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion. If you've always longed for a oriental fragrance marketed to men that can be worn to the beach, then Sun Men is your fragrance. Unlike anything else out there really beyond the women's version which it bears some resemblance. Should you forgo the sunscreen and opt for Sun Men on your next trip to the beach? Nah, won't protect you from sunburn but it will work as a substitute for that coconutty, vanilla aroma that Hawaiian Tropic always conjures.

    13rd June, 2011.

    Showing 1 to 30 of 156.

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