Fragrance Reviews by markc

I received a sample of this from a Guerlain boutique, and I wasn't expecting to like it. However, this is definitely a feminine perfume a man shouldn't have trouble pulling off. Green turning to floral it develops nicely. It is pretty close to the skin though, but it's worth a try if you find a sample.

Some get Church Incense, some get old damp books, but I think most of what I get is musty basement, or what I would imagine an old abandoned (not tourist) castle would smell like. I love it. No, it's not for everyday wear, but it just seems very nostalgic. Super longevity, if this is Etro's EDC then if they had an EDP that would be scary. Very weird in a good way for me.

Black Aoud has two major things going for it in my book. It is not hard to detect, and people absolutely notice and love it. I just wish I loved it. I find it pretty simple. I don't find it as magnificent as others. I really think Attar is way more interesting. But due to the two pluses for me, I won't swap it...yet (which I know would be extremely easy to do.)

Very appealing. Beautiful Rose/Oud combination. Very good sillage, and outstanding longevity. This leans to the masculine side and just smells very romantic. It would be great for a date to the drive-in movie after dinner at a restaurant. I recommend and it near the top of my wish list.

Very original, but ultimately not one I'll buy again. I love the Top Notes, I do get that weird blood, clove, metallic feel. I hate the middle notes. These are also strange, but to me unpleasant. I really doubt it's the cedar, because I'm a huge fan of cedar. Finally, it dries down to musk. I do like it enough not to put on my swap list, but don't find it good enough to buy another bottle when this one's empty. Slightly above average longevity, and average sillage for me.

My favorite Montale. Oud, oud, and more oud. It's in the same vicinity as M7, but much drier, and with just the right amount of Frankincense. I've not tried any Oud oils, so I wouldn't know how to compare. This wasn't for sale very long, and I'm very happy my favorite BNer was willing to sell me this prized bottle.

The dry down is a bit musky. I really feel for me this is a comfort scent. It does relax me. My favorite of the Kouros's.

Ok, I hope I don't offend the legion of Patou Pour Homme admirers. I find it very good. I was trying to think of what this might compare to that I know, and the best I can do is it may be the more formal version of RL Safari. It exudes class. Very good longevity, decent sillage.
However, the part where I hope does not offend. I realize this is discontinued. I love it but would not consider buying it at the pretty much $200 it's being sold at if you can find it. So, in essence I think it's great but not that great. I do wonder what it sold for when it was in production.

Superb iris as others have described. Masculine. Very very close to the skin. Would be bottle worthy if it projected more.

I'm glad I waited through 3 full wearings to put down my opinion here. I'm liking it more and more and also finding the longevity is pretty good, especially for a Creed. The first time I thought I was getting coconut and not much more, but now I'm getting more of the lime and some rum too. Overall I am starting to enjoy this.

Dueling notes? Green? Earthy? Booze? Leather? All come to the party but none really dominate. I have to say this one works for me. The only thing keeping it out of my top 10 is less than average sillage and longevity.

Very close in my opinion to the smell of a lit cigar. This has great sillage and amazing longevity. This is a very strong tobacco frag. Unfortunately my wife despises it. I love it but don't absolutely love it that I couldn't do without it. Therefore, I am reluctantly moving to my swaplist. This is one if the few she makes just a hideous face at saying it reeks of piss.

I like it (hence the thumbs up), but wish it projected more, and wish I got more wood out of it. It is very sweet as some have mentioned. I really don't think it is named very well. I would love to have something that evokes the redwood forest among the giant sequoias but this one just isn't it.

Very nice. Spice, Clove, a bit of florals. I did walk past the Hotel Costes earlier this year. I should have stepped in to compare.

Pretty true to the notes listed. I got much of the Bitter Orange, lime, and sea notes. It is unique, especially for a citrus type scent. That said, I'm not a citrus type fan, but if I was I would definitely try. Pretty good longevity too for a citrus.

Generic unoriginal fresh clean. Boring!

Take the vanilla out add some incense and cedar and this would be pretty similar in my opinion to Azzaro Visit. I do see some similarities to Body Kouros as others do. I will say that it really warms the skin. If I didn't already have over 160 bottles in my wardrobe, I probably would spring for a bottle of this. It is a very nice price. Try it you might like it.

In the 90's it wasn't so bad, but today after experiencing over 500 others, this just seems so generic. I have a buddy who wears only this and one other (Nautica), and I can always smell him coming without even looking at him. Should I give the rest of my bottle to him? I see him a couple of times a week, so it's kind of a dilemma. This is one of the worst in my wardrobe, but if I gave it away, I would be subjected to it about 100 times a year. It's not terrible, just boring and generic.

I don't deny the beauty of Chergui. It is a very nicely constructed blend of honey, hay, amber, and some nice floral notes. However, I honestly find it hard to believe that is is one of the absolute favorites here if not the favorite on the entire site. This is extremely close to the skin. I completely 100% understand that some, if not most don't want to be too loud with too much projection so everyone within 20 feet of you can smell you. However, at this price tag, I really don't want to bury my nose to my wrist to try and detect it. I for one believe most Lutens' are way too potent (Arabie, Miel de Bois, etc), but this one is just way too weak. If this had let's say average sillage, it would be in my wardrobe in a second.

Extraordinary. I honestly cannot believe there are so many different very wide ranging opinions out there. This has been my absolute favorite since first buying it in 1999. Not many others as distinct or unique. From reading some previous reviews, I'm convinced that people are smelling only what they want to smell. I definitely smell rubber, black tea, and vanilla. How some only get cloying sweet vanilla only is beyond me. I have to say, I will now study Luca Turin, because if it's in his top 10, I already have great respect for him without knowing much at all. Pure genius. 10 out of 10!

Very evolving. It is nice to apply, sit down, and every half hour take a sniff. It changes so much, and most of it is good. This is a pretty powerful one, so don't apply too much.

This is after only 1 testing from a sample vial. I do have to say I wonder what could have been, because I do agree with the sythetic smelling note. I have the same problem with the Absolute version of CB Burning Leaves. On paper, this should be right up my alley. In reality, I wish it were a bit more natural smelling.

A good but not great one. I love the Cypress here, a bit salty smelling. Nice woodsy, average sillage and longevity. It is unique, just wish it was a bit more powerful (even though it is an EDP).

Resides in my Top 10. I first wore this when it came out, and whenever I did friends of mine would say I was wearing the celery smelling cologne today. Not sure I ever understood that. Wonderful opening, uttlerly raw and masculine. I just wished it lasted a bit longer. I wonder how I lived without this from about 1994-2000. Will always have a bottle of this at the ready.

Very dry and bitter. Very interesting. Smokey coffee, spices, somewhat harsh but a different harshness than slightly similar L'Artisan Navagateur, which I get a bit of a B.O. note from. The only reason I'm not looking for a bottle of it, is the fact that I'm way over quota as it is.

I'm kind of still trying to decide what I think and like about FdA, but what I can say is that the liquer like note dominates on my skin. I don't get much pine at all (wish I did). I will say it does last long but doesn't project much. Pretty close to the skin here. I guess the best thing I can say about it is that the missus loves it. As of 3 full wearings now I could take it or leave it.

Lasts a decent time for a Demeter. However, this seems like it would be better used as a room spray or to spray in your car in place of that new car smell spray. It doesn't project off your skin much.

This is one I thought I liked until finding basenotes. After trying hundreds more, this now seems pretty inferior. It is a fresh clean smell with just a bit of suede. Easy for me to see now that this is not special or unique at all. I do get decent longevity, in contradiction to many of the reviews. Not bad, just not distinctive.

Complex. Great evolution here. It starts out pretty heavy with something that smells a bit on the feminine side. The drydown though, as others have said, changes and often. Spice, ambergris, musk, all take turns like children on a sliding board. Decent longevity and projection.

I'm no fan of citrus based scents. Number Six, however appeals to me as not only because Washington wore this, but kind of puts me on a porch at a farmhouse in a rocking chair, just enjoying a cool breeze. This has a country feel to it. Poor longevity, but it's cheap so reapply.

Yes, pretty close to the Barbasol effect. Pluses- Smelling like you just stepped out of a clean shave. Minuses- I prefer the anise that is in Azzaro Pour Homme. Also, I wish the Patchouli came out a bit more. After 3 full wearings, I wish I could praise it as much as most on here, but I can't just give it 4 or 5 stars.

Am I the only one here that thinks this is just too subtle? Absolutely love the top notes, but unless I got a bad miniature, I really can't detect this so good an hour after application.

This smells good. Damn good. Wood/Sweet Spice and everything nice. There is a lot of nutmeg, yes, but for me that's not exactly a bad thing. I also have to say this reminds me when you see all those threads about what women love, I would have to put this at the very top, as I have gotten nothing but admiring sighs. After 4 wearings, I put this in my top 50.

Yes it is very unique and very weird in a good way. Normally, it would be a tossup in whether to splurge for a bottle, but below average longevity makes it easier for me not to buy.

I do wish other houses would be as daring in creating an unorthodox one like Cumming. I love the mud/dirt note, just wished it lasted a bit over 4 hours. A hesitant thumbs up.

I would say this is very comforting and relaxing. However, the name to me implied more of an earthy dirty incense, not a clean soapy pretty one. Very soapy to my nose, and after reading of the pickled-ginger note, I agree with that as well. Not bad by any means, just not what I was expecting.

On my skin, it's the spices of Bel Ami, added with a bit of coffee, and a bit of a B.O. note. Great longevity, but wouldn't own this and Bel Ami.

Exceedingly powerful. This is a BURNING incense. Any more than 3 squirts will have people more than 100 feet away asking if something is on fire. Haunting. Used with the right amount of application this is a very nice blend.

AWFUL.. Put the $135 on the next superbowl instead. If you want to test this you can pretty much do it yourself without buying a decant. Fill up a decant with water and half a tablespoon of black pepper, then spray it on. That's about the equivalent. Should be listed in a fragrance glossary under the exact opposite of silage monster.

Pretty nice, but doesn't last long. A very clean take on vetiver. A hesitant thumbs up

This one for me is unusual in that, after three wearings, I'm liking it less each time. First thing to get out of the way is the name, which many newbies get fooled by. As others have mentioned, I would firmly agree if you are looking for a church incense, this is not the one for you. On my skin, I describe it as more of a light floral type, not one you need to worry about being too feminine. Also, smells a bit chalky on drydown. Not bad at all, but I'm glad I didn't spring for a bottle after my first wearing.

People really slam Demeter for longevity, but most Demeters last much longer than this. After trying it a few different times during different seasons, I still only can detect it only about an hour.

This one to me, makes me think of a soothing yet wacky dream I might have. It is of a sitting in the middle of a forest, with a huge campfire going on, and mass being conducted by your favorite priest. In addition, you are comforted and soothed by the people around you, some old friends you haven't seen in a great while some current friends and a lot of family. Perhaps a great grandfather you barely knew is sitting next to you at the fire, smoking a pipe that is intoxicating. On the other side of you sits the girl you always desired and she sits at your side wearing a heavy leather trenchcoat (keep in mind sometimes the bizarre nature of dreams). And she is drinking this cognac that is very strong yet pleasant smelling. This is the atomosphere I feel when thinking of this absolute masterpiece.

Very light fresh clean, much like Zegna Z. Can't find much to like here.

Not a fan here. To me this is a bowl of the blood of a rodent, add lemon juice and then a bit of grass torn up at the root with soil dangling from it. Stir it all up and let it sit for a week. That's the vision I get anyway.

Definitely my favorite of the half dozen or so Bonds I have sampled. It doesn't take long to get to the basenotes, and I get a pretty nice combination of leather and patchouli. This in my opinion, is one of the more masculine Bond scents.

Very powdery. If that's your thing I would definitely recommend you try or buy. Longevity is very good for a Trumper.

An above average pine fragrance with average longevity. It does stay pretty close to the skin. One of the better Creeds in my opinion. I would definitely buy a bottle if the projection was stronger.

Not very unpleasant but so very incredibly weak. Lasted less than 2 hours on me. Might very well be the weakest I have ever tried

In my opinion a slightly refined version of Cool Water. Not bad nut not bottle worthy for the price.

I found this to be nearly identical to Halston Z-14. Decent to war formally but I would not suggest this for a casual setting.

Ughhh! This is exactly the family of scent I despise. If I smelled this blindly in a test, I would bet my soul that this was a women's fragrance not a man's. Not my cup of tea at all.

On my skin this was extremely floral citrusy, which I hate.

Not bad, I think someone else hit it right on the head. Take the floral notes out or reduce them and this is one hell of a fragrance.

To me, it had many notes similar to Polo Black. So so, but I like Polo Black a bit better.

Very similar to Gucci PH and that is my 2nd favorite, so I would never buy a bottle of this, as I feel it is inferior to Gucci PH.

The combination here of spices and fresh scents did not work for me. Not terrible but not something I will try again.

Currently on my 2nd of 3 testings for Sandalwood, I can't seem to lose this unpleasant note. Maybe it's my body chemistry.