Reviews by JDE

    JDE's avatar
    JDE
    United Kingdom United Kingdom

    Showing 1 to 30 of 30.
    rating

    Eucris by Geo F Trumper

    A strange and utterly fascinating mixture of clean and dirty - oakmoss, pepper, blackcurrent, musk all mixed together creating an outdoorsy but serious vibe. I read a review of this somewhere and the poster said it smells faintly of machine oil, and they're spot on, it does.
    Basically, I love this for certain occaisions but I could never wear it as a daily fragrance purely because I don't have the balls, so I reserve it for formal events in cooler weather. To my nose, it absolutely excells in this setting as it has such an aloof, almost unfriendly nature to it, but is earthy and natural smelling at the same time.

    Beautiful splash bottle (possibly my favourite bottle design ever), good longevity at around 7-8 hours and a nicely radiant but not in-your-face silage. Winner!

    11th April, 2010.

    rating

    Portugal by Geo F Trumper

    I really don't have much to add, but I have to state that I believe this has been reformulated. I tried Portugal a couple of years ago (I believe it used to be called "Trumper's Portugal Cologne" or something like that). It is now simply called Portugal, and has been restyled as an Eau de Toilette. The cologne version was nice, but lasted all of half an hour. The new version is far longer lasting, and with a very strong musk base. It's basically an oddly hollow, resinous bitter orange followed by a very clean musk and virtually nothing else. After an hour or so, you get a lovely orange soap scent that lasts for around 10 hours with no change at all.

    I think Trumper splash bottles are beautiful and totally practical, so no marks for an atomiser but full marks for the bottle! A great office summer scent, but completely "unsexy."

    11th April, 2010.

    rating

    Old Spice White Water by Procter & Gamble

    Medicinal, sweet aquatic-ish scent. Aquoriental? Whatever - it's cheap, smells ace, lasts a surprisingly long time (10 hours), and is pretty unique.
    If you like the idea of aquatics but find them a little bland and overly calone-y, give this a whirl.

    11th April, 2010.

    rating

    Dunhill by Alfred Dunhill

    An oddly feminine concoction that has a tinge of moisturiser about it. Radiates nicely in the heat, although suffers with poor longevity on me - after 3 hours or so, it's gone completely.

    I like the bottle, but the atomiser needs improvement. Not for me.

    7th April, 2010.

    rating

    Citrus Bigarrade by Creed

    A lively example of uber-brief but blindingly realistic-smelling citrus over a vaguely dirty base. I personally prefer "cleaner" smelling citrus, such as traditional Eau de Colognes and Portugals, but this is obviously composed with top-notch materials and is very well made.

    At over twice the price of Acqua Di Parma and with less than half the longevity, i'll give it a miss, but Creed completists or citric cologne fans should get a sample, at least.

    7th April, 2010.

    rating

    Terre d'Hermès by Hermès

    An overly peppered sweaty orange and grapefruit laying atop a dirty and oddly mineralic middle. The drydown's ok, I suppose - but anything's better than the BO and stone phase, which lasts for about 7 hours on me.

    Beautiful bottle, but I find this borderline unwearable.

    12nd February, 2010.

    rating

    Hugo Element by Hugo Boss

    Calone in excelsis. Very synthetic, very cheap faux-watery mess. If a pool smelled like this, I wouldn't go swimming in it.

    Despite it's volume (this is so loud, it's practically audible from the nozzle), the longevity is pretty poor at 4 hours. Bottle is nice, but the atomiser is pretty crude. Silage is all encompassing while it lasts.

    For what it is, I find it hideously overpriced.

    12nd December, 2009.

    rating

    Black XS by Paco Rabanne

    Very sweet and almost unwearably strong. For some reason the word "caustic" pops into my head every time I smell this. I keep revisitng it because I love Paco PH so much, but every time I do, it's like getting a kick in the nuts. I'm not even going to talk about the notes. I believe there aren't any apart from a gigantic candied lemon and some kind of berry and a strange kind of syrupy cinnamon. The rest just becomes a "smell" of unidentifiable origin.

    Longevity - too long. Silage - too much. Bottle - truly awful. Atomiser - decent, but I wished it didn't work.

    Not for me.

    12nd December, 2009.

    rating

    Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta by Acqua di Parma

    Let it be said straight away - I like traditional EDC's. I really, really like fougere's. I understand exactly why some people don't like Assoluta and I get their points - it's quite a strange frag because it is essentially the original Colonia mixed with a bit of light and musky woods and an uber, uber high quality original Brut aftershave. I have tried to find more in it, but overanalysing it started to lessen my enjoyment of it.

    Incredibly wearable - it radiates nicely, with a good but not overbearing soapy silage. Longevity is quite good for a cologne at around 6 hours on me. Beautiful packaging and bottle and a perfectly designed and functioning atomiser.

    This is probably the "prettiest" fragrance in my deliberately small wardrobe and it's one that I will reserve for special events rather than an every-day scent, despite it's affability. If you want something light and dignified, something that'll make you stand up straight in your suit, this is it. Class in a lovely round bottle.

    12nd December, 2009.

    rating

    Polo Blue by Ralph Lauren

    When is an aquatic not an aquatic? When it smells like Polo Blue.
    Slightly dated, oddly sombre cucumber and suede with rubbing alcohol. The mossy base is a really nice touch and quite unexpected considering the rest of the fragrance. I find this lends it a dependable and mature edge, unlike some other "fresh" frags which seem almost throwaway in nature. This is a serious scent for serious people, but because it's quite joyless, I can see why it's not especially popular anymore. I mean, it smells as if it could have come from 1976 rather than the early Noughties - why smell of maudlin leather and cucumber when you can smell of pineapple and calone? Being a young grumpy old fart, I dig that.

    Longevity is very good at around 14 hours and the silage is close to the skin rather than scream in your face, which I think is nice for a frag like this. I like the bottle, and the atomiser, like all the Polo frags except Explorer, is very good.
    Oddball, but ace. If it's the kind of thing that's important to you - women seem to really like this.

    12nd December, 2009.

    rating

    Le Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier

    If you came from the future and had to try and replicate the smell of Caron's Pour Un Homme using only synthetic space age materials and were then told "oh yeah, and can you make it really strong?" the outcome would probably be this.

    It is synthetic smelling and it is very strong. And very sweet. But I quite like it in a futuristic barbershoppy kind of way. Ultimately it's too loud for me to wear personally, but that doesn't mean it's not good. All I get is a pretty linear mint - powdered lavender - vanilla trajectory but it's longevity is applaudable. And the silage can only be described as "epic."
    Possibly in the minority, but I like the bottle design and the atomiser is fantastic.

    If you have a sweet tooth and a big personailty, give it a go.

    12nd December, 2009.

    rating

    Carthusia Uomo by Carthusia

    An impressive floral aquatic with traces of fruit for clever men, possibly with large amounts of disposable income. Very natural, very pleasant and very easy to wear. If you generally find aquatics too "young" smelling and florals too feminine, then give this a whirl if you can locate a dealer.

    The raspberry note blends well with the florals - so well that it overshadows the woods a little. It also seems very busy, packed full of life and colours. Despite the chaos, and the lack of a really solid base to anchor the fruit and floral notes, this frag seems to "sit" wonderfully with a nice and natural longevity and a gentle projection which is really very elegant. I can only put this down to the musky base which makes up for the lacking wood. Longevity is around 9 hours on me, with a halo-esque projection for the duration.

    Despite it's shortcomings, this is exceptionally well put together. Lovely bottle and lovely atomiser. Could be slightly cheaper, but then so could 99% of fragrances. If I had to choose between this and the ubiquitous GIT (which I do believe is excellent), I would probably pick this. It's less aggressive, softer and fruitier, but much more refined, IMHO. The star of Carthusia's lineup.

    30th November, 2009.

    rating

    Quorum by Antonio Puig

    For me, this is nowhere near as bad as some people have made out. A solidly constructed, surprisingly natural-smelling green leather and tobacco frag. Superb value for money to boot. Yeah, it's a bit like Polo, and Paco PH, and to a certain angle it's a little too heavy on the patchouli which I find gives it an oddly dated feel, but it's still very wearable.
    Bergamot - Patchouli/Pine - Leather/Tobacco in an aggressive trajectory with a spiced soap undertone. Longevity is high (20 hours?) and the projection is apocalyptic, but don't let that put you off. Spray to the chest on a cooler and day and you'll be fine. Despite it's volume, I don't find this "offensive" at all. If it was, it wouldn't have stuck around for so long.

    Slightly ugly bottle but one of the best atomisers i've used. Not bad for a bottle that can be had for less than a tenner.

    30th November, 2009.

    rating

    Blue Stratos by Parfums Bleu

    This is for the newest version of Blue Stratos...

    Parts of Old Spice grafted to parts of Brut and virtually nothing else. And there ain't nothing wrong with that. Oddly enough, it seems to feel more dated than either OS (which I don't feel is particularly dated) or Brut (which I feel is), but it is undeniably a beacon of affability and honesty - It is an aftershave and it smells good. If you like fougere's and want to get into orientals, this is a superb gateway frag.

    Longevity is around 5 hours, which is very good for an aftershave. The bottle is a minger but it's so cheap, who cares? Bravo!

    30th November, 2009.

    rating

    YSL pour Homme Haute Concentration by Yves Saint Laurent

    Far too strong, far too sweaty and far too bitter. My tester was on the old side, so bear that in mind, but there's nothing classy about this. It's almost vulgar. I prefer the original but even then... An odd mixture of real lemon, cleaning products, sweat and a faint tinge of urine. Obviously that's a bit a of an exaggeration, but I couldn't get on with this. I actually felt self concious wearing it. Initially I was on the fence, as it can be very cloying at times, but when mixed with natural body heat it smells very natural and realistic - a proper lemon aroma. It's fairly obvious that they have used good ingrediants, I just struggled to "get it" and didn't like the way a single wearing could produce varying results. In a way, I respect the way a frag should be slightly different each time, but this was almost unreliable in it's unpredictability.

    Nice bottle, nice atomiser, good longevity at 8+ hours, nuclear projection. All good in the hood.... I just hate the smell 90% of the time. Sorry!

    8th August, 2009.

    rating

    Spanish Leather by Truefitt & Hill

    Very soapy, spicy and sweet, possibly a bit on the musky side to be an "everyday" cologne for me. Seems to have an awful lot going on for the entire duration of the fragrance, but with the soapy element getting stronger and muskier as it progresses.
    Overall it's not bad, but it just feels a little cluttered. It's as if they ran out of ideas so decided to chuck every spice they had in, but in tiny individual quantities. The end result is both slightly confusing and disappointingly underpowered, treading the fine line between "not enough" and "too much." It creates a nicely refined vibe, but I have no idea when I would want to wear this - too refined for daytime, too casual and ever so slightly "cheap" smelling for formal or eveningwear. It would make a really nice scent for a bath soap (which I believe T&H make), or a scented candle (which they don't), but as a cologne, it's not quite where it aims to be.

    Longevity is around 4-6 hours on me, but it projects very well, as I find most leathers do. Good, but there's a lot more out there which does the job in a nicer way. The 3 stars I gave it is closer to how I feel about it than the neutral rating, but I can't justify giving it a thumbs up.

    8th August, 2009.

    rating

    Royal English Leather by Creed

    My personal favourite masculine leather (I don't count Aramis as I believe it to be more than a leather fragrance). The mandarin in the opening is beautiful on it's own. Possibly one of the few times i've got a fruit in a scent that actually smells like the real thing. It isn't a case of "that smells *like* a mandarin" but more like "that smell *is* a mandarin." At first I wasn't sure how the fruit would sit atop a leather because I thought it may smell a bit sweaty or off, but it lends the scent a deliciously mouthwateringly refreshing and juicy angle. Plus, it actually lasts on my skin, which is normally not great with citrus - I can still smell the mandarin note after 6 or so hours.
    The rest of the frag is an ever so slightly powdery amber leather that isn't overly sweet and is ever so slightly salty. Very confident and luxurious, but comforting at the same time. I probably wouldn't wear this in the heat of summer, but as an evening or formal scent, it works very well. It is not a "dominatrix" leather or a dark and brooding leather, but a proper sweet, strong, warm, pleasing and ultimately highly wearable old fashioned masculine fragrance, without anything cloying. I had a couple of samples of this before I decided I was going to buy a bottle of this, and in the end I managed to snag a nearly full bottle from BN. I was slightly worried I wouldn't know when I would wear it, but it was simply too beautiful to not purchase it in the end.

    Longevity and projection are amazing - 18+ hours on me and it can be smelled (nicely) from afar. It is on the strong side, so caution should be used when spritzing. For this reason, I don't like Creed atomisers a whole lot as I feel their jets are too much for all but their aqueous frags, but the bottle is a real beauty. If you want a high quality formal leather which is neither overly sweet, stuffy nor overbearing, i'm yet to try a better one. I need more thumbs.

    8th August, 2009.

    rating

    Jazz by Yves Saint Laurent

    I absolutely loved this at first, but after a while I began to get the salty note mixed with some kind of balsam the whole time... As Trebor noted: it smells like a fish and chips wrapper. I couldn't get this out of my head, and I began to hate the fragrance. I gave my bottle to a friend and it absolutely doesn't smell like salt and vinegar on him. Instead, I got cool woods, resinous balsams and a nice variety of spiced flowers. The nutmeg is also very well done in this.

    It's a nice and restrained floral woody scent, quite French smelling and on the whole, very classy. I can't bear down too heavy with the marks on this, as I really like it on paper and others and I think it's very well put together, I just can't pull it off on myself. Works much better on cooler days/evenings. I like the bottle and the atomiser is very good, if a little cheap looking (black plastic on clear and frosted glass? Must try harder, YSL. It's not 1983 anymore). Longevity is great at around 10 hours, and it has a nice understated projection which stays close, but is easy to notice by companions. Good for a night out for a meal or theatre etc.

    8th August, 2009.

    rating

    Arlington by D.R. Harris & co.

    I personally view this as a British take on Acqua Di Parma. Fresh lemon, clean light musk, but with a soap and some other citrus instead of florals. Clean, quiet, classy and can be had for very little money when compared to it's Italiano brother. It's an ideal classy daytime spring/summer cologne. The lemon lasts a couple of hours without going sweaty or turning to Pledge, and the musk is refined, clean and well blended with neroli and powdery soap.

    I get around 6 hours out of this, but the citrus at the start has the projection of a laser beam, so perhaps it's not best to re-apply too close to others. The bottle is handsome, with an especially nice label. Mine was a splash, but I believe they have atomised versions now, so I can't comment on the spray itself or if it has been reformulated again (i've tried two distinctly different versions, with the oldest having a far more dominant fern note. Could have been aged juice, but the citrus was still there in force, so I have my doubts) since I had it. My favourite of the Harris lineup, and as an aside, the aftershave splash is one of the best i've ever used.

    Very, very good if you like a classy and old school British citrus cologne, but I wouldn't recommend it for younger men as it is a little dated to some.

    8th August, 2009.

    rating

    Clubman by Truefitt & Hill

    If this is from 1880, i'm a monkey's uncle... Very modern, very light and fresh in a powdery oceanic way and on the whole it's very wearable for a younger demographic.
    I'm not normally a fan of mint, but I like the opening to this. It's clean and refreshing, but it seems a little... "cloudy." It's very hard to explain, but with fresh scents like this, I like to imagine being able to "look through" them. I love a cologne with clarity - I imagine a pool of water in my mind (probably the leafy notes and the alcoholic hit I feel that most of them have). Clubman is plasticy powdery from the very opening and I feel this makes the naturally clear nature of a good "refreshing" fragrance slightly obscured. I also feel it makes it quite feminine. Probably too feminine for my tastes, especially when coupled with the (otherwise very nice) floral heart.
    I think this is why I prefer T&H's Freshman to Clubman - the powder sticks around in this for too long and instead of a watery floral wood, which i'd like, I get a powdery floral with some very vague and muted wood.

    Slightly disappointing, but still a comfortable and well made frag. I just do not care for it's blending or choice of florals and the everlasting sweet powder. Longevity was very good on me, despite the lightness - over 8 hours. It's doesn't project amazingly, but you would certainly smell like a smartly groomed guy, which I suppose is the point! Decent, but not earth shattering.

    4th August, 2009.

    rating

    West Indian Limes by Truefitt & Hill

    Lime sweets in the opening, with a little sherbert fizz going on. Very nice and fluid and very refreshing. I get about 10 minutes of this candy cane lime and enjoy every one of them. Unlike other reviewers, I get virtually no other citrus at first except the sugary and moist lime note and it stays that way until I get some neroli come in. It's only then that I can detect other citric notes - I have an uneducated nose at best and i'm not really used to citrus-y colognes anyway, though.
    Some nice Neroli in the heart, and a lovely orangey limey petitgrain blends very well with it. Warm, but still very refreshing. This is very pleasant for a couple of hours on my skin, then evaporates into a skin scent with a tiny smidge of cloves and neroli.

    Personally, I prefer this to Trumper's Lime, which only gives me an hour or so of pleasure but is more of an example in what Limes actually smell like, as opposed to lime candy with flowery orange and to Taylor of Old Bond Street's Lime cologne which is the most serious straight Lime cologne i've tried and has a strange cleaning chemical aroma to it.

    If they found a way to double the longevity of this, it would be nicer but it does project quite well. Since this is such a refreshing pick-me-up frag, it probably does it favours to not last into the afternoon, though. T&H bottles are very nicely designed in my opinion, but they tend to have quite poor atomisers. Overall, if you like cheerful limes and you have a sweet tooth, it's a nice option for summer.

    4th August, 2009.

    rating

    Féerie by Van Cleef & Arpels

    Parma Violet sweets and rose water. Very light, but lasts a surprisingly long time. Refreshing Fizzy Vimto aroma for the first couple of hours but then becomes very muted and quite sad for some reason as the rose becomes more dominant. If the violet could have hung in longer to temper the rose a little, it would have been a much more uplifting frag.

    Personally, the bottle get 10 points. The contents are a little more disappointing, and slightly overpriced for me.

    2nd August, 2009.

    rating

    Tuscany / Etruscan by Aramis

    Strong, warm, affable, simple, excellent. Like Old Spice mixed with T&H's Trafalgar. I get more than the notes listed, especially in the opening - neroli? Orange? A veritable Tuscan citrus grove which adds a nice levity to the patchouli which is evident from the very beginning.
    This is an ideal spring fragrance as it exudes a kind of warm and inviting feeling. Longevity is very good and it projects well. I actually think it's a little too loud, but it's such a charmer it doesn't annoy. In very hot weather it can be a little stifling though. I like the bottle design, despite the cheap looking but super-effective atomiser. Very nice!

    2nd August, 2009.

    rating

    Paco Rabanne pour Homme by Paco Rabanne

    Made in the 70's and it definitely smells like it. A classic face-slap opening of lavender and sage - expansive, clean, dry and green, like a less obnoxious RL Polo. After about 5 minutes it becomes a very nice lavender/woody/pine thing, with a bit of a herbacious feel, then the lavender slowly but smoothly turns soapy. This is without doubt a confident masculine fragrance and it's also incredibly intelligent in the middle of it's transition. It's evokes a huge forest where all the trees bear a fruit of old school gentleman's soap and shaving foam, and the green foliage is bone dry. It never becomes powdery or stuffy and remains easily wearable despite being almost completely without sweetness. During it's heart note phase, Paco PH is actually quite a distant, remote fragrance, very insular. I think Luca Turin said something about it being meloncholy or muted, and I have to agree with him.
    After a couple of hours, however, it becomes suddenly very cozy as the honey and tonka appear. It's like a comfort blanket made of the soapy lavender (which remains present for the duration), and yet at no point during the lifespan of the scent does it go sweet or gourmandish. How they made a vanillic honey aroma devoid of sweetness and yet still warm and creamy is beyond me, but it's a thing of beauty to wear. It's almost leathery.

    This is not a scent for everyone - it's neither "fun" nor "formal," it has no fruit and any florals it may have in it smell like they're from outer space with petals made of Barbasol. It is, however, a clever mix of fresh and arid that is at once comforting and remote. It actually has a texture to it, a depth of quality and inventiveness that makes it a wonderful option for a guy that doesn't like sports scents, but doesn't like heavy in-your-face screamers either. It's manly without being aggressive or butch and in this way, it reminds a little of Rive Gauche, but without the Brut and baby powder feel to it. It seems to be for quiet but confident men, slightly old fashioned but deeply reliable, serious but not mean spirited. Personally, I think it's awesome.

    Longevity is excellent - over 10 hours. It projects well, I mean it's on the strong side anyway, but it doesn't seem to annoy people - who can get annoyed by the smell of a clean bloke? I don't care for built in atomisers as I like proper bottle caps, but the atomiser is a nice one. Otherwise, I love the colour and bottle design.

    2nd August, 2009.

    rating

    Dunhill for Men by Alfred Dunhill

    I actually wrote this review on Badger and Blade, but I may as well put it up here with a couple of changes...

    Simply a gorgeous evening cologne. A tart lemon pinch at the start, then florals, clary sage, leather, spice, wood, with a superb soapy leather powder drydown. It's actually really quite complex - I normally dislike florals with leather as they're either too complicated and cluttered for my nose, or they're overpowering and a little rancid (Knize 10 - i'm sorry). The difference with Dunhill, is that the florals are linked to leather with a sage accord that perfectly warms the bouquet into its leather basenote. It's very refined, even slightly dated (which is possibly why it's now discontinued), and is simply done exceptionally well.

    Ok, so the box is IMO pretty dire, but who cares when the bottle and the juice are this great? The atomiser is also very good - far better than modern Dunhill atomisers which basically project a jet of juice like a waterpistol. I'm sure this is part of the reason why the longevity, for a cologne, is relatively high on me - 2 spritzes last around 6 hours on skin, a few hours longer on clothing. It has a subtle projection, definitely not a screamer, but it stays close to the skin without disappearing.

    It's a sensible, mature cologne for sensible, mature men. If this is your sort of show, buy a ticket before the perfume e-tailers run out and you're left with decants or partial bottles for silly money on forums. I have a nearly-full bottle, which i'm very grateful for (I got it for £30-odd from a Basenoter), but even though I do not wear it often, i'm already looking for a suitable replacement. It's not quite a "masterpiece" but it is very, very nice and in my Top 5.

    2nd August, 2009.

    rating

    Aramis by Aramis

    What can I say?
    IMHO, this has the finest example of a masculine bergamot opening - quite strong, but perfectly pitched and clear as a bell. Lucky for us, the bergamot sticks around for a good few hours and pierces through the cloves making sure nothing gets too heavy or peppery. The leather begins to emerge faily quickly in this resulting in a wonderful perfumed sweetness floating above a beautiful, moist moss which just goes on and on. The sandalwood lends everything a smooth, warm and civilised air and blends with the moss beautifully. Sweet frag, but completely inedible and utterly masculine.
    There is nothing out of place in this frag - it's all there and in just the right amount. It typifies exactly what I think a good masculine scent should be. It's never cloying or loud, but it's always there. The projection is immense as is the longevity. Were I not such a clean boy, i'm sure it could last well over 24 hours, but i've never found out for sure. On cloth it can last days, but I prefer to spray it on skin to mute it's strength a little.

    Overlooked it may be, but I don't mind as that leaves more for me. A masterpiece of perfumery and a damn near faultless autumn/winter cologne.

    2nd August, 2009.

    rating

    A*Men / Angel Men by Thierry Mugler

    Far too sweet for me. I'm also not sure why they didn't go for a smooth velvet-like chocolate note in this rather than the cheap smelling powdered chocolate I get from this. Might just be my nose.
    Yeah, it's clever but it's not pleasant to me. My Dad sometimes wears this, which I found hysterical, but it smells better on him than on me, so maybe it's a skin thing. I don't mind the tar note on it's own, but mixed with the coffee and chocolate, it gets a bit acrid.

    The bottle is cool, but pretty ugly. Two sprays lasts forever and everyone knows you're wearing it. Too rich for my blood.

    I have no idea who would want to smell like this. As much as I like the smell of chicken soup, I do not wish to smell like a bowl of it. Maybe I just don't "get" gourmands.

    2nd August, 2009.

    rating

    Citrus Paradisi by Czech & Speake

    Wish I liked it. My skin made sure I really didn't. Obviously a clever and very well made fragrance, but not one I could ever really wear. If you like it on a blotter, as I did, please try this on your skin before purchasing a bottle.

    Wee Paradisi :(.

    14th July, 2009.

    rating

    Dunhill Fresh by Alfred Dunhill

    I really enjoyed this at first and I have no idea why. Since i'm not wildly fond of aquatics and I do not normally care for overly sweet or overly light citrus scents, finding a "Summer" frag is quite hard for me. I applaud the fact Dunhill didn't go down the aquatic route, and I enjoy the quite subtle and British feel of Dunhill Fresh, but after multiple wearings it became pretty irksome to my nose.
    The opening is probably the harshest offering from this company. Very loud and shrill for about 10 minutes, then it calms and is pretty pleasant for the next 30 minutes or so - a subdued, feminine floral bouquet with a fresh, clean laundry air to it. After that, i'm not entirely sure what happens, but i'm fairly sure it either evaporates or becomes the dullest thing ever...
    Three distinct aromas, all seemingly unconnected - it was either laundry detergent mixed with Parma Violet sweets, medicine and paint (hello, nose-splitting opening), laundry detergent mixed with a vase of pretty nice flowers (hello, Mum), or a blank piece of paper (hello, boredom). I got no Orris or Leather. Or much wood. It basically just becomes a completely undefinable "smell." It's not an awful smell, it's just not something I want to smell of.

    The ridged sides on the bottle design is pretty ugly in my opinion, but it looks nice on a shelf when facing forward, like most of the new Dunhill bottles. And again, like most of the new Dunhill bottles, the atomiser is diabolical. Pissy little squirts that dribble down the front of the bottle, wasting half a spritz.

    I feel I might be being a little harsh as it's not a car crash by any means, and it's certainly cheap. There are a lot of cheaper frags that are more pleasant to me, though, and nearly anything is less dull after the initial 45 minutes. Overall longevity is around 3 or 4 hours on skin, but after an hour, you probably won't care anyway. Projection is ok.

    11th July, 2009.

    rating

    Old Spice by Procter & Gamble

    For me, one of the best colognes ever. On paper, I shouldn't like it: It's sweet. It's got a lot of powdery vanilla in it. It's quite feminine. It's got an odd sugary-floral thing going on and it just seems "too much." All of which are things I don't like, and yet I think Old Spice smells amazing.
    The reason is because after about 10 minutes, there's this incredible boozy Cola Cube (if you remember the sweets) note which just tempers out the whole thing. It waters down the vanilla stopping it from becoming too rich, it stops the powder becoming too stuffy, it makes the flowers smell as if they're in a vase of rum and not in a vase of sugar. Sweetness tamed by a different type of sweetness. Genius.

    Fantastic price, lovely iconic bottle, decent longevity (6 hours or so) and great projection. It's a warm, soft, clear and clean classic. It *is* feminine and it *is* sweet, but it's also a masterpiece. The Proctor and Gamble version isn't as clear and boozy as the Shulton original, and I also feel the reformulation has a little too much powdery vanilla in it, but it's still the best sweet scent available for men. On a cold autumn or winter day, nothing prepares me better in the morning than a good shave, some Old Spice Aftershave and a dash of Old Spice cologne.

    11th July, 2009.

    Showing 1 to 30 of 30.

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