Reviews by StylinLA

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    StylinLA
    United States United States

    Showing 1 to 30 of 40.
    rating

    L'Homme Sage by Divine

    The review by LiveJazz takes the wind out of my sails. A great description of a scent that to me defies description. I agree with everything he said.

    It's strong, but not overpowering, sweet, but not too sweet, manly, but not too manly, etc.

    A great saffron and fruit open, followed by "I'm not sure how to describe it." To my nose, I guess the incense dominates after drydown. But not always. Wait...just noticed amber...Ummm, hold on, is that leather? Hey, how they'd get imortelle in here...i dont like imortelle. The notes are so well blended to me that no one note can lay claim to the scent.

    Tried this on a rec from a very beautiful woman who knows fragrances well. She thinks this is the hands down best men's scent. I dont know about that, but I found her opinion worth a sniff. So glad I did.

    Excellent juice. I have a lot of frags and this is getting worn a lot. Will always have a bottle of this handy.



    27th November, 2011.

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    Infusion d'Homme by Prada

    Some of us like clean, soapy scents. This is the king of that. Simple, linear, clean, soapy and it lasts all day long.

    Forget the listed notes. Not a lot of subtle stuff going on with this one. Frankencense, my a**. But very well made with an awesome shower gel to back it up.

    You like soapy? Run, don't walk, to sample this as another reviewer said. Soapy, clean and surprisingly strong.

    You don't like that kind of scent and want something subtle, nuanced, deep and complicated? Run away.

    30th August, 2011.

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    Extract of West Indian Limes by Geo F Trumper

    A magnificent burst of lime for sure. But enjoy the opening cause there is no close. Or a middle.
    Maybe an hour of lime paradise. Then...


    I'll go neutral out of respect for great opening.

    4th July, 2011.

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    A Taste of Heaven by By Kilian

    Wow. Sorry I missed out on this one for so long. I somehow ran into it after I discovered Caron Pour un Homme and fell in love with it.

    I find it to be somewhat like CPH and little bit like 3rd Man. Lots 'o lavender and it lasts like crazy. If you like one or both of these, take this one for a test drive.

    I please ignorance about the presence of absinthe, but if you like lavender, you must try this.

    31st January, 2011.

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    Aventus by Creed

    While I have mixed feelinga about it's strength or lack thereof on me, it does get noticed long after I think it's gone.

    A wild fruity opening laced heavily with pineapple. I find the heart and base so weak on me (or to my nose) I'm hard pressed to describe where it goes when the fruit wears off.

    Maybe it's just because it's new and different, but women love this on men. But if you're expecting a loud "club" scent, sample first. Pretty discreet juice. This one clearly shows me that Creed knows what they are doing. Modern and contemporary; true to their style.

    20th August, 2010.

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    Antico Caruso by Profumum

    Maybe this is Le Male for grownups.

    I eschewed initially after a brief in store test. The opening notes do conjure up Le Male- the first time you smell it - but in many wearings over time, I don't get that vibe any more. It morphs into a fantastic almond/sandalwood scent that conjures up very opulent soap. It is fairly linear, but the quality is so good I don't care.

    As to the "barbershop" thing- well, maybe European barbershop. It doesn't have the North American barbershop vibe to me.

    The price is horrendous, and I certainly wish they sold it in 50ml bottles. But if this kind of scent appeals to you, it's worth it. It is top quality juice for sure.

    I haven't tried all the Profumum scents, but this one makes it pretty clear they're working with high quality materials. Longevity is fantastic.

    20th June, 2010. (Last Edited: 27th November, 2011.)

    rating

    Royal English Leather by Creed

    Whenever this was created, it's a wonderful scent invoking an earlier time for sure. No one would create anything like this now.

    Wearing this is an experience wherein I'm staking my claim to being a mature guy.

    It's a buttery smooth leather like an expensive jacket or the seats in a Rolls.
    It's the epitome of "Creed-ish" and I mean that in the best way possible. This is a treasure for me along with Vintage Tabarome.

    REL is not for everyone, but sample it while you can. You might regret not trying it if it goes the way of Vintage Tabarome.

    21st May, 2010.

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    Noir Epices by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

    I like this scent but don't love it. I'm sort of with Sir Slarty. On me this wears like a nicely scented spicy soap. A very, very powerful scented soap. This is the only frag in my wardrobe that lasts overnight and then through a shower.

    I wish it had more of a personality on me with that kind of longevity. But sadly I never get any of the subtle notes and nuances many experience.

    Did I say it was really potent?

    10th April, 2010.

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    L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme by Guerlain

    Very deserving of all the praise it gets here. This is great perfumery. I find all the Guerlains take a bit of time for me to fully grasp. I'm glad I put in the time to get to know this one.

    There is some citrus in the opening and some green, but the scent is much more than that. The EdT on drydown couldn't smell more refined and well designed. It is a bit on the sweet and powdery side. A perfect scent for someone who wants a very low key gourmand imo.

    Doesn't project much on me and wears pretty light, but a magnificent frag.
    I need to try the EdP version which by all accounts is fairly different.

    3rd April, 2010.

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    PS by Paul Sebastian

    I have to laugh at the reviews of this one. It is remarkable how many either reference Old Spice or discuss a "scent like their dad used to wear" - which would have been, hmmmm....Old Spice perhaps.

    Going through an occasional bout with maturity, I sometimes love to revel in old guy stuff like Old Spice and Pinaud Clubman. For $25 in a drugstore, I had to try this.

    It IS a lot like Old Spice and I kind of like it. As an EdT, it's got more legs than anything I've tried from Shulton or P&G. I won't rave about it as some great scent. It's not. It's like a high end version of Old Spice. High end being a very relative term here. This is a $25 version of an $8 frag.

    If that kind of scent could get you excited, try it. It's not like you're investing in a Creed special edition. It's kind of a fun scent for me. But! As evidenced in other reviews, you might just as easily find it vile, "old" and disgusting.

    29th March, 2010.

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    No. 88 by Czech & Speake

    This scent gets a lot of praise and has quite a following. The comparisons to one of my faves, Domencio Caraceni 1913, led me to believe I should love this. I was wrong.

    I won't give a thumbs down. I can see why many would like this. There is a lot I DO like about it. But every time I wear it, there is some sort of foul note that periodically pops up to my horror. I'm all for a bit 'o dirty, but this note I can't deal with. I find the same stench within all the C&S scents. They just don't work for me.

    27th March, 2010.

    rating

    Bulgari Black by Bulgari

    I don't know what else I could say that the other 160+ reviews haven't already said. It's not an everyday scent. It's more masculine than feminine imo. There's nothing else I've tried that is this odd, unique, delicious and good. It's weird stuff.

    Bvlgari was really onto to something with this one. Try it for yourself and see what I mean.

    21st March, 2010.

    rating

    Vetiver by Guerlain

    Well, maybe it will grow on me. Such a classic but it's ever so weak on me.
    I have applied it multiple times on the same day and like most Guerlains on me, I forget what frag I'm wearing an hour after I put it on.

    If subtle is what you shoot for, give this one a go. It's very well crafted and couldn't be a safer scent. Perfect scent for a job interview since the rule of thumb is to wear none.

    14th March, 2010.

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    Rive Gauche pour Homme by Yves Saint Laurent

    This one does everything right. It's my personal favorite of the designer scents. Clean, spicy, barbershop. Long lasting. Can work for mature and young men. Women tend to like it too.

    Two thumbs way up; three if I had another. I will always have some of this.

    13rd February, 2010.

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    Vetiver 46 by Le Labo

    I wouldn't know how to break this one down. It smells great, I know that much. I hear and read all the "no vetiver" comments. Maybe true. I do get a good bit of incense out of it.
    Fairly similar to CdG 2 Man in some ways; smokey? But quite a bit more potent and long lasting on me than 2 Man.

    Nice, incensey, woody, sexy, masculine frag. Glad I own it.

    26th January, 2010.

    rating

    Gendarme 20 by Gendarme

    I can't think of better frag for a hot Los Angeles day in summer. A great big blast of lavender and a soapy clean smelling scent that makes me glad I'm wearing it. I have trouble with lighter scents fading away fast, but this one surprised me and hangs in pretty good. I'm usually pretty averse to these kinds of fresh scents, but this one I like.

    18th January, 2010.

    rating

    Versace l'Homme by Versace

    Certain frags that I wear constantly surprise me. I unexpectedly catch a whiff and think "who smells so good?" Then I remember it's me.

    L'Homme does that to me every time I wear it.

    The opening notes while brief, are amazing. Like fresh cut grass. But I can't break down the notes any further than that. I find this to be masterfully blended, somewhat like Caron's Third Man or PdN New York Not that it smells like either; it's just transitions so smoothly and everything is working so well together, no one note dominates for me. It's also deceptively strong and masculine. A borderline power frag from the 80s. It smells a bit like Santos de Cartier to me, but has more presence.

    I've seen several discussions of the reformulation and have a fair amount of confidence that they haven't totally screwed this one up. It's one of my favorite discoveries since joining Basenotes. Due to the number of Versace scents with somewhat similar names (Pour Homme; Man; Uomo), I think it's often overlooked. I hope they keep making it and people overlook it just enough so I can always get a bottle.

    18th January, 2010.

    rating

    Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent

    I held out awhile on this one. Tried it on a paper strip and ran out of the store horrified. I wonder how many others who hate Kouros have done this.

    Tried a sample wearing. Then a second sample. Couldn't get it out of my head, so I swapped for a bottle.

    I love it. Put me in a smell-proof booth with the other crazies who like this juice.

    Admittedly, the strong civet opening can scare animals and small children. But on skin, it does mellow out and turns into something like a honeyed exotic soap with a little touch o' nasty. It would take someone paying attention to notice the "dirty" and I like that.

    The acid test was a woman I know who hates everything I wear except L'Eau de Issey. I wore it on a date expecting, nay, eagerly anticipating the "YOU STINK" exclamation that generally accompanies any new scent I wear around her.

    What a shock that she liked it enough to comment on it as "nice." Thumbs up Kouros. Keep making it YSL!

    18th January, 2010.

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    Gucci by Gucci pour Homme by Gucci

    This one of my final "I like the bottle" purchases before I became a Basenoter. I hadn't checked the reviews until recently and I see that it's left many of us a little cold.

    It's taking up space in my frag cabinet that should be used for something else. I'd score this a "miss" for Gucci. Bottle is nice though.

    13rd January, 2010.

    rating

    Windsor by Creed

    The eucalyptus/pine opening is a little odd for my tastes. But it is certainly distinctive.

    The shift into a wonderful fresh rose scent is killer. That rose is what makes this one a winner and sticks with me most. As time goes by, the cedar and orange temper the rose a bit, but it stays pretty prominent.

    It's certainly pricey stuff, but clearly the quality of these ingredients is a cut above average for Creed or anyone else.

    SIllage is pretty low once it's been on skin awhile, but it makes it presence known to the wearer for a long time in a very subtle way. Best longevity of all the Creeds I've tried.

    It is a quiet, elegant and dignified scent. Unless you're wooing Wallis Simpson, it's not a good "going out tonight" kinda frag. It is a good scent for work if you're pretty turned out. One must be taken seriously wearing this. I could not fathom wearing this with khakis or jeans.

    11th January, 2010.

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    Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme by Van Cleef & Arpels

    I wish I had tried this when it originally came out, but then again, I would have been too young for it.

    It is a more "mature" man scent, no doubt. If you want to go down that path. it can certainly conjure up some of the negative cliches detailed in other reviews here.

    But it also stands apart from the fresh aquatics and says "I'm here! Deal with it."

    Take great care wearing this one. It's not a good casual scent. It is also the biggest sillage monster I've tried. First time I wore it, I left my place and rode the elevator. When I returned 20 minutes later the scent was still lurking and waiting for me in the elevator like a cloud (it smelled great by the way), But that kind of strength will freak a lot of people out these days.

    I don't care if it's a cliche frag. It smells rich, masculine. powerful and stands out.

    29th November, 2009. (Last Edited: 7th February, 2010.)

    rating

    Angel by Thierry Mugler

    Seems to be a very polarizing scent. A lot of negatives in here proportionate to the positives. I find it intoxicating, but most appropriate on fairly young women. I think it would be at odds with a woman 35 or over. I always get a bit of the cotton candy scent and some patchouli, but never the chocolate.

    When I smell Angel in a crowd my heart beat quickens and my head spins until I find the source. I find I am never surprised to see it is an attractive and confident young woman.

    7th September, 2009.

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    Lyric Man by Amouage

    I love Amouage Dia and I really wanted to like this. But I compared it to several other rose-based male scents and this one is a little too "rosey" for me.

    The dry down becomes a bit more masculine, but the rose scent is still pretty dominant and forward.

    I prefer the dark hidden rose of Caraceni 1913, but I can see why many would love Lyric.

    9th August, 2009.

    rating

    Tabacco by Odori

    I tend to like darker, heavy scents and this one is one of my favorites. The tobacco shows up strong at the start but becomes very mingled with a very rich vanilla after dry down in a very masculine way. It lasts for hours and seems to continue developing into something else all day. Puts me in the mind of fine cigars and really good bourbon.

    I never regret this purchase in spite of the steep price.

    9th August, 2009.

    rating

    Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa by Acqua di Parma

    This is one of the mistakes in my frag collection. I let a sales person foist this off on me, and I should have done a test wear....

    It's a very nice scent actually, but I can't tell I even put it on half an hour after I apply it. Way too subtle for me.

    9th August, 2009.

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    Domenico Caraceni 1913 by Domenico Caraceni

    Highly elegant....I was able to sample this up against some of the other male rose based scents and this one is the most masculine and mysterious to me. Dark and subtle. Dangerous.

    I had to try it based on the "this is what Dracula would wear" review. That was right on. I feel like I could get away with wearing a cape with this one.

    I would not say I have the "nose" of many of the posters in here, but the rose scent in this one is somewhat hidden- it doesn't dominate as it does with the Amouage Lyric. But make no mistake, it's right there in the middle.

    A favorite in spite of the fact the film on the bottle crumbles.

    9th August, 2009. (Last Edited: 7th March, 2010.)

    rating

    Dia for Men by Amouage

    I like this scent. I am hard pressed to describe it or identify the various components. I can't think of anything else I've tried that is comparable.

    Fresh and light with an edge. On me it's very subdued and I go "blind" to it an hour after I put it on. But I get a lot of compliments on it long after I think it's gone, so it's hanging in better than I think.

    Very nice scent for office wear.

    You know as you put it on that it's an opulent fragrance, and I assert that anyone who gets close enough knows it too.

    9th August, 2009. (Last Edited: 7th February, 2010.)

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    Scent Intense by Costume National

    Pretty pricey for a scent that I don't love...one of my regrets was purchasing this one. Some of the frags in my wardrobe are before my Basenotes discovery and the result of aggressive SAs.

    My nose is not yet developed and discerning enough to give a breakdown of the scent, but it doesn't feel masculine enough for my tastes. Maybe part of the problem is I can't identify any particular note to put it into a familar category.

    I keep trying to make it work, but last wearing people told me it smelled like Liz Taylo'rs White Diamonds and they didn't mean it in a good way. There are some who love it, but give it test wear if it intrigues you.

    9th August, 2009. (Last Edited: 17th January, 2010.)

    rating

    X for Men by Clive Christian

    The priciest cologne I've ever tried. Pretty close to worth it. Many compliments came my way whenever I wore it. A woman who insists that I should only wear Miyake even gave two thumbs up and she is very discerning.

    I guess it's the labdanum that I most noticed, A little on the sweet side, but it worked well on me. The silage was fantastic and it struck a nice balance between staying close to me and reaching out jussssst enough.


    It is so expensive, I have avoided repurchasing (but have instead tried four or five other pricey brands D'oh!)

    The name is unfortunate. A couple of times was when women asked what I was wearing they thought I said "Axe." Yikes!



    9th August, 2009.

    rating

    Vétiver by Creed

    I think this is kind of a "mature" man scent, but I like it a lot (and I am a sort of mature man after all). Evokes an earlier time that's for sure.

    Fresh and a little sharp. A little more heaviness than a green scent would usually have. I do notice the soapiness others mention here. It does conjure up an old barber shop but I don't think that's a bad thing.

    I always worry about the shelf life of some of the slower selling colognes and I'm guessing this is one of them. The sillage is a little weak on me.





    9th August, 2009.

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