Fragrance Reviews by NDinDC

MdH is an interesting scent that many readers will not like. The top notes of grapefruit and licorice could push against each other, but instead pair up for a slightly smoky, bitter edge. Some folks will react against that edge, but those who like it will adore it. From there, the scent mellows softly in its dry down. The final notes are light and powdery while hinting of cedar. Overall, a pleasant experience for someone who enjoys scents that don't smell just like everyone else in the room. It is worth taking the risk.

This is a tough one for me as Declaration is an unusual scent in almost every regard. I bought Declaration on an internet deal that I could not pass up, although I had never smelled it. I made my purchase despite the negative opinion rendered by MonkeyManMatt whose voice I have come to hold very dear in these matters.

I must say, the initial blast risks being off-putting. While I wouldn't call it "BO-ville," it's first foot forward is a strong, sharp spice accord. It is rather edgy. Just when I consider washing it off, the scent began to calm down and its more subtle, complex notes started drifting to the foreground. The sharp edge never really disappears, however.

After several hours, it begins to really come alive. I can't say that I love it like other fragrances, but it gets in your nose and is enchanting in its own way.

It is long lasting, and its best moments are perhaps in its lingering memory - a sniff of yesterday's shirt, the changing room after you applied it, etc. I wore it yesterday, and the scent lingered in my memory (and my bed) all night. It was pleasant, soft and enchanting.

Not a purchase for the faint of heart, but if you like exotic and perplexing scents, give it a try. Apply it sparingly and get beyond the initial blast. If you give it a chance, it will give you hours of ever changing experiences in return.

Gary

1870 provoked a childhood flashback that I couldn't place at first. Penhaligon's describes the scent as "spiced black pepper gently infused with a luxurious accord of English clove rose amid warm woods and musk." The pepper is immediately obvious and is a delight, but during the dry down, I kept smelling a memory. Finally, I remembered how clothes smelled every fall when my mother would take the winter things out of the cedar closet in the attic. Until they aired on the line for a few hours, they would have this deep, rich aroma of cedar. ( I only get these days with shoe trees). It is a lovely smell and lovely scent. In actuality, 1870 is far more subtle and complicated than the closet ever was and continues to dry down to a very pleasant, light woodsy finish. I recommend it.

I was in Neiman Marcus sniffing around the Creed testers when the saleswoman insisted I try the OV. After she sprayed in on my arm, my initial impression was that it was too green, too grassy and too "one-note" strong. However, while I did not particularly like it at first, there was something in it that took ownership of my nose and would not let it go. All night long, I was sniffing my arm and enjoying the soapy freshness and subtle tones that were emerging. Over the next two days, my mind kept drifting back to the scent and I could not let it go. I think that I began to understand the incredible hold of crack addiction after just one hit. After several days of this new fixation, I found a reasonably priced bottle on eBay. Now, upon repeated wearings, I can say that OV is a simply tantalizing scent that wafts ups repeatedly throughout the day, subtly changing and softening, then bursting forth again, seemingly ever new. My taste is eclectic and I can't say I like the fragrancet in the same way that I enjoy the smoky inscence of Michael by Michael Kors or the tabacco hints of Tabarome Millesime by Creed. To me, it is more off-beat in the style (not the smell) of the rose-based Penhaligon's Hammam Bouquet. Yet, while I can't point to why I adore it so, OV is the scent I reach for most often lately. It is truly intoxicating!