 | parfums*PARFUMS Series 3 Incense: Ouarzazate by Comme des GarçonsFellas, choose Ouarzazate if you're looking to attract a gal you can take home to meet Mom (I don't see this fragrance being as effective in the bar scene as in the office). Overall it reads like a sweet, non-astringent/non-tannic cedar. The incense is not particularly obvious. I can wear it, and any woman could, but I'd prefer to catch it on the breeze from a man passing by. 18th December, 2010. |
| | Halston Woman by HalstonThe initial spray seems bold with promise, but within a few minutes the scent pulls back dramatically to become quite reserved. The ingredients read to be of the best quality. No apparent synthetic notes. Because it doesn't come on too strong and isn't so synthetic as most new mainstream fragrances, I can recommend it highly, at least to the civilian shoppers. For BNers, I don't know that it offers a lot that's new. I'm not fond of Orientals as a class, but the blackcurrant and sweet amber here make this new HW incarnation wearable for me. 9th August, 2010. |
 | Andy Warhol Silver Factory by Bond No. 9Weird. While wet, I smell grape juice. Then I smell a real foundry — metal shavings, the dirty oil that builds up on metal-grinding machinery for a minute or two. After that, SF turns into a pleasant, mild incense with its own personality. 6th August, 2010. |
| | Aubépine-Acacia by CreedFor today, I'm wearing a relatively new acquaintance, Creed Aubepine Acacia, a scent that smells fine in the heat of summer, but promises to fit autumn-time. For all the sniffing I've done, this one honestly earns the attribute "unique." The bright, citrus opening is exhilarating, then a mild, masculine phase arrives. I don't have real-life points of reference to name what I'm smelling—maybe tobacco-like, but there's no warmth or smoke. Would that make it like green tobacco? I don't know. And then the scent wanders in and out of my awareness with a green leather-like effect. AA makes for a wonderful and interesting companion. Smells like a millionaire on the weekend. 3rd July, 2010. |
| | Barynia by Helena RubinsteinThere’s “perfumey” good and there’s “perfumey” bad. This is perfumey good. Barynia (which means lady of the manor or mistress of the estate in Russian) is a rich floral with a bit of natural sweetness and that appeals to me very much. I'm reminded of two favorites (Dunay Sabi and Guerlain With Love) which, if I didn't have them, I'd be turning to Barynia often. 3rd June, 2010. |
| | 24, Faubourg Eau Délicate by HermèsI'd been meaning to try 24, Faubourg Eau Legere for the longest time, since I thought the original 24F excellent, if not a little too “big” and “hot” for me. Eau Legere is somewhat like 24F and vaguely similar to Yves Rocher Desire de Nature. It smells French and old-school style. The orange isn't sweet as it is in Boucheron Femme. If it were sweeter, I might be tempted to own more than a vial’s worth. 4th March, 2010. |
| | Marine Groove by EscadaIf you're going to make yet another a fruity-floral, it may as well smell this good. 19th February, 2010. |
| | L'Eau de Tarocco by DiptyqueThe topnotes are simply a BIG GRIN—so precisely the scent produced from plunging a thumbnail into an orange. Soon thereafter, though, that scent starts playing peek-a-boo with some really odd, hard-to-describe notes. The imagery I get is that I’ve walked toward the storage and receiving area at the back of a mall store—new packing materials and newly manufactured products? Now that’s weird. 17th February, 2010. |
| | Full Choke by Francesco SmaltoThe top notes earn 5 stars, the heart notes barely 2 stars, and the base notes deserve about 3. Full Choke must catch many a buyer who feels instant attraction—at introduction, the scent is lively and reminiscent of the best part of New Haarlem: fresh coffee and sweet, burnt cinnamon toast. Within minutes, FC turns stunningly boring, like the delicious stuff exits the room, leaving nothing to smell but an old metal toaster. Surprisingly, an echo of the original scent and sweetness surfaces during the drydown. If I could freeze-frame those top notes, I'd either wear this or insist my husband do so. It's a shame that pineapple, rum, vanilla and amber couldn't maintain a gourmand heart. (Notes: gunpowder, cardamom, pepper, pineapple, coriander, jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, vetiver, rum, vanilla, musk, and amber.) 31st January, 2010. |
| | Marc Jacons Splash Lemon by Marc JacobsFairly nice, but again, should be “more” for the price. Puts me in mind of the neroli in Salvatore Ferragamo, which might offer a better pleasure-for-the-penny ratio. Still … me likes me citruses, so I will happily follow directions and “Splash Lemon” and maybe even “Layer Lemon.” 25th January, 2010. |
| | Tuscan Leather by Tom FordI don't find this scent as sweet as others have inferred. When I think of sweet leather scents, Dzing! (cade) and VIP Room (vanilla) spring to mind. Just as wine can be sweet or dry, I have to say TL is a dry leather, the sort I associate with fringed suede purses and moccasins from the ’60s/’70s. 21st November, 2009. |
 | Byzance by RochasMy decant is from a reputable swapper, but my impression is so different from everyone else here. The lavender-colored juice smells fruity-sweet and blah. It wasn't a scrubber, but I don't care to wear it again. 21st November, 2009. |
| | Encre Noire by LaliqueUmmm … am I the only one who thinks this is predominantly Iso E Super? Vetiver + Iso E Super? I can't find an Eccentric Molecule sample right now for comparison, but I hope someone else will do a side-by-side and opine. As far as the “ink” association, I think it's more related to mimeograph ink than the haughtier ink well or Mont Blanc sort. Yes, EN smells good, and the name and bottle show marketing genius, but revolutionary? Certainly not. Now I'm wondering whether the forthcoming women's version will smell akin to CK Eternity. 19th November, 2009. |
| | Tamboti Wood by Susanne LangI sniffed a bunch of things at Anthropologie and decided to wear a spritz of Susanne Lang Tamboti Wood. Reaaallly different from everything else I've smelled: Tamboti (an sacred African tree), cedar, sandalwood, vetiver. The top notes reveal an unusual chemical. I feel like it could be the Tamboti tree's natural defense against insects. The bulk of the performance is dry-dry-dry woods, somewhat like a black tea. Wholly unisex. Not FBW but def a thumb up. 7th November, 2009. |
| | Aqua Allegoria Mentafollia by GuerlainHello. My name is Quarry, and I'm a green-aholic. No surprise to anyone here that I love these mint green top notes, but once they mix with Mentafollia's soapy heart, the spell begins to break. I'm put in mind of the unceasingly minty goodness of Masakï Matsushïma Mintea (discontinued), which doesn't vary to any degree, but sustains that sweet, green blast that puts a glint in my eye. 22nd October, 2009. |
| | A Scent by Issey MiyakeA Scent lasted longer for me than it did for prior reviewers, but I otherwise concur with their assessments: citrus, green, synthetic. Can throw one compliment: The musk base worked well on my skin. 21st October, 2009. |
| | Brooklyn by Bond No. 9I didn't care much for Brooklyn during a prior sniff, but darned if it is speaking to me today. 12nd October, 2009. |
| | Isabela Capeto by Isabela CapetoOn first sniff, I'm reminded of Black Cashmere. On second whiff, Au Thé Blanc. Sniff, BC; wait, whiff, ATB; wait, sniff, BC ... It's the funniest thing. It's like the fragrance resets each time I go to smell it. If you like either or both of those scents, you may like Isabela Capeto. 30th August, 2009. |
| | Ponn Farr by Star TrekIt's aquatic!?!?! Huh. The second surprise is that, for an aquatic, it's fairly good. A little more surprising was its longevity. 20th August, 2009. |
| | Kenzo Amour Florale by KenzoHow KAF is successful: Uses some of my favorite notes; creates some initial attraction in me. 2nd August, 2009. |
| | No. 18 by ChanelNo. 18, a scent of mixed directions, deserving of mixed metaphors. At the start, it's pure chemical laboratory, in the classy way Chanel stirs up synthetics. In a few minutes, brisk, fresh leaves unfurl from a branch of the same tree where Bel Respiro sprouts more distinctively. In a short time, 18's leaves die and fall into a nondescript rose garden. I feel I understand the intent of the composition and wish it could have nailed the synthetics/green leaves/roses concept a little better cuz I like the idea. 27th July, 2009. |
| | Chillum by AbdesSalaam Attar ProfumoChillum smells dry, dusty and mildly spicey, like an old shop whose woodwork has absorbed the molecules of its pungent wares. The scent smells foreign to my experience, so I don't have names for the notes. I find them pleasing to encounter in passing, although the scent wouldn't fit my countenance. If I caught a whiff of Chillum from a passerby, I would stop him and ask what scent he was wearing because it's distinctive and unlike what I think of Americans as wearing. I guess the best summation of Chilum's impression on me is "foreign"--and I mean that in positive way. The only other thing I noticed about the scent is that it seems to fade fairly quickly on my skin. 7th July, 2009. |
| | Cuba Express by AbdesSalaam Attar ProfumoCuba Express lasts and projects well. In fact, I'd call it forceful, and it makes me feel timid. There's a lot going on, like a raucous celebration that overwhelms me. The notes do not clash--they are harmonious in their way; I am, admittedly, a wimp. Thank goodness Mr. Duckfinder can break apart the elements in a more useful way for the reader. 7th July, 2009. |
| | Tasnim / Tasneem by AbdesSalaam Attar ProfumoYesterday I wore Tasnim (which is spelled Tasneem on the website) and enjoyed it right through the evening when it spoke softly of sweet amber (tonka and vanilla, according to the notes). When I first applied it, I was reminded of one of the Neil Morris frags (sorry, can't remember which one). Tasnim struck me as a semi-sweet woody, and it felt languid and tawny. According to the Profumo website notes, a second distillation of ylang-ylang produces an almond quality. A very comfortable and comforting fragrance, if not a little ambiguous and forgettable. 7th July, 2009. |
| | Libertine by Vivienne WestwoodSweet? Yes. Fruity? Yes. Chypre? Really? I guess so. I was just so distracted by the sweet and the fruity. But then, as others have led me to understand, almost all of my favorite fragrances turn out to be greenies, so I take green notes for granted. 5th July, 2009. |
| | Cadjmere 18 by Parfumerie GeneraleFirst, may I say, the previous writers have executed their reviews beautifully. I will add that Cadjmere reminds me of a few other fragrances that radiate a sweet, smooth (see lizzie_j's aged liquor reference), mellow, I'd dare say dull aura: Rochas Tocade, Chopard Casmir, and the drydown of Boucheron Trouble or Liz Claiborne Spark. I can't decide my favorite from this camp. The vanilla dullness is at once very attractive/soothing and then wearying/boring. However, a cost comparison removes C18 from the running for me. 1st July, 2009. |
| | No. 5 Eau Première by ChanelDoes anyone else feel like they're layering a weak No. 5 with Bel Respiro when wearing Eau Premiere? I think I prefer to have my Chanels served unscrambled, but I understand what others appreciate. I can comprehend what Lilybelle's saying about the easy-breezy category that No5EP shares with Cristalle, but I think Cristalle's character is more distinctive and desirable. 1st July, 2009. |
| | Sanguine by Keiko MecheriSanguine just isn't special enough, as compared with other similar fragrances I've enjoyed. You're better off with New Orleans Bourbon French Parfum's Eleftorea, which maintains a soft/fresh citrus/floral mood throughout its reasonably long life. My clear preference in this scent category is Malle's Bigarade Concentree with its 100-watt top notes. 30th June, 2009. |
| | Jean-Louis Scherrer by Jean-Louis ScherrerOther chypres have enticed (memorably Cabochard, Miss Balmain), but J-L spoiled me. Its top notes offer spellbinding pleasure, and I wish they'd never move on: Mild, Sweet & Green (MS&G are what endear Nanadebary Green, Molinard de Molinard and other favorites to me). But J-L is a chypre first and foremost, and in this formulation fulfills my image of what real perfume smells like. J-L is may be used to best advantage to scent fabric to which your nose returns since its second act is not as alluring as its opening and drydown. 24th June, 2009. |
| | La Rose du Petit Prince by Le Petit PrinceA mildly sweet citrus is made more interesting with the subtle presence of non-kiddy floral. I say "non-kiddy" so as assure you that, although this is marketed as a fragrance for children, there is nothing especially childish about it except its playful attitude. 22nd June, 2009. |
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