Fragrance Reviews by Quixotiq

One of the best blind buys to date. Far exceeded my expectation. I REALLY like this. Lime is not listed in its notes... but the opening smells like walking through a lime grove to an open breezy meadow teeming with grass and cruciferous vegetation still wet from the morning's dew. From start to amazing dry-down, this is one beautiful scent! The shower gel smells fantastic!! For a green scent, this lasts a great while on me with above average projection and sillage. This really puts me in a happy and energetic mood. I know of no other scent that does that for me. I'm glad I purchased the 4.1oz bottle. I think I'm going to be wearing this a lot this summer.
Highly recommended!

It makes no sense at all trying to describe this gorgeous and unique work of art. THIS is my holy grail! This is my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This is my light at the end of a dark tunnel. This is ME! When I wear it, I feel as if I am complete. I wear it on my wrists. I wear it on the insides of my elbows. I wear it behind my ears. I wear it behind my knees. I wear it on the small of my back. I dab some on my "pleasure trail".. I wear it to work. I wear it to art galleries. I were it to bed. I wear it during sex. I wear it whenever I feel like it. No certain occasion needed.
I am so proud to be the owner of this precious and exclusive masterpiece. Whenever I wear Muscs Koublai Khan, I feel like a better man!

..a thawing fruitcake from a few Christmases ago...
No thanks.

This is my favorite of the three...
The dusty/dry/sweet combo of this scent reminds me of Dzing! I just wish this one had more strength and longevity..

To me, this smells like a freshly open can of green beans and a boiling pot of tea.. Not exactly my cup of tea.

Lol... even though I disagree, I love Naed_Nitram's reveiw. :)
I happen to LOVE this scent. It lasts and lasts. The opening is unmistakeably and sharply floral..once it dries down, it starts to get fresh and clean and more masculine. This was one that I purchased on impulse when it came out. I also bought the aftershave, shave foam, bath and shower gel, deodorant, and bar soap. This past spring, I purchased a bottle on ebay along with the extememly hard to find bath and shower gel. Surprisingly, I still have quite a bit left. I bet it took lots of bravery for Givenchy to launch a scent like this at a time when so many uber-macho fragrances were already dominating the market. I think they would've had better success if they had simlpy labeled it unisex, as I could clearly see how a woman could wear this as well.
The man who wears Insense is confident, a creative thinker who thinks outside the box, not afraid to take chances, and cognizant and secure enough in his own masculinity to wear it.

Wow.. I think I would have to agree with almost all of the reviews here..positive and negative. I get the realism of the rose which I wish lasted longer, I get the damp earth which I love, I get the plumb note(which I think I could do without). I'm a HUGE fan of patchouli scents.. So naturally I would love this. I'm just having a HUGE problem with how long this one lasts. On me, this lasts for about an hour... and thats it! What the @#%$!! Why someone would create an incredibly beautiful fragrance that only lasts an hour.. and then have a nerve to put a $110 price point on it is beyond me.
Still.. I found myself sucked into its allure. It's intrigue and mystery. "liquid poetry".."vegetal collapse" (although a beautiful rendition thereof if such were intended)..I would definitely concur. Its just a shame that I find myself refreshing about every 45 mins to an hour.
Out of all the reviews so far, I think Zztop said it best; ""Voleur de wallet", more like it".

I went to L'Artisan's soho boutique to purchase a full bottle of VDR (which I did).. the very kind SA suggested I try this one as well. Instantly, I fell in love. The blackberry note is not shy at all. It is bold and daring. There is also something slightly peppery and soapy going on in here which I think could be the "musc"(?). Not sure, but I know I liked this so much that I also bought the perfumed body lotion and the bath and shower gel.
I was in a wedding just last weekend (10/14/06) here in New England. I wore this layered on top of the bath and shower gel and body lotion. At the reception, people literatly begged me to walk past them just so they could once again, get a whiff of my sillage. (I'm NOT exaggerating) All the women I danced with buried their noses into my neck complimenting me on my fragrance (I have various lipstick and foundation marks on the collar of my shirt to prove it). A day later, my suit, shirt, and tie... my closet(!) smells lightly scented of Mure et Musc Extreme.

As a unisex scent, I can see how most guys would be put off by how sweet this is. I almost questioned whether or not I could wear this one myself..(and I consider my wardrobe one that defies convention), but after subsequent wearings, I find that this fragrance not only speaks to me... but others as well. I don't think I've ever received so much attention from so many women in one night in my life. I loved it! lol
Highly recommended!

This was given to me as a gift just the other day by a friend who thought she was purchasing the womens version..
I don't know what made her think I would want it since its such a departure from the spicier/floral scents that I usually wear.
But anyway,

PROS:
I can definitely see this one being perfect for hot summer days at the beach in July. It is a light, crisp and fresh aquatic. I tested this on myself in the afternoon (in front of my friend..much to her delight) and by the evening, I could still clearly smell this on my skin, even slightly while taking a shower before going to bed.

CONS:
This has been done before. It smells like just about any other commercial scent you would find on the "lift here to experience _________" pages of fashion magazines and department store literature.

If I were looking for a more unique aquatic I would definitely choose L'Eau par Kenzo which I feel is far superior.

I called L'artisan's SOHO boutique and asked for samples of Passage D'Enfer and Dzongkha (both of which I adore) and much to my delight, I was sent this as well. I think this is also called "Fleur De Narcisse", or at least thats what was written on the sample cardboard I was sent.
Honestly, I have no idea what a Narcissus flower looks or smells like, but when I smell this, I think of a bright white waxy flower with a long stem that has been crushed by hand....
I smell the essence of both the white of the bloom and the green stalk of this particular flower..and nothing else. It does smell like something more suited to women in the sample bottle... but when I put it on my skin, I noticed that this one isn't gender specific at all. On me, it just works!
Surprisingly for this house, this one lasts quite a bit.. which leads me to believe that this may be an edp.
I've tried layering it with Timbuktu. LOTS of compliments!

For such a light scent, this has a lot going on. The initial opening bursts with grapefruit.. more like a syrupy grapefruit gelato. Yes... it almost seems like a gelato-sampler tray at an upscale Italian restaurant. As the handsome young waiter walks around you and those at your table with the tray.. you somehow get a whiff of something light, sweet and ever so slightly aquatic that might be his cologne.
In my humble opinion, I think THIS one should've been named "Little Italy".
For my tastes though, this one just seems strangely familiar in more ways than one. The opening is intensly fruity a la Escada Island/hippie something.... going into something L'eau Par Kenzo-esque...drying into a very faint rendition of Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue. This one is both interesting and boring...(if that makes sense)
Not bad at all... just too light and simple for my taste.

I'm relatively new to this board and am really not all that well versed in fragrance jargon as others here, but OMG...Teflondog, your review is absolute perfection. You've expressed exactly what my heart has been trying to convey about this magical elixer since I first experienced it back in the fall of 1994 at the Saks counter in NY. When the sales lady sprayed it on my arm, I was hooked instantly. I bought both the EDT and the aftershave. After a few more sprays, I walked along fifth ave to continue shopping and both men and women were running back toward me to ask me what I was wearing. To this day, it NEVER fails to elicit compliments. I still can't even think of a fragrance that smells even faintly familiar to this...its that unique and complex. It's a perfect fragrance for vritually any situation/occasion. It can be worn any season (it's totatly devine on rainy days) This has been...and will continue to be my signiture scent.