 | Derby by GuerlainI have a decant of the original Derby, and I was lucky enough to buy a bottle of the reformulation on a recent visit to Paris. The new version is a touch brighter and lighter, as you might expect. For me, surprisingly, this is an improvement. I always loved Derby, but found it hard to wear in it's original version. I've been wearing the new version regularly, even in the heat of summer. A brilliant, scent - both utterly complex and seamlessly smooth, like a great wine. Along with New York, Azzaro PH and the original formulation of Vetiver, one of my all-time favorite masculines. 18th June, 2008. |
| | Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal ShiseidoAbsolutely gorgeous leather scent. On the one hand, the leather is quite brazen - it almost has the quality of body odor. On the other hand, the orange and cinnamon sweet notes balance out the animalistic qualities with perfect harmony, making this scent quite smooth and soft. A real masterpiece. 29th March, 2006. |
| | Rush for Men by GucciSo good! The opening is such a brash and impolite blast of dry cedar that I can see why people have the initial adverse reaction. If one just waits a few minutes it all sorts itself out beautifully into a milky warm glow with lovely balance. Really one of the great drydowns I've ever experienced. 27th March, 2006. |
| | Antaeus by ChanelBrilliant scent. Dry and leathery chypre with a distinctive honey (beeswax?) note. Elegant yet quietly brutal. 17th March, 2006. |
| | Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal ShiseidoI'm gradually falling in love with everything Lutens does. This is a seemingly simple fragrance composed of patchouli and bitter chocolate, but both notes are quite complex in their own right. This patchouli is potent and deep - camphorous at first then increasingly earthy. The chocolate is a dark powdery cocoa. Not a bit sweet. A unlikely marraige made in heaven. 19th January, 2006. |
 | Tam Dao by DiptyqueA pleasant scent but, like some others, I find this a little too simplistic to wear very often. The lack of evolution is the main problem for me. Almost any scent becomes tedious if it doesn't change all day. 19th January, 2006. |
 | Piper Nigrum by Lorenzo VilloresiBlack pepper is one of my favorite notes. How disappointing to discover that this scent is not really about pepper at all, but more about mint, with sickly sweet drydown to boot. Not what I want to smell like. 19th January, 2006. |
| | Vétiver Extraordinaire by Editions de Parfums Frederic MalleMy favorite Vetiver. Damp and minerally - it reminds me of good Pinot Noir, musty basements, wet stones, a grassy field on a cold misty day. The citrus opening is similar to the bitter orange in Cologne Bigarade. Sharp and peppery. 19th January, 2006. |
| | M7 by Yves Saint LaurentI hated this for a while before I finally "got" it. Now it's an absolute favorite. Truly unlike anything else - it smells burnt, sweet, woody, medicinal. Very manly without falling into any masculine cliches. 19th January, 2006. |
| | Michael for Men by Michael KorsThumb correction. 19th January, 2006. |
| | Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal ShiseidoA very dark fragrance. Spicy, sensual, sexual. Audacious and shocking in the Lutens manner. Once you acquire the taste, you're hooked. 19th January, 2006. |
| | Hermèssence Poivre Samarcande by HermèsA very true rendition of pepper. This one smells like green peppercorns, moist from the tree, crushed between your thumb and forefinger. I initially found the scent to have poor longevity, but I've changed my opinion about that. It does remain very close to the skin. A very versatile scent that works in all seasons, for work or play. It's garnered many compliments for me. Way overpriced. 23rd November, 2005. |
| | Anvers by Ulrich LangThe reviews are so tantalizing that I was sure I'd love this. Unfortunately, I don't. The guava note is unpleasant and clumsily married to the heart and base notes. The whole composition smells cheap to me. It smells like a bottle of PdN New York gone bad. 13rd November, 2005. |
| | Original Vetiver by CreedAgree that this resembles Mugler Cologne, but OV is much deeper and longer lasting with a sharp grassy edge. Oustanding sillage and longevity for a scent of this type. My most often worn warm weather scent. Always attracts compliments. 1st November, 2005. |
| | Feuilles de Tabac by Miller HarrisOne of my absolute favorites. I've come to love tobacco scents and this one smells very much of damp, fresh tobacco leaves. Unlike the very smoky and oriental Fumerie Turque or the cigar smoke of Vintage Tabarome, this one is the fresh cigar, right out of the box, still unlighted. 1st November, 2005. |
| | Nostalgia by Santa Maria NovellaThis fragrance is amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect before I tried it - could it really smell like a vintage car? Gasoline, motor oil, rubber, leather? The answer, a resounding Yes! And it smells great! It's difficult to imagine that those notes could be composed into a fragrance that smells so good on the skin. The leather is one of the strongest, truest interpretations I know of. It dries down into a base of vanilla and light spices, with the wood and leather (like an old car interior) persisting to the end. Very long lasting as well. 1st November, 2005. |
| | New York by Parfums de NicolaïA perpetual favorite. I remember something Luca Turin said on his blog about this one - he was dividing masculine scents into a variety of categories and this one fell into the genre of scents that simply "smell great." I agree. 1st November, 2005. |
| | Baladin by Parfums de NicolaïI've tried to like this one and have finally given up for now. It's not a bad scent, but too herbal and sharp for my taste. Neither does it seem to develop much on my skin. I can't find any leather in this one, despite what I keep hearing. 1st November, 2005. |
| | "Vintage" Tabaróme by CreedThis scent makes me think of cigar smoke, gentlemen's clubs, leather club chairs, scotch on the rocks. It's the smell of wealth and taste and power. Extraordinarily evocotive of another era. Unquestionably masculine. 1st November, 2005. |
| | Caron Pour Un Homme by CaronThe listed notes strike me as a bit optimistic - it's very hard for me to detect much complexity beyond the lavender and vanilla. Still, the combination is beautiful. I only wish the lavender topnotes lasted longer. For the moments when the lavender is slowly being overtaken my the vanilla base, this scent is intoxicating 1st November, 2005. |
| | Patou pour Homme Privé by Jean PatouThe combination of lavender and sandalwood is perfectly rendered. This scent is an exquisite balance of soft, green notes with softer, smokier wood and spice. I much prefer this scent to the original Patou pour Homme. 1st November, 2005. |
| | Havana by AramisExcellent tobacco scent, though I wonder whether this one is slightly overrated due to it's current exclusivity. A spicy take on the tobacco theme with a structure that's evocotive of classic masculine scents like Azzaro PH. 1st November, 2005. |
| | Chanel Pour Monsieur by ChanelWonderful classic chypre. I love the opening citrus notes and the mossy drydown. I used to lament the poor longevity, but now I feel like it's more a matter a subtle drydown with little sillage, an effect I'm sometimes in the mood for. A scent that's very easy to like - though it dates from 1955 it has a timeless feel to me. It could have come from any time in the last 100 years and I wouldn't be surprised. 1st November, 2005. |
| | New Haarlem by Bond No. 9Absolutely lovely. I don't like a lot of gourmand scents as they usually conjure up flavor combinations that seem frankly gross, or conversely overwhelm with sweetness. New Haarlem gets it just right, with fresh bergamot topnotes balances with rich, warm coffee - actually more of a vanilla capaccino. There is a suggestion of orange flavored chocolate and burnt sugar. It sounds like it would be too sweet, but the effect is quite balanced and wearable. 30th October, 2005. |
| | Dzing! by L'Artisan ParfumeurBrilliant, original and bizarre, yet completely wearable in any setting. Luca Turin's cardboard comment always comes to mind and I do indeed get that note now whenever I smell this. The animal quality keeps this one right on the edge. 30th October, 2005. |
| | Musc Ravageur by Editions de Parfums Frederic MalleBy far my favorite musk scent - spicy and oriental and ambery. There are some harsh balsamic topnotes that can really bother me if I overapply. Sometimes this feels like the perfect scent - extremely sensual. This is also one of those cold-weather scents that I find myself wearing in the summertime. 30th October, 2005. |
| | Tuscany / Etruscan by AramisA simpler, lighter Azzaro PH. Not to say that this one is light or simple. I find the opening to be a bit harsh, but it warms and deepens as it develops. It generates as many compliments as anything I own. 30th October, 2005. |
| | Santal Noble by Maître Parfumeur et GantierAmazing. The richest, deepest wood there is. There is something really funky in the opening - it's almost poopy. But it quickly blends into the coffee and coconut and deep, warm sandal. It lasts for ages - the powdery drydown is delectable. 30th October, 2005. |
| | Le Dandy by D'OrsayBoozy tobacco and spices with a powdery wood base. It reminds me of Egoiste transported to a speakeasy. 30th October, 2005. |
| | Égoïste / L'Égoïste by ChanelWhen I first wore this scent I got orange and vanilla, like in fifty-fifty bar. Now I get booze and lavender and sandalwood. Either way, this is a rich, warm beautiful oriental. 30th October, 2005. |
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