Basenotes - Reviews by Renato

Australia

Showing 1 to 30 of 70.

Indigo by Gant USA

Gant Indigo is similar in style to L'Eau Par Kenzo, but it lasts longer on me than the latter. And it lasts longer on me than Erolfa does.

Thus I really like wearing it in warm weather.
Regards.

5th January, 2012.

Report Review

As indicated below, Andy Roddick is very similar in style to Echo. I've never been that taken with Echo, but my wife likes it a lot. And she likes Andy Roddick better than Echo.

To me it's a good alternative for warm weather wear, though I wish it was a bit louder at the four hour mark.

28th November, 2011.

Report Review

Hugo Dark Blue by Hugo Boss

Hugo Dark Blue was categorised as an ambery fougere scent in the H&R Chart, while others list it as an oriental spicy scent. I concur with the former, as it's always seemed like a cross between Boss Elements Aqua and Fahrenheit to me. It's an excellent long lasting scent, and I've yet to come across another scent quite like it - it seems loud, yet understated at the same time.
Regards.

23rd October, 2011.

Report Review

Cumbia Colors Men by Benetton

As a fan of licorice/ aniseed scents, I found the strength of the aniseed notes a bit weaker than i would have liked. I had to spray twice as much Cumbia on than I normally would with other scents. But with this double dose, I thought it smelled quite good.
Renato

2nd July, 2011.

Report Review

Luciano Soprani Uomo by Luciano Soprani

To my nose Luciano Soprani Uomo is the same style citrus scent as Emporio Armani White - where White is the somewhat richer scent, and Soprani lasts a bit longer.

For a while I wasn't overly fond of either of these two, as I prefer stronger more pronounced citrus scents in summer. But they've both made a bit of a comeback for me. Both are very good for a warm day when one wants a scent to be somewhat more subtle rather than particularly loud.

With reference to one of the comments below, the box my Luciano Soprani Uomo EDT came in is black, and there is no mention or picture of the soccer player Roberto Baggio on it.
Regards,
Renato

3rd March, 2011.

Report Review

Heaven by Chopard

Contrary to other opinions, I haven't come across any scents remotely resembling Heaven. To me it's a bright, lively scent with excellent longevity and sillage. By the H&R charts it's a Fresh Fougere, but to my nose it also smells a bit oriental to me.
Renato

3rd February, 2011.

Report Review

Night Show by Joaquin Cortes

This scent has excellent longevity and well above average sillage.

23rd December, 2010.

Report Review

The Original by Gap

I'm hopeless with most fragrance notes, but here's my description. Take something like Creed Silver Mountain Water, remove the sharp black currant note, add leather and plum, and that's what The Original smells like to me - a sweetish leathery scent. Except that The Original lasts with more strength for longer than SMW does.

I've owned about six months now, have worn it on quite a few occasions and am quite impressed with it.
Renato

28th June, 2010. (Last Edited: 18th December, 2010.)

Report Review

The Lover by Gap

This scent reminds me of niche type scents. It starts out feminine then turns slightly masculine after about an hour.
It was too feminine for me, so I gave a bottle to a female friend who was ecstatic with it - says she gets comments whenever she wears it. She notices it turning masculine too.
Renato

28th June, 2010.

Report Review

Carlos Santana for Women by Carlos Santana

I don't like all that many women's scents, but when I came across Carlos Santana for Women going cheap, I tested it and thought it pretty darn good. I walked away, came back and hour later and tested it again. And even though my wife has categorically told me to stop buying her scents, I bought it for her anyway.

I want to smell this on someone.
Renato

28th April, 2010.

Report Review

DKNY Men (original) by Donna Karan

It's fresh, it's sharpish, it's long lasting and, to me, it smells quite classy and opulent - a notch above other well made fresh scents with a bit of citrus in them.
Renato

21st July, 2009.

Report Review

Nautica Competition (new) by Nautica

I didn't like the old version, but didn't mind the new version.
Some are critical that it smells synthetic - it certainly smells a bit odd at first.
But it has very good lasting power, and keeps one smelling fresh for ages. Which after all is what a sporty sounding scent is supposed to do.

18th May, 2009.

Report Review

Cerruti pour Homme by Cerruti

To me, this one is initially somewhat like a less rich, less loud version of Creed Original Santal (I did a side by side comparison). Unfortunately, as time progresses it changes and reminds me more of a version of Joop Jump - a scent that I'm not overly fond of.

2nd February, 2009.

Report Review

Dunhill Edition by Alfred Dunhill

Fresh, very long lasting, citrusy cloves is how I'd describe this scent.
I had a sales girl spray it on my arm, and I instantly bought it.
Renato

4th January, 2009.

Report Review

Opium pour Homme Poésie de Chine Eau d'Orient by Yves Saint Laurent

I was quite taken with this lighter version of Opium PH, and had to buy it the day after I gave it a thorough testing out on my arm.

It has excellent lasting power, but lacks the great sillage and projection power of the EDT and EDP versions. Thus one may find it a tad disappointing if one is after a powerhouse scent akin to the other two. However, on the other hand, to me it's a lot more wearable than the original versions, which I tend to reserve mainly for night time/going out type usage.
Renato

11th December, 2008.

Report Review

Reaction Thermal for Men by Kenneth Cole

I really like this scent. Thanks to the poster below for noting the similarity to Body Kouros, as it was driving me mad trying to figure out what Reaction Thermal reminded me of. It's nowhere nears as thick and rich like Body Kouros (which to me a is a night time scent), but is lighter and far more wearable.
Renato

8th December, 2008.

Report Review

XS pour Homme by Paco Rabanne

Do not worry about the dud rating for XS Pour Homme in Perfumes: The Guide.
Do not worry about the negative and neutral reviews below.

If you wish to own a scent where, after applying six sprays, gorgeous looking blonde women are likely to say something like "Oooo - what's that you're wearing?", then I strongly suggest that you consider investing in XS.

If you do not care what gorgeous looking blonde women think, and only buy scents that please your inner self, then I suggest that it may be time to re examine one's priorities in life.

The longevity of this scent is very good on me.
Renato

9th September, 2008.

Report Review

Jil Sander Man Pure (new) by Jil Sander

This scent shares the same unfortunate characteristic that Gucci Rush has on me - it disappears within two hours - but it's still there numerous hours later, awaiting reactivation with a bit of perspiration.

My initial impression was much like that of the other reviewers - ho hum, and short lasting to boot. But I was astounded 7 or 8 hours later "what is that wonderful scent (among the many I'd sprayed on my arms that day) wafting everywhere?". Sure enough, it was Pure Man. I was amazed that a scent I'd dismissed so quickly earlier that day, I now thought was absolutely delightful. I went and bought it next day.

Rating it is somewhat difficult. If I were rating it as an anytime scent, I'd have to give it a neutral. Rating it as a scent worn when one is likely to perspire as in summer, or in the gym or while dancing, it's a definite thumbs up.
Renato

8th September, 2008.

Report Review

Sultan Safran / Safranier by Comptoir Sud Pacifique

I bought Sultan Safran blind, and it does smell pretty good, and has excellent longevity.

However, I am somewhat disappointed because it's really not particularly masculine in any way that I can detect. This may not be the fault of the manufacturer who I don't know ever claimed that it was masculine, but of the internet retailers who pretty much universally put it in the Men's section. To me it's a unisex scent, and I just don't go for them all that much.

As a unisex scent I'd give it a thumbs up. But as a masculine scent my rating is neutral.

Renato

5th September, 2008.

Report Review

Black Marlin by Nautilus

From their website, it's meant to be a marine scent.
But to my nose, I have difficulty thinking of it as a marine scent, since it strongly reminds me of a rich apple version of A*men. It's plainly an oriental, and I find it more wearable than A*men, and it has excellent lasting power.

Renato

28th August, 2008.

Report Review

Cuba Gold by Cuba Paris

It's a nice enough sweet scent with very good lasting power, but Cuba Gold reminds me more of Van Laren's Absolute Musk (which I don't like much) than JPG's Le Male (which I like a lot). To my nose, it smells plainly cheaper than other scents to which it's been compared below (Le Male and Body Kouros)

I gave each of my two nephews a 4 pack of different Cuba Cigars last Christmas. They loved the cigar shape, and curiously, Cuba Gold turned out to be a big hit among their classmates at their respective primary and secondary schools.
Renato

19th July, 2008.

Report Review

Police Dark by Police

A pleasant ambery woody oriental scent.
It starts off very strongly, but then quickly settles down to something a more subtle.
I liked it a lot more than the original Police scent, which was next to it when I was testing before buying.

Their site describes it as follows
Renato

"Its top notes have the bright, fresh, Mediterranean tones of bergamot and lavender, underpinned by the dark, spicy tones of juniper and blackcurrant.
Its body resonates with the flowery notes of geranium and jasmine, mingled with the woody tones of fir resin and oak moss.
Its base notes consist of the warm tones of sandalwood, vanilla and amber, enlivened by the crispness of vetiver.
An oriental blend sparked by outdoorsy aromatics mingling harmoniously with rare woods, backed up by a long-lasting drydown based on vanilla and musk. "

28th June, 2008.

Report Review

Tiffany for Men by Tiffany

Luxurious, classy and refined comes to mind when I think of Tiffany for Men. It's supposed to be an oriental, but I've seen other classifications for it. It has excellent lasting power on me.

But I do have a problem with it. When I wear the EDT (six squirts under my clothes) I've never had a comment on it, other than from my wife - who didn't like it much, saying it reminded her of some Tweed scent her mother used to wear.

But when I've worn the equally luxurious Tiffany for Men After Shave Balm by itself - well, positive comments have abounded from women, including the aforementioned wife, who when I pulled her up on the fact that she'd said she didn't like it, said she may have been too hasty in her initial assessment.
Renato

15th June, 2008.

Report Review

Acqua di Parma Lavanda Tonica by Acqua di Parma

I remember the first time I tested Lavanda Tonica in a shop. I was with a female friend who smelled it and said "Oooo - that's not unisex, way too masculine". I don't think any male need worry about this one being feminine.

It's a sharp, raw lavender scent. It's initially similar to the sharper Atkinson's English Lavender, but smooths and mellows out to something a bit nicer than the latter. It's more masculine than Yardley's English Lavender, which does sometimes seem somewhat feminine to me.

I get about three or four hours out of it, worn under my clothes.

There is something to be careful about it though. I was wearing it one day when it gave me a very calming, soothing effect - and I proposed marriage.
Renato

13rd June, 2008.

Report Review

Blue Stratos by Parfums Bleu

There's little point describing this scent - it's ubiquitous and is still being sold everywhere in Australia. Although I have a big bottle of the EDT, for some strange reason, I've always been more partial to the slightly weaker version in the underarm deodorant cans.
Renato

1st June, 2008.

Report Review

Joop! Homme by Joop!

Joop Homme EDT has the best longevity of any scent I have ever owned. It has monster sillage which probably leads to a lot of the dislike for this scent - since I frequently smell it all over the place, though plainly it's a going out at night type scent to my nose.

If one wishes to have a more toned down version of this scent, pour some Joop Homme After Shave splash into an atomiser, and spray it on as you would the EDT. It has less sillage and dramatically less longevity - it only lasts about 15 hours - which is still is on par with many of the EDP strength scents out there. (For the record, Joop Homme After Shave Balm is the longest lasting scented balm I've ever come across).

I always have the sneaking suspicion that if this scent hadn't come out when it did, but instead came out now from a niche house, many of it's current detractors would be lauding it as fabulously rich and exotic scent akin to the Lutens' ones, or as a longer lasting reinterpretation of Creed's Original Santal.
Renato

17th May, 2008.

Report Review

Sécrétions Magnifiques by Etat Libre d'Orange

Quite simply, the absolute worst scent I've ever tried.
After spraying it on my hand in a shop, to stop from gagging I found a bottle of Kenneth Cole Black in the store next door and sprayed it all over this foul rubbish. Then scrubbed it off when I got back to the office, using five minutes of soap and hot water to get rid of the stench.

Apparently, this scent has something to do with sex.
If sex smelled anything like this, I'd have taken a vow of chasisty, joined a monastery, and spent the rest of my life contemplating how a good God could have created something so vile.
Renato

15th May, 2008.

Report Review

Néroli Sauvage by Creed

Last week I tested the endurance of Neroli Sauvage, Royal Water, Royal Delight and Millesime Imperial on my arms simultaneously. Royal Water lasted about 7 hours, and Royal Delight and Millesime Imperial lasted a few hours longer. However, Neroli Sauvage was pretty near undetectable on my skin after just one hour. I've cited the other three to show that I don't have some kind of weird scent destroying skin chemistry. By way of comparison, I get five hours out of Eau de Rochas Homme, but I only get two hours from Dior's Eau Sauvage - though others claim they get a full day's wear out of it - so I suppose it is possible that some people would get longer longevity out of Neroli Sauvage than what I did.

But at the end of the day, Neroli Sauvage outlasts only one other scent I've ever come across - the ubiquitous 4711. No matter how nice it may smell, its ultra poor longevity on me, disqualifies it as being a scent for me - I'd rate it poorly as an air freshener.

Buying this scent blind on the basis of the reviews here is certainly Not Recommended.
Unless you are happy with buying very short lasting scents that cost a lot of money, you really have to test this one properly before buying.
Renato

11th May, 2008. (Last Edited: 12nd May, 2008.)

Report Review

Original Santal by Creed

To my nose, Original Santal does start out smelling a bit like Joop (and what's wrong with that - Joop Homme is a fabulous scent), though it's nowhere near as sharp. But after the top notes disappear, it's resemblance to Joop quickly evaporates.

The notes in the fragrance pyramid above don't correspond to Creed's description at their site, which states,
"Red Pencil Cedar from Virginia; Benzoin from Thailand; Mandarin from Sicily, plus wild Neroli, Orange Wood, infusion of Vanilla and Ambergris."

I like Original Santal, especially because it has decent enough longevity on me, and doesn't disappear in a few hours like Acer Aluminium, Royal English Leather, Millesime Imperial and Original Vetiver do on me.
Renato

17th April, 2008.

Report Review

Versus Time for Energy by Versace

The woman in the shop said that Time for Energy was plainly a masculine scent. I wasn't too sure, but bought it anyway, as I smelled an interesting blend of citrus and tea, though it seemed unisex to me - not particularly masculine at all.

Later my wife smelled it and said that it just smelt of woods to her, which was the same impression as that of the woman in the shop. Very puzzled, I asked what she meant. She said it was like lemon tree wood, the same sort of smell you get when you pluck a lemon from a tree. She has a better nose than I have.

Certainly worth checking out for a different sort of summery scent.
Renato

1st December, 2007.

Report Review