 | Un Jardin Après La Mousson by HermèsEven fans of JC Ellena should pause and reflect on whether his acumen as a perfumer has not perhaps been diminished by too dogmatic a faith in the ideology of synthetic minimalism. Terre d'Hermès has proven what is possible, but I believe the Jardin series clearly shows the limits of this approach, as the grand nose's supposed gardens evoke nothing but sanitary and detergent products equipped with the default aromachemicals of functional perfumery. With Mousson this doomed enterprise hits rock bottom. Hermès has been known for making some of the most aesthetically repellent luxury wares ever (most of their ties are no sight for sore eyes), but the artisanry in terms of quality was always impeccable. Here, though, we have the banality of a melony aquatic, something Creed did (badly) as far back as the late 80s and which since has been regurgitated endlessly while sinking down to the lowest reaches of the $2,99 drugstore shelf - and M. Ellena's belated contribution to the genre would indeed sit proudly among air fresheners and shower gels.Perhaps he should visit more drugstores rather than travelling to Egypt or India for inspiration - it might convince him to get back to the drawing board and adapt his manifesto of perfume art to real-life olfactory contexts, rather than creating involuntary ready-mades. 26th January, 2012. (Last Edited: 8th February, 2012.) |
 | Idole de Lubin by LubinThis is probably my favorite 21st-century perfume, because, as Off-Scenter already observed in his wonderful review, it is a masterpeice of juxtapositions. A traditional heavy-hitting masculine portfolio of booze and spices married with the metrosexual aesthetics of transparency and lightness, which Olivia Giacobetti is known to be a masteress of. I believe it fully succeeds, perfectly embodying James-Bondish elegance and swagger in a contemporary idiom, and to my nose it both projects decently and lasts well. Orange bitters, rum and saffron notes with peppery spice is what I smell and I never hesitate to don this when I want to look swell in a sharp suit ( a tuxedo / dinner suit would be an even better match). I understand the critical remarks that have been made about the orientalist / African stereotypes inscribed into the flacon, but in terms of sheer aesthetics it is a stunning homage to Art Deco Africanisms, which did, if not unproblematically, celebrate black culture. 25th January, 2012. |
 | Vetiver Dance by TauerFor me. it's ionone dance - no vetiver, just cucumber-violet and a generic women's cosmetics smell. I see it on mature women in elegant, expensive clothes. Nice for what it is, but not vetiver and not really mine either. 21st January, 2012. |
| | Bois des Îles by ChanelJudging from descriptions of Egoiste's short-lived ancestor "Bois Noir," it must have been an attempt at a more "masculine" version of Bois des Iles. Which, speaking of the Extrait, is very wearable for men. The aldehydes and florals are there, but the rich creamy ambery-vanillic sandalwood base takes the limelight and makes this the reference sandalwood perfume among those still in production. It's rich and good, not screechy nouveau-riche, it feels effortless and masterful, not like a half-finished underfunded formula, in other words it's an embodiment of classical perfumery lightyears from what frequently passes as luxury perfume today. And as with any masterpeice, it's complexity is hidden behind perfect harmony. Bois des Iles is one of the handful of perfumes you simply must have smelled, if the culture of fragrance is of any interest to you. 2nd December, 2011. |
| | Crown Esterhazy by Crown PerfumeryFirst of all, this rare gem, being essentially an aromatic citrus cologne, despite the Eau de Parfum strength, is entirely unisex. Secondly, you may be reminded of and feel you're smelling like a cough drop, as lemon, melissa (aka lemon balm) and verbena are very prominent. Thirdly, personal preferences aside, I'm floored by the quality of the citrus oils in Crown's fragrances , whether it's the amazing top notes of Imperial or Quinine, the green part of Spiced Limes, the bracing notes of the blenheimesque Town & Country or the refreshing zest of this citrus-centered beauty, which is very subtly framed by light herbal notes and little else. It reflects a real commitment to quality, as well as pre-IFRA-reign-of-terror liberties. Esterhazy is a perfect choice for sweltering heat and humidity, which it will pierce and alleviate with its freshness, but it will cheer you up at any time and perhaps even help heal a winter cough 22nd October, 2011. |
| | Pal Zileri Sartoriale by Pal ZileriThis olfactory complement to Pal Zileri's new "Sartoriale" luxury line of menswear disappeared rather quickly from the shelves, probably failing due to the weakness of the brand name in the fragrance world coupled with the scent's lack of originality. It tries to evoke sartoriality by combining soft florals typical of classic gentleman's fragrances (violet, muguet, rose) with a nice but rather stereotypical base of soft incensy woods built from popular molecules such as cashmeran and iso-e-super. The result is low key and really does go very well with an understated cashmere suit or blazer. I actually consider its lightness an advantage, as an amped up base would probably turn shrill and cheap at this budget (the producer Mavive, best known perhaps for owning the Pino Silvestre brand, does not work in high end territory). I picked this up at a UK discounter for mere 10 quid and soley in the context of some research on sartorial fragrances, but it's a nice wear on occasion and delivers with more taste what a lot of pseudo-niche lines charge an insane price for. 5th October, 2011. |
| | L'Eau Serge Lutens by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal ShiseidoFabric softener for Snobs. Just add two bottles of L'Eau to your wash and you'll get that April-fresh Procter&Gamble smell in your laundry. An all-time low for this once glorious, now rather directionless house. 27th September, 2011. (Last Edited: 28th September, 2011.) |
| | Pan by Anya's GardenPan brought a smile to my face the first time I smelled it and still does. Why? Well, for starters, it's a very nice, classic ambery Fougère made from superb materials. That's a good and rare thing and I'm giving bonus points to every perfume these days that will not clobber my nose with cheapo synthetic redundancies because the perfumer had no budget, no time or no more ideas (oh yes, I'm talking $$$$ niche here, not drugstore stuff). But there's more, beyond the dusty green opening (cedar, hay, lavender), a strong, but really good, non-headshop patchouli that picks up on the dryness and builds a bridge to the gently sweetened beeswaxy drydown (but nothing here is sticky in the least). That "more" is the (billy) goat's hair tincture amply discussed by all reviewers of this scent, which makes the whole thing "Pan out" (cough!). It's not skanky - you have to deduct the droppings, pee and other barnyard details from the animal. This may be a rutty goat, but it is proudly-standing-on-top-of-Olympus-Mons-clean. It's not even erotically animalic (at least in an obvious way), as the homage to Tom Robbins' ribald novel Jitterbug Perfume would suggest, but really quite well-behaved - definitely there, though, and certainly recognizable if you've spent time around hairy animals. It also seems to modulate the other notes and works nicely to harmonize them in Pan, as it perfectly connects with the coumarinic aspect of the lavender and the leafy-earthy patchouli. Pan can be applied generously, as sillage is rather moderate and it isn't too lasting either (the presence after an hour is very subtle). Great fun while it lasts though, just as those encounters with the horned God, and a beautiful perfume for men and venturous women which one should have around if only to sniff the bottle. My only suggestion would be to release a flanker (Pan-Demonium?) which would sufficiently dirty the original up in the direction of Jicky to create a flat-out erotic variant - a challenge when avoiding civet, but I really think Billy the goat is full of potential. 26th September, 2011. |
| | Cotswold by Dukes of Pall MallI am uncertain as to whether Dukes of Pall Mall was at any time in the distant past a venerable gentlemen's establishment in the style of Trumper's or an enterprise first incorporated in the 1980s and equipped with a faux patina. What I do know is that Belgravia and Cotswold were released as a "town and country" pair of fragrances in 1983 and clearly evoke the traditional style of English perfumery. This applies to Cotswold in particular which is a quintessential old-fashioned citrus-floral that blows most of the other "traditional English" survivors out of the water due to the incredible quality of its ingredients - a problematic issue with houses such as Floris, Penhaligon's or Taylors of Old Bond Street (of which only the latter commensurately sell their products at a bargain price). A lovely citrus top is followed up by an utterly beautiful accord of white florals, notably jasmine and ylang, that never fails to entirely captivate my senses - particularly, for some reason, in the Aftershave version. It is so stunning that the light woody-musky base remains a mere afterthought, though it nicely wraps up things. This is truly a sublime fragrance which could not possibly be bested as the fragrant complement to a fine country suit, or even a blue chalk-stripe city outfit, but in today's perfume context it would equally well adorn a dandy, for its beauty stands out extravagantly amid all the IFRA-regulated mediocrity of censored citrus and fake florals. If Cotswold should ever happen to cross your path, do not hesitate to jump at this rare opportunity to enrich your life with an unsung treasure of English perfumery. 10th August, 2011. (Last Edited: 3rd February, 2012.) |
| | Belgravia by Dukes of Pall MallI am uncertain as to whether Dukes of Pall Mall was a venerable gentlemen's establishment in the style of Trumper's or an enterprise launched in the 1980s with a faux patina. What I do know is that Belgravia and Cotswold were launched as a "town and country" pair of fragrances in 1983 and clearly evoke the traditional style of English perfumery. Belgravia is supposedly based on a formula from the 1860s, but it is in fact a classic and beautiful fougère with a 1980s vibe. I cannot get over how close it comes to Penhaligon's recent Sartorial - if you subtract the modern ozonic elements from the latter and imagine it done with really good raw materials. Both are orientalized fougères, featuring lavender, floral notes, patchouli, spice, moss, coumarin and most characteristically a wonderful warm heart of beeswax. I do not actually find it particularly urban(e), but nearly romantic, though it is unquestionably sophisticated, elegant and never gets loud. In the context of the 1980s it would perhaps seem lean and clean. The quality, if perhaps not the complexity of the composition, I find to be on par with the famed Patou pour homme. That applies to Cotswold as well and perhaps it explains the reverence these rare scents enjoy amongst the small circle of Anglophile traditional shaving aficionados - deservedly so. 10th August, 2011. |
| | Fougère Bengale by Parfum d'EmpireWhen I first smelled Fougère Bengale upon its release I was uncertain whether I would like it - the fougère part was immensely attractive but the tobacco note, which has a clear curry leaf and immortelle aspect to it, was a bit critical. I'm overly sensitive to immortelle and cannot stomach either Eau Noir or Sables, nor do I like to smell of curry-cumin dishes as much as I like to eat them. Thankfully, this part of the fragrance has turned out to behave well on my skin. 3rd August, 2011. |
| | 4711 Nouveau Cologne by 4711Nouveau Cologne is an unbearably conventional drugstore fragrance made from unbearably cheap materials and the only occasion I can recommend it for is if you're going to a costume party dressed up as a urinal tab. 3rd August, 2011. |
| | Mazzolari Mazzolari by MazzolariI was very keen on this a few yeras ago after sampling, but now that I have a bottle I find it unwearable. I think my growing interest in natural perfumery has made me highly sensitive to certain synthetic amplifications, and while I still enjoy Mazzolari Lui in minimal dosage (of course), this one is just too much for me. The green blast is not merely extreme, it also clogs my nostrils (as no natural oil ever has) and, worse, the combination of herbaceous and slightly minty notes actually adds up smelling like (fruity-green apple) shampoo on me, mixed with a cheap loud 70s fougère. And once it's there it just keeps screaming in my face, sort of like the horrific television monster in Aphex Twin's legendary "Come to Daddy" video (http://www.bbc.co.uk/collective/dnaimages/gallery/directordvd/2.jpg). All this from one careful spray onto my chest. Any redeeming features are drowned out in view of this nose-crippling horrorshow. Objectively I might give this a mediocre after some closer analysis, but personally I can't stand it for another minute. Pure green hell. 31st July, 2011. |
| | Fraîche Badiane by Maître Parfumeur et GantierAtelier Cologne may have invented "high powered Eau de Cologne" as a branding concept, but MPG has long been creating "extended version" Eau de Colognes such as the neroli-based Eau pour le jeune homme or the beauty at hand. Fraiche Badiane is an aromatic citrus in the style of Detaille's vintage scent Aeroplane or Goutal's Eau du Sud, but it gives these trads a twist by adding the star anise note to the citrus-basil combination. It's top notch quality, very natural-smelling, refreshing but sufficiently substantial, interesting if not shockingly innovative and a sheer pleasure to wear. MPG has lacked buzz recently, they certainly would deserve some for scents like this. 13rd July, 2011. |
| | Sélection Verte by CreedThis is the kind of scent that built Creed's reputation, and judging from what little archaeological evidence of the real Creed perfume history there is, this was one of their first scents, marketed originally as Olivier Creed Eau de Cologne in the early Seventies. Like all of the early Creeds, this was a traditional style fragrance built from very good materials and with a little twist. Here it is a minty-citrus Eau de Cologne that carries on strong over a reticent floral sweet pea note and hardly noticeable ambergris. Simple, beautiful and perfect for a hot day. 12nd July, 2011. |
| | Classique by Essentially MeClassique - is it ever. So much so you really need to be somewhat mature, favour a conservative wardrobe and think of the Beatles as new-fangled to wear it. That soapy clove embedding florals will always remind me of the distinguished, friendly elderly ladies that doted about our neighbourhood when I was a child. A pleasing memory, but not one for me to wear. 3rd July, 2011. |
| | White Blooms by Essentially MeThis is innocent and sexy in an intelligent manner Audrey Hepburn would have loved. Such a pleasure, also, to be smelling white blossoms rather than screechy-blaring-in-your-face “WHITE BLOSSOMS.” Like the milky bosom of a Courbet canvas compared to Hollywood’s contemporary silicon balloons, sensuous, yet tasteful. 3rd July, 2011. |
| | La Joupe by Essentially MeI’m afraid that under the new UK austerity policy this fragrance will soon be outlawed, as it is simply too buxom and voluptuous a floriental to be tolerated. The neroli-tuberose-jasmine-ylang axis is incredibly sexy, warm and opulent, but the naturals play out their strength here, in that the composition never descends into gaudiness. It’s Liz Taylor before the Seventies. It’s also just the right scent to seduce men, politicians included, so maybe we could reconsider that austerity bit, eh, darlings David & Nick? 3rd July, 2011. |
| | Amber by Essentially MeIn the perfume neighbourhood, Amber is the girl next door who could be so much fun if only she wasn’t so bland, so vanilla, so boooring. And yet she insistently hangs around your house and seems impossible to ignore. Thankfully there are some people who remember it’s about sugar AND spice. Serge Lutens’ Ambre Sultan is my favorite amber because that girl got' herb. Happily, Essentially Me’s Amber is her own spice girl, too. It’s the mint and thyme in particular that raised my eyebrows and spirits. Plus an amber not totally overdosed on Ambroxan and related drugs is always a genuine relief. The end result is an interesting, masculine-tilted, but entirely unisex potion recommended to all who wish to escape the drudgery of mainstream amberdom. 3rd July, 2011. |
| | Souk by Essentially MeAre you going to Scarborough Souk? Yes that's right, the green-herbal elements in this unisex beauty balance the balsamic-spice so as to create an English oriental, the two fragrant worlds coming together nicely in the rose, which is, after all, so quintessential to both. A pleasing alternative to the French orient smarting under the syrupy heel of that charming despot Serge Lutens. 3rd July, 2011. |
| | Nasomatto Duro by NasomattoIt's really all been said. What is left after the nasomatto hype has been superceded by the next 150 niche brands popping up out of nowhere, with a line of a dozen slick flacons containing entirely forgettable scents, is, too summarize, an extremely loud concoction of stereotypically masculine notes of an annoyingly synthetic nature. The mere shock of such undiluted aromachemicals exudes a certain fascination very briefly, like those Parkerized bombshell redwines built to score at mass wine tastings, but impossible to drink with food (or with pleasure). The shock thus soon settles into never-ending boredom as the shrill woody amber sits and sits and sits on your skin, like an olfactory version of radioactive waste with a 25,000 year half-life. 21st June, 2011. |
| | Town & Country by Crown PerfumeryA wonderfully English rendition of green herbacity, Scarborough Fair with lavender taking the place (thankfully) of parsely. It's close to Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet, with a stronger emphasis on the bitter-green herbals and less citrus, it's austerity making it quite unique and excentric in the contemporary fragrance landscape. No florals, no sweets, no fruit (God forbid). I love it, but like Eau de Quinine from this house, it's an acquired taste that will suit nostalgic Anglophiles in particular. The quality of the materials is impeccable, it is worth noting. 31st May, 2011. |
| | Eau du Sud by Annick GoutalEau du Sud is a beautiful, old-fashioned aromatic citrus for which Goutal took more than just a few cues from Detaille's Aeroplane. In fact, I'd call this outright plagiarism, for Aeroplane is an aromatic citrus based on lemon, petigrain, bergamot, basil, mint, oakmoss and patchouli. While the notes given for Eau du Sud are slightly different, the end result is quite similar: a lovely citrus complex deepened by basil and mint notes, which give it a bit of green dirt and lead on to a classy chypre finish. I'm also in the camp which greatly favors this over the lemon cleaner intensity of Hadrien. It's the early twentieth century French Riviera in a bottle, sartorial refinement promenading ocean boulevards, white yachts under a perfect blue sky, picknicks in the chirping buzzing summer garrigue, lawn tennis and lemon trees. 30th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 6th June, 2011.) |
| | Bond No.9 Perfume Oud by Bond No. 9Luxury trash. No oud, but plenty of cheap synthetics. Thus a fitting signature fragrance for this house. 25th May, 2011. |
| | Earthtones #2 - Desert Wind by Neil Morris FragrancesShower gel in the desert? How cruel! 25th May, 2011. |
| | Santalum by Profumum(Vintage Version) 4th May, 2011. |
| | Royals Heroes 1805 by Washington TremlettWhat a disaster. The fruity and anisic aspects combined with the honeyed sweetness add up to smelling like a public toilet superficially deodorized with urinal tabs. Amazing this synthetic mess would come from the people who brought us the sublime Black Tie. 4th May, 2011. |
| | Pour le Jeune Homme by Maître Parfumeur et GantierVery much in the tradition of classic Eau de Cologne, with an enhanced heart and base, though less modern, or, if we want to be judgemental, innovative, than Eau de Guerlain. To me this shines as a masculine neroli fragrance, in which that beautiful note is not dense and heavily sweet, but lifted into elegant spriteliness by the other citrus notes and the aromatic herbs. The result is more convincing and longer-lived than - the quite enjoyable, by all means - Neroli Sauvage by Creed. A belle epoque version of Clinique Happy and a favorite for spring and summer. 6th April, 2011. |
| | Bois d'Iris by Different CompanyWhile this is sparse in terms of construction, it is pleasantly unlike much of JC Ellena's work for Hermès and others, which I distinctly dislike. This for once does not remind me of functional perfumery, it is in fact my favorite iris scent - rich, buttery, boozy, woody, kind of a drag king to dior's metrosexual "Brian Molko" Iris, not to speak of Hermès emasculated carrot Hiris. The full accord fades rather quickly into a pleasant, understated whisper, though, so I'll have to hand the prize for superior construction to dior homme. Still prefer this one, though, on a purely sensual level. 4th April, 2011. |
| | Sandalo Per Teti by Laura TonattoTonatto is truly a gifted perfumer and it shows in Sandalo per Teti's impressive equilibrium. The citrus is present and in fact persistent, but not sharp, the sandalwood is warm and distinctive, but never feels obnoxiously synthetic, tea and lavender blend in perfectly with hesperides, woods, and very restrained hints of vanillic sweetness. The result is an amazingly elegant cold-weather fragrance with perhaps slightly less panache, but also much greater discretion than Chanel's Egoiste. Highly recommended, as is the entire line. 22nd February, 2011. |
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