Fragrance Reviews by Thebark

Don't be fooled by the first few moments of this scent. When testing it in the store, its opening smelled a bit been-there, done-that (almost in a Kenneth Cole way). I gave it a few moments and the top notes quickly faded, leaving something a bit puzzling to my nose not unlike a car accident: it was a little appalling, but I couldn't help continuing to sniff trying to figure what exactly it was.

Hanging in there, I was soon rewarded by a stellar dry-down that feels a bit more formal than the original's approach. Gone is the heavy vanilla feel, replaced with a dominating tobacco note with suede and tonka beans complimenting it nicely.

Early reports referred to Vintage as being a seasonal variation of Varvatos, but I wholeheartedly disagree. While it retains a shell of the original, it's more of a passing nod of recognition than out-and-out brother like resemblance as Vintage clearly stands on its own.

Have you ever had a feeling of deja-vu? Well, if you read my review of the original Kiton... This is indeed one hard scent to track down. I couldn't locate it for the longest time, though the original has been carried by my local Nordies for some time now. The scent itself? Have you ever had a feeling of deja-vu? Again, you can smell the quality and craftsmanship that went into making this, but there's something awwwwwwfully familiar about it. It's not an Allure clone. It's not a Lalique Faune clone. It's not a Perry M clone. But yet, it certainly feels like it has had incestual relations with all three. That's not necessarily a bad thing when speaking in terms of "All in the Family", but for $75, one would expect Archie all dressed up instead of Meathead with a combover. But who am I kidding? I like it. Besides, Meathead did go on to direct Stand By Me, which I'll do with this scent (though the $75 sure did recall Misery as well.)

Have you ever had a feeling of deja-vu? Kiton struck me as a nice scent, however, it seemed to delve into a floral-like Green Irish Tweed drydown. I'm not sure what the notes are, but there's something "Green" to be found in it. Not a bad scent, by any means--however, I just felt like it would get that much use and found a better home for it.

One mysterious scent, it actually makes me believe in past-life experiences. It's unique, rich, darkly textured. The only thing I can REALLY think of for a Japan connection would be the fact that it smells oddly like a King Kong penny-bank I adored as a child that was made in Japan. It was made of a plastic that had a distinctive smell to it... Not that this smells plastic-like by any means. Or like a giant Gorilla, for that matter.

Let me preface by saying that I've tried M7 numerous times, and it never so much as tickled my lamb-chops. I do believe it's an acquired taste, and somehow I'm sure it will someday end up in my collection. M7 Fresh, however, not only tickled my lamb-chops, it flat out sucker-punched me in my loins. The added citrus top-notes really make this fragrance sparkle, yet, it retains some of the better elements of the original. To me, it reminds me of leather jackets in the 70's, the type that were almost orangy-brown.

Close cousin to L'Artisan's L'eau Du Navigateur--actually, it's a brother to it, considering they both share the same father. Not very sure of some people's description of it here (Chocolate?), but one thing is for sure, it lacks the magical aura of L'Artisans exotic flowers which gave Navigateur a smoother dry-down and thusly, a more dynamic fragrance. THAT being said, it's still creme-de-la-creme.

Havana, the only fragrance in the directory of Basenotes that features everything, and I mean everything, but the kitchen sink. For crying out loud, I think I even smell a bit of Grandma's drool after she's been spittin' in the spitoon (hey, at least I got her to switch to Redman). Seriously, Havana is one of those fragrances that is often lauded as a must buy here. I'm here to tell you that... well... it's almost. The stuff is pretty loud and obnoxious on first spray--I don't know how anybody could love this and complain about Lorenzo Villoresi's fragrances starting out as "train wrecks". But give it time and it settles down. It's a "tobacco" fragrance, but to my nose, there's much more spice going on than tobacco, so for those seeking something of a true tobacco note might want to try it first. Ultimately, it gets to that tobacco, but it goes 1/2 way around the world and makes several stops before it gets there.

Oh how I love this fragrance. What makes it even better is the fact that I won a 3.4 oz bottle off of ebay for about $40! Worth every penny, it comes the closest to poetically capturing the desert sky at night. I don't know how, but trust me on this.

On Guard! Drop that hanky and draw your sword! Well, that's what the makers would have you believe (that the scent is worth dying for). And you know something... they're wrong. But hell, I wouldn't mind suffering a near death experience for this stuff (preferably with a member of the opposite sex on top--would that be asking too much?) The great Ali once lamented this smells very similar to Creed Imperial, which it does... to an extent. Go and try some yourself and be your own judge. You may just become the Fourth Muskateer.

My roomate in college swore by this stuff, so far as he annoited it "stud". Well, a decade later, I don't quite think it lives up to the moniker he gave it, but for the price, it certainly delivers.

Sung Paradise. After the horrible nightmare encounter of Hei, Paradise was aptly named. It's as if that little bamboo raft I was on found an island with some fresh, tropical fruit overlaying a light, white musk. The scent is aptly name, and I'd give it a thumbs up if this is the type of frag that floats your boat. Somewhat similiar to Kenneth Cole's Reaction (ok, very similar to my nose).

I've since given this away after purchasing it a few years ago. I think it was a dream I had of a past lifetime, swept to see on a bamboo raft somewhere off the coast of Indonesia. I hadn't bathed in several days under the blistering hot sun, and all there was to eat were these green leaves that caused diarreha. I was happy to awaken with a cold sweat from this nightmare, only to have realized I had sprayed some Hei on myself before hitting bed. I think it's safe to say I never wore Hei after that.

Ah, to desire Desire. I've had this fragrance for a few years now, and although the collection, and my nose, has grown quite fond of the niche offerings, I do reach for Desire every once in a while just to see how far my tastes have progressed. Not a bad scent at all, it's one of those few that have an apple note, though the patchouli takes over well into the dry-down. Somewhat reminscent of Mesmorize by Avon, I believe. I'm sure Desire can be found for a decent price on the internet which would place it in the bargain-bin purchase. Not a must-own by any means, but not the red-headed stepchild either.

To begin with, Original Santal evolves quite a bit over several hours, yet retains some of the pungent top-notes well into its wearing. Every time I take a whiff, I'm getting a new perspective of it. It's fresh, fruity, woody and spicey, all in such a dynamic way.

Original Santal interplays nicely between top notes of Juniper Berry and cinnamon to a warmer middle which is all the more prevalent the deeper the breath one takes. Sandalwood is present in the mid-notes, but never overpowering the other notes. In fact, there's some resemblence to the structure of Himalaya where one gets an icy cool blast contrasted by a warmer gunpowder effect that tickles your nose: here, the top notes really linger and mingle with the middle notes (listed as Rosemary, lavender, and Orange Tree Absolute)--with the spiceyness of ginger providing a bit of that warm sensation that tickles the nose.

As it dries down, I don't get that "familiar Creed" basenote. Rather, the listed notes are Tonka Beans and Vanilla, which give some of the sharp top notes a softer base though the fragrance is sweet in nature, through and through.

There will undoubtedly be comparisons to Allure, which is a bit innevitable I suppose as they do share several common ingredients--but those with discerning noses will appreciate the fine craftsmenship that went into this.

After wearing it for a full two days now, I feel it has less in common with Allure than originally perceived, having had a chance to wear them side by side.

Only time will tell what the final verdict will be on Original Santal--I'm sure there will be some devotees mixed amongst naysayers. My own personal opinion is that it's a blend of old and new, with a similar aura surrounding it that one might find with Acier Aluminium as both radiat a strange "classiness".

Top notes of baby powder give it that fresh, innocent smell--but there are days when the basenotes reek of of a third grader named Willie Makeit who didn't quite reach the outhouse in time. Better luck next time, L'Artisan!

John Varvatos--the name itself may not conjure up much thought, but the fragrance itself certainly tickled my nose's fancy as a surprisingly well done designer fragrance. What I mean by this is a lot of designer fragrances ala CK, RL, or the like, tend not to develop much through their notes--the top especially fleeting to the point where one has to wonder why they're even considered part of the pyramid. Varvotos opens with the tang of fresh fruit, before delving into a floral mid-note. Some of these ingrediants haven't been used in a fragrance before, and most likely won't be confused with the likes of other designer scents as they're almost exotic--but it's the drydown that I love best: Auramber, Vanilla, and black leather. It's as if DK Men collided with JPG Le Male. Is this the best fragrance ever? Certainly not, but it surpassed my expectations, and almost qualifies as a niche-type scent and is sure to be the cat's flap for some. Probably my second favorite release in 2004 behind Miller Harris Feuilles de Tabac.

My first impression was the slim, yet exquisite box. All white with the nYc logo on it with Chez above it and Bond below. Inside, the bottle was tucked away in and wrapped up nicely in silver paper, with the Bond no. 9 sticker on top. The bottle itself is pretty cool. Imagine a star shape, without the piece missing in the middle (between the legs.) It's stands kind of tall, is relatively thin (1 inch), with the same sticker in the middle but Bond No. 9 New York painted in the lower left hand of the bottle. The top is kind of funky, like an oval flat thing that reveals a small, stout spray which works great. The fragrance itself is great. I like it more than Himalaya, and with it being an eau de parfum, will last a lot longer. Overall, very impressed with this creation from the scent itself, to the packaging, and bottle. They even threw in several other samples which I'll have to try.

Eeeek ghad! I've tried this three times, and three times walked away liking it less and less. The first time, it seemed so light--the second, not much better. This last time, I sprayed it on my skin and it just induced a big headache. As mentioned in the other review, I can easily name two dozen colognes I enjoy better than this. It has a bright, orangey burst to start off with, but dried down to that rubber alien bit. I can't wait to wash it off!! Must...go...now. It's got...like...kryptonite in...it...

I first sampled this almost a year ago, along Yohji. I don't recall what I ended up purchasing (Givenchy Pour Homme, perhaps), but I never forgot the impression Mat;Male left.
Recently, I began looking for a soft "white" fragrance that would do the trick for me in the summer. Immediately, Mat;Male came to mind, and I stopped by the store to sample again. I returned with a gift set including a small bottle of EDT, and a larger bottle of ASB, which dispenses through a spray mechanism as well.
The fragrance itself is a complete joy: from it's opening notes of Water Melon and Grapefruit, to the middle notes of various roses, and the base of white leather, it's a very soft and sensual fragrance that wears close to the skin after a while. If you're a fan of scents with floral notes such as 212, or like Sung's latest Hei with its bamboo note, Mat;Male should be on your list. A big thumbs up!

There's something about the description here that would have you believing this fragrance would be out of the world. Though it's not a loss by any means, it doesn't live up to it either. Think of a refined version of Boss #6--Lacoste Pour Homme goes right where the former went wrong, however, the rum notes really stand out and give it an almost sicky sweet nature if over-used.

In short, I gave a bottle to my older brother a Christmas ago. When I went home last month, barely a spray had elapsed from the bottle...and he's the equivalent of Uncle Eddie from the National Lampoon's Vacation series who'd think a bottle of Brut was Godsend (Just kidding Steve!! But you might want to wash behind the ears once in a while...)

The older brother to Reserve, to me, it has the same basic feel only lighter/sweeter. Those looking for something of quality, without the price tag or the sameness-because-everybody-else-has-it, might want to check out the net for some reasonable deals on this.

Definately a fresh fragrance, it's fruity and green at the same time. It's not exactly one to get bowled over about, and certainly can't hold a candle to the likes of L'eau de L'Artisan, but for the price, it's not a bad deal

I find this one to be one of the better Perry Ellis scents. It's top notes of Grapefruit and Juniper Berries really catch me at first, and the amber is noticeable after a while on the dry down. It feels more like a romantic fragrance to me, but an underrated scent in general.

Don't be fooled by those smokey top notes! This really settles down after about 10 minutes and develops into one of the richest scents, the coffee notes sticking out. Sweet, not overpowering, it retains the right amount of smokeyness and tobacco notes to make it a great scent. One of my top three.

I was able to get a bottle online for under $60. Although it wasn't the antique edition, the fragrance itself is classy enough that it doesn't need a gimmick.