 | African Night by AbdesSalaam Attar ProfumoAfrican Night (Notte Africana) has a light and very soft relaxing scent of cool night breezes and exhalaing floral woods. This fragrances is YlangYlag tinted with grapefruit in the opening and rosewood at the base. The primary scent is Ylang-Ylang and at first this smells like a high quality soliflore Ylang essential oil used in relaxation response for aromatherapy. It is a very relaxing and calming fragrance. There is a cool tropical night air scent that comes from the mix of grapefruit with ylang, layered over rosewood. The rosewood adds an exotic ethnic dry incense wood base that invites comparison to the incense floral, Timbuktu from L' Artisan. I give this a thumbs up, but its simplicity, although pleasant to smell is not much more than a simple but pure high quality Ylang essential oil. Simple this might be, but it does smell good! 8th July, 2011. |
| | Un Jardin en Méditerranée by HermèsJean Claude Ellena shows off his artistry with this first in the garden series of exotic green mysteries - Un Jardin en Mediterranee. Is this a safe trip through exotic garden or an unpredictable adventure down a road less traveled? Nothing in the fragrance is common or ordinary, which lends an authentic air about it. There is a natural green randomness about the scent that I like. The opening is an invitation to a nice day with orange blossoms wafting through the soft bitterness of green fig leaves and woods. This is a very natural, green fig plant with leaves and dry sweet woods. Almost a tartness to the fig that is intriguing. The central character of this exotic scent is sweet dry but green fig wood which stays throughout the development. The smell is exotic, very mediterranean, very green with an innocent wisp of sweet delicate floral blossoms at the finish. The wisp of mystery florals at the base is white oleander, one the most poisonous plants on earth, every bit of the plant is deadly except for the slightly sweet, exotic and innocent fragrance of its white flowers. The fragrance works best in moderate warm climate and seems out of place during winter, and is completely at home in sultry heat. 8th July, 2011. |
| | Tiffany for Men by TiffanyIf you should ever need a seamless, very pleasant, teflon coated lightly scented, gentle fragrance - this is it! Tiffany for Men is everything that many of these reviews repeat over and over. It is sophisticated, refined, formal, well blended, modern. I like it, but I rarely want to smell this special and cultured. It took me so long to be OK with letting the chips fall where they may and accepting moments as they are. I feel like a traitor to the postmodern world to enjoy something so streamlined with all the parts working as if they were one. 3rd July, 2011. |
| | Fleurs de Sel by Miller HarrisAn aromatic mix of wild florals and herbs gives this beautiful leather fragrance a civility and wearability that is rare with leather. The fragrance smells like a fine pair of scented leather gloves that were so popular during the Victorian era. The interplay of florals (iris, rose, narcissus), green aromatics (clary sage, rosemary, thyme, vetiver) and dry leather gives this fragrance almost an abstract identity that is hard to sort out. The balance differing notes is so precise that you can almost pick which aspect you are going to smell the most. For me it is all about leather. A beautiful fragrance. 27th May, 2011. |
| | Vetiver Bourbon by Miller HarrisVetiver Bourbon is named for the specific variety of vetiver - bourbon vetiver - that originates from Reunion Island. This tiny island floats east off Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and was renamed from Bourbon Island after the French Revolution. 26th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 27th May, 2011.) |
| | Vanillaville by Soivohle (Liz Zorn)Have you ever put your nose into a pouch of chewing tobacco? They add vanilla and other flavorings to make the tobacco palatable while in the mouth. I despise the habit and have avoided it, but when I was a younster my grandpa Earl never was too far away from his chewing tobacco - this scent smells like that sweet tobacco chaw I remember from my summers out on his farm. 13rd May, 2011. (Last Edited: 15th May, 2011.) |
| | Underworld by Soivohle (Liz Zorn)UNDERWORLD has a gothic name and the fragrance doesn't betray the tone of its name. This is a dark but complicated vetiver fragrance. As vetiver fragrances go it contains another layer by the addition of florals and gourmand spice notes and this density of smells will probably not appeal to everyone. The fragrance is sweetened and made lively by ginger lilly, jasmine and vanilla. The spice variety along with coffee and cocoa adds a depth of flavor without really venturing too far into gourmand territory but takes it more into darkness of the cocoa and coffee. The oud tincture and rose leather contribute to the depth and darkness of the vetiver base. This fragrance is available only in absolute form so a couple dots of this oil strategically placed works nicely to put you into a very pleasantly green and darkly alive Underworld. This fragrance is a hidden gem for vetiver lovers. 13rd May, 2011. |
| | Green Oakmoss by Soivohle (Liz Zorn)A cool refreshing green woods scent. This doesn't smell of oakmoss to me but it is woodsy with an ethereal and potent green scent that does have light mossy touches. It is a gentle green chypre that has a distinct vetiver presence along with woods. I like this green woods scent considerably. Green Oakmoss is a unique fragrance, as are all of Liz Zorn creations and I've not smelled anything else quite like it. The closest comparable fragrance on the market is a slight similarity to Aventus from Creed, but with the pinneapple note removed leaving only green chypre woods. This one goes straight onto my buy list! 13rd May, 2011. |
 | Bois de Santal by Keiko MecheriThe listed notes for Bois de Santal are sandalwood, osmanthus and ambergris. I think a more realistic name for this fragrance would be Bois de Osmanthus because the peachy fuzzy textured floral note of osmanthus is mostly what I smell in this fragrance. The sandalwood blends effortlessly with osmanthus as they both have parallel types of scent patterns with sandalwood adding a dry wooden aspect. Ambergris adds strength to the base and a little warmth and depth. This floral wooded perfume would probably work best for a woman as it is a little lightly tuned and a bit too gentle for my taste. A nicely blended and enjoyable to smell fragrance, but wearing it is not for me. 14th April, 2011. |
| | L'Ombre dans L'Eau by DiptyqueThe black currant leaves are very green here. You can smell green sap and also a rich rose smell. The two blend together for an all new amalgam of scent that is not rose and is not green leaves but an organic damp scent that I like quite a bit. It is the earth and leaves of the rose garden. It has a quiet innocence about it. 8.5 / 10. One of the very best from Diptyque. 2nd April, 2011. |
| | Cannabis Rose by FreshI picked up a bottle of Cannabis Rose that seemed to leap out at me from the Sephora Fresh display. This is a good rose scent that is more masculine than feminine due the blending of rose with whatever is supposed to be cannabis in this mixture. At first sniff I thought it was a Voleur de Roses clone, but it is quite different. Initially the scent is a fruity and berry rose that reminds me of the round fruity rose in Paestum Rose. After about an hour the rose calms down to smell milder like a geranium roses with dry woods creeping into the background. The woods grows to be a considerable modifier to the rose scent thereby making it more masculine and changing the scent from rose + patchouli to woody dry rose combination. It is not a pure patchouli oil woods, but also doesn't smell like sativa oil or cannabis in my not too insignificant experience with these odors. If I had to guess I would guess the base to be patchouli, cardamom and a touch of tobacco - but it retains a very dry woodiness. The overall result is a satisfying rose fragrance with dry woods that ground the roses and keep them from being too motherly or innocent. Cannabis Rose smells every bit as good as many of the fineset niche rose scents, better than most - imo, but can be purchased for a very reasonable designer price. My rating of it is 7.6/10. 2nd April, 2011. |
| | Versace Man Eau Fraîche by VersaceThis fragrance is built around the same blend of aroma chemical freshness that is becoming commonplace now as they figure out how not to offend people with it. It is a sense of expansive goodness at the center of the thing. The good aspect about Eau Fraiche is that it doesn't do anything terribly offensive, while also being very difficult to pin down as to what might be good about it too. At opening the fragrance smells vaguely like Windex glass cleaner and transitions quickly into a strengthened version of this mildly aromatic and woody blue scent. At the center of the little bits of pleasing smell is an uplifting chemical wonderment that has a quality of elevation with a sense of pleasantness. Because there is no noticeable offensive quality about Eau Fraiche, I might be tempted to give it a thumbs up review. It doesn't offend me at all to wear it. It is clean, uplifiting, not too tart, not too harsh, not too citric, not too sweet, and generally it smells good. But, not standing for anything at all is really not an interesting way to live, is it? On balance it is much better than many other fresh fragrances. I might keep a bottle around for occasions when I don't want to stand out while still maintaining some social obsequious stance. 27th March, 2011. |
| | Acqua di Giò pour Homme by Giorgio ArmaniARMANI ACQUA DI GIO pour Homme - This fresh summer standby smells like sunshine pierced pineapple infused with chlorinated swimming pool air bubbling all throuh it. I'm sure it is the proud achievement of some synthetic fragrance chemist somewhere because it definitely does work. The great thing about AdG is that 2-3 spritzes produces 2-3 feet of a sillage halo that glows off of the person for a good 4 hours before retreating to skin scent status for the rest of the day. AdG is tuff stuff and its endurance and reliable uplifting sillage is the hidden "superpower" that keeps this iron man fragrance #1 in sales for ten years now. A big thumb up! 27th March, 2011. |
| | Bulgari Man by BulgariBULGARI MAN - The first fresh synthetically prominent scent to come along in a while that I actually like. There are tiny bits of woods, tea, florals, possibly ginger, mint etc. that accentuate an otherwise domitating central chemical wonderment that is the anchor of the fragrance. The scent is just pleasant enough to make it wearable and likeable. When you don't want to stand out fragrantly, but still want to smell good wear Bulgari MAN. This fragrance would pair well with an oxford grey suit. Compared to the other wonderful Bulgari fragrances for men this is definitely a step backwards in the innovation department. But, the little bits of defining fragrant incense, spice etc really do give this scent a unique personality for such a synthetic fresh fragrance. This is very unusual in the age of generic blue juice that lines the shelves at fragrance counters. The bottle looks great on the shelf, by the way, a great modern bottle design. B MAN is First class in presentation and this does tilt my opinion in favor of it. Bulgari Man gets a thumbs up from me, just barely but yes I do like it. 27th March, 2011. |
| | Drakkar Noir by Guy LarocheDrakkar Noir has a classic big '80's powerhouse scent that smells green, dark and mossy. It is very sexy and pleasant to smell. It is especially good when a light wafting of one (1) spray is spread over the chest - 1 spray is enough - stop there. The effect of the patchouli behind deep green lavender and juniper yields the magic - a deep green mossy basenote that seems to never end. When applied lightly it is very enchanting. People love that drydown! Problem is more than 2 sprays and this subtle mossy green charmer transforms into the "Swamp Thing" and he is sitting on your shoulders and won't get off. I recommend Drakkar Noir if you can self edit to one spray - otherwise don't risk the intense fog of drakkar noir of the swamp. 25th March, 2011. |
| | Chez Bond by Bond No. 9I like Chez Bond in spite of its shortcomings it is a very pleasant to wear, uplifting green fragrance that lasts all day from the sweet bright green opening down to the crunchy dry green finishing fragrance 8 hours later. The opening green & violet hints at Green Irish Tweed, but the similarity ends there, while the drier base of Chez Bond smells more like Creed Aventus. It has a nice dry green mossy base that is very nice. I don't think Chez Bond is an attempt to copy GIT and I doubt the creators of Aventus were trying emulate Chez Bond - but there is only so much you can accomplish with these green masculine chypre wannabes and quite a few fragrances step on each others' toes trying to utilize these interesting note combinations. 28th November, 2010. |
| | Von Sierstorpff by Von SierstorpffThe fragrance opens with tart citrus accented with a slight mint followed by an herbal and green garden mid notes. The base is slightly wood and leather but very lightly applied. Everything in Von Sierstorpff is trying not to offend anyone and it succeeds in feeling distinguished and quite proper in an old world way. A fine northern European gentlemans eau de cologne with just a little more going on than you might expect. 9th July, 2010. |
| | Bond No.9 Perfume Oud by Bond No. 9Harrod's Limited Edition. I think this may be a different fragrance than the one listed above, so I am editing this review to point which fragrance this is I am smelling. It is especially confusing because the bottle does not actually list the name and the SA called it Harrods Oud, which is not listed anywhere by that name. This is the Harrod's Swarovski Lt. Ed. but my bottle is the version without the crystals. 15th June, 2010. (Last Edited: 1st December, 2010.) |
| | IZOD by IZODOf all the fresh wanna be fragrances out there this one actually does its job and has nothing to object to while covering you with a clean freshness. I think of this as a fresh scent rather than aquatic. It occupies the same category of fragrances where you find Escentric Molecules, Wicken 3000, Antimatiere, CdG Soda, Outrageious and Colonia Intensa. This is a very practical scent to have around when the weather gets hot. 1st June, 2010. |
| | Brioni by BrioniFrom the moment I smelled the new Brioni I knew there was something classic about it. I had smelled this before somewhere. . . . and then it hit me - Patou Pour Homme Prive. The fabled classic fougere from Jean Patou that was abruptly discontinued in the 1990's has a magical lavender note tempered by galbanum, bergamot and other greens then mellows out with coumarin and oakmoss. Well guess what, Brioni is a very smooth Italian constructed classic mens scent that has a beautiful lavender dominant opening altered by bergamot, galbanum and vetiver and then is smoothed out with patchouli and settles on a base of tonka bean softened and dried with oakmoss. The opening and closing are exactly like the PPHPrive classic. I tried them side by side and the Brioni is smoother while PPh Prive is a but fuller with age. Prive has iris and possibly a hint of sandalwood missing in the Brioni. But by scent alone could easily be a cousin, if not a fraternal twin to Brioni. 20th May, 2010. |
| | Eau de Gentiane Blanche by HermèsHermes Gentiane Blanche is a mildly bitter, to-the-point, asertive but polite green scent. This is very pleasantly green and then quickly transitions into a light green musk air - the whole thing is transparent and light. It smells like a very unsweet eau de cologne created to appeal to city dewellers who would rather be living off the grid . . . or libertarians. The green bitterness evaporates into an airy light musk scent. I use it as eau de "uncologne". 18th May, 2010. |
| | Eau de Pamplemousse Rose by HermèsGrapefruits and Rose Water! This is all fun, smiles and refreshment. Great for summer. Very pleasant. How could anyone not like this? This is not serious citrus grapefruit because the rose warms it up so well. Light dry wood base under the rose. This is not a serious rose scent because the grapefruit is strong enough to keep the light breakfast in the garden attitude. Perfect for spring and summer as refreshing cologne. 18th May, 2010. |
| | Eau d'Hermès by HermèsOpens with lemony lavender then gets spicey dry light florals covering a lingering halo of armpit aroma. The animal smell is not so bad as to push you away and it offers a strange counterbalance to the sweet mellow spices. It adds experience to the innocence of the opening. The drydown of Eau d' Hermes is very very soft. It smells French and old world gentlemanly. 19th March, 2010. |
| | Allure Homme Sport Cologne by ChanelWhen I first smell this fragrance it smells like lemon and grapefruit juice - its an Annick Goutal Hadrian clone for the first couple hours. Not quite as nice as Hadrian, not bad either but, boring. My biggest complaint is the citrus juice dominant first first hour or so. After it dries down the Allure elements start to emerge and blend with the light tart citrus. The Allure part of it is noticeable as a synthetic wood layered over tonka or vanilla with that crystaline musk gives it an ozonic sparkle. These same synthetic sweet wood notes seem common to all the Chanel Allures, Pour Monsieur Concentree and Platinum Egoiste as well. Allure Homme Sport is a Lemon Sorbet as it dries down! Actually smells quite nice if you could sneak up on the drydown without having to wade through the boring citrus opening. I like it sort of and give it a 7.5 / 10 for a cautious thumbs up. 15th March, 2010. |
| | Monsieur Rochas by RochasVintage Monsieur Rochas (golden color) is hard to find, but this hidden gem is still available and worth seeking out. Wearing it gives confidence that the world and nature are at perfect balance. 20th February, 2010. (Last Edited: 31st October, 2011.) |
| | Midnight Oud by Juliette Has a GunJuliette with a Gun - Midnight Oud. Yes it is similar to C&S Dark Rose and also is close to AMAZE by People of the Labyrinth. Midnight Oud's opening is all sharp, acrid but warming saffron. The saffron introduces the roses by their contrasting warmth, for a very naughty saffron/rose scent combination. When most people think they smell oud in this fragrance it's probably the saffron as it jumps out against the rose. Has anyone ever noticed that saffron smells a little like pee? The roses take over the middle and the base has warmth from sandalwood and amber. Where's the oud? - there is an undercurrent of oud throughout the scent that gives a hollow "lost in the night" aura to the composition. The oud adds mystery. This is one of the very best saffron/rose/oud blends I've tried. I put it right up there next to AMAZE for this kind of thing. It doesn't smell much like any of the Montale Ouds to me. I am very tempted to get a bottle of this except they make such a big deal of it's female fragrance nature. Any woman with a gun scares me a little! 29th January, 2010. |
| | Monk by Michael StorerI am mystified by the other reviews of Monk. I don't smell tobacco and birch tar or incense in this fragrance at first. I get the party floral notes up front, then some softness and the darkness comes afterward. Its opposite of what most of the other reviewers smell in Monk. It is possible that there is a newer formula - my bottle is a different shape and the juice is light orange, not clear like photos I've seen so there's a clue that there may have been a formula change. 20th January, 2010. (Last Edited: 25th January, 2010.) |
| | Oud 27 by Le LaboLe Labo Oud 27 is a warm, soft rural barnyard leather fragrance. To me its a mix between ELDO's Rien dry leather and L' Artisan's Dzing barnyard aroma. The opening is the least interesting part of this fragrance as it is a very smokey dry oud with little charm or enticing qualities. You don't warm up to it easily. Smells a little like burning poor quality agarwood chips as an incense. The opening almost doesn't work and I'm sure many who test this fragrance write it off here. But stay with it and the fragrance gets sweeter and warmer the longer it is on the skin to reveal a warm leather that is very attractive and masculine. As Oud 27 dries down, the animalism becomes less noticeable and a couple hours in you have a soft wooded oud leather scent. Very attractive and magnetic. At the 4 hour mark the leather departs and it smells more like a forest floor of leaves, dirt and rotten wood but still quite soft. The fragrance has an integrity about it that I like. After reading many of the other reviews I am surprised I like it so much. Its a keeper for me! 16th January, 2010. |
| | Bois de Turquie by Maître Parfumeur et GantierThe predominant notes in this fragrance are mandarin orange and sandalwood. It is unisex because it is a light fragrance. The beautiful orange opening is warm and inviting while the base is subtle with a light wood incense scent. The laurel and geranium add light elevating green notes along the way. Iris, incense, myrrh and patchouli also keeps the drydown firmly in the incense woods category but still a very light stroke with all these notes. There is a subtlety here that reads as feminine or a very sensitive masculine scent. This fragrance is unique in fragrances I have tried even though orange and spice is a common theme (Kouros, Orange Spice, Elixir, L Eau d' Toracco) this version is the most subtle and ethereal I've tried. The closest comparative fragrance I've smelled is probably Baume du Doge by Eau d' Italie, but Bois de Turquie is a more subtle sandalwood scent with fewer spice notes and more incense. This is a wonderful fragrance to live with. My only complaint with this fragrance is that in its subtlety and low sillage it almost disappears until you move in close. 7th January, 2010. |
| | Black Cashmere by Donna KaranI had heard Black Cashmere was a very good incense fragrance, but what I discovered is a very smoothe and incensey oriental fragrance. The vanilla base plays a larger role than most incense fragrances will allow. This fragrance is an oriental that has equal blending of elements summarized in these note categories: 6th January, 2010. |
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