Reviews by odysseusm

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    odysseusm
    Canada Canada

    Showing 391 to 420 of 1287.
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    Lust by Gorilla Perfume

    Wow!
    A tangy jasmine -- honeyed and dirty. Very interesting, oddly charismatic.
    A heady scent, tangy-twangy.
    Intense. A lesson in indolic scents. At times very rubbery, like a warm balloon in the sun. The indoles are as quirky as oudh.
    Weirdly interesting.
    Not at all my style, but it is certainly intriguing.

    29th February, 2012

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    Imogen Rose by Gorilla Perfume

    Opens in a very sweet way, also somewhat hard, brittle and even metallic. Certainly a rose-like smell, but a closed-in, claustrophobic, intense rose. It suggests Miss Havisham in a shuttered attic, old secrets, a somewhat fanatical gleam in the eye... "come closer, smell the roses, my dear..."
    Finishes with an aggressively sweet and powdery note in tandem with the unrelenting rose.

    29th February, 2012

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    Tuca Tuca by Gorilla Perfume

    yes, rather typical of a Lush store (whatever you make of that). Intensely sweet, super-perfumey and a real assault on the senses.
    Violet leaves to be sure, an interestingly haunting note ruined by the candied, vanilla aspect which smells like a cookie.
    Vague woody note which might in other circumstances redeem it.
    Super-young, cutsey.
    Is this your style? You decide.

    29th February, 2012

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    St. Valentine by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

    A somewhat predictable ‘concept’ fragrance: roses and chocolate for St. Valentine. Does it work? Not in my opinion. The rose notes are pretty good, but the chocolate notes are garish and so sweet that they overwhelm the scent. The scent turns into a mess, conveying the image of warm rubber gloves dusted with baby powder. Now, if the scent had been a dark earthy rose with the merest hint of bittersweet chocolate that would have been something much better.

    27th February, 2012

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    Al Oudh by L'Artisan Parfumeur

    Top: spice (caraway, cardomom, pink pepper), dried fruit
    Mid: neroli, rose, iris, leather, castoreum, civet, musk
    Base: “light-coloured woords” (sandalwood, cedar), patchouli, incense (oudh), myrrh, vanilla, tonka
    This is very bright – it certainly is an oudh scent! The spices are attractive and well blended. The dried fruit chord is a minor note. It softens and adds a bit of complexity, but is not too sweet nor prominent. This is a lovely scent, and a good introduction to oudh. It has a restrained and yet romantic/exotic character. The florals are delicate. In the wood, the cedar is notable. There is a tiny, tiny bit of vanilla; just enough for me to tolerate. The dry-down is basically cedar and oudh. In summary: it is not heavy (despite potentially heavy ingredients) and not weird (despite oudh). It is subtle and well blended. A masterpiece of design!

    27th February, 2012

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    The Smell of Weather Turning by Gorilla Perfume

    Notes include mint, oak absolute, hay absolute, green notes.
    Interesting, different, and unusual. It starts very earthy, even pungent. It has mossy notes, and the hay absolute (giving coumarin) is obvious. At times quite green, at other times smoky. Definitely conveys a sense of Nature with a capital N. The mint slowly appears, and brightens the mostly dark notes. Oddly, I get no ozone here -- I had expected it. The coumarin deepens and sweetens, and I'm left with the scent of old pipe tobacco or an old-school fougere.
    Ulitmately this gets a bit too sweet and heavy for me, and it doesn't retain the green notes which I found pleasant.

    27th February, 2012

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    Canapa e Mirto / Hemp and Myrtle by Speziali Fiorentini

    I was disappointed in this scent. Both hemp and myrtle oil should deliver green, herbal, dusky-dry notes. But all I get here is a fresh, ozonic (calone) sort of scent. Quite generic, unremarkable, and slightly irritating in its on-going relentless freshness.

    27th February, 2012

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    Fareb by Huitième Art

    Listed notes: immortelle wood, leather, warm sand, ginseng
    Detected notes: cedar, cumin, cinnamon bark, coriander
    I'm neutral on this. I usually like woody spicy scents, which this is. However, I find that cumin can overpower other notes unless it is carefully controlled. Essentially this is a dusky cumin scent with some notes of bark and wood. It is dry, which I appreciate. At times, the cumin is tangy and somewhat bitter, suggesting a note like bittersweet chocolate (with no vanilla, thank goodness). The wood seems like cedar pencil shavings. In the very long dry-down, the cumin mellows and gives the other spices and wood more room.

    27th February, 2012

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    The Smell of Freedom by Gorilla Perfume

    Notes include sandalwood, orris, oudh, jasmine, neroli, fire tree, lemongrass, coumarin, cinnamal.
    There is something here that reminds me of violet leaves -- a silvery-bright note. Perhaps it is the orris and jasmine in combination. Perhaps the oudh (generally undetectable) is contribuing a slight piercing-metallic note.
    Phase 1. Interesting, different. Bright and exotic. Too bright and grassy to be called an oriental.
    Phase 2. Slightly sweet, a bit of cinnamon-like spice. The spices and woods develop very nicely.
    Phase 3. Creamy-rich sandalwood. Unfortunately, this grows and (like tofu) picks up other earlier elements, such as the florals. Ultimately the scent is rather heavy, perfume-y and tiresome. Phase 3 competes with phase 2 and 3 wins.
    I liked it for a while, the middle was quite nice.

    26th February, 2012

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    Aube Pashmina by Huitième Art

    First time wearing it -- It has lovely sparkling herbal notes. The image of a glass of champagne with a sprig of rosemary and a basil leaf comes to mind! This is a very refined and chic herbal scent -- it is not as bold and tomato-leafy as Eau de Campagne by Sisley. Basil is the main note, with a cool hint of rosemary. This is a unisex scent, dry and translucent. It would be a superb summer scent, or one to convey the feeling of a summer herb garden in the cool early morning. It wears very well and I find it completely satisfying. The dry-down is herbal with a light touch of wood.
    Second time wearing – different reaction. Still has the lovely tomato leaf opening, combined with light herbs. That lovely opening didn’t last long. The scent quickly gets very soft, floral, and pretty. Maybe a little too “pretty” to suit me in the long term.
    Third time -- Still get the lovely citrus notes with just a hint of tomato leaf. In the early stages, it has the crunchy green notes of an Eau de Lierre. Yet it loses these and becomes soft, round, and somewhat heavy. Prettier and much less green in the long run than Sisely's Eau de Campagne. It is powerful in the dry-down, and I find it a bit tiresome. Still thumbs up, but I'm no longer in the market for it.

    26th February, 2012

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    Venezia Uomo by Laura Biagiotti

    Well, sorry to be a damp rag in an otherwise fairly enthusiastic gathering... but this I find this to be a rather lame spicy-aquatic fougere.
    It is certainly quite sweet -- uggh.
    Doesn't seem particularly masculine in style.
    I view the "fern" note with lavender and woods as a reason to call it a fougere.
    However, it certainly has a synthetic, aquatic-fresh note... perhaps suggesting the canals of Venice on a sunny day when the backwash is not too great.
    Dry-down is amber-musky, hence some people think of it as an oriental.
    Don't get much in the way of wood, perhaps a few molecules of a very sweet sandalwood.
    I honestly don't know whence the kudos are here... it seems like a rather generic and low-rent sort of scent.
    In sum: sweet, aquatic, ambery. I guess some like this style. I don't.
    Discontinued -- in my opinion not worth a protracted search.

    26th February, 2012

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    Karma by Gorilla Perfume [Lush]

    Simply does not work for me.
    Intensely sweet, with a heavy-soapy-thick character. The orange suggests a creamsicle and the scent seems to have a very, very young vibe.
    I do get a bit of lavender and certainly some lemongrass.
    But I find this to be so sweet that it seems painful. It also develops what I call a metallic note.

    24th February, 2012

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    Icon by Gorilla Perfume

    I like this a lot! It is a challenging, unusual scent -- both quirky and addictive.
    It opens with herbal and woody notes. The style is dry and aromatic, and the mood is both bright and yet darkly brooding, with a slightly melancholy and introspective feeling. The myrrh gives a medicinal, piercing, bitter-rubber note which is oddly compelling. At times the scent seems very cool, with a minty - eucalyptus - camphoraceous aspect.
    The scent seems very simple to me -- essentially good myrrh. I don't get any orange blossom or any other notes apart from what the myrrh would provide.
    It goes on very powerful but it has medium longevity, fading in about four hours. That's OK, it could be reapplied as wished.

    22nd February, 2012

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    Vanillary by Gorilla Perfume

    You want candy-sweet? This is candy-sweet.
    You want gourmand? This smells like a delicious dessert, something to have accompanied by a strong espresso.
    Toasty - biscuity notes of vanilla and toffee abound.
    For two seconds it seems nice (though incredibly sweet) but then on me it gets so tiresome and vanilla-centric that I have to wash it off. I wouldn't even like to encounter it on an attractive person.

    22nd February, 2012

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    Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile by Acqua di Parma

    Here are the notes on my sample card:
    Citrus fruits, magnolia, jasmine, rose, tubersoe, cedarwood, vetiver, vanilla, patchouli.

    It is a nice scent, though not my style. The thing I admire about it is a quality which I can only describe as "bright". This is something more than just good citrus notes, there is an overall energy here that is quietly zesty, something remarkable in a soft floral.
    The opening citrus notes are very true to life and complex, suggesting lemon skin and orange oil. These open into a soft, deep floral. This phase is subtle, not at all heavy or sweet. I'm not familiar with magnolia, so what I interpret as a kind of peach-apricot note (and also the fuzzy skin of a peach) may be the magnolia. The patchouli is restrained. Overall, I have the sense of fruit as much as floral notes. The final dry-down displays some light wood and vanilla.

    21st February, 2012

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    Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta by Acqua di Parma

    Notes: orange, bergamot, verbana, cardamom, pink pepper, pimento, jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, wild orchid, cedar, aromatic Thai resins, patchouli, white musk, amber.
    This starts with a lovely citrus and pepper-spice chord. This is softened by florals (not too sweet) and a touch of wood. The effect is round, smooth, and very pleasant. The florals develop into a lovely cloud, and here the rose and jasmine do stand out. The scent is very well balanced between its various elements. The drydown is excellent, featuring resin and wood notes which are not heavy nor sweet.
    It reminds me a bit of Dior's Eau Sauvage -- a classy, earthy twist on the conventional Eau de Cologne style.

    21st February, 2012

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    Eau de Cologne à la Reine des Fleurs by Piver

    Notes: "a basket of citrus fruits" (oranges and lemons), lavender, "a delicately spiced bouquet" of thyme, bergamot, clove and rosemary.
    This is not solely a female-marketed scent. It is fairly dry, with some heft in the herbs and spices. Any man who likes Acqua di Parma or any of the classic EdC's would appreciate this.
    It has a gorgeous cologne opening of bright lemons and soft orange blossom. A deeply earthly lavender note adds to the complexity. Very quickly, herbal and spice notes appear, and these are most attractive. The spices are assertive but done with a light touch -- mostly clove, perhaps something else like nutmeg as well. The dry-down has great longevity due to the herbs and spices, and it is most satisfying.
    All in all, this is a classy and inexpensive splash. More herbal than Agua di Colonia by Alvarez Gomez, but in that vein.

    21st February, 2012

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    Nombril Immense by Etat Libre d'Orange

    Too sweet, too much patchouli.
    It starts with a fairly sweet and spicy note. Even at this early stage I can detect gooey amber. Very quickly the patchouli appears. I'll grant that it is complex: there are nutty, minty, earthy and funky notes. Yes, the scent gets quite funky and smells like an old unwashed belly-button.

    15th February, 2012

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    Rossy de Palma / Eau de Protection by Etat Libre d'Orange

    I'm neutral on it: interesting but not entirely attractive.
    Good points: spicy ginger and pepper are well done, though at times so fruity that they suggest tinned fruit cocktail. The rose is deep and pretty good. Incense combines well with the rose.
    Poor points: more than a few times, there is the vague suggestion of an old, metallic ashtray. The scent gets a bit metallic and thin in the dry-down.

    11th February, 2012

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    Fat Electrician by Etat Libre d'Orange

    Hate it.
    Unnecessarily vanilla-centric, which prevents anything worthwhile appearing from either the vetiver or opoponax/myrrh. Extremely sweet.
    In my opinion, the sweet + vanilla makes for a rather juvenile character.

    11th February, 2012

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    Olive Leaf by Thymes

    I'll give this a cautious thumbs up. I bought it a couple of years ago on spec, mostly due to the ingredients:
    Olive leaf extract and oil, Sardinian laurel leaf, sage, rosemary, balsamic lavender flowers, rosewood, bamboo leaf, aromatic wood notes, patchouli.
    When I first tried it, it seemed very sweet and patchouli-centric to me. I put it aside for a couple of years and am revisiting it. Now it seems OK to me. Perhaps it also works better for me in cool weather.
    It is fresh and starts fairly sweet (to my taste). It is a bit dense and soapy at this point. The scent opens up and has a green-fruity note which I associate with olive soap. The herbal notes develop nicely as the sweet-soapy aspect burns off. The scent is quite pleasant. It is a bit soft and pretty, not quite as dry as I usually wear. The patchouli now seems OK to me, not problematic.

    10th February, 2012

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    Eau de Vert by Miller Harris

    I am of mixed mind on this. Like others, when I hear "vert" (green) I have certain high expectations. This scent is not very green, at best only slightly green.
    Second, my personal preference is for bright, translucent scents. This is one of the most dense, heaviest scents I have encountered. It is not particularly sweet, but it is just so "weighty" that it doesn't totally appeal to me.
    Points in its favour... It is aromatic, with some herbal notes. These notes give a complex, interesting character to the scent. On me, the scent has great longevity, lasting many hours. The dry-down is a bit hay-like, actually suggesting a mellow-dusky sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) note.
    I don't know what makes this so dense. Might be the musk. I don't get any pine here, nor vetiver as I understand the latter.
    I used to really dislike this scent, primarily for its heaviness. Now I am neutral on it. Perhaps I'll further change my mind in time...

    09th February, 2012

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    Set Sail St. Barts for Women by Tommy Bahama

    I have tried the St. Barts for Men. In comparison, the women's version is a soft, pretty floral-citrus rather than an interesting herbal-green scent. It has a light, tropical vibe. At times, there is a vague nutty-toasty note which is not at all present in the men's version.
    This is a pleasant scent, but not as interesting as the men's version and not particularly distinctive in its own right.

    06th February, 2012

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    Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent

    Sooner or later every reviewer worth his salt must try Kouros. I have, and I can say that this was an intriguing experience.
    As many have noted, this is a very, very retro scent. Quinessentially macho 80's. Very spicy, sweet, rich, and heavy. The exuberant oakmoss gives it a leathery twang and the ambergris delivers an intense baby-powder sweetness. Yin-yang: tough guy with a sensitive side.
    There is no doubt that this is an absolutely beautiful scent. I applied one little spritz and that was plenty!
    Even a little too much and we could be in the gold chains, shirt open to the navel, leathery tan scenario. The coriander/clove could (in larger applications) suggest a sweaty body. If judiciously applied, they merely convey a barbershop.
    This scent is not at all my style. I would never wear it. But I do recognize that it is a classic.

    04th February, 2012

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    Set Sail St. Barts for Men by Tommy Bahama

    Here's a citrus-aquatic that I can endorse. It is fresh and breezy, but it does not have tiresome or screechy synthetic notes.
    The bottle is blue, the juice is clear.
    It starts with some pretty good citrus notes, suggesting peel and juice. Good green notes, perhaps a combo of tequila and other greens, add a nice herbal touch. The scent is pleasing, certainly nothing here to offend anyone. I'm not a fan of aquatics at all, but I like this one. The dry-down has a salty-herbal-soft musk chord. Would be a good summer evening scent on a tropical beach somewhere, sipping Pina Coladas...

    01st February, 2012

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    Haute Provence by Nicolaï

    This is an interesting scent, and if the notes appeal to you then I recommend that you try it.
    It starts with a rather powdery and dusky lavender. Next to appear is an unusual note: it is very green, herbaceous, and complex. At times it is a bit spicy/peppery and at other times a bit rubbery in a pleasant way. I attribute this to the myrtle. There may be very faint hints of minty rosemary. At this point, this is an ideal "garrigue" scent -- evoking the dusty herbaceous hills of Provence. The early dry-down continues in a green/earthy vein, and I like it quite a bit. The later dry-down gets sweeter, and amber/powder notes appear. I like these less, and they keep the scent from being bottle-worthy for me. However, overall it is a good scent.

    26th January, 2012 (Last Edited: 05th February, 2012)

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    Wild Lavender / Inglese by Lorenzo Villoresi

    This is an excellent masculine lavender.
    It is very dry and dark in tone -- no pretty florals or soft musks here. It starts off rather herbal and then picks up earthy notes from the clove and sage. The lavender recedes but does not disappear as the spice core develops. This spice core is expertly blended, and has an affinity with Piper Nigrum. The scent is somber and serious in style -- lightened and cheered a bit by some rosemary mint. The ultimate dry-down has spice, dry musk and little hints of lavender.

    26th January, 2012

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    Esencia Loewe by Loewe

    Revised review
    A green, aromatic, herbal chypre. Green and cool in character. Powdery, herbal, a bit earthy at times. Classy, well-blended, hints of leather and soap in the dry-down. No conifer that I can detect. Dry-down develops further herbal or even vegetal notes (e.g., celery leaves, basil). The cool-minty aspects continue. The artemesia hangs in there, with a somewhat assertive mint/fennel aspect. As well, the moss in the base adds to the minty note.
    An interesting scent, pleasant and of good character. But it doesn't really hit any buttons for me.

    24th January, 2012 (Last Edited: 31st October, 2014)

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    Juniper Sling by Penhaligon's

    I've downgraded my earlier review. I still like the scent, but I don't find it to be outstanding.
    It has a brisk, aromatic opening. If applied liberally, one finds a good and accurate juniper note: tonic, energetic, bright, coniferous, green and herbal. Just what I'm looking for. I enjoy it, and wish it laster longer. It is regrettably short.
    The spices open up and a hint of leather emerges.
    The scent is not at all sweet -- it is masculine, restrained and dry. It offers a low-key leather-wood combo as it dries down. I don't know where the brown sugar and black cherry are... and I'm glad! I don't miss them at all!
    I summary, this is a pleasant, masculine scent. It is smooth, and primarily a peppery wood sort of scent -- and thus my reservations emerge. A scent called "Juniper Sling" should feature and maintain the green-aromatic juniper note much more than this scent does.

    23rd January, 2012 (Last Edited: 13th June, 2012)

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    Esprit du Roi by Penhaligon's

    HEAD NOTES: Citrus Accord, Bergamot, Mandarin, Cedrat, Mint, Tomato Leaf, Davana Essence, Aldehydes, Cardamom Absolute

    HEART NOTES: Clove, Egyptian Geranium, Madagascan Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Honeysuckle

    BASE NOTES: Vetiver, Cedar, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Raspberry Absolute, White Musk, Ambergris, Oakmoss, Africa Stone

    ... and a partridge in a pear tree. So many ingredients, such wasted potential.
    On me, this is a overly "bright" and quite generic fresh-spice scent. Like many drugstore scents, a heavy hand with aldehydes dominates and ruins this. It is supposed to be a "lush woody citrus" but none of those aspects really are presented.
    Given the price and promise of quality which does not appear, I find this to be very poor value and I do not recommend it.

    21st January, 2012

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