Gs02 by Biehl Parfumkunstwerke

gs02 opens with a mild and quite brief squirt of fresh orange before it turns into an accord I don't think I can easily describe... It has a bit of an olive oil-like smell mixed with bitter cherry spiced leather which most likely is a combination of angelica, castoreum and wormwood among other ingredients. This slightly spiced leathery-olive heart accord sits on an amber base that is not sweet at all, while from start to finish the scent is both minimalistic and extremely subtle in one. Projection and longevity are both poor. I know I like gs02, but it is hard for me to pin down why. It is so subtle that I find myself having to apply a bunch of it on skin to try and nail down its scent. Even doing that, I am at a loss for words to describe what it truly smells like and I am sure my vague descriptors in the paragraph above do not do it justice. All I *can* say is it smells unique and quite good, but I wish it were much more assertive. In short, gs02 is a minor success from Schoen who also created Clive Christian's masterpiece X for Men that has some similarities in its base. I definitely prefer X over gs02 by miles, but gs02 is a good way to sample what Schoen has to offer at a much lower price tag. gs02 earns a very good 3.5 stars out of 5 and is recommended.

I have never reviewed a fragrance before, but I noticed that gs02 has not gotten much love and had to say something. I am mesmerized by this scent. There is a complicated interplay among something grapefruity, a mellifluous tonka-amber wave, and an ethereal iso-e-supery cloud. It's like a rapid, three-way ball game that's too fast to comprehend but whose players know exactly what to do. It's mystical and captivating and a little confusing. I also freely admit that some of my lack of comprehension may come from being a completely amateur aficionado. Out of curiosity for what another nose would make of it, I asked my partner what he thought. He replied with a squished-up face and the comment that it smelled like chewed-up cinnamon gum. It does have both cinnamon and saliva notes, but for some reason I don't find them offensive. Many of the qualities in gs02 remind me of qualities I also like in Geza Schoen's Clive Christian X; but where the latter is an aristocrat or tycoon, gs02 is an architect and engineer. It's less showy and more intellectual. It also smells great mingled with cigarette smoke. At this point, I've emptied two sample vials and am well into my first bottle. To my nose, gs02 continues to fascinate. I look forward to Geza Schoen's other creations.