I got my package of samplers this evening from luckyscents.com (sooner than I expected).
;D ;D
This is the first time that I've smelled any of these frags, and it has been overwhelming- in a very good way, of course.
Here's what I think:
Dzing!
At first- smoke, rubber, carmel, leather, sandalwood/incense, more rubber, popcorn, musk/animals, peanuts. It smells like a hot, hot day at the state fair, with a slight breeze blowing jasmine and rose blossoms through the concession stands. There is one very persistent sweet note that I just can't put my finger on. This frag brings back strong memories of places I had forgotten about. Intoxicating. I put a drop of this on my wrist before I took a shower, and it was very much still there after I had gotten out and had some dinner. I will wear this, but not to work. This would be fantastic at christmas dinner or intimate time during the snowy months. However, I don't see this as a very romantic fragrance. It grabs your attention, though. I highly recommend that anyone interested in frags smells this at least once in their life. the drydown: is this some kind of sweet cherry i'm smelling? Cherries and hay. Another hour, and the smell gets even better, with some vanilla joining the fray.
Tubereuse (L'artisan)
slightly sweet, effervescent rose floral. honeysuckle-sweet without cloying. reminds me of pollen, gardens. strong lilac accord. It fades away quickly and the ylang-ylang starts to come out. This frag is a bit too mature for my girlfriend (24), in my opinion. I would buy this for an older woman only if I knew her tastes very well. This would smell good on a sun-dress in the summer, maybe on an evening stroll. Drydown: seems to mellow and turn almost melony/fruity in a good way.
Mure et Musc
Starts off with very beautiful citrus notes: lime, bergamot? Refreshing. Some people have mentioned berries, but to me they are very faint. The berries seem to combine with the citrus to create an entirely new scent. Notes of rose, ylan-ylang, very light musk. This would be very nice on a man or a woman in the summer. It might be my nose, but it seems to be fading pretty fast. It might just be my skin, too. It leaves me with a very fresh, powdery, soapy feeling. I once smelled some bath salts that smelled exactly like this. I tried to eat it, but it was bitter. Oh yeah, i was like 5. Amazing what a scent can revive. Drydown: very clean smell. The original citrus has faded, leaving the fresh laundry smell without the cloying fruit of other colognes. I had trouble telling where i applied it, since it smells just like my laudry! Since I put this on 45 minutes ago, it has become almost undetectable.
Timbuktu (L'Artisan)
Have you ever smelled Sen-Sens breath fresheners? the little black chunks that came in an envelope-type thing? This smells EXACTLY like Sen-Sens. Very incensy. The cadamom brings a camphor accord. This manages to smell like both my grandma and my uncle at the same time. Very classy, mature scent. I might be able to get away with this scent at the gym or at a bar with friends, but probably not a romantic date. This projects some real energy; if you wore this while you were tired and lazy, people would be confused. I'll have to get some second opinions on this. The patchouli really starts to come out in the drydown.
Passage d'Enfer (L'Artisan)
MMM! It starts out as lily, but then it transforms into incense without losing all of the original lily. A man could wear this, but to me it smells very motherly. Clean sheets in a closet. This smell filled me with a feeling of comfort and well-being. A girl my age could use this in moderation. I think the reason that I say that these frags should be worn by older people is that they aren't dripping in musk and sex and virility. This scent would be at home on a nun or a mother. It's not a romantic scent to me, but it could become one. mmmmm.... those lilies are amazing. Drydown: fabric softener from heaven. Don't wear this to a board meeting if you're trying to be a bad-ass.
Mechant Loup (l'Artisan)
The cedar hit me first, then the hazelnut, and then the licorice. The headier scents ride a creamy heart of honey. Just like they say, it's sweet but menacing. There is a note in common with Dzing; is it myrrh? This frag smells very good. I keep noticing something- this is definitely similar to dzing. This has the allure and depth of dzing, but it is less assertive. It's hard to imagine ANYONE not liking this scent, but if it was over-applied it would be a little too much. I would wear this on winter evenings and rainy summer days. Drydown: the cedar mellows and the hazelnut comes out more. I think that this scent is just a tad more masculine than dzing. Pretty unforgettable, just like the rest of the Artisans.
Tea for Two (l'Artisan)
Starts with heady camphor/eucalyptus. Dark tea, ginger, honey, cardamom. This scent is unique. Come to think of it, other people are right; this does smell like hot, spicy chai tea. If I could get rid of that astringent eucalyptus note this might work as a romantic scent. I'll check during the drydown. It's beginning to get that back-of-the-throat sweetness that dzing and mechant loup had. There is a Glade plugin that smells solely of that sweetness; I wish i could remember the particular scent.
Gendarme
Starts out with the citrus and the smell of freshly-cut plant stems. Not exactly spicy, but not dull. The citrus fades into the background and green scents take center stage. This is the exact opposite of dzing (I suppose dzing is my new benchmark). Gendarme is very straightforward and pleasing. It is not warm, but it invites closer inspection. I think i can smell lilies. I don't see why this couldn't be a unisex fragrance. It could be very appealing on the right type of woman: confident, assertive, honest. This scent truly does smell 'soapy' but it's a good thing. It might be a little too dry and clean for me, but I know people who would love this. Yeah, even after it dries for a while, it's a little too antiseptic for me.
Sequoia (Comme des Garcons)
oh yes! This is just pure wood. I smell cedar first, some pine sap, sandalwood, more. It really does smell like a very fragrant forest. Or a cedar chest. You choose. The red rum that people talk about is missing for me; it could be my nose. To me, this is a straightforward frag, and that it why I like it. This is one of the testers that really caught my attention before i started my testing in earnest. I will have to decide whether or not this scent is suitable for regular use; it would make a great incense, but i'm not sure how well it would work as a cologne. I guess there's only one way to find out. This is a very interesting scent.
Eau de Cedre (Heeley)
another woody scent. At first I thought that this was a feminine scent, but after a few seconds it's apparent that this is not. I don't think I could even PAY my girlfriend to wear this. This is the way a logger would smell after cutting and shredding cedar all day. Moss, dirt, sandalwood, skin, fresh air, water... this is obviously designed to smell natural, and it succeeds. Very wet and dirty fragrance, with an undertone of sunscreen. Not a scent for the club, but maybe the corner bar or just out for a walk. This might not be a hit with the ladies, but who knows. I like it. If I had a bottle, I'd probably wear it when I was alone, relaxing, looking for peace and quiet.
So there you have it. Tonight has been a wonderful night, as it marks my first whiffs of fine perfume. Of course, I have to thank the basenotes crew for getting me started on this whole new obsession of mine. I'll report more as my nose gets used to the scents and I get more out of them.
Cheers!
-ben
;D ;D
This is the first time that I've smelled any of these frags, and it has been overwhelming- in a very good way, of course.
Here's what I think:
Dzing!
At first- smoke, rubber, carmel, leather, sandalwood/incense, more rubber, popcorn, musk/animals, peanuts. It smells like a hot, hot day at the state fair, with a slight breeze blowing jasmine and rose blossoms through the concession stands. There is one very persistent sweet note that I just can't put my finger on. This frag brings back strong memories of places I had forgotten about. Intoxicating. I put a drop of this on my wrist before I took a shower, and it was very much still there after I had gotten out and had some dinner. I will wear this, but not to work. This would be fantastic at christmas dinner or intimate time during the snowy months. However, I don't see this as a very romantic fragrance. It grabs your attention, though. I highly recommend that anyone interested in frags smells this at least once in their life. the drydown: is this some kind of sweet cherry i'm smelling? Cherries and hay. Another hour, and the smell gets even better, with some vanilla joining the fray.
Tubereuse (L'artisan)
slightly sweet, effervescent rose floral. honeysuckle-sweet without cloying. reminds me of pollen, gardens. strong lilac accord. It fades away quickly and the ylang-ylang starts to come out. This frag is a bit too mature for my girlfriend (24), in my opinion. I would buy this for an older woman only if I knew her tastes very well. This would smell good on a sun-dress in the summer, maybe on an evening stroll. Drydown: seems to mellow and turn almost melony/fruity in a good way.
Mure et Musc
Starts off with very beautiful citrus notes: lime, bergamot? Refreshing. Some people have mentioned berries, but to me they are very faint. The berries seem to combine with the citrus to create an entirely new scent. Notes of rose, ylan-ylang, very light musk. This would be very nice on a man or a woman in the summer. It might be my nose, but it seems to be fading pretty fast. It might just be my skin, too. It leaves me with a very fresh, powdery, soapy feeling. I once smelled some bath salts that smelled exactly like this. I tried to eat it, but it was bitter. Oh yeah, i was like 5. Amazing what a scent can revive. Drydown: very clean smell. The original citrus has faded, leaving the fresh laundry smell without the cloying fruit of other colognes. I had trouble telling where i applied it, since it smells just like my laudry! Since I put this on 45 minutes ago, it has become almost undetectable.
Timbuktu (L'Artisan)
Have you ever smelled Sen-Sens breath fresheners? the little black chunks that came in an envelope-type thing? This smells EXACTLY like Sen-Sens. Very incensy. The cadamom brings a camphor accord. This manages to smell like both my grandma and my uncle at the same time. Very classy, mature scent. I might be able to get away with this scent at the gym or at a bar with friends, but probably not a romantic date. This projects some real energy; if you wore this while you were tired and lazy, people would be confused. I'll have to get some second opinions on this. The patchouli really starts to come out in the drydown.
Passage d'Enfer (L'Artisan)
MMM! It starts out as lily, but then it transforms into incense without losing all of the original lily. A man could wear this, but to me it smells very motherly. Clean sheets in a closet. This smell filled me with a feeling of comfort and well-being. A girl my age could use this in moderation. I think the reason that I say that these frags should be worn by older people is that they aren't dripping in musk and sex and virility. This scent would be at home on a nun or a mother. It's not a romantic scent to me, but it could become one. mmmmm.... those lilies are amazing. Drydown: fabric softener from heaven. Don't wear this to a board meeting if you're trying to be a bad-ass.
Mechant Loup (l'Artisan)
The cedar hit me first, then the hazelnut, and then the licorice. The headier scents ride a creamy heart of honey. Just like they say, it's sweet but menacing. There is a note in common with Dzing; is it myrrh? This frag smells very good. I keep noticing something- this is definitely similar to dzing. This has the allure and depth of dzing, but it is less assertive. It's hard to imagine ANYONE not liking this scent, but if it was over-applied it would be a little too much. I would wear this on winter evenings and rainy summer days. Drydown: the cedar mellows and the hazelnut comes out more. I think that this scent is just a tad more masculine than dzing. Pretty unforgettable, just like the rest of the Artisans.
Tea for Two (l'Artisan)
Starts with heady camphor/eucalyptus. Dark tea, ginger, honey, cardamom. This scent is unique. Come to think of it, other people are right; this does smell like hot, spicy chai tea. If I could get rid of that astringent eucalyptus note this might work as a romantic scent. I'll check during the drydown. It's beginning to get that back-of-the-throat sweetness that dzing and mechant loup had. There is a Glade plugin that smells solely of that sweetness; I wish i could remember the particular scent.
Gendarme
Starts out with the citrus and the smell of freshly-cut plant stems. Not exactly spicy, but not dull. The citrus fades into the background and green scents take center stage. This is the exact opposite of dzing (I suppose dzing is my new benchmark). Gendarme is very straightforward and pleasing. It is not warm, but it invites closer inspection. I think i can smell lilies. I don't see why this couldn't be a unisex fragrance. It could be very appealing on the right type of woman: confident, assertive, honest. This scent truly does smell 'soapy' but it's a good thing. It might be a little too dry and clean for me, but I know people who would love this. Yeah, even after it dries for a while, it's a little too antiseptic for me.
Sequoia (Comme des Garcons)
oh yes! This is just pure wood. I smell cedar first, some pine sap, sandalwood, more. It really does smell like a very fragrant forest. Or a cedar chest. You choose. The red rum that people talk about is missing for me; it could be my nose. To me, this is a straightforward frag, and that it why I like it. This is one of the testers that really caught my attention before i started my testing in earnest. I will have to decide whether or not this scent is suitable for regular use; it would make a great incense, but i'm not sure how well it would work as a cologne. I guess there's only one way to find out. This is a very interesting scent.
Eau de Cedre (Heeley)
another woody scent. At first I thought that this was a feminine scent, but after a few seconds it's apparent that this is not. I don't think I could even PAY my girlfriend to wear this. This is the way a logger would smell after cutting and shredding cedar all day. Moss, dirt, sandalwood, skin, fresh air, water... this is obviously designed to smell natural, and it succeeds. Very wet and dirty fragrance, with an undertone of sunscreen. Not a scent for the club, but maybe the corner bar or just out for a walk. This might not be a hit with the ladies, but who knows. I like it. If I had a bottle, I'd probably wear it when I was alone, relaxing, looking for peace and quiet.
So there you have it. Tonight has been a wonderful night, as it marks my first whiffs of fine perfume. Of course, I have to thank the basenotes crew for getting me started on this whole new obsession of mine. I'll report more as my nose gets used to the scents and I get more out of them.
Cheers!
-ben
I love Tea for Two but I can't seem to get my hands on it nowadays.
