Quote:
Originally Posted by
mikeperez23 
Interested to hear how you like the CdG EdP simisker. Care to comment?
Now that I've lived with it a while, I'd be glad to - just allow me to briefly divert the flow away for a moment, and mention that Dimitri was spot on with his Penhaligon's LP No 9 For Men allusion to 'scotch and ginger ale'; certainly an intriguing fragrance worth considering if it weren't so hard to come by.
Back to the topic at hand, then: Comme des Garcons' Eau de Parfum.
As I was saying to my girlfriend the other night, every aspect of this scent - from the packaging design through to the liquid itself - illustrates that this was a fashion house who wanted to be taken seriously with their first foray into perfumery; the whole simply screams
quality. The confident minimalism of the box design, the wry modern industrialism of the inner vacuum wrap, and the bottle...
I've read here more than once of owners who bemoan the fact that the bottle, unlike pretty much every other perfume bottle, doesn't stand up. I think they're missing the point. This is not a bottle meant for the shelf or dressing table, to be placed among all the other bottles thrusting vertically into your eyeline to attract attention ["Choose me! Choose ME!!"]. This is a bottle meant for the
hand; to be felt, touched, held. Holding it in the hand [admittedly the right hand; us southpaws have to go 'northpaw' for full effect], the 50ml flacon feels like it has been there since birth; the curved side nestles snugly in the palm, and the atomizer is
perfectly positioned for the index finger. As a designer, I marvel at this triumph of ergonomics.
As you can probably tell, my first impressions were good
But what of the perfume itself?
Well, I asked for warm and spicy, and boy, did I get it.
Bear in mind that I've only been a serious perfume hound for a couple of years, so my note encyclopaedia is far from complete, but there's clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and who knows what else right from the start. Something that my original sample didn't reveal was what I can only describe as a 'pickled' top note; I'm guessing that this, along with the clove, is what people are referring to as 'medicinal'. I have to confess that it's this pickled note that stops me from loving this fragrance. Once the drydown begins in earnest, however, its glorious spice-in-harmony heartnote balance shines, and lasts for many an hour. It's never garnered many comments from those around me, though, which is odd considering the strength and projection [and my liberal applications!]. Perhaps this is because it's so unlike conventional perfumes that onsmellers don't know what to make of it. Or perhaps it's because there's absolutely no sweetness to this scent at all. I can only guess.
Don't get me wrong: I consider EdP to be a brilliant scent, and the epitome of the CdG ethos: It's bold, excellently executed, admirable, quirky, avant-garde and determinedly individualistic. It's served me well so far this season, despite worthy winter contenders like Musc Ravageur, Ambre Sultan, Jaisalmer and L'Air du Desert Marocain. To mention it in the same breath as these fragrances is surely testament to its quality. I've noticed that the colder the weather, the more I appreciate it. But it's that damn pickled note which stops me from reaching for it daily. Heh, so far, anyway - I think we're all acquainted with the U-turn effect, right?
Yet again I'd like to thank those of you that convinced me to buy a bottle
Incidentally, Mike, I know you were curious about 8 88, the newest CdG that I've just sampled this evening. Well... you know how CdG's first effort was the brave unique scent-statement? This latest one, erm, well...
isn't. My early opinion: fresh, fruity, slightly floral, fleeting. I get grapefruit up in the top, and possibly angelica further down, but that's all so far [EDIT: ... and I'm wrong on both counts, looking at the pyramid. Though if there's amber in 8 88, I'll eat my freshly-bought hat]. Certainly not in the same league as the CdG classics; it's all gone a bit
safe, recently
