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Reviews: Domenico Carcenis

post #1 of 8
1/8/08 at 2:52pm
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  • Ged
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Ah, home, and the smell of burnt plastic is clearing enough to test Domenico Caraceni PH and Ivy League.

DCPH:

The initial impression is of a clean but soft gentleman's fragrance, not prickly or sharp, but refined and smooth. From the outset it smells already integrated, with the frankincense and rose already evident, with a touch of pepper. A bit of piney green. I think I could grow to really like this one. While not as initially "wow" as the two Montales I tried last night (full reviews to come) I think this may prove to be more accessible and versatile. Not as intimidating or formal as I was imagining either.

Ivy League:

Big hit of mandarin / tangerine as the main top note. Something sweeter lurking behind. A bit like a fruity glycerin soap. Only one hour in, so I'll reserve final judgement, but I can think of better casual fragrances for less $$$.

More to come...

Ged
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post #2 of 8
1/8/08 at 3:20pm
I think 1913(black bottle) is crap in a bottle...imo. It synthetic to my nose...like turpentine with citrus and some green with a pinaud barbershop drydown that you could spend 5 dollars on, with the pinaud, and come out smelling much better...again...imo only
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post #3 of 8
1/8/08 at 4:33pm
Ged,

Thanks for the initial impressions on Domenico Caraceni. You are correct, it is a gentleman's fragrance. Smooth and sublime. This and Chevalier d'Orsay are the two most beautiful frags I have experienced. I wore it to work today and got 12 hours easy with it, and 2 compliments. One from my boss!

I could never get my arms around C&S 88, but respected the beauty and power of it as well. DC, works for me and I hope it does for you as well.
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post #4 of 8
1/9/08 at 1:52pm
I wore Domenico Caraceni this past week for the first time, and although I'm not prepared to post my comments about it yet (I need another full wearing), it sure did dazzle me.

The 'gentlemanly' word used to describe this scent is spot on - the only other scent in my wardrobe that manages to come close to this is Heritage EdP by Guerlain.

I guess I suspected the rose in DC to be more prominent - however, I'm not disappointed. The way its folded into the other notes works perfectly. Instead of the soapiness of No. 88 enlivening the rose, DC manages to do the same thing, but much more aromatically...for lack of a better word.

I can't imagine how I am going to decide between this and No. 88, when I come to buying my next full bottle rose scent. Well, for the moment - I will cherish my sample (thanks Michael) and give it another full wearing very soon.
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post #5 of 8
1/9/08 at 2:10pm
Do you want to know what I am really scared of ? It is the fact that we don't know who the nose was behind this scent and no one seems to be able to dissect or interpret the scent accurately. Perhaps due to the fact that this was not available in the U.S. up until now, many of us (including me) rushed to purchase this and let it "cloud" our judgement. You know when you finally get something you really want, you will always find ways to justify the purchase. Who knows, the "perfumer" behind this scent could have mixed many things together to create this scent just to make it available for DC. Due to the lack of availability and perhaps with a bit of luck, it turned out to be a gem. At the other end of the scale, it could have been a department store brand..... Call me a cynic (and I will probably get some flak here), just want to be a devil's advocate.
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post #6 of 8
1/9/08 at 4:53pm
I bought a decant before I bought a full bottle. I put it away, then wore it again...over and over. Me wanting to try this frag was because of all the talk about how good it was by people on this board I trust and respect. However, my fondness for this scent came from honest testing just like I have done with every other scent I have been interested in. There was no hype in my judgement of this scent at all. I have never felt the need to justify a purchase. If I don't like it, it is for sale; Doesn't matter if it is Silver Factory or Tommy Bahama.

I didn't click with C&S 88, Musc Ravageur, Noir Epices, Chergui...and some of the other big hitters on here, so there was no purchase. When I do make a mistake on a purchase, I give it a new home.

It is simple...try before you buy, let hype arouse only your curiosity to try, but don't let it justify blind buys and your own likes/dislikes of frags. Domenico Caraceni is a very distinct and amazing frag...but just like everything distinct, it is not for everybody.
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post #7 of 8
1/9/08 at 8:57pm
Am I the only one here who thinks that the rose in this is a pretty minor player?
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post #8 of 8
1/9/08 at 9:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

...

I can't imagine how I am going to decide between this and No. 88, when I come to buying my next full bottle rose scent. ....

This is exactly my feeling. I have sampled both now - and each evening I have worn one or the other. Each time I wear 88 I somehow wish I was sniffing 1913 Domenico instead, and perhaps not surprisingly, the next day when I do wear Domenico, I wish I was sniffing 88!

So... solution? Buy both??? Wish - but I will have to decide. Actually I have fairly large decants of both now - so I can enjoy them both a while longer before deciding!
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