Quote:
Originally Posted by
DULLAH 
Regardless of your high rankings, with both Aventus and Spice and Wood sharing perfumers/signatures/notes, what makes you rank Spice and Wood higher than Aventus? I'm not big on either, as I find them "high end designer" level frags....but between the two, I vastly prefer Aventus. Spice and Wood's entire summation seems like the [unfortuneatly weak] Aventus base with the smooth elements removed, a tiny amount of Aventus apple, and some dry dusty cedar, iso-eugenol, and dry black pepper thrown in, all in very weak amounts.
I am struggling to see what makes you place Spice and Wood so high.......what is it about SPICE AND WOOD that you like so much to rank it ahead of it's far closer to "complete" cousin, Aventus, and more egregiously, above GIT, MI, GV, BDG, ETC......
I understand it is your personal taste, but everyone can explain why they have such taste, be it experience/memories with certain smells, or other factors.......you must have a correlation or preference that really makes Spice and Wood special for you, no?
Man... we have like 9 threads dedicated to Spice & Woods, and now it's bleeding into this one. More frustrating... I submitted a pretty lengthy review of it, and it's been waiting on approval for like 2 weeks. alas... i'll try to sum it up again...
Why Spice and Wood over Aventus? They could be interchangeable really. But my list is based on which fragrance I'm most dying to reach for on a consistent basis. I think Cuir de Russie is a knockout, but not very wearable. I think Santal Imperial is extremely wearable, but not a knockout or very lustworthy at all.
I think both Aventus and Spice and Wood are both knockouts, AND very wearable. I think Spice and Wood has a more sophisticated composition, which is why I nudged it ahead of Aventus.
Here's the thing, DULLAH, you said in the other thread that Sublime Vanille, Aventus, and S&W are "duds". I can see how you would say that if they are simply accords that you don't personally like (like you're not a vanilla person or a spice guy). But my main difference with you is about quality, craftsmanship, and sophistication. Whether you like SV and S&W or not, you HAVE to admit that they are extremely well-made fragrances. The folks at CREED are not out to rip-off their clients with these Royal Exclusive scents as you seem to be accusing them of doing. They DO involve higher quality ingredients, they DO take more time to develop and produce, they DO have a higher level of craftsmanship than the "regular" line. Do you really think they would come out with a line called Royal Exclusives, promote it as they are, charge for it as they are, and then just blow it off and create some cheap dreck and hope no one notices? Do you think Olivier Creed has gotten WORSE as a perfumist lately? I just don't see how that's possible. He's in his prime, and his son seems to be pretty talented as well. They are ATCQ in 1993, on an album tour for Midnight Marauders! Top of their game!
Whether you like vanilla or not, you have to admit that Sublime Vanille is by far the most accurate and quality presentation of vanilla on the market. If you are a vanilla fan, maybe you aren't a fan of SV because you like your vanilla with tobacco or spices or some other complement. So I can see you not liking vanilla, and that's why you don't like SV. But to call it a "dud" is insane. It's an extraordinarily well made fragrance.
The same with S&W. You might not like the smell of S&W, but you can't deny how well-made it is. (and you should seriously wait for the atomized spray of it... far better than dabbing a little liquid on your skin. it "blossoms" a lot more)
Aventus, while a bit more blunt and simpler than either of the RE line, is made with a top-notch pineapple note, mated to a base of high-quality oakmoss and musk.
Both Aventus and S&W have a "modern" style and feel to them. I think you automatically equate this with "designer" or "cheap". Not so. Tell me ONE designer fragrance that comes close to having the depth, complexity, quality, and development of either Aventus or S&W. I'll be more than willing to go try them.
Also, you call S&W "weak". We'll disregard your now infamous levels of application of all fragrances for the moment.
CREED has stated that the RE line will be "sheer" and "transparent". You consider this a negative. I consider it a positive. That's just personal preference I guess... I can't stand when I put a Tom Ford or Amouage on, and it sits there and screams for 8 hours. I literally get sick to my stomach. Part of the reason I prefer CREED in general is that they transform rapidly, then are gone after a few hours. I don't mind reapplying if necessary.
I don't consider the brightest TV on the wall the best picture. I don't consider the loudest speaker in the room to sound the best. Therefore, CREED's approach to sillage and longevity suit me perfectly. I want TWO people to smell the cologne on me. Myself, and anyone who cares to give me a hug. That's it. I don't want to fill a room. If I did, maybe I'd be a Tom Ford or Amouage fanatic.
I also think that I like to look at fragrances with a handheld microscope, and you tend to look at fragrances with an electron-microscope. A lot times, the ability to say "damn this just smells gooood" is enough. You seem to skip that "zoomed-out" take and go right into the iso-eugen-hydro-specto-freako-nutzo chemistry of it. I respect you for your knowledge, but sometimes I think you miss the boat being so critical.
Specifically about Spice and Woods, I like its modern and clean take on two classic and usually "dirty" accords. Most spice scents are overpowering gourmands that remind me of my grandfather. Most wood scents are boring. This is none of that. I think S&W also develops VERY interestingly. it weaves from spice to apple to angelic root to wood to musk effortlessly. I can see this also suiting a lot of different occasions, and not just be limited to cold, winter days like most spice frags are. I like how light it is, and because of that, its unisex nature. I also like S&W because it's unique... i haven't smelled anything else like it.
In the end, putting my microscope down, this just clicked with me, the same way Aventus did. Aventus has clicked with a LOT of people the same way. I'm sorry that CREED has put out a few in a row here recently that aren't up your alley. I just wish your disappointment with the chosen accord/style didn't cloud your judgment of its quality of composition, and recognize how others might find them REALLY REALLY GOOD.
