Samples Of The Day - August 2010

This morning I wore a sample of Six Scents, Series 1, No. 3, "The Spirit of Wood." (If I'm not mistaken, I got my sample from rogalal some time ago, so it's fitting that I weigh in on one of these threads he's so kind to keep rolling...)

I blind-bought the very same scent a few days ago. I was buying a favorite from Series Two, and I wanted to bump my order up to the free-shipping minimum, and Spirit seemed like one of the best-reviewed of the bunch. I thought I had a sample around the house somewhere, to try before buying, but I searched and couldn't find. Then I was going through a travel kit last night and there was the missing sample, with a bunch of others I threw together to take on a recent trip.

Thankfully, I thoroughly enjoyed today's sampling. I've read more than one comparison between Spirit and CDG/Monocle Hinoki, and that association makes sense to me, but Spirit is less warm/dry than Hinoki -- it has a cool/fresh woodiness that I also find in CDG Man 2. On the other hand, Spirit has none of Man 2's smokiness. Finally, it seems to have loads of Iso E Super in common with both of those CDG comparison scents.

Well, now that you've tried the original, it's time to try the Intense and Cologne versions!

got 5 samples in the post today
frederik malle - musc ravageur
caron - third man
caron - yatagan
lutens - chergui
perfume generales - papyrus de ciane

trying yatagan and chergui today, first impressions? think i prefer the chergui.

Today I recieved samples of Chanel PM, Aramis Havana, and Cartier Must Pour Homme. I have only tried the Cartier and I already like it although I can't describe it well.

100% YES! But, perhaps not improvements, but embellishments, in either direction. Now, just so you understand, because many on here don't. Dior Homme Cologne, is EDT strength, NOT EDC. DHC happens to be a top 5 scent for me, as I think it's the far better and more wearable alternative to the original. While the original seems to just sit on skin, DHC becomes a part of the wearer. And the Intense version is Dior Homme with chocolate and leather amped up.

I sampled By Kilian's Back to Black a few nights ago but neglected to write anything down and now I've forgotten what I wanted to say. Oops.



Last night I wore Parfumerie Generale's L'Ombre Fauve.



Amber scents are among perfumery's oldest ideas but remain easy to like. Invariably, niche firms see this as an excuse to crank out ditzy, unambitious versions at a fivefold markup. Thankfully, PG have not quite gone this route with L'OF.

The scent out of the vial is a less extreme, ahem, version of L'Artisan's Ambre Extreme (the first niche scent I ever sampled, btw), buttery and sweet. On skin, it begins as a slightly animalic vanilla with a touch of spice and a curious, raspy undertone of dry wood. The heart is has a wonderful "old books" quality to it with a slightly musty angle. "Musty", however, soon became "wet, almost mildewy", which I attribute to the use of patchouli here. This unusual phase eventually recedes to a bog-standard amber drydown.

As an aside, mildew fascinated me as a child. I didn't "like" it, exactly; mostly, I was intrigued by its aggressive weirdness. Fishing around under the kitchen sink between chores for some humble cleaning product became a forbidden adventure, as did hanging up a wet bathing suit after a day at the beach.

I appreciate Monsieur Guillaume enabling my olfactory trip down Memory Lane but I cannot realistically imagine wanting to smell of this. Had the patchouli been employed more closely in conjunction with what came before and after it, I could see myself really liking this. It also leans a bit femme, as amber does. I will definitely bust my sample back out this winter, to see if the shadow beast finally grabs hold.

3.5/5


I am leaving for India at the end of next week--from JFK, alas, so the rare treasure that is LaGuardia will have to wait. I will be in NYC tomorrow to sort out my visa, which should give me plenty of time to dick around in midtown. The Caron boutique seems like a must-visit () and I will make it to either Saks or Barney's. One of these days, I need to get down to C.O. Bigelow, too.

Hermèssence - Osmanthe Yunnan
I was eager to try this since Luca Turin rated it a 5 star fragrance. I do have a 5 % osmanthus solution at home and honestly, I could only for a short while detect a faint idea of osmanthus in this. A fresh, fruity opening that I am not even tempted to think about its notes. After 15 minutes Osmanthe Yunnan is a mere skin scent. I have come to the conclusion that Jean-Claude Ellena is not my parfumeur at all, sorry, 'eau-de-toiletteur'. Are you willing to pay 170 Euros for 100 ml of a watery vanishing Eau de Toilette Hermèssence fragrance like this?

Actually, probably not - but I have twice included it in the 4 x 15ml box-sets from Hermes along with Vetiver Tonka, Rose Ikebana, Vanille Galante and a couple of others. I kept one for myself and gave one to a lady who enjoys it a lot - lovely summer scent.

Have you tried The Different Company Osmanthus, which is the earlier study and a very simple, bright number. If it's pure clean upbeat osmanthus you're after this is a good place to start. It really is happiness in a bottle IMO. Like most of the Hermessences, Osmanthe Yunnan seems to be a play on two ideas and I personally really enjoy the shift in emphasis from Osmanthus into the milky Tea aspect (that then stays around for a lot longer for me) but I can understand how it might not appeal to some.

The small white osmanthus petals are used in several desserts here in summer as well as Osmanthus Oolong Tea and I think Ellena has truly nailed it with both of these scents - I guess it's just a matter of style and taste as to whether it's your thing or not

I agree that VC&A Bois d'Iris is a winner. I've had it for a while, and it comes close to some other niche iris/orris root offerings. Way up there in my list, anyway!

Today I'm wearing my brother perfume (first time) which is Adolfo Dominguez -Bambu.
The notes are:bamboo,amber,cotton flower,marine notes and jasmine (according to fragrantica.com).
Sorry I can't make a detailed review,(I'm not very experienced) but all I can say is that this perfume is awesome.To me is all about the green notes,strong and a bit bitter at the beginning.The rest of them are very subtle. It has a good longevity ( above 6 hours) and projection.

Lucky me I guess. It was almost too strong when I first got to test it the other day.

I have been rushing about trying to get my things together on Wednesday but I just wanted to report that my NYC trip was a massive success. Miraculously, I somehow managed to end up not purchasing anything on the day, mostly because I want to keep my duty-free options open, but there were some big winners that will find their way into my wardrobe soon enough.

So, highlights (no pics, sorry; I'm not the sentimental type):

• Barney's ended up being all about the vetiver. Sel de Vetiver's briny brilliance ate away at my heart, Vetiver Extraordinaire is the Real Deal Holyfield of vetivers, and Grey Vetiver was rather better than I thought it would be. I tried lots of other things in lots of other genres there but these three made the podium. It turns out that not all vetivers bother me, just most of them. I also wanted to like Sables, Eau Noire, and Chypre Rouge more than I did, especially Sables, the most interesting of the lot but unfortunately just unwearable. Geranium pour Monsieur is quite good, too, but it is SdV that will be mine someday (probably next April or so, given the spring/summery vibe of its perfection).
  
  
• Bendel's carries a (mostly) dignified range of designer and niche stuff, a sort of mini-Luckyscent. The Piguet EdPs caught my eye immediately, and I went straight for Bandit (a little harsh in the top, but wonderful in the drydown), Futur (green, herbal, slightly bitter--Paco Rabanne PH in a dress?) and Baghari. Oh...Baghari. Technically, it is a chypre but I have never smelled a candied-orange topnote quite like that, rather like a Dutch-style orange pomander dotted with cloves and nearly as long-lasting, too. I kept waiting for it all to come tumbling in the drydown but it held together wonderfully. I also really, really enjoyed Etat Libre d'Orange's Fat Electrician (vanilla-vetiver) and Tilda Swinton Like This (pumpkin-spice oriental), but Baghari is pretty much the first thing I am purchasing when I reenter the country.
  
  The Bendel's SA, Giuseppe, was unfailingly kind and incredibly generous. In addition to foisting samples on me of everything that I offhandedly-remarked that I had liked, he mentioned a few interesting things. Apparently, Michael Edwards (he of the Fragrance Database) had been in a few days earlier trying to convince Bendel's higher-ups to carry both Andy Tauer's line and that of a Siberian perfumer (??) whose name I did not get. Also, ELd'O is releasing a new fragrance in November or so called Chicks with Dicks ( Haha) and another, as-yet-unnamed limited edition fragrance to be sold over the holidays as a Bendel's exclusive, I think. Looking forward to it, as this outfit has rapidly become my new favorite niche line.
  
  
• The Caron boutique was a little hard to find, up there on the second floor of the PHYTO Salon, but absolutely worth it; rogalal was right, if you are ever in NYC, you *have* to come here. First off, those urns are gorgeous. Second, Diane, the Caron ambassador, is the most knowledgeable SA I have ever encountered. I spoke with her for about an hour, uninterrupted (as there were no other customers), and by the end of it, she was throwing various facts and books and pictures and samples and old versions of current scents and secret versions of unreleased scents at me, and I greedily lapped all of it up. I must have said "wow" more in that hour than I have in my entire adult life. The two standouts among those I sampled were Pour un Homme Impact (which is parfum strength, not EdP as I had thought; the lavender in the opening is the best I have ever encountered, and lasted a solid two hours on my skin in 90F weather) and the (discontinued??) Coup de Fouet (peppery, like its sister Poivre but slightly more transparent and wearable). In appreciative hindsight, I wish I had bought something from there, though I expect I will rectify that situation somewhat in the coming years.
  
  
• Bergdorf's Men section was merely OK, though I finally got to try Habit Rouge Beau Cavalier. It was as advertised, HR + oud, and you know what? It works! I want this. I went back across the street to the Basement and the women's section to try my luck with the rest of the old Guerlains but none had me swooning (Shalimar parfum is something though, ain't it?). Annick Goutal's Vetiver has an interesting saline character and a few of the Jo Malone's are OK, if a bit weak. Unexpectedly, I finally got to try Sisley's Eau de Campagne, tomato leaf and all; very nice, something I will revisit, but nothing I can see myself wearing now.

And that was it. I did end up going back to Bendel's late because I just had to give Baghari a skin test and I had forgotten to sniff Secretions Magnifique. SM is quite abominable--blood and semen, metallic and tenacious--and serves, to my mind, as a reminder how diverse our respective tastes are, because there are clearly people out there who adore and wear this stuff.

Well, God love 'em, because I found a few other things that day I feel the same way about.

I'd just like to add that I have come around big time on ELDO Fat Electrician. Upon first test many months ago I hated it, and have since been too afraid to retry it. But another recent 180 for me in Givenchy Vetyver has taught me to enjoy the particular vetiver accord that I feel both Fat Electrician and GV share in common, that being a slightly sweet and nutty interpretation of a normally unsweetened note. I'm really enjoying my sampling of FE tonight.

You're doing a great job, rogalal! Thanks!

I do , Rogalal ......I look forward to your review posts!

Definitely, I do, rogalal! I like to read about other experiences and impressions. I somehow acquire an ability to use their judgement (whether I share their tastes or not) to draw conclusions on my own possible likings (with regard to e.g. blind buying). I owe people like you here a great deal of my wonderful fragrant experiences! Keep going! *bigthumbsup*

I received a sample of PdN Balle de Match yesterday.

A really impressive scent, with a truly realistic grapefruit opening. It's the only supposed grapefruit scent that I've ever smelled which doesn't smell like something the cat left behind. I'm particularly looking at you, Czech and Speake Citrus Paradisi. (Or should that be Citrus Catapissi??).

I did a quick review of this before and completely trashed it. At the time I was hyperosmic to the teak note in any scent that featured it, and it is featured here prominently.

Now that my chemical sensitivities seem to have fully subsided, I need to reevaluate a number of fragrances, and Lacoste Challenge is one of them.

Normally I dissect scents by breaking them down into the notes I perceive and how they interact and come and go and generally end up with a rather technical write up, but I'm not going to do that here. Not much, anyhow. Recently I picked up some real frankincense at a really nice new age store, and - not having picked up a proper incense burner yet - rigged up a little aluminum foil 'bowl' that got placed onto a light bulb and put the frankincense in there. The heat from the lamp was sufficient to get the frankincense to start to melt and even smoke ever so slightly, and the scent was a glorious resinous lemon that had just a hint of a pleasant throat tickling sharpness to it. I'm not sure if the frankincense will smell different when burned in a proper burner, but all the same the smell was extremely pleasant, soothing, and yet very vibrant and alive.

There I stood, looking rather foolish I assume, my nose held carefully just a few inches above the light bulb, taking in the glorious aroma, and suddenly I had that thought come to me that all of us BNers know so well, "Wait! I've smelled this before. But.. where?"

I pondered it for a bit and suddenly it hit me that Lacoste Challenge smelled this way for the brief few moments before I was overwhelmed with the teak accord. Curious, I fetched the sample and put on the tiniest of swipes, in fear of the big bad teak monster, and found that the scent was not nearly as vile as I remembered. Actually, it was rather pleasant. And there it was, clear as day, the connection to the frankincense.

The lemon and ginger along with the teak (if you aren't hyperosmic to it, which I thankfully no longer am) combine in such a way to make a sharp, resinous lemony aroma that tickles my throat in the same way that the frankincense smoke did. The profile of the lemon/spice/resin accord is so close to the accord created by the melting frankincense that it's uncanny. Challenge is fairly linear and doesn't project well, but neither did the frankincense with my rather lackluster burning rig.

If you aren't familiar with the smell of frankincense burning/melting as such, I could easily see the sharp elements of this scent being seen as grating or synthetic (and it does read as synthetic to me in the sense that I can't think of any natural material that maintains a sharp/rough quality to it for as long as this note persists, and yet it reads as natural in the sense that it smells so close to the melting frankincense). If you are familiar with a good quality lemon frankincense though, I think this scent does an excellent job of capturing that scent.

As I said, the scent is fairly linear, doesn't project so well, and can register as a bit synthetic in "feel", but I find all of those drawbacks are offset by how well it captures that lemony aroma of good frankincense. I previously had it rated at 1 star due to my inability to deal with the teak, but now that my hyperosmia has faded, I'm going to give this 3.5 stars. Not because it's groundbreaking or composed of amazingly high quality materials - it is neither - but simply because of its ability to recreate that frankincense burning/melting experience for me.

[QUOTE=rogalal;1904152]Thanks for being so nice, everybody!

I'm a little slow to react here, but I'm curious about that Bamboo frag Ciprian listed above. I'm a little scared of the marine notes, but "bamboo" and "cotton flower" with jasmine and amber??? I can barely imagine jasmine and amber together, much less with marine ingredients and weird woods...


Well,I think you shouldn't be scared about those marine notes.Even it sounds weird, that list of notes ,I think they are all mixed very well together.If you have the chance to test it ,please do,I really like it.

I couldn't have put it more succinctly. Not only do I have some 5% osmanthus, but also grow 2 varieties. Osmanthe Yunnan is a weak disappointment.

My samples have arrived. Please bear in mind that I am still new to the perfume world. =)

Musc Ravageur - this to me smells like MKK + Shalimar. The top note is similar to MKK but MR
is cleaner which makes it more wearable. The dry down has similarities with Shalimar.
Almost got this blind buy but good thing I tried a sample first. It's nice but
I wouldn't get a full bottle.

Vetiver Oriental by Serge Lutens - vetiver + tobacco + leather with a touch of candy on top
(maybe that's the chocolate i'm smelling). Slightly medicinal vetiver on top.
But really nice!

Jicky EDC - I laughed (not in a judging way) when I first smelled Jicky.
The top note smells poo or bad breath or something. I guess that's the civet talking.
After 15 minutes the funny top note disappears in to a mellow lavender. The dry down
is actually very good. Ironic enough, it starts off dirty but ends very clean like a hotel soap.

Borneo 1834 - bitter cocoa at the beginning. This one shares that smell of dirth from the earth of patchouli
like with Coromandel. The camphor is there but just very little. A lot of people compare this
with Coromandel because of the chocolate and patchouli aspect of both frags but I would
still go for Coromandel. Borneo is like a very woody version of Coromandel. By the way
in terms of smell, they are not the same.

Furmerie Turque - has a similar opening with Shalimar, that burnt vanillic quality. The honey here is
quite stong. This smells very exotic. Very oriental. Interesting!

Bois de Violette - this one smells so gorgeous! It's very complex that all notes are well balanced. The longer
it cooks on my skin, the stronger it smells. I love it!

Gris Clair - this is a very interesting lavender scent. It's not the lavender that you smell when you go to a
spa. It's like smelling the lavender plant itself . I can't stop sniffing my hand! A winner for me.

Idole by Lubin - very boosy! it's very hard to describe this one. rum, smoke, leather, sugar cane are quite
predominant. It sounds odd but it smells really good! I really like this one. Very interesting!
Wishlist!

Apres L'ondee - top not is very floral. And then it dries down to a powdery floral. Really pleasant and
gorgeous. As Turin said in his book, one of the 20 greatest perfume of all time.

Out of all these samples, I enjoyed very much Vetiver Oriental, Bois De Violette, Gris Clair, Idole and Apres L'ondee. Where can I get these 5? hahahaha. Someday they will be part of my wardrobe.

Hi volley2,
Nice collection of samples! Have you given Musc Ravageur a full wearing? I wasn't impressed first either, but when I gave it a full wearing and spent the whole day walking around in Vienna I thought "Boy, it must be me... I smell so damn good!"
With regard to Coromandel and Borneo 1834 - you might want to consider a sample of Noir Patchouli by Histoires de Parfums, if you don't know it by now. This would be my pick (and will be - it's on my to-buy list) - a bit more daring and I get quite some dark rose out of the rose-patchouli combo, which I absolutely like.
Just my two thoughts.

Hi Larimar,
Nope I did not give it a full wear. Oopps. hihi =) Thank you for the tip. Will try it again. I have a decent amount of samples of those frags.

I am in Shanghai, not very good choices here believe me. I'll have to find ways to get that Noir Patchouli. But I really do love Coromandel. Let's see. =)

Let me know when you decide to make that trip to HK - Gris Clair & Apres L'Ondee are both at Harvey Nicks.

Idole is really something isn't it?

Mr. Reasonable,

My friend is going to HK this weekend. He's getting me the bottle of Jub XXV that I have reserved. And he is going to get some bottles for himself as well. Can you actually get Idole in HK? Where?

Honore Des Pres Love Coco , amazing strikingly different coconut , corriander and vanilla mash up . I love it

After resniffing Escentric 01 I realized that Lacoste Challenge, which I reviewed above, has a super huge dose of iso e super. I'd surmise that it's 50% or more IES (comparing it to scents like TdH, Encre Noire, Light Blue, etc that all have huge doses of IES) - so if anyone is a big IES fan (I don't mind it - the note that sometimes bothers me in TdH is something else) and is looking for a spicy lemon/ginger/frankincense scent that smells cheap in the way that IES smells cheap, Lacoste Challenge is worth a shot.

While i do enjoy it, I'd rather wear Navegar for my fresh/sporty incense fix, or Jubilation 25 (womens) for a more rounded, elegant take on frankincense smoke.

Have wore this one couple times and the first impression was matte and subtle from this fragrance. The salty note makes it a bit difference apart from other iris-woody combo offerings on the market i think. Like it but not love it, and sometimes it kind of remind me a bit of pencil shaving somehow.

Tea Rose by Perfumer's Workshop

I have smelled a lot of rose fragrance but this one really stands out. It's a true, beautiful, alive and fresh smelling rose. I've been crazy about classic perfumes. Fragrances nowadays (for women) smell quite synthetic and a lot of them are just like cotton candy, strawberry etc. I don't know how to describe classic fragrances but I just love them. Classic perfumes just reek with elegance and class, and this is one of them.

For all the rose lovers out there, you must check this out!

Parfums de Nicolai New York. Is it just me or is this quite similar to Pierre Cardin PH, but with a smother vibe? Whatever, it's great. Dammit, I see another bottle buy in the near future....

HYLE by Farmacia SS Annunziata. Listed as Lemon, bergamot, myrtle, lavender, ginger, ozone, musk notes, juniper wood, patchouli.
It smells very similar to Brezza di Mare by i Profumi di Firenze on my skin, quite pleasant, but is it as good as Brezza or Erolfa from Creed - decision time I think as I like all 3.

[QUOTE=Ciprian;1905408]

Bamboo from spanish designer Adolfo Dominguez is a medium-low cost fragance here in Spain. It smells good, it's nice and soft. Some people around here say that it's quite similar to Armani Code. I think they have similarities but are far from being copies.

At the beginning it's very confortable, but don't expect too much sillage or longevity after some time. Anyway it's cheap and much better that similarly priced scents as the "Antonio Banderas Line". 18 euros for 60 ml. Not a bad deal.

Adolfo Dominguez Vetiver and Agua Fresca, you should try them both.

Vol De Nuit - almost has the similar opening to Jicky. But this is definitely way better. A really
gorgeous classic. It has that powdery smell quite common to Guerlains.

Cuir Beluga - the leather here is a bit toned down. The leather is of that creamy soft powdery
leather. My favorite of the L'Art et la Matière range.

Spiritueuse Double Vanille - for some reason, this one is quite similar to Cuir Beluga only this
is spicier, more "bright" than of Beluga. Close to the skin scent

Cologne du 68 - this one has that similarity with L'instant Guerlain Pour Homme. For a cologne, this is
quite good. A sophisticated cologne.

All in all, I am impressed with all these four. WIll be good addition to everyone's wardrobe.

Mona Di Orio day here for me ... New Nombres impressions in the lady section but also trying Nuit Noir ...

Oh my goodness where do I begin , Im somewhere between horrified , intrigued and in love with it . First off its the biggest civet bombshell I have ever tried , it makes MKK seem shy and reserved . Then a tonne of tuberose and jasmine . Its so dense and complex , this need a lot more time

I absolutely love this fragrance!

I'm glad someone agrees with me on this - this is exactly the way I felt when I got Cologne du 68. It seems it has made my L' Instant Pour Homme Extreme almost obsolete.