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Your thoughts/critiques wanted

post #1 of 10
9/20/12 at 12:18pm
Thread Starter 
Tell me what you think Of these fragrance notes for a mens cologne I'm working on.
The notes are in order of dominance.
TOP NOTES: Italian Bergamot, peppermint, cardamom
HEART NOTES: ravensara (woodsy licorice) clary sage, cypress
BASENOTES: oakmoss, myrrh, vetiver (haitian)

Just based solely on what you think this fragrance might smell like, give me your comments and critiques. What images or Themes does this evoke? Would you change the order of sents? Any and all comments are welcome, both negative and positive. Thanks so much for your input
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post #2 of 10
9/20/12 at 12:30pm
Welcome!

The notes sound really intriguing. I think licorice is a great note for men, it has both fresh and woody-roasted aspects. There should be more frags with it. I don't know what ravensara is, though: is it more like anisic licorice, or sweet-bitter-woody as real licorice roots? In any case, I feel that the frag should be anchored by this note.

Of the licorice frags I can think of, some go for sweetness, like Eau Noire, which pairs lavender and a licorice note with sweet immortelle. Perhaps you could add immortelle to the base notes? Though myrrh can be sweetish too.
Others go for a drier, smokier note. Something smoky then?

cacio
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post #3 of 10
9/20/12 at 1:22pm
Thread Starter 
Cacio, Thanks for your input. Ravensara is definitely the focal point of this fragrance. This particular ravensara that I'm using has a slightly spicey woodsy licorice aroma that has very subtle camphoric notes (barely). I'm definitely going for a smokier spicier licorice type fragrance as apposed to a sweet one. I'm now thinking that the Haitian vetiver is a bit too sweet for this blend. Also I'm beginning to see that I put the myrrh in there in over exuberance because I'm a little obsessed with it at the moment. I might just find a spicier vetiver and leave that and the oakmoss alone at the base.
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post #4 of 10
9/20/12 at 1:40pm
I am no perfumer, so I have no clue about materials, but I don't think Haitian vetiver would make it too sweet. How about adding some dry leathery note, like birch tar? And some smoky lavender up top?

cacio
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post #5 of 10
9/20/12 at 2:12pm
Sounds like a masculine chypre to me. Could be good. I love myrrh. Are you using the essential oil or the resinoid? I think the oil is more of a top/middle note.
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post #6 of 10
9/20/12 at 2:55pm
I would add some dirty, ugly musk and a trace of indolene as well as the barest touch of iris.
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post #7 of 10
9/20/12 at 3:01pm
Thread Starter 
The myrrh is a resinoid I believe and it is from Kenya, It sort of smells like latex and wood glue (in a good way of course) I don't know if it's the best fit really. I think I like the Idea of adding a dirty musk and replacing the vetiver with that. Not sure.
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post #8 of 10
9/21/12 at 12:22am
No florals there. Maybe a hint of a floral heart could soften this blend. It may be a bit fierce around the edges. I second a tiny Iris addition or a soft rosy/osmanthusy glow inside to peek out and not shout.
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post #9 of 10
9/21/12 at 6:54am
I would take out the Ravensara (don't like it at all).
Peppermint is very hard to work with, unless it is for toothpaste.
Mumsy is right: almost every fragrance needs flowers. Geranium would fit in as a floral and goes wel with the mint aspect. Heartnotes of rose, jasmin or gardenia might work as well, just a bit.
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post #10 of 10
9/21/12 at 8:13am
It depends if you are after a minty perfume really. There isn't much here to hold it back from being a full on tree-ish green mint perfume with a citrus/spice twist. You may be looking for that.

I quite like Ravensara in small doses to raise the singing pitch a bit. It has qualities like camphor but without the oomph. I agree not the main front note. It wouldn't bear up to the peppermint anyway. It may give it a nuance though. If you want the Ravensara foremost, then you won't need the peppermint IMO.

Have you actually mixed these yet or is this a thought first?
What do you want to achieve?
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