OMG! OMG! OMG! Tabac Blond!!!

[PuddleMonkey]

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks!





Edit: I had a nice little write up about how it has a old school feel and is better suited for women, then I went to 'grantica to grab a photo and saw it is old and marketed to women. Still sucks nonetheless and I'm done with this house.


The House of Banned:
Amouage
Bond No. 9
Calvin Klein
Caron
Frederic Malle
Jean Paul Gaultier
Knize
Thierry Mugler

[Merely]

I could not disagree more absolutely.

But do post your impressions; 'it sucks' is not very precise.

[hednic]

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks!

Not in your top ten then I guess!

[PuddleMonkey]

Not in your top ten then?

Speaking of ten, it reminds me of Knize which also opens with the raping of your senses and is relentless throughout. Both are perfect examples on how to f*<k up leather.

[persianprince]

Monkey, you once listed for us your top 5 complimented getters i believe it was, what about scents you like the most..what do you actually like? I'm curious, since well know what you dislike based on your posts lol Rose 31, Aventus and TV are the ones i know off hand you enjoy...give me a handfull of others.

[PuddleMonkey]

Monkey, you once listed for us your top 5 complimented getters i believe it was, what about scents you like the most..what do you actually like? I'm curious, since well know what you dislike based on your posts lol Rose 31, Aventus and TV are the ones i know off hand you enjoy...give me a handfull of others.

"I Like"

by PuddleMonkey



I Like Armani Attitude
I Like Canali Black Diamond
I Like Comme des Garcons Kyoto
I Like Creed Aventus
I Like Frank No. 2
I Like Gucci Pour Homme II
I Like John Varvatos Artisan Black (All 20 minutes of it!)
I Like Le Labo Rose 31
I Like Le Labo Santal 33 (Sans the dill opening)
I Like Lubin Figaro
I Like Micallef AvantGarde
I Like Micallef Gaiac
I Like Mark Birley Charles Street (Corrected all the mistakes Tom Ford made with Tuscan Leather)
I Like Montale Wild Aoud
I Like Serge Lutans 5 O’Clock Au Gingerjicky
I Like Tom Ford Extreme
I Like Xerjoff Kobe
I Like Xerjoff Uden

[persianprince]

"I Like"

by PuddleMonkey



I Like Armani Attitude
I Like Canali Black Diamond
I Like Comme des Garcons Kyoto
I Like Creed Aventus
I Like Frank No. 2
I Like Gucci Pour Homme II
I Like John Varvatos Artisan Black (All 20 minutes of it!)
I Like Le Labo Rose 31
I Like Le Labo Santal 33 (Sans the dill opening)
I Like Lubin Figaro
I Like Micallef AvantGarde
I Like Micallef Gaiac
I Like Mark Birley Charles Street (Corrected all the mistakes Tom Ford made with Tuscan Leather)
I Like Montale Wild Aoud
I Like Serge Lutans 5 O’Clock Au Gingerjicky
I Like Tom Ford Extreme
I Like Xerjoff Kobe
I Like Xerjoff Uden

Curious to try these two, actually sampling TL as i type this and not sure how i feel about it. Also, you left out Invasion Barbare, how could you not like this one...

[Tonyprince]

We all have our preferences, and I've never tried Tabac Blond, but writing off an iconic fragrance with "Suuuuucks" in a large font is not particularly helpful to anyone.

[PuddleMonkey]

We all have our preferences, and I've never tried Tabac Blond, but writing off an iconic fragrance with "Suuuuucks" in a large font is not particularly helpful to anyone.

I was looking in my fragfridge for the list. I don't have a bottle of Invasion yet, it's back ordered.

[PuddleMonkey]

We all have our preferences, and I've never tried Tabac Blond, but writing off an iconic fragrance with "Suuuuucks" in a large font is not particularly helpful to anyone.

Would it be more helpful if I increased the font size from a 5 to a 7?

[JiveHippo]

The House of Banned:
Amouage
Bond No. 9
Calvin Klein
Caron
Frederic Malle
Jean Paul Gaultier
Knize
Thierry Mugler

Blasphemy!! Please sample Memoir Man and remove bolded entry from list.

[PuddleMonkey]

Blasphemy!! Please sample Memoir Man and remove bolded entry from list.

A minty version of Fou d'Absinthe isn't going to save them from bant camp.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Was it recent suckage or vintage suckage? Many lovers of vintage Tabac Blond would likely agree with an assessment of recent suckage.

[PuddleMonkey]

Was it recent suckage or vintage suckage? Many lovers of vintage Tabac Blond would likely agree with an assessment of recent suckage.

I have to assume recent since it came from Luckyscent.

[fjord]

Would it be more helpful if I increased the font size from a 5 to a 7?

[Beranium Chotato]

The House of Banned:
Amouage
Bond No. 9
Calvin Klein
Caron
Frederic Malle
Jean Paul Gaultier
Knize
Thierry Mugler

Being a noob, I am lacking all the backstory of these boards. I would love to know the reasons for everyone on this list. Mainly because I find I like many of the things you like but had planned to try many of those banned houses. (Okay, I know I hate Thierry Mugler since a bottle of A*Men spilled in my car in the 90s, and I spent subsequent years in a confined space unable to escape the impression that I was perpetually baking chocolate chip cookies.) What about the others?

[laph]

Hmmm recently got a sample of the parfum from The Posh Peasant and thought it was quite nice.

Aventus on the other hand...zzzzzzzzzzz

[Redneck Perfumisto]

I have to assume recent since it came from Luckyscent.

Perhaps, herein, lies the answer.... I think that when people get very passionate about this juice, they're talking about the old stuff. Consider what is likely one of the least angry reviews of the new stuff by a lover of the vintage....

Tabac Blond (Caron) ★ woody floral ... (much deleted)

And then sometime in the last few years, Fraysse instituted a smoking ban in Tabac Blond. The top note might seem deceptively right, smelling like a top-shelf whiskey, but once that’s gone, you’re left with a powdery, ambery rose related to the iteration of Arpège that Fraysse the younger worked on, but not as good. At least it’s not like the version we smelled in Harrods a few months ago: a cheap green chypre like Eau du Soir. I’m not sure what’s going on with these variations. All I know is I loved Tabac Blond. Can’t Fraysse instead go ruin some perfumes that weren’t interesting in the first place? TS

Tania Sanchez (2008-04-10). Perfumes (Kindle Locations 7065-7077). Viking. Kindle Edition.

[hedonist222]

Tabac Blond is very good.
Very complex.
So well blended.

Too bad puddle.

[Merely]

Powdery, ambery rose? That would certainly fit the current eau de parfum - but the parfum? No. I discern great clouds of smoke in it. And the castoreum - mein gott, it is so thick. It is a very tactile experience for me, like most Caron parfums. In this instance, it is like wearing a short Roman military cloak made of leather that slaps against my thigh with each step that I take. The smoke is usually very particulate, but sometimes weaves between the leather and tobacco. And it lasts approximately 18 hours. This sort of experience is outside of the realm of much of perfumery, and is why Caron is my favourite house. I will believe in the degraded reformulation of Tabac Blond should I ever smell it, which I hope I never do, as it is sublime.

I believe that eau de parfum of Tabac Blond is routinely given under the name of parfum. The Perfumed Court, for example - if one looks at their costing for the extrait, it simply cannot work, is impossible, no matter how much they buy in bulk. But it works perfectly for the eau de parfum, still returning them a profit.

[hedonist222]

Also, puddle are you spraying or dabbing?

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Powdery, ambery rose? That would certainly fit the current eau de parfum - but the parfum? No. I discern great clouds of smoke in it. And the castoreum - mein gott, it is so thick. It is a very tactile experience for me, like most Caron parfums. In this instance, it is like wearing a short Roman military cloak made of leather that slaps against my thigh with each step that I take. The smoke is usually very particulate, but sometimes weaves between the leather and tobacco. And it lasts approximately 18 hours. This sort of experience is outside of the realm of much of perfumery, and is why Caron is my favourite house. I will believe in the degraded reformulation of Tabac Blond should I ever smell it, which I hope I never do, as it is sublime.

I believe that eau de parfum of Tabac Blond is routinely given under the name of parfum. The Perfumed Court, for example - if one looks at their costing for the extrait, it simply cannot work, is impossible, no matter how much they buy in bulk. But it works perfectly for the eau de parfum, still returning them a profit.

Thanks for this juicy bit of information! I won't even waste my time with anything but the true parfum, from an unquestionable source. Much obliged!!!

[hedonist222]

Thanks for this juicy bit of information! I won't even waste my time with anything but the true parfum, from an unquestionable source. Much obliged!!!

I found that the urn version (i.e: parfum extrait) of each Caron perfume was more complex and niche than their EDTs/EDPs.

[PuddleMonkey]

Being a noob, I am lacking all the backstory of these boards. I would love to know the reasons for everyone on this list. Mainly because I find I like many of the things you like but had planned to try many of those banned houses. (Okay, I know I hate Thierry Mugler since a bottle of A*Men spilled in my car in the 90s, and I spent subsequent years in a confined space unable to escape the impression that I was perpetually baking chocolate chip cookies.) What about the others?

I'll break them all down when I'm not soaring like an eagle. For now I'll explain the first one, Amouage.

There's no doubting the quality of Amouage. The ingredients and longevity of their scents are top notch. The scents themselves however, no so much. Opus II has a urine note. Opus IV smells like carbonated bubble gum. As mentioned above Memoir Man is a mint version of Fou d'Absinthe, with a much higher price tag. Gold Man smells like Chanel #5. Epic Man is a EPIC FAIL. Ciel Man is a $265.00 bottle of liquid soap. Silver Man reeks of cheap after shave. Reflection Man actually smells good, but it's too reminiscent of a softer Le Male.

Other than the quality ingredients Amouage does nothing to justify the price of a bottle, their entire line is a big mixed bowl of bleh.

[PuddleMonkey]

Also, puddle are you spraying or dabbing?

dab for this one

[Redneck Perfumisto]

I found that the urn version (i.e: parfum extrait) of each Caron perfume was more complex and niche than their EDTs/EDPs.

One more reason for me to return to New York City!

[bokaba]

I'd have to agree mostly with your banned list. I haven't tried enough of Amouage or Bond no. 9 to make a decision, though. I was trying to think if there was anything good from Caron--I sort of like Le 3 Homme, but it gives me a headache. Also, if I didn't have access to Royal Scottish Lavender, Arome 3, Caldey Island, or Oxford & Cambridge, I'd probably go for Caron PuH for a quick, cheap lavender (nonetheless with pastry/plastic vanilla notes).

[cameron]

AGree with a lot of PM's views on frags, though I have done a 180 and now LOVE Musc Ravageur (after initially hating it based on the opening notes). I still hate the opening notes but now LOVE the drydown.

Also New Haarlem is awesome, so I'm not banning Bond no 9 just yet. Roucel is a genius.

[PuddleMonkey]

One more reason for me to return to New York City!

But I don't think NYC is gonna let you marry your sister. You may want to stay put.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

But I don't think NYC is gonna let you marry your sister. You may want to stay put.

Damn! And I'd have to get new plates, too!

[PuddleMonkey]

I have done a 180 and now LOVE Musc Ravageur

Words cannot express my disappointment, so I leave you with this.

[PuddleMonkey]

Damn! And I'd have to get new plates, too!

lol

[Larimar]

Powdery, ambery rose? That would certainly fit the current eau de parfum - but the parfum? No.

I believe that eau de parfum of Tabac Blond is routinely given under the name of parfum.

Exactly! This would also explain why practically all rantings about a Tabac Blond reformulation came from the U.S. It only takes one Eau de Parfum aluminium cannister to arrive in the U.S. and samples and decants being spread under the name of Parfum. Did the receiving party check the fragrance in the cannister when it arrived? Do they know the difference between the Parfum and the Eau-de-Parfum (a different formulation)? I only buy from Caron and I know my stuff.

[Primrose]

I happen to like both the EDP and the extrait of the new Tabac Blond.

A nice iris/leather and up there with my love of Cuir Ottoman.

[nikitary]

What's wrong with Thierry Mugler? I think it is perfectly acceptable to stink of burnt sugar and tires, drenched in gasoline...
NOT

[d4N13L]

Rock on with Acqua di Gio instead

[alfarom]

The House of Banned:
Amouage
Caron
Frederic Malle
Knize

Mommy, make him go away!

[laph]

Funny thread

[PuddleMonkey]

Mommy, make him go away!

[Oupavoc]

Wow your house Banned list has some very good names, whats up with that.

The House of Banned:
Amouage
Bond No. 9
Calvin Klein
Caron
Frederic Malle
Jean Paul Gaultier
Knize
Thierry Mugler

[PuddleMonkey]

Wow your house Banned list has some very good names, whats up with that.

The House of Banned:
Amouage
Bond No. 9
Calvin Klein
Caron
Frederic Malle
Jean Paul Gaultier
Knize
Thierry Mugler

I just realized it's missing Montale.

[DNT]

PuddleMonkey, in your breakdown of Amouage, you left out jubilation 25, IMO the best from the line. Would love to hear your thoughts on it and other houses on the black list.

[PuddleMonkey]

PuddleMonkey, in your breakdown of Amouage, you left out jubilation 25, IMO the best from the line. Would love to hear your thoughts on it and other houses on the black list.

Fair enough. I liked the berries in the top notes, very nicely done and enjoyed them immensely. Didn't care too much for the amber/opoponax dry down. It's not that the base is bad, its more so the berries going away and my personal feelings about amber/vanilla/tonka base notes being abused by perfumers who are clearly out of ideas. Personally I see it as cheating, an easy way out as it's really hard to f*ck up (although somehow Atelier managed it).

[thebeck]

I just realized it's missing Montale.

I think you should add Royal Crown too!

[PuddleMonkey]

I think you should add Royal Crown too!

if you don't behave I'll add PureDistance.

[rtamara41]

Redneck makes a good point about vintage vs. current...I have a tiny decant of what I believe is vintage parfum Tabac Blond that is golden sex in a bottle, and another recent one that makes me think of a stale dirty ashtray. one must savor the beauty and cannot cling too tightly, I suppose...

[Beranium Chotato]

Thanks for the explanation. I just recently got samples of all the Amouage men's scents, and I have to say that I completely agree. In each one, I detected some good ideas in there somewhere--but the ideas didn't come together, and the base in all Amouages seem very perfumey to me. Just not my thing.

Then I tried Jubilation XXV. It was the last one I sampled. By then I was fairly certain it would be a waste of time, but I was completely wrong. I loved it. I wore it to work, and it kept me happy the entire day. I had the weird impression that it was working really hard to please me--like all the accords in the blend were sparkling to get my attention. And for what it costs, it should work hard But I will definitely be buying that one next and not even thinking about the price. I think it's good stuff.

I'll break them all down when I'm not soaring like an eagle. For now I'll explain the first one, Amouage.

There's no doubting the quality of Amouage. The ingredients and longevity of their scents are top notch. The scents themselves however, no so much. Opus II has a urine note. Opus IV smells like carbonated bubble gum. As mentioned above Memoir Man is a mint version of Fou d'Absinthe, with a much higher price tag. Gold Man smells like Chanel #5. Epic Man is a EPIC FAIL. Ciel Man is a $265.00 bottle of liquid soap. Silver Man reeks of cheap after shave. Reflection Man actually smells good, but it's too reminiscent of a softer Le Male.

Other than the quality ingredients Amouage does nothing to justify the price of a bottle, their entire line is a big mixed bowl of bleh.

[Beranium Chotato]

Frederic Malle next?

(I just bought one today.)

[Dorje123]

Puddlemonkey, have you tried Tribute Attar and Lyric Man? I think those 2 are pretty good. I agree Reflection is like a softer Le Male, but it's also in a different league as far as quality.

[casism]

I believe that eau de parfum of Tabac Blond is routinely given under the name of parfum. The Perfumed Court, for example - if one looks at their costing for the extrait, it simply cannot work, is impossible, no matter how much they buy in bulk. But it works perfectly for the eau de parfum, still returning them a profit.

Just wondering, how reliable is Luckyscent when it comes to this? I've just ordered a bottle of their extrait ($100 for 7.5ml), so is it likely I'm getting the real deal? Colour-wise, their extrait (from the website) appears a richer colour than the EDP.
(Not that I mind trotting along to Harrods to get it direct from the urn.)
Cheers.

[Larimar]

The point with Caron is that you can bring down the price per ml a lot by ordering larger quantities. So for a 500 ml refill the price comes down to a range of 1.4-1.6 Euros per ml. I once was sent an EdP instead of an Extrait. I know my stuff, so I got it replaced. If the receiver does not and resells it as Extrait...

[rbaker]

Good point.

[Primrose]

I believe that eau de parfum of Tabac Blond is routinely given under the name of parfum. The Perfumed Court, for example - if one looks at their costing for the extrait, it simply cannot work, is impossible, no matter how much they buy in bulk. But it works perfectly for the eau de parfum, still returning them a profit.

Just wondering, how reliable is Luckyscent when it comes to this? I've just ordered a bottle of their extrait ($100 for 7.5ml), so is it likely I'm getting the real deal? Colour-wise, their extrait (from the website) appears a richer colour than the EDP.
(Not that I mind trotting along to Harrods to get it direct from the urn.)
Cheers.

My best bet withe extraits is to order directly from Caron. I think Lucky Scent sells the 7.5 extrait that comes in a prepacked box.

[casism]

Thanks for the info guys - I'll just have to compare the delivered product to descriptions here. I guess if the smoke is more prominant than the floral notes...

[Larimar]

I LOVE the extrait, but I don't care for the EdP at all. The extrait has an opulence, a smoky leather facet that the EdP does not have. The latter is more like nice cigarette smoke initially, before it fairly quickly reminds me of Caron's Alpona, a shower-gel like association that comes to my mind, fairly cheap to my nose.