Asha's Fragrances Tried

Fragrances I've tried that are not in the directory:

AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo Aalacho
AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo Angelica Water
AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo Luca ("Elle, Elle")
Ava Luxe Ambra Tibet
Ava Luxe Kama
Avon Goddess
Bois 1920 Come La Luna
Bois 1920 Vento di Fiori
Bulgari Jasmin Noir
Creative Scentualization Love Comes from Within
Dianne Brill
Dior J'Adore L'Eau Cologne Florale (2009 release)
Dolce and Gabbana L'Eau The One
Fred Miller Above for Women
Fred Miller Above for Men
Guerlain Homme Intense
Keiko Mecheri Iris Pourpre
Kenzo Amour Parfum
Kenzo Flower by Kenzo Parfum
Les Ndes Musc Samarkand
Michael Kors Very Hollywood
Parfumerie Generale Papyrus de Ciane
Parfums de Nicolai Patchouli Homme/Patchouli Intense
Riniscence Patchouli Elixir
Victor & Rolf Eau Mega

Fragrance Reviews:

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Parfumerie Generale Papyrus de Ciane

Notes: Bergamot, galbanum, neroli, broom, solar notes, lavender, mugwort, clove, incense, cistus labadanum, hedione, vetiver, Mousse de Saxe, Silvanone, white musk (from luckyscent.com)

Papyrus de Ciane starts soapy, green and bright with a short-lived galbanum and bergamot blast. Soon after, the green impression turns decidedly more golden, as in dried grass or hay, with a sweet woodiness. Into the middle development, some smoky incense notes appear as the soapiness fades. PdC turns decidedly more dry and somewhat powdery at this point, as smoke, moss and labdanum give the impression of a modernized version of a classic leather chypre. This stage develops very slowly, and eventually loses the vague leather quality in favor of mossy tones. PdC settles into a clean musk, wood, incense resin and hay drydown, with smoky vetiver which gives a pleasant impression of burning white sage and tinder-dry paper. PdC is a quiet and understated fragrance which evokes a classic style--lovely.

Positive rating

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Parfums de Nicolai Patchouli Homme

Notes: lavender, Turkish rose, geranium Bourbon, frankincense, sandalwood, bay oil, cinnamon, leather, amber, vanilla (from luckyscent.com)

Patchouli Homme, I am told, will soon be renamed Patchouli Intense, mostly because it has proven to sell well to both men and women. Before I start, let me point out that patchouli is not listed in the notes. Now, let me say that indeed, I smell no patchouli in this fragrance. Maybe that is good--sometimes the headshop associations that go along with the rich, earthy, chocolate, coffee and camphor notes of natural patchouli are too burdensome. On the other hand, rich, earthy, chocolate, coffee and camphor notes sound pretty darn good. So, expecting this kind of depth, I was disappointed in Patchouli Homme. Putting my expectations aside, I still find that I can't quite warm up to this fragrance. It starts with fresh and sweet citrus notes, a blend of light spices, pepper, and an ambery base peeking out from below. It does seem like it might turn out to be a lovely, refined male oriental fragrance. Soon, however, a blaring fougere accord (lavender, geranium) comes into play, the amber mutes itself, taking away some balancing sweetness, and the pepper turns scratchy and dusty. There are also some bitter, smoky wood and incense notes in the dry-as-a-bone base. Patchouli Homme is worth a try for anybody who is attracted to spicy oriental fragrances, but would like something drier and less overtly resinous. As for me, I think I'll take my pepper and smoky woods via Miller Harris Cuir d'Oranger, leaving the geranium for another day.

Neutral Rating

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Victor & Rolf Eau Mega

Notes: Basil, Violet Leaf, Lemon, Jasmine, Peony, Green Pear, Aquatic Note, Musks, Cashmeran, Cedar, Sandalwood (from osmoz.com)

What happens when you combine fresh, aquatic notes like pear and watermelon with woody, spicy notes? In the case of Eau Mega, you do not get anything delicious like pear compote or spiced fruit punch. Instead, you get a nauseating ozone infused "freshness" that smells like wet dog and the slightly burning scent of an air ionizer.

Negative Rating

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Keiko Mecheri Iris Pourpre

Notes: White iris, orris, ylang ylang, chyprchord (from luckyscent.com)

I must admit, Iris Pourpre does smell purple. How they pulled it off, I'm not sure, because there is no distinct purple floral nor is there anything particularly grape smelling about the fragrance. IP is terribly synthetic, with a rubbery sweet vanilla and play-do accord that hums along from beginning to end. There is nothing that I recognize as iris, and although I can tell that florals are present, there is no particular flower that stands out. The base is a bit more interesting, and is composed of a pleasing sweet amber with a touch of spice. In general, IP seems simplistic and glossy, but buoyant, fun and feminine without being too girly--something I would expect to see in a designer line. In fact, if this had been sold by Lancome with the associated Lancome prices, I might be tempted to buy it. However, as a high-priced niche fragrance, I find this one difficult to justify.

Neutral Rating

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Michael Kors Very Hollywood

Notes: Mandarin, Gardenia, Vetiver (from sephora.com)

Straight out of the spray vial, Very Hollywood is a choke-inducing raspberry-lipstick-aquatic-fruity-floral. Imagine the worst aspects of iris, the "inside of a makeup bag" waxy, bitter, powdery notes combined with artificial fruit-flavored candy, "fresh" ozone accord, a p