Reviews by Cheetah1919

Magus by Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume

I might be with ya here Proust, and the cloves are a standout for me too!

Mousse Illuminée by Rogue Perfumery

Well let’s just say, I have about 75 FB’s of fragrances, and over 100 throughout 20 years of wearing and 10 years of actually building a collection.....and this is the first and only fragrance I’ve ever bought a backup bottle of!

Just cannot take the chance that they wouldn’t be able to make this anymore for whatever reason. Deserves all the accolades it gets!

Elixir by Penhaligon's

So if you’re looking for something similar to TF Sahara Noir, this is definitely a tamed down version. It’s not a match by any means, but there are definitely aspects that give off the same vibe....but not as strong or sharp. Elixir is a bit smoother. It seems that it’s about equally as hard to find a bottle of this, as it is Sahara Noir, so I’m gonna have an uphill battle. At least I have Sahara Noir.

Café Ambre Noir by Sultan Pasha

Agree with almost everything said about this in the other reviews. It is going towards gourmand, but never actually gets there like other fragrances that feature coffee, vanilla, chocolate, spices and such. The Oud and other notes keep it perfectly from being to sweet/foody/etc. Smelled many SP offerings, and this one is top 3 for me! I haven’t quite figured out how far and long it actually projects, but it stays on me forever, and stays on strong! I get constant whiffs for 12+ hours.

Maderas de Oriente Oscuro by PK Perfumes

MDOO on me is very high class cigar/tobacco shop. It’s so realistic it’s almost mind blowing to me. I get mostly tobacco, some smoke, a bit of sweet resinous vibe in the background. Lovely, well done Paul!

Antimony by House of Matriarch

Goes on strong, with an early bit of funk, but that quickly dissipates and I get a vibe like that of LDDM. There is more of a charred rose element than frankincense to me though. There’s something some amber accords and spiciness that I feel blends well together. A bit of a sharp green smell that comes off slightly bitter, which may be what could smell plastic like. But it’s also kind of a musky earthy strong smell as well. If I were to guess, I think it’s actually real spikenard used in this fragrance! Overall I like it and think it smells like a high quality composition.

Black No. 1 / Blackbird by House of Matriarch

A very nice earthy, smoky/sweet fragrance. Can see why it’s mentioned when sexy scents are brought up. I don’t get the comparisons to Anubis though. I wear Anubis quite a bit, and Black no. 1 is not near as bold or challenging to wear imo. Also, there’s no smell of actual cannabis here, which is a good thing to me.

Devotion by House of Matriarch

I see this as a softer sweeter type of incense offering. There is definitely a touch of vanilla, and a non offensive Oud like the kind I smell in Crop 16 from House of Oud. I also like that I actually smell more myrrh than frankincense.

Amber Absolute by Tom Ford

As others have said here, it really does open up sort of boozy, and just a tad bit animal dirty. That all goes away quickly, and AA becomes this powerful amber patchouli bomb! I get a little blended in incense, however I wish it had more. It’s moist and thick like most of the TF private blends, and lasts all day. I think it has some nice similarities to Sahara Noir too. Very well done!

Sublime Essence Ambre by Ex Nihilo

This is a really nice slightly sweet, ambery oud. And I definitely smell some non skanky oud. There is a nice light woodiness to it, and maybe a touch of incense. Definitely high quality and worth a pretty penny imo, but maybe not the big retail price tag. I found a great deal on my FB, so I’m more than happy!

Dear John by B Never Too Busy Be Beautiful

A nice slightly spicy/fresh clove, with a bit of woodiness to it. Very wearable and I think it’s a fair priced hidden gem!

Labyrinth of Spices by Alghabra Parfums

One of the harshest, weirdest, unpleasant fragrances I’ve ever tried. It is also ABSOLUTELY the longest lasting fragrance in the history of the world! I tried to scrub it off a couple hours after applying with every substance and chemical known to man, but nothing worked, and it literally stayed on my arm in some capacity for 3 days.

If for some reason any of you all try this, and like the smell, you will hit the jackpot for performance.

Sea Islands Spyce by Coastal Fragrance

Very pleased by this one! An inexpensive long lasting mix of Aventus, Trumpers Eucris, and Lolita Lempicka.....imo. It has a nice barbershop type cleanliness and a blast of oakmoss!

Enigma pour Homme / Creation-E pour Homme by Roja Dove

Just got the pure parfum Creation E at Bergdorf Goodman’s, and couldn’t be happier! It lasts almost 2 days on me. All of the good things said about it, I wholeheartedly agree with.

Sensei by Piotr Czarnecki

This is now Shihan, and I just got my FB from luckyscent, and it’s fantastic! It’s kind of gourmand, but definitely not too sweet. Shihan goes on with a rum and tobacco opening, almost like a honey vanilla type tobacco. There is a bit of amber and cocoa in the background and drydown, and it’s all balanced out with a little spice! It’s a very warm scent that is working out well in the col weather.

Hyde by Hiram Green

Holy Cow, this is a monster! If you like DARK scents, you need to try Hyde. As mentioned below, it is as beastly as T Rex. I like dark thick scents, but even I can’t handle this. There’s a chewing tobacco smell that rears it’s head too.

Opus IV by Amouage

A bit of floral that softens the cumin note just a bit, but that’s all I get with this. So far not a fan of the Opus line. Haven’t found any I like of the four I’ve sampled.

Opus VI by Amouage

Looked promising with the thought of pepper and frankincense upfront, but none there. Just ends up being a powdery amber scent, with some synthetic citrus mixed in.

Frank No. 2 by Frank Los Angeles

There is something extremely interesting in this that I can’t put my finger on, and I’ve never smelled that particular note before. To me, it is in the same realm as Endymion, as there are a lot of similarities to me, but probably more bright and fresh. It lasts a good long while, but only moderate projection. I am glad to own a FB though!

Kyara by Di Ser

Definitely a nice fresh Oud with a bright lemony opening. The medicinal woody Oud is great and lasts throughout, but I’m not sure if it’s quite the Kyara smell I’ve experienced on a couple other occasions. I don’t feel like I get much cedar or sandalwood, but a bit of pine resin or something close. I also
don’t pick up any rose, but that’s a good thing for me, I didn’t want smell any rose. Obviously it’s extremely expensive, but if you have a flexible budget, it may be worth the FB price.

Whispered Myths by Imaginary Authors

Wow, got WM in a sample pack awhile back, and now I’m not sure if I ever tried it?!? Found it in the drawer today and used a good amount...and glad I did! It’s real, quality, Oud! It’s easier for me to decipher between real and fake Ouds since I’ve been purchasing a few real Oud oils lately. The cedar and honey aspect really balance out the medical sharp edges of the Oud. FB worthy imo!

Myths Man by Amouage

This mostly gets a thumbs up for its complexity, but also the nice smoky leather drydown. Longevity as always is also a huge plus! It starts and continues for awhile with floral, I’m guessing chrysanthemum since I don’t smell much iris or rose. I can see why this gets a lot of strong reviews both ways since it is that polarizing, but as far as a few stating they smell fecal or barnyard aspects.....I don’t know, I can’t see that at all, and I’m usually very sensitive to any fecal matter in fragrances.

Some similarities to Interlude, but I like Interlude more. Myths goes off in more directions than I would prefer, but still seems well composed.

Noir Encens by Mad et Len

A very lite incense type scent. It is clean and just a bit sweet, possibly from the amaretto. Surprisingly for being softer, dry and lite, it still has decent projection and lasts a good long time. Very worth trying!

Embers by Rouge Bunny Rouge

I just figured it out....Embers smells a lo like TF Sahara Noir, just not quite as strong! This could be a good thing, as the opening of SN is sometimes overbearing for me.

Plein - Jeu III-V by Sauf

This one ended up being my favorite of the first 3. It is light and definitely not dominant in any way, or with any note. I get a warm burning bowl of resins, amber, and slightly sweet incense of some sort, but it is extremely well blended! Liked it enough to purchase the FB.....which is a fantastic piece in its own right....some of the best and neatest package, box, and bottle combination that I’ve seen!

Contre Bombarde 32 by Sauf

I mostly agree with ClaireV’s review below! There is a nice old churchy feel to this with plenty of levels throughout its span. If I really concentrate, I feel like I can pick up on every note in the pyramid! An unappreciated hidden gem IMO

Eau Sacrée by Heeley

The review below says it all for me. While similar to Cardinal and Avignon to me, I find this to be nicer and deeper than the others. More of an authentic (not trying to hard) feel. Glad I bought a FB!

Bracken Man by Amouage

Bracken just keeps getting better every time I wear it! It’s like your freshly mowed grass just got sprayed down, but the hose was filled with a fresh soapy, cinnamon clove mixture! Clean, spicy, grass....yuuuuummm!!

Armani Privé Sable Fumé by Giorgio Armani

Just sampled this today, and the review from lovescully below could not be anymore spot on! My review would be the same, just not as well articulated! Try it!

Portraits : The Uncompromising Sohan by Penhaligon's

If you like real raw Oud, I think you may be a fan of this Uncompromising Sohan. It is done really well, and as pointed out in the first review, it starts fairly sharp but ends with a softer more mild side. I also think the rose is fairly hidden in this fragrance. Rose dominant scents usually bother me, but Sohan is mainly characterized by the Oud with some minimal vetiver and saffron. If anybody has smelled Histoires Outrecuidant, I believe you’ll find some nice similarities!