Fragrance Reviews by bbBD

I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered a sample of this. I've been exploring Italian houses, and SMN is one of the best. What I like about the Italian houses is that they remain very low key, with no marketing, boutiques, flashy distribution, etc. Instead the quality of their fragrances is the selling point, and SMN, Profumum, Mazzolari, and Farmacia Anunziata dal 1561 all offer serious fragrances for the collector that put most French houses to shame.

Anwyay, SMN's Iris has a little bit of everything, and it's quite beautiful. It is neither the earthy, rooty take on iris found in Iris Silver Mist or Hiris, and it's not the super-sweet, violet-backed iris by L'Occitane. It's somewhere in the middle. While you can definitely detect the earthy, floral, 'iris-root' notes, there is a slight and sweet, vanillic powderiness balancing these notes . It's this light sweetness that you detect first, and only as you inspect deeply do the root notes become more apparent.

The closest iris fragrance to SMN Iris is L'Artisan's Iris Pallida, (which is $300/100ml). L'Artisan's Iris isn't quite as powdery as SMN's, and the rooty notes aren't present at all, but it has a similar light sweetness and depth of iris. (I do detect a touch of violet in L'Artisan's Iris, which I don't detect in SMN's.). There are also similarities between this and MPG's Fleur d'Iris, which is mix of rooty iris and vanilla. MPG's offering is far less harmonious, and I find the clash between strong root notes and strong vanilla uncomfortable in that fragrance.

This fragrance is on the feminine side, much more so than Hiris. I will wear 'feminine' fragrances to a point, and unfortunately this is just over the line of too feminine. It's a linear fragrance, as are most of the SMN soliflores, and the quality and longevity are both excellent. This isn't the sort of fragrance from which you would expect, or want, sillage. However, it doesn't stay nearly as close to the skin as other iris fragrances. Overall an excellent offering and I highly recommend it.

Another sublime entry from Parfumerie Generale. The basis of L'Osieau de Nuit is labdanum, and accordingly it is a very ambery fragrance. Unlike Le Labo's Labdanum 18, there's quite a bit more going on. There is a light booziness, and although not published notes I could swear there's a touch of cocoa and citrus. These notes are inferred and not distinct, and the touches of sweetness and a little sharpness round out the fragrance. The citrus hints are more apparent in the heart of the fragrance and when worn (as opposed to sampling on your wrist). On drydown there is a subtle leathery quality to L'OdN, but it is just that - subtle - and not like the leather in Cuir d'Iris or Cuir Venenum.

As with most PGs, there is a gourmand quality to L'OdN without the fragrance actually being any recognizable food. Unlike Aomassai, Cadjmere, and Coze, this fragrance is far more delicate, and while it not transparent by any means (as few PGs are), it is not as rich. This is not a criticism, just an observation, and I think it serves to differentiate this entry from the many other gourmands in the line.

Add this to the list of PG's I would love to see in my wardrobe.

Published notes from Luckyscent: cistus labdanum, liqueur of davana, benzoin, leather

This is totally different from any other vanilla fragrance in that it does not smell of the sweetened 'vanilla extract' found in all other vanilla fragrances, but rather vanilla pods that have a smoky, woody aroma. Although the listed notes (below) may give the impression that this fragrance is all over the map, on the skin nothing besides vanilla pod and cedar is clearly evident... the remainder of the notes are exceptionally well blended and serve to provide depth and structure. I thought Guerlain SDV was the booziest vanilla until I really spent some time with Boise Vanille. Especially at first, there is an almost rum-like booziness that is rich and thick. Citrus notes create sharpness while woody undertones and a touch of spice balance and round out the composition. The entire fragrance has a slight iris like powderiness to it.

There are many, many Montales that I enjoy, but this is the first one that has compelled me to buy a bottle.

Notes from Luckyscent: lemon, geranium, bergamot, lavender, cedar leaves from Canada, Jamaican pepper, iris, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean.

I may be way off here, but as a fan of gourmand fragrances, I don't find that Douce Amere is very 'gourmand', at least not in a traditional way (meaning, it doesn't smell like something you'd eat). Oddly, DA manages to be a fragrance of gourmand notes that ends up not being a gourmand. Regardless, DA is gorgeous and as of now it's my favorite Serge Lutens (having tried about half of them).

DA is driven by a contrasting accord of wormword/absinthe, anise, and vanilla. They are in perfect balance such that the vanilla never dominates or becomes too sweet. Cinnamon adds a touch of flair to the composition, and the strength of the wormwood makes it just sharp enough to keep it from being a gourmand (IMO). A cocoa note come into the picture deep into the heart and persists, adding a touch of sweetness to the base.

Though I like many SLs I've tried, I've only found a couple other to be worth owning... this is one I want to own.

Labdanum 18 is a pleasant amber-ish skin scent that is sweet but not overbearingly so. The first two times I skin tested it, I noted a similarity with another fragrance, but for the life of me couldn't place it... it was something about the heart of L-18, at the point where a sweet floral note emerges and melds with the labdanum to create a buttery effect. It struck me tonight... the heart of L18 is very reminiscent of Helmut Lang EdC/EdP, only with the volume turned way down. This buttery floral/woody accord is the thrust of Helmut Lang, front and center. In L18 it is balanced with musk and amber.

Although it stays close to the skin, only a couple sprays are needed for the fragrance to last forever. High quality, but worth purchasing only if money is not a limiting factor. Even discontinued, Helmut Lang can be found for far less money.

I will not attempt to describe the notes of Apres L'ondee because my perfume vocabulary is simply not sufficient. All I know is that this it is a beyond beautiful fragrance that is both delicate yet resolute at the same time. It is a shame that someone who themselves admit to be unknowledgeable in perfumery would rate this negatively. The chutzpah necessary for anyone but an expert to even try to rate a work of art such as this is astounding.

I received a sample and immediately went to the one online site I knew to carry it. Sold out. My father was visiting NYC and called me from Guerlain to surprise me. He offered me one bottle as a gift, and without hesitation I asked for Apres L'ondee.

All I can say is that I urge anyone reading this to seek out a sample and marvel at its beauty.

JaimeB's review is excellent, and in some ways it's impossible to describe the fragrance that has a bit of everything. What strikes the most about 68 is that for a complex fragrance that shifts and evolves constantly, it is incredibly easy to wear and works well in any situation, on anyone. Some complex fragrances - particularly those concept fragrances in the 'fragrance as theoretical art' category - don't take into account that an actual human will be wearing them. Not so with Guerlain, as this is very enjoyable to wear.

While 68 evolves through many stages - citrus, coniferous, spicy, woody, floral - there remains a slightly gourmand feel to it, probably in large part to the Guerlain vanillic base that is always lurking. The twinge of vanilla, along with a slight muskiness that persists throughout the life of the fragrance, is really what makes 68 as excellent as it is.

My only complaint is the lack of sillage - it's much more of skin scent with little projection. Longevity is average, 5-6 hours, but without really being able to smell it on yourself it's hard to tell. Regardless, this is one of my favorite new bottle acquisitions, and it is something that deserves a full bottle purchase instead of just a decant. A sampling just doesn't do this justice. Required for Guerlain fans, highly recommended for everyone else.

A gorgeous Parfumerie Generale classic.... it does everything PG does, and it does it well. Here we have a woody fragrance that is made creamy - and nearly gourmand - without the addition of traditional gourmand notes. Also typical of PG discordant-made-harmonious is the addition of fruit notes - in this case tangerine - to give the overall composition flair without interfering with the primary accord or being too weird (a la Cuir Venenum). It is not entirely linear. The beginning is somewhat confused; not in a bad way but rather in an interesting 'where is this going' way. Once settled into the heart the creamy wood really comes through, and only on drydown does the amber/vanilla become prominent. This is not a light fragrance by any means, and it will last at least a day on your skin.

If you've never tried Parfumerie Generale and want to know what typifies the PG style, this is one of the first I'd recommend to try.

I'm surprised that I'm the first to review No.3 Cuir Ambre, but given that the Prada exclusives have received very little attention on BN pehaps I shouldn't be.

Have you ever had a fragrance that you wanted upon first learning of it, even though you have no idea what it's like? That's been me with this. I live nowhere near a Prada boutique, and the one time I was traveling and visited one it was long out of stock (it is available at the time of writing from Liberty in London). I have a thing for leather fragrances, and I have a thing for ambers, so the idea of low-run high-quality cuir ambre appealed to me. I did buy an expensive sample, so I knew I liked it, but the sample wasn't enough to actually give it a full wear. A special thanks to fellow BNer ultranova3 for hooking me up with a great price on a full bottle.

OK.... to the fragrance. I'm not sure what the real concentration is... it's marketed as a parfum, but it's not quite that strong - it's more of a strong EdP. It's essentially a hig-quality, linear leather and amber fragrance. Unlike Pierre Cardin Centaure Cuir Ambre, which is 1:10 leather:amber, the leather is the star here. The leather is a strong, smoky leather that is most similar - in leather terms - to Creed's Royal English Leather. It's a bit spicier and smokier, a little more full, then REL. Amber is not prominent - and it's certainly not the least bit sweet, but it's clearly present as a balance to the smokiness of the leather. The entire composition is the slightest bit musky. I don't detect many of the notes listed above - in fact very few of them. If they are present, they exist only to fill out the leather accord and perhaps enhance the fragrance's muskiness. Although not a parfum, No.3 lasts well over 8 hours and only requires light application to give off some real sillage.

A few last notes; the bottle and presentation is great. The Prada exclusives come in a small, rectangular cut glass bottle. The extent of the adornment is a white sticker on the front (a la Helmut Lang) and a white sticker on the side (a la Infusion d'Iris/Homme) with 'No.3 Cuir Ambre' is a small typewriter style font. The small black screw cap (no sprayer) is a little incongruous and cheap compared to the rest of the bottle. At $7+ per ml, you've really got to want this. Although it's not the best leather I own (PG Cuir d'Iris), I'd say No.3 is a must-try for serious leather fans.

I fell in love with Jicky on first spray... the combination of lavender and vanilla, brightened with citrus is just irresistible. Much ado is made of the civet component - I can't say I care - whatever gives Jicky its weird, fun, sparkly personality is fine with me.

I own a bottle of the EdT, and my only complaint is that it's gone in about 2 hours. I have samples of both the EdP and PdT... I believe the PdT is the longest lasting of the three, and I may just invest in one of these concentrations for the sole purpose of mixing with the EdT. Even still, the PdT lasts about 4 hours.

If you haven't tried Jicky, seek it out. There's obviously a reason it's still selling well 120 years after being introduced.

An interesting, lightly spicy floral oriental. There's definitely a powdery edge to this, but it makes for a nice balance with the spice notes, which dominate over the carnation. The vanilla is never too sweet, and I'd swear there's a touch of tobacco in here. In some ways this is very de-tuned version of Feuilled de Tabac - at least in spirit. If you can get past the powderiness, there's no reason a guy can't wear this. The spiciness of the floral actually reminds me of the opening of vintage Equipage.

The initial burst is confusing.... it's not clear what will emerge from the aldehydes. It's a mish-mash of floral, green, and citrus notes. What quickly emerges is a fruity/floral chypre heart that is extremely similar to Diorella. Diorella is a favorite of mine and I'm thus pretty familiar with its intricacies. I tested Cristalle against Diorella, arm to arm, and say that Cristalle is about 80% of Diorella, but with the volume turned down by about half... and by volume I mean sillage, longevity, and just the general robustness of the fruit an floral notes themselves. Diorella was a successful release in 1972. Cristalle was released in '74... can this be coincidence?

Ignoring the Diorella comparison, Cristalle by itself is a solid classic feminine chypre, with a particular emphasis on the lemon notes initially and the floral (hyacinth? really?) later on. Longevity is not great on me - 2-3 hours, and by the time the base merges there's not much to smell.... the heart just fades out.

In and of itself, Cristalle EdT is very nice (avoid the EdP, which is heavy and uncomfortable). In relation to Diorella, I'd choose Diorella.

This is the perfect fragrance for those guys who drive limos, then stand around in the hall of your employer's workplace sleeping or being cranky. Also, Mambo is for you If you're an short, older gentlemen who likes to visit strip clubs and who thinks that you receive attention from the girls because of your sparkly personality instead of your influential boss. Make sure you think you're funny before slapping on enough to create a 7-foot bubble of Mambo around you, and don't forget to stock at least 10 boxes in your fridge so you can douse yourself in this juice every day for the remaining few years of your life.

Thumbs up for Ronnie - thumbs down for everyone else (thus a neutral rating)

My Review Title - A*Men is for Gourmand and Patchouli fans only! Stop Complaining otherwise!

With 190 reviews coming before me, I don't feel compelled to rehash the notes, etc. However I'll address the obvious love/hate nature of A*Men. Not many people are neutral on this. Obviously wearing A*Men requires that you like both strong gourmand and strong patchouli fragrances, as A*Men manages to meld the two genres together. You have a very strong patchouli - with all of its aromatic fullness - masked slightly by a chocolate/caramel/coffee/vanilla accord. However, even if you're inclined to like these types of accords, you CAN NOT overapply.

Application must be via a diffuse spray, and if you do want to lay it on, let a single layer dry then add another. If you put on a thick heavy layer something in the way AMen dries makes it powerfully sticky sweet. I only required about 1/2 of a 1.2ml factory sample sprayer to enjoy AMen all day. If I purchase this, it will be a 30ml bottle, because it would last me forever.

Applied correctly, I get varying notes of patchouli, lavender, the 'choco-cara-vanille' accord, and even some light touches of citrus and musk, that come and go, melding into one another. I can smell myself easily without someone else in the elevator smelling me, which is a perfect balance for me. In fact, AMen gives me of those 'aromatic auras' that few fragrances create and that I find very enjoyable.

In summary, for the brief time that my review is on the top of the page, let me me implore everyone who doesn't like both gourmand and patchouli fragrances to stay away from AMen. You will not like it, and then just get on BN and write a review whining that 'the perfumer was crazy - this stuff is terrible...waaaaaa!'. Please.

If you're looking for a citrus/vetiver look no further. R&G Vetyver isn't a complicated fragrances, and there's not much to add that hasn't been said in the reviews below. I will add only that this is a very vibrant, clean vetiver fragrance that sits lightly on the skin. Once the citrus notes fade, a light but earthy vetiver note/accord remains. By the time a light amberish base emerges what's left is a mild skin scent. As an EdC it only lasts a couple hours, but with a large, inexpensive bottle you can reapply as needed. I like vetiver but find heavy vetivers to be unpleasant in the heat, so when I came across this in a niche shop I bought it on first spray.

It's taken me a few wears over 3 months of ownership to 'get' Equipage, and I can now put it on my absolute favored list. Overall, Equipage is just plain classy. It's masculine without reaching into overbearing as Polo can be, and its understated without being simple. The Equipage experience conjures images of 'proper' gentlemen dressed in a tweed suit pursuing some dandy pursuit such as fox-hunting or perhaps driving an old MG in the countryside.

The opening consists of a bergamot and pine/green accord that, to my nose, creates the impression of containing lavender in its combination of sharpness offset with sweetness. I'm not as good as my peers at identifying specific floral notes, but clearly carnation and lily of the valley play a role in rounding out the fragrance and giving it depth. As the sweetness of the opening fades the coniferous heart emerges, presenting the an incredibly balanced woody/green accord, rounded out by light florals. The drydown is quite musky creating a long lasting, powdery wood. I don't quite catch distinct vetiver or patchouli, but their influence in creating the base are obvious. Just as lavender isn't a listed note in the opening, but the other notes hint at it, leather isn't a listed basenote, but the combination of musk, woods, and vetiver create a comfy-worn leather effect.

On my skin the movement from opening to base is fairly rapid - about an hour - but overall the fragrance lasts on my skin 5-6 hours. Given the fact that you can pick up a 100ml Equipage for about $40, this may be one of the best quality-for-you-dollar fragrances available today.

My review is based on an early-80s vintage bottle of Equipage. I've never smelled modern Equipage, but the Guide says it hasn't changed much. I'm anxious to try modern Equipage to determine whether I can replace my almost-empty vintage bottle with a new bottle or whether I need to make the investment in an vintage bottle again.

Darn.... do you ever want to just cop out and say 'this just smells GOOD'? Well that's how I feel about Nicolai Pour Homme. As already mentioned, lavender is at the heart of this fragrance and is present from application through drydown. When fist applied, the lavender is paired with mint and piney green notes (spruce?). The sharpness of the green notes fades, and for a long time the heart presents itself as lavender with the 'bite' removed by a mix of mint and tobacco. As the base emerges, amber becomes more prominent, the mint drops out, and the composition sweetens slightly. The transitions are seamless as the notes fade in and out. Throughout its life, NPH is constantly presenting a different face... but the changes are always discrete and happen slowly.

There is nothing at all jarring or obtrusive about this fragrance, it just makes you smell good without being overly loud or trying to break ground with some new accord. I could see this as being the fragrance to wear in situations when you're not sure if wearing a fragrance is appropriate. NPH is masculine but could be pulled off by a woman. It stays somewhat close to the skin, but I only gave it a 2-spray application. You'd have to appreciate lavender to some extent to enjoy this, but it's not a sharp, biting lavender at all.

Really, really nice fragrance.

Very pretty rose/berry, but Balkis is shockingly sweet with nothing else to balance out the sweetness. There's not much by way of shift to any spice or anything else in the drydown. The fruitiness just slowly fades out over 2-3 hours. A better alternative to most of the girly-garbage being released, but still incredibly sweet for almost anyone over age 21.

Rarely do you see so many reviews all heap what is essentially the same praise on a fragrance: Shockingly Beautiful. Bois d'Armenie is at once delicate and rich, woody and sweet, - this is a perfectly balanced fragrance. Light woody notes are weaved together with incense and pepper via benzoin and musk (and to my nose a light vanilla, though it's not listed). As it develops the woody notes reside and patchouli becomes more prominent - at which pepper notes fade out. The subtle interaction between the notes coming and going is something to behold. It also becomes slightly sweeter over time, at times coming close to feeling like a gourmand, but it never quite does - at least not nearly as much as it's sister scent, Iris Ganache.

Although I don't have a tremendous amount of experience with Guerlain, this typifies the best of the house. BdA is made to be worn and not just smelled on a strip. I would be a happy man if I could just have this aroma wafting around me always. The notes are in perfect harmony, and it is gorgeous without being ostentatious. It's true this won't project far, it's more of a skin scent, but it doesn't matter one bit because I want my skin to smell like this! Other reviews claim this is marketed as a male scent, although I've seen it on an upscale online retailer as a feminine scent. I'd say it's 100% unisex.

If you can't already tell - I'm smitten. $200 be damned - this is my next bottle.

An intensely bright citrus cologne. The citrus phase lasts longer than most traditional eaux de colognes - about an hour. From there it turns to a citrus/woody mix, and then eventually lightly woody. It's the citrus that is the star here... it was so sour it made me sweat. As with all SMN products, the quality of materials is amazing. There's not too much else to report on a fragrance in this category - it's a great cologne!

I spent a long weekend sampling Creeds when I found my hotel next to a Saks, and of the 20 or so I sampled Chevrefeuille was the most interesting and distinct from the others in the line. The reviews below are very good (except the one about licorice, which neither I nor anyone else detects), and I don't have much to add. The opening of honeysuckle/mint/florals and a touch of citrus is very unique, crisp, and enjoyable. I don't find CO to be feminine at all, and in fact the SA marketed it to me as a masculine. CO is basically linear, but this works for this type of fragrance for some reason. Longevity is average at best, which is kind of a downer for such a pricey fragrance, but otherwise this is high on my 'want a bottle' list.

Simple but fun fragrance... a lot more 'ambre' than 'cuir' unfortunately. Starts out with a distinct leathery note backed up with the sweetness of amber. Within about 30 minutes the leather note is gone and all that's left is a nice amber. Of course, there is no shortage of amber fragrances and there's nothing that makes this fragrance stands out besides its obscurity and neat stopper cap.

I found a bottle on eBay and both love leather fragrances and obscure items, so I bought one. I believe there are sites that sell samples of this.... I wouldn't spend much on seeking this out, but if you come across it, it's not terrible.

As with many Bond No.9 fragrances, Nuits de Noho is a rich composition that borders on gourmand without quite going all the way. It has a lot of body without being overly heavy, and it is certainly not perfumey at all. The other reviews that allude to a likeness with Angel are quite incorrect, unless you think every fragrance with gourmand notes must be like Angel. Angel is a dense, syrupy sweet berry/chocolate gourmand. Nuits de Noho's density is not all gourmand, it certainly isn't as sweet, and is more of a fruity floral. There's nothing 'thin' about NdN in the slightest.

As I've worked my way through nearly every Bond No. 9, I can't help but notice the close similarities between many fragrances in the line. Hearts and bases, notes and accords, are shared across many offerings. Nuits de Noho's gourmand-ish edge is replicated somewhat in the new Andy Warhol Lexington Ave. What sets NdN apart, and what made me purchase a bottle, is the pineapple-based top note that persists well into the base. The fruity top notes are not crisp - they're rounded with jasmine and musk, and they're not girly sweet. They put a fruity face on the floral heart. It's not pure pineapple, but the pineapple is noticeable. It's a much better use of pineapple then in L'Artisan's Annanas Fizz, which sounds like it would great but came off in reality to me as sour and muddled. The NdN fruit notes persist throughout the composition, which becomes more floral, and then musky as it develops.

I put on a healthy application of NdN and it projected very well - in fact too well (I put on a lot). It lasted about 8 hours, which may be in part because of how much I applied. Bond's don't last too well on my skin, and with a normal application it may not have lasted quite that long. Regardless, this is one of my favorite Bonds. Although classified as feminine it is 100% unisex (if you don't mind fruitish top notes) and I recommend it highly.

This is to vanilla fragrances what Audemars Piguet is to watches.... above and beyond anything either run-of-the-mill or even merely 'high-end'. I waited for six weeks for my sample and it was worth the wait. First off, a single spray allowed me to enjoy the fragrance for hours, and I could smell it without reaching my wrist to my nose (I was in a car).

The initial notes are a rich, deep and sweet vanilla. Within a few minutes, Double Vanille morphs into something that is like sweet pipe tobacco, slightly spicy and slightly woody. Tom Ford Tobacco Vanilla comes close, but doesn't have either the depth or spiciness. The fragrance continues to morph, with spice, wood, and vanilla notes intertwining. It finally settles into a vanilla-amber type of base. This was all from a single spray on the back of my hand, so I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to a full wear.

Now if I could just find a bottle....

I love the original, but as we all know it can be quite the sillage monster and thus inappropriate for the office. The light version is what is says it is - a light version - and it can be applied liberally to enjoy the fragrance without worrying about someone at the end of the hall smelling you. It's not so light as be unnoticeable, especially by the wearer. I'd say it's toned down by about 30% from the original.

Comes off as somewhat odd.... I do not get the sweetness others report. Instead, I get a vanilla/lavender accord whose sweetness is tempered by citrus. This balance doesn't quite work, but it's not terrible either. The citrus wears off, leaving the lavender/vanilla accord for a couple hours. While I have nothing bad to say about Suivez-Moi, this is definitely one of those "diminishment through faint praise" situations.

Thumbs up, because it's not down or sideways.

Having tried Fahrenheit 32 before trying summer, I was mostly expecting a fragrance entirely different from the original. Not so at all. This really is a lighter, more manageable version of Fahrenheit. The top notes are a muted citrus that only lightly mask a toned-down version of the original's honeysuckle notes. Gone in this Summer version are the 'motor oil' notes (which are really mossy notes) that some people find to be too strong.

Overall a great Fahrenheit version that would appeal to fans of the original as well as those who would like the original if it wasn't as loud. Stays close to the skin but lasts a long time. This is getting harder to find this as of the time of writing, so if you see it grab it!

I wore the EdT during a day shopping at a high-end mall. I sampled various other niche fragrances that day, and without any question No.22 blew them all away.

Achingly beautiful.

My fellow reviewer below is incorrect, this is definitely unisex. Fragonard Vanille is not masculine by any means, but as far as vanillas go this one is firmly non-feminine. What I like about this one is the subtle sandalwood and spice undertones that distinguish this vanilla from others. I don't get much by way of patchouli notes, but this note may be part of the subtle background that takes the edge of the sweetness of the vanilla.

I experienced Fleur d'Iris somewhat differently than did Foetidus. Of course he's far more educated in these arts, so take my review for what it's worth.

I initially sense an accord that is mostly iris, with perhaps some green notes to fill it out. Within a few minutes the first traces of vanilla appear, and slowly but surely vanilla becomes a more prominent note. I never thought of, or experienced, a vanilla iris accord. It is fantastic... the coolness and woodiness of the iris balanced against the warmth of vanilla. As the fragrance develops, vanilla becomes more prominent. About 3 hours after application the iris is but a coolly mild hint, and the vanilla becomes more amber-ish and musky.

I received samples of this simultaneously with MPG's Iris Bleu Gris. IBG is the 'masculine' iris by this house, and whereas pepper to balance iris in IBG, Fleur d'Iris uses vanilla. Fleur d'Iris is not particularly feminine and could easily worn by guys.

Top Notes: Rose, leafy green;
Middle Notes: Iris, vanilla, jasmine, violet;
Base Notes: Ambergris, vetiver, musk.

I've literally had this for months - received as part of the Hermessence travel set - and I literally just 'got it'. This is my fault - until today I've never done anything but spray on my wrist, and although I appreciated the incredibly realistic black pepper note, I couldn't figure out how such a minimalist fragrance could command such exclusivity and cost. The accord is simple - black pepper with a touch of woods. There's little development and no base to speak of.

So this evening I actually gave myself a few sprays on the neck/shoulders and it all made sense. When worn, PS creates an aura of warm spice around the person wearing it. I heard someone once write that they found PS invigorating, and I see what they mean... on me it has an almost aromatherapy type effect, the pepper being stimulating but never overbearing. I find myself looking forward to the next breath as I breathe it in. The length is average, about 5 hours. At first there was some sillage, but after about 30 minutes it is enjoyed only by the wearer (spraying on clothes lasts longer), but the 'aura' I describes lasts quite a while. This would work perfectly for an office or other situation sillage may be inappropriate.

I'm not sure I would spend the $210 necessary to buy a full bottle, but I will be using my travel size bottle and would consider replacing it. I definitely recommend trying PS, especially to those who either like pepper accords or who appreciate Ellena's minimalist composition style. This is one the the school's best examples.

The notes (per Sephora):

Top: Cardamom C02, Fresh-cut Basil, Pimento Berry.
Mid: Vetyver-leather, liquid Jasmine, Precious Myrrh Incense.
Base: Humidor Wood, Patchouli, Sueded Leather.

At first I didn't think Modern Reserve (MR) really shared that much with the original. I then tested them against each other, one on each arm, and revised that initial impression. They definitely share notes, and more importantly MR definitely invokes the style of the original.

MR stars of with a real cardamom blast, backed up with 'coolness' that it very difficult to articulate... perhaps it's the basil, but it's like a sharp piney-ness that makes the cardamom feel sharp. The fragrance settles into the heart quickly, with the top notes and mid-notes melding for a while. The heart is very 'green'... very piney and bordering on almost being the slightest bit minty. (By this point the original has warmed up, and is very leathery with a tobacco edge). As with the original, MR's notes are very well blended and no distinct note is very apparent. I can't distinguish vetiver or myrrh by themselves, but it makes sense that these notes together create the green heart of the fragrance. The drydown is fairly uneventful... a light leathery/woody/piney base that persists for a few hours. Unlike the original, which can easily be overdone with just a few sprays, MR doesn't kill the entire room with a few sprays. It's got good longevity and sillage without being overly potent.

Overall MR is a great fragrance - especially for being a modern designer offering. If Polo itself wasn't so green and bold, there's no way RL would have released something so radically different than everything else designers have released this year. You don't have to like Polo to like MR - it is its own fragrance for sure.

As with the other Le Labos, its named noted, patchouli, doesn't play a starring role in this fragrance. At first the fragrance is shockingly smoky, resinous, and fairly discordant. And did I mention sillage? There's lots of that also. Another reviewer drew the apt analogy with a fireplace... I agree. This smells not just like a fireplace, but the way a house smells when a chimney is clogged and too much smoke backs up into the house instead of going up the chimney (I had a house with a fireplace like this). You have to like incense/smoke to get through this phase.

The drydown is beyond magic... vanilla emerges and balances out the richest, resinous leather I've ever experienced. I don't sense the sickly sweetness others report at all. In fact, vanilla is barely noticeable as a lone note, but rather a lightly detectable note that keep the entire composition from going too far.

I'll be buying at least a decant of this.... definitely a cold weather only fragrance, but I can't wait to have Patchouli 24 seeping up from underneath my parka as I walk through sub-zero temperatures.

I admit it... I'm a sucker for vanilla fragrances. The current reigning king is Guerlain's Spirituesse Double Vanille. I think most vanilla fans would concur. I had some pretty high expectations for such an exclusive vanilla. The verdict? It's not your ordinary vanilla, but it's not $500-plus-cost-of-exporting-from-Paris vanilla.

The best way I can describe the top notes are, well it's like smelling watery vanilla. It's as if high quality vanilla was somehow diluted, as opposed to just a weak vanilla. The opening reminds me somewhat of the aldehydic dry-down of Chanel No.5 Eau Premiere, with it's floral/vanilla base under the aldehydes.

The heart features more prominent and spicy vanilla. No longer watery, this must be the 'vanilla pod' smell described by other reviewers. The primary vanilla note is lightly spicy and somewhat smoky. It's at this point that the vanilla is most like SDV (though not as strong or boozy). The notes supporting and underlying the vanilla are well blended and unobtrusive - I believe it's a light citrus/floral mix.

The base provides a prominent high quality vanilla that is not too sweet, a little thick, and a little spicy. Again, it's close to SDV but the overall fragrance doesn't project nearly as much.

A great vanilla, not doubt. If it were anywhere near available, and SDV didn't exist, I'd probably buy it. If you have SDV you don't need this, but it's a thumbs up nonetheless.

A strong, 80s type of rough masculine. Powdery and forceful, the citrus isn't crisp or fresh by any means, and the heart is all jumbled together. To me it just comes of as a rush of strong, discordant herbal and floral notes.

This is the type of fragrance I picture being worn by a smarmy guy dressed in a shiny suit who, dipped in cologne, jumps into his Bentley to drive off to the country club. Perhaps it's the Floris Britishness shining through, but I just can't find anything to enjoy about this one, and I can usually find something nice to say about almost any fragrance. The benchmark for male fragrances in the formal category is, IMHO, Tiffany for Men, and this isn't even close. Floris' other masculines like JF and No.89 are much more wearable and enjoyable.

A beautiful white floral with twinges of citrus and vanilla throughout the life of the fragrance (with the vanilla becoming more prominent in the base). It doesn't project far as it is more of a skin scent, but it lasts forever. Personally I don't wear floral-centric fragrances, but if I were to wear one this would be it.

Very high recommendation.

This is the first Mazzolari I've ever tried, so I didn't know what to expect. Being tipped off that a little goes a long way, I went with a small application on my neck and just a dot on my arm so I could analyze. A strong patchouli note isn't immediately evident, but clearly it is part of the depth and structure of the fragrance. The accords mix and meld from amber to incense and woods, with sweet and resinous notes in balance. About 2 hours after application a very clean patchouli note became clear, but amber balances the patchouli to keep it from becoming piercing or overbearing as it does in Montale's Patchouli Leaves.

I've been on big patchouli kick lately, and for me this ranks up there with Borneo 1834 - which is near the top but not nearly as nice as Chanel Coromandel, which is way beyond its nearest competitor.

Funny how everyone has their own memory and version of what a garage smells like. This immediately took me back the dusty, musky smell of my parents' garage when it rained. Rubber, brake pads and smells emitted from steam off the hood as the car rattled after being shut down.

No one else has mentioned - and maybe it's just me - but about 2 hours after application the heaviness of the synthetic garage smell was gone and what was left was a lightly citrus/floral, almost 'fresh' type of accord with the slightest hint of what came before it. In fact I initially forgot that it was Garage on my hand and for the life of me couldn't remember what I'd sprayed on my hand.

Fun for novelty purposes, but as Foetidus points out, even people who smell like garages may not want to smell like garages. The base accord isn't so unique as to make it worth a couple hours of smelling like a garage. The entire fragrance is fascinating, and I love that CdG has the balls to actually retail theoretical exercises, so thumbs up.

Notes (luckyscent) :Laurel aldehyde, traces of kerosene, leather notes, plastic floral notes, vetiver acetate, Chinese cedarwood

Fantastic! The strong opening of clove and incense, balanced with a sweet resinous note, grabs you right from the start. This opening lingers for about 30-45 minutes until it dries down to a tobacco and wood mix that lingers for a long time. There are some fragrances that you just like at first sniff, and this one of those for me. It will project strongly during it's first phase, but from then on it will stay moderately close to the skin. Definitely full bottle worthy!

Tiffany for Men Sport was far ahead of its time. As a fan of Tiffany for Men (TFM), I'd been wanting to sample this for a while. Foetidus' review of the fragrance itself is dead on...there's not much to add in that aspect. I sense a little bit of mint and woods behind the juniper berry, but it's mostly juniper. It's a nice, clean scent that clearly employs high-quality materials.

What strikes me is that this 'clean' accord predicted where masculine designer perfumery would be 10 years later. If you took Tiffany Sport, put in in a *insert designer here* bottle and released it now (fall 08) no one would blink an eye. It is eerily reminiscent of the clean vibe delivered by Guerlain Homme, Gucci by Gucci, Armani Diamond, etc. On the skin, Tiffany Sport isn't quite as light as its 08 children - probably because the materials are better and oil concentration higher - and it lasts a little longer.

If you're buying a modern male fragrance and live near a Tiffanys, check this out.

It took owning this for nearly four months before I could sufficiently 'get' this enough to write a review. Perhaps I needed to understand Ellena's work better, and perhaps I needed to experience more vetivers in general to put Vetiver Tonka in context. Whatever it is, I'm now able to describe Vetiver Tonka in a meaningful way.

As with the other Hermessences, this is an Ellena minimalist-type of composition. A few notes, melded together, without filler or noise in the background to distract from the primary accord. IMO, Vetiver Tonka works better in this respect - as a composition - than does Poivre Samarcade or Paprika Brasil, which are so simple that they come off as somewhat boring.

I disagree that this is a gourmand, at least not in the traditional sense of the 'gourmand' genre. It doesn't really smell like food, but rather it's sweetened enough by tonka bean (which is a lot like vanilla) to give it an edible-fragrance quality, but it doesn't smell like any identifiable food that I'm aware of. There's certainly no chocolate, coffee, licorice, or other traditional gourmand notes. It smells more like an imaginary food than an actual food item.

So what do you get? Vetiver by itself is a very full bodied, complex smell that can be herbal and pungent. In Vetiver-Tonka, vetiver provides the depth and 'base' of the accord while tonka completely takes all of the edge and pungency of vetiver away, hence why the the vetiver itself is not immediately noticeable. Vetiver is in there - it's just that it's traditional face is masked. Conversely, the one-dimensional sweetness of tonka all of a sudden has complexity and body to it. It's taken me countless wears to nail this down. It's an ingenious use of both vetiver and tonka - two notes found in countless fragrances but never juxtaposed directly with each other. If you're a vetiver fan and like your vetiver strong, such as in Malle;s Vetiver Extraordinaire, you will be disappointed.

This is my favorite of the Hermessence line (though I haven't tried Brin de Reglisse). Although I own travel bottles this and the rest of the line, this is the only one I would buy a full bottle of when I run out. As with the other Hermessence, and Ellena, creations, projection and longevity are average at best, but I find it acceptable for such a unique fragrance.

Many of PG's line have gourmand notes, so it's not surprising that a full gourmand would be so rich and full. Caramel and licorice are the primary notes, but as with Yohji Homme, there is a distinct roasted quality to the entire fragrance that keeps it from becoming sweet and cloying. Take Yojhi Homme, roast it for another couple hours to take out the sweetness, and you'd be close to this.

There are definitely some background notes of wood and incense that give body and depth to the Aomassai, but in a discrete way that never interferes with the gourmand-ness of the entire fragrance. The incense becomes somewhat more noticeable in the base, at which point the composition in general becomes slightly musky. Serge Lutens' Un Bois Vanille is a similar fragrance in that it recreates an aromatic atmosphere (of say, a coffee shop or a bakery), but for some reason Aomassai is less sweet and more wearable. Perhaps this is because Aomassai does not rely on vanilla or coffee notes, as most gourmands do.

I'm perplexed at the reviewer that experienced poor longevity. I literally dabbed the back of my hand with the sample vial - not even one spray - and I could smell it for hours and hours. Two sprays would be more than enough for a morning-til-bed application for me.

If you like the PG line you have to try to this - but avoid at all costs if you don't like gourmands.

Published notes: caramel, toasted hazelnuts, licorice, bitter orange, spices, wenge wood, vetiver, balsam wood, incense, dried grasses, resins (per Luckyscent.com)

I've been anticipating today - my first full wear of ESFC - for a long time. First it was on my wishlist for about 8 months, and then I finally found a bottle thanks to a kind BN member, then I had to wait about a month while hurricanes and evacuations delayed my receipt. Why all the fuss for something I've never smelled? Well, I love Eau Sauvage, I love leather notes, and I have a weakness for obscure Dior releases.

Was it worth the wait? Well, yes. Am I blown away? Well, no. At first I was surprised that the topnotes were pure Eau Sauvage, with little if any variation. I was bummed. After about a half hour I noticed the emergence of a slightly spicy, ambery leather accord that blended in with the standard ES drydown to perfection. As the name says (which is translated on the bottle as 'leather freshness'), this is a fresh leather. 90% Eau Sauvage, 10% Leather. I strongly recommend a massive overapplication to one's neck, arms, chest, etc. to experience the full effect.

My only complaint with the original has been longevity. No matter how much you put on it lasts about 2 hours from beginning to end. This problem seems addressed in the FC version, with the longevity being much better and the base persisting for about 5-6 hours.

If you're a fan of the various elements that went into this creation like I am, by all means seek out a bottle. If you're just a leather fan and think this will be a leather rich, lemony fragrance, somewhere along the lines of HL Cuiron, you will be disappointed.

Not to be mistaken with the low-quality fragrance of the same name by Jo Malone, this is what Amber/Lavender should be (and what I had hoped from the JM version). The Jo Malone version feature a briefly lived lavender note that is piercing, and dies off quickly leaving an amber base that lasts for about an hour.

SM Novella figured out how to actually combine amber and lavender such that both notes persist throughout the entire life of the fragrance. One experiences both the sharpness of lavender and sweetness of amber together. As with other SMN fragrances, this is a simple accord of high quality, and the name is what you get. This accord lasts through the base, and at times amber is more prominent, and at times lavender, but there is never a point at which you can't detect both.

From what I've learned about SMN, it is a very old, exclusive house that only recently began exporting. The high price reflects the quality of the materials used, and the bottles themselves are from a niche italian glass manufacturer that can be reused.

A very strong chypre accord twinged with the least-sweet, driest vanilla ever. At first the fragrance is very strong, and fairly discordant. The powderyness of the chypre accord is evident from the very beginning, and the volume is turned up high. Vanilla isn't blended in, but seems to take place as a note next to the chypre. The heart is the most pleasant part of the fragrance, with a prominent dry vanilla becoming more dominant, while the 'chypreness' is in the background. The drydown and base is long-lived, as with most Montales, and is classic chyrpe oakmoss. At this stage vanilla is not prominent, and perhaps only brightens the base a little. I detected other spice notes in the background as well.

For some reason and I am very drawn to this fragrance, and it's take on the chypre genre. I've already ordered a decant and depending on how it wears a few times will seriously consider a bottle.

Definitely a blast of patchouli, but far drier and more wearable then, say, Montale's Patchouli Patch, which is very strong. While patchouli takes center-stage, it is softened with enough vanilla and perhaps a touch of fruit underneath to make this version very different than the hippie-oil associated with patchouli. Plus, if you're not sniffing on skin, but wearing it, the patchouli note blends quite well with other notes and isn't overwhelming at all. As with any patchouli based fragrance, you must like this note to even bother trying patchouili, but within this genre it is great.

By far the most realistic, rich and all-enveloping wood fragrance. It is incredibly complicated - more so than I can describe - and certainly worthy of description beyond just smelling like wood. Hinoki does not hint at wood, or imply wood, and nor is it merely 'woody'. It IS wood. When I first smelled this I was instantly transported back to my friend's basement wood shop, with its variety of different woods, shavings, stains, glues, etc. I instantly remembered all the times we spent in that shop and how much fun we had. If you have some connection to these smells, as I do, perhaps this fragrance means more to you then for those that do not. Perhaps those who hike, camp, or otherwise spend time in the woods will find more to love about Hinoki.

Of course with CdG we again run into the issue of wearability.... sure, it's amazing that the smell of a wood shop can be recreated, but does a person really want to go around smelling like one? Well, in this case that wearability issue isn't as severe as you'd think. The intensity of the wood is only a problem when smelled from a few inches away. When applied (and yes, the sillage is strong) the scent that comes off from farther away is that of a masculine, pleasant woody smell. Within an hour or so the intensity, and realism, of the fragrance dies down and a very warm, fuzzy, enjoyable fragrance is what's left. This may be from the completion of the 'camphor' and 'turpentine' notes, but I'm not sure.

When compared to other 'wood' fragrances like Gucci Rush or Tumulte, Hinoki makes them look hopelessly synthetic and unpleasant.

I'm not usually a fan of wood-only fragrances, but Hinoki was bottle worthy and a prize on my shelf.

I was very excited to receive my decant of this obscure item (as someone mentioned, it is only available at the Dallas, TX Barney's). I'm not sure why Le Labo is keeping this so under wraps, but I can report it's good but perhaps not worthy of such exclusivity.

The opening is very reminiscent of the aldehyde laden opening of Chanel No.22. However, whereas No.22's aldehydic strength persists throughout most of the life on the fragrance, Le Labo's fades fairly rapidly. At first some florals and a touch of citrus lay under the aldehydes, and within the first 30 minutes or so the aldehydes fade, leaving a musky, light citrus/fresh/floral. Although pleasant, nothing distinguishes this Le Labo.

I'm not sure what Barney's Dallas charges for this, but based on the decant price it's somewhere around what they charge for Vanille 44 which is only available at the Paris boutique and somewhere around $500/100ml (per TPC's website). If you're looking for an aldehyde-rich floral I think Chanel No.22 is a much better choice, and at $200/190ml it's a significant savings over Le Labo.

Below are 70+ reviews of Rochas Man, so I can't add much new in terms of describing the coffee/lavender/vanilla gourmand accord. To my nose it comes off almost like cookie dough at first, although in the heart the lavender is somewhat more prominent and eventually coffee and vanilla. The longevity is very good, though it stays close to the skin. Of course this isn't a bad thing with gourmands.

What I like about RM is that it's a straightforward gourmand that isn't too sweet. Bond No. 9's New Haarlem is much richer, with more food smells, as is Yohji Homme. A*Men and A*Men Pure Coffee are more bitter and stronger. CSP's Vanille Mokha is just coffee. Rochas Man fits in perfectly as a very wearable gourmand that isn't always recognizable as a gourmand to those around you. My fiancee at first did not recognize it as food smelling, but instead noticed the smooth lavender.

This is very inexpensive and widely available. An excellent 'reference' gourmand for fans of the genre.

Holy Smokes! This patchouli is no joke. This is not a classy, refined patchouli like Chanel's Coromandel. This is not a dry, chocolaty patchouli like Borneo 1834. This is a sting-your-nose, transport-you-to-the-Grateful Dead-lot-circa-1989 kind of patchouli. That it invokes flashbacks of Jerry kicking into I Know You Rider out of a smokin' China Cat is not to say the quality is $10-per-vial of oil cheap, but rather it is so strong and it is of such high quality that it is like smelling everyone in the lot wearing patchouli simultaneously. It is that smell that reminded you that you were at the show (minus the smells of sweat and pot smoke).

Patchouli Leaves starts out as a sillage monster. I was casually testing a few fragrances one evening when I applied a single mini-spray of PL to the back of my hand. This is a sillage monster. Testing anything else instantly became meaningless as all I could smell was patchouli, and this is without raising my hand to my nose. This patchouli is very earthy and very rich. The juice itself is dark and seemingly thick. The only patchouli fragrances I've tried that come close are Bois 1820's 'Real Patchouli' and S.M. Novella's single note Patchouli.

After about an hour the ferocity subsides considerably, leaving an amber/vanilla/patchouli that is indeed more akin to Coromandel, albeit more earthy. Sillage is still significant, and the longevity is on par with the other Montales - 8-10 hours. I first applied the spray to my hand around 10pm and I could still clearly smell patchouli and amber at 8am when I woke up.

If you want an end-all-be-all patchouli look no further. Just be careful applying or else you may find a bunch of heads following you around asking for tickets to the next Hampton show.

I've become a big fan of patchouli fragrances lately and was interested in what a $285/45ml CdG patchouli would be like. As Vibert notes, the opening is rich in woods and resins, and I identify pepper as well. The resinous notes are at once rich and a little sickly-sweet. Of course a dry patchouli note is ever-present in the background. I would have hoped for an incredibly rich patchouli to be front-and-center, but that is not the case. The sweetness of the resin does fade, and what's left is a smooth, peppery patchouli balanced with woody notes. For your money you get quality - 2 sprays lasted about 10 hours on my skin.

If you're looking for a 'luxury patchouli' I'd recommend Chanel Coromandel ($200/200ml), or, if you can get it, Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 ($175/75ml). If you're looking for a strong, resinous fragrance that includes patchouli, and money is no object, this might be for you.

Thumbs up because this is a quality fragrance, but if I were to factor in cost it might point sideways.

A truly fascinating and unique fragrance, Eau d'Hermes is a study in contrasts and balance. More than any other fragrance I've experienced, EdH smells very differently depending on how much you apply and whether you're wearing it or just sampling it. Someone on the BN message board made the analogy between EdH and scotch whiskey - they are both acquired tastes that are beautiful to the acclimatized but very unpleasant to the casual user. This is incredibly apt. The most important thing you can avoid with EdH is to judge it based on a spray to a piece of paper. The second most important thing to avoid is to judge based solely on an arm or wrist spray (the mistake I initially made).

I first experienced EdH by spraying on my arm and breathing in deeply. The cumin was overpowering, and all I could smell was, as another reviewer put it, "sex". It's dirty and animalistic, with cumin and civet predominating. I did not give up on EdH because I could tell that something was going on under the cumin, something very beautiful. I kept waiting for the cumin to subside and meld into the background notes, but it persisted well past the heart and into the basenotes, loosening its grip as the primary accord at the very end to reveal a soft, woody leathery base. "Nice base" I thought, but could I wait 4-5 hours to smell like that? Also, the strength of the cumin, smelled up close, bordered on being sour enough to smell like urine at times, and I wondered if I'd be walking around reeking of either Kouros or the men's room at Grand Central Station.

I took the plunge and gave it a body-wear. What a difference! When sprayed over a wide skin area and not smelled up close (in other words, diffuse sprays not inhaled from 1 inch away as smelling on the wrist), EdH is an entirely different animal. The citrus becomes much more evident and vibrant, and it is balanced perfectly by the cumin, which no longer reeks like an indian restaurant but rather cinnamon and clove. EdH projects class and a slight formalness, but with a touch of quirkiness, like driving an old Jaguar Vanden Plas. The woody/leathery drydown is gorgeous and lasts forever. You won't smell like anyone else wearing this, that's for sure.

Final thoughts, I can't really picture a woman pulling this off unless it's for the express purpose of getting naked.

I can't add to the great reviews of the notes in the reviews below me. To me, Sweet Oriental Dream is one of the most unique vanilla/gourmands I've experienced. What makes it unique is the balance between sweet notes and nut/floral notes. There's something going underneath the vanilla that keeps me smelling my wrist constantly. After the opening this isn't sweet at all, and even though it's slightly on the feminine side of unisex, I wouldn't think twice about wearing it.

I'm glad this has been reissued! You'd think that coffee fragrances can't vary much, but Vanille Mokha shares little in common with my other coffee fragrances, A*Men Pure Coffee and Bond No.9 New Haarlem. VM starts off with a straight-up bitter, rich coffee note. This note softens over time, going from an espresso aroma to that of dark roast coffee, to light coffee and eventually to a latte with perhaps one pump of vanilla. Never overly sweet, VM is the first coffee fragrance I've come across that is pretty much just coffee.

If you like gourmands you should definitely grab a bottle while this reissue is available.

I came across this in a small niche fragrance shop in Austin, TX and was pleasantly surprised. 1869 is a light, peppery fragrance with melon undertones. It stays close to the skin and lasts longer than your average EdC but doesn't project at all. It's perfect for the office or any other time you want to smell nice without alerting the rest of the world. It's a somewhat unusual accord, and the only thing I've experienced vaguely similar is the lime/pepper accord created by the massive dose of the 'Iso-Super E' in Escentric 01 (by Escentric Molecules). 1869 is much less sharp and tangy than E-01 and not nearly as flagrantly synthetic.

If you know you don't like mint, there's really no reason to try a fragrance with 'fresh mint' in the title... unless you sample fragrances for the express purposes of writing bad reviews and having a high 'review count'. This seems beyond absurd to me but apparently some people do this.

The topnotes of a light, whispy mint definitely freshen this up a lot. Cuts the thickness of the original, and IMO makes it more wearable. I like this more than the original but don't like either enough to buy. If you like mint this just may be a favorite. If you don't like mint, well, see paragraph #1.

Fantastic for those who like gourmands but are looking for something different than another Pure Coffee, Yohji Homme, or New Haarlem. Musc Maori starts of with a rich cocoa note that is obnoxiously strong. This quickly settles down, and as it does a powdery musk becomes prominent. For a while this is the heart of the scent.. musky cocoa. However as the base develops the musk becomes spicier and what finally reveals itself is a lightly spicy, musky skin scent with hints of cocoa.

If you don't like gourmands, you won't like this, but it does offer much more than your average gourmand. As it is a PG, it lasts forever on my skin. Another winner from Parfumerie Generale.

Infusion d'Homme is the only fragrance of the 08 designer releases I found worthy of investing in. I went with 50ml because I know that's all I need, but I love the 25oz bottle ($270) just for the way it looks and other big sizes are priced reasonably ($70/100ml, $100/200ml).

To a large extent it is an EdT version of Infusion d'Iris, but this is not a bad thing. The crux of the (male) fragrance is cool iris presented with a face of neroli. My only complaint is that the other listed notes (which, as with other Pradas are listed boldly on the bottle itself) of vetiver, benzoin and cedar are not noticeable in any meaningful way. I assume these ingredients/notes are in fact there, operating in the background and blended such that you can't pick up individual notes. Again, this isn't new for Prada. Amber Pour Homme, which is a favorite of mine, doesn't really smell at all like amber, and the notes stamped on a metal plaque to the top of the bottle aren't all that clearly detectable, either.

The strength isn't there to carry significant development into drydown. I tested d'Homme on one arm and d'Iris on the other... being an EdP d'Iris was stronger and lasted much longer, but I actually liked something about d'Homme much more. Perhaps it was the subtlety, or perhaps it was the functioning of different notes in the background.

Still, very enjoyable modern fragrance and better than Armani Diamonds, Versace Pour Homme, Givenchy Pi Neo, Davidoff Adventure, and almost everything else designers have offered guys this year.

It's not my thing to write bad reviews... usually I'd prefer to just forget it, but this might be a special case. I love lime notes so I ordered a sample of this along with a number of others from Montale. I didn't even need to smell my skin before knowing it was shockingly strong and awful... just the mist of what wafted up was enough to get me to wash off (I did smell my arm).

Try before you buy.

By far the highest quality lavender I've ever tried. It is firm and sharp - the sharpness probably from the clove/spice notes that give this lavender and bite and an edge. It actually bites the nose a bit, especially on application. There is no alcohol or booziness at all, and the typical Creed dry down to amber is warm and a nice finish. I'm not sure any lavender fragrance is worth $150+, but when I run out of my decant I will seriously think about it.

Dry but not sweet at all, and anything but bland. One really must pay attention to the subtleties here. Bois Blond is sophisticated in its understated elegance, and as with all PG fragrances it exudes quality. If you stop at the top notes you'll probably not 'get' BB and be disappointed, so if you have the opportunity to test this make sure you let it develop for quite a while. The initial smell to me was almost like dirt - something like woody hay. These topnotes persist for quite a while. When I next checked my arm, the dirt/hay smell was gone and replaced with a wonderful, rich cedar/tobacco/amber. As one reviewer mentioned, the notes are constantly shifting, melding, and stepping in and out of prominence. I'm thinking I should jump on this LE release before its gone.

I was so excited to try this, especially with the other Dior Homme exclusives being such winners, with some of those reviews proclaiming Eau Noir to be the best of the three. Oy Vey! I rarely write negative reviews because usually if I don't like something I can still see the qualities in it that make something good. I can acknowledge that just because I don't like a note or two, a fragrance can still be good but just not for me. Not this.

The opening, to me, was dead on lentil soup - with too much salt. I've sampled it now three times, and each time I could swear it smells like salty lentil soup. The fragrance then goes somewhere unexpected - to a sickly sweet amber that is very similar to Tom Ford Amber Absolute. The basenotes come back around full circle, combining amber and some salty/spicy/incense notes that, jumbled together, are somewhat unpleasant.

Not for me at all, and just bizarre. I think Bois d'Argent is the best of the three, with Cologne Blanche right behind.

If you don't like Mure et Musc, it makes sense to not try the Extreme, otherwise you'll be tempted to write a duplicate bad review referencing your original poor review. And that would just be totally absurd.

I digress. L'Artisan continues to challenge and defy my normal fragrance preferences. I'm generally not at all fond of fruity fragrances, but I like this! Perhaps it's because the berry notes are not sweet, but sparkly - as though you were sniffing berry flavored soda water (Polar brand, if you know it). This berry, in confluence with the musky and powdery base, creates a unique fragrance that you just can't help but like. I'll admit I was indifferent at first, but just a couple repeat wears allowed me to see the simple happiness of MeM Extreme.

As I sample more L'Artisan fragrances I'm finding that some of their most simply constructed scents are the best. It's counterintuitive that it should take a more trained nose to recognize the quality inherent in simplicity.

I'm not sure why, but I have a thing for vanilla fragrances. It's odd because otherwise I shy away from sweet scents, especially anything both fruity and sweet. Having sampled many vanilla fragrances, I can honestly say this is one of my favorite, and it is the best representation of one end of the vanilla spectrum. Specifically, this is a minimalist, light vanilla, as opposed to thick, rich amber heavy vanillas such as SL Un Bois Vanille or floral vanillas like Dior Addict.

I assume it's the addition of ethylmaltol that makes Vanilia unique (Turin, p.347). The effect to my nose is to create a soapy undertone to the vanilla note, which is already delicate to begin with. The overall result is a vanilla that is lightly sweetened without being overbearing or cloying in the slightest. There isn't much development - after all this is a vanilla fragrance - but I did notice that the soapiness eventually mellows, making the entire composition a little cotton-candyish.

Definitely bottle-worthy, Vanilia would be a great for the office or anywhere else that you want to enjoy vanilla without projecting yourself like a dunkin donuts. Although definitely wearable by a man, this would be a sexy vanilla on a woman.

I'm not much for rose fragrances, but I find this one very enjoyable and more unisex than any other rose-centered fragrance. As people have noted, the opening is citrus and rose, probably 60::40/citrus::rose. Predictably, the citrus fades and the rose becomes more prominent. A healthy application lasts about 3-4 hours. As with most of the other Hermesscences, this is a minimalist composition, uncluttered with extra notes or background 'noise' to detract from the simplicity of the rose and citrus. If you look at it in this context instead of comparing to preconceived notions or expectations, the lack of longevity doesn't detract from the quality of the scent. Admittedly this is expensive juice to be reapplying 3-4 times in a day. Not the best of the Hermessence line, but definitely among the tops from the Hermes house.

Thumbs up!

I had no idea this was classified as 'feminine' until I saw it here on BN. Obviously it's my opinion that there's nothing about UBV that makes it more feminine than any other gourmand. And what a gourmand this is!! It's every smell that one would encounter in an espresso shop/bakery, the sweetness of which is grounded and somewhat tempered by undertones of woody notes. There's a lot going on here, and as with other Lutens you can chose to either pick out individual notes, of which there are many, or you can just sit back and just take in the entirety of the aroma wafting up at you. Having just used up a pretty healthy sized sample, I will wait until winter to buy this, not because I wouldn't want to wear it in the heat, but rather because it would be so wonderful to be all bundled up in a parka in the cold outside with a healthy dose of Un Bois Vanille seeping out from beneath the coat.

A nice, mild citrus/fruit/light floral fragrance that lasts a good while but stays extremely close to the skin. I had higher hopes that this would be a more robust citrus. BN has this listed as feminine but it's technically unisex... there's nothing that makes this more feminine than any other light citrus fragrance. I'm glad I bought the 30ml and didn't spend a whole lot. Good stuff but I won't back up my bottle...

Thumbs up

As a big fan of the EDC I've been looking forward to trying the EDP, especially because longevity is the biggest problem with the EDP. First off, this is not the exact same fragrance as the men's version, but more concentrated... close but not exact. They are both blended such that individual notes are not immediately evident.

Whereas the EDC starts out with the 'sharper' notes (jasmine? rosemary?) from the get-go, the EDP starts more softly, with the florals more prominent, and the woody and patchouli notes present themselves later. Most people immediately recognize the buttery feel of this fragrance... what creates this buttery effect is the combination of musk, heliotrope and vanilla. The more I wear it the less I interpret the scent as 'butter'. I believe the EDP is less 'buttery' anyway.

Rounding out he musk are some light florals - lily of the valley and rose. Lightly piercing through the musk and florals are woody notes of cedar, patchouli and sandalwood. Of course this really is a skin scent, and on me the sandalwood is particularly evident and sharp - almost spicy. HL does not present itself this way on my girlfriend at all. The florals persist longer, and are more noticeable, in the EDP. Overall either version is unisex. Seeing as though Dior Homme has made it ok for guys to florals, HL really was ahead of its time.

As of this writing both versions are getting harder to find and the cost is going up. If you're interested I'd recommend checking HL out before it becomes elusive.

Thumbs UP

I've this over the last couple days, and regardless of how I try I cannot articulate a review of the fragrance itself. All I can say is that I was captivated from start to finish. At one point I dozed off reading with 31RC on my arm, and I woke up smelling my wrist. Even in my sleep I couldn't help but explore this fragrance! Coromandel might be the most wearable (for a man, at least) of the Exclusifs, but this is by far the most beautiful.

What a neat fragrance! This Iso E Super that comprises the bulk of the fragrance creates some interesting olfactory illusions that lend credence to the notion that synthetic does not have to be a bad thing when done properly.

The fragrance is comprised of a perfect balance between lime and light pepper with a touch of incense lurking in the background. These elements wax and wane in strength over the course of application, but never fail to bore or get me to stop smelling my wrist. To date I have only tried a light application, but I get the feeling that with a heavier application I will be able to catch whiffs of lime and pepper throughout the day.

Perfectly unisex, there's no deep story here, no unfolding drama to interpret.... just a fun fragrance perfect for summer, the office or anywhere else you need 'fresh' scent that isn't a '(fill in the blank) Homme Sport' or '(blank) Femme eau Fraiche'.

On first application I wasn't too thrilled with Amber Absolute.... too sweet, too syrupy. Luckily I've learned that making judgment calls on one wear is a rookie mistake!

On second wear I put two diffuse sprays on the back of my hand and went to work. The beginning was the same story - sweet, vanilla amber so thick it could be syrup. However, I soon noticed at work that the most wonderful aroma was wafting in front of me, right over my keyboard. At first I forgot the AA was on my hand and thought it was my scent of the day (Egoiste). I then remembered I had sprayed the AA and found that the two sprays on my hand were giving off the most lovely, resinous incense-like sillage. These dark notes are balanced perfectly with vanilla and amber. Never quite gourmand, Amber Absolute is rich and inviting, with terrific sillage and longevity.

Thumbs UP, and on my 'purchase someday' list!

Wow... I know I'm not sophisticated enough with fragrances to write a review that does this justice. The initial notes are strong and somewhat discordant, with a heavy incense and pepper focus. I am utterly transfixed with the dry down and may simply have to buy a bottle. A strong patchouli intertwines with vanilla in such a way as to create a chocolate-esque fragrance - the way yellow and blue make green What is so wonderful is that I can smell, at once, the patchouli, the vanilla, and the combination of the two. Leather and amber enhance and round out the fragrance.

Longevity and sillage are great. Having sampled all the exclusifs I can honestly say there isn't a bad one in the bunch, and I would be happy if any were on my shelf, but if I had to choose one this would be it. Final thought, I find this to be unisex and best and if it was classified as masculine I wouldn't blink. This could be worn by a woman but seems more appropriate on a man.

This opens with huge gobs of synthetic ginger like it's brother, BLV, only there's a little more going in with Notte to counterbalance the ginger. Unfortunately it's just enough, and even though I catch traces of notes I really enjoy, like chocolate and light florals, the ginger is so medicinal (or 'baby wipe' as people put it) and unpleasant that it cannot save this fragrance. I have a twice used 50ml bottle sitting in its box waiting for the day it is traded to someone who will give it a good home.

The reviews of the fragrance below are simply too good to improve upon, especially buzzlepuff's description and floatingpoint's analysis that this a fragrance better suited to wearing than sniffing on a wrist. I will therefore relate my experience with Ambre Narguile.

I like gourmands and was made a special trip to a Hermes boutique while traveling just to try this. I made the horrible mistake of zapping the back of my hand with two full sprays. I almost choked it was so strong and overpowering, and therefore I wasn't that taken with it. I ended up buying the Hermessence 4-pack of travel bottles, which includes this. Playing with Ambre at home, I came to learn that a fine mist - one spray from a distance - is the correct dosage for this fragrance to appreciate it. It must be diffusely applied and not concentrated in one area on the skin. One such spray on the chest/lower neck area, and perhaps one misty spray on each arm, allows the wearer to be enveloped in the most wonderful aroma of spicy-vanilla-amber-cake for hours and hours. Unlike the other Hermessences, this is not minimalist, it throws significant sillage, and lasts forever.

If I were to spend $210 on a 100ml bottle of one Hermessence, I'd be hard pressed to decide between this and Vetiver Tonka.

Thumbs way UP!