Fragrance Reviews by Randolph314

There is a lot going on this little bottle. It's complex stuff. I don't know what Jatamansi smells like in its natural state, but the easiest way to describe L'Eau de Jatamansi is that it's a fruitier and spicier version of sandalwood, or maybe a spicy iced tea you can wear. There are a lot of different notes mingling in the background - in particular I notice something resembling orange peel and cloves. It smells a little different every time I try it. Overall I like it, although the longevity could be better (as could the price).

I don't know what everyone else is getting out of this that I'm not. It smells well made - everything by L'Artisan does - but I don't like the notes. I can't detect any rum or lime. If they're in there, they're dominated by this vegetal note that's an unpleasant cross between wheat grass and celery salt. Regardless, this doesn't last long.

This is simplistic, but pleasant. The main note is a sort of generic sweetness (vanilla, I suppose, but mostly what I smell is sugar). That's balanced somewhat by a small amount of citrus. It's inoffensive and vaguely enjoyable, but it doesn't last. That's a killer.

I want to like this, but it's a little old school for me. It's by no means bad, but it's a heavier and darker take on vetiver than I'm used to, and I can't see wearing it often.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this, not knowing what Iris is supposed to smell like. I can't speak as to the flower, but the EdT smells like a cross between black licorice and tonic. I can't say that I'm crazy about it, especially since it doesn't last long, but if you like Iris, it's probably worth a try.

The scent is very nice - very distinctive and sophisticated and generally pleasant. I usually don't like herbals scents, but this one is done right, with the right amount of warmth to balance things out. Unfortunately, it doesn't last at all on me, which is really unusual for an L'Artisan product. It's undetectable in about 30 minutes.

I really like this scent. It's not anything revolutionary but it manages to project a sort of creamy bergamot that's incredibly pleasant. Unfortunately, it doesn't project well and it doesn't last at all on me. If Armani ever comes out with an extreme version, I'll be the first in line.

Because of the tuberose, this really reminds me of Do Son by Diptyque. It's too feminine to be called unisex, it's too sweet, and it's too short-lived, but it's not bad.

When this is first applied, it smells incredibly synthetic, like burnt plastic. That ruins it for me, although the scent does mellow into something that's more wearable after a few hours. Lasting power is good.

I really expected to like this. The reviews are generally very positive and I quite enjoy XS (regular). This is just too fruity, though. It isn't an issue of it being too feminine, it's just not an appealing scent regardless of gender. It reminds me of bubblegum.

I tried this before buying and thought it was worth getting a bottle. It seemed sophisticated and different. As soon as I put it on at home, though, I was disgusted. The tobacco note is just too strong. I feel like I've rolled around in pipe ashes. It has excellent longevity, but whether that's a good thing depends on your feelings for the scent.

My flight home out of Charles de Gaulle airport was overbooked and I ended up having to kill about 6 hours in the terminal before catching the next one. Fortunately, the duty free shop had an unusually good selection of colognes, including everything made by Hermes, Givenchy, and Guerlain. Out of them all, I liked this the best. It's a little on the feminine side but it's distinctive and tropical and herbaceous and . . . just very nice. It's not overpowering but it lasts forever.

Not bad, but the vanilla makes it too sweet for my taste. It doesn't last long - only 1-2 hours. Casran is a better, more durable take on the same theme.

This is one of the better jasmine/bergamot scents out there, but it's just not a combination I enjoy. It doesn't last long and, like a lot of the Fragonard scents, it smells dated. Also, the citrus note is out of place.

This smells like bubble gum, and not in a good way. It's also extremely weak. Stay away.

Too much musk and too many florals. It comes off very heavy and stale.

Like all of the Diptyque line, Do Son is a very refined and intense approach to a particular theme-tubereuse in this case. I don't think this is very suitable for men, and I much prefer Jardin Clos among floral scents by Diptyque. But, if you like tubereuse, definitely give this a try.

Points for originality, but not for composition. I don't generally like the scent of mint, but it's particularly problematic here because of how it conflicts with the hazelnut. It leaves the whole thing smelling like an inferior, funky version of Tommy Bahama, or maybe Le Male. The longevity is good.

This is definitely the best recreation of the smell of the sea that I've encountered (with Aqua Motu by CSP the runner-up). But, I still don't find it very pleasant because of the latex-like note provided by the seaweed and kelp. I would have much preferred just a simple emulation of salt water.

Diptyque never fails to innovate. This is a really interesting take on sandalwood. It smells very specifically like unfinished wooden furniture to me, but in a good way. It's fresh and distinctive. It's not my favorite sandalwood scent-that honor probably goes to Creed-but I could definitely see wearing this once in a while. The longevity could be better, but isn't terrible.

It's unreal how similar this smells to an ivy patch. I don't particularly like the smell of ivy, but this is a high quality reproduction of it. It's very similar to Poison Ivy by Demeter.

Demeter should rename this "dog that's been in the rain." It smells exactly like wet fur. I don't like it.

This smells exactly like cumin. It's not horrible, but I can't imagine ever wanting to smell like I doused myself with cumin.

This is extremely similar to Very Cool by Tommy Bahama. I'm not sure why they felt compelled to make them both. The mint dominates in both, creating a heavy, herbal scent (which is somewhat surprising given the tropical image the brand is known for). The main difference between the two is that Tommy Bahama for Men is also smoky and a little fruity while Very Cool really smells of rum.

I don't love Tommy Bahama for Men, but it's not a bad fragrance. You need to like mint to enjoy it.

Eau Lente is really fantastic, and totally unlike the other scents I've tried by Diptyque. I'm not someone that really loves spice fragrances, but in this case it works.

Eau Lente reminds me quite a bit of Jaipur Homme (by Boucheron) because of the cinnamon and clove. This is a bit spicier though, and also richer. I could swear there's amber hiding in there somewhere. Maybe Opopanax smells like amber.

It also lasts forever. And, it somehow manages to be masculine and refined at the same time.

To start, this is laughably feminine for a scent that's purportedly unisex.

With that being said, it's nice, although not very complex. I can barely detect most of the notes because of how strong the lilac is. I don't think this is really appropriate for young women, but for an older woman in a formal setting it might work really well.

I'm not sure exactly what poison ivy smells like, but this certainly smells like ivy. I can't imagine many people wanting to reek of ivy, but if you do, this is a near perfect rendition. This is unusually good among Demeter fragrances with regard to its longevity.

This is patently unwearable by men. Even on women, I don't think it's that great. The white florals are very vibrant and pure, but they're also extremely heavy and not balanced by other notes. As a result, it smells dated.

I'm continually amazed by the pure quality that L'Artisan puts out. This is easily the most faithful reproduction of black tea that I've found. It smells almost exactly like a pot of good black tea that's been sweetened with honey.

Like a lot of L'Artisan scents, this is too niche for me to wear regularly (it just smells so specifically like tea, and not like an EdT). But, I bought a decant because I knew I would want to put it on once in a while.

This is one of the better Demeter scents I've tried, although that's not saying much. It's much less synthetic-smelling than most of their line. It doesn't really capture the pastry quality of apple pie, but it is a fairly accurate reproduction of apple pie filling (apple and cinnamon). Unfortunately, like most Demeter scents, the longevity is atrocious.

This does not smell like tea. I have no idea what Demeter was thinking. It's very soapy (reminiscent of detergent) and not particularly pleasant.

I'm stunned by how well Diptyque reroduced the scent of figs. This is one of the most natural, fresh scents I've ever smelled. It's also easily the best use of fig I know of, although Marc Jacobs is the only other fragrance I've tried with a strong fig note.

I don't really like fig as a fragrance note, so this isn't something I would wear often, but it's extremely well done. Curiously, it manages to stay close to the skin yet last quite a while.

I can see where the Voleur de Roses comparisons are coming from, but Opone is much less earthy. It reminds me more of White by CdG because of the spice.

The nice thing about Opone is that, because of the spice and fairly restrained use of roses, it is wearable by a man. But, I don't love it for men or women. The spice makes it resemble potpourri and I don't think it goes particularly well with the rose.

I haven't tried MKK or Musc Ravageur, so I don't know how Musk Oil compares. I'm not crazy about musk in general, but this is pleasant. It's a little dated.

Like other CSP scents, Musc Alize has a sort of tropical airiness (white musk in this case) balanced by some unusual fruit notes. It's pleasant, but I'm not wild about it because it's very weak. Also, unlike some other CSP creations, there is no spice or wood note, and as a result it's very feminine.

To love Original Vetiver, you really have to love vetiver, and I don't. But, it is the best vetiver fragrance I've tried. It's darker and less soapy than most. Probably not coincidentally, it's also the only vetiver scent I've tried that has decent longevity. I don't think the comparisons to Mugler are justified.

It's hard for me to believe that this was created in 1997. It smells like it was created in 1927. The strong herbal and floral notes are very dated, feminine, and offputting.

Paname does smell a lot like Douce Amere by Serge Lutens. They are both sweet, anise-based scents with a creamy finish. Paname is not quite as sweet or creamy, though, and in that sense is more something I might actually wear and less an amusing novelty.

Unfortunately, Paname's longevity is absolutely terrible, so there's not a lot of point in wearing it.

What a bizarre array of notes. It's hard to believe someone thought this was great enough to bottle and sell, but then there's not accounting for taste. I absolutely hated this right out of the bottle. For the first half hour the herbal notes are very strong and they don't go well at all with the guava and lime. Anvers does eventually evolve into something more palatable, but it smells very dated because of the herbs and moss.

White is interesting and original and well made, but I don't think it's suitable for men. Because of the heavy use of rose and spices, it smells almost exactly like rose-based potpourri. The cinnamon is also a bit much at first, although it blends with the other notes eventually.

The notes listed on my bottle differ slightly from those listed here (Heart: Cedar and Jasmine, Base: Coffee, Sandalwood, and Amber). Whatever's in it, it's terrific. It's one of the few overtly sweet scents that I really enjoy.

Rochas Man seems to be aimed at the same market as Angel Men, but Rochas Man doesn't have the Tonka overload that I think makes Angel Men quite nasty. Instead, it smells like coffee with a lot of cream and sugar, or maybe a coffee milkshake.

Although New Haarlem smells a lot like Rochas Man, Rochas Man came first, which should count for something. It's also much cheaper, which definitely counts for something. It's longevity could be better, but it's enough-4 hours or so on me.

New Haarlem is very nice, but it's a blatant rip-off of Rochas Man. Considering it's also about four times the pirce of Rochas Man, I can't see the point in ever buying it, although it does last a bit longer.

Coppeneur is a maker of premium chocolates which has apparently decided to market a chocolate fragrance as well with Eau de Cacao. Although a variety of notes are purported to be in Eau de Cacao (rum, fruit, jasmine, sandalwood, chocolate, praline, tonka bean, vanilla, musk, and Peru balsam), it smells almost exactly like baker's chocolate. In that sense, it's unlike most chocolate-based fragrances both because it smells like dark, dusty chocolate (as opposed to milk chocolate or hot cocoa) and because there is little in the way of other notes balancing things out.

This is an intense smell, and it's not something I could ever wear to the office, but it actually does work due to the fact that it's not overly sweet. It's expensive ($50 for a one ounce bottle), but a little goes a long way. Samples can be ordered from luckyscent.com.

In theory, I liked the idea of roses (used tastefully) in a male fragrance. In practice, though, it's just too feminine. It starts off as something resembling potpourri and ends up as baby powder.

The easiest way to describe this is as a muted version of Midori (the liqueur). The use of melon is original and I like that CK was able to create a "fresh" smelling scent without leaning heavily on citrus. The longevity is so-so overall, but good considering that Eternity Summer is a light, fresh scent (which usually have terrible longevity). I could see myself reaching for this once in a while, but not too often given how sweet it is.

I tested Ambre Sultan (Serge Lutens), Ambre Extreme (L'Artisan), and Ambre Precieux together. Ambre Sultan is abominable, but Ambre Extreme and Ambre Precieux are both very fine, and very similar. They have comparable longevity (very good). Precieux is a little sweeter, but not as nuanced.

It's hard to describe amber in writing. I guess you could say it smells like what gold should smell like, but doesn't. I tested Ambre Sultan (Serge Lutens), Ambre Extreme, and Ambre Precieux (MPG) together. Ambre Sultan is abominable, but Ambre Extreme and Ambre Precieux are both very fine, and very similar. They have comparable longevity (very good). Extreme is not quite as sweet as Precieux and is a little spicier.

It's hard to describe Frank No. 1. It's very soapy and clean smelling, similar to the Gendarme line, but it's balanced by the addition of grapefruit and some spices. It's nice. Unfortunately, scents like this always disappear on my skin. But, if you want something extremely subtle, I'd give it a try.

L'homme is by far my favorite of the CSP offerings. It's a complex combination of white musk, nutmeg, and something vaguely tropical and fruity. I don't really smell any citrus. It has terrific lasting power. It's probably the only fragrance I've tried that manages to contain a strong note of nutmeg without being overwhelmed by the nutmeg.

Before trying Very Cool, I'd heard it smells like a mojito. It does, but it's not at all sweet or summery. There is a strong scent of mint - real herbal mint, not the synthetic smell passed off as mint by the toothpaste industry. There is also a note of alcohol, but it smells less like rum and more like generic, cheap aftershave. Finally, there is a background ntoe of nutmeg. It adds some complexity but I don't think it meshes well with the mint.

I was disappointed by Very Cool. The name and the company made me expect something refreshing, but the combination of mint, alcohol, and nutmeg is very heavy and a little noxious. The longevity is excellent, though.

This is the best use of sandalwood I've seen yet. The sandalwood is balanced very well against the other notes, although I'm not wild about the lavender. For whatever reason, though, this does not last on me. It's gone in under two hours.

This is bizarre. Kelp is present, but it's overwhelmed by the smell of plastc/latex. This isn't a scent that I even slightly want to smell like.

This is nice, but a pretty ordinary take on "fresh." It smells grassy and soapy with a hint of citrus. It's similar to Original Vetiver in the way that all vetiver-based scents are similar, but they aren't identical. Mugler has a sour note all it's own and worse longevity.

The problem with vetiver is that it's a fairly weak note. As a result, vetiver scents tend not to be very nuanced - because the inclusion of other notes would overwhelm the vetiver - or strong. Mugler suffers from both of these problems. The longevity, in particular, is problematic.

The combination of white musk and tea is great, but as with the others in the series, longevity is a huge problem. Hopefully some day Bulgari will see fit to make an extreme version of The Blanc.

Iceberg Twice Homme really surprised me. I was expecting something sweet and complex, but instead the sandalwood turned it into something very primal, although balanced slightly by mint. I can't smell most of the sweet and floral notes that others have discussed, although it does sweeten upon dry down. It reminds me a lot of Minotaure. The scent is so-so, but the longevity is terrible. I practically bathed in it and could no longer detect it after 90 minutes.

This is very interesting - sweet and spicy and unconventional - but the terrible longevity ruins it for me. Hopefully Bulgari will see fit to make an extreme version eventually.

This is my least favorite of the Eau Parfumée line by Bulgari, but it's certainly not bad. It must react differently on my skin, though, becaue I don't detect the florals and citrus others have mentioned. Rather, it has a strong herbacious quality and a very subtle tea note.

Unfortunately, however good or bad The Verte smells is somewhat moot given how short-lived it is. Unless you want to carry a bottle with you wherever you go, spraying yourself every ten minutes like a maniac, what's the point?

I love Creed. I like Green Irish Tweed, but don't love it, because I don't love floral/citrus combinations. But, this is extremely well made. It lasts forever, goes with any occasion, and is generally very pleasant (but conventional).

With regard to the comparisons to Cool Water, Cool Water does indeed smell very similar to GIT - almost identical to my nose. But, there is a huge difference in longevity. Cool Water disappears in about an hour whereas GIT lasts 24 hours.

This is disappointing. I usually like CSP's inventive, tropical concoctions, but not this time. The pineapple is too strong and too synthetic and it doesn't go well with the ozone that's sort of a CSP house note. The smell is very similar to the syrup that canned pineapple sits in. And, despite the name, there's almost no vanilla to balance things, although I do detect some coconut. The longevity is also subpar.

This is a very odd EDT. At times all I can detect is a strong anise note, similar to Lolita Lempicka. Other times it smells very oriental because of the inclusion of what I believe is heliotrope.

I generally dislike anise, so I'm not crazy about Must de Cartier. But, the anise is done well for what that's worth. It's less sickly and more nuanced than Lolita Lempicka, although I prefer Douce Amere's take on anise to both.

As far as longevity goes, I can definitely see why an extreme version was created (l'essence). This doesn't last long or project very well. If you like anise, though, I would definitely give l'essence a try.

This is very similar to Mure et Musc by L'Artisan. Both use a combination of a sweet fruit note and musk. I find Fraicheur Muskissime too cloying and too feminine. The musk note is very strong at first, but it quickly dies down and the fragrance evolves to something similar to berry ice cream. At least the longevity is good, particularly for a fairly subtle scent.

This is very ordinary. The metallic note is interesting - it reminds me a little of Magnetism by Escada - but mostly what I get is a very pedestrian and synthetic lemon.

I can't say enough good things about Terre d'Hermes. I can understand why some people might dislike it - it's a very unusual scent - but I love it. It's basically a two-note accord: cedar and orange. It's an odd combination, but it really works. It's sophistication and very masculine yet subtle. Right out of the bottle the orange is a little much, but it mellows quickly.

This does smell a lot like Tsar. I like Tsar a little better -it's spicier and a little sweeter - but they're both fairly loathsome. If you enjoy lavender with herbs you'll like both. If not, you won't. I don't. To my nose it's very feminine and decrepit. The longevity is good, at least (although whether that's a positive depends on your point of view).

The comparisons with Lolita Lempicka are justified - both have strong anise components - but I vastly prefer Douce Amere. It's not as sickly as Lolita and the creamy base adds complexity. I still think Douce is too sweet to wear, though.

This is close to unwearable for me. I mean, I can't walk around my office or a club smelling like peanut butter. But, it's unique and intriguing and everyone should try it at least once.

After reading the reviews here I had very high expectations going in for Casran. It doesn't quite meet them, but other people (I've been around) really seem to like it, and I guess I do too. It is basically linear, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. To my nose, it has three main notes: citrus, cherry and chocolate. My only complaints are that it's a little too sweet and it stays somewhat close to the skin. But, it's inexpensive and the longevity is good. It's definitely a worthwhile purchase.

There is a nice amber note in here, but it's overwhelmed by a synthetic, headache inducing scent-something approximating burnt rubber or latex. I much prefer ambre precieux and ambre extreme.

I think different people smell different notes in this. When I tried it, multiple people commentd on how nice it smelled, but to my nose it smells almost exactly like Red Hots (the candy)-a lot of cinnamon and a little patchouli. Great longevity, but it's too strong for my taste.

This smells identical to GIT...for about an hour. Then it's gone, whereas GIT lasts and lasts. At least this is cheap.

I really don't appreciate all of the anise. Lempicka starts out way too sweet. It smells almost exactly like Good 'n Plenty candiy right out of the bottle. It mellows out eventually, but the anise still ruins it for me.

This is extremely similar to Bleu Marine by Cardin. This is somewhat better done-it's more subtle and less sharp. But, it still boils down to a sweet pepper note that I find somewhat sickly. Longevity and sillage are good.

This is a pleasant lemon fragrance. it reminded me of Gendarme. Unfortunately, it is also probably the weakest EDT I've ever used.

The official notes:

Top: Grapefruit, Fig, Mate
Heart: Jasmine, Vetiver, Mace, Precious Woods
Base: Mosses, Musks, Grey amber, Vanilla

They should call this Musc et Grapefruit. At least, that's all I get out of it. If Minotaure and Vera Wang for Men were mixed, this is about how I imagine it would smell. It's ok, but nothing special. The longevity is decent, but the sillage is bad.

L'Artisan really nailed saffron with this. It's creamy rather than spicy, which I think is an improvement. While I like the scent, I don't think it's something I could really wear. It's too distinctive and I would get sick of smelling saffron all day.

The balsam predominates, and I don't find it that appealing. I also found the longevity to be terrible.

It's an enjoyable scent when you first put it on. It's tangy, with a hint of watermelon-not real watermelon, but the ersatz watermelon produced by the candy industry. But, it's very ordinary, and as everyone else has stated, the longevity is terrible.

The lavender really dominates this. There is something distinctly "old lady" about the smell.

This site needs a fourth category (along with thumbs up, down, and neutral)-fragrances that are interesting but that I would never, ever wear. Visit is distinctive and long lasting, but I've never once woken up and said to myself, "I'd like to reek of nutmeg today." The nutmeg just dominates Visit. I like the scent of nutmeg, but I don't want to smell like I've bathed in it.

This isn't terrible, but it's certainly not good. It smells like sickly sweet pepper and is very weak.

I get much more of a coconut vibe than vanilla. When you first put it on it smells a little fruity, but it quickly mellows into something that reminds me a lot of coconut rum. As others have stated, it isn't very complex and it doesn't last long. With that being said, it's cheap, completely inoffensive, and undeniably pleasant. I have to give it a thumbs up.

I have a hard time distinguishing this from the original. As with the original, I don't find the unnuanced grassiness very appealing.

This is very fresh and soapy, but who wants to smell like grass clippings and detergent? I'm going to have to disagree with the reviewers who think this smells natural, like you just got out of the shower. It seems extremely artificial to me.

This is very pleasant and very well made. It's much more potent and long lasting than I was expecting. When I first put it on, the musk dominated and I could barely smell the berries. Eventually the musk mellowed and it started to smell very sweet. It's probably too feminine for me to wear regularly, but it is nice.

Wow. I'm really surprised at how positive all the other reviews are. I don't hate Minotaure, but the spice and musty overtones are too intense for me to wear. It smells like a stable.

I want to like this. It's complex, distinctive, potent, and clearly well-made. The scent is just repugnant, though.

I'll give Escada points for originality. It reminds me of grape soda. It's pleasant, but the potency is terrible. It's barely perceptible after about an hour.

The scent is pleasant, if unremarkable-a little sweet, a little floral, with notes of tea and orange to my nose. But, God is it weak. There's no point in even wearing it (at least on me).

This does smell a lot like XS. I don't find either all that appealing.

This is awful. It smells like a nursing home.

For me the bergamot is really overpowering. I don't hate the scent, but I don't want to smell like it.

I don't have anything new to add. Buy some.

This is terrific. It's what Ultraviolet Man tries to be, but isn't. It has the same sort of sweetness, but here it's balanced by a really nice fruity accord. It lasts a reasonably long time, and has just the right amount of potency.

I like the idea of a chocolate/coffee fragrance in theory, but this is just not well done. It's sweet in a very sickly way and very offputting. No thanks.

Pure poison. It smells like sugar mixed with your grandmother's shampoo. Doesn't evolve at all.

I really like how this smells right out of the bottle-a little sweet, a little floral, and a little like burnt vanilla. But, that fades quickly. The middle is too floral for my taste. The dry down is nice, more of that burnt vanilla, but it also loses a lot of its potency by that point and gains a bit of powderiness.

I like this the best of the Gendarme line. It's subtle, but longlasting, which is perfect for wearing to the office. But, I still don't love the scent. I'm not sure why I would pay a lot to smell like grass stains and laundry detergent.

When this first comes out of the bottle, the scent is terrific, with strong overtones of coconut. Within just a few minutes, though, that fades and all that's left is the distinctive smell of "green fig". I found it mildly unpleasant. It actually reminded me a lot of green bananas.