What did you try today? (2022)

[PStoller]

Pierre Guillaume - Bois Blond

Bois Blond opens with an aldehydic sweet green floral accord—an interesting take on galbanum—before settling into a grassy, woody main phase. The amber/musk base is more of a support for that than a strong colorant, so while the pyramid suggests a sort of paglia e fieno oriental, Bois Blond is more of a light outdoorsy scent, like a stroll through the country on a mild day.

The good news is, it’s beautiful. Alas, it’s also somewhat ephemeral, which could explain why it’s been discontinued. Still, worth finding and applying liberally.

 

[H_West]

Wore Tom Ford Noir EDT for the first time, it feels like an ethereal version of Habit Rouge with a hint of milk chocolate.

Tempted to also pick up Grey Vetiver and Beau de Jour.

I thought of Habit Rouge when trying Noir as well. I think it was two years ago now. Do try the other ones! Worth a shot


I tried Tom Ford Extreme recently. Mmm, loved it. Maybe not the most suitable for this summer but I doubt the decant will last through the fall.

 

[Oviatt]

Polo Earth. Interesting--nothing at all to do with Polo Green. Reminds me of a slightly "muddied" version of Mugler Cologne. Lasted a New York minute on my skin. Love the idea behind it; only quite like the actual result.

 

[Will1968]

Please use this thread to discuss which fragrance you tried for the first time, or that you sampled today.

Try and add a bit more context than just the name of the perfume - perhaps a few words about what you thought about it, or what led you to try it?

If you have a lot to say about the fragrance you've just tried, please consider starting a new thread about it as well

Just as we came out of lockdown last yr I bought a bottle of Ted Baker XO from the perfume shop outlet store as it was on offer around £15.00. I wore it once but I have a habit of thinking all scents now are beginning to smell the same, so it went to the back of my tray. HOWEVER I tried it again and WOW I actually love this scent as it has a very pronounced Musk scent on the drydown, as well as vetiver and other spicy notes and accords. This is now vying for top spot in my signature scent list.

 

[mixerscent]

I thought of Habit Rouge when trying Noir as well. I think it was two years ago now. Do try the other ones! Worth a shot


I tried Tom Ford Extreme recently. Mmm, loved it. Maybe not the most suitable for this summer but I doubt the decant will last through the fall.

Extreme or Noir Extreme?

I thought of Habit Rouge when trying Noir as well. I think it was two years ago now. Do try the other ones! Worth a shot


I tried Tom Ford Extreme recently. Mmm, loved it. Maybe not the most suitable for this summer but I doubt the decant will last through the fall.

I'm liking these lighter TF's like Noir EDT and Grey Vetiver, and have the new Beau de Jour on the way.

Did you try TF Extreme or Noir Extreme?

 

[H_West]

Extreme or Noir Extreme?


I'm liking these lighter TF's like Noir EDT and Grey Vetiver, and have the new Beau de Jour on the way.

Did you try TF Extreme or Noir Extreme?

Now I tried TF Extreme, the discontinued one. Too bad I liked it that much Could be tricky to buy more. I have a decant of Noir Extreme as well and that one is nice too!

 

[teardrop]

Now that the weather's warmed up a bit, l'll return to the remaining three "warm weather fragrance" samples from Ebenas' fabulous giveaway earlier this year, starting with Citron Citron by Miller Harris:

This opens with a burst of refreshing, zesty citrus, mostly lemon with a twist of lime, to my nose. And although other notes come along to join this accord, l find it's sustained for the duration of the fragrance on my skin, something that few citrus fragrances manage to achieve. Mint & basil come along within the first five minutes, & all of these notes are very clear & natural-smelling, with not a hint of household cleaning products or air fresheners. One hour in, the cardamom adds a subtle spicy warmth without ever turning curry-like, & then later the cedarwood grounds it all without obliterating the freshness of the citrus-herbal accord. Others have remarked on poor longevity here, & it's true that it settles quite close to the skin after the first few minutes, but for me it's still clearly present for many hours when l sniff my arm, only beginning to fade around nine hours in.

l very much enjoyed this, & l think it would make a perfect pick-me-up to cut through the sluggishness that hot & humid days can bring. Thumbs well up!

 

[hednic]

Emerald Royals by Ex Nihilo which is very nice.

 

[cheapimitation]

Revisited several things in a quick run through the mall:
From Louis Vuitton:

California Dream: I dunno there's something woody/scratchy in this that recalls floor cleaner, my least favorite of the bunch.

Cactus Garden: the notes sounds great but I have trouble getting much from this. If I sniff hard I get a vague herbal greenness. I've tried this several times and still not sure what it smells like, I guess it doesn't leave an impression.

Afternoon Swim: a really happy fragrance, smells like sweet orange candy with a "designer" ambrox base. I don't mind this one but it's just too generic for the price.

On the Beach: didn't like this when it was first released, but after trying it a few more times it has become my favorite of the range. The mix of sweet and fruity with herbal and woody is more interesting than the others and doesn't smell like anything I've smelled before. Sometimes it smells like fruity candy or herbal essence shampoo and then I get a contrast with herbs and woods which makes me keep smelling.

Byredo Pulp: I tried this long ago and didn't like it, but I think my tastes have opened up to more adventurous things and I'm appreciating this now. First off, it makes the LV feel like meek and mundane in comparison. Synthetic fruit syrup, but there's something woody and something tart that balance the sweetness in a good way for me and lend a juiciness. I might have to pick up a 50ml of this.

 

[Ken_Russell]

Old Spice Bearglove-an almost Hugo Boss style fresh, fruity (almost apple dominated) casual scent

 

[Schubertian]

Side Effect (Initio). I could swear there's some oud in this. The listed notes don't explain why I smell oud.
Precious Oud (Van Cleef & Arpels) I can't smell any oud in this whatsoever.

 

[PStoller]

Sous le Manteau - Vapeurs Diablotines

Cinnamon, vetiver and clove: a succubus’ sillage heralds your coming. Dominant even when subdued, you quench your thirst to the essence, to the fleshy, carnal substance of love. An animal wreathed in styrax and castoreum fleece, your gaze pierces through lies and disguise, your desire ever yearning for the most intimate, to taste naught but the naked truth of each one. Forgiving nudities, you know the ways of love, you charm away through life…an aromatic spicy scent based on a 19th century love potion.

Vapeurs Diablotines lives up to its description as "aromatic and spicy," as well as "devilish." No brimstone, though: rather, the initial animalics and spices are joined by incense and citrus to sustain the naughty with ever-flowering nice. That's the sort of devilry I can easily embrace. FB worthy, for sure—and I'll be seeking out more samples from SLM.*

*Just bought a set of five.

 

[hednic]

Patchouli de Sumatra by Chopard which I found wonderful.

 

[PStoller]

Libertine - Smoked Bloom

We bask naked in the nectar of the island’s golden treasure. Amber glints of splintered sunset rise from rolling waves. A sentry wisp of smoke rises from our growing fire. They came claiming conquering but their names now whisper forgotten and their ash feeds our supple soil.

Perhaps this was reformulated, as the one BN review before mine claims it’s all smoke and no bloom, whereas my perception is diametrically opposed. Smoked Bloom opened for me with a blast of jasminesque osmanthus, after which the floral “smoke” cleared to reveal stone fruit and citrus. My wife picked up synthetic sandalwood that I didn’t get; neither of us noticed smoke or fire.

In any case, the scent is a hard pass, which goes double for the inane “poetic” description.

 

[firstascent]

went into the store a little worried, had a short list of fragrances to smell I kept hearing about (nothing new, but new to me) and was worried I'd love and want them all. I ended up not getting any of them

First up was Terre D'Hermes both EDT and Parfum. reviews aren't lying when they say Woody, it's VERY Woody! I don't know if it was because it was a hot day or maybe I just don't like it, but it was a little much and didn't make me say WOW. I'll try it again in a few months but don't think it's for me.

Next up was Replica Jazz Club. To be honest I don't remember what it smelled like but I remember thinking I don't care for it much. It was different, I didn't hate it, but didn't love it. It was just OK. Horrible description I know, maybe I'll have to try again or similar to above, maybe it's just not my style.

Grabbed a few random others off the shelf to smell but nothing that caught my eye (nose?).

 

[N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer]

First time trying the original 2007 formulation of Dior Homme Intense, what a treat.

I think it was a tad bit deeper compared to my other DHI bottles from 2008-10. Enjoyed every minute of it.

 

[hednic]

Ruby Naga by Stephane Humbert Lucas which I found very nice.

 

[Ken_Russell]

Vetiver Hombre

 

[Schubertian]

Freckled and beautiful. Scrubber. That "milky" note and a vague biscuity smell made me queasy. Yuck, sorry.

Better luck with Mon Vetiver (Essential Parfums). Fresh, nothing powdery or earthy here. Slightly masculine-leaning but wearable for a woman. Actually I'd love to smell this on a man in summer. Lasting power was not fantastic.

 

[PStoller]

Commodity - Leather

This rich composition shuns the usage of real leather, but utilizes the best natural raw materials to evoke the supple texture and raw sexiness inherent to new leather. An aromatic blend of balsamic labdanum, an animalic black leather accord, and a spicy, woody Akigalawood® accord.

“Leather is a very personal and passionate source of inspiration for me. I wear black leather almost every day. I love the feeling of it, the way it sounds, the way it smells, its magnetism. My preference for leather is luxe, thick, ultra-shiny, velvety to the touch and very redolent. I measure my leather by a mixture of shine, thickness and suppleness and, of course, its sensual scent." - Rodrigo Flores-Roux

Commodity’s Leather was launched as part of the Platinum Collection back in 2017. Commodity shut down in 2019, but was rebooted in 2020, with the original scents rebranded as the Archive Collection.

Perfumer Flores-Roux has done a fine job of evoking leather, combining old-school ingredients like IBQ and labdanum with newer aromachems like Akigalawood. The net result should please leather purists well enough—it even softens with time like leather.

It might read as a bit two-dimensional to those who prefer leather as a component of a more expansive composition, However, its price of $125/100ml is inexpensive as niche goes, so I suppose folks with an upscale budget could use it just for layering.

I like it as it is: cheaper and, to my nose, better than Tom Ford Ombre Leather. Thumbs up.