What did you try today? (2023)

[PStoller]

Zoologist - Hummingbird

Zoologist Hummingbird mingles light floral tones with delectable fruity nectars to create a harmonious balance. This diaphanous scent alights upon you in a pastel bouquet of honeysuckle, mimosa, lilac and peonies, with just the lightest dusting of natural sugars found in pear, cherry and honey. A finishing dollop of velvety whipped cream melds the tantalizing notes, completing this irresistible and opulent perfume.

Hummingbird is an elevated fruity-floral—perhaps not, per the company description, "irresistible," but surely "harmonious" and "diaphanous." Fortunately, the advertised whipped cream accord never materialized, as it would only have weighed things down. Not anything I'd wear, but a must-try for fans of the genre.

 

[Toxicon]

Still acclimating to my newish bottle of Pino Silvestre EDT... to be honest, I think I enjoy this less each time I wear it. Pine? Sure, it's there. But this is more about oregano than anything. I like oregano fine - in pasta sauce - but dosed this high in a thin little EDC, it just comes off unpleasantly sharp. Combined with the pine note, it smells like I spritzed some pine-sol onto the food prep counter at an Italian restaurant. Evocative in all the wrong ways.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Le Labo Santal 33. Hated the opening notes, but the dry-down and skin scent is fantastic.

 

[freewheelingvagabond]

Spicebomb Infra Red EdP - nice, but didn't distinguish itself from other Spicebomb scents on a test strip.

 

[Melbourne21]

Roja Isola Blu -

Magic

 

[Pheusinger]

https://basenotes.com/fragrances/agua-verde-by-salvador-dali.26124684

 

[hednic]

I tried Gold Immortals Extrait de Parfum by Ex Nihilo which I loved.

 

[cheapimitation]

Finishing off the Affinessence discovery set before I get distracted by Lorenzo Villoresi with Vanille Benjoin.

A nice warm cozy vanilla that thankfully doesn't go sweet. It has a rich almost boozy quality in the beginning and that trademark almost chewy warm benzoin dry down. If it reminds me of anything else I've tried I'd say Celine Black Tie but simpler, it is less sweet, quieter and missing the hint of cigarette smoke that I find in Black Tie.

For me this is very nice because I usually don't like overly sweet or loud vanilla, so this is a nice simple comforting warm vanilla that has some depth and quality material. Probably wouldn't wow most people and you might expect more for the price (it is long lasting but stays very close to the skin), but more or less as with the others from this line it does what it sets out to do.

You could argue against the premise of this brand overall, why pay so much for a perfume that is only half constructed? But, I can find some redeeming qualities in this approach. I usually prefer less busy perfumes and I appreciate how uncluttered and straight to the point these are. I also tend to like perfumes that wear close but last a long time so they are pitched nicely for me. There is definitely a mix of naturals and some synthetics which will be familiar to anyone who's tried a lot of luxury niche/designer exclusive perfumes.

Overall, the range is probably overpriced but these are good for what they are and for what they leave out (I guess that's the point) and for being constructed with a sense of restraint and refinement.

 

[PStoller]

Zoologist - Hyrax

At the heart of Zoologist Hyrax is a daring, seldom-used ingredient in the art of perfumery—African stone, or hyraceum, giving this bold animalic scent its distinctive signature. This unique perfume skillfully blends saffron, pink pepper, whiskey, rose and musks to invoke an abstract image of a dusty African mountainscape. Like the nimble hyraxes that spill from hillside crevices in search of the sun upon their musky hides, this scent will weave its way into your senses with a light but primal touch.

Let's get this out of the way: Hyraceum is fossilized animal excreta. If you're squeamish about that, then Hyrax is not for you.

That aside, Hyrax is patently animalic, even granting that the civet and castoreum notes are, unlike the hyraceum, synthetic. Early on, there's a discernible funk that's not so much fecal, urinous, or even sweaty (à la cumin) as "unwashed." That doesn't last, however, instead transitioning to the saffron, whisky, and musk, creating something like a cross between leather and petrichor. It is, in its own peculiar and un-pretty way, quite seductive.

Hyrax is virtually the definition of divisive, as the widely divergent reviews attest. While I fall in the "love it" camp, I readily admit that it would never be a dumb reach—though, for some occasions, a profoundly stupid one. Do I need a bottle? Absolutely not.

But I do want one.

 

[Akahina]

A haiku review of Tom Ford Oud Minerale from an old official sample before reformulation.



Oh my god it stinks!
Seaweed, colone and weak oud.
Please cut my arm off.

 

[otterlake]

Honey Trap by Clandestine Laboratories. A new work in progress that smells great! A vetiver forward fragrance with mint and a golden ambery halo that transitions into a classic smelling vetiver accord with hints of amber and some coriander. I really enjoyed it! Not sure when it will be available for sale as I believe it is still in progress, but it appears that it's very close to completion as it smells like a finished product to me.

I was able to try this, too. I've smelled nothing like it.

I find the drydown enjoyable, but the opening was *really* challenging for me.

 

[hednic]

I tried Jardin Des Avelines by Pont Des Arts which I loved.

 

[PStoller]

Zoologist - Koala

Zoologist Koala opens with an invigorating blend of lemony honey and the sweet aroma of eucalyptus. They float above a blanket of black tea and spices, then draw you even deeper into musky amber and woods. The result is a unique and carefree scent that snuggles in around you, enveloping you in an embrace both playful and independent.

The top notes of eucalyptus, mimosa, and (wait for it) menthol honey gumdrops make the opening of Koala its most distinctive phase, though perhaps not its most attractive. Soon enough, though, the odd tropical-piney mix recedes, revealing a soapy amber-fougère hybrid that I could wear all day long. And I could probably get used to the opening, too. After all, a koala’s funny face grows on you pretty quickly.

 

[hednic]

A Chaque Instant by Pont Des Arts which was wonderful.

 

[Davidoff_fan]

Narcotic V by Nasomatto. I really like it.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Gucci Guilty Oud, which has been discontinued for a few years now, but still available here and there -- thankfully! I wasn't expecting its rosiness, and therefore paired it up with Chanel Paris-Paris. Very nice indeed.

 

[Toxicon]

Latest shipment of goodies arrived today. Got to sprayin' immediately. Not all are new to me, but it's been a while since I've smelled 'em.

• L'Occitane - Eau de L'Occitan. I've smelled this a bunch of times over the years at L'Occitane stores, but somehow it never jumped out enough to warrant a purchase. Still, I knew it was quality juice, so when I got a craving for a well done, honest lavender scent, I found a good deal online and snapped it up. Wearing it on skin now, and it's just lovely. Realistic opening lavender, black pepper, nutmeg, and some musky cedar in the base. Simple but extremely well done, smelling a lot like a bar of high-end soap, perhaps a touch barbershop but somehow upscale. This could easily be a signature scent for the right person.
• L'Occitane - Eau des Baux. Stunning blend of cypress, incense and vanilla, with a touch of tobacco. I went through a decant of this when I first joined basenotes - I wasn't really wearing a lot of sweet scents yet, and this one opened my eyes to a much wider world, even if I wasn't quite ready at the time. I'm definitely ready now, and I'm honestly shocked I still love this as much as I do. Like L'Occitan and others from this house, , it's simple but exquisitely balanced, with much better ingredient quality than you'd expect for the price (it smells natural, and cedar oil is one of the main ingredients - even leaves a nice oil stain when you spray on paper). I guess I'd call this a woody oriental / light gourmand, but it's the kind of scent that might appeal to folks who don't normally go for gourmands or overly sweet ambers. It's a bit sweet yet still restrained, and it doesn't wear heavy at all. Reminds me of... a root beer float, for some reason. Magical stuff.
• Burberry for Men (aka Burberry Classic). I sprayed this in passing at a discount store a while back and wound up really enjoying it, even if it's nothing unique. Pretty much a stock 90s fresh fougere, with a light apple note and a touch of sweetness that makes it lean more autumnal than most in this genre. It's hard sniffing this alongside Eau de L'Occitan, which has a much better lavender note, but this feels perfectly nice for what it is. Outshined by my other new acquisitions for sure, but my bottle only cost $13, so no real harm.

 

[Scent Detective]

Nefertum by TRNP. This is a beautiful fragrance with notes of blue lotus, Mysore sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and several other notes as well. Spicy, slightly sweet, but not overly sweet. Not currently available and possibly discontinued, but I'm glad I got to try this fragrance as it's a beauty. Thanks to PStoller for the sample!

 

[PaTomas]

Just received this. Love it for the summer. Bright, ginger, sandalwood so far from what I can smell. Smooth and woodsy base but lightly. Beauty.

 

[d r e]

Rosie Jane Dulce:
Opens up caramelic and indulgent. Airy, low projection type of scent that smells delicious. Dry down is seems to be a pretty plain vanilla in the vein of LMG, Skylar Vanilla Sky, Sabrina Carpenter Sweet Tooth. I think it smells really nice

Glossier You:
So this immediately reminds me of Clean Reserve Radiant Nectar & Sparkling Sugar. Same base DNA but without any of the sweetness. Very minimalist and sort of unique smell that you wouldn't expect to be coming from a perfume. Seems like the aura of a girl's unscented body products coming together at once. There is a makeup/lipstick iris type of aspect to it, but it's not the same type of Iris used in popular masculine fragrances. Overall a sort of clear and musky scent