Reviews by furrypine
La Dompteuse Encagée by Serge Lutens
Thumbs up if you are looking for a radiant ylang-ylang fragrance. It starts with a subtle spice blend and a whiff of peach but soon ylang-ylang becomes the main note. It reminds me of Terracotta by Guerlain, though not as blindingly bright. If you are looking for a sophisticated tropical, beachy scent, this might do nicely,
Roasted Green Tea by J-Scent
Lovely green tea that is gone too soon. Nice sparkly mint that sinks into a muddled base. The peanut makes no sense.
Paper Soap by J-Scent
Loaded with aldehydes and laundry musks that the rest of the notes have a hard time fighting through. Smells relentlessly clean. If you want to tell the world that you own a bar of SOAP and are not afraid to use it, this is the one for you.
Emporio Armani Stronger With You by Giorgio Armani
For what it is, I like it. A modern gourmand, clearly inspired by Invictus by Paco Rabanne. Sweet, youthful, uncomplicated and safe. Many will buy it.
Vert de Fleur by Tom Ford
Similar to Silences by Jacomo. They share many of the same notes: galbanum, orange blossom, hyacinth, rose, iris and moss.
I am wearing both to see how they compare and develop. Fleur has a more powerful sillage and is slightly more fruity, Silences is a touch more spiky green, but as they progress through the day they really are very similar.
I like it, but if you have Silences, Vert de Fleur seems redundant.
I am wearing both to see how they compare and develop. Fleur has a more powerful sillage and is slightly more fruity, Silences is a touch more spiky green, but as they progress through the day they really are very similar.
I like it, but if you have Silences, Vert de Fleur seems redundant.
Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum by Guerlain
It's really not worth all the hoopla surrounding the launch. It's a run-of-the-mill sugary fruity-floral, adding nothing new to an already crowded segment of the market. Not vile, just dull.
Homme by Ligne St Barth
Notes found on the company's website
Top: lavender, rosemary and lime
Middle: anise and orange flower
Base: fern, moss and hay
The top note read as a little harsh but that could be because I'm not a big fan of rosemary. It soon settles in a slightly spiced lavender-centered heart with fern and hay in the mix. The anise and orange blossom are no more than accents in the scent.
It's very much in the fougere family and may read as a bit old-fashioned or formal but it's well done and I will miss my sample when it's gone. Not full bottle worthy but I wouldn't mind having a large decant of it.
Top: lavender, rosemary and lime
Middle: anise and orange flower
Base: fern, moss and hay
The top note read as a little harsh but that could be because I'm not a big fan of rosemary. It soon settles in a slightly spiced lavender-centered heart with fern and hay in the mix. The anise and orange blossom are no more than accents in the scent.
It's very much in the fougere family and may read as a bit old-fashioned or formal but it's well done and I will miss my sample when it's gone. Not full bottle worthy but I wouldn't mind having a large decant of it.
Tijuca by Ligne St Barth
Notes found at company's website:
Top: lemon, mandarin, West Indian cherry
Middle: jasmine, Caribbean rose, cashew apple, lychee
Base: sandalwood, amber, white musk
A light fruity-floral, with more emphasis on fruit than flowers. Pleasant and office friendly.
Top: lemon, mandarin, West Indian cherry
Middle: jasmine, Caribbean rose, cashew apple, lychee
Base: sandalwood, amber, white musk
A light fruity-floral, with more emphasis on fruit than flowers. Pleasant and office friendly.
Années Folles by La Parfumerie Moderne
The first time I tried it, I sprayed the sample on before going to work, thinking it's lavender, it's going to be fine and perfectly office friendly, what could possibly go wrong? The lavender is radiant; a little goes a long way, and the scent turns musky after a short time. Skanky, in fact. Maybe it has a wonderful drydown but I didn't get that far. After 90 minutes of intensifying musk I washed it off.
Have you been looking for an animalistic lavender? Here it is. I haven't given up on it, but my tolerance for animalistic musk doesn't go much beyond Kiehl's Original Musk so it's doubtful this will be a good fit. But what an interesting scent, who'd have thought a lavender-sentric fragrance could be so out there!
Have you been looking for an animalistic lavender? Here it is. I haven't given up on it, but my tolerance for animalistic musk doesn't go much beyond Kiehl's Original Musk so it's doubtful this will be a good fit. But what an interesting scent, who'd have thought a lavender-sentric fragrance could be so out there!
Quelques Notes d'Amour by Yves Rocher
Opens with a sugary candy cloud that leads into a heart of sweet roses. The rose goes a little powdery/dry and mixes with subtle woods. The overall impression is a soft, candied rose with moderate projection and longevity. Not bad at all.
Naturelle Osmanthus by Yves Rocher
Opens with an sparkling lime-lemon top, very green and spring-y. I like it a lot. The florals in the heart are dewy and fresh, so far the scent is very charming. Then the basenotes come forward, smelling like cheap fruity shampoo, and the whole thing is ruined.
The solution is to wear the fragrance for 1 hour, then wash it off and spray again.
The solution is to wear the fragrance for 1 hour, then wash it off and spray again.
Colony (new) by Jean Patou
The old Colony is a pineapple chypre; a syrupy pineapple set against bitter oakmoss, unusual and striking, and clearly from a different time period.
The new version is called "a modern adaption" by Patou. It's no longer a chypre, but a polite fruity floral. It opens with a fresh pineapple, together with a smoky note, it then sweetens slightly, with other sheer fruity notes mixed in, and ends with an sweetish, indistinct musky base.
Not a lot of projection, it stays close to the skin and has decent longevity.
I'm glad they made the pineapple so prominent, and the smoky note added some interest, but after the opening it goes pretty flat. The push-pull elements that made old Colony interesting is missing. In their quest to make Colony elegant and adult, and compatible for a new millennium, they forgot to give it much of a personality.
The new version is called "a modern adaption" by Patou. It's no longer a chypre, but a polite fruity floral. It opens with a fresh pineapple, together with a smoky note, it then sweetens slightly, with other sheer fruity notes mixed in, and ends with an sweetish, indistinct musky base.
Not a lot of projection, it stays close to the skin and has decent longevity.
I'm glad they made the pineapple so prominent, and the smoky note added some interest, but after the opening it goes pretty flat. The push-pull elements that made old Colony interesting is missing. In their quest to make Colony elegant and adult, and compatible for a new millennium, they forgot to give it much of a personality.
Taj Sunset by Escada
Sweet and fruity, with mango dominating from start to finish, with some citrus fighting to get noticed. Not much development after it hits the skin, and I get three to four hours longevity. A cheerful and uncomplicated scent, great for summer, worth trying if you are looking for something mango-centric.
High Tea by Possets
The fragrance has a realistic note of black tea, with splashes of lemon and sugar. And that's it. Simple, but enjoyable. As with most oils; not much projection but it lasts for hours and hours.
Dream of India by Arts & Scents
Top: Rosewater, Orange fruit
Middle: Green Coriander, Curry tree, Masala Chai
Base: Champaca, Patchouli, Amber
It opened with a blast of murky orange blossom that nearly took my head off. 10 minutes later the spicy heart revealed itself and was much more enjoyable. You better like smelling of Indian spices as those are the dominant notes throughout, after the opening has burned off. I thought it was an interesting experiment but in the end it felt a little flat. Has some oomph but I wished it had more complexity.
Middle: Green Coriander, Curry tree, Masala Chai
Base: Champaca, Patchouli, Amber
It opened with a blast of murky orange blossom that nearly took my head off. 10 minutes later the spicy heart revealed itself and was much more enjoyable. You better like smelling of Indian spices as those are the dominant notes throughout, after the opening has burned off. I thought it was an interesting experiment but in the end it felt a little flat. Has some oomph but I wished it had more complexity.
Water Calligraphy by By Kilian
Faceless and forgettable fruity floral. At this price level I expect more than a facsimile of floral shampoo.
Bergamot by Roja Dove
Heavy, ornate and languid. This is an extrait and it wears close to the skin after the initial sparkle and bloom.
Gardenia by Roja Dove
Wonderful gardenia, a reference gardenia to have in your collection to measure all other gardenia fragrances against.
Lilac by Roja Dove
A bit too relentless in its lilac-ness for me, I wish it had more to say. But nevertheless, this is a very nice extrait and if you love lilac you need to try it.
Eau des Jardins by Clarins
A sparkling citrusy fruity-floral that doesn't smell cheap or For Teens Only. Deceptively light but if you overspray it takes on a synthetic edge. It's a nice summer cologne with quite good longevity. Awful bottle though, very cheap looking.
Utopian by Social Creatures
Notes: bergamot, myrtle, lavender, coriander, iris, carnation, tonka bean, cognac, frankincense.
The lavender overwhelms everything else in the beginning but soon calms down and mixes well with the peppery carnation. The iris is powdery/dusty and the incense is sweet and dry.
Utopia smells old-fashioned and introspective and though that's not a bad thing, it feels a little flat. There is no tension, it could use some sparkle in the top or a more interesting base to give it more life.
The lavender overwhelms everything else in the beginning but soon calms down and mixes well with the peppery carnation. The iris is powdery/dusty and the incense is sweet and dry.
Utopia smells old-fashioned and introspective and though that's not a bad thing, it feels a little flat. There is no tension, it could use some sparkle in the top or a more interesting base to give it more life.
Agrumi / Citrus Fruits by Speziali Fiorentini
A blend of lemon, lime and bergamot, anchored by musk. Short-lived, simple and refreshing, smells very natural.
Moss Breches by Tom Ford
The official notes are: Wood, Warm Spice, Beeswax absolute, Moroccan Clary Sage, Hungarian Tarragon, Corsican Rosemary, Labdanum, Patchouli and Benzoin.
What I get is a green, herbal, honey fragrance that lasts the whole day, with a huge projection the first couple of hours. It all ends very satisfyingly with a warm chypre-like drydown. I can't compare it to anything else as I have never smelled anything like it. Too original and unusual to be a success at the counter, unfortunately, it has now been discontinued.
What I get is a green, herbal, honey fragrance that lasts the whole day, with a huge projection the first couple of hours. It all ends very satisfyingly with a warm chypre-like drydown. I can't compare it to anything else as I have never smelled anything like it. Too original and unusual to be a success at the counter, unfortunately, it has now been discontinued.
Le Roy Soleil by Salvador Dali
A spicy, fruity oriental. I like pineapple in fragrances, Colony by Patou is a great pineapple-chypre, and now I've found a nice pineapple-oriental in Le Roy Soleil. This is a likeable and happy fragrance, though it it sweet and and the fruits are borderline overripe. Lots of notes fizzing around fighting for your attention, but the pineapple shines through.
Perfumer: Philippe Romano
Top
pineapple, mandarin orange, apple, bergamot, rosewood, lemon, papaya flower and rhubarb
Middle
cyclamen, apricot, carnation, cinnamon, orchid, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and rose
Base
sandalwood, tonka bean, amber, patchouli, musk, vanilla and vetiver
Perfumer: Philippe Romano
Top
pineapple, mandarin orange, apple, bergamot, rosewood, lemon, papaya flower and rhubarb
Middle
cyclamen, apricot, carnation, cinnamon, orchid, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and rose
Base
sandalwood, tonka bean, amber, patchouli, musk, vanilla and vetiver
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