Perfume Reviews by Scent Detective
Verveine / Verbena by L'Occitane
I absolutely love this fragrance...at least the smell is incredible. BUT, as others have already pointed out, the longevity and sillage are nonexistent. It's sad, as this is so fresh and clean. It's very refreshing...for about 30 minutes on me. There's no way that's worth a thumbs up, but the smell is too nice for a thumbs down, so I've gotta go with a neutral rating.
Lime, Basil & Mandarin by Jo Malone London
This is a very nice fragrance. The lime and mandarin are natural and enjoyable. The patchouli and vetiver develops in the dry down and even though it gets a little powdery towards the end, I still really enjoy the opening and the majority of the dry down very much. This also has very good longevity and sillage for a Jo Malone frag as well...at least it does on me. A great warm weather fragrance.ADVERTISEMENT
Arboretum by Le Prince Jardinier
I'm changing my rating. I was initially disappointed when I wore Arboretum, but it's grown on me. It's definitely not the coniferous scent I was hoping it would be, but it's also not an unpleasant scent. It's more mossy than coniferous by far, but it's a nice musty fragrance. It has a refinement that I quite enjoyed today, and you can find it for a reasonable price point. My wife complimented me several times, which is a big deal. She liked it much more than several of my expensive fragrances. I'd suggest looking for a sample to try, as it is a little different, but I've learned to like it now that I've spent more time with it.
Every Storm a Serenade by Imaginary Authors
I catch an initial coniferous scent. It's bright for a moment, but it is very brief and quickly gives way to a note that I think is supposed to be the smell of ozone, as in the fresh scent that comes after a storm. I've worn this fragrance three times now, as I wanted to try and identify the various notes. There's a mossy quality going on, as well as a vetiver note. They're going for the greens, but the overarching, overpowering scent of this fragrance is that ozone note, which I hate to say reminds me more of the smell of air that comes out of an air mattress when you deflate it. It honestly reminds me of that smell lot. Warm air that's been contained in malleable plastic and is a bit stale. I applaud the idea, but just don't feel that it was quite achieved, therefore, I give this one a neutral rating.Changed rating to thumbs down. This serenade I don't need.
Black Walnut by Banana Republic
Black Walnut is an amazing scent. Such a nice, light, woody fragrance that is very pleasant to wear. The one draw back is it's lack of longevity and sillage. This is a problem, as it disappears far too quickly. However. I moisturized this morning before applying, and I got about 4 hours of longevity, with the last hour being a VERY close skin scent. I got a 3.4 oz. bottle for an extremely cheap price, and this stuff smells as good as fragrances that cost 10 times more than what I paid for this. I haven't found much in the designer brands that have appealed to me. Black Walnut is an exception. If you can get a bottle for a cheap price, it's well worth the buy, in my opinion.
Burberry London for Men by Burberry
I received my Burberry London EDT and aftershave emulsion. Mmmm....so very nice! I wore it yesterday and it was superb! I was surprised by how much it reminded me of Chesapeake Bay Spyce Cologne, which is a good thing. But the Burberry London has far superior longevity and sillage compared to the Chesapeake Bay. Burberry London also has a sweeter vibe as well. Wow, I just enjoyed being enveloped in this excellent, manly fragrance all day yesterday. This is the first Burberry fragrance I've liked, and I really like it. I would highly recommend Burberry London if you want a solid, enjoyable high class gentleman's scent. I feel like this wears well in summer and winter. I know many could disagree with this, but I was very comfortable on a hot summer day yesterday and felt it was warm, but also fresh enough to wear well in the heat.
Black Cedarwood & Juniper by Jo Malone London
The opening of this fragrance is not one I'm enjoying. It has a feminine note that reminds me of something I've smelled from Serge Lutens. I can smell a very dry Cedar, but it's surrounded by a powdery scent. I'm not smelling any juniper berries, which is the note I was looking forward to the most in this fragrance. I just made the connection. The powdery smell reminds me a bit of Serge Lutens L'Incendiare...not my favorite. Upon further reflection I believe some type of incense is being used in Black Cedarwood and Juniper that is similar to the one used in L'incendiare. This smells like you opened a cedar chest lined with powdery, lace soap sachets that have permeated the cedar smell. That's the visual this scent is putting into my mind.
West Indian Lime by Crabtree & Evelyn
A wonderful lime with a warm vetiver and a slightly spicy ginger snap! I enjoy this fragrance from the opening through the dry down. It's also very reasonably priced, which is very welcome. Recommended...
Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone London
Big thumbs-up from me for Wood, Sage & Sea Salt from Jo Malone. Very nice fragrance. Smells classy and is, as mentioned, very light and non offensive to those around you, but it puts off such a pleasant woody, slightly salty, herbal fragrance that I just love it. I don't typically like the salty fragrances when they're combined with sweet, fruity accords, so this was a welcome salty experience. I would like a little better longevity and sillage, but it still lasted about four and a half hours on me before I couldn't detect it anymore without difficulty. I'd love to have a bottle of this in my collection. An extremely nice summer scent.
Rose Flash by Tauerville
Update: Wow...I bought a roll-on bottle of Rose Flash because the sample I bought from Indie Scents was about empty. I loved the woodiness of this scent with just a hint of rose around the edges. I noticed that some were saying how much rose this frag had, and I was smelling my sample and wondering what they were talking about...well, now I know. I can't believe the difference in my original sample and the roll-on bottle I purchased. The roll-on is a massive rose fragrance, with a strong raspberry jammieness to it. It's too much rose for my taste. I'm disappointed because I absolutely loved my original sample. Now, granted, one is a spray sample and the other is a roll-on applicator, but there is NO WAY that the application process is going to change a scent this much. It is a completely different experience. I've got some from my small spray sample on one wrist, and my roll-on on my other wrist. They seem to be the opposite to me now. The spray sample is woods with a hint of rose and the roll-on is rose with a slight hint of woods...I don't know what is going on with this, but I sure wish it was the former and not the latter. I wore the roller all day, and it did settle down in the dry down a little bit, but it is still a rose centric fragrance for sure. I'm going to have to change my rating to neutral in light of this new development...makes me sad as I really loved my first experience with this fragrance.Man o man, I love this stuff! I bought this sample for my daughter as she was looking for a nice rose fragrance, but when she put it on she came over to me and said, this smells way too masculine for me. I smelled it on her and immediately asked for the sample back, which she happily gave to me. I've been wearing it all day and my only complaint is the lack of sillage, and I wish the longevity was a bit better as well. It's still a very light skin scent, but too light for my taste. This smells to me very much of creosote bush or chaparral with a slightly sweet raspberry rose edge. I think it's a beautiful scent and I definitely want a bottle as soon as I can get my hands on one. As some have already mentioned, this fragrance does have that stick your nose into a full rose bloom lusciousness...but it's only around the edges for me, which I really like. The luscious rose sweetness comes across with that raspberry smell that a rose sort of has naturally, but the woodiness of that creosote smell is the main body of this composition to me. Creosote or Chaparral as it's sometimes called is of course a type of coniferous desert plant which is why I'm so partial to the smell. Anyway...highest recommendation from me for Rose Flash! This is a truly wonderful fragrance! Congratulations on this composition Mr. Andy Tauer!
Raw Spirit - Winter Oak by Nomad Two Worlds Foundation
Edited Review:As with Chene, I've changed my opinion after giving Winter Oak another try. This is very nice. I actually didn't mind it, even on the first wear, but have found with the oak accord that it has taken time to grow on me. There is an unusual nature to the smell of oak I guess, that I wasn't comfortable with at first, but I have really been enjoying both Chene by Serge Lutens, and Winter Oak by Raw Spirit. There is a lot more going on than just "oak" in both fragrances, and for all I know, it was a combination of other notes in both of these frags that put me off at first. But, after giving them both more time, I've come to appreciate them. I just bought some Chene, and am thinking about investing in Winter Oak as well. It does smell very well made. It's a bit strong in the opening. It's still very nice, but the dry down really brings the charm of this fragrance to the fore.
Berlin im Winter by Baruti
Updated Review:I last wore Berlin im Winter on June 22, 2016. My what a difference four years makes...but the difference isn't in the fragrance, it's in me. My fragrance journey has opened many doors that I wasn't willing to walk through in the past but have now embraced with open arms. When I put this on today I was amazed at how much I was enjoying it based on my initial reaction. All I can say is that my enjoyment of Areej Le Dore, Bortnikoff, and Ensar oud with their oud and musk based fragrances have re-tuned my nose to enjoy fragrances like Berlin im Winter now whereas before I didn't. This is an amazing fragrance I must say...honestly, I don't think I could enjoy a fragrance any more than I am enjoying this one right now. As I said, what a difference four years has made in me with regards to my fragrance journey...a full bottle is in my future for sure...
Chai by Baruti
I enjoyed the experience of wearing Chai. The opening was a bit odd however. It started out with the smell of cinnamon and some clove, which was very nice, then I got a strange smell of baled straw...wet baled straw. It lingered for about 30 minutes, then began to wane. Chai was very enjoyable for me from that point forward. It became more floral on me as it dried down, but it was very nicel. I'm looking forward to trying Chai again!
Mandarino di Amalfi by Tom Ford
A nice burst of mandarin orange, then an underlying salty aquatic vibe begins to take the fore front. I'm not a fan of aquatics, but I like the smell of thousands of mandarin oranges floating on the warm water of a gulf lagoon. This smells like you're sitting in the sand on the beach with the waves pushing the mandarin oranges around you with the accompanying smell of salty surf and sweat. It's just a slight sweat mixed with the surf and the mandarin orange smell, but it's quite pleasant to me. A nice, pleasant summer scent that I'd like to own. I find my self wondering how I'll get my hands on a bottle when I'm on a self imposed no buy rule at the moment. Of the Tom Ford Private Collection, Neroli Portofino, Mandarino d' Amalfi and Italian Cypress are the ones I've enjoyed thus far.
Orangea by Profumum
A beautiful orange flower fragrance with great longevity. I smelled like I was "Soarin' Over California" all day long. I understand that the notes of this fragrance don't mention orange blossoms. It contains pettigrain and bergamot however and the orange deliciousness really shines through in my opinion in such a way that it feels just like you're in an orange grove when the blossoms are full on. Maybe it's my untrained nose, but I don't really find the mint or the cedar in the dry down. This is orange blossom all the way for me, and I really love it. Another one on my wish list to be sure!
Lime di Sicilia / Sicilian Lime by Ortigia
Opening note is a burst of fresh limes...beautiful! As the fragrance begins to dry down, it takes on a Froot Loops kind of sweetness...I love it! I'm also picking up the wood scent from the lime wood, which gives it a nice foundation. This is a beautiful composition. It's clean, fresh, sweet, but also woody. I don't think I could enjoy it more than I am. Not a lot of change to the notes after those initial changes. I like this fragrance a lot, it is a true gem! Longevity could be a bit longer, just because I want to enjoy it longer, but it's still pretty good on my skin. I got about 4.5 hours on the sillage and 7 hours on the longevity, but it was a close skin scent by that time and I had to move just right to smell it. A beautiful fragrance from Ortigia! I got a bar of their glycerin Orange Blossom soap as well, and it smells incredible too! That will be my next EPD from house Ortigia. Highest recommendation for Lime di Sicilia!
Victrix by Profumum
A burst of green. Not the typical green fragrance. Wet greens near or in a pond. I smell nettle, fresh spearmint, water cress, and some bitter herb type smells. Also, I thought I could smell some sage and just a hint of dill. A strange assortment to be sure. The sage dies down pretty quickly and it really picks up on the fresh spearmint vibe with the lingering nettle after about 20 to 30 minutes. Strangely brisk and slightly refreshing in an odd way. As a sample I'm kind of enjoying this. I would not however lay down the green for a full bottle of this "green" unless I got a killer deal. I love my Arso and Acqua Viva enough for the full bottle treatment, but Victrix is sample worthy only for me at least for now. Still, I enjoyed it and will wear it again sometime soon.
L'Incendiaire by Serge Lutens
The smell of burning money, that's what I'm picking up here. Seriously though, smoky incense with an amber undertone and a slight resinous quality. Not bad, but in no way worth the asking price. At $293.00 an ounce...insanity. If it's a scent that you find you can't live without, then save up and grab some, but for me there are so many that I love much more. As this dried down I got a really strange whiff. It took me a minute, but I finally identified a smell that reminded me of the funeral home. There's a hint of floral with a strange pancake makeup scent. Yes, I have a vivid imagination, but that's what I smelled.
Mandarine Mandarin by Serge Lutens
Hmmm...this is a strange brew, eh? What I smelled was a candied orange with the smell of hay. I suppose there is a tea accord that shows up in the dry down, but I lost interest after a few hours so I stopped paying attention. That's three of the high end Serge Lutens that I've tried that just left me cold. On to the next sample...
Baie de Genièvre by Creed
Beautiful opening from Baie de Genievre. A sparkling juniper note that brought an instant smile. A tiny bit soapy, but nothing compared to the nuclear soap bomb that is Creed's Cypres Musc. Baie de Genievre has an Itasca vibe, but is less spicy to my nose, even though the middle notes of Bair de Genievre are cinnamon, this smells mainly to me of juniper with some vetiver. Very clean smelling and enjoyable. I feel like there's a hint of citrus too, but just a hint, nothing more than that. I've read many people say they think this is a "dated" scent, but I think it's weathered extremely well since 1982. I feel this could be worn in warm weather or cold weather. It's a fresh, clean alternative to a pure citrus or a neroli for summer, and it would be great in the winter months too in my opinion. If it were more readily available, I would consider a purchase...I really like it! I found the longevity and sillage to be much shorter than I would have liked, but I will apply moisturizer to my skin before trying again. I was happy to find such an enjoyable fragrance after the last few I've tried. This could be a gem of a fragrance if I can get it to last longer on my skin...
Chêne by Serge Lutens
Edited Review:Okay, so my edited review is going to be pretty schizophrenic from my original review of Chene. I wore it about a year ago and immediately didn't like it. Now, almost a year later, I wore it and had a completely opposite response. Weird, I know. Once again, my untrained nose has learned a new trick. I picked up so many wonderful notes wearing Chene this time. I'm so excited to find a wood fragrance that is so decidedly different from my beloved conifers, but so enjoyable as well. I have to say I was completely wrong in my initial assessment of Chene. It is complex in it's composition, yet wears in a very linear fashion. I didn't notice a lot of change, but the combination of notes is quite diverse and combine to make an enjoyable linear wear. I smell the birch and oak, rum, beeswax and sap notes. A wonderful fragrance that I now want. That's the bad part I guess is another expensive purchase, but It's too nice to pass on. I'm happy to say I was wrong initially. Chene is a keeper for sure...
Eau de Cade by L'Occitane
This is nice. I like it, but as mentioned it doesn't have the greatest longevity and sillage being a EDT. You can get this for a decent price point and since I like the wild juniper I decided to try it out. L'Occtaine's Ea du Baux, Vetiver, and Verbena are all very nice as well. This is a great half day fresher, but it doesn't last any longer than that for me.
Dia Man by Amouage
I've done a 180 degree turn with Dia Man as my fragrance "sense" has matured. I have enjoyed this stuff so much the last two times I've worn it that I'm simply going to need a full bottle now. This is a timeless classic. The only knock at this point is it's poor staying power, but it's still such a great scent that it's definitely worth having.Thumbs up!