What did you try today? (2022)

[cheapimitation]

Drive by testing at the airport duty free:

Moschino Toy Boy: this is a nice peppery woody rose especially for the price! Reminds me a lot of the much more expensive Gucci A Song for the Rose. Toy Boy is more synthetic smelling and bit harsh to my nose, but not bad at all. I already own better roses, but a great budget option for anyone looking for a spicy peppery rose.

Chanel Coco EDP: very nice! Reminds me of Coromandel but fruitier, maybe a touch brighter and more floral. I appreciate how the non-Exclusifs Chanel fragrances don't smell like a massive step down in terms of quality, this hangs with the best of them.

Hermes Eau d'Orange Vert: more green and less orange than I remember, super pleasant and natural smelling, lasts about 30 minutes. Still, kinda wouldn't mind a bottle of this for an after shower spritz.

Bvlgari Eau Thé Vert: a bit synthetic/cleaner in the opening, but settles down to a very soft citrus tea. Not bad but kinda meh.

 

[Ken_Russell]

Melogranate/Pomegrante by l'Erbolario.
Although the opening and mid notes of this affordable unisex EDP were both delightful and at decent performance level, its true (er) value for money/price-quality ratio showed towards the end, when way too powdery sweet notes quite sadly prevailed.

 

[fragconn]

Looking for a birthday present for a friend I went to a Lush store. Of course I made a beeline for the perfume corner and tried everything they had. I liked Sun (such a happy fragrance) and Rose Jam. I managed some self-control and walked out of the store with my friend´s present only. Making time before my next errand I went into a small, local perfumery and to my surprise they had the complete La Vie di Milano Collection (Trussardi). I really, really liked Behind the Curtain Piazza alla Scala. Not today but yesterday, I tried Possibilities from La Perla. I had to visit 3 perfumeries before finding one that carried the brand. Sadly it doesn't work well on my skin, it turned into a loud flowery fresh scent that lasts until the next day.

 

[mixerscent]

Penhaligon's Sartorial. The sample I was using for several weeks was sublime. Sweet, crisp, light metallic touch with lingering white musks. Max. 2-3 sprays which lasted 7-8 hours. The current version of Sartorial takes 20 sprays to get a similar effect; it will be gifted and I'll look for a vintage bottle.

 

[hednic]

Ambre Saba by Reine De Saba which I loved upon wearing it.

 

[hednic]

Aksoum by Reine De Saba which which was love at first sniff.

 

[Paddington]

Il Vangelo Secondo Gay from ODriu​

THIS is very very naughty

 

[Emanuel76]

Lorenzo Villoresi - Ambra

My bottle has finally arrived.

It's not an amber to me at all, but rather a spicy-woody incense similar to Avignon.
A bit churchy, a bit of meditation in a temple, a bit of incense sticks shop in a log cabin.

I only get galbanum in the initial blast (10-15 seconds), after which I don't detect it at all.

Vanillin is too present, sometimes is borederline cloying.
After further wearings, the vanillin may integrate, or it may become more and more pronounced.
I like Ambra, it's very good. If the vanilin it settles down, it'll be a love to me.

Even after 5 hours I don't detect anything that could resemble ambergris. There's nothing salty-mineralic, nothing marine, nothing animalic (except the (mildly) animalic warm musk).

The deep dry down is simple - a warm fluff of dusty wood and vanilin(not much, but still too present)/vanilic "amber".
Nice, but a bit too simple. I don't think such an accord will keep my interest in smelling my wrist.

After that I peeled an orange. My whole hand was contaminated. So it's not really accurate what's after this.


Quality bottle, very good finish.
The box is cheap.
The liquid is a pale pissy-yellow, not deep as in pictures.
The sprayer is decent.
The cap instead it's AWFUL. Not the cap itself, which is kind of OK (cheap plastic, but decent finished), but the chosen closing solution and its execution. The cap has a thin soft plastic sleeve inside, wich will slide over the sprayer. Since there is an excessively tight fit, it must be strongly forced to close. Most likely the plastic cap will crack.
Miserable!
Totally unacceptable from a company like Lorenzo Villoresi.
At this price range a metal cap with "click", or a magnetic cap it's a must. And a better box. I mean, even the box from light bulbs are thicker and nicer.

 

[Salumbre]

Rien Intense Incense. My first ELDO.

I have found that most fragrance houses, when they say "intense," they don't really mean it; they just mean "a teeny tiny weeny bit amped up." (Looking at you, Patricia de Nicolaï.)

The people at ELDO, however, are serious as a seizure. When they mean "intense," they MEAN it. I don't know how strong Rien is, but this flanker is beyond nuclear --like punching a bunch of incense sticks into your nostrils WHAM BAM AAAAAAARGH!

It does get better after a few minutes --in fact, the more times passes, the better it gets--, but SWEET JESUS. This is not exactly a beast; this is a bloat of stomping hippopotami, flattening everyone and everything to the ground, and then trampling away towards the horizon, clouds of dust and pulverized rock and bone raising in their wake...

 

[Ken_Russell]

The scent within the Yves Rocher Beurre de Karite line - while the vanillic and overall main tones/themes may seem generic, the quite unisex and decent performance sweet notes in this remain quite decent even if not fully outstanding

 

[ChypreInBloom]

Chypre Mousse by Oriza L. Legrand on one arm
Violettes du Csar, same house, on the other
I like both but I'm not sure. I'll give them more chances, though

 

[ErroneousFact]

Curve for Men: It's like a blue with dihydromyrcenol (GIT, Cool Water) instead of ambroxan, and less citrus. For all I know it has ambroxan too. Dihydromyrcenol is simply a victim of its own success since it smells like laundry soap etc. now and the associations are impossible to ignore. Maybe if you wore those fragrances early on you avoided that. It smells fine...

Armaf Sillage: The smell of break time, if on break you eat lemon drop candy in an old warehouse. This starts off way rougher than CDNIM EDT to me (Recent production) with its bombastic lemon. That could be an unaged bottle thing. A few minutes in that fades and it's one of the more interesting i've tried, like Dior Homme Intense. It's different, and nice, however unlike that it's not an instant favorite. I'll use it and see how it matures.

 

[d r e]

Franck Boclet Vanille:
Orange Tic Tacs. Credit to Ouch110 for that, it's exactly what I get too. The major difference is I can tell there's some spices in the background, Ginger & Cardamom seems right. I don't get the key lime pie reference, I would've guessed orange as the major citrus note. Mild performance but good smell

Mancera Velvet Vanilla:
Smells like Kilian Love's mid notes once the Neroli calms down. Very floral, mild vanilla. Performance is amazing so far, smells nice.

Molinard Vanille Fruitee:
Sort of like Grape Vanilla. You can tell this is just Molinard Vanille + a dark fruity note, but I believe it blends well. There's a bit of waxiness from the Vanilla note that the fruitiness makes work, leaving that grape impression. Performance mild, smells nice.

 

[Schubertian]

I'm trying Anatole Lebreton L'Eau Scandaleuse this morning. Love it, the balance of tuberose, sweet, leather and soft animalic is so good - honestly it's one of the most beautiful scents I've tried recently. But... it's so darn soft on me, virtually a skin scent even liberally applied. I might still get it.

 

[baklavaRuzh]

I just got Solano and Porto Bello by le couvent des minimes. Both are instant favorites! Porto Bello reminds me of jazz club but less sweet and more spicy, even it's supposed to smell like sweet orange and woody incense. I usually prefer sweeter, but I like Porto Bello more than jazz club, it packs more of a punch.

Solano is gorgeous, contrast between green and Tonka.

 

[Paddington]

Bond-T by Sammarco
rare gourmand i dont hate

 

[Uniquefrags]

Byredo Bal d'Afrique on one arm, Bond no. 9 Madison avenue on the other.
It's weird because at various points, they smelled identical. Not just to me, but to my partner as well. There's not much of a crossover in their notes so I wasn't expecting them to be that similar.

3 hours later, the Bond no. 9 had vanished while the Bal lingered pleasantly on. I think Bal is just smoother overall. It's definitely a love from me. I'll have to buy a bottle at some point.

This was also my first time sampling from Bond no. 9. I know nothing of the house but I'm not sure I'm interested in trying any more, given how quickly this perfume disappeared on me. They come with a hefty price tag so I expect them to last a bit longer.

 

[hednic]

Rock Rose by Anomalia the first from this house and it was wonderful.

 

[d r e]

LMG Vanille Brillante:
Sort of unique but not really. Smells like cocoa butter and bergamot or something. The more I smell it the more I like it, but the name 'Shiny Vanilla' had my mind going in a different direction. There is some shiny citrus and floral aspect and there is a vague vanilla note, so it's there. Now that it's dried it's became more vanillic, less cocoaish. Closest fragrances I can imagine are LMG Sel Caramel, Le Male, Dove Clean Comfort.

Yeah after wearing it for a while the dry down is actually pretty unique and enjoyable. That shiny note is more clear, the vanillic aspect is more clear. Pretty nice

 

[Schubertian]

Fleur Cachée Anatole Lebreton. Well, this one did not work for me. A strong blast of turmeric upfront, okay, I like turmeric - but there is something savoury (the fenugreek?) in the development that turns the whole composition a bit too much towards my kitchen spice cupboard, rather than a perfume. Too conceptual for me to wear.

 

[Melbourne21]

Viking Cologne -

Not bad, but not very good either 🙃

 

[Emanuel76]

Lorenzo Villoresi - Ambra

My bottle has finally arrived.

It's not an amber to me at all, but rather a spicy-woody incense similar to Avignon.
A bit churchy, a bit of meditation in a temple, a bit of incense sticks shop in a log cabin.

I only get galbanum in the initial blast (10-15 seconds), after which I don't detect it at all.

Vanillin is too present, sometimes is borederline cloying.
After further wearings, the vanillin may integrate, or it may become more and more pronounced.
I like Ambra, it's very good. If the vanilin it settles down, it'll be a love to me.

Even after 5 hours I don't detect anything that could resemble ambergris. There's nothing salty-mineralic, nothing marine, nothing animalic (except the (mildly) animalic warm musk).

The deep dry down is simple - a warm fluff of dusty wood and vanilin(not much, but still too present)/vanilic "amber".
Nice, but a bit too simple. I don't think such an accord will keep my interest in smelling my wrist.

After that I peeled an orange. My whole hand was contaminated. So it's not really accurate what's after this.


Quality bottle, very good finish.
The box is cheap.
The liquid is a pale pissy-yellow, not deep as in pictures.
The sprayer is decent.
The cap instead it's AWFUL. Not the cap itself, which is kind of OK (cheap plastic, but decent finished), but the chosen closing solution and its execution. The cap has a thin soft plastic sleeve inside, wich will slide over the sprayer. Since there is an excessively tight fit, it must be strongly forced to close. Most likely the plastic cap will crack.
Miserable!
Totally unacceptable from a company like Lorenzo Villoresi.
At this price range a metal cap with "click", or a magnetic cap it's a must. And a better box. I mean, even the box from light bulbs are thicker and nicer.

Lorenzo Villoresi - Ambra

4 wearings in total.

With 2-3 sprays it's disastrous. The fluffiness is excessive, dandelion like, it almost lacks the body, is airy.
Now the galbanum is more present (7-10 minutes), joined by cardamon. Not a very pleasant mix to my nose.
Then, for hours, an almost undefined sweaty-dusty.burnt.wood-vanillic-ambery mix which lasts for hours, so insubstantial and boring.
After 3-4 hours the mix is starting to get tighter - musk, labdanum, woods, vanilla. A pleasnt mix, which if it were (much) thicker, would be OK.

Horrible. A different kind of horrible. It's not horrible in the sense that it's hard to tolerate and it needs to be immediately washed off. No. It's benign, harmless. You have to beg again and again to give you more, to give you SOMETHING. No layers, no depth. Only the pseudo-depth that musk gives it, which is exactly the same on each level. You're not rewarded with anything different, no matter how you insist. This is the problem with all the perfumes in which the white musk is predominant.
Well, at least the vanillin is no longer a big problem now.

If you want a parallel with food, it's like putting one serving of stew in a blender along with a glass of water.

5/10


Only with 1 spray is acceptable to a certain degree because the musk doesn't blossom that much. But it's rather weak. So, every time I sniff my hand I have to inhale 6-8-10 times to catch a satisfactory quantity.
At the second wearing (with one single spray), the fluffiness already becomes pronounced.
After the initial 10-15 seconds blast of galbanum and citrus, is mainly a mix of warm fluffy musk, spices (mainly sweaty-stale cardamom/cumin for now), dusty woods, minty-camphor and a very pale cinnamon-vanilla sweetness. There is also an earthy-woody bitterness in the background, trying to get forefront but not succeeding, except for very short periods of time.
The mix is blurred by musk. It's a dull white musk, but which gets some warmth and a slightly animalic tint from spices.
After half an hour an anemic amber accord appears, a bit fruity-candy like, but it's in the background, joined by dusty wood (oak like, a bit burnt) and blurred by musk.
The same musk, labdanum, burnt wood, vanilin/vanilla in the deep dry down, which, after you detect it for the first time, you are able to detect it sooner and sooner, because now you know what you are looking for.

No matter how much you spray (1-3 sprays) there is no ambergris at all. Nothing that even vaguely resembles ambergris.
Ambergris is a base note with great longevity. Like oakmoss, if you want to detect it for sure, search for it in the deep dry down. If it is, even in small quantity, you will find it there, without much company, because not many notes have its longevity.
In Aventus, for example, even if there are only traces of ambergris (5% of the ambergris accord), it can be easily detected. And it's radiant and beautiful.

6/10

I had found a sample to buy, but I preferred to blind buy it. Wrong bet.
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

It's the exact opposite of what I'm looking for in an amber fragrance. An antiamber.

=====

For a green vanillic amber try Ortigia - Ambra Nera.
When I say it's an amber, it's an amber, not an "amber", nor an aMbEr.

For a (very) fluffy "amber"/aMbEr... Well, maybe you even likes this one (Lorenzo Villoresi - Ambra).
Or give E. Marinella - Tabacco Imperiale a try. Even if I don't like it (I hate the white musk!!!!!!!!!), I much prefer it to Ambra.

 

[Paddington]

Find Me In The Dark Chapter II The Unleashed Apothecary​

 

[sakecat]

Precious Liquid Salt and Pepper from a sample

Absolutely shocked by the list of notes in the directory. That sounds really wonderful. Sadly, I didn't get remotely close to that wonderland of smells.
On my skin:
Top = Clay. Interesting.
Heart = practically anosmic aquatic musk reminiscent of DSH Special Formula X on my skin.
Base = Full on sour aquatic musk that started to become intolerable after an hour.
I think if my skin didn't turn whatever that musk aromachemical is into a sour mess, I would achieve the "my skin but better" that I sense the perfumer was going for.

Wound up layering it with Arquiste Peau. THAT made everything better. The Peau radiates from the skin better and tamps down the sourness.
At least I can use the remains of the sample for something.

 

[hednic]

Ceremonie by Anomalia which I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

[PrinceRF]

Diptyque 34 - Didn't know they made this in a personal scent. I prefer the candle.

 

[PStoller]

Folkwinds - American Pharaoh

If American Pharaoh is any indication, BNer Jono Bornstein's new house, Folkwinds, is off to a good start. This "mostly natural" scent is in keeping with the general natural/artisanal aesthetic: it eschews the current designer (and much of niche) vogue of hammering one or more of a handful of aromachems into what the perfumers hope is the pleasure center of the brain, in favor of a warm and fuzzy fragrance that evokes smells familiar from the wild and/or vintage perfumery. The ten or so notes in the pyramid are woven together like a ceremonial blanket, a few bold colors standing out if you're not nose-to-fabric to break each down into its heathered parts.

Essentially, then, this is a cherry tobacco, the fruit thankfully devoid of gratuitous sweetener, and only a modest dose of soft vanilla to keep things rounded. I don't discern the cedar and sandalwood as distinct notes so much as a proper base that, along with some lovely, high-calorie musk, gives that tobacco a fat cushion to rest on. I'll say this, though: they come across as wood instead of "woody." American Pharaoh knows where the pleasure center of my brain is, and how to romance it.

What I'm not getting that some perfumistas y perfumistos might miss is a classic European style top-heart-base transition. That's fine with me: even though this has slow-mo longevity, I appreciate its more meditative than narrative nature, especially as the blend is rich enough that I'm in no danger of getting bored.

For all that folk around here hanker for a good tobacco fragrance, it's a wonder that there aren't more that sustain the note with a lush tone. American Pharaoh should prove popular with those who've been searching for just such a thing. Full-bottle worthy.

 

[kosui no kaori]

Curve for Men: It's like a blue with dihydromyrcenol (GIT, Cool Water) instead of ambroxan, and less citrus. For all I know it has ambroxan too. Dihydromyrcenol is simply a victim of its own success since it smells like laundry soap etc. now and the associations are impossible to ignore. Maybe if you wore those fragrances early on you avoided that. It smells fine...

Armaf Sillage: The smell of break time, if on break you eat lemon drop candy in an old warehouse. This starts off way rougher than CDNIM EDT to me (Recent production) with its bombastic lemon. That could be an unaged bottle thing. A few minutes in that fades and it's one of the more interesting i've tried, like Dior Homme Intense. It's different, and nice, however unlike that it's not an instant favorite. I'll use it and see how it matures.

You tried Curve!

Did you get a vintage bottle, or a modern bottle?

 

[ErroneousFact]

You tried Curve!

Did you get a vintage bottle, or a modern bottle?

200ml for $30 and not vintage unless it sells very poorly in Canada. Since it's somewhat like fresh laundry I think I'll use it as my clothing refreshener having just run out of Belcam G Eau...Comparable price per millileter.

 

[cheapimitation]

I tried Byredo Eyes Closed a few days ago. The opening was a lovely blast of iris that had me considering if this might be the first Byredo I buy in a long time. Although the smell was not far off from La Pausa which I already have.

But the dry down slammed my wallet shut as it very quickly became utterly terrible. The iris totally disappeared like a puff smoke to reveal a hackneyed magician in the form of some scratchy cloying woody material (I suppose they are calling "papyrus") that is a blight upon many recent Byredo releases. I hated it so much I went to the bathroom to wash it off so I could go try some other things.

I'd be lying if I said carrot came to mind, but I looked at the notes after the fact and am wondering if it was a rooty earthy smell they are calling carrot mixed with scratchy woody notes. I didn't know what I was smelling but I didn't like it. I would like to revisit it one more time to see if I interpret it differently now knowing the note pyramid.

I saw that Persolaise quite liked it in his recent Love at First Scent, I'm dying to see what he says on the blotter updated to see if he experienced the 180 I did on the dry down.

 

[Nom de Guerre]

I tried Byredo Eyes Closed a few days ago. The opening was a lovely blast of iris that had me considering if this might be the first Byredo I buy in a long time. Although the smell was not far off from La Pausa which I already have.

But the dry down slammed my wallet shut as it very quickly became utterly terrible. The iris totally disappeared like a puff smoke to reveal a hackneyed magician in the form of some scratchy cloying woody material (I suppose they are calling "papyrus") that is a blight upon many recent Byredo releases. I hated it so much I went to the bathroom to wash it off so I could go try some other things.

I'd be lying if I said carrot came to mind, but I looked at the notes after the fact and am wondering if it was a rooty earthy smell they are calling carrot mixed with scratchy woody notes. I didn't know what I was smelling but I didn't like it. I would like to revisit it one more time to see if I interpret it differently now knowing the note pyramid.

I saw that Persolaise quite liked it in his recent Love at First Scent, I'm dying to see what he says on the blotter updated to see if he experienced the 180 I did on the dry down.

Ahhh, that sucks. I still like it very much and would buy a 50ml on the second-hand market. I don't smell any carrots, but it does come off smelling like carrot cake – a buttery mass of cinnamon and ginger. I was surprised that Persolaise barely mentioned cinnamon, to my nose it's a big player in the composition.

I thought my purchases for the year were over, but I had to grab a 95/100ml bottle of Seven Veils (I believe it's disco'd) on the local "Craigslist" – the price was too good to pass and it's an early bottle with the old Byredo branding. Sigh. From what I've read, it's a love/hate perfume, so we'll see. My main goal is to see if it has any resemblance to Eyes Closed, there is some overlap of notes.

 

[hednic]

Entre-Acte by Anomalia which was another winner from the house.

 

[kosui no kaori]

200ml for $30 and not vintage unless it sells very poorly in Canada. Since it's somewhat like fresh laundry I think I'll use it as my clothing refreshener having just run out of Belcam G Eau...Comparable price per millileter.

I still need to revisit that. I haven’t smelled it in eons - the nostalgia would be dizzying.

I wonder if my adult nose would still think it’s so great.

 

[Folkwinds]

Folkwinds - American Pharaoh

If American Pharaoh is any indication, BNer Jono Bornstein's new house, Folkwinds, is off to a good start. This "mostly natural" scent is in keeping with the general natural/artisanal aesthetic: it eschews the current designer (and much of niche) vogue of hammering one or more of a handful of aromachems into what the perfumers hope is the pleasure center of the brain, in favor of a warm and fuzzy fragrance that evokes smells familiar from the wild and/or vintage perfumery. The ten or so notes in the pyramid are woven together like a ceremonial blanket, a few bold colors standing out if you're not nose-to-fabric to break each down into its heathered parts.

Essentially, then, this is a cherry tobacco, the fruit thankfully devoid of gratuitous sweetener, and only a modest dose of soft vanilla to keep things rounded. I don't discern the cedar and sandalwood as distinct notes so much as a proper base that, along with some lovely, high-calorie musk, gives that tobacco a fat cushion to rest on. I'll say this, though: they come across as wood instead of "woody." American Pharaoh knows where the pleasure center of my brain is, and how to romance it.

What I'm not getting that some perfumistas y perfumistos might miss is a classic European style top-heart-base transition. That's fine with me: even though this has slow-mo longevity, I appreciate its more meditative than narrative nature, especially as the blend is rich enough that I'm in no danger of getting bored.

For all that folk around here hanker for a good tobacco fragrance, it's a wonder that there aren't more that sustain the note with a lush tone. American Pharaoh should prove popular with those who've been searching for just such a thing. Full-bottle worthy.

Thank you so much for your kind words Peter. I do hope you love the next two as well.

 

[fragconn]

Today I tried Oud & Oud (Cartier). I saw the tester on the table and couldn't resist to grab the bottle and do one spray on the wrist. This is "tamed" oud with a little ambery/smokey/sandalwood y even smell some sweetness swirling around. The more you move the louder it gets. Oud & Oud is the type of perfume that will wear you if you spray more than once.

 

[Zgb]

Hugo Boss Boss Bottled Parfum. Nothing to do with Boss Bottled in my opinion and an utter disgrace of a flanker.

 

[ErroneousFact]

I still need to revisit that. I haven’t smelled it in eons - the nostalgia would be dizzying.

I wonder if my adult nose would still think it’s so great.

I predict "just ok" since you've tried a lot of nice ones lately. The perfumer's intent for the user's statement seems in the realm of "I made an effort" rather than "You won't believe this!"

Unless it brings back a lot of great memories.

 

[ChypreInBloom]

Ahhh, that sucks. I still like it very much and would buy a 50ml on the second-hand market. I don't smell any carrots, but it does come off smelling like carrot cake – a buttery mass of cinnamon and ginger. I was surprised that Persolaise barely mentioned cinnamon, to my nose it's a big player in the composition.

I thought my purchases for the year were over, but I had to grab a 95/100ml bottle of Seven Veils (I believe it's disco'd) on the local "Craigslist" – the price was too good to pass and it's an early bottle with the old Byredo branding. Sigh. From what I've read, it's a love/hate perfume, so we'll see. My main goal is to see if it has any resemblance to Eyes Closed, there is some overlap of notes.

Now Persolaise is my favourite YouTube reviewer and blog writer! Amazing guy!

 

[Shifty Bat]

Vixen by For Strange Women. I am normally not fond of oil-based scents but this house has some good surprises. This one is like an amplified version of Oak by Bath and Body Works, which is in itself a woodier, less resinous and more coffee-centric version of Obsession for Men, so you can see where this is headed. Vixen starts off with a flurry of crisp fir nettle and cedar, leading to a coffee and labdanum heart and eventually dwindling to a warm, sweet oak. Pretty swell stuff.

 

[PStoller]

Now Persolaise is my favourite YouTube reviewer and blog writer! Amazing guy!

I haven't spent much time with YouTube fragrance reviewers, but amongst those I've checked out, Persolaise is in a class by himself, so much so that I hesitate to call him a "YouTube fragrance reviewer."