What did you try today? (2023)

[N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer]

A continuation from Grant's 2022 thread:

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

Link to old thread: https://basenotes.com/threads/what-did-you-try-today-2022.522441/

 

[hednic]

Ambre Desir by Mauboussin which was another from the house that I loved.

 

[baklavaRuzh]

I am trying gentle fluidity gold now by MFK. If it is true that this was created with the same ingredients as gentle fluidity silver, I am amazed. To me it smells almost identical to K'bridge club by Xerjoff (I'm trying them side by side and can hardly tell them apart) especially in the opening, which is pretty similar to intense café by Montale... It seems like K'bridge club gets a bit more rosy as it develops, but I may just be imagining things. Not sure if they smell any different at a distance.

I had not read any reviews comparing them before smelling this, so I was really surprised, given the marketing I was expecting something quite different. I enjoy this scent profile a lot, but I'm starting to wonder what is actually in these fragrances...

 

[hollywoodforever]

Maison Tahiti - Sel_Vanille
A disappointment. It smells better as it gets to the base notes (after about 3 hours), but the top and heart notes were incoherent and muddled. On the plus side, I am very sensitive to, and can't stand, calone in fragrances, but the sea breeze accord in Sel_Vanille is pleasant and evocative and has no fishiness to my nose.

A little synthetic, and pretty feminine. I usually like feminine-leaning unisex, but this is sort of "designer fragrance" feminine. A fun concept, but it's not for me. 2.5/5

 

[PStoller]

Jacques Griffe - Grilou (c. 1957)

Jacques Griffe was a notable designer in his day, having worked under Vionnet and taken over for Molyneux before opening his own atelier. Photos clearly show he knew his craft, and his art as well. Alas, Griffe’s reputation didn’t persist beyond his time; while you can shop for a Dior dress today, the only place you’ll see a Griffe gown is in a museum.

Grilou, like Griffe’s couture, is a museum piece, but Griffe’s forte was his eye, not his nose. Not that he composed his own fragrances; I don’t think anyone not chained to a desk in the bowels of the Osmotheque knows who did. Like this blend of vague fruit over moldering floorboards, some things are best forgotten.

 

[hednic]

Jacques Griffe - Grilou (c. 1957)

Notes forthcoming.

Don't think I've ever heard of this one.

 

[PStoller]

Don't think I've ever heard of this one.

You would not be alone. It falls under the heading, “justifiably obscure.”

 

[Schubertian]

I tried Le musc & la peau from Pierre Guillaume. Tried to give it a fair chance, tried to "get" that kind of perfume, since many seem to like those clean musks. Well, I still don't.
It's not that it smelled bad, I just felt bored already as I sprayed my wrists. Then my dad walked in and said, What's that smell? I asked, is it a good or a bad smell? He said, I dunno, is it some kind of cleaning product? So that's it perhaps... it smelled like something functional. Not like perfume. Sorry, all those who like it.

 

[hednic]

Eau D'Ivresse by Mauboussin - another winner from the house.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Not today but this week:

Two by M. Micallef - received two 10ML travel sprays free with another purchase from LuckyScent. Very impressed with both and it's a nice surprise; it's not a house I otherwise would have had any interest in.

M. Micallef - Royal Muska
Very similar to Kiehl's Original Musk, but with better quality and performance. Not a "clean" or "dirty" musk, but a very warm and inviting "sensual skin" musk, with large doses of ylang, rose, and peach. Huge projection (esp. for a musk), eternal longevity. Gorgeous. 4/5

M. Micallef - Note Vanillee
Immensely likable. Elegant, boozy, sexy, natural, playful, animalic, rich, with a multi-textured mandarin and orange blossom theme that pairs marvelously with the vanilla/amber base. Not overly sweet and doesn't strike me as a vanilla-centric fragrance. Moderate projection and excellent longevity. Unisex. 4/5

There is a “bad breath” or “unwashed underwear” note in both that appears in the early heart notes that was really challenging for me. They were fleeting though, and then both fragrances unfolded into buttery, sumptuous bases.

 

[PStoller]

Jacques Heim - Ariane (1953)

Jacques Heim is another designer from the early-to-mid-20th century who’s been largely forgotten because neither his clothing nor fragrance brands achieved empire status. He was instrumental in shifting the focus of fashion from couture to prêt-à-porter; and, in 1932, he created the first modern two-piece bathing suit for women—too risqué for the times even without revealing the belly button. But in 1946, he revived the idea. His “scandalous,” navel-baring “Atome” swimsuit (“The World’s Smallest Bathing Suit,” he proclaimed in skywriting) inspired Louis Réard to respond with the even smaller “Bikini” (“It’s not a real bikini unless you can pull it through a wedding ring,” he responded as soon as the wind blew Heim’s announcement away). You’d never have guessed Heim started as a furrier.

Heim’s house also produced several fragrances between its naissance in 1930 and Heim’s passing in 1968. Ariane was named for his daughter—created for her wedding, alongside the gown:



If there are published notes for Ariane, I haven’t found them, and the top notes in my mini are long gone. The base in my time-darkened bottle is a nice mossy-woody thing in the manner of many good perfumes from 70 years ago. It smells better than the Grilou I auditioned yesterday, but perhaps Jacques Griffe’s fragrance was—as I suspect Ariane and Chouda were—much better when they were all sold in the same box back in 1959.

Then again, despite a fair amount of newspaper advertising, none of these perfumes became hits, whereas box-mates Piguet Baghari and Lancôme Magie—earlier products from more established fragrance houses that were likely used as anchors for the set—sold quite well. Chouda was in short supply; I’m not sure Grilou or Ariane had that excuse.

 

[hednic]

I tried iris Passion by Mauboussin, the last of the newest releases from the house which I loved.

 

[Toxicon]

Came into the office today and was greeted by an overstuffed fragrancenet box containing all my EOY frivolous purchases. Huzzah! Today I'm testing Parfum d'Empire - Wazamba. I was hoping this would be a suitable replacement for Fille en Aiguilles... and I think we have a winner. You'd never confuse the two, but they have a few overlapping notes and occupy a similar zone. Wazamba is a mix of frankincense, myrrh, opoponax, cypress, apple, and a swirl of resins and dried fruit. FeA feels more like a christmas tree scent (tons of pine and balsam fir) bolstered by frankincense and dried fruit, in that order; Wazamba feels more like an incense scent bolstered with apple, dried fruit, and pine sap (in that order). Feels quite a bit more versatile, possibly a bit more linear, but we'll see. Performance seems pretty strong on the skin. Off to a great start.

 

[ImaFedec]

Came into the office today and was greeted by an overstuffed fragrancenet box containing all my EOY frivolous purchases. Huzzah! Today I'm testing Parfum d'Empire - Wazamba. I was hoping this would be a suitable replacement for Fille en Aiguilles... and I think we have a winner. You'd never confuse the two, but they have a few overlapping notes and occupy a similar zone. Wazamba is a mix of frankincense, myrrh, opoponax, cypress, apple, and a swirl of resins and dried fruit. FeA feels more like a christmas tree scent (tons of pine and balsam fir) bolstered by frankincense and dried fruit, in that order; Wazamba feels more like an incense scent bolstered with apple, dried fruit, and pine sap (in that order). Feels quite a bit more versatile, possibly a bit more linear, but we'll see. Performance seems pretty strong on the skin. Off to a great start.

Now I am eager to try Wazamba out. I had a sample of Filles en Aiguilles which I found lovely but extremely overpriced.

Today I tried Bengal Rouge by Papillon Perfumery. It has indeed many similarities with Shalimar. Not just in notes, but also in style: Elegant, with a lively opening (throw out the bergamot and add a hint of cinnamon) and a smooth (but a tad too straightforward) drydown.
Performance is good, as most of that brand.

 

[Toxicon]

Curiosity got the best of me and I sprayed a few more on paper:

• Aramis Devin - I can see the Yatagan comparison, but this isn’t nearly as vegetal and it has some obvious florals (whereas Yatagan has none). I’m not getting animalics off the paper strip, just a radiant green pine chypre vibe. Probably won’t supplant Yatagan, but this seems quite good.
• Dunhill Century - I was trying to finish off a gift card and nabbed a carded sample for $1.79. Smells great! Cypriol, neroli, and sandalwood all coming through - smells fresh and bright but really quite nice. Seems like a perfect non-generic work scent.
• Amouage Opus VI - another carded sample, first try sampling Amouage. Smells about how I’d expect - strong middle eastern amber/woody/incense vibes that opened loud but quieted down to a throbbing ambery base. There’s a visible oil stain on the test strip, which feels about right. Guessing this one will be mega strong on skin, but it does smell quite good.
• FURYO - whew boy, this one slaps you in the face right out the gate. Strong nag champa + Kouros vibes, soiled underpants and all. The piss note is definitely there, but I’m curious how strong it will feel on skin. Definitely weird, but I don’t hate it. This is the second formulation with the long ingredient list, but it still looks like an older bottle (lots of scuffs and dust on the bottle), no sticker on the bottom, just heavy embossed “made in France”. Checkfresh suggests it’s a 2018 batch but notes the codes repeat every 10 years - suppose this could be 2008 or even 1998, in theory. Fragrancenet still has a few for $17…

 

[Toxicon]

Now I am eager to try Wazamba out. I had a sample of Filles en Aiguilles which I found lovely but extremely overpriced.

Today I tried Bengal Rouge by Papillon Perfumery. It has indeed many similarities with Shalimar. Not just in notes, but also in style: Elegant, with a lively opening (throw out the bergamot and add a hint of cinnamon) and a smooth (but a tad too straightforward) drydown.
Performance is good, as most of that brand.

Sounds great - not like I need a new house to explore, but I’m really enjoying this one today. The fruity/apple aspect in Wazamba is definitely pretty potent, and that might be the dealbreaker for some folks - I’d think of this as an “incense and fruit” scent more than anything. Works for me!

 

[sagebrush]

In store at a Molton Brown outlet today, I sampled '[something] Pine and Patchouli' (not in the Directory - may be a Xmas special) on skin, which lasted well. Quite piney to begin; drydown almost more leathery than patchouli, and faintly sweet/musk. Not especially riveting, but acceptable if you need a cheap workhorse. If you like that kind of thing, it was only £25/100ml in their sale. Worth trying if you're passing.

 

[PStoller]

YSL - Y (1964)

This came in a batch with one of my Bernard Lalande bottles, so to clear off my nightstand and get to the sample box underneath, I figured I’d give it a go.

Here’s how YSL describes its current “Heritage Edition” of the original:

Y, launched in 1964, is Yves Saint Laurent’s first fragrance. Opening with the freshness of bergamot, at the heart lies elegant iris, a flower with woody overtones. The base opens on a note of oak moss which is followed by patchouli to create a mysterious and exciting trail which leaves a remarkable presence.​

Here’s what Yves had to say about Y back in the day:



When is a parfum not a parfum? By the mid-1970s, the Y line had expanded to include the Bath and Body Parfum, which despite the “parfum” designation cost a mere $7.50/oz compared to $40/oz for the parfum proper. So, don’t have inflated expectations to match eBay’s inflated prices.

Indeed, if my bottle is any indication, the B&B formulation doesn’t age particularly well. It doesn’t smell bad, mind you—it’s a pleasant little thing—but the celebrated ’60s chypre is in scant evidence here. I probably wouldn’t mention bergamot or iris without the cheat-sheet from the website, and the moss/patch base isn’t anything notable in itself.

Perhaps a more generous application would reveal more character, but my guess is the true parfum or even a well-preserved EdT would be a better bet.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Yesterday evening: Musc Eau de Parfum - Bruno Acampora

A lovely, warm-spicy musk that, for me, does not live up to the hype. Neither does it warrant the very high price. Don't get me wrong, it is a very nice musk, but not the be-all-end-all I'd heard it was. It leans masculine. 3.5/5

 

[cheapimitation]

Cartier II L'heure Convoitee
An interesting combo of powdery iris and strawberry. I don't get literal strawberry but a pleasant fruity sweetness that is contrasted against a powdery almost clay like iris. Like a lot from the line it seems to balance the pretty with the borderline ugly to very interesting effect.

 

[Toxicon]

In store at a Molton Brown outlet today, I sampled '[something] Pine and Patchouli' (not in the Directory - may be a Xmas special) on skin, which lasted well. Quite piney to begin; drydown almost more leathery than patchouli, and faintly sweet/musk. Not especially riveting, but acceptable if you need a cheap workhorse. If you like that kind of thing, it was only £25/100ml in their sale. Worth trying if you're passing.

Maybe this one?

Jubilant Pine & Patchouli Molton Brown perfume - a new fragrance for women and men 2021

Jubilant Pine & Patchouli by Molton Brown is a Aromatic Fruity fragrance for women and men. This is a new fragrance. Jubilant Pine & Patchouli was launched in 2021. The nose behind this fragra...

www.fragrantica.com

 

[sagebrush]

Maybe this one?

Jubilant Pine & Patchouli Molton Brown perfume - a new fragrance for women and men 2021

Jubilant Pine & Patchouli by Molton Brown is a Aromatic Fruity fragrance for women and men. This is a new fragrance. Jubilant Pine & Patchouli was launched in 2021. The nose behind this fragra...

www.fragrantica.com

That's it.
ETA : I didn't see a notes pyramid/list, so am quite pleased my nose identified leather, sweet (aka fruity), and musk, in addition to the pine (very evident) and patchouli (less strong but still obvious).

 

[hednic]

Invictus Victory Elixir by Paco Rabanne which I loved.

 

[smockle]

Tried Jil Sander Sander for Men last night:

I enjoy soft, slightly-sweet fragrances with green freshness, peppery dry spice, and muted wood. This one was mentioned in several “office-safe fragrance” threads here, plus on the Givenchy Gentlemen Only Casual Chic review page on Fragrantica (though I don’t find them similar at all). The experience felt very personal, to try an unhyped scent from 25 years ago.

I tend to avoid mint-forward fragrances, because I’ve disliked many (e.g. Geranium Pour Monsieur, Carven L’eau Intense, Mr. Burberry Indigo). The original Prada Luna Rossa was my favorite (though lavender overtakes its mint); now it’s Sander for Men. Mint and complementary cardamom relaxedly waft; it’s a smooth and comforting scent. It unexpectedly brought to mind Harry’s Shiso body wash, which I used years ago, featuring notes of shiso (which I learned is mint), oakmoss, and lemon zest.

I rated it 5 stars, but I haven’t picked up a full bottle (I’m not sure whether I will).

 

[PStoller]

Xerjoff XJ 1861 Renaissance

Renaissance is Italian excellence, condensed into perfume. A sparkling bouquet that releases all the citrusy freshness of tangerine, bergamot,
lemon and petitgrain. Its heart is a transparent flowering of roses and lily-of-the-valley, made dynamic by the presence of mint. The woody amber base gives body with patchouli, cedar, amber and moss rounding out the composition. Italian vivacity is harmoniously combined into an essence that fully reflects the concept of “beautiful and well made.”

Renaissance a seductive pleasure as only an authentic Xerjoff perfume knows how to be...

A very good and very expensive twist on the traditional eau de cologne. I've plenty of other places to go to scratch this itch, starting (if not also ending) with the legendary Eau Sauvage, but the particular way that 1861 Renaissance blends mint, patchouli, and amber under the citrus bouquet is distinctive enough that I might spring for one of the heavily discounted bottles available on the 'net. The rose and LotV notes are here more to add body and complexity (successfully) than to define the scent, so this should still work fine for the floral-averse, while not being too astringent for the rest of us, and the amber has none of the gooey vanilla that I find off-putting in many amber-centric frags. Nicely done, Xerjoff.

 

[d r e]

Coty Vanilla Musk:
Nice clean and light vanilla musk scent. It's soft, but not that feminine to me, one of the most Unisex Vanillas I've smelled. Not super sweet, pretty nice. I like it a lot, this is kinda what I've been looking for

Coty Vanilla Fields:
Immediately reminded me of Xerjoff Naxos, I'm not sure what notes they have in common or whatever but that's what I got. It's alright but not for me

 

[ChypreInBloom]

Sintra by Memo Paris. Very creamy, milky but not yucky, yet too sweet for me. Not enough imagination, a little too plain on the vanilla tart side. Well, that's good news since the prices for that brand are very high.

 

[d r e]

Le Monde Gourmand Ambre Vanille:

Has that fun & floaty sweetness that seems to be the brands signature, but this smells much more classy than I was expecting. Closest I've tried is Dior Homme Intense, but this isn't as powdery or sweet. Someone suggested Mon Guerlain is similar but I haven't tried that. I mostly get iris, Vanilla, Woods, sort of abstract and balanced.

Smells good, unisex, decent performance

 

[ImaFedec]

Vetvier Bourbon by Parfum d'Empire: The vetiver is pleasant, not too overpowering (this is a big compliment as I am not a vetiver aficionado). The scent is a tad too straightforward, I was somewhat hoping that the spices or angelica play more than a third or fourth role. They are there, but extremely discrete. If you enjoy vetiver, I'd say it is a must try. If you are intolerant to vetiver like I am, it is also worth a try just to get some better idea what vetiver can be. If you look for wildness and/or creativity, this can be a pass.

Encelade by Marc-Antoine Barrois: In this case, the vetiver listed is extremely faint, as is the cedar wood. The scent is surprisingly (but not unpleasantly) creamy/sweet to my nose and I get a rhubarb juice effect. It is a nice scent, I find it a bit surprising the bunch of negative reviews it got on fragrantica. I find it quite easy to wear, maybe the most accessible fragrance from their collection. It does not hold my attention too much though, it is a nice encounter that just goes away after some time and for which one will not pounder about too long.

 

[Maize & Blue]

Recently received some samples I'd been meaning to finally try out for more fresh smells for the spring, they were:

-Roja Elysium
-Xerjoff Renaissance
-PDM Sedley

I was very impressed with Roja & Xerjoff, while with Sedley it was just ok to me. Sedley reminded me a bit of Percival, to where I got a hint of Calvin Klein Eternity smell to it, sadly. Then again with most PDM's I've smelled, I really wanted to like them, but haven't exactly been blown away by any of them, I keep trying, though. To their credit, they do last a long time, that's for certain.

 

[cazaubon]

I tried Dusita La Rhapsodie Noire yesterday, it is a gourmand fougère. It brought to mind SL Fourreau Noir, which I prefer. Too much sweet lavender in the Dusita.

 

[hednic]

This Is Him Undressed by Zadig & Voltaire which I very much enjoyed.

 

[sokeripupu]

today i'm trying Pineward - Treacle. there's no pine in the listed notes(! i thought the whole point was they're all pine-based!) but it still smells a little piney to me. however it's mostly sweet, smoky tobacco and molasses. it starts out gingerbready and ends up more tobacco-y. it's really nice and i keep sniffing it but i'm not sure if it's for me to wear.

a lot of the pineward perfumes i've tried are totally thrilling to me in the opening then lose me a bit in the drydown but this is sort of the opposite! there's certainly more going on in the opening but the drydown is more beautiful to me.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Hiram Green - Shangri La (2022 Edition)

My first sample from the brand. I was not impressed. I actually had to wash it off, which I try never to do when sampling. I knew it was going to be a fruity chypre, but the opening was a syrupy sweet peach. I also detected some dusty vetiver. I have not been feeling tip-top this week, and Shangri La really kind of turned my stomach. I will save the sample for another day and try again before giving a definitive rating.

 

[JBHoren]

Diptyque Oud Palao

Two 0.7ml samples, decanted into a 5ml container w/atomizer; two sprays on the back of my left hand.

The opening and first hour were nice: rose and oud; but neither was as "pronounced" as I'd been given to expect -- certainly not the "skank" that others described. Other components appeared during the second hour, with the rose/oud diminishing. From the third hour onward, most of what I smelled was a rosy-vanilla.

I'll try it again -- next time(s) on my body; but if "first impressions" are any sort of indicator, this is one I won't be buying.

 

[ErroneousFact]

Old Spice: Has a sort of familiar feel, unsurprisingly. The same greasy shaving cream in Drakkar Noir, a little spice from Obsession, candy canes, and gingerbread men. I'll stow this in case I ever dress up as Santa.

Brut: Cool Mint Listerine, a bad sea note, and possibly sugar cookies. Avoid.

 

[Toxicon]

Bravely trying Furyo on skin today. Mother of god, this stuff is strong. I'm staying late in the office, so it's just me - gave a half spray to the back of my hand and I'm nearly choking myself out.

Smells pretty good from a couple feet away... up close the animalics are quite beastly even if very well blended into the overall scent profile. Butt sweat, soiled underwear... it's not dominant, but it's there, purring along (sweatily) below the surface of that heady nag champa accord. I'm getting a lot more powder on skin than I did on paper, but hopefully that phase will quiet down in time.

 

[ChypreInBloom]

Today I'm trying Or des Îles, Chérigan, a 1930s French brand recently revived. They make a few that I like and this is one of them. Solar, beachy even, but not in a vulgar way, it's quite creamy and light in a way, full of flowers with a prominent jasmine. Well, it's really worth trying. Thumbs up for me though not the discovery of the century.

 

[hednic]

Zazen by Robert Piguet which I thought was a love from the house.

 

[PStoller]

Tom Ford - Beau de Jour



@The Cologne Cabinet gave Beau de Jour this simple review: "Interesting? No. Good? Seriously good." I can't put it any better, and my beloved Dr. T. concurs. If you have a selection of the classic barbershop greats Tom Ford emulates here, or just one fave to which you've narrowed it down, you don't need this. However, if you're a connoisseur of the style with available shelf space, you won't be sorry if you pick up a bottle.