What did you try today? (2023)

[PStoller]

Liz Zorn/Soivohle - Sage Leaf & Fir

I’m winding up my Soivohle survey with another blind buy, Sage Leaf & Fir. I can’t find much about this one: I’m guessing from the “LZ\OM Atelier” label that it’s c.2020. In any case, I figured sage and fir were right up my alley, so how unhappy could I be?

Alas, persistent apple and sweet fennel notes pull this from herbal/coniferous toward gourmand, which isn’t the house where I keeps muh wheels. It’s beautifully made, but not as much to my taste as I’d hoped. I think fans of Pineward would eat this up, if they could find a bottle. It’s distinctive enough that I’ll hold onto it for a bit in case my appreciation for this profile grows. But if I could swap it for a bottle of Meerschaum, I wouldn’t hesitate.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Hippie Shit by Mister Green
A scent meant to replicate the scent of burning palo santo wood - with notes of soft wood, neroli, musk, smoke, and leather

Smelled it at an über-hip boutique Downtown Los Angeles - just off Skid Row . Bought a sample there. It smells very nice, and I give it lots of credit for not being too sweet or relying too much on patchouli. Still feels a little amateurish though.

 

[Schubertian]

Athalia (PdM). I got a sample because of iris. Well, it’s a dense, powdery iris with a lot of musk. It feels rather loud and synthetically “clean”. I put this on for work and got bored halfway through the day. Not a fan.

 

[hednic]

I tried Nexxos by Blosson Ville, an Aromatic Green fragrance which was your standard green scent.

 

[Toxicon]

Finally trying ELDO Rien on skin. We're still in the opening phase, but this stuff is insane - murderously strong, explosive aldehydes and god knows what else coming together for an impression of greasy, jet black leather dipped in some kind of industrial solvent. One spray to the chest, under my shirt, and this stuff is pounding away at my sinuses. If I tuck my nose under my shirt, I can smell a hint of incense and maybe a touch of civet, but the leather and aldehydes are all-consuming at this point. In the past I've described the opening blast of MpG's Route du Vetiver as the smell of a barrel filled with black sharpies - this takes that nose-singeing chemical stench to cosmic proportions, like a black hole filled with nail polish remover. I'm enjoying the ride thus far, but I cannot imagine a scenario where I could wear this in public.

 

[Diddy]

Last night, my brother @Mythrol and I sat down to compare some fragrance samples gifted us by very generous BN Members. Special thanks to those members! In no particular order, we tested:

-Escada Homme (An excellent take on a familiar profile for vintage fans. I love it but not sure the current asking price is justifiable.)

-Guerlain Chamade (Well done vintage feminine but didn't resonate with us.)

-FM Geranium Pour Monsieur (Geranium lovers will adore this as this is nearly all geranium.)

-Heeley Menthe Fraiche (Solid mint sitting atop very light tea and woods. OK but not wowed.)

-Heeley Cardinal (Old dusty cathedral with 500 years of incense burned in it although none lit in the moment. Photorealistic and interesting to pieces.)

-L’Artisan Fou d'Absinthe (Lives up to its name giving clear absinthe through the opening and middle. Nice drydown. Need more time to appreciate this one before giving final thoughts.)

-L’Artisan Merchant Loup ("Spices, camel’s ass, hay, sweet woods like and like an old shop. Dry and interesting" were all words used during this test. Might grow on us but wasn’t clicking in the moment.)

-MPG Rancine (Some get similarity to Grey Vetiver but not us. We both agree this is closer to Sycamore than GV. The musk, oakmoss, and citrus combo are present up front but become very muted quickly and play way behind the vetiver. Well done but it's been done before. Solid if you need a vetiver.)

-Elie Saab No. 6 Vetiver (Another straight up vetiver that is well done but also nothing new. Think Haitian vetiver style. Solid if you're in need of a vetiver and can get it at a good price.)

-Clive Christian 1872 Twist Bergamot (SO close to 1872 but lighter. Outstanding but just stick to the original as it is not worth the effort of searching for it or any price above standard 1872.)
-Clive Christian 1872 Leather (Exceptional version but again still clearly 1872. I would love to own it but it's not different enough to justify the absurd pricing on Fleecebay.)
(NOTE: Both Twist Bergamot and Leather were compared directly against my bottle of standard modern version 1872 Men.)

-Mancera Cedrat Boise (New magnetic cap bottle. Any resemblance to Aventus is only briefly in the beginning. This is a very pleasant and linear fragrance highlighting black currant, vague semi sweet fruits, soft patchouli, and a soft base of cedar/vanilla/sandalwood/musk. It is present but not overbearing, with exceptional sillage.)

-Dior Bois D’Argent (Exceptional blending as one would expect from the Privee line. This is about iris, vanilla, and sweet honeyed woods. It does get powdery for a moment but that subsided greatly. To us both, this presented itself as a smoothed out fragrance inspired by VC&A's Midnight in Paris edt.)

-Ettore Bugatti edt (This is a highly praised vintage lover's selection, done in the Italian style of amber fougere. Feels very 80's and early 90's in style. While excellent, it feels as just another take on the style. I'll reserve final thoughts until after giving a proper wearing. At this point, it doesn't feel different enough from others of the style for me to jump on the bandwagon. I really wanted to be blown away by this one but wasn't. And I'm sure it's just a style thing.)

***The standouts were (in no particular order): Escada Homme, the 1872 duo, and Cedrat Boise. If I had to pick between the 1872s, Leather would be the easy choice as the leather adds some actually variation and is a stunningly smooth leather. Even though those were the standouts the others weren’t bad. @Mythrol is not a fan of mint in fragrance, so Menthe Fraiche was a quick pass for him. For me, Menthe Fraiche was ok but not amazing.

***Honorable mentions of Elie Saab being a solid vetiver, albeit nothing that hasn’t been done before, and Cardinal for being nearly a photorealistic representation of the smell inside of old English cathedrals. Cardinal was a solid thumbs up for Mythrol and I'm still processing it but not adverse to it. Also, if someone likes Midnight in Paris but wishes it was a touch smoother and less powdery, they should really consider Bois D’Argent, as it’s a very well done fragrance that tickles the nose in a similar way.

For anyone that read all of that... bless you!

 

[hollywoodforever]

Labdanum 18 by Le Labo
French labdanum, Vanilla, Musk, Civetta, resins, Tonka Bean, Castoreum, Patchouli, Gurjan balsam, Cinnamon, Birch

Labdanum 18 was created for Le Labo by Maurice Roucel, and is often compared to Musc Ravageur, his composition for Frederic Malle. I have only tried Musc Ravageur in its latest formulation, and found it to be too sweet, and not the growling, snarling musk it is often described as.

Labdanum 18 isn't all that similar to Musc Ravageur to my nose. I get a kind of vintage smelling amber and powder scent, which is really nice. It is musky, but I wouldn't say it's primarily a musk. It's a very nicely done fuzzy brown scent - could even lean a little bit barbershop. All of the Le Labo's I've tried thus far have excellent longevity, projection, and sillage on my skin. I like it!

3.5/5

 

[Mythrol]

What my brother @Diddy said is basically my exact takes on stuff. There’s only a few things I’d like to expand on.

Racine I think is a great, amazing, dare I say near masterpiece of a vetiver fragrance that I would rarely reach for. I find the Saab Vetiver to not be as good of a composition but more wearable to my nose. It’s funny how sometimes you can totally appreciate a fragrance for all its qualities and can see just how good of a fragrance it is and yet it still not resonate with you.

Heeley Cardinal smells exactly like some old churches I’ve visited while on vacation in Europe. It’s always nice when a scent can spark a memory in your mind and Cardinal does just that for me. Not of a specific one but just I get exactly what the performer was trying to evoke with it. It’s another one that I have no idea when I’d wear it but, unlike Racine, Cardinal smells soooo good I think I’d try to wear it even with the heat we have down here.

Cedrat Boise is an easy buy for anyone wanting to get an adjacent to Aventus (doesn’t smell like it but scratches the same itch) but for less money. If you can find it from a discounter for some the prices I’ve seen it, it’s an easy purchase. More black currant forward but still has a nice citrus in the background. I’ll end up buying a bottle or swapping with my brother for his. Lol.

Finally there’s 1872 and it’s spin-offs. You know a fragrance is great when you pick up your phone and start pricing it while you smell it. I actually have a bottle of 1872 but mine is the original clear bottle and is a bit more spice forward than the newer green bottles. It’s still excellent but I rarely touch 1872 because it’s such a special fragrance. We finally busted it out to compare against the leather and bergamot versions and it just slams home how good this thing is. I can’t create a top 5 list of fragrances but what I do know is 1872 is in my top 5. I know it’s expensive so it doesn’t have as huge of a following as other fragrances but my advice to anyone is, do *NOT* smell 1872. If you smell it you’re going to end up buy it. Heck, I’ve got a bottle and I’m probably about to purchase another bottle.

 

[PStoller]

Clandestine Laboratories - Safe House

“Safe House was originally based on how I remember my childhood doctor smelling; at the time I just assumed it was how he smelled (and it reminded me of tongue depressors) but it must have been some classic orris-oakmoss thing. The first time I smelled an orris chemical my immediate reaction was ‘tongue depressors’ - though natural orris doesn’t smell that way.

“Safe House is basically a bitter bergamot-carrot seed-orris-oakmoss-castoreum thing to which I added a ton of black spruce eo because it needed something more up top and I realized that spruce works well with the bitter-woodiness. It’s not a particularly fun fragrance, it’s bitter and austere, but performs really well and creates a clean-bitter aura. Probably best for an older man, this is not going to be something you’d want to wear to the club (except maybe the Harvard Club).”

Bitter and austere, indeed. Safe House is not a fragrance that wants to be liked, and if that doesn't also describe you or your mood, then it's probably not for you. (@Andy the frenchy, be warned.) That, however, is not the same as saying it's unlikable. We old curmudgeons revel in our own curmudgeonliness, and there are those less curmudgeonly who love us despite ourselves. So, I open up and say "aah" to Safe House, a fascinating fragrance even if not a friendly one. Throwing carrot seed atop already-carroty orris is tantamount to cruelty, but that olfactory spanking is good preparation for weird, woody-animal funk of the black spruce and castoreum. So, perhaps less Harvard Club than Hellfire Club—though, even there, you might be sitting alone. Which suits me fine some days. The rest of the time, I do have a few hundred other choices.

I don't think I need a FB, but I enjoy the thought giving it to someone as a gift. Who says Safe House isn't fun?


Thanks to @clandestine laboratories for the sample.

 

[Ken_Russell]

Rose Oud by Monotheme Venezia.
Rating this a decent performance unisex oud EDT, midway through a very clean, soapy powdery rose and a slightly funkier, mustier, smokier, even oilier but still overall fairly average as much as unobtrusive oud.

 

[d r e]

Le Monde Gourmand:

Le Soda Pop:
Very Coca Cola like. Spot on naming here. less thick and sweet in comparison to stuff like 1 Million, Code Absolu/Profumo, more along the lines of OG Code. For how fizzy it is, there's nothing scratchy, sharp, or obviously synthetic. Notes are tough but I'd say Ginger, Cinnamon, some Nondescript Citrus. I like it, smells like a damn good male designer fragrance.

Mais Souffle:
If you've ever tried Native Sugar Cookie, it's like that with some tinge of apple on top. I'm not a fan of the popcorniness but it's done okay here. Okay but not for me.

Sucre de Coton:
A bit different than I expected. This is kinda soapy and sweet, but all of these are actually less sweet than most LMG Fragrances. I wouldn't immediately think cotton candy when smelling this. I get the Berries and Vanillic Sugar, but there's a lot of nondescript florals playing a role also. It's kinda like a less powdery Pink Sugar, but I don't think that accurately describes it. There's a slightly citric-minty-salty bite that keeps it fresh and breathable. Very nice.

 

[hednic]

I tried Black Jack by Flora Pura a Amber Spicy fragrance which was pleasant but nothing special.

 

[lfc1892]

Bois Morocain - nice, but more as a scented candle

Dark lord by Killian - sweet woody leather. Also nice

 

[Reiu]

I tried St. Clair Scents' "Song of Aubrac" today.

I became curious about a good narcissus absolute soliflore after wearing "Arabia" from La Via del Profumo / AbdesSalaam Attar several times and noticing that the narcissus seems to be the note that lingered longest on me, despite not being a main highlight of the perfume.

On top of hanging around for hours and hours after the rest of the perfume had faded, amazingly enough for an all-natural composition the narcissus absolute in "Arabia" had even survived a shower (I use non-scented soaps, but still). Wow!

I did quite enjoy the lingering narcissus, and looked around to see if there was a good narcissus with blackcurrant bud (my preferences lean towards green lifelike florals more than powdery/sweet florals or chypres and thought that'd be a good starting point for a narcissus search) and with the help of Basenotes search, that landed me with St. Clair Scents and Song of Aubrac.

"Song of Aubrac" is quite nice and does seem true to the absolute, bringing out that narcissus note that had lingered on my skin but in higher definition. The inky nagarmotha-like notes I smell from the living white narcissus flower is there as well, possibly helped by the vetiver.

I'm not sure it has wowed me enough to buy a full bottle but it's very pleasant to wear and I'll definitely be using up my sample And noticing how the perfumer is amplifying and supporting the narcissus in Song of Aubrac has been educational.

The quality of this fragrance has made me curious about others from St. Clair Scents as well, so that's definitely a house I'll be going back to try more of.

 

[ErroneousFact]

Millesime Imperial: The opening is like a combination of a few top designer picks (Perhaps a Chanel bias, like AHSEE and BdC) without any sharp or weird aspects. Just good. Then in 45 minutes it was just Molecule 02 to my nose.

Spicebomb Night Vision: It's called similar to Invictus, which isn't hard to gather, but it doesn't evoke the same feeling, and it's nowhere near as pleasant. More apple, more scratchiness. I detect no Spicebomb lineage.

Edit: Polo: I think it starts around 40% similar to Old Spice, and a couple hours later I can't tell the difference, from memory. I've probably smelled it at some point, and in any case the vibe is an adult man in his 30s or higher a generation or two ago. Let's say a 38 year old dad in 1984. I don't really care for the gingerbread/soap it dries down to, so not a buy.

 

[PStoller]

Perfumeries are like a hydra: cut off one, and two more will arise to take its place. Having spent several week with Soivohle and a brief jot over to Clandestine Laboratories, it’s time to tackle a very different new house, Vivamor—a sister company to Navitus, which has a fragrance called Vivamor. This looks to be one of those quasi-niche houses, crediting a range of notable perfumers à la Frédéric Malle, but with aspirations more commercial than creative.

First up:



A sexy and seductive unisex fragrance that is both warm and addictive.

Per usual, I’m starting with the samples least likely to please me: the gourmands. It should thus surprise no one that I find Ultimate Aphrodisiac to be anything but. If General Foods International Coffees get you hot and bothered, you might get your jollies from this juvenile, artificially flavored sugar bomb. Otherwise, I recommend you spare your skin the scrubbing you will so desperately want to give it within moments of application.

 

[Salumbre]

Chaugan Terre de Perse.

Found it while puttering around Fragnanimous, and that sonorous name drew me in. (I have a thing for anything Persian.)

I could barely find find any reviews on it ANYWHERE, and the only positive comment on it was merely a passing endorsement by hednic. The price was too good to pass up (it was in the 95% full section), so I took a chance and bought it blind anyway.

And boy --I'm glad I did. It's this strange hybrid between barbershop and avant-garde, full of a mysterious, understated elegance. Peppery and woody and downright wonderful. I showered half an hour ago, and I can still smell it on my skin.

I look forward to spending some more time getting to know this unknown little gem.

ETA: I'm not sure whether the one listed under this name here is the same fragrance. The note list is entirely different, Fleur de Pavot is not on the bottle, and (sorry) the notes listed on "that other site" are a lot closer to what I'm smelling.

 

[Scent Detective]

View attachment 324444

Liz Zorn/Soivohle - Sage Leaf & Fir

I’m winding up my Soivohle survey with another blind buy, Sage Leaf & Fir. I can’t find much about this one: I’m guessing from the “LZ\OM Atelier” label that it’s c.2020. In any case, I figured sage and fir were right up my alley, so how unhappy could I be?

Alas, persistent apple and sweet fennel notes pull this from herbal/coniferous toward gourmand, which isn’t the house where I keeps muh wheels. It’s beautifully made, but not as much to my taste as I’d hoped. I think fans of Pineward would eat this up, if they could find a bottle. It’s distinctive enough that I’ll hold onto it for a bit in case my appreciation for this profile grows. But if I could swap it for a bottle of Meerschaum, I wouldn’t hesitate.

Interesting. Glad I didn't spring for this one a few years back when it came out based on your review here. But, I shouldn't be too hasty since I haven't actually smelled it yet, but it does sound much different than expected based on your experience with it.

 

[PStoller]

Interesting. Glad I didn't spring for this one a few years back when it came out based on your review here. But, I shouldn't be too hasty since I haven't actually smelled it yet, but it does sound much different than expected based on your experience with it.

I’d hoped the apple note in Sage Leaf & Fir would be more acidic and function almost like citrus, but it was more, well, apple-y. For many people, that would be a plus, or at least not a minus. I’m just not the audience for it. Still, it was a good version of something I don’t like, as opposed to this morning’s travesty from Vivamor. I’m afraid the next few sampling days may be difficult, but I hope to be out of the supermarket pastry aisle by next week.

 

[hednic]

I tried Ithaque by Memo for the first time which I absolutely loved. A wonderful chypre.

 

[ErroneousFact]

Mercedes-Benz Man: If there was Equate brand Men's Cologne. A combination of old bar soap and modern shower gel.

Creed Viking: I'm getting Spicebomb plus Old Spice with a little extra cinnamon. I'd rather just wear Spicebomb.

 

[The Cologne Cabinet]

Smelled it at an über-hip boutique Downtown Los Angeles - just off Skid Row

Yep, you better know your rights and lefts over there. My wife and I used to frequent a couple of the restaurants in that area, but not in a while now.

 

[lfc1892]

New York intense by Nicolai.
Not for me, but if you’re after a citrusy barbershop, look no further.

 

[ErroneousFact]

Eros EDP: It's enough like Eros that I can't pinpoint any way it's different without side by side comparison.

Moschino Toy Boy: Completely new style to me. Is that rose? Not a florist. Quite feminine and not for me, but I can't accuse them of misrepresenting it as a standard masculine fragrance. Just wanted to try it.

 

[PStoller]

Vivamor - Reserve Exclusif

A sophisticated elegant fragrance that exudes class and modernity.

As you can imagine from the top notes, Reserve Exclusif comes on like a holiday cookie. Vastly preferable to Ultimate Aphrodisiac’s “cheap amaretto left out in the sun” accord, but still not how I’d want to smell. While the heart and base cut the sugar somewhat, the stock aromachem stew—neither sophisticated nor elegant, let alone “exclusif”—presents a designer gourmand masquerading as niche.

I don’t know who this is for, but I know who it isn’t. <raises hand>

 

[BiliousBetil]

Mancera Intense Cedrat Boise. I was just about to work Cedrat Boise into the budget, but decided to try a decant of the Intense version first. Now, I am on the fence. I'll rotate the two versions and make a decision. NOTE: longevity is not important to me.

BTW, at the same time I got an (expensive) decant of YSL Babycat, mostly out of curiosity. I need to wear this one more, but just trying it may lead to a budget-busting decision.

Cheers!

 

[WarmJewel]

Christian Dior - Eau de Cologne Fraiche, vintage.

I received a bottle of this today and couldn't resist trying it. Wow, I never knew this was so good. It's a slightly sweeter more floral version of Eau Sauvage, I can certainly see the evolution from Fraiche to Sauvage. This was originally marketed to women but it really is very unisex.

This is almost the missing link or bridge between Eau de Colognes and Chypres. It has the citrusy cologney style opening but dries out to a sweetish musky woodsy Chypre due to the Vanilla, Sandalwood and Oakmoss. Longevity is remarkably good and lasted a good 6 hours or more on me.

A truly outstanding and beautiful fragrance.

 

[PStoller]

Christian Dior - Eau de Cologne Fraiche, vintage.

A truly outstanding and beautiful fragrance.

It is, and oddly enough, vintage bottles often go for a song. Up there with the more celebrated vintage Diors.

 

[WarmJewel]

It is, and oddly enough, vintage bottles often go for a song. Up there with the more celebrated vintage Diors.

Indeed. The one I purchased was £15 for a 4 floz bottle, which represents remarkable value for money for such a beautiful fragrance.

I'll post it up in the 'vintage bought' thread when I can.

 

[d r e]

Skylar Peach Fields:

Sharp juicy peach. Leans acidic/sour but it's still sweet. Didn't really detect any other notes.


Also refreshed my memory on Skylar Vanilla Sky, and thought it was very similar to Sabrina Carpenter Sweet Tooth. Both have an almost identical style of Vanilla that LMG & Ariana Grande also seem to use,. I think it smells really nice

 

[PaTomas]

Got a 5ml sample from Fragrance Lines while searching out the best, or a nice Cypress. This one is phenomenal, definite expression of whispy fall approaching, darker with a sweet note and your heavy cypress. This is the Tiber in October. Makes me miss Rome.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Oud & Musc by Cartier

A casual but elegant fragrance, great for someone who isn't much into ouds - like me. Its performance is subtle, but it has a gentle, radiating halo. Spicy, musky, woodsy, earthy. Reminds me strongly of Jo Malone's Oud & Bergamot, which I like, but this is drier and airier.

It's a good concept and a pretty fragrance. I want to like it more than I do. 3/5

 

[Schubertian]

Christian Dior - Eau de Cologne Fraiche, vintage.

I received a bottle of this today and couldn't resist trying it. Wow, I never knew this was so good. It's a slightly sweeter more floral version of Eau Sauvage, I can certainly see the evolution from Fraiche to Sauvage. This was originally marketed to women but it really is very unisex.

This is almost the missing link or bridge between Eau de Colognes and Chypres. It has the citrusy cologney style opening but dries out to a sweetish musky woodsy Chypre due to the Vanilla, Sandalwood and Oakmoss. Longevity is remarkably good and lasted a good 6 hours or more on me.

A truly outstanding and beautiful fragrance.

Sounds very nice. Is this a different fragrance from the "Eau fraiche"?

 

[WarmJewel]

Sounds very nice. Is this a different fragrance from the "Eau fraiche"?

It's a good question but not one I have a definitive answer to!

There appears to be two versions: Eau de Cologne Fraiche and Eau Fraiche de Christian Dior. My guess is that they are the same fragrance at different concentrations as I've never seen the Eau de Cologne Fraiche in any concentration other than Eau de Cologne. Whereas I have seen Eau Fraiche de Christian Dior in Eau de Toilette.

Hopefully someone else might have a more definitive answer.

 

[hednic]

I tried Ganymede Extrait and found it to be wonderful and better than I expected.

 

[PStoller]

There appears to be two versions: Eau de Cologne Fraiche and Eau Fraiche de Christian Dior. My guess is that they are the same fragrance at different concentrations as I've never seen the Eau de Cologne Fraiche in any concentration other than Eau de Cologne. Whereas I have seen Eau Fraiche de Christian Dior in Eau de Toilette.

I’m just shooting from the hip here, but I believe the original “Eau Fraîche” was an EDC, and when an EDT was added to the line later, the original concentration was labeled “Eau de Cologne Fraîche.”

 

[PStoller]

Vivamor - Cherry Prive

I was almost looking forward to hating this, but that Duchaufour dude is no slouch, and I have to assume Bourgarel brought something to the party as well. Anyway, imagine a cherry pipe "tonkabacco" but with no tobacco, and you've pretty much got Cherry Prive. The almond here isn't bitter, nor even terribly present, but I think the nutty aspect ties the top to the cinnamon and woods, while the cherry melts nicely into the rose with support from a soft, subtle vanilla. Theres a dollop, if not a wallop, of contemporary aromachems—Dr. T. responded with, "you smell modern"—but even if "amber" translates to "ambroxan," it's quite good of its type. That type isn't quite my type, as I prefer pipe scents with real tobacco and less fructose. I expect some of you young'uns would love it, though, just like I've got Motown and you've got K-pop.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Prada Infusions
I sampled 8 fragrances (over the past few weeks) from the Prada Infusions line. I was really excited about them initially. I love the idea of a capsule collection of fragrances, all exploring different themes but with a shared DNA - and the DNA here is great. Each fragrance is well executed, and some are pretty imaginative and playful. On the whole, I think they strike me as a little subdued, and not very expensive smelling, but I would pick a couple up if I saw them in the $80 - $100 range.

Prada Infusions (Ranked least favorite to most favorite):

8. Iris Cedre - bleh. Really didn't enjoy. Trying too hard to be "masculine"

7. Oeillet - wanted to love it, but it's just "fine."

6. Iris - the OG. Good not great.

5. Vetiver - Fun, fresh tarragon and citrus with vetiver in the heart, Infusions base. Wonderful vetiver for beginners and vetiver-non-believers.

4. Amande - Earthy and nutty with less sweetness than you'd think. Nice, really.

3. Mimosa - Sophisticated and unusual with fresh yellow flowers and black licorice. Peppery.

2. Fleur d'Oranger - Orange cream soda and tuberose but not very sweet. Nice!! But weak.

1. Ylang - Salty, aquatic, and tropical but also spicy and woody - with benzoin, sandalwood, and cardamom. Surprisingly masculine; lovely. Possibly FBW, even at retail.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Rose 31 by Le Labo

Pleasing vetiver-spices-woods plus an itty bitty rose. This fragrance is made to be intentionally dirty, with a relentless onslaught of cumin and smoky gaiac in the base. I also get something like ambroxan or cashmeran. Smells much different nose to skin, 6 inches away, and a foot away. Great sillage. Day or night appropriate, but probably best in hot weather.

Splendid. Don't think I can bring home any more rose perfumes for a while, but it goes on the wishlist. 4/5

 

[hednic]

I tried Malabar by by House of Hautt a Leather fragrance which I thought was quite nice.