What did you try today? (2023)

[sokeripupu]

Thank you! I'm thinking about getting the new one as my next purchase but I'm just worried about sweetness as the old one is about as sweet as I'm comfortable with - but if it's a slight difference I don't mind. I could imagine the lack of oakmoss to temper it could make it feel sweeter in comparison.
I find fruity scents a bit difficult so liking the original Shangri La so much was a big deal to me!

smelling them side by side the old formulation is less sweet/the sweetness is a bit more tempered by the mossiness. it really isn't a big difference though and i don't know if i'd clock it if i wasn't going back and forth between them.

if you're in the US i can send you my 2022 sample! they also have them at luckyscent i believe.

 

[strangelight]

Thanks for your help and generous offer - but I live in the UK and you've already been a big help.

it really isn't a big difference though and i don't know if i'd clock it if i wasn't going back and forth between them.

That's exactly the kind of info I wanted to know.
I'll probably take the plunge after all - I really can't get over my old sample!
Also, as a note, I'm usually against layering fragrances but I once tried combining my sample of the original Shangri La with Rogue's Chypre Siam to amp the chypre qualities and quite enjoyed the mix - I think I was inspired by someone suggesting Mitsouko - Coty's original Chypre = Shangri La.

 

[CeeTee]

I tried a sample of Creed’s Royal Oud from a sample lot I got yesterday. Five minutes in- I love it!!

 

[cheapimitation]

I tried ERL Sunscreen at the Comme des Garcons boutique today. I like sunscreen-esqe perfumes, especially if neroli is involved, but I really didn't like this. It is dominated by a synthetic and unpleasant coconut and that's about it. Most real sunscreens smell better and have more complexity. If it reminded me of anything, it's that sun tan oil that comes in a brown bottle.

 

[hednic]

I tried Kado by Fiilit Parfums which I enjoyed immensely and will wear as my SOTD tomorrow.

 

[teardrop]

Frustration by Etat Libre d'Orange:

This opens as a sweet, nutty, woody & spicy melange where initially no one note stands out above the rest, but as it comes into focus l can pick out cinnamon, rum & vanilla most clearly. l've seen complaints on the Other Site about the cumin, but it's not that prominent for me. Neither does it smell like Nutella or cigarettes, as some seem to think. There's no chocolate here, & it doesn't strike me as smoky. lt's in the same ballpark as Praline in Maple & Noir Exquis, but it's sweeter than those two, though still not too sweet. lt slowly dries down to a smooth, nutty vanilla, very soft seven hours in. A very enjoyable, autumnal fragrance, the only frustration here is that the delicious opening phase doesn't last longer...

 

[d r e]

Candies for Men:
Crisp, fresh, airy. Smells like Antonio Banderas Blue Seduction lite, none of the fuzzy aquatic notes or sweetness, but a very similar backbone.

Note wise, mostly getting Melon Rind or Cucumber, maybe some lemon zest or jasmine. I'm prolly way off but fun to see how close you can get

 

[hollywoodforever]

Santal Basmati by Affinessence

Broke out this sample tonight in search of something comforting. I added this sample to one of my Luckyscent orders a long time ago after hearing it mentioned on YouTube by TheTopNote several times. I love her videos, but I am beginning to think she and I just have different tastes.

Santa Basmati is a nice sandalwood scent, with an airy, cooked rice kind of accord up top. It smells high quality, but I applied a lot and it is very faint. It is also quite feminine (even for me), and very "perfume-y." Not the warm sandalwood-chai tea latte-cashmere-sweater I had hoped for.

3/5

 

[Ken_Russell]

Likely (re) tested- since it's most likely not a very first sampling of this= A;bero di Giada by LÉrbolario, tending to like the almost unisex freshness of this rather inexpensive but still great performance as well as quite natural green style EDP.

 

[PStoller]

Captain Fawcett - Maharajah

Captain Fawcett’s collaboration with The Jodhpur Company has resulted in a most outstanding Signature Series eau de parfum: Maharajah! A tantalising, voluptuous fragrance redolent of ancient India’s princely opulence. The Captain’s Master Blender has woven heady rose with peppery spice, rich musk, beguiling cedar & leather studded with dazzling citrus top notes.

A word from Captain Fawcett: "My old chum the Maharajah was a trifle glum. ‘I am delighted by the cricket,’ he said, ‘yet find I’m yearning for the ravishing colours of my own sovereign state.’

"‘I have just the remedy!’ I exclaimed, flourishing a glass phial. The fragrant perfumes therein yielded an astonishing harmony of aromatics. Evocative of myths and men, entwined with a thousand years of memory, it was indeed the signature scent of the Maharajah’s beloved homeland. ‘Fawcett, you are simply extraordinary!’ he cried, spirits immediately revived. ‘I know,’ I replied, modestly."

Captain Fawcett evokes our own Naed Nitram here, and in doing so skirts the small matter of the British Raj. Not so the Jodhpur Company, which claims it "combines centuries of best practice in traditional tailoring with the vibrancy of India during the bygone days of British rule," in "the glory days of the Maharaja’s [sic]." Ah, well: make of that what you will.

Regardless, Maharajah is, per the Captain's exultation, outstanding. A spicy rose and leather with a healthy dose of underlying animalic funk (Musk? Jasmine?), this is an unexpected pleasure. It falls in a space between various other fragrances I like, without recalling any one of them in particular. Longevity and sillage are quite good, as well. I can't say it makes me think particularly of India; but then, I've never been; and, in any case, India is vast enough that this could easily evoke some part of it. Anyway, whatever kind it's redolent of, Maharajah does indeed have opulence.

Do I really want to spend over $100 for 50ml? No, I do not. But there's a fair chance I will, anyway.

 

[Diddy]

On a test strip, Beauty and the Beast by Areej Le Doré. This is the first ALD fragrance I’ve put my nose to, and all thanks to the amazing generosity of one of our members. Eventually I’ll give this a proper wearing, so I’ll save any thoughts on nuances. Essentially (and keep in mind that I’m not well versed with traditional Indian oud) this fragrance is all about the classic combination of rose and oud. There’s supposedly cocoa in here but I do not perceive it. The rose is beautiful and the Oud is intense. Some may say barnyard-like but not to me (and I have farm experience) as to my nose the oud is searing but in a medicinal sense. Appropriately named, as the Oud is beastly and the Rose is beautiful. I’m so grateful for this experience, look forward to wearing it, and look forward to test more from the house.

 

[hednic]

I tried Amante by Fiilit Parfums which I thoroughly enjoyed. Loved the fig note.

 

[Ken_Russell]

Another l'Erbolario re-test, however part of these scents could actually be first samplings.
Namely Frangipani, Accordo Viola, Ortensia and Rosa: while all of these four are decent floral EDPs, for some reasons did not manage to like them as much not even to particularly differentiate them as much as a few clearer favorites (including but not limited to Assenzio, Accordo Ebano, Hedera, Ginepro Nero, Regine dei Prati, Periplo, Accordo Arancio) from this very same house.

 

[PStoller]

Captain Fawcett - Triumphant

Captain Fawcett’s Triumphant collaboration with Rufus Hound has resulted in a rather splendid eau de parfum. A delightful fragrance reminiscent of the balmy days of Spring; olfactory rural stimuli reaped whilst riding his beloved motorcycle thru England’s green & pleasant countryside.

Words from Rufus: “Riding a Triumph motorcycle in an open face helmet on summer days through the British countryside is just heavenly! The speed, the control, the thrum (oh, the thrum!), but also the combination of sunshine, flowers and williwaw arriving olfactorily but manifesting spiritually. It’s the one smell I wish there were more of in the world. So The Captain created it. For beautiful bouche bristlers across the land.

“Look around. The world is going mad. If we’re all going to go mad with it, we can at least do so smelling incredible. Smelling indefatigable. Smelling Triumphant.”

The last of the current collaborations (with the moderately real Rufus Hound, depicted), Triumphant is, well, rather splendid, and otherwise fits the company's description well. Bergamot and blackcurrant in the opening impart a bitter edge, but that soon subsides, leaving a sustained mix of galbanum and sandalwood, fresh and woody in an outdoorsy way, with little if any of the cheap modern "freshie" and "woody amber" character. If you like, say, Geoffrey Beene's Bowling Green, then Triumphant might be right up your country road.

I have to hand it to Captain Fawcett: they've created a solid line of masculine EdPs to augment their facial grooming product line, hewing to tradition without being entirely bound to it. As a whole, the line handily exceeded my expectations. The only one that smelled cheap to me was, sadly, Booze & Baccy, which I anticipated would be my favorite. But Original and Maharajah really got me, and I wouldn't turn away any of the others at the right price. There's the only rub: In the US at least, these are pretty pricey at suggested retail (@ $150/50ml; £55 for Original, £68 for the Signature Series in the UK), and while you can find them discounted, it's not by all that much—maybe down to $120. At a price point closer to their barbershop origins, they'd be no-brainers. Then again, here I am praising them for not smelling cheap while complaining about them not being cheap, so take my grousing with a grain of salt.

Cost caveat aside, I'd suggest that those with a penchant for gentlemanly fragrances of bygone days acquire samples of the whole line. My preferences will likely not be yours, but I suspect you'd find at least one worth owning.

 

[CeeTee]

Just tried a sample of Eau des Sens, Dyptique.
Very nice, fresh orange blossom. It’s supposed to take me on a little journey and has angelica in the base. That’s a winning combo for me, if it turns out that way. We’ll see. So far, it seems to be going a little laundry-ish to me.

*Update: no angelica detected by me… 🧐

 

[woodnotes55]

Captain Fawcett - Triumphant

....... So The Captain created it. For beautiful bouche bristlers across the land.

I do like Bowling Green but WTH is a "bouche bristler"??? Seems if you called someone that it would be assumed to be derogatory, but who knows. A blocked bristler?? Except this curiosity have to say the marketing fables for fawcett line are more entertaining than the typical one presented here.....

 

[Adonna]

@woodnotes55 'Bouche Bristler'
I believe it refers to his facial hair - specifically his mustache -
a~~

 

[hollywoodforever]

Nirvana Rose by Elizabeth & James

A blind buy! It's really interesting for what it is - which is a very inexpensive celebrity fragrance. Seriously though! Nirvana Rose centers on just three accords: Rose de Mai, Geranium, & Vetiver. To me, it registers as earthy, viscous, and dark.

Sadly for me, this fragrance leans heavily into a wine-y facet of the rose - probably my least favorite kind of rose. Maybe it's that I don't drink, but to me wine has a strong acetone tinge, and I definitely get that here. There's also an element of grape cough syrup...

That sounds really harsh - but it's actually quite a well-executed fragrance which smells much more expensive than it is! It's just not for me.

 

[hollywoodforever]

P.S.: Elizabeth & James was a clothing ("and lifestyle") brand owned by Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen. It was situated at a much lower price point than The Row - the sisters' current business venture.

The Row currently markets perfume oils priced at up to $550 - for 7ML!

O Oil

Essence O offers its power to envision. It is joined by Blue Water Lily, Olibanum, and Orris. Envision: Sandalwood, Blue Water Lily, Olibanium, Orris Hand blended in collaboration with L'Oeil du Vert 7 ML

www.therow.com

 

[teardrop]

Accident a la Vanille by Jousset Parfums:

A smooth, creamy & high quality vanilla, with the sweetness offset by the addition of sandalwood. The impression of cake batter is there, but because of the woody note, it doesn't come off quite as rich or eggy as lndult Tihota. lt slowly fades & is unchanged five hours in. A little more development would have made it more interesting for me, but l'd still recommend it to any lovers of vanilla out there.

 

[hednic]

I tried Patchilai by Fiilit another from the house which I loved.

 

[PStoller]

Note: Heading to the dentist today, so I will be unscented until the evening.

 

[woodnotes55]

Note: Heading to the dentist today, so I will be unscented until the evening.

My standard dental scent is Zegna Uomo. Not sure what the dentist thinks but two in the office complimented it and one of the technicians usually comes and leans on me or hugs me a bit to get some sniffs in. If it only worked like that outside the dentist office it might be my favorite, instead it's my "quiet" office favorite.....

 

[cheapimitation]

Tried and re-tryied a bunch of stuff today at Nordstrom and Bergdorf.

For the first time:
Amouage Material: actually pretty nice, I can see the comparison to Grand Soir but if I was to choose one or the other I would go with this because it seems to have more complexity and a little less sweetness. Amber vanilla isn't exactly my genre, but this would be a strong contender if I crave something like this. I also like that it didn't feel overly strong like a lot of Amouage.

Diptyque Eau Papier: meh, kinda like a lot of modern skin scent type things, a vague impression of inkiness but largely familiar modern skinscent profile sitting on a base of ambroxan. Like Another 13 but with less character and 1/8th the strength.

Trying again:
Chanel Gabrielle Parfum: Ugh this is so good, finally saw a bottle unattended so was able to get more than one small spray, I put it on my arm and chest so I could give it a full wearing. Luscious creamy Chanel florals. I really want this but it is so expensive :-/
Chanel Paris Biarritz: Such a happy refreshing perfume, I have Deauville which I love, but I also really like the bite this has in the citrus. Strongly considering picking it up this summer.
Hermes Violette Volynka: still not quite sold on this, the dry down goes warm and almost nutty, it's not bad but it doesn't feel that unique or make me crave it, very similar to the Gucci violet
Hermes Jardin at Cythere: second time trying, it really is a winner. If you're not impressed by fresh fragrances you may think nothing to see here, but it's super fresh and herbaceous without being boring or smelling like anyting else I know. To the top of my want list!

 

[PStoller]

My standard dental scent is Zegna Uomo. Not sure what the dentist thinks but two in the office complimented it and one of the technicians usually comes and leans on me or hugs me a bit to get some sniffs in. If it only worked like that outside the dentist office it might be my favorite, instead it's my "quiet" office favorite.....

I eschew any fragrance for doctor’s appointments because we’re going to be at close quarters and my prior dentist had a hygienist who was allergic. It’s a unique and (thankfully) infrequent circumstance, so I don’t mind.

For irony’s sake, I decided on this as my sample of the day:



Juliette Has a Gun - Not a Perfume

A fragrance made out of a single element called Cetalox. Usually used in perfumery as a base note, it plays here the lead role. Another advantage of this particular composition is that it is entirely allergen free. The result is minimalist, elegant, pure.

My wife, the beloved Dr. T., ordered this for me as a bonus sample along with whatever she bought for herself that day. One can debate whether it’s a perfume, but, while not unpleasant, it’s not terribly interesting. And it’s not even an original idea: Escentric Molecules beat JHaG to the punch by four years.

No doubt comparing this to Molecule 02 is instructive with regard to the differences between the chemically similar Cetalox and Ambroxan: a bit like taste-testing two flavors of Hamburger Helper, sans hamburger. I appreciate the experience, but, no, it’s not a perfume IMO, and other than for layering purposes or a “note check” to see if I’ve correctly identified the chemical in a blend, I can’t see wearing it again.

 

[hednic]

I tried Ice by Fiilit Parfums which I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

[Ed Wardian]

A sample wearing of Fougère Emeraude by Les Indemodables...

Thankfully fit for the thaw, Fougère Emeraude is a shout-out to the golden age of fem chypes (that I enjoy immensely) taking a barbershop segueway towards a splendid makeover of what is a powdery fern in maquillage... Interesting top note of a delightful stripped tuberose beaten down by a lavande fix, a mimosa rub , a fine tasty sage nuanced in a veneer of tonka that collectively holds down as a sexy heel of Brut Original in floral wear... Very intrigued by Florence Fouillet Dubois' twist and turn!

 

[PStoller]

Tom Ford - Bitter Peach

“Explicitly sweet and dangerously voluptuous, Bitter Peach surges with dark, skin-gripping sensuality. Like the full-flavored fruit at its most ripe, the scent is erotic by nature.” – Tom Ford

Smells like peach with some vanilla. Not especially bitter, nor does it surge with anything. I will scrub it after lunch.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Tonka 25 by Le Labo

I am giving a full wear to my sample of Tonka 25 today. I am very surprised by how it's playing out on my skin. It is overwhelmingly an orange blossom perfume to me - orange blossom, cedar, and something like ambrox. 5+ hours in, I am getting some baby-powder-esque musk as well. I thought this was primarily a woody vanilla musk fragrance. I get zero(!) vanilla, zero tonka, and the whole affair feels harshly chemical and sort of tiring on my nose.

I don't like leaving negative reviews, but I would almost think that somehow the wrong juice might have ended up in my sample, because my experience seems so far from that of other reviewers...

 

[PStoller]

CJ Scents - Vetiver Orange Blossom

I think it smells precisely like what it says, though the balance is toward the orange blossom. Performance is excellent. I quite like it, and find it easily unisex. Dr. T. only smells florals, and thinks it’s feminine.

So, probably not for date night.

 

[hednic]

I tried Waka for the first time by Fiilit Parfums which I loved.

 

[PStoller]

Carner - Bo-Bo

Bo-Bo, an ancient folkloric dance is just as it sounds- a lively and celebratory custom that still today in modern times transmits the festive Mediterranean spirit.

I picked this more or less at random from some samples that just arrived (thank you, @ionone), just because I try to test samples with cards first to get the cardboard out of the way, and because I'm about to take off for a brief vacation and I didn't want to dig into a new house survey just now. I didn't look at the note pyramid first.

So, what's in Bo-Bo? Orange blossom and vetiver. OK, not just that, but still treading the same general territory as the CJ Scents Vetiver Orange Blossom from last night. As with the CJ, Bo-Bo is orange-forward, thanks in part to the mandarin top note, with just a smidge of bitterness from the blackcurrant and bergamot to cut the sweetness. There's ostensibly some jasmine and muguet in this, but you couldn't prove it by me; maybe they'll show up later, or maybe they're just here to add some roundness to the heart. Any vetiver is hiding in the base alongside the musk and "white amber" (ambroxan and/or cetalox) that serve to warm things up a tad. It's nice enough, but not exciting: a soft, muted, office-safe orange. I was more impressed by the CJ Scents offering, but since CJS hasn't any notable distribution and Vetiver Orange Blossom is in any case discontinued, that comparison is only relevant to yours truly.

If you love orange blossom scents and want one with no challenging aspects, Bo-Bo could be for you. For me, it's a bit of a yawn.

 

[CeeTee]

I finally sampled/smelled Aventus today from a carded sample from a variety I scored on eBay. I think I might be the last person here to test this. I’m really enjoying it, and seeing what the fuss is all about. A little too masculine for me, but very fun to try!

 

[hollywoodforever]

Ambrette 9 by Le Labo

This is an unusual, soft, fruity musk. As I go through my Le Labo discovery set, I am defintiely appreciating that where the house excels is SILLAGE. Ambrette 9 is beautiful in the air - wafting with a scent of warm skin, soft fruits, and blond woods. Ambrette lends a bitter medicinal edge. Like chlorine on warm skin, emerging from a pool...

I think the bad reviews for this fragrance are unwarranted - especially since it shares a lot in common with the WILDLY popular Another 13. Still, not FBW. 3.5/5

 

[hednic]

Irida by Fiilit Paefums which was another from the house I loved.

 

[PStoller]

Morph - Indomable

A masterpiece that came out somewhat by mistake, created for free spirits, for nonconformists, for those who feel…indomitable.

A fragrance made with your eyes closed, it contains the essence of an indomitable spirit, of those who make their freedom a lifestyle independent of anything else. For those who don't let themselves be put in chains, or enslaved by the masses, for those who have chosen to be indomitable. A sumptuous oud combined with cashmere wood and vanilla beans, a combination never dared before, a real timeless olfactory jewel.

Notes forthcoming.