What did you try today? (2023)

[PStoller]

TRNP - Heartache of the Huà-Méi (2022)

Heartache of the Huà-Méi starts out all buzzy citrus thanks to the cocktail of neroli, lemon, and yuzu, but then the incense and tea peek through, followed by the rose, and soon enough it's bright, light, swirling thing all its own—veil upon veil. I have no idea what Reinthal means by the name of the fragrance, but my wild guess is that, as Paul Laurence Dunbar's "Sympathy," it refers the singing of caged birds. In any case, Reinthal has distilled the beauty of sadness without any of the sadness itself.

I do hope she doesn't retire soon. Her evolution as a perfumer is noteworthy.

 

[Andyjreid]

Zaharoff Signature Citrine. An absolutely outstanding, bright, clean citrus with a light floral and musky base to die for. Unfortunately, die is the right word as it was undetectable after about 2 hours. Such a shame.

 

[exquisitecrops]

Serge Lutens - Poivre Noir
Tenacious black pepper note on woody ambers. The pepper note is in-between Serge Noire and CDG's Blackpepper.

Hollow and disappointing.

 

[JoM68]

Diptych's Oud Palao, a sample sent by a fragrance friend who loves this scent.

To my nose a woody and dark, jammy rose scent with animalic, but not strongly so, notes. I'm not really experienced with oud, so cannot say if that aspect is accurate. The opening also reminds me of liquorice. It dries down to a more camphoraceous scent but the rose wafts in and out of it. Thankfully the funky scent doesn't take over, which was a pleasant surprise. I only sprayed two little spritzes on wrist and chest and my husband couldn't smell it from a few feet away, so I think this is fine to wear out if lightly applied. I like it very much, but don't think I'd buy a full bottle, but I do think this is unisex.

The other day I also tried Creed - Royal Oud, again sent to me by the same fragrant friend. This one has no comparison to Oud Palao in that there was no funky note to it at all, but was a very nice masculine leaning barbershop scent - woody and green, but that's pretty much all I can say about it.

 

[hednic]

I tried Vanilla In Bourbon by Scents Of Wood which I loved.

 

[BiliousBetil]

D&G Light blue Eau Extreme. This one is the reason for decants. The popular scent doesn't get along with my skin. I will try again, just because, but I'm not encouraged.

Cheers!

 

[JoM68]

Oud Delice by Robert Piguet. Definitely honey centric with a slight darker, resinous note underneath it, though again I have no idea if that is the oud note. It's a warm, sweet slightly spicy scent. Although its projection was more than I thought, thanks to my OH smelling it immediately on entering the living room, it's not unpleasant at all and happily it's not overly sweet either. It's not FBW, but I'll be happy to use up my sample.

 

[hednic]

I tried Merveilleuse Saba which I thoroughly enjoyed

 

[enframing]

Not today but yesterday tried a sample I was given of Rose Oud by Teatro Fragranze. Amazing. I should have bought one. Will definitely buy.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Vanille de Tahiti by Perris Monte Carlo

A well executed, high quality, straight forward vanilla and ylang-ylang perfume. Unisex. Yummy, but doesn't cross the line into gourmand. Many who have reviewed it say that it smells "poopy" at the top and I sort of agree - a strange, humid, animalic, halitosis kind of note but it is fleeting and not at all unpleasant to me.

Vanille de Tahiti, Patchouli Nosy Be, and Santal du Pacifique from this house are all VERY similar. They all smell fantastic - sleek, young, sexy, and sweet. Not how I'd like to present at all but still quite good.

 

[hednic]

I tried Fleur D'Oh by OHTOP which was very nice.

 

[Toxicon]

Reporting back on a few recent pickups:

• Rochas Moustache Original 1949 EDT - very nice, light, bright, decidedly old-school citrus aromatic. It doesn't smell like Eau Sauvage but sits comfortably in that old-school aromatic zone. First wear was a bit disappointing on longevity, which isn't a surprise for something this citrus-forward, but it was even shorter than current versions of Eau Sauvage. People often ask how this compares to Eau de Rochas Homme - there's definitely some overlap in the bright citrus woods and surrounding musk, but Moustache EDT feels much more old world, herbal, and aromatic focused; EdRH smells more like Sprite (lemon/lime) over dry woods. I do like this a lot, and it's definitely worth the asking price (bottle is absolutely phenomenal, for what that's worth).
• Lomani pour Homme - I had low expectations given its price ($7) and reputation (supposedly a budget Drakkar Noir clone), but this is wonderful stuff, exactly what I was hoping for. It's NOT a Drakkar Noir clone, despite what the uninformed will tell you. It has a similar opening - same type of fresh / soapy lavender blast, but it never swerves into the darker aspects of Drakkar Noir, and there's no leather in the base. It starts out with that same 80s soapy fougere feel, but it resolves into something a bit thinner, lighter, maybe more of a chypre feel than a true fougere. Bottom line, it just smells great - nice aromatic lavender shaving cream vibes, and the performance was surprisingly good. Opens a bit loud but quickly quiets down to wearable levels, and hangs around for a good long while (albeit close to the body). I'm a light sprayer, and I found this level of performance perfect for my needs - long lasting but not overly strong. As someone who wore Drakkar Noir for years in the 80s and 90s, this is certainly similar, but this is waaaay more my speed these days. Absolute no-brainer for the price.
• Pino Silvestre - somehow not at all what I was expecting. I got the opening pine note for sure, but this was a lot softer and spicier than I was expecting; reminds me a bit of my similarly cheap bottle of Malezia Vetyver Uomo (which again, is mostly about soft spices; in that case nutmeg). This is perfectly wearable, perfectly nice. Do I need to own it? No, but the pinecone bottle is adorable. Longevity seems light, but i got 125 ml for about $12, so no complaints.

 

[JakeStiebs]

This one reminds me of a less sharp Polo Modern Reserve with a slight tropical touch.

 

[davidcalgary29]

If you're tired of DRINKING fruity cocktails...why not dump them all over yourself instead? "Tales from Zanzibar" will definitely -- and literally -- have you covered! Seriously: you may as well just put a fruit basket on your head and dance around the office, a la Carmen Miranda, in 1941. Fun for those who enjoy wearing parade floats for fragrances.

 

[hednic]

I tried Extraordinaire De Saba ny Reine De Saba which I thought was outstanding.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Roja Great Britain. Not getting the allegedly legendary hooker notes, but maybe it'll develop in the next few hours.

 

[d r e]

Acqua Essenziale Blu:
Smells like most dark blue scents (BdC, Sauvage, Dylan Blue, etc.), but without as much sour citrus or sharp woods. Smooth and pleasant

Daniel Josier Kaleidoscope:
Straight up Mint without the extreme cooling factor or brightness. This supposedly has Oud, Pine, etc. But everything just seems to be well blended and hardly noticeable outside of the Mint smell

 

[hednic]

I tried L'Eau de Marius by Rose Et Marius which I loved.

 

[Akahina]

Not today, but 2 days ago I tried Meo Fusciuni Varanasi. This was at an event to meet the man himself. Interestingly, he told me he does not wear it. An animalic wonder if a scent.

 

[teardrop]

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever by CB I Hate Perfume:

This one has been on my test list since 2017, when Robin's review on Now Smell This caught my eye. The listed notes of hyacinth, daffodil, crocus, tulip, narcissus & jonquil, described as smelling "like spring bulbs blooming just after a light rain", appealed to my love of springtime, & of gardening. As Robin notes, this does have the wet soil note that Mr Brosius used to such great effect in Black March, but here it's less redolent of a cold, wet winter. lt's as if the soil has had time to warm up a little, so the impression is gentler & more akin to the petrichor note found in Demeter's Dirt. lt takes a few minutes for the floral notes to appear, with hyacinth probably the most prominent, but it's much less green, sharp or floral than l expected. The projection is low as you might expect for a "water perfume", it's fading fast only one hour in, & gone not long after. l did only dab & not spray, though.

Like spring itself, the beauty of this perfume is elusive & fleeting. While l'm slightly disappointed, my wallet is relieved. lf l were to spend my hard-earned cash on something like this, l'd get a bottle of Dirt, which is far less expensive, more complex & much longer-lasting.

 

[Schubertian]

Corsica Furiosa. Enjoying it, especially in this summery weather we have today. It smells like a Mediterranean garden gone wild, or an island. Not too conceptual to wear though. It doesn't smell at all "furious", so I wonder whence the name? (Then again, "Le Cri de la Lumiere" was more like a whisper to me, go figure.)
I kinda hope I won't like this so much I'll want to buy it...

 

[gunmetal24]

Rania J's Shah'Ryah (the new extrait).
I am still sampling it and haven't quite made up my mind. But it definitely has her signature dense woody slightly dirty base. The oud used here seems like the medicinal type (my way of describing its profile). It definitely has a floral-ish syrupiness coating the woody oudy core.

 

[Franco65]

Corsica Furiosa. Enjoying it, especially in this summery weather we have today. It smells like a Mediterranean garden gone wild, or an island. Not too conceptual to wear though. It doesn't smell at all "furious", so I wonder whence the name? (Then again, "Le Cri de la Lumiere" was more like a whisper to me, go figure.)
I kinda hope I won't like this so much I'll want to buy it...

You ought to try Ichnusa by Profumum Roma...wild!

 

[Franco65]

 

[Akahina]

Molecule 01 + Mandarin by Escentric Molecules.​

Smells of a nice fresh Mandarin orange and really nothing else to me. Juicy. Fresh. I love the smell but wonder about its longevity. Plus, can a scent be called a perfume with one, or in this case two ingredients? I'm skeptical of the artistry and the cost.

 

[hednic]

I tried Exciting Story by Amirius which I loved.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Baie de Genievre and Chevrefeuille -- thanks, Mudassir!

 

[hednic]

I tried Pacific Chill by Louis Vuitton which was a winner.

 

[Schubertian]

Corsica Furiosa, Parfums d'Empire - liked it. Smells like nature. Oops, I realise I already mentioned this - well I tried it again today
Study #17, Miller et Bertaux - liked it, too. Green, sharpish but not overly so.
Menta y Menta, Miller et Bertaux - nope, too much mint.
But Not Today, Filippo Sorcinelli - nope, not sure what it is but I cannot imagine wanting to smell like it.

 

[ImaFedec]

Paradisi - Jorum: Intriguing fragrance. The first time I tried it, it felt extremely green/fresh with hints of grapefruit persisting. I enjoyed it quite a bit that I decided to by a small sample to try more extensively but now I mostly get wet woods (wetter/less dirty French lover). I really like it but I do not understand it completely, but maybe I just don't have to

Cap Neroli - Nicolai: In search of a nice refreshing but interesting neroli for the upcoming summer. This was not it. There was something medicinal that made it unpleasant to my nose.

Eau Mixte - Nicolai: However, this one was very nice. Zesty Citrus at the top with a bunch of green flower and hints of rose in the heart. It settles quickly, the citrus-flower mix persist gently, but the performance is quite poor. Will consider a 30ml bottle for this summer because I find it refreshing, easy to wear yet interesting.

 

[Professor Value]

Delete

 

[cheapimitation]

Masque Milano Terralba
Oh boy I dodged a bullet with this one! I was so close to blind buying it as I love green fragrances and have had nothing but good experience with Masque Milano, but my reasonable side got the best of me so I requested a sample from a recent luckyscent order. I've splashed half the vial on, and while I don't hate it I'm really glad I didn't buy it. It's green and earthy but it's got a bit of a synthetic wet rock geosmin kind of smell to it that I don't really like. I'm getting the tangerine and it's adding a weird synthetic sweetness which is clashing with the attempt at green dry bitterness. Like little wedges of canned mandarin oranges in a kale salad. Not terrible but I already have much better fragrances of this genre.

Parco 1923 EDT
Classic scent enthusiasts take note, this is very good! I was at a cute little boutique called La Garconne and it was the one and only fragrances on offer so I sprayed it on (I love a ruthlessly curated shop!). A very nice classic juniper woodsy oakmossy aromatic smell. My closest reference points would be something like CDG Hinoki or Aesop HWYL but more classic and natural smelling. I'm sure this scent profile can be had for much cheaper, but this smells really well done with quality natural smelling ingredients. Like Aspen with 10x the budget.

It seems that this brand is nearly impossible to find in the U.S. so maybe I should go back and pick up a bottle. In any case, if you run across it and dig this scent profile, definitely worth a try!

 

[Schubertian]

You ought to try Ichnusa by Profumum Roma...wild!

Thanks! Will try if I come across it (though I don't tend to like fig).

 

[Franco65]

Thanks! Will try if I come across it (though I don't tend to like fig).

Fig is not prominent, it's really green... I don't like fig scents, too!

 

[hednic]

I tried Une Escale Sur Les Calanques which I enjoyed immensely.

 

[sakecat]

Laura Ashley No 1 - Body Mist. Current formulation.
Hairspray opening drying down to a sweet, decently balanced, kitchen sink floral that reminds me of my (crusty) memories of the original scent from the 80s.

The format means that there is no real base and it lasts for about 30 minutes.
Perfect for post-shower or those days where I shouldn't be wearing scent and need to go somewhere in an hour.

 

[kosui no kaori]

- Parfum Satori Iris Homme.
- Parfum Satori Mizunara.
- Creed Millesime Imperial.
- L’Eau d’Issey.
- Acqua di Gio (newest formulation).
- Acqua di Gioia (newest formulation).

 

[hednic]

I tried Liqueur BPM by L'Orchestre Parfums which I loved.

 

[lakrey]

Calvin Klein Obsession for men (Coty and pre-Coty). Very harsh, loud opening on both. Coty's harshness lasted longer. They smelled to my untrained nose similarly to what it smells like when I sprinkle ground cinnamon on my strong, black coffee. A whiff of this smell is pleasant to get when I go for a sip of coffee, but 45-ish minutes of it straight felt suffocating. After that opening, it settled into a quiet skin scent of rubber and spices (cinnamon and cloves) scent that was almost pleasant. Coty disappeared soon after and pre-Coty's soft skin scent remained for a couple of hours. I'll be having my coffee plain black for a long time to come.

 

[hednic]

I tried Fleurs Des Sentiers by Yves Rocher which I loved.