Minotaure by Paloma Picasso

This is a 1992 Fougiental that doesn't seem to garnish much attention. It also defies conventional categorization, but that's such a small matter. What matters is if it smells good or not.

Well, it just so happens that it does smell good. The first thing that comes to my mind when experiencing the opening of Minotaure is how similar it is to quite a few modern releases. A little generic perhaps, but I think that's due to a pronounced fruit note at the core of this scent.

Muguet in the heart supplies a roundness and softening of not only the galbanum, but of the floral accord as well. Minotaure only hints at green, but never fully commits. The fruit notes ensure this and the residual florals of rose and geranium have only bit parts at best. A subtle woody accord ushers in the basenotes with amber and tonka keeping it fresh and semi-sweet. The transitions are smooth and the drydown also gives up a smidgeon of musk. Minotaure could be released today and wouldn't raise an eyebrow.

Comments

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Silver by Etienne Aigner

Basil, Bergamot, Green Notes, Juniper Berry, Lemon. Carnation, Cedar, Cinnamon, Jasmine, Patchouli, Pine Needle. Castoreum, Labdanum, Leather, Moss and Musk. 1984 brought us yet another terrific and underrated masculine. Etienne Aigner's Silver is ( of course ) under the radar and mostly disregarded by the fragrance community at large. I have no answers for this other than possibly bad timing and marketing mistakes. It could also be that Silver is sophisticated and long lasting without the bombastic qualities that were inherent in many releases of that particular time period. It may have slipped by unnoticed. Silver opens as an extremely smooth ( and I mean smooth ) rendition of herbs and dominant basil set atop a light citric accord. It leans green like you would expect, but this is not a conventional aroma of green. This has a low center of gravity and within a minute or two, an elegant moss begins its journey from the base to incorporate itself into the opening. Silv...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog