Iquitos by Alain Delon

This 1987 release from Alain Delon is a no holds barred perfume for Men. Iquitos is androgyny personified and is indicative of the 1980's for its boisterousness. Suffice it to say that Iquitos is not for the feint of heart.

Coriander, Fruit note, Green note, Lemon, Mace, Pimento, Mandarin.
Aldehyde, Ginger, Honey, Jasmin, Muguet, Orris root, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Cardamom.
Castoreum, Cedar, Civet, Leather, Moss, Musk, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla.

The kitchen sink mentality is alive and well, living inside the juice named Iquitos. About 3 years ago, I recall saying this was a nuclear Jasmin that came out of the bowels of Chernobyl. It has been awhile since I've donned Iquitos and did so to revise my review. Funny how some things just don't change.......mostly because they are incapable of it.

Am I lambasting Iquitos? No, I am not. I am however being truthful that, by saying that this is a bit over-the-top, I am keeping a clear conscience. The secret to successfully wearing Iquitos is a deft hand. This isn't rocket science. If a fragrance is balls to the wall strong, yet smells very good, then by all means go light on the trigger.

Most celebrity scents have been found wanting over the years, but not Alain Delon. Most releases with his name on the bottle have been legitimate and I own a handful of them. Iquitos, while very good is a very tough wear. It's too much of a good thing. Just look at the accords. This is substantial enough to be used as a defensive weapon and Heaven help you if you wear Iquitos around fragrance-sensitive people. You'll be posting bail by that evening.

Iquitos roars out of the bottle, purring at ear shattering decibels. Yes, this is aggressive femininity masquerading as a masculine fragrance. The Jasmin is immediately in your face, your throat and everywhere else it can find an entrance into. Following hot on its heels is an ambiguous fruit note with spice. The rest of the floral array is convoluted. Even though it's indistinguishable, it's still a nice accord. This chapter of the fragrance lasts an unreal length of time.

The base and drydown are in submission to what has already been described. All the heavy hitters listed pay homage to the top and heart whether they like it or not. It's all good. Iquitos is a Jasmin fest on my skin and a floral lovers dream. Sillage and longevity are spectacular and I find that Iquitos is maybe the ONLY fragrance I have where ONE SPRAY is all it takes. Thumbs up from Aromi for Alain Delon's Chernobyl delight.

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...

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog