Il Mondo di Odore

This house puts a smile on my face. My first sample of Ambre Noir was a nice experience and now Winter Woods is proving to be as good or even better. As a fan of wood, I'm disappointed more often than not when it comes to masculines sporting the name WOODS in their name and description. Winter Woods is a very smooth rendition of wood with just the right amount of smoke to make this smell downright sexy. You must be ready for thick and dense in order to appreciate Laurie Erickson and in Winter Woods, you get not only that, but hints of animalics as well. The Guaiacwood opens Winter Woods and has a balsamic quality to it.  Laurie made sure this was a woody by incorporating not only Guaiac, but Sandal and Cedar as well. Unlike the drier versions of other woodies, Winter Woods has a lush and moist rendition going on in it. Imagine a warehouse of different and assorted timbers that went up in a fire. What I smell are the ones that didn't burn because they couldn't. The...

"Classic" is a 1978 Spicy Oriental that is much maligned by the young generation as the reviews I've read attest to. I say bullshit. Who do you think was wearing this when it was released in 1978? Senior citizens? Get real fellaz. It was the twenty-somethings then as it is the twenty-somethings of today that buy what is currently pushed down your throats with advertising hype. Spicy citrus with aldehydes opens this masculine with amber racing up from the base to merge with the topnotes. Amber is a dominant note in Classic with cedar,sandal,tobacco,rose and jasmin in the heart. Not classic enough for you? How about some patchouli, musk, oakmoss, tonka and vanilla to go with that amber? My bad....I don't what I was thinking. How can "Classic" possibly measure up to the likes of Cool Water? Classic, while not outstanding by any means, is a solid masculine worthy of anyone's fall/winter wardrobe. I get annoyed by the "old man & grandpa" r...

121 years is an extremely long run for anything. Guerlain's Jicky has accomplished just that....and while it has its fans and detractors, a century plus of production is very hard to argue with. I have read the reviews before ever sampling Jicky and they run the gamut. It's ancient, yet classical enough to be viable today. The opening is a citric civet accord with woody undertones. It is a bit animalic for a few minutes, but after the initial accord winds down, it softens some with the arrival of amber and tonka. The floral heart coupled with patchouli and vetiver take a backseat on my skin...or at least in the parfum version I am sampling. They are in there, but very subtle and bit players at best. Once the drydown commences, a very soft leather with citrus combine with the still-present amber-tonka. It's quite pleasant actually and I find it a comforting smell. Most Guerlain's and Aigner's I have worn share a smooth denseness that seems to be indicative of the...

If Ambre Noir is any indicator, I may be forced to explore this House thoroughly in the future. Galamb supplied me recently with some excellent "smellies" ( as he likes to call them) and Ambre Noir was among the numerous samples he generously sent me. Thanks again bro..... My first aesthetic impression is of DSH ....due to bottle sizes and the overall size of the house itself. The site gives me that cozy, niche house feel with high expectations. I have a proclivity for scents with some gravitas that come in 15 and 30ml bottles. I only wish more niche did the same. On me, Ambre Noir is exactly that. This is an amber with some very nice guests invited to the party. Not overtly heavy, nor too dark, Noir's rendition of amber would work on both genders and opens with an mildly herbaceous amber that also gives a nod to anamalics. The Olibanum and castoreum work very well astride the labdanum and the result is a thickened, golden amber that has enough balls to be macho, yet ...

Profumum is an expensive niche house that has created more than a few excellent fragrances that are easily worn by both genders. Original Santalum and Patchouly are two that I find very, very good. The prices and bottle sizes are something else entirely and it would be an improvement to lower consumer cost and offer 30 and 50ml sizes. Anyway...... We come to Thundra.  Luckyscent describes 4 notes in all; leaves, patchouli, mint and musk. The combo of mint and patch in the opening gives me the allusion of Thundra also having vetiver included.  I stayed focused on the development for the first 15 minutes and find that the patchouli is earthy and dirty, besides being the dominant note. There are whiffs of leaves in the progression along with a coolness from the mint. Thundra is not substantial in the sense that you'd expect a Profumum release to be. Removing Profumum's reputation from the equation and simply smelling this on its own merit, you'd be hard pressed to conclude...

I am extremely lucky when it comes to blind purchases. It's been said I have a horseshoe in my ass, but I would definitely notice a protuberance of that magnitude where it really doesn't belong....so.....I simply chalk up my good fortune to innate skill.....or maybe I should visit a proctologist. Anyway...... My "shoe" was missing recently when I pulled the trigger on Fashion Two Twenty's "82 Pour Homme". I unwrapped the nostalgic bottle and admired the retro look of the bottle and packaging. I thought to myself that this was either going to be the bomb.....or a complete catastrophe. I didn't have to wait long. One spritz is all it took. I was immediately reminded of my hatred of Monsieur Leonard ( yes....the one in the big, green bottle), but 82 PH was far, far worse and pronounced than Leonard could ever be. My first thought was that if I only had 2 choices between this and Monsieur Leonard, I would opt to literally swim in a man-made pool of L...

          I think most fragrance enthusiasts have, at some point, traversed through TJ and Marshalls and scoured for long lost favorites or simply good bargains. I know I have and still do.           A perennial favorite of mine that is usually on the shelves is Giorgio Beverly Hills PH. As much as some do not like Bijan for Men because of its spicy patch and sillage, I enjoy it. It works well in cool climate as does Giorgio. Each one can be had for peanuts, contain quality "old technology" ingredients and if applied correctly, can be worn in any season. There will be a day coming....and probably soon....that masculines with "substance" like these 2 will be HTF and command more attention and respect than they get today.           Recently, I have had the good fortune of snagging up LaCoste original, Both Halstons for Men, Deauville PH and some other goodies at the Maxx for next to nothing....

Blackcurrant, Bergamot, Petitgrain. Leather, Geranium, Patchouli, Incense. Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla. The image to the left is the current rendition, but the review is of the vintage formula. I have yet to smell the new version, so I can not speak of any comparisons. The opening accord of Parfum d'habit is one of the more challenging greetings you will encounter from a perfume. I still find this fragrance a tough wear and I know there are folks out there who love this juice. I have the utmost respect for Parfum d'Habit. Every time I wear it, I'm reminded that this scent is like Beauty and the Beast. My instantaneous reaction to applying Parfum d'Habit is damp wool underneath a leather saddle. I understand not everyone gets the wool comparison, but it's intense on my skin and front and center. The ratios of Blackcurrant, Leather and Patchouli come into being as a wool accord that's slightly prickly. It's rather amazing and as unique a triumvira...

I have been away from the blog for months due to an impossible personal schedule. Between work and sponsoring/coaching my softball team, I have been forced to put my fragrance hobby on the back-burner. My apologies ( to anyone who actually cares lol) and kudos to Redneck and Galamb for keeping the blog going with very interesting reads and reviews. While busy with my softball team recently, I found that one of my players in particular is a huge fragrance buff. Keep in mind that he is mid twenties as is the rest of the team. I am 53 and gravitate to the powerhouse classics, but am open minded to sample everything because that's how gems are discovered. During a practice, he asked what I was wearing after telling me I smelled "pimpin good". Ah yes........pimpin good is something my own peer group could do with more of, but this player is a macho Latino who places emphasis on how he looks and smells. Even the uniforms are borderline gangsta, albeit fitting for this group...