Powerhouses of the past

The discontinued giants of yesteryear garner a lot of attention it seems by being compared to the more current releases. Some threads I read boast lovers of these mega-colognes while others, of course, believe they should stay extinct. Personally, I thoroughly enjoy the Powerhouse masculines. Naturally, they are indicative of a time gone by, yet quite a few of them are timeless and will no doubt come back into style in some fashion. This is the circle of life and even new releases will undoubtedly follow this course ( and are doing so ) while using modernized ingredients and working around restrictions to accomplish the goal.

To be truthful, both powerful and more sedate fragrances are necessary simply for the sake of disparity. I would not want all masculines to be along the lines of Kouros or Lapidus simply because I like strong cologne. Their testosterone is evident due to the existence of all the other genres. On the other side of the coin, the fragrance world would be very shallow if all it had to offer was the likes of Davidoff.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Davidoff or the scents that house releases. They have a fan base and the creations coming from it are targeted to them specifically. Same goes for the Kouros's of the world. They need each other for a variety of reasons and seasons. The bottom line is that the fragrance world is a healthier place with Powerhouses in it than it would be without their ferocity and tenacity.

Rank and file is a necessity of life. If all were doctors, who would nurse or clean up the mess the doctors inevitable make? If all were actors, who would be the fans and pay to watch? I write this in response to detractors of Powerhouse fragrances, whether they be designer or niche. I am not a big fan of "unsubstantial" scents, yet I am glad they are here for the sake of disparity, comparison and when a situation or climate calls for exactly what they bring to the table.

It's all good folks. Powerhouses of the past should be admired as opposed to being ridiculed and despised. They reflect the tastes of who we used to be.....and will most assuredly influence creations not yet on the drawing board.

Comments

Newport by Caswell Massey

Bergamot, Mandarin, Lemon, Lavender, Geranium, Muguet, Rose, Ambergris, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk. After wearing Newport by Caswell Massey a few times and then reading what others had to say about this recent formulation, I found some of the opinions harsh. I have no way to compare it to the heralded vintage formula, nor can I use memory as I've never tried the original. Enter the current version. I do agree with some reviews that this rendition does not bring about the sense of beach and salt, but there's a long line of fragrances that fail to represent their depictions. However, Newport isn't so far off the mark that it's a complete misrepresentation. I can imagine wearing Newport ( or something similar ) in a beach setting. It smells classic due to the way Citrus, Lavender and Geranium are implemented. It's assuredly retro, but it seems to have that intangible I like that keeps me sniffing. Newport, at least on my skin, is top heavy in the sens...

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...

Lanvin L'Homme

Lord knows the world has enough fresh woody citrus fragrances. It's a hackneyed genre of masculine perfume, having been done to death by countless designer firms cranking these things out since the 1990s, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Lanvin L'Homme, released in 1997, is one of the early woody citrus releases, but it (along with Essenza di Zegna) stands out because it's one of the best. That may sound like it's not saying much, but Lanvin L'Homme really is excellent. I won't get into a long treatise about all of the notes contained in this and how they evolve. Lanvin L'Homme is sparkling, spicy, woody, transparent and dry. What I love about this scent is how brilliantly it uses vetiver - the vetiver gives Lanvin L'Homme a woody, dry and somewhat bitter smell, but it also manages to create an effect of sustaining the citrus top notes for several hours. This results in a fragrance that smells fresh and cheerful from beginning ...

Il Mondo di Odore

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