Free Life by Etienne Aigner ( Revised from 2010 )

Bergamot, Sage, Nutmeg, Lavender, Rosewood.
Cedar, Geranium, Jasmine, Muguet, Patchouli, Rose.
Amber, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Vanilla.

I was compelled today to revisit Etienne Aigner's 1987 release of Free Life. As of late, I've been wearing some of the darker, designer ouds like Ferrari and that prompted me to dig out the bottle of Free Life. I definitely don't wear Free Life enough, but that is due to the amount of fragrance choices I have. Owning many bottles is a two edged sword.

Free Life does not smell like the designer ouds I have, but it wears like they do. It is dense, semi dark and a rather serious scent. This isn't a somber fragrance, but it surely isn't frivolous or lighthearted. They certainly don't create masculines anymore using this template, so anytime I do wear Free Life, I thoroughly enjoy it.

One of things I like is the tuning of Rosewood, Lavender and Tonka. There's a somewhat moist quality present and the suggestion of licorice. Normally, I'll experience that through Anise or Tarragon. In Free Life, it's accomplished through combinations.

There's quite a bit going on in Free Life, yet it smells as if it's devoid of transitions until the extended drydown. The Spice, Woods, Floral, Earth and Oriental accents seem welded together from the onset. Because of the overall character this scent takes on, it appears to be more suited for cool to cold temperatures. It's extremely full bodied, yet doesn't cut a swath while entering a room immediately after application. The totality of Free Life affords the wearer the ability to smell extremely different, masculine and could almost pass itself off as something creative Jacques Bogart would release today. Free Life isn't synthetic smelling nor does it possess a chemical vibe. This has gravitas, but all fragrances that have this quality are always going to be off putting to some.

I believe Free Life is classified as a Woody Amber, but the Oriental finish is very enjoyable and long lasting. I've worn this scent in warm and hot temperatures, but at least for me, it performs best in the winter temps. You may have a different opinion.

Free Life is yet another Etienne Aigner creation that got glossed over since its release in 1987. To be honest, I can understand that situation since Aigner didn't exactly have the best ad and marketing campaigns in a time period where bigger, bolder and outlandish weren't considered polarizing.

Sillage is moderate, yet substantial and full bodied. Longevity is approximately 5-6 hours on my skin with normal sprays. The personal space hang time is just as long or longer. You can smell this the next day with no problem. Thumbs up from Aromi for Etienne Aigner's Free Life and as always, a sample wear if highly recommended. ( if possible ).

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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