Reporter by Oleg Cassini

1978 seems to have been a pivotal year for masculines. I believe it began to usher in what we now consider to be the power-scents that defined the 1980's. It actually started before 78, but it seems to have galvanized that year and other houses jumped on board the bold masculine wagon. I say this simply from what I have purchased and sampled. It also stands to reason that staying alongside your competition was as commonplace then as it is now.

Meet Oleg Cassini's Reporter. This comes roaring out of the bottle with a blast of lavenderized citrus and subtle spice with aldehyde. Old school vibe for sure, but after 5 minutes it settles down into a nice melding of notes. The lavender in Reporter doesn't exude that caustic and soapy characteristic I find in too many lavender accords. It's very apparent, but tempered by wispy herbal and woody notes.

The heart settles down the scent even more. The volume is slowly turned down and as the mid notes make their entrance, they seem content not to usurp the dissipating topnotes. They stay alongside one another with lavender still walking point. Spicy florals that lean slightly green courtesy of pine and fern and a dash of sweet from jasmin all blend together nicely. This type of execution reminds me, once again, how different current accord notes and transitions are compared to what used to be. This is smooth, yet bold and very distinct. Even with the volume decreasing, Reporter is still deafening compared to today's offerings. It's actually "note clarity" versus the blended mush we get these days.

The base of this masculine makes itself known 20 minutes or so into the life of the scent. A very mild civet note that is soon accompanied by woody amber and moss send reporter into the comfort zone. The 3 transitions are smooth but noticeable. Musk is also present, but extremely subdued and executed when this becomes a skin scent.

This is a scent I was keenly interested in because of its rarity and listed accords. xmen graciously sent this bottle to me in our last transaction and I want to take the time to shout out and thank my friend for his kindness and generosity. He is the best, no question.

Reporter did not disappoint either. It is indicative of the era no doubt. This is a mature scent that I'm quite sure was targeted, at its inception, to the 30's and up crowd. I am happy to have a bottle of this obscure scent....and since I am in the "mature" crowd......I'm also happy to Report that I shall wear it proudly and in the appropriate venues.

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