Il Mondo di Odore

Today, I received bottles of Arabian Nights and City Tower from a basenoter that goes by the name DULLAH. I bought them both blind mainly because DULLAH gave me a nice package deal. The accords looked interesting, so I took the plunge. I wore Arabian Nights the entire day with a reapplication in order to review it properly. This scent starts out as a muscular fougere bordering sweet with an incense-cardamom tandem right in the middle of the mix. As far as transitions go, I could categorize Arabian Nights as being a linear scent since all the players are on the scene from the initial blast. The base is in there as well and it more or less "arrives" once the others lower their volume a few notches. Arabian Nights is a very different scent than I'm accustomed to. The opening of Cardamom and incense are also accompanied by cumin and petitgrain. It's a strange juxtaposition, but on me, the cardamom and incense rise to the top right away and it's this duo that has m...

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...

First off, allow me to thank a very generous basenoter who goes by the name of Oaksbluff for sending me samples of not only the current formula, but the vintage as well. Dan was awesome enough to offer when he read a thread I initiated on the price point of this highly esteemed masculine. My gratitude to Dan.....especially since this isn't the first time he sent me some gems..... I opted to sample the current formula from the Bee Bottle first. Aside from it being very smooth and ( of course) very good, the first thing that sprang to my mind is how similar it is to Gucci PH circa 1976. Now, I have always loved Gucci PH original and still wear that terrific leather chypre. As a matter of fact, I have another 125ml bottle enroute from my good friend Henry ( xmen) because it is superb. I am amazed enough to consider them first cousins. It didn't take me long to undergo side by side comparisons of current Derby and Gucci, then both renditions of Derby versus Gucci. This was neve...

1992 found Jacques Bogart releasing the eclectic Witness. It's hard to believe it has taken me until now to finally snag a few bottles ( dirt cheap I might add). A thread dedicated to Witness was going a few months ago on basenotes and it compelled me to look up the accords since I have never sampled it let alone wore it. After finding the listed notes, I laughed out loud since there's at least 26 notes comprising Witness. There's nothing funny about it except already knowing what vibe it would project compared to what's formulated today. Suffice it to say that, once my bottles arrived, it didn't disappoint. One of the first things I noticed upon wearing this Oriental Woody was that it had similarities to Jaguar Mark II circa 1995 and that the opening assault was borderline aromatic for the first few minutes. I have a proclivity for the boisterous, but that doesn't mean I like all rambunctious scents. Witness won me over however, mainly because it quickly ad...

Upon first sampling this, I must say that Eau de Gloire falls smack in the middle of the gender barrier. This is most assuredly "shared" and  feels comfortably genderless. Eau de Gloire's volume is more subtle than Wazamba. It has a rounded feel to it supplied by the floral components. I recognize them as such, but I am at a loss as to identify the culprits. To say that Eau de Gloire has an aquatic aura would be erroneous, yet there's a watery texture underneath the everlasting flower array; not to mention a softened incense. I never get the impression of Sables or Luxe patchouli's floral rendition here. The opening I just described lasts a good while and I find EdG to be linear. To me, this is a floral-marine-incense accord that comprises the majority of the scent's life. It's pleasant and at the same time unremarkable. We can call this a " differently refreshing" scent that will not draw a tip to oneself. After an hour or so, there's ...

Could this be an ELDO I actually like? This may be much ado about nothing, but Rien is fairly good. After being acquainted with enough leathers that have floral overtones, Rien doesn't seem as alien as it might have been to me a few years ago. Upon application, I am immediately greeted with a myrrh-like leather and subtle rose sneaking in the back door. In the midst of this volley, an aloof, mineral-like aura is also present. It's a "man-made" smell, but I don't find it off putting. If anything, it has me repeatedly sniffing the spot I applied it. Let's say it weirdly good. The aldehydes in Rien ( at least for me) contribute a sparkling shimmer underneath the accord. After 10 minutes or so, a hint of pepper attaches itself to the opening, but the listed cumin never is realized on my skin......even after multiple wearings. Patchouli, amber and Labdanum are also in the accord structure, yet they don't seem to unfold like I am accustomed to. The drydown i...

When I want to exude a classic, masculine aroma I reach for Guerlain Heritage. I know that probably sounds corny, but I have no other way to say it. It is refined smelling and advertises "man" at the same time. I lumped both the EDT and EDP in the same review since I find not much differences at all between the two. The EDP goes quickly into the heart accord while the EDT spreads its wings with its bright top. In 5 minutes, they are the same to me so I find it redundant to own both. The feel from the opening bell is a thick, citric woody that incorporates well positioned spices and herbal tones. There's aldehyde here, but it's slightly subdued and diffuses with a bit less shimmer than I normally come across. It's close to perfect and magnifies the spicy citric accord that's introduced along with it. The heart and base of Heritage ( at least on me ) are there from the very beginning and begin to come into the light once the opening has subsided. Jun...

Every time I revisit Morabito's Or Black, I am reminded of a cult favorite; an all time great leather rendition that doesn't get the recognition it deserves. I don't know if it has to do with availability or marketing gaffes when the fragrance was released. Don't get me wrong.....there are people who are aware of Or Black and that it's a no  nonsense leather heavyweight.....but it seems these "people" are fragrance enthusiasts. Casual fragrance fans ( more than likely) have never heard of it. Leather buffs would be well served sampling this masculine. This is leather served up dark, strong and unapologetic. I thoroughly enjoyed Sugandaraja's review of this heady brew and am compelled to add my own since I concur and have held Or Black in high esteem. Or Black is probably my favorite leather and I find the reformulated rendition more versatile. Blasphemous you say? Well, it's all well and good if you disagree, but I've worn both and st...

So......the story goes something like...."The king loved the scent of his riding gloves very much. They were maintained (and of course scented by) his faithful underling, Creed. Well, the King asked Creed to make him a similar fragrance for his body and the result was.....well.....Royal English Leather, naturally." This fragrance, in all its variations, has been in production for well beyond 200 years. The Creed people establish this as the first Creed in the line. Now, I am not and never will be a Creedaholic. In truth, I favor no house in particular and take every release on its own merits....not the merits of the House in question. This rendition of leather is very, very good...and I say that with no prejudices or preconceptions. There have been discussions on the similarities of this and Knize 10. I see none however and find Knize to be overrated swill under the guise of leather. Royal English Leather forgoes that petrol note I find detestable and implements a borderl...

Yowzah !!!! If a bracing shot of clove is the greed you need, look no further than Espirit du Tigre. Your nasal passages are sure to tingle once you apply this rambunctious rendition. Camphor and clove literally surge on your skin. It is strong and linear with only a lackadaisical appearance from cardamon 15 to 20 minutes into the life of the scent. I don't get the listed mint and it doesn't surprise me a bit. The camphor and clove have caused olfactory fatigue in no time flat. On me, the mint had about as much of a chance as the Pittsburgh Pirates ever getting to the World Series. ( My apologies......and condolences.....to any Pirates fans that happen to be reading this.) This happens to be the totality of Espirit du Tigre. Rowdy clove with some more clove as a backup followed by....you guessed it.....a base of clove with a very wispy cardamon. I cannot say the clove is of the gourmand variety, although it performs effectively the way it is. The camphor remains for the dur...

  Angela Flanders is an English creator that I am not very familiar with. I recently received a few samples from my friend and co-blogger Sugandaraja. This is the 3rd sample wearing of Hungary Water and I must admit I have liked it from the first time I applied it. This is very zesty and fresh. The lemon peel and Melissa dominate the opening and it's bracing, but in a way I like. My very first impression of the opening was that it was borderline Creed-ish. The tart and citric top have a gravitas that took me by surprise. I guess I was expecting a more spatial and loose accord, but I was wrong. This release is uncomplicated in construction with lemon peel, melissa, rosemary, mint and rose. These are the listed notes and you can literally smell them all as the scent unfolds. They transition in an obvious fashion with the peel, melissa and mint barreling out of the bottle. In a moment or two, the rosemary lends a nice spicy aspect to support the mint and keep it in check. This acc...