Witness by Jacques Bogart

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 adjusts its volume and proceeds to emit unadulterated masculinity. The first few minutes had me in indecision, but gave way to gratitude that a workhorse frag this good can be had for literal peanuts.

Witness is a testament to masculine scents that are extinct. Look at the accords :

Top: Aldehydes, Artemesia, Basil Oil, Bergamot Oil, Coriander, Lavender, Lemon, Orange

Heart : Carnation, Cinnamon, Fir, Geranium, Honey, Jasmin, Rose

Base : Amber, Benzoin, Cedar, Cistus Oil, Moss, Musk, Patchouli, Sandal, Styrax, Vanilla

This fragrance opens with a jolt of orange-tinged woodiness that is aromatic. A spicy citric thread is interwoven in there for a very noticeable top accord. I find it comparable to renditions from the 1980's. It surely makes a statement and subtlety be damned.

The heart lowers the volume a notch and brings cinnamon and a dash of honey to augment the topnotes. There's intermittent fir and geranium wafting around in this brew as well before Witness becomes even more low key. By the time the base unveils itself, a soft woody-tabac made comfortable by a van-amber is apparent, along with a dusting of moss and patchouli. In spite of the sheer number of notes implemented, they all seem to get their opportunity for team-play in Bogart's Witness.

Allow me to say that I have other masculines in my rotation that are akin and cost quite a bit more, yet aren't as impressive as Witness. Need I say more? If you're on the fence, go sample this and decide for yourself. Aromi gives Witness a big thumbs up.

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...

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...

bosunkoyaNovember 24, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Glad you finally got your hands on Witness. Your review and comments are spot-on, as usual.

Cheers.
AromiEroticiNovember 25, 2010 at 8:15 AM
Thank you bosunkoya. I have worn it a few times now and like it very much. It seems it's an overlooked classic.
shamu1November 26, 2010 at 6:59 AM
I'm surprised you hadn't tried Witness until now Aromi. It is a great scent. I bought a couple of bottles blind two years ago and haven't regretted it. It's an overlooked powerhouse from an era known for wimpy fragrances (i.e., the 1990s). Enjoy.

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