Il Mondo di Odore

Going through my sample box, I pulled this vial out and once I saw it was a Montale, my first thought was...."Oh God, another sample wearing I"m not going to like". My second thought was to give it a chance like I'm supposed to. Don't get me wrong......I'm not a Montale hater. I've sampled quite a few and reviewed even less than I sampled. The fact is I'm simply not an Aoud person. That particular note is just too permeating for my sensibilities. I deliberately go into sampling everything I review with optimism; regardless of past experiences. I have found only a few ( literally) that work for me......kind of....... Within one minute of application, I was astounded that I found Oud Cuir d'Arabie very simplistic and very, very good. The opening is bombastic, but very quickly subsides into an obvious leather with a woody undercurrent . This is a leather rendition I can get along with and the oud is seemingly of a different species than what I no...

Bergamot, Verbana, Petitgrain, Mandarin, Carnation, Orris Root, Basil, Thyme, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Musk. In 2010, I became interested enough in New York for Gentlemen to ask numerous hobbyist what they thought about it. I had never sampled it and a nice bottle isn't enough to really pique my interest. I did however like the aesthetics. The responses to my queries were expected.Some liked it while others considered it mundane and ordinary. I pursued it further and came across  NIB 30ml for a terrific priced shipped, so I pulled the trigger. It was a blind buy and what I got in return was a likable masculine. I can understand those who were indifferent to New York. What needs to be accepted about this fragrance is the obvious. It is meant for polite wear. The word Gentlemen is in the name for a reason. What I have come to appreciate most about it is the balance between citrus and herbal. They both manifest themselves equally on my skin and stay at that same ratio. The...

Top : Bergamot, Green Note, Artemesia Heart : Patchouli, Carnation, Geranium, Vetiver, Cedar, Rose and Jasmine Base : Leather, Moss, Musk, Incense and Castoreum Such a cool name is attached to this 1984 release from Veejaga. Images of certain party favorites spring to mind, but I can assure you that whoever ( in the marketing department ) named this fragrance was probably on the pipe. This is not hash nor is it bong water. Besides, would you really want to smell like the smoke residue of hash or hash oil? Even more unsavory would be the aroma of bong water blanketing your skin. The idea may be cute, but the reality would be a scrubber. Enter into the strange existence that is Hascish Homme by Veejaga. Part weird and part convention, Hascish opens with a slightly aromatic accord of citrus and young, green wood. Within a minute or even less, a mysterious varnish note appears and no sooner you scratch your head over that eccentricity, a celery note ala Phileas and Yatagan foll...

The hype machine is an interesting thing. It can do for mediocrity what nothing else can. Case in point is the ex-NFL player Brian Bosworth who singlehandedly disrupted the Seattle Seahawks agenda for years. His agent pulled a PR coup and the hype machine grew over his abilities so much so that Seattle dug deep into their pockets and went out on a long limb. The limb, however, quickly snapped and his career was over in the proverbial blink of an eye....but the repercussions for the organization were long lasting. Fortunately, fragrance houses don't normally suffer these type consequences for average performance. Bosworth was good. He stood out amongst his college peers and was a big fish in a smallish pond. Once thrown in with the best of the best, it was apparent that his athletic abilities could not compensate for his undersized physical stature. The big fish systematically wore him down in no time.....and the rest is salary cap history for Seattle. This is what Pure Malt rem...

M7 is Tom Ford's first YSL entry after taking the reigns and was released in 2002. As far as I have heard, M7 has been reformulated once and the first time I sampled it was while it was still the original formula. I have recently sampled it again.....courtesy of rickbr......and while unsure if the current sampling is original or reformulated, it matters not to me. I cannot recall  the initial wearing years ago; other than M7 being medicinal and possessing longevity that would startle Methusaleh himself. This is about the 3rd time I have sampled this scent in the past week. M7 has numerous fans and detractors which is understandable. This is a strange fragrance that opens with a jagged cough syrup accord with cherry attributes and agarwood. Not exactly what Western noses are accustomed to, but that doesn't make it bad. It's got its own particular charm in an unrefined way. The opening is very noticeable and recommend being frugal when applying M7. There's spicy cit...

While sample wearing Epic Man, I chuckled to myself about the "younger crowd" on basenotes; notably the ones who cry "Dated"!!! or "Smells like old man"!!! when referring to 1980 era classics that employ the inherent accord structures and notes associated with them. I chuckled because from about 2005 or so, the incense influx and its indelible imprint will forever "date" the releases that are all the rage now. In 20 years ( maybe less) the youngsters now will be middle aged and putting up with the bellows of "Dated"!!!.....or "Smells like old man"!!! from novices that smell incense accords. Ah yes.......the human condition......such as it is........ Now.......on to Amouage's Epic Man. Incense you say? Why, of course my good man. Did you expect anything less than the House's signature note, accompanied by other notables, coupled with masterful blending? Is it Epic? I can't say for sure.......but I can say it...

Chanel's Les Exclusifs line has been, for the most part, fairly impressive. I took note, before sampling Sycomore, that quite a few women gave Sycomore the thumbs down in reviews that I have read. It stands to reason for me since the gender line is being blurred more and more.....and sometimes completely reversed as is the case ( to me) with Sycomore. I find Sycomore very masculine......and also very good. As I wear this scent, I understand why some of the female persuasion are put off. Sycomore is vetiver dominant and vetiver has always been a masculine note in my opinion. That's not to say it can't be implemented effectively in feminine fragrances. As a standalone or dominant note, it comes off very butch. At any rate, Polge created Sycomore in 2008 and I find it an excellent rendition of vetiver. I can't wear many vetivers, even if I like them in small doses or sample wears. A good example is Villoresi's version. Lorenzo's style is rough, crude, unapologe...

Bertrand Duchaufour is the man behind this extremely, well constructed scent. The thrust of Jubilation is spearheaded by incense. While always present in the accords, the drydown is where you know that this note was the focus and all roads led to it. I have read reviewers complaining that it exhibits too much of a fruit accord. Surely, I find that to be an exaggeration. Orange and blackberry are present, but with very supporting roles. Jubilation XXV is one of those fragrances that is well blended to the point of making note detection a bit difficult. Labdanum and incense are in the opening with an assist from coriander. This rendition is smooth folks. It goes on my skin like a velvet incense with subtle....( and I mean subtle) nods to the fruit notes. What amazes me about Jubilation XXV is its ability to utilize rose, cinnamon, honey and immortelle in such a fashion that they work as a team, a unit, with no one ego centric note stealing the spotlight. That is admirable considering...

From Armani's Prive comes Bois d'encens. It's expensive, it's niche......and it just doesn't work on me overall. By no means a bad scent, Bois d'encens is about incense, but it's the opening accord that's the deal beaker for me. This starts out with a conglomeration I can only describe as a citric incense. It doesn't last long and I don't believe citrus is utilized here, but that's what assails my nose. Within moments, the incense makes its presence felt. It's a flat rendition and seemingly evokes a gray colour to my minds eye. However....it does improve after about 10 minutes and I'll explain..... There's a combination of wood and dominant frankincense that, once the settling down has occurred, truly gives the wearer a remarkable rendition of incense (with the ashes) that you would smell in church. I can say this with certainty since I was an altar boy as a lad. I recall that smell and this version literally has ash and a fla...

Safe and innocuous are terms I throw around periodically when describing a generic scent. There's such a thing as acceptable simplicity.......and that's where I put Lanvin's L'Homme Sport. The opening is citric and aromatic at once, compliments of the lavender-sage duo in the heart accord. Many times, that same gruesome twosome has blown me to smithereens and ruined a fragrance by making it simply unwearable. It's nicely executed here and maintains that fresh vibe L'Homme Sport is counting on. Take note that this fragrance, like others called "Sport", is not sporty at all. It's fresh and perpetrates a light nature when, in fact, it's really not that light. It has substance equivalent to taking a power-fougere from the 1980's and implementing a bouyancy to its nature. It quietly projects as well and has that quality enabling  people around you to notice the scent when you, as the wearer,  no longer do. L'Homme Sport is a pleasing fou...

Funny how certain fragrances truly polarize opinions. This 2002 release from Karan has certainly accomplished that. The reviews run the gamut. I have sampled this 4 times now and my first impression without knowing the notes beforehand was saffron and incense, subtle rose and spicy woods. This is, in fact correct, once I looked up the accords and it's a testament to the notes being able to breathe in this fragrance. I can see why people love this and why it has detractors. The collusion of notes gives me a suede-like vibe, but the driving force for me in Black Cashmere is a spicy incense over woods. The saffron note is intermittent but accounted for and wafts around in the mix. There's clove and nutmeg in this scent and I believe those are responsible for some not liking Cashmere. I like those type of spicy notes depending upon their volume. I also eschew wearing offerings like this in warmer temperatures. The drydown is a very pleasant spicy wood that has an oriental s...

Lubin released Idole in 2005 and I have been curious to try it for a few years now. My basenote friend rickbr was kind enough to send me a generous amount to sample wear. Saffron is a love or or hate it note with me. I have smelled it before in a few other renditions and didn't care for it. Like the Immortelle note, it can be deftly utilized or it's simply too in-your-face. I have to say that I have sampled Idole 4 times now.....and like it enough to entertain obtaining a bottle. This is Saffron for men. Idole opens with a rum soaked saffron accord. I happen to like boozy progressions, so this beginning is very nice for me. The saffron stands toe to toe with its hooligan counterpart and within about 5 minutes,I detect a tangy orange or mandarin note lurking in the background. The citric note counterbalances the saffron and the variance is nice. Idole is linear on me but very good. It's not transitional in the conventional sense and once the topnotes give wa...

It's funny how sampling enables one to stumble upon releases they would never otherwise try. I like Rose. I don't love it like some, but have worn some diverse renditions that were very good. Hence my review of Paestum Rose by Eau D'Italie... Wearing this scent, I find the rose to be almost transparent. It's a dry, pastel-like rendition evoking the softness inherent in this flower. While it's airy, it has substance enough to carry the fragrance and incense helps it accomplish this. The rose and incense are in the heartnotes, but I get them immediately upon application; along with a subtle spice courtesy of pepper. These three ( to me) are the bread and butter of Paestum Rose; all the while being versatile enough for either sex. Myrrh, Opoponax, Papyrus and Wenghe are listed as the base accord. I cannot claim to be familiar with Papyrus or Wenghe as parfum notes, but I cannot detect old paper as an aroma anywhere in Eau D'Italie. The Myrrh and Opoponax revita...

Tom of Finland was most assuredly a reluctant sample wear for me. I expected a flanker of Secretions due to the promotional machine that runs this House. I am one of many that find Secretions absolutely nasty. Blood and semen do not float my olfactory boat, so it was with hesitance that I tried Tom Finland. I have, however, sampled a few other from ELDO that were interesting and very wearable, so I thought..." How bad can it be? No way would they have the balls to put out another version of SM". Well, I was wrong to hesitate in sampling Tom of Finland. I've worn it three times now and admit to it being strangely good, yet something in the evolution of the scent comes to a halt when I wish it would transition a bit more. I like the opening of aldehydes and citrus. It shimmers just enough to satisfy and then within minutes the spicy wood opens up and this accord leans green. It's like unripened wood bark and will have most wearers sniffing. There's a slight powder...

Globe was released by Rochas in 1990 and I sampled it yesterday for the very first time. I have been wearing it for an entire day, mainly because as soon as I smelled it, I knew I smelled it before.......somewhere.....or parts of it.....but I couldn't put my finger on it.... Until today that is. I reapplied Globe numerous times and was scratching my head about the fragrance deja vu I was getting. Then it hit me as I looked through my wardrobe cabinet. Moschino ( also a 1990 release) !!! So.....I applied Moschino on my other side and compared. Not identical, but they had heartnote and base similarities due to the use of amber and labdanum that they implemented. Moschino being more spicy and less green in the opening. I started a thread on basenotes about the comparison. It wasn't long before a member ( Killer_Vavoom) piped in about how he thought it smelled like Carlo Corinto. As soon as I saw that, I knew he nailed it for me. It wasn't just Moschino I was smelling in Gl...

Rochas Moustache is said to have been released in 1948, while other sites record 1949 as its entry into the market. I believe I read that it was the first masculine fragrance to come complete with other grooming accessories. Rochas did something right with Moustache and I believe this served as a template for MCM's Success released in 1986. Moustache is a woody-amber/ fougiental and possesses an up-front honey note that some might describe as animalic. It's more resinous to me than animalic, but these opinions are subjective. This is good old-school folks. Dated is a word I use for retro scents that have negative connotations . Old school is reserved for the classic renditions that are still viable. Moustache opens with a tart citric wood accord that's accompanied by a transparent lavender. The lavender soon gives way to an oncoming lemon note that seems to devour it. There's a hint of spice from basil and the basil is backed up by a listed fern note in the heart. ...

This 2006 Guerlain release is marketed more towards men which is something I find perplexing. To me, it leans more feminine than masculine and has the Guerlain fingerprint all over it. Mind you now......it smells excellent as you would expect. This wearer finds it a bit sweet and powdery from the initial application. I normally shy away from scents of this ilk regardless of how well they're made or who made them. This release is no exception. I would, however, love to smell this on the female persuasion. With that said, Bois d'Armenie opens with a very appealing accord of benzoin, incense and an understated iris. An ever so subtle spice from pepper makes its way into the accord and gives it a much needed edginess. The scent is smooth and the pepper is a nice touch. The benzoin implemented here seems to give off an incense note in and of itself. The combo of the benzoin and iris rear up a powder that some will absolutely love and others will not. I fall in between both camps...

This is the 2nd Angela Flanders I have sampled with Hungary Water being the first. Perusing her website, Angela seems extremely content to keep her output controllable. Her storefront ( I believe) is open only on Sundays and that has something to due with her locale in the United Kingdom. If I am mistaken about that, my apologies to Angela beforehand. She does have an online store that's sells samples as well as various bottle sizes and concentrations. My initial impression of Amber Noir is a denseness similar to Laurie Erickson's creations. I happen to be a big fan of Laurie's work and Angela's rendition of amber is along those same lines. This scent truly is all about amber and unless you're a fan of that note, this may seem a tad linear. Actually, it's more faceted than that, but amber is front and center from the initial application. I find it a bit resinous, dark, powerful and at the same time, restrained. It's sensual without being overtly sweet wi...