Skip to main content

Chanel Sycomore

Image
By
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, unapologetic and in-your-face, whereas Chanel's fingerprint is smoothness. Sycomore is about as smooth a vetiver dominant as I've tried so far. It opens with a smoke and vetiver combo with a slight saltiness lurking in the shadows. Pepper seems to provide a nice contrast to the salt note and then there's the interesting woodiness courtesy of Sandal, Cypress and Juniper. Mind you that salt is no where in the listed accords, but I smell it regardless....and phantom note or not, it's very nice.

Vetiver fans need to sample Sycomore. Do I find it bottle worthy? Yes......I do. More than likely, I won't purchase one since it's not my favorite note, but Sycomore is one of the best vetivers I have smelled in awhile. Big thumbs up for Chanel's Sycomore from Aromi.
Labels:

Comments

  1. HenriqueDecember 19, 2010 at 1:03 PM

    Sycomore is one of my favorite vetiver fragrances. Different from Encre Noire, Sycomore is capable of keeping the dry, leafy, smoky aura of vetiver for a long time. I think that it's better in winter, for some reason this scent seems to create a comfort aura for me.
    I'd recommend buying a decant of it, since the price per ml is not so high nad 15-20ml last a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 31, 2010 at 12:45 PM

    Ah, vetiver! I love vetiver so much I kind of overdosed on it in 2010. Having a FB of Sycomore will do that to ya. But Sycomore is definitely a fall/winter go-to for me, and it is also wonderful if you need to "REPRESENT" as a nice soothing comfortable unisex with those masculine overtones you mention. (I love wearing it for meeting days at work... people don't tend to give me as much grief... probably boosts my self-confidence.) Sycomore struck me first as all about the fall, smoke, the earthy smell of the damp leaves, and of course that oh-so-smooth vetiver. I'm +1-ing your thumbs up.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DK Men by Donna Karan

By
Citrus, Juniper, Pineapple. Ambergris, Almond. Sandalwood, Lavender, Musk. I felt compelled to revisit DK Men ( Fuel for Men ) after perusing through some older samples and then reading my previous review from 2009. Wearing DK Men again has caused me to revise my original post. I liked it three years ago and have a new found appreciation for this extremely smooth fragrance. My perception of it has changed slightly, but my opinion is still extremely favorable. This time around, I get less of a petrol vibe and much more of a fruit and suede theme. The pineapple note is integrated so well that I am surprised I couldn't previously esteem its deft implementation like I can now. The magic of DK Men is in the blending of chosen notes. The citric opening is very good indeed in spite of its quick dissipation. The pineapple and amber quickly pick up the slack. They are rich, full bodied and manage to keep a respectable presence while offending no one. The volume is intelligent. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Black Suede by Avon

By
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...
1 comment
Read more

La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme by L'Artisan Parfumeur

By
I read many reviews before or after I do my own and I seem to be at complete odds with the house of L'Artisan. I have previously said on basenotes that for me, L'Artisan Parfumeur is the most over-rated house I have come across. La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme does nothing to sway that opinion. Yet another linear, floral dominant scent that does nothing to stir me up or inspire me in any way. This house has "pleasant" nailed down to an art form......but damn...can't we go beyond that? The only attempt at polarization so far has been Dzongkha ....and I found it a jumbled mess. At these prices, move me, anger me, hate me.......but please don't bore me. Extreme in a nutshell is a toned down tuberose with assorted "blossom" thrown in the mix. Is it bad? No, it's an acceptable floral scent that's very timid and just lays on my skin smelling like....well....a toned down version of tuberose with blossom this or that added to it. I'm almost a...
7 comments
Read more