M7 by Yves Saint Laurent

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 citrus in the topnotes courtesy of bergamot and rosemary. These make for interesting companions with the agarwood and listed vetiver in the heart of M7. The vetiver isn't how I normally perceive that note, but after 10 minutes or so, both heartnotes fuse to give me a nice subtle smokiness once the cough syrup aura subsides. The drydown takes awhile on my skin and a musky amber reveals itself, albeit slowly. There's an earthy quality to it and fits quite well with the smokiness I still sense from the heart.

M7 is groundbreaking due to the likable strangeness that is inherent in it. The sillage and longevity are commendable and gives opportunity to those sitting on the fence with oud to experience that note in a slightly different presentation. Is M7 great? Not to me, but what the hell is? Good is good enough....and M7 is that. My opinion is that it's a worthy addition to a masculine wardrobe for cooler temperatures and offers a rendition of oud that is in the background. I can live with that. Too many scents featuring oud are completely dominated by the note, but not so with M7. Whether this was by design or an economical decision, I am happy with the result. Thumbs up for YSL's M7 from Aromi.

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

Legacy 1912 Titanic Eau de Parfum for Women

Lemon, Orange Blossom, Hyacinth, Rose, Violet. As far as I've read, this fragrance was inspired by a Titanic survivor who was hoping to sell his fragrances in the Big Apple. I happened to run across a nearly full 75ml. bottle last month and purchased it untested. Released as an EDP, what I noticed after multiple wearings was the politeness inherent in the entire composition. The volume seems to be governed regardless of sprays, but perhaps that's a misconception on my part. At any rate, the dispersion is well behaved and mannerly, while smelling feminine and surprisingly good. Legacy is a citric floral that I can see succeeding in warm temperatures. Legacy opens with a sheer accord of citrus and leafy green aspects. The blossom is tuned a bit more assertively than the lemon, but their balances are executed very pleasantly. The combination of Hyacinth and Violet is just as good. The leaf and stem qualities compliment the violet rendition and is soon accented by a demur

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

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