Declaration by Cartier

Hhhhmmm........This is doing for me what Declaration Essence failed to do. I re-read my review of Essence from a few years ago and admit to appreciating it more now than I did when reviewing it. However, I still feel that while it's very good, it's also a bit too serious for most occasions.

Declaration, on the other hand, is a transparent woody that's hard to pigeonhole. Jean Claude Ellena did a wonderful job on this. It has a watery texture, yet it finds a way to be much more than a casual wear. It's light and substantial at once with terrific longevity and perfect projection. I believe he pulled a coup creating this and only now can I fully appreciate this fragrance. It took coming back to this numerous times over the years.

The initial transition is very good. The citrus of bergamot and mandarin with caraway seems to hang in there for an unreal length of time. The mandarin is slightly bitter and better done than the renditions ( of let's say ) the Jaguar series. The heart is a bit spicy, but just a bit and I get a tea note that is evident and a nice addition. There's cardamon and leather listed in the heart and base, yet it comes to fruition differently than one would expect of those 2 notes. If anything, I get a very subtle suede-like aroma from Declaration. Normally, these notes ( to me ) are front and center once the topnotes burn off, but I can only assume Ellena had different ideas on how to utilize the leather in Declaration. I truly like what he has accomplished here and find I am liking this scent more every time I wear it.

The only shortcoming I can detect is the base accord and that is because I am analyzing this fragrance for review instead of wearing it for enjoyment. I use the term "shortcoming" simply because the opening and heart accord trump the base on my skin. That's fine by me since the first 2 accords are money and I'm more than happy for Declaration to remain in the state it was in the first 5 minutes of application.

This is a winner and caused me to purchase it. I expect it to arrive today or tomorrow. The result of this fragrance is a well done woody with citrus and spices woven through the accords. The soft, musky suede implementation is actually excellent and I find there's no improper time to wear this. Big thumbs up 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...

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...

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