Il Mondo di Odore

Fans of strange citric creations should rejoice while wearing Diptyque's Oyedo. I had to wear this a few times in an attempt to understand it and see if I could eventually warm up to it. I rarely run into a citric woody I don't like. Most of them I end up liking quite a bit, but Oyedo isn't your conventional citric woody. The opening is a blast of citrus with green attributes and for the first minute or so, I fully expected a mainstream creation with Diptyque projection and staying power. I was correct about the projection and staying power, but not about this being mainstream. I'm not quite sure what the house was getting at when they were in the process of making this scent. The ingredients seem to take on a candy-like detergent quality. There's moments when I recognize what I can only describe as a beverage smell, so the overall aroma is a bit confusing and somewhat strange. The citrus rendition is unrealistic to me and it's possible Diptyque was delibera...

Like many, I have already heard the comparisons between Mugler's Angel and Bond's Nuit de Noho. This was released in 2003 and it is the first time I have ever smelled it. Angel is good in its own way, but it can be a bit too much. Nuit de Noho shares some traits of Angel, yet is more obviously restrained. The first similarity I noticed was the rendition of fruity patchouli , but that's where I'll stop the comparison and focus on NdN. I say that because I believe the Bond is an easier wear and therefore more versatile. Citrus, Pineapple leaves, Musk, Rosewood, Vanilla, Patchouli and Jasmin are the listed notes. The citric opening is teamed up with an unconventional pineapple rendition, patchouli and vanilla. My initial thoughts were that this would go gourmand, but it's like a shadow brushing by you. It never goes there ( which is a good thing here ) and after 5 minutes or so, Nuits de Noho settles down into a fruity patch with vanilla. The vanilla does a nice jo...

Profumum's Dambrosia is a fig lovers delight. To be more exact, green fig supported by intermittent pear and almond. It's as tenacious as you'd expect a Profumum to be and the longevity is no problem whatsoever. When I received the partial bottle sent to me, I was in the post office parking lot. Naturally I had to spritz once on my hand and then went my way. Within 5 minutes, I was at the gym, threw my workout gloves on and started getting busy. By my 2nd set, I was literally surrounded by a cloud of fig and almond wafting upwards from the hand that was inside my worn down mechanix glove. It was so noticeable that, as I paced between sets, I was doing extra wide turns around the equipment as not to distract others as they worked out. My workout lasted a little over an hour as it always does and Dambrosia hung right in there the entire time. The higher my body temp went up, the more pronounced the sillage was coming from my covered up hand. At one point, I was almost inc...

My very first impression of Jubilation 25 ( after about 5 minutes mind you ) is what a damn good rose rendition is in this fragrance. The reviews reviling the implementation of cumin or tarragon have me baffled. Jubilation 25 is an excellent but more mature floriental than most. The opening accord is citrus mingled with a powdery rose. A transparent tarragon note soon appears and ( to me ) augments the progression nicely. The appearance of incense is not surprising and that, along with myrrh, labdanum and patchouli lend a slightly skanky aura to the accord. Jubilation 25 doesn't really have impressive throw. It's not a skin scent mind you, but it hovers close, encapsulating the wearer in a luxurious mist of incense-laden rose of the dusty variety. The construction and progression remind me of more vintage than modern. I smell no "Old Lady" here, but it doesn't smell modern either. It simply smells good. The floral components ( namely rose and ylang ) seem to...

Have you ever been the victim of a hit and run? Recently, I was over-run by a busload of Tuberose.....no.......an avalanche is more accurate. Yes, I lived to tell the tale and I'm no worse for the wear. This house amazes me in regards to the way their scents trampoline off my skin and radiate sillage. Normally, I have to spray a bit heavier than most due to my skin type, but not so with this house. Do Son is no exception and a little goes a long way folks. This is a floral bar-none and the from opening to the finish is a festive parade of tuberose. There are other culprits in the accords, but I'm simply inundated with this particular note. Is it good? You betcha. However, you better love this note or else. The rendition of tuberose is an enjoyable one in spite of its dominance. It possesses a airy quality all the while exhibiting its stranglehold over the listed Benzoin, Orange Flower, Iris and Musk. Do Son is well made, has terrific throw and excellent longevity. It also...

It's amazing that Eau d'Hadrien has been around for 20 years and I'm now just getting around to it. In my defense, I have been meaning to for years, but it hasn't worked out.......until today. I'm familiar with only a few other Goutal releases; namely Sables with its big bad immortelle / amber onslaught and Eau du Sud showering you with lemon and some earthy notes. Both are g2g and well made. As I sprayed Eau d'Hadrien, I was immediately reminded of Eau du Sud and for a moment thought that a "switch" was made. I say this because I am sampling from a 15ml splash bottle. Within a few minutes however, I could tell the difference in spite of not having smelled Eau du Sud for quite awhile now. There's a light but noticeable cypress note that emerges quickly. It sets it apart from Eau du Sud. The opening of Eau d'Hadrien is a blast of slightly shimmering citrus. The grapefruit makes it a bit tangy and the lemon adds a tartness. The cypress note...

This particular fougiental was released in 1994. The most notable remarks I can recall from previous owners is how much better the original version was compared to the current one. Having never smelled the original, I have nothing to add to that assumption. After wearing the current version of Nicole Miller for Men, I cannot say I'm impressed with it or the idea that the original is better. What I am smelling now falls into the category of "Meh"........yes, "Meh"......and I highly doubt I'd be impressed with a superior version of "Meh", but I have no way of knowing for sure. I'm not inclined to seek out the original for a side by side. Is Nicole Miller for Men horrible? No, it's not horrible at all. It's uninspiring to be honest and doesn't permit me to either love it or hate it. I've worn it a few times and ambivalent is a good term for me to use. I remain unmoved. The opening is a strange rendition of apple that's sw...

Hard to believe that Eau Pour Homme has been gracing the shelves for 27 years now. You'd also think it would smell dated if you never encountered it before. You would be wrong. Seriously wrong. To me, Armani Eau Pour Homme is reminiscent of Eau de Rochas Homme. Both do basically the same thing very well. The Rochas came 9 years later, but both implement similar accords. Both have the capacity to escape being pigeonholed by the aromas of their respective eras. Let's just say they are versatile and call it good. Eau Pour Homme opens with a sparkling blast of citrus. It's like a gathering of citric stars. Bergamot, lemon and orange coming atcha whether you like it or not. Lucky for me, I like citric woodies, hence the accolades. I cannot say for certain if the original batches of Eau Pour Homme were different or superior. Actually, I could care less since the current formula is what I'm reviewing and it's fine by me. The heart is at a polite volume and reveals su...

I always enjoy ( immensely I might add ) stumbling upon a fragrance that is surprisingly good and also very affordable. Quite some time ago I picked up a bottle of The Visionary by Gap and liked it. I recently had opportunity to purchase The Original ( locally ) and bought it without smelling it since it was so cheap. I consider $3.89 for 50ml beyond economical, so there you have it. When I finally got around to spritzing myself with it, a smile crossed my lips immediately. I didn't try to analyze it. I simply wanted to wear it for awhile and see if it was legit. I now consider it to be a worthy scent and to be honest, I've sampled some high end niche that should smell this good. Every now and then, bargain basement beats pretentiousness. This is one of the things that keeps me in this hobby. Now, is The Original terrific? Great? Outstanding? Um.......not really, but it's very good and for the price, you can't beat it with a stick. The first few minutes of the ope...