The Original by Gap

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 opening afforded me a strange rendition of fruit. It lists plum as one of it's few notes. I can't say I recognize it as plum exactly, but I definitely got the fruit vibe and it was very good. I wished it stayed around longer, but topnotes are like hookers with a full schedule.

Cedar and Leather are also listed, but I get a little more than that. Leather seems to be a broad term in my experience and have come across all sorts of different renditions of the note. The leather rendition in The Original isn't a dominant and obvious one like in Or Black or Cuir Ottoman. It's also a different type, but still is there lurking as an undercurrent. The cedar is a mystery to me here because I simply don't smell it.

What I do get after the fruit note opening is what I can only construe as a concoction of spices similar to what I used to use when I was an active Chef. It seems as if barely a hint of thyme, rosemary and dill weed were mixed in with coconut. This accord is really likable and lasts quite a long time on me. The leather underneath slowly builds volume and has an anise tilt along with it. It's sweet, but not overtly so. The plum is long gone ( at least to my senses ) and it would have been awesome if it lasted longer.

Suffice it to say that I find The Original by Gap a worthy addition to my ever changing and stripped down wardrobe. I've seen 1ml. samples cost more than what I paid for this bottle. Big thumbs up from Aromi for this bargain bin assassin.

Comments

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...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...

Teatro Alla Scala - Krizia

I tried Comete by Chanel today and wanted to write about how Chanel is going by the way of Roger Dove - copying old masterpieces. I did not know where to post that and then I realized I have been neglecting this blog. When I logged in I saw an unfinished post I wrote a year ago about Teatro Alla Scala by Krizia. Teatro is the best full bodied floral - better than any Chanel or Patou. Even better than Gucci L'Arte. A brief background: Teatro Alla Scala is an Opera theatre in Milan. The bottle's design is an homage to the theatre and the perfume an homage to its sophisticated patrons. I wanted to write a symphony for it. Maybe some day. For now here are few notes I wrote comparing EDT vs EDP. And if you don't have Teatro, your wardrobe is incomplete Rose, Jasmine, Tuberose. Jammy berries (more in EDP) . Honey note listed is probably the jammy part Vetiver & moss - more in EDT Rose and carnation is more than jasmine and that is what separates it from other florals like J...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog