Intuition by Estee Lauder

Mandarin, Bergamot, Grapefruit.
Gardenia, Rhododendron, Freesia, Rose.
Amber.

From its opening to the finish, Intuition by Lauder is about as calm and inoffensive a fragrance that you will find. I didn't mind that the rendition of floral components weren't exactly realistic. The suggestion was enough for me and the absence of anything caustic or grating in the composition was gratifying.

Now, does this Lauder creation "look inside" or become contemplative? Well, I've worn it enough by now to say it doesn't lend any incisive reasoning my way. In its defense however, I will say it breaks no rules in naming scent. As far as I know, there's usually no rhyme or reason other than them narrowing down a name for marketing and then going with it.

Intuition opens with a smooth citrus and has grapefruit in the lead role. This note isn't sharp or very tart and no sooner you identify it, a leafy quality inserts itself into the accord. I keep thinking I'm smelling a very subtle benzoin in this grouping as well, but it could very well be the type of amber chosen. The floral notes chosen are tuned in a passive manner and never exceed a polite volume.

I admit to liking the grapefruit rendition. It's not conventional at all, but up close it's the one note that's convincing to me. It sticks around as the heart commences and I enjoy its longevity. The floral notes are blurred and not very distinguishable. Even so, the end result isn't bad by any means.

The amber finish is sweet, but not overtly so. It has a nice resin quality and ends Intuition in a comfortable fashion. Sillage is acceptable and longevity is surprisingly good as I can detect this the following morning. There's no reason this shouldn't get a thumbs up for aroma and price.

Comments

Newport by Caswell Massey

Bergamot, Mandarin, Lemon, Lavender, Geranium, Muguet, Rose, Ambergris, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk. After wearing Newport by Caswell Massey a few times and then reading what others had to say about this recent formulation, I found some of the opinions harsh. I have no way to compare it to the heralded vintage formula, nor can I use memory as I've never tried the original. Enter the current version. I do agree with some reviews that this rendition does not bring about the sense of beach and salt, but there's a long line of fragrances that fail to represent their depictions. However, Newport isn't so far off the mark that it's a complete misrepresentation. I can imagine wearing Newport ( or something similar ) in a beach setting. It smells classic due to the way Citrus, Lavender and Geranium are implemented. It's assuredly retro, but it seems to have that intangible I like that keeps me sniffing. Newport, at least on my skin, is top heavy in the sens...

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...

Lanvin L'Homme

Lord knows the world has enough fresh woody citrus fragrances. It's a hackneyed genre of masculine perfume, having been done to death by countless designer firms cranking these things out since the 1990s, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Lanvin L'Homme, released in 1997, is one of the early woody citrus releases, but it (along with Essenza di Zegna) stands out because it's one of the best. That may sound like it's not saying much, but Lanvin L'Homme really is excellent. I won't get into a long treatise about all of the notes contained in this and how they evolve. Lanvin L'Homme is sparkling, spicy, woody, transparent and dry. What I love about this scent is how brilliantly it uses vetiver - the vetiver gives Lanvin L'Homme a woody, dry and somewhat bitter smell, but it also manages to create an effect of sustaining the citrus top notes for several hours. This results in a fragrance that smells fresh and cheerful from beginning ...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog