Il Mondo di Odore

Diet Oud Out on my regular Sunday afternoon fragrance trawl (what else is there to do on a Sunday afternoon pray tell?  … teehee) I had every intention of sampling Cartier's Déclaration d'un Soir … which has unhappily not made it to shops in my neck of the woods yet! Instead, Essence de Bois was on offer and as I hadn't tried it before either, I whacked a few hefty sprays to my left forearm. "NICE!!!" … was my immediate exclamation, and it really only got better from there. Erring on the side of caution, I swept myself off to a late lunch of patè and champagne (Sunday afternoons are 'me' time and utterly sacrosanct LOL) all the while snuffling at the crook of my elbow and emitting little grunts of pleasure! Essence de Bois contains a beautifully pared down Oud, evident from the first sniff. It's almost as if this note was put on a carb-free-high-protein diet and 60 000 steps a day, rendering it sleek, sophisticate...

Different enough to intrigue ... I like Iris ... I really do! Guerlain's Iris Ganache is definitely 'up there' in my estimation of fragrances based around this note.  The Iris here is not of the root variety (Orris) ... at least to my nose. There is a luminosity present ... a 'silveriness' is probably the best way to describe it, which doesn't feature in Orris-bound fragrances, like Opus V by Amouage. Now, I'm not sure if Orris and Iris are the same thing. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the scent of Iris always comes from the roots ... so I may be wrong in my estimation here. Nevertheless, Iris Ganache displays a lovely lightness, at least for the first half hour of its skin life. Into the dry down, a rather moribund Patchouli settles in, saved only from imminent death by a sweet Van/Amber to give it a little CPR. I'm really not sure the Patch was necessary here ... but I suppose it does add to the longevity of this fragrance, which ...

Bergamot, Absinth, Clove, Orange, Lavender, Incense, Patchouli, Vetiver, Amber, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Cedarwood. Liquid Crystal's opening is an interesting blend of Citrus, Clove and what I can only describe as leather and herbs. I've encountered this accord more than once, however clove wasn't in the mix and the herbal-leather quality could previously be attributable to a manifold floral array. On my skin, the clove comes to the fore. It's actually one of the better renditions of the note you may find. There seems to be a nice balance between it and the rendition of Orange. What I truly found interesting was that the intro of Liquid Crystal reflects the first part of the accord, but once that transitions, it's akin to a different implementation of notes than what is listed. I wonder if there are two distinct releases of Liquid Crystal or perhaps a clerical error? Perhaps the mistake is mine? It's been quite awhile since two-thirds of what I smelled ha...

Oriental Flowers, Arabian Oud, Leather, Heliotrope, Indian Amber, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, White Musk. The first thing I noticed upon applying Onyx Pearl is the Rouge quality I experience. I'm reminded ( somewhat ) of Pascal Morabito's  Avec Amour ( Passion Mediterranee). That was a release I didn't care for initially, but was one that eventually grew on me. Arabian Oud you say? Well, I for one don't experience oud in any fashion, but others may fare better. What transpires on my skin is a leathery wood with accents of spice and balsam. The red aspect is rather nice and leans more masculine than you might expect. The floral components are muddled on my skin, but they are successful in adding volume to a full and straightforward accord. The leather implemented here is of the supple variety. Its texture is creamy, but I know that isn't normally associated with leather. I suppose it exemplifies suede more than conventional leather and it's also a...

Vanilla, Almond, Tiare, Orchid, Fig, Amber, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Benzoin. If you happen to like your vanilla accented heavily with almond, then this one is for you. Vanilla Marble opens with a sweet and heavy vanilla and almond duo. The almond used here also has accents of coconut, further perpetuating the sweet quality that is inherent in this fragrance. Vanilla Marble is more or less a linear scent and with dominant notes of Vanilla and Almond, that's no surprise. They permeate every aspect of the wearings, but I will say that the overall aroma gives the impression of a well made creation. That's the upside. The drawback is that Vanilla Marble really doesn't set itself apart from others I've sampled featuring similar notes. Once again, it boils down to price point and an individual's willingness to dig deep for a niche acquisition. After numerous wearings, I admit to experiencing the Vanilla and Almond, but not much else. I was hop...

A Vetiver for everybody ... I constantly bleat on about the Infusion series from Prada being 'too light' and 'too expensive' for what they are. I am happy to report that I find my critique incorrect, especially when it comes to Infusion de Vétiver! I have no idea what has prompted this turn around in my perception. Suffice it to say that of late, I have been hankering for something that is both present and pleasant to spray on my skin ... something that doesn't necessarily trumpet it's existence but makes itself known with delicious wafts of 'fresh from the shower' goodness for longer than just a couple of hours. I have found it here! I've always enjoyed a healthy dose of Vetiver in fragrances ... I find it uplifting. The beauty of this note is further enhanced here by the clever addition of two rather pungent spices ... in a completely non-pungent way. The Pepper and Ginger here serve basically to make the Vetiver in this 'fume sp...

Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon, Artemesia, Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Amber. Caswell Massey creations ( most always ) excel as classic comfort wears. This is good, of course, if you lean toward older construction in your fragrances. Greenbriar is yet another in this category and while it may retain that "cologne" quality through the first half of the wearings, the drydown is subtle and enjoyable. Greenbriar opens with a citric lavender possessing hints of soapiness. The spices are evident as well, but there is restraint exercised here and every note that's implemented is tuned politely. This is a gentleman's scent that, within 10 to 15 minutes, wears close to the skin. The initial accord also affords a soft, herbal-berry aspect. It has a cooling effect that compliments the spicy lavender. The soapiness of this lavender is rather nice. I normally find it borderline annoying at best, but this is one of those renditions that hits the mark. My on...

Pepper, Lemon, Clove, Elemi. May Rose, Turkish Rose, Iris, Magnolia, Ylang-Ylang, Myrrh, Opoponax. Patchouli, Amber, Labdanum, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Vanilla. Super niche can be an enjoyable discovery or nothing more than a pain in the ass. The Infidels by Agonist seems to embody both characteristics for me. I'm inclined to believe ( after sampling their recent releases ) that this particular house is geared for those who give no regard whatsoever to cost. There's no crime in that and most of us only wish we had that problem. However, people who research fragrances, by perusing sites like this, do have some semblance of financial protocol. Being careful and prudent with your money is also not a crime, so sampling and researching before pulling the trigger seems the most sensible approach. I've read numerous opinions on The Infidels after I had a few sample wearings under my belt. I am not enamored like quite a few others, but do concede that The Infidels po...

Sage, Lavender, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Jasmine, Oakmoss, Amber, Musk. This 1979 release is a rather interesting concoction. I consider it a flo-gere since it embodies enjoyable floral components and fougere traits. It's rather dismissed by folks in the hobby, possibly due to its cheap price and perhaps some snobbery as well. There are some who like it however and I can consider myself one. PS does smell like a time and place. It's readily identifiable as a 70's to 80's aroma, but still smells contemporary enough to be viable. It also embodies characteristics of other masculines from that era as it transitions from the opening, heart and base. PS won't win any awards or go down in fragrance history, but it performs simply and admirably for a bargain basement scent. PS opens with an aromatic and spicy lavender that's merged with a diffusive floral array led by Jasmine. The Sage lends a dissonance that somehow performs successfully in the opening accord. It...

Bergamot, Orange Cyclamen, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Pomegranate, Iris Root, Cedar, Vetiver, Fern, Moss, Tobacco, Hawthorn, Labdanum, Patchouli, Opoponax, Amber, Vanilla. One thing I can say for certain, regarding this house, is that they make for some strong Eau de Colognes. Their offerings in this format retain more strength and presence than most Eau de Toilettes I sample. That's a terrific quality if the scent is enjoyable and understandably not so good if the fragrance doesn't float your boat. Melograno by S.M.N has me caught in the middle. I don't like it in the conventional sense, but I can't dismiss it either. It's strangely captivating, but it's not necessarily in my wheelhouse for regular wearing. I'll begin by stating I experience no pomegranate as I know it. Truthfully, I care not about that as I don't believe a more "evident" rendition would make me love this fragrance. Melograno is Old School done very well, yet as much as I love...

... for now we see through a glass, darkly ... I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity of trying this but it's SO not what I was expecting! I think that I have mentioned elsewhere that I am MAD for Tuberose. Indeed, when asked recently by a fragrance community buddy "how many Tuberose's do you need?", my answer was simply " all of them!". My testing of this has now been on for an hour or so, the last 50 minutes of which I have been raising the back of my right hand to my nose repeatedly and drawing an absolute blank as to what to say about it.  I suddenly realized that ' a travers le miroir ' means 'through the mirror' ... and it dawned on me like waves breaking on the shore! What I'm smelling is the reverse of what it actually is!! I have no idea how Alexis Dadier managed this, but imho it's a marvel of chemistry. In most Tuberose frags I have tried, this note announces itself loudly in a c...

In my never-ending search for the perfect Rose fragrance I have tried quite a number of them. I recently sampled these two from the Frederic Malle collection finding the following: Une Rose by Edouard Fléchier. As one who loves rose scents in all of their various forms, the opening of Une Rose reminds me substantially of my favorite 'Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose'. Having said that, it's an infinitely more complex creation than the aforementioned, and I also noted with surprise that it contains Iso E Super, which the rose here seems to be enhanced rather than overwhelmed by. There's a gorgeous 'earthiness' going on ... as the promotional material states, it's as if the roots were pulled up with the bush :). It's faintly 'mushroomy'! The patchouli here brings faint herbal memories of Aramis 900 in combination with the rose, and rather dominates the dry down. In all honesty, as much as I like it I don't find this one to ...

Orange, Freesia, Red Bilberry, Jasmine, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Raspberry, Sandalwood, Ambrette, Vanilla, Patchouli. I suppose I knew, from the initial moments of application, that I would be underwhelmed by this fragrance. After multiple wearings, that hasn't changed and it's a shame since I held out high hopes for this one and others in the line I haven't gotten to yet. I did like Black Amber, so maybe this one simply doesn't work for me. As you would expect, the opening is a fruity floral. It feels constrained rather than expansive and is reminiscent of less expensive endeavors I've inadvertently smelled in my travels. Not to sound harsh, but it's only taken each wearing 5 minutes or so for me to conclude that Arctic Jade leans generic and is severely overpriced. Pleasant simply isn't going to cut it at these price points. The other stage of development sees Arctic Jade evolving into a floriental. I admit to liking this segment better than the t...

Timeless For a fragrance released in 1937, Elsa Shiaparelli's Shocking is surprisingly 'nouveau' to my nose, but definitely brings with it all of that 'Golden Years' charm and grace. One could imagine the Baroness in The Sound of Music wearing this ... it's beauty is regal! The use of a heavy Civet note often dates a fragrance (Patou's Joy and Desprez' Bal a Versailles immediately spring to mind) and if not carefully used illicits the response of "ugh, cat pee" from many a nose. Civet is, however, used very successfully in combination with my favorite floral note Tuberose ... imho at least :). I can't see it's exclusion, for example, from something like Versace's Blonde doing that fragrance any favors.  In Shocking, the Civet is beautifully toned by the addition of Honey creating a gorgeous platform for the floral notes of Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Rose and Narcissus to intermingle and project. While being ...

Incense, Prune, Red Algae, Labdanum, Vetiver, Tobacco, Incense, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Amber, Vanilla, Sandalwood. Black Amber is akin to something Serge Lutens would collaborate with Amouage. It is weird but compelling, yet I'm still undecided due to the price point of this house. At $195.00 for a 50ml. bottle, most of us working stiffs have no choice but to be astute in our choices. The smoke in Black Aber's opening  is camphorous and the incense provides a mentholated quality at the core of the fragrance. It is evident upon initial application and on me, it is the spirit the remainder of the composition is built upon. I recently acquired the Agonist line in sample form and decided to begin with Black Amber. I suppose I'm a fan of quite a few orientals, but Black Amber doesn't fit into this genre neatly. The top accord of Black Amber sets the stage with soft smoke, camphor and subtle earth tones. It's full bodied and wears like a substantial scent. Bl...