Il Mondo di Odore

Lemon, Lavender, Orange Blossom, Patchouli, Cedar. I'm wondering what is causing the guilt in the composition of Guilty Pour Homme? Is the wearer held accountable for smelling generically good or is he responsible for the actions of others once they get a whiff of this? No matter I suppose. I share none of the guilt associated with this scent. I can safely see myself wearing this without any repercussions whatsoever from anyone. The reason being is that Guilty Pour Homme is guilty of being a "safe" release that would easily smell as good on a man as it would a woman. Yes, this is my opinion. Since when can't the feminine persuasion pull off an aroma of citrus and subtle gourmand with earthy aspects? I suppose what I like most about the totality of this rather simple fragrance is how unremarkable it really is while performing pleasantly. I used to abhor releases such as this for being uninspired or dull. I think Gucci is guilty of this, but if the conviction ...

Mandarin, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Juniper. Rosemary, Pepper, Rosewood. Musk, Incense, Oak Moss. About 4 years ago, I purchased a bottle while at the mall. For me, 2 things were wrong with that scenario. I never buy "retail" or at least rarely do so, nor do I purchase frags at the mall. I revel in "deals", so that kind of nudges retail out of the picture. Also, at that particular period in time, I was heavily into Classic Masculines and experiencing torrid love affairs with the likes of Capucci Punjab and those of his ilk. Light Blue P.H. just didn't float my boat at the time. I, like the times, have changed just enough to appreciate certain things I was incapable of enjoying in the not too distant past. I believe this was due to wearing and smelling only powerful fragrances. If I chanced upon something not as substantial, I perceived it as lacking. These days, I sample enough diversity to circumvent that from happening. It's not by design either, j...

Lemon, Rosemary, Pineapple, Bergamot, Neroli. Coriander, Jasmine, Cyclamen, Oakmoss. Cedar, Tonka Bean, Musk, Cardamom, Sandalwood, Rosewood. I suppose the most interesting aspect of wearing Azzaro Chrome ( for me ) has been the interplay between the herbal and marine elements. I'm assuming that this interaction is giving the impression of a metallic quality to numerous reviewers. I can't say I get the metal aspect, but I can see where others may. Aside from the spicy, herbal ozonic nature evident during the life of the scent, Chrome also possesses an underlying green stem note that permeates. Azzaro Chrome also implements an aromatic component that is at odds with its marine character. I've smelled similar oppositions before in other releases, yet it works extremely well here. To be honest, the theme dreamed up here is rather scatter-shot, but not the results. Citrus, Herb, Spice, Ozone, Woods, Earth, Balsam, Camphor and Musk can easily turn out to be a muddled m...

Bergamot, Clary Sage, Lavender, Lime, Lemon. Carnation, Cedar, Geranium, Jasmine, Orris Root, Patchouli, Vetiver, Amber, Honey, Musk, Tonka Bean, Vanilla. The first impression I get when spritzing on Stetson Original is the classic aroma I've come to expect from the notes you see listed in the accords above. With scent, it all comes down to how the ingredients  are tuned. Another fragrance could use this exact accord and not smell remotely similar. Stetson's aroma is indicative of classic construction and the word "cologne" in its name belies the strength it actually has. Stetson opens with an eye opening shot of Citrus and Clary Sage supported by Carnation, Honey and Vanilla. The citrus is zesty and the bite of it compliments the Carnation. The assertive introduction settles down in a few minutes to reveal slowly rising woods, earth and floral tones. There's also a slightly feral quality in the mix that's partly sweet to go along with its growl. Th...

Bvlgari pour Femme  (1994) Created by Sophia Grojsman nearly twenty years ago, Bvlgari pour femme smells today surprisingly fresh and new. This feminine composition features sweet florals—rose, mimosa, and violet loom large—in a clean resinous base and does not seem dated in the least. Having recently received one of the small .8 ounce purse sprays of this creation, I am able to report that there is no obvious distinction between my “vintage” bottle and the latest iteration of this now classic perfume.  Many of Grojsman's perfumes have been reformulated—to their detriment and to the disappointment of most of the people who fell in love with them at the time of their launch. Bvlgari pour femme is a rare exception to the rule. Is this because this jeweler's perfumery branch has not been sold off to one of the corporate conglomerates? Perhaps. Bvlgari pour Femme edp is one of only a few perfumes which I wore in the twentieth century and still wear today. N...

For as long as I can recall, I have been a sucker for orange. Whether or not it's the theme of a fragrance or a well implemented rendition of the note, I suppose I like what I like. I also own my fair share of these and have a few stockpiled for future use since everything is reformulated these days. If any fragrance becomes popular enough to keep in production, there's no telling how many times it will be "changed" over time. Artisan, by John Varvatos has slipped by me these last few years. That is, until I obtained a large sample that was included with a bunch of others recently procured by yours truly. I admit I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. I chalk that up to the numerous, disappointing masculines presently available at our local malls. That's not to say that all things current suck. That would be assanine on my part, but let's face it, the standout releases are becoming few and far between. The ingredient restrictions surely aren...

Mandarin, Cardamom, Rum, Pepper, Jasmine, Patchouli, Cognac, Oud, Cedar, Musk. Okay, so I'm guessing that the designer houses feel the need to add the oud note in their accord listings these days. The "oud" in Klein's Encounter is reminiscent to barbershop implementations the likes of Black Elixir. To be honest, I prefer this type of oud rendition than I do the boisterous versions found in most high end releases. They tend to be permeating beyond reason, but there are exceptions. The more low-end the oud, the more balanced it seems to be to me. One must take into consideration that the barbershop "ouds" I've tried smell nothing like niche versions. I'm not certain it should even be called oud, but that's another argument. Encounter by Klein opens with a peppery citrus and balsam. There's a herbal element here lending a polite,stem-like aspect to a safe top accord. Nothing groundbreaking, but pleasant is better than the alternative. It...

Citrus, Lavender, Jasmine, Oriental Pear, Amber, Vanilla, Musk. Somewhere in my slew of samples and mini's sits another feminine fragrance closely related to Baryshnikov pour Femme. I don't possess the ability to remember which smells like what since I experience too many scents and couldn't possibly remember them all by taking thought. I suppose if I kept a chart of some kind it would make that feasible, but then this hobby would take on the form of "work".........and where is the "fun" in that? Allow me to say that Baryshnikov pour Femme smells rather good. I expected a less than stellar aroma when I procured it and was pleasantly surprised when it unraveled into a fruity floral with just a bit of skank. There doesn't seem to be a lot of transitioning as the wearings ensue. Other than the presence settling down a few notches, Barshynikov pour Femme remains to the end as it was applied in the beginning. A lucid citrus accented with lavende...

Surprisingly fabulous, sadly discontinued ... I received about 10mls of this beauty in an original bottle from a fellow parfumistsa in a swap we made recently. Having been on a 'cologne' kick of late, Fleur du Matin strikes me as fabulous and I am saddened by its discontinuation. What I find truly unique here is the very realistic rendition of Grapefruit up top, which hangs around for a while and doesn't just dissipate. It gives this frag a lovely bracing quality without smelling like a glass of breakfast juice. The floral notes here are soft and subtle, blended beautifully so that none of them stand out separately ... Honeysuckle can sometimes be overbearing but I think it is nicely tamed here by the addition of the herbs. The Neroli included here further enhances the feeling of a classic cologne, without venturing into 4711 territory.     To my nose, the most inspired moments of this fragrance appear in the form of Galbanum and Pine ... the former b...

Yuzu, Bitter Orange, Wormwood, Bergamot, Nutmeg, Resinous Elemi, Benzoin, Oakmoss, Vetiver. I happen to like citric introductions and what we seem to have in 08 Seylon is an interesting take on the zesty and bitter attributes of citrus. The opening is a bit tart, but tempered with a peppery and gritty quality. The first few minutes gave me the illusion of mild smokiness, which in turn morphed into a soft herbaceous. The Wormwood and Elemi accent the citric theme very well. 08 Seylon manages to smell full without raising its volume to a potentially impolite level.  The core of 08 Seylon is the earth tones that, in the top and heart stages, are camouflaged by the spicy and zesty citric accord. Once the base is revealed, an enjoyable vetiver is disrobed. Its companions are a peppery resin and a slowly dissipating herbal component. The base retains the same full bodied, acceptable volume attribute that was evident from the initial application. The totality of this release l...