Il Mondo di Odore

Spice, Black Currant, Rose, Saffron, Incense, Patchouli, Agarwood, Vanilla, Musk. The first thing I'd like to say about Sand Aoud by Mancera is that the longevity is not of the nuclear variety on my skin. I mention this because its reputed 24 hour hang time is readily available to read, yet it's simply not the case for this reviewer. It's very good mind you, but let's keep it real shall we ? Sand Aoud opens with a nice rendition of Black Currant. You can smell the oud churning underneath, but you can also immediately tell that this "oud" will not gobble up everything in its path like Pacman. The Black Currant stays lucid while Rose and Saffron quickly begin to augment what will be the top and heart accords. This is an "oud" I can not only tolerate, but enjoy because of its team player attitude. The initial transition from top to mids is an enjoyable experience of spicy woods embellished by Rose and Saffron. These two stages are long lasting...

Lime, Mandarin, Orange, Rosemary. Ginger, Pink Peppercorn, Lavender, Cypress, Juniper Berry. Mosses, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Amber, Atlas Cedar. L'Eau Bleue Pour Homme by Issey Miyake has me on the fence. There are days I like wearing it and then there are days it does absolutely nothing for me and I question why I purchased it in the first place. I suppose the deeply discounted price had something to do with my pulling the trigger, so for price point alone, it was a viable acquisition. What I find good and refreshing about L'Eau Bleue is the spicy, herbal woodiness. That same quality deters me from wearing it more often than I do. I know that sounds very contradicting and I suppose it is. I imagine I need to be in a certain mood for this or else I do not enjoy it at all. I will say that L'Eau Bleue is nicely blended with acceptable sillage and longevity. It possesses a fresh aspect and is extremely unoffensive as a whole. Perhaps the fact that it's unremarka...

Spice, Neroli, Oud, Vetiver, Patchouli, Incense, Myrrh, Amber, Cashmere, Musk. It took a full wearing of Pecksniff's Mistraal EDT to convince me that it was equivalent to M7 Junior. Naturally, the 2nd wearing was a side by side with M7's original formula. I have no way to compare it with the more recent incarnations of M7 as I do not have them, nor have I ever smelled them ( yet ). Suffice it to say that Mistraal is a very viable agarwood fragrance that packs less oomph than M7, but the resemblance is certain on my skin. The medicinal cherry aspect is present, but represented in a slightly different manner and with less presence. It is a chip off the old block however and I mention this because the original M7's very soul ( to me ) was this quality. I would have never guessed that this release would smell anything like the YSL. Mistraal is less substantial, but an easier wear in the heat for sure. I find a subtle transparency to it and it has a more obvious resin,...

Bergamot, White Pepper, Ginger, Lavender, Nutmeg, Egyptian Sandalwood, Amber, Peru Balsam, Leather, Musk, Blue Fir. These days, I don't use the term very disappointing that often. I try and find something redeeming about what it is I'm reviewing. This 2006 release by Coty however, is making it impossible to do so. One hears the terms generic, synthetic, etc......probably more often than one should, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like one..........well than, I'm quite certain it's a freakin duck. Between the overall aroma and factoring in sillage and longevity, Guess Man is .......well you guessed it......not up to snuff for this here enthusiast. This fragrance reminds me of trying to swim upstream. Guess Man is constructed to fail on my skin. The totality is a chemical quality and what constitutes that is lackluster blending. Nothing jumps out at you or stands apart, but perhaps Coty wanted to keep us "guessing" on what the hell is actually in ...

Patchouli, Grey Amber, Florentine Iris, Myrrh. Recently, I stumbled upon 2 new 50ml. bottles of Dr. Vranjes Ambra Iris and Rosa Cassis. Both are advertised as 20% Extrait, however both wear like an Eau de Toilette on my skin. Notwithstanding, I'm glad to have both in my collection and rotation. The presence and longevity of each is like that of a substantial EDT and rarely do I need or desire more than that these days. It truly pays to periodically peruse your local Goodwill and Mission stores for gems such as these. My first impression of Ambra Iris was that of Molinard Patchouli. I could not help making the comparison as I like the Molinard and was compelled to do a side by side. During the wearings, Ambra Iris proved similar, but a bit lighter and brighter. Suffice it to say that they are first cousins and leave it at that. Ambra Iris is really about Patchouli. I guess I expected a deep and rich, resinous amber with powdery qualities, but instead I experienced a Patch-...

Bergamot, Mandarin, Sea Notes. Different sites list different accords for this particular release. I saw no reason to split hairs about which one I thought was more correct. To me, this fragrance just doesn't warrant that type of effort on my part. Pure Nautica was released only a few years ago and is currently available in your neighborhood bargain bins for good reason. It's no crime for anyone to create and release a mundane scent. I simply don't understand the upside in their doing so. With that said, Pure Nautica is guilty of underwhelming more than anything else. I own and wear others that are just as simple and linear, but they have some degree of personality in their composition. Pure Nautica is akin to a dry piece of toast.....( well, maybe a damp piece.....) due to the marine note. It goes on with a rather sheer citrus-musk aspect that's not half bad. Within 5 minutes, the clarity of that opening is gone and replaced with a woody-marine-musk. I percei...

Lemon, Sage, Pepper, Basil, Bergamot, Cumin, Juniper Berry, Wormwood. Thyme, Rose, Pine Needles, Jasmine, Geranium, Carnation, Aldehyde. Cedar, Fir, Leather, Musk, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver. My first impression of Sung Homme is that soap and tobacco lovers should find this offering very agreeable. Released in 1988, it's neither brutish or a powerhouse. It is, however, a very masculine and clean wear that's also very versatile. I came across a 50ml. spray bottle a few months ago at the usual bargain bin distributors that most of you folks already frequent. For $5, you can't beat it with a stick ( unless, of course, you detest soapy fragrances ). I'm not necessarily a fan of this genre, but there are some I like enough to own. With Sung Homme, I find it a viable masculine even though I don't love it. It performs well basically anywhere and in any temperature. It also smells completely unoffensive, so love it or not, it's a win-win especiall...

Cedar Needles, Grapefruit, Lemon, Cypress, Rosewood, Geranium, Cognac, Green Tea, Clove, Incense, Nutmeg, Sage, Lavender, Fir Needles, Juniper Berry, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Musk. Aside from the projection-longevity shortcomings I attribute to this 1996 release, Michael Jordan Cologne is good bang for the buck if one is looking for a spicy-wood masculine. It can be had for peanuts if you look in the right places and it smells very good as well. This could have easily been released in the 1970's or 80's and its aroma wouldn't have batted an eyelash. That said, Michael Jordan still wears well in 2013 and is a very viable masculine that feels well suited for office and casual wear. It transitions into a personal-space scent rather quickly, but up close it smells full and substantial. As one can see, there's a slew of listed notes, but only a few are realized on my skin. What seems to pop on my skin is the grapefruit rendition. It's not loud mind you, but it ...

Sage, Lavender, Mandarin, Tobacco, Geranium, Carnation, Rose, Vetiver, Cedar, Tonka Bean, Fir. I suppose the thing I noticed most about Versace's The Dreamer is its inherent thickness. By that, I mean there's a dense, tight quality like that of Tiffany for Men. I only refer to the "feel" and not the smell between these two. They smell nothing alike, but they do share this quirk on my skin. It gives both a substantial aspect, albeit it is less pronounced in The Dreamer than the Tiffany. I also admit to liking The Dreamer more each wearing and am happy to have procured a bottle for my work rotation. The tobacco note that appears soon after application is a very enjoyable rendition. It blooms even more as the wearing ensues, yet doesn't overtake the composition. The intro of citrus and spice lean more toward accenting, while the floral and earth shades succeed in producing the greenish tobacco note that's at the core of The Dreamer. I do not know how th...

Bergamot, Nutmeg, Cypress, Amber, Vanilla, Leather, Incense, Musk. ( ****accord listing courtesy of fragrantica**** ) Allow me to say I'm not convinced the listing of notes is exactly on the money. I can also say that, in the end, it's not of the utmost importance that the accords be completely accurate since what matters most is the overall quality of this particular scent. I prefer to start describing Mr. Bill Blass in reverse only because it suits me to do so. The thing that disappoints me the most during my wearings is the abysmal longevity I experience. 'Such a shame because I like everything about its aroma, but alas, Mr. Bill Blass the perfume evaporates ( on my skin ) much like the ever-present smoke emanating from the cigarettes of Mr. Bill Blass himself. Within a meager 20 minutes, what starts out as a very promising retro-contemporary frag seemingly melts into a literal skin scent. It could perhaps be my absorbent skin, but I doubt that even my skin could...