Il Mondo di Odore

Mandarin, Bergamot, Sage, Rosemary, Jasmine, Rose, Cedar, Musk. Hard to believe this overlooked cheapie has been around since 1995. This is truly a case of a fragrance imitating its name. This is casual, versatile, economical and pleasant. At the very worst innocuous, Casual at once smells a bit classical, but light and energetic. There's nothing heavy handed about this fragrance, but the immediate opening suggests that it could be. Instead, Casual chooses to be what it is; lucid and spicy with a subtle ratio of floral and woods to give it character and the right amount of substance. The "weight" of this masculine makes it an intelligent choice for the warmer months. It smells "winter" but wears "summer". The spicy citric accord that opens Casual is vibrant. The floral component accentuates this and is present as well from the initial spray. The first few minutes of Casual is my favorite stage of the wearing. I happen to own this and because ...

Tangerine, Cactus Flower, Red Berries, Ginger, Sage, Sandalwood, Cedar. The reviews on Amazing for Men by Bill Blass are scathing. While it may be true that this masculine isn't exactly a good representative of the name bestowed upon it, I don't find it terrible. For the amazing price I paid for a new bottle ( $5 ), it was worth it from an economic standpoint. Naturally, Mrs. Aromi likes it quite a bit, which continues to prove that you simply never know how an aroma you are wearing is perceived by others. On the other hand, my wife's nose seems to work in reverse compared to the majority of humanity, so you get the picture............. The dominant quality of Amazing, on my skin, is the spices. Gratefully, this aspect isn't overpowering like some others that implement Ginger and Sage. It's mellow enough to be wearable, but at the same time remains noticeable. The citrus in the opening does nothing more than to dilute the spicy fruit accord that is already m...

Orange, Lavender, Basil, Bergamot, Lemon. Carnation, Leather, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Geranium. Leather, Tonka Bean, Amber, Benzoin, Oakmoss, Vanilla. In the early 70's, I used to occasionally wear Pierre Cardin. Back then, who knew about "original formulas" and reformulations? How could anyone know? What I do know in the present is that the bottle I picked up earlier this year is a crass and piercing shell of its former self. This is not something I'll choose to wear and I'll end up giving the 99% remaining to someone.......if I can find a taker. Looking back to my youth, I recall a citric leather fragrance with a powdery, oriental drydown. It was economical and smelled pretty damn good for a drugstore scent. The version I'm wearing right now is like a stripped down model, complete with jagged edges and an amplified shrillness. The smooth quality is gone and the volume seems to be heightened which, in this case, is not a good thing. For the most ...

Watermelon, Grapefruit, Fig, Geranium, Black Currant, Magnolia, Musk. I own 23 by Jordan and having already liked 2 other Jordan releases enough to purchase them, I bought this one blind. Had I smelled it beforehand, I would have refrained from pulling out the wallet. 23 isn't a bad fragrance, it simply isn't in my wheelhouse. I own enough masculines that exude a citric-herbaceous quality. If 23 proved to one-up any of them, I'd be satisfied, but sadly it fails to grab ( or keep ) my attention. I find both sillage and longevity seriously lacking in this one. Now, the presence and lasting power deficiency doesn't necessitate a deal breaker for me if I happen to love what I smell. Mr. Bill Blass is a good example of this. Jordan's 23 smells good, but not great, so "liking" a short lived scent simply isn't good enough for this customer. With my complaints aired, I'd be remiss in not stating this smells pretty good. 23 is structured to ...

Bergamot , Lemon, Tangerine, Grapefruit, Anise, Basile, Lavender, Juniper Berry, Licorice. Rose, Jasmine. Amber, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Guaiacwood, Musk. No sooner I smelled Black is Black by Nuparfums, I could not help comparing it to C.O. Bigelow Black Elixir 1581. Now, they're not exactly the same, but redundancy could exist having both of these in your wardrobe. I own this now and have used up my Bigelow Black, so it's a win-win for me. To be truthful, the Bigelow is slightly superior, but that's this man's opinion. That aside, Black is Black wears like a dark, masculine barbershop scent. From an economical standpoint, Black is Black will be difficult to beat since I paid around $6 for a NIB 100ml at a local TJ earlier this year. It's a good masculine if you're inclined to this genre and the only reason I stated that the Bigelow was better was because of their respective drydowns. Again, that's simply my opinion. The opening shimmers with ene...

Bergamot, Mandarin, Green Notes, Cyclamen. Released in 1997, this accompanied No.655 for Men. Over the course of sampling or owning some Gap fragrances, I admit to being pleasantly surprised overall. I had no expectations of this house putting out quality scents, yet here I am again reviewing another Gap creation that has merit. Gap Blue 655 for Her is straightforward, simple and substantial for an economical floral. The implementation of Cyclamen adds a layer for depth and stability. It's this dimension that makes it successful. Gap Blue 655 for Her is more wearable than it is an exceptional fragrance. Perfume doesn't necessarily have to be terrific to possess versatility or comfort. That's how I perceive this release. It's one of those "spray it on and forget about it" scents that won't offend and is suitable for basically any venue or casual occasion. The connection is more "Green-Blue" since the aquatic accent is overshadowed by the...

Lemon, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Mandarin. Mint, Cinnamon, Saffron, Jasmine, Honey. Patchouli, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Labdanum. The first time I sprayed this on my skin, what I got was completely unexpected. First off, this is a nice scent and there's not a lot of information or opinions pertaining to it. What surprised me was the tobacco quality evident from the first 30 seconds. This isn't in-your-face tabac, but rather the suggestion of such  that's centered in the middle of the accord. Extraordinary for Men wears like an Oriental Tobacco fragrance on me........and it performs admirably. It takes Extraordinary for Men about 10 minutes to reveal the heavier players of Patch, Van-Amber and Tonka. The total ratio of ingredients creates the tobacco; which assimilates nicely into the oriental theme. There's hints of resin, balsam, earth and powder complimented by the well tuned, semi sweet tobacco aspect. The other listed players in the top and heart smell extreme...

Lemon, Kumquat, Apple. Orange Blossom, Rose. Patchouli, Musk, Ambrette seed. This is one of those scents that, in spite of being directed toward the feminine persuasion, I own and find occasion to wear from time to time. On one hand, the sillage and longevity factors are found wanting. On the other, it smells interesting, pleasant and performs well in close quarters where strong presence isn't desirable. I can see this working well in an office setting or very romantic situations where subtlety is an asset. Versus isn't overtly feminine in aroma, but it does lean that way. It seems easier these days for men to pull off fragrances like this due to the ambiguity of numerous, current releases marketed toward men. I happen to think Versus is "shared", but others may differ. Released either 2009 or 2010, Versus blankets the skin ( for all intents and purposes ) fully developed. The success of Versus doesn't hinge on transitional stages. I used to be adama...

Lime, Musk. Guava Nectar, Blue Agave. Vanilla, Musk, Palm Tree. For someone who doesn't normally lean toward aquatic/marine, I find myself choosing to wear Set Sail St. Barts more frequently than I thought I would. It possesses the aquatic aspect, but doesn't go down the same road as most in this genre. I believed it would........especially with musk listed twice.........but it sets itself apart by exhibiting a zesty, unique character, coupled with a "downwind and outdoors" quality. Now, do I know what Guava Nectar, Blue Agave or even Palm Tree smell like? Gimme a break...........I'm born and raised in Philly, so I'm well versed in Cheese steaks, bagels with cream cheese and soft pretzels. In truth, I could care less what those notes actually consist of since the totality of St. Barts is fresh, substantial and slightly tangy. A pleasant wear is a pleasant wear no matter the content. The citric accord is very lively and lasts for an impressive...

Marjoram, Cardamom, Mandarin. Saffron, Pimento Berry. Patchouli, Vetiver, Labdanum, White Musk. Inasmuch as I enjoy asking Mrs. Aromi for her unadulterated and extremely brief opinion of what it is I happen to be sampling at the moment, I was taken aback this time at her reply. "This smells like "OFF" bug spray.......but of the Deep Woods variety". What ???? Really??!!! Do they even make a Deep Woods variety?  I love my better half dearly, but I'm very grateful she doesn't review fragrances. If she did.....and I was unfortunate enough to trust her nose, I would probably own one fragrance out of every 500 I try. Attimo Pour homme opens with an extremely pleasant spice, balsam and citric effort. There's also an assist from what seems like aldehydes. The fruit aspect is a well played card here as well and together they make a successful entrance. Attimo Pour Homme ( like numerous other contemporary frags ) doesn't put its eggs in the ...

Bergamot, Pineapple, Juniper Berries, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Peppermint, Cardamom, Coriander, Lavender. Geranium, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Violet. Patchouli. Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Raspberry, Chocolate, Vanilla, Amber, Musk. An impressive list of notes for this 2003 creation by Pierre Bourdon. Like numerous others, I picked this up discounted at the local TJ earlier this year. Is it really as good as it's hyped up to be on certain fragrance sites? I think that's contingent upon just how many fragrances a person has been exposed to over the years. Individuel has been compared to Joop and a few other designers .......and while the comparisons may have some merit, I choose to let Individuel stand or fall on its own. The first few minutes are dedicated to numerous notes vying for attention. Don't think that it's a jumbled mess, because together they smell very nice. Hints of citrus, herbs, spices and woods launch out of the bottle, reigned in by an intelli...