Skip to main content

Tattoo for Him by Michael Germain

Clementine, Sage, Genevieve, White Pepper, White Thyme, Amber, Orris, Blonde Pipe Tobacco.

I own only one other Germain fragrance, Deauville pour Homme. I reviewed it 4 years ago or so and wasn't that impressed. That one is on my list to revisit, but as I wear Tattoo, I'm experiencing a house similarity that pertains to whatever platform this is built on, along with the denseness inherent in both.

Tattoo is yet another tobacco offering, but that's not a bad thing. There's always room for another, as long as it's well done. Even better if you find one as cheap as I found Tattoo. I believe I paid $9.99 for a NIB 100ml.

The bone I have to pick with Tattoo for Him is that musky, base foundation that is also in Deauville. The theme that seems to be threaded throughout numerous offerings from Germain is sexual or sensual. Now, I have no way of knowing if his other releases share this house "muskiness" since I haven't tried them. In the two I own, it's a tad redundant, but not enough to dissuade me from wearing Tattoo. Deauville, on the other hand, disappointed me years ago because of it. I recall it being overtly "thick", but that is not the case in Tattoo. It is evident, but tuned evenly enough to accent instead of overtaking the accords.

The opening of Tattoo is a blended affair of spice, herbaceousness and tabac. The floral component is muddied, but it's not a drawback. There's the suggestion of woods here as well and it merges within a few minutes after application. The tobacco, spice and musky quality is rather appealing and I could see Tattoo being an intelligent choice for cool to cold temperatures. I personally would avoid this one in the heat, but that's just me. This genre has a tendency to go "B.O." on my skin during the summer months.

Sillage is acceptable with longevity approximately 4 hours on me before I'd reapply. Tattoo wears linear on my skin and I'd be remiss if I didn't say I have better spicy tobacco masculines in my wardrobe regardless of price point. A positive neutral rating from Aromi for Michel Germain's Tattoo for Him and a strong recommendation to sample first.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

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...

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...