Unleaded for Men by Donna Karan

Tobacco, Basil, Sage, Cardamom, Leather.

Recently, I was able to acquire a vintage bottle of this ( 100ml.) at around 50% full. It's completely intact and apparently was well cared for. When this was released in the mid 1990's, I never got around to trying it. Once Lauder took over, it was discontinued along with others. After wearing this since it arrived, this would have been a nice addition to the spring and summer arsenal as it wears "light", yet implements notes that are normally found in heavier fragrances.

Called a "Bracing Spray", I'm not really sure I concur, but then again, what exactly is a bracing spray anyway ? This wears much longer than drugstore bracers from the 1960's I assure you. This is different from the masculine release of a year prior. Unleaded doesn't possess the presence of its older brother, but it definitely has merit. It's a little more refined and a bit less macho.

The opening is very smooth to my sensibilities. It's aromatic, but extremely low key and embodies a sweet, balsamic nature. There's warmth to this top accord and it's undoubtedly my favorite part of the wearing. The implemented spices give the Cardamom a boost, but this entire fragrance is tuned to smell full at close range. To me, Unleaded is the epitome of a personal space scent. This is yet another reason why I believe it would perform well in the warmer months. The blending is truly to my satisfaction and whether or not you concur, that could only be judged by you yourselves giving this a whirl.

The tobacco that permeates the entire life of the scent is drier and not of the smoky variety to my nose. It's at the core of Unleaded and in conjunction with the Cardamom, lends the warmth I mentioned earlier. Everything about this masculine is comforting and pleasant, unless you're hoping for a powerful fragrance that makes a bold statement.

Full bodied and well mannered, this succeeds where other spicy and aromatic tabacs have fallen a bit short. There's just the correct amount of sweetness present in all the transitions to compliment the totality of Unleaded. The leather also isn't a conventional rendition, nor could I say it smells like suede. I suppose the closest I can come is to say that there's the suggestion of leather inherent from the heart accord onward. It's supple like the rest of the players, so it's in keeping with the character of Unleaded. Sillage is modest but full and longevity is approximately 4 hours on me. Thumbs up from Aromi and as always, a sample wear is recommended.

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