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.

Comments

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...

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...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog