38°N 16°E by Richard Luscher Britos

Bergamot Oil, Orange Blossom, Sandalwood, Incense.

Easily the most simplistic of the Terroir releases, 38°N 16°E is all about Bergamot. Dedicated citrus fragrances aren't for everyone and in spite of the listed Blossom, Sandalwood and Incense, this creation is, at least on my skin, an experience of straight up Bergamot.

The opening is a beautiful rendition of Blossom and Bergamot, but within 3 minutes the Blossom winds down and allows Bergamot front and center position. I've said it before and will reiterate that Blossom has a tendency to gain momentum and take over a large portion of a composition. Not so with 38°N 16°E.

The vibrancy of the top accord, although fleeting, is one of the things that keeps me sampling manifold fragrances. It's so bright and succinct that, whatever follows it is destined to be ( at least ) a slight disappointment. What the wearer has to understand is that 38°N 16°E is an uncomplicated citrus creation. This genre is not known for otherwordly sillage, nor do they normally possess impressive hang time. 38°N 16°E doesn't deviate from this protocol and it's okay. I'm a fan of this category and 38°N 16°E is just as good or better than many of them.

After 20 minutes or a little better, subtle blossom seems to re-emerge and accent the lingering Bergamot. The listed Woods and Smoke are pretty much M.I.A. on my skin, but perhaps others will detect these more clearly than I. If they are in the mix, they are tuned much too passively to have their voices heard. There is something bolstering the Bergamot, but it's not a conventional rendition of Sandalwood as I know it.

Frankincense, like its co-conspirator, simply isn't loud enough to have a say in this release. In extended drydown, you may experience a ghostly whiff of it if you focus, but I prefer not to work that hard when I'm wearing something for enjoyment. Still, I find 38°N 16°E a pleasant and viable Citrus scent that YOU will have to make up your own minds about. Thumbs up from Aromi for 38°N 16°E, but with a caution. In this case, as always, a sample wear is highly 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