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

Newport by Caswell Massey

Bergamot, Mandarin, Lemon, Lavender, Geranium, Muguet, Rose, Ambergris, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk. After wearing Newport by Caswell Massey a few times and then reading what others had to say about this recent formulation, I found some of the opinions harsh. I have no way to compare it to the heralded vintage formula, nor can I use memory as I've never tried the original. Enter the current version. I do agree with some reviews that this rendition does not bring about the sense of beach and salt, but there's a long line of fragrances that fail to represent their depictions. However, Newport isn't so far off the mark that it's a complete misrepresentation. I can imagine wearing Newport ( or something similar ) in a beach setting. It smells classic due to the way Citrus, Lavender and Geranium are implemented. It's assuredly retro, but it seems to have that intangible I like that keeps me sniffing. Newport, at least on my skin, is top heavy in the sens...

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...

Lanvin L'Homme

Lord knows the world has enough fresh woody citrus fragrances. It's a hackneyed genre of masculine perfume, having been done to death by countless designer firms cranking these things out since the 1990s, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Lanvin L'Homme, released in 1997, is one of the early woody citrus releases, but it (along with Essenza di Zegna) stands out because it's one of the best. That may sound like it's not saying much, but Lanvin L'Homme really is excellent. I won't get into a long treatise about all of the notes contained in this and how they evolve. Lanvin L'Homme is sparkling, spicy, woody, transparent and dry. What I love about this scent is how brilliantly it uses vetiver - the vetiver gives Lanvin L'Homme a woody, dry and somewhat bitter smell, but it also manages to create an effect of sustaining the citrus top notes for several hours. This results in a fragrance that smells fresh and cheerful from beginning ...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog