Il Mondo di Odore

Aldehydes, Artemesia, Bergamot, Caraway, Coriander, Green Notes, Pepper, Tarragon. Carnation, Cinnamon, Jasmine, Rose. Amber, Cedar, Leather, Musk, Patchouli, Tonka Beans, Oakmoss, Vanilla. If I didn't know better, I would think that in 1992, a bottle of Chanel, Carven Homme, Ricci Club and vintage Canoe somehow got blended together and the result was Salvador by Dali. Everyone who is familiar with me at all knows I'm a guy who grew up in the 1970's and has experienced the fragrances of those bygone days. Some were excellent, some were horrendous and a good portion fell through the cracks of mediocrity. Salvador emits the vibe of a scent created and then released in the wrong decade. To be polite, I will say that Salvador is mediocre. I'm not going to lie and state I like it when I don't. I also don't hate it and the scent doesn't warrant vitriol. It simply is what it is. It possesses a somewhat dated theme in its DNA and unfortunately, that gene...

White Woods, Agarwood, Patchouli, Sandalwood. Funny how certain renditions of a particular "note" get burned into our aroma-memory and are forever aligned with a particular house or perfumer. Case in point is the patchouli implemented in Black Oud. It is reminiscent of Molinard's rendition. Not exactly the same, but definitely associated to one another. Black Oud, on my skin at least, is not about oud. While linear, it focuses on woods and patchouli that are lightly accentuated by spice and a hint of smoke. This could have aptly been named Patchouli Noir Sport and I wouldn't have batted an eye. This 2013 release initially goes on the skin slightly alcoholic, then quickly tempered by a woody patchouli. The accord is airy and mildly sweet, pleasant and has the earth tone you'd expect from a Les Senteur rendition of Patchouli. Black Oud wears linear on me after numerous full wearings. After a few minutes, the version of Agarwood is downplayed and reminds ...

Aldehydes, Angelica, Coriander, Caraway, Saffron, Whiskey. Cloves, Iris, Sandalwood, Tuberose, Ylang Ylang. Agarwood, Amber, Castoreum, Caramel, Immortelle, Heliotrope, Musk, Tolu Balsam, Vetiver. Bertrand Duchaufour's resume is.......let's just say impressive. The lists of his creations are too numerous to mention and when I recall his contributions, I think of transparency, well executed and memorable. Collection Excessive's Oud for Love is yet another worthy interpretation of the oud genre, courtesy of Bertrand. This man has skills and the uncanny ability to take an idea, shape it mentally and then manifest it in a liquid delivery system in order for you and I to not only to "see" it,but to experience it as well. I've found some similarities in Oud for Love and Ameer Al Oudh. Their themes are related and Bertrands version is airborne and clear, whereas the Lattafa is weightier and perhaps slightly less versatile because of this. I happen to like both,...

Agarwood, Vanilla, Sugar, Labdanum. A tolerable blast of alcohol rushes out of the sprayer when applying this very pleasant Arabian creation. Take heart though, because it departs as quickly as a deadbeat dad called upon to write a check for his monthly child support payment. As a fragrance accumulator and overall lover of scent, I've been trying to intelligently sift through the tidal wave of oud releases that have bombarded our shores and internet clutches the last few years. My reasons are simple; I've experienced, own or have owned just about every desirable designer that I've deemed worth having in a preposterously large wardrobe. Oud is not a western sensibility and because of that, it's only recently making an impact here in the States. Naturally, it's making an impact on my wardrobe as well, but there's always the risk of bad blind buys when pulling the trigger on full bottles because samples are not available. Yea....I've made a few disa...

Rum, Bergamot, Lavender. Elemi, Sage, Armoise, Conifer Needles. Pinewood, Tobacco, Immortelle, Geranium, Agarwood, Chinese Cedar Wood. Vetiver, Sandalwood, Amber, Smoke, Leather, Musks. Mrs. Aromi and I could not possibly be more different when it comes to processing aromas we encounter. 99% of what I like, she naturally dislikes.....or hates outright. It's an amazing thing. Rhinoceros by Paul Kiler is a case in point. She says " It smells like a funky mens locker room", whilst I interpret it as a slightly boozy, woody leather with smoke. To drive this home. his other release called "PANDA" is one she delights herself in, yet I experience a borderline urinous accord the entire wearing. Suffice it to say I did not enjoy that one......... Rhino however spreads out on the skin, upon application, like a well groomed and clean shaven group of football players, bursting out of the huddle and lining up at the line of scrimmage. There's energy here that ...

Yea......it's the old head who does fragrance reviews in between selling luxury vehicles. I stayed away for awhile deliberately. Sometimes, a person needs to reset and change their mind about certain things in life and how to approach those situations. I simply needed a break......and I took one. It felt good to do it, but it also feels good to start up again with a revitalized perspective. Even if no one ever reads my inane ramblings again, it's GOOD TO BE BACK !!! I'll start throwing up some reviews in a few days, so stay tuned...........