Il Mondo di Odore

                                         Woods, Amber, Agarwood, Vanilla. About 3 years ago, Coutureguru from Parfumo sent me samples of assorted ouds. I still appreciate his generosity, as a few of them have found their way into my wardrobe. I don't recall liking or disliking Sama by Hamidi, but I will say my tastes have evolved since 2013. Funny how the passage of time can have you acclimating to scents that you previously recoiled from. Mind you, there's numerous ouds I still don't like, but that's the nature of this beast. Sama, by Hamidi Oud and Perfumes is an oil. I understand it also comes in EDP, but to find either available in the States is extremely difficult. The oil that I'm wearing the last few days is extremely linear ( as you would expect ), but really good. The oud note is tuned perfectly for me and I enjoy the balance. This particular rendition of oud ...

Labdanum Ciste, Coriander, Orange, Davana, Frankincense, Blackberry, Honey, Bay, Cinnamon, Orchid, Rose, Clove, Celery Seeds, Gaiac Wood, Patchouli, Opoponax, Myrrh, Atlas Cedarwood, Musk, Moss, Ambergris, Oud Wood, Immortelle. Since I no longer have any previous-formula Jubilation XXV to do a side-by-side, it makes this review easier. I liked it 6 years ago and I still like; enough so that I purchased a bottle with the magnetic cap. There are some differences, but no deterrents and the current is certainly not inferior. What I do notice about the current Jubilation is that it's a more linear wear. The volume was never boisterous to begin with and it remains as such. The Frankincense is the theme on my skin with assists from an array of notes that are fairly seamless. There's intermittent whiffs of clove, woods, earth and herbs and they accent instead of bloom. Others may experience something different than I, but at least during my wearings, the Incense sits smack in...

Bergamot, Lavender, Geranium, Jasmine, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Clove, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli, Musk, Vanilla. Pictured is the more commonly recognized refill bottle. The original is actually quite nice, but aesthetics aside, the fragrance remains the same no matter the container. For those who have enjoyed Cacharel pour Homme, you will probably like this one as well. Micallef #31 was released in 2009, 28 years after Cacharel made its debut. What they have in common is the unabashed use of spices; namely nutmeg. I no longer have Cacharel, but it was in my wardrobe for quite a few years. A side by side is no longer possible, but I can say that Micallef #31 is stronger in presence, sillage and longevity. It reminds me ( as does the Cacharel ) of a Christmas-time fragrance. It's the spices that give me this impression. I'm also inclined to pick this scent on overcast, dreary type days when the temps are cool to cold. The Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Clove merged with Gera...

Cedar, Sandalwood, Amber, Patchouli, Vanilla, White Musk, Tonka Bean. The house of Guerlain has Guerlainade and to my nose, West Third Brand has what I can only call Brandinade. Naturally, it's econo-class and considering the price point, it stands to reason. Ambre Notti has the DNA I've become familiar with when sampling West Third Brand. Their signature rendition of Vanilla is incorporated in quite a few of their releases. I will say that their vanilla note isn't sickly sweet or have space clearing presence. It's no where near as dense or permeating as other implementations. It's identifiable and mellow and this gives it some versatility. What does disappoint me however is the Amber; or should I say the lack of its personality. In Ambre Notti, the accords seem to be blurred. I get the vanilla and I also experience a fullness overall. I suppose I would have liked better renditions of everything listed here, but it is what it is. The totality is fine. Th...

Thyme, Saffron, Raspberry, Oliban, Davana, Jasmine, Leather, Black Suede, Woods, Amber. Well now, what exactly do we have here? Not exactly groundbreaking or exciting for that matter, but has that uncanny ability to keep you sniffing it; repeatedly I might add. By now, you know this has been compared to T.F.'s Tuscan Leather. I'm not going to get into that. With La Yuqawam, I prefer to wear it, smell it.....and then throw my opinion out there with the hundreds of others. On its own, La Yuqawam for men wears and smells just modern enough, just masculine enough and definitely good enough to be a worthy addition to someone's wardrobe that enjoys Raz-Leather. On my skin, what makes this successful is how the Saffron interacts with the Raspberry and Leather notes. They're the 3 main players in my wearings and the Saffron is tuned just passively enough to give an acceptable assist during the top and heart stages. By the time the base accord commences, what remains f...

Bergamot, Spices, Green Notes, Violet, Patchouli Leaves, Oud, Vetiver, Amber, White Musk. First, permit me to say that Aoud Violet is not an oud fragrance. Mancera has surprised me recently with some very well constructed releases that steer away from the oud note. That's actually a breath of fresh air since there are already so many variations of oud. It would be fruitless however if the non-oud scents weren't any good. So far, what I've encountered are fragrances that stand on their own, possess nice sillage, longevity and wear like you'd expect a well made creation to wear. Aoud Violet fits this criteria for me, although it does lean a tad feminine, but no more so than other violet dominant scents I own (and sometimes wear). Aoud Violet truly is about violet that tilts green. The opening affords a nice augmentation courtesy of citrus and what I perceive as a very mild pepper. As the wearings march on, patchouli and vetiver manifest themselves, on my skin at...

Geranium, Orange, Rose, Lemon, Davana, Bergamot, Artemesia, Cedar, Rose, Orchid, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Saffron, Cloves, Orange Tree Blossom, Patchouli, Cedar, Praline, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Fruit Notes, Cashmere Wood, Amber, Floral Notes, Musk. For a fragrance with enough listed notes to enable an entire neighborhood to become aromatic, Maze by Al Haramain is a straight up Woody. To be truthful, I'm pleasantly surprised by how linear it is and how good it smells. I happen to really enjoy Woodies, so if they aren't your cup of tea, please avoid this one. I purchased this blind and didn't know what to expect due to the amount of listed notes. Cedar and Sandalwood are front and center on my skin from start to finish. Between the two woods, Cedar is the more predominant. Naturally, you may experience something a bit different, but what evolves during my wearings is Cedar, complimented with Sandalwood and given a subtle assist from citrus, Saffron, Clove and Musk. When ...

Cardamom, Lemon, Cinnamon, Myrrh, Saffron, Rose, Patchouli, Amber, Musk, Agarwood. "A Rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet" was made famous by none other than William Shakespeare. I suppose most people have predetermined expectations from a house such as Aramis. I say "most" since hobbyists are familiar with Havana and the original Aramis ( which, by the way, still graces shelves ). Perfume Calligraphy is a step in a different direction.....and if I may say, it was a good decision. From what I've read, some think Calligraphy is strong. Some say it possess heady oud, while others perceive it in a similar fashion as I do. To me, Perfume Calligraphy is all about a Rose rendition that's neither moist nor dusty. There's subtle balsam and spices in the mix that I can only guess are contributions from Cardamom, Saffron and Cinnamon. They are not only evident from the initial spray, but throughout the development. The Rose remains front and ...

Bergamot, Sicilian Lemon, Black Currant, Cold Spices, Fruit Basket, Aquatic Jasmine, Patchouli Leaves, Sandal, Cedar, Woods, Leather, Moss, White Musk, Vanilla. Well, we certainly have a truckload of notes here in Cedrat Boise. If you're wondering what exactly is Cold Spices, Fruit Basket and Aquatic Jasmine, I have no answer for you except "Who cares right"? The totality smells really good, so as far as I'm concerned, the house of Mancera can get as avant-garde as they wish with names. The citrus accord I experience while wearing this is above anything I expected from a company that is synonymous with woods and oud. Now, there's more going on here besides Lemon, but Mancera has somehow manged to tune this creation in such a way as to showcase the citric aspect for basically the life of the scent. No small feat if you ask me. Another thing is that if I didn't know anything about this scent other than to smell it blind, I would think it's an Ita...

Mandarin, Patchouli, Labdanum, Myrrh, Agarwood. Finally decided to pick up a bottle of Absolu. I've had the original release of M7 in my wardrobe for quite some time now and decided it was simply the right time to add this. Absolu comes 9 years after the release of Original M7 in 2002. The purists have screamed it's not the same......it's not as good. True, it's not the same, but on me, it stays on point and pays tribute to the original. To be truthful, I find it a bit more versatile and wearable, although not as deep as its predecessor. Still present is the cherry cough syrup quality, albeit lower in presence and perhaps better balanced. The listed notes work as one to pay homage to the extremely popular initial release. The volume is tuned down a notch or two as is the longevity. It does however remain a personal space scent for a good amount of time, so the 4 hours ( give or take a little ) that Absolu is noticeable to people in passing......coupled with...

Bergamot, Clove, Cinnamon, White Pepper. Rose, Geranium, Saffron. Aoud, Smoke, Cedar, Sandalwood, White Musk, Animal notes, Leather notes. Since I've come to appreciate a good rendition of the coffee note in fragrances, I researched Aoud Cafe before buying it as you would expect. Some say they get no coffee whatsoever, while others praise how well it's done. Welcome to the murky world of fragrance opinions. Naturally, I have one to throw in the ring and my opinion falls in between. It's not that I'm ambivalent about the aroma of the note in question. On the contrary; I like it as it reminds me of the Coffee Ice Cream I used to eat as a kid. It simply doesn't hang around long enough to satisfy me. ( I refer to the coffee note ). Upon application, it's almost carmelized and possesses a gourmand-like aspect to it. This semi-smoky quality endures through the heart accord on me before it dissipates into the second stage of development. The rendition is dr...

Coriander, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Jasmine, Rose, Violet, Clove, Oud, Leather, Cashmeran, Saffron. Etienne Aigner has been perhaps my favorite designer house over the course of 4-plus decades. With N°1 Oud, they have released a westernized "oud" in keeping with the likes of Ferrari Essence Oud. On my skin, N°1 wears like a Ferrari-Lite flanker. Not as heavy or dense, nor as pungent as the Ferrari, yet good in its own right and especially so now since the prices have come down to $40-50 NIB for 100ml. It leans masculine and is marketed as such, but masculines these days just aren't as macho as some used to be. That's not necessarily a bad thing. N°1 Oud is a scent I like to wear in these cold, winter months. It's simply appropriate and it exudes a warmth during the wearings. It opens a bit sheer and completely developed. The contrast of the violet and clove notes is surprisingly enjoyable. I didn't expect to like it, especially since nutmeg is also listed, bu...

Pine Tree, Sandalwood, Saffron, Sandalwood, Amber. Having never smelled this before, I pulled the trigger on this and Maze by Al Haramain due to the minimal, sketchy opinions and the bottle. Mainly, because of the bottle folks and I admit, they are as heavy and as cool as you think they are. After wearing Mena a few times now, I'm still unsure what to make of it. It's somehow discordant and maintains the ability to keep me sniffing it. I can definitely say I don't love it because there's a combination of note-ratios that bring a sourness to fruition on my skin. The house's rendition of Pine Tree pitted against Saffron is what is causing this I'm sure. Mena is obviously all about woods, but it's not a heavy, dense interpretation. I assumed incorrectly that this ( and Maze ) would wear with gravity. It doesn't and chooses to be a more versatile and multi-seasonal scent. After 10 to 15 minutes, Mena wears close and sheds that off-kilter opening ...