Il Mondo di Odore

Grapefruit, Licorice, Cedar, Cinnamon, Amber, Leather, Vanilla. It may be just me, but I can't seem to associate the theme of this fragrance to what transpires on my skin. The light, the dark, the forest perimeter and then deep inside the enchanting woods are transitions that must have happened in the mind of someone else. It surely didn't happen to me. That said, I still like my sample wearings of Foret de Becharre. Misnaming a scent isn't a crime in the fragrance world and it happens quite often. What's important is what has always been crucial when sampling. Is it good and does it justify its price? Foret de Becharre is more of a comfort scent with some subtle sensuality thrown in for good measure. It's neither light or heavy, yet becomes more noticeable once the base and drydown come to fruition. Even at that stage, it maintains a certain buoyancy. The listed notes do become realized during the samplings, but they are toned down by way of blending an...

Bergamot, Orange, Magnolia, Cherry, Licorice, Ylang Ylang, Rose, Cinnamon, Musk, Benzoin, Vanilla, Tolu Balsam. The fragrance description on LuckyScent made me wince a little. Some promo departments embellish a bit too much, but it all boils down to whether or not the scent is legitimate. I don't purchase fragrances because a house utilizes heavy handed words and some fluff. Bal Musque is categorized as "shared", but after a few wearings, I'm inclined to believe it's more suited for the feminine persuasion. The base and drydown is a balsamic powder and vanilla and while pleasant, it leans too far for me to consider wearing it. Bal Musque's price point is over $1.50 per ml., but I've surely smelled pricier fragrances that gave less. The opening of this fragrance is enjoyable with its implementation of citrus, subtle cherry and blurred florals. It takes a few minutes for the floral notes to come into focus, but they don't remain that way long. ...

Verveine, Rosemary, Bergamot, Jasmine Tea, Cedar, Gaiac Wood, Vanilla, Honey, Tonka Bean. I take, with a grain of salt, the categorizations of scents on sites such as LS, since I find numerous ones unsuitable for one gender or the other in spite of it being tagged "unisex". Vanithe is a feminine fragrance and while nice, I wouldn't attempt full wearings simply because they are countless others that smell as good or better and genuinely straddle the fence of gender. Naturally, there are many more parfums that wear more "feminine" than Vanithe and some men may find Vanithe completely appropriate to wear. That's a personal choice that has to be made. I have already made mine. With that said, Vanithe is a well made floral woody that, on my skin at least, showcases a Jasmine with citrus, herbal elements and a very, shadowy tea note. The opening of Vanithe affords me the best glimpse of the tea rendition. It's intertwined with an extremely likable ...

Kumquat, Orange Blossom, Iris, Karo Karounde, Violet, Cocoa Flower, Benzoin, Labdanum, Vetiver, Cocoa Beans. My first impression of Marron Chic is how strange, yet familiar the opening aroma is. A citric floral with leather and intermittent gourmand qualities is not exactly conventional, however it's not that far removed from some classically constructed chypres of yesteryear. Marron Chic is classic with modern wrinkles. I've read the Chanel #5 comparisons and it wears like a vintage chypre with a few twists . If anything, Marron Chic is contemporary and vintage combined. The opening is the emergence of blossom, iris and a powdery chocolate note. The feel of it is like having one foot in the present and the other in the past. There's slight whiffs of lipstick that appear in between puffs of cocoa. The top is a strange, but likable affair. Old school but not dated, the top and heart of Marron Chic are precursors to a different destination than that of the Chanel....

Blackberry, Strawberry, Caramel, Raspberry, Cedar, Cinnamon, Tonka, Vanilla, Patchouli, Russian Leather. If you have been looking for a substantial gourmand with a heavy quality and sweetness you can stir with an imaginary spoon, you may just want to sample Ambre a Sade. There seems to be numerous, scathing reviews lambasting not only Ambre a Sade, but the House as a whole. What I don't understand is that if you have the capability of reading the listed notes before you purchase, how on earth could you be shocked that Ambre a Sade is a heavy and sweet fragrance with serious longevity? Ambre a Sade is a scent that needs to be applied with a deft touch. It has the potential to be cloying, so misting is a good idea and not much of it either. I found the less I used in my sample wearings yielded positive results. It also doesn't smell "cheap" like some opinions I've read. Perhaps if too much was applied, it could be unpleasant and cause for the disparaging r...

Rum, Cognac, Black Grape. Patchouli, Vetiver, Raspberry. Tobacco, Coffee Beans, Vanilla. Atleier d'Artiste has an opening I enjoy very much. It's rich, substantial and morphs much too quickly into the vanilla fragrance it's destined to be. It seems to straddle gourmand and boozy oriental with the end result simply being a spicy vanilla with a twist and some pretty good presence. The description on Aedes site is a bit mind bending and amusing. Sometimes one can try too hard to set something in a certain light. I read it, smiled and then decided that we shall see just how esoteric Atelier d'Artiste really is. This Nez a Nez release is suited for the masses and I find nothing cliquey about it. It smells full and rather pleasant while eliminating polarizing properties in its composition. The top accord does possess some booze and fruit attributes that are quickly accented with subtle renditions of vetiver and patchouli. I think it's nicely done and wish it las...