Il Mondo di Odore

ORIENS (2010) This is a big sillage sweet patchouli perfume. I'd say that the single word which best describes the composition of Oriens is: voluptuous . A little goes a long way, and my distinct impression is that this perfume (edp) is much louder than the wearer may appreciate. When I don this elixir to bed, I find myself floating away on a big billowy cloud of sweet and chewy patchouli leaves and end up having—perhaps not coincidentally—truly fantastical dreams! Fortunately, unlike many lesser perfumes of this genre, Oriens does not decompose and degrade into something repulsive and vile which requires soap-and-water removal before the night is through. This sort of composition, ushered in by Angel , and aesthetically similar to Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur and Bond no. 9 Nuits de Noho , to name but two examples familiar to me, may be the twenty-first century analogue to some of the larger volume "comfort scents" of the past century, including Lancôme Tréso...

I recently recieved an extremely well kept bottle of vintage Tsar from xmen and the entire accord progression is intact. Sweet !!! I have not had the opportunity to sample the reformulated Tsar, so my opinion is reserved for the original. This is a 1989 Fresh Fougypre from VCA and since most are familiar with Pour Homme, Tsar seems to be somewhat overlooked. I love the openings in 80's style Fresh Fougere/Chypre fragrances and naturally, Tsar does not disappoint. Tsar opens with a slightly aromatic citric lavender made slightly edgy and bitter compliments of artemesia and neroli. It is a smooth accord and gives off a subtle damp or moist aura. I only get that in the opening and as the scent unfolds, it becomes more relaxed and dry. The heart accord is what differentiates Tsar from others of its ilk. The use of juniperberry is adept and lends the perfect volume of herbaceousness to a spicy floral combo. The heart is actually impressive and utilizes carnation, jasmin, muguet, ...

1978 brought us this leather chypre from VC&A. Do you like your scents strong, a bit brooding and super masculine? If your answer is yes, you need to at least sample this well executed powerscent. This is darkened wood mingled with leather and moss. From the opening blast of Bergamot, there's an excellent spicy wood already in your face with more wood coming courtesy of the heart accord. I have yet to run across a masculine with juniper that I didn't like. The juniper in VC&A is extremely good and in no time, it hooks up with heavy hitters such as wormwood, cedar, patchouli and vetiver. The rose note ensures this stays meloncholy and the additional florals are predestinated to martyrdom. The anamalic leather base is exactly what you'd expect from a classic power bomb from 1978. It does not disappoint. It stays dark, macho and exudes an attitude that only quality ingredients can give. Comparing this chypre to todays masculines in the same genre is like sentencing...