Il Mondo di Odore

Tarnished Halo's Heaven ... so many things to so many different people. My idea of 'heaven' is drowning in a vat of my favorite fragrance :) (amongst other things) ... but I'm pretty sure that vat won't be containing this by Killian offering. Far from not being a good fragrance, A Taste of Heaven is actually a very lively take on the somewhat dated combination of Vanilla and Lavender. Notable contemporaries could well be Pour Un Homme de Caron and Chanel's Pour Monsieur, however the Killian is less like an ancient librarian glaring mole-like from behind horn rimmed spectacles enjoining one to silence, than it is like a young and trendy version of the same type of person. This is probably due to an unfortunately short lived shot of Absinthe in the top ... something I would have enjoyed staying around a little longer. The Lavender here is sparkling. I can't, however, help but be reminded of giving Grandma the eponymous range of W...

Orange, Bergamot, Lemon, Ginger, Pepper, Orange Blossom, Iris. I'm beginning to think I'm the wrong person to review this house. Even when I find a Kilian release I like, it's not "love" and the prices simply aren't justifiable to me. Others go on and on about how terrific this Kilian is or how great that one is. As for me, I suppose I just don't get it and my reviews of this house should be taken with a grain of salt, in spite of my attempts at honesty. I will say that I always smell what I perceive as something well made. That never seems to be lacking with Kilian releases. I have a difficult time coming across one that rocks my world and at these prices, that's what I expect. It's like sitting yourself in a new Corvette and finding out that it just doesn't do it for you like you thought it would. Prelude to Love, on my skin, is basically a rich and long winded citrus with a twist. The Iris supplies the accent and it's reminisce...

Bergamot, Bigarade, Neroli, White Tea, Mate Essence, Mimosa, Spices, Fig, Oakmoss. What makes me happy is the freedom I have to express myself within this hobby. This blog is my outlet and I need not kiss the ass of anyone since I buy everything I sample. I also do my best to be fair in the subjective experience and genuinely take no pleasure in posting bad reviews, deserving or not. I will still give my opinion if it's unfavorable and explain why. This particular house makes me somewhat uncomfortable because everything I smell from Kilian is good and none of them are worth the money unless owning a Kilian is a status symbol for you. Bamboo Harmony is no exception. As pleasantly transparent as it is, there are others as good or better, replicating something similar and costing much, much less. Bamboo Harmony opens with a well executed citrus accord. It's very enjoyable and sheer. The tea note begins to bleed through within a few minutes and once merged with the top is...

Graperfruit, Water Lily, Reseda Blossom, Jasmine, Magnolia, Cardamom, Vetiver. Water Calligraphy is a frustrating fragrance. The totality of the scent is very nice. It's clean, refreshing, transparent and a good representative of the fresh floral variety. It isn't an aquatic, ozonic or marine, but does encompass the suggestive nature of those categories. I'm frustrated because I like it, but the price point ( once again ) is completely unjustified. $225 for a 50ml. bottle of any fragrance is doable for me, but only if the scent literally rocked my world. For these prices, I don't think it unreasonable to expect a stupendous fragrance. Water Calligraphy is extremely pleasant, but then again, so is a slew of others that cost much less. Sadly, it doesn't come close to shaking the foundations of my soul. It does succeed in getting me to smile, but I need more than that at these rates. Water Calligraphy opens with a splendid floral accord tinted with mists of g...

Orange Blossom, Vanilla, Benzoin, Opoponax, Myrrh, Incense. My first thought after wearing Sweet Redemption is that it leans slightly feminine, but definitely not enough to dissuade me. That's simply the result of Blossom and the oriental theme being the bedrock of this fragrance. After just a few minutes, I am convinced that either gender can successfully pull this off. Mrs. Aromi gave me her usual truncated and comical review of what it smelled like on my skin. Her response was immediate and through pursed lips and furrowed brow, she exclaimed that it smelled like extremely pungent cotton candy that was at least a week old. I cannot say I share her sentiment, but I always get a kick out of her opinions. Sweet Redemption is a very substantial scent. There's contrasts here as the blossom seems to grate ever so slightly against the myrrh. The spicy quality that lives in Sweet Redemption is supple due to the balsam that is prominent. The smokiness here is of a differ...

Bergamot, Petitgrain, Lavender, Galbanum. Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Lilly of the Valley, Daffodil. Cedar, Oakmoss, Ylang Ylang. The first thing I took notice of when wearing Love and Tears was its opening presence and how feminine this was. Not quite a soliflore, it is an interpretation of Jasmine with some very mild accents. I believe this is marketed as shared, so this should be kept in mind when ordering a sample. Love and Tears cannot help but lean a bit sweet. The Jasmine is front and center and the first, subtle shift in gears seems to be hints of Petitgrain and Blossom. Everything here is simply augmenting the Jasmine note, but they do succeed in altering the texture just enough for the wearer to take note. The floral character of Love and Tears never sways. Ylang and Muguet make sure of that and on my skin they propel the Jasmine on its merry way. A subtle, underlying green is present and it reminds me of the tender stem taken from a flowering plant. It's as if y...

Amber , Oud, Bay leaf, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Benzoin. I understand that there are different interpretations of the oud note. Mona created a very expensive, yet fabulous rendition of it, before her untimely and sad passing. The oud note in that release was different than what I had become accustomed to, but I was certainly able to identify it as oud. I cannot say however that I experience oud in any fashion while wearing Amber Oud by Kilian. Do I find Amber Oud a nice scent? Yes, it's extremely nice in totality, but I still want oud in a scent that advertises it in its name. It's also no surprise that the price is.......well........high even by Kilian standards. Amber Oud is all about amber on my skin from start to finish. It does exhibit some woodiness and has an oriental finish. It's nice, but the price point is simply too much for this reviewer. After wearing Amber Oud numerous times, I know where I have smelled this particular rendition of the amber note. Lo and ...

Bergamot, Camomile, Geranium, Cardamom, Coriander, Honey, cedarwood, Olibanum, Patchouli, Ginger, Benzoin, Ciste, Ambergris, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Cherry, Raspberry. I am revisiting Back to Black to give it another chance after my initial review from 2010. I didn't exactly have a positive opinion of it and since I had quite a bit left, I concluded another wear was in order. Numerous people seem to truly enjoy this release and the first time around proved unimpressive for me. Back to Black's opening is my favorite part of the fragrance. Unfortunately, after just a few minutes, it evolves into ( what is to be ) the remainder of the scent. The opening of Back to Black implements a subtle citrus with hints of balsam, spice and some herbal elements. While the top accord is still developing, a dry amber merges with it and the result is extremely pleasant. This salutation is smooth, but still has enough teeth to be interesting. There's a slew of pretty interesting notes...

Rum, Dried Fruit, Nutmeg, Hedione, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Ambergris, Vanilla, White Musk. There's no protracted way of describing Straight to Heaven. It's an interesting name to say the least and in no wise does it remind me of striving upwards, onward or any direction for that matter. Rather than using the word "heavenly", I find it more accurate to say it's "down to earth ". I will go as far to say that the drydown is "Terrastic" and downright lovely in a masculine way for hours. It's one of the more superior, woody outros you'll run across. Straight to Heaven by Kilian doesn't transpire as a very boozy or spicy fragrance on my skin. I opted to pour the remaining amount of the sample out and onto my skin in order to see if it evolved differently. The only differences I find wearing it in this fashion is in the opening. Straight to Heaven is a bit more muted, but denser. I actually prefer it unfolding this way. There...

How do I stay impartial by a fragrance that costs $8 per ml.? Truth is I cannot. Sample wearing Pure Oud, plus knowing it's extravagant price tag, causes the human factor to engage. I expect quite a bit from a scent in this range. I recently reviewed the Oud from Mona di Orio that costs $5 plus per ml, but it was so damn good that money was an afterthought. It's not often you run into a frag like that and I was hoping Pure Oud by Kilian could match or even surpass its competitor. This was not to be. I had 2 wearings of Pure Oud and do not need anymore. In all honesty, even if this particular release cost $1 per ml., I would have the same opinion of it. Its actual price causes me to be a bit miffed, but has nothing to do with the aroma and wearing. LS lists the notes as : Saffron, Oud oil, Cypriol, Gaiac wood, Copahu balm, Ciste and Myrrh. Upon applying Pure Oud, I get a warm rubber note and some woody characteristics. It has some earthiness to it, but for the most par...

Upon application of Cruel Intentions, I was astounded at the uniqueness of the top accord. A wave of citrus, orange blossom and violet fighting for their 15 minutes of fame ( okay....in this case 3 minutes ). Take note however that it was a terrific 3 minutes and I had to go smoke a cigarette before the heart accord showed up. Ten minutes into the wearing, I am compelled to do a side by side with vintage M7. However, I am getting ahead of myself, so allow me to backpeddle a little. Once the opening settles, the onset of a very low register rose note enters the picture. It's actually fabulous smelling, but I have to put my nose almost to the skin in order to experience it. The farther away I smell, the more musky wood I detect. The closer I get, that rose note is kickin ass and taking names. The agarwood implemented here is executed in almost the same fashion as M7. That's what prompted me to do a side by side. Ten minutes into the wearing, M7 could be a flanker of Cruel...

I completely understand the references to the Caron release. I tried for a few days to locate the atomizer of Pour un Homme that was sent to me by a generous basenoter, but I couldn't find it. I desired to do a side by side, but it's not in the cards. I found the Caron to be good, but not for me. I recall getting some responses to that review extolling its virtues, but no matter, I was still basically bored by it and found it dated. Yea.....I know some hate hearing that term, but for me to say anything different would be lying on my part. At any rate, I find this house expensive like other niche creators, but I'm still undecided if I like Kilian releases. I haven't sampled enough of them to conclude that they are for me or not. Absinthe Verte sure smells good, yet it seems to have a similar effect on me as the Caron. There's lavender implemented numerous times here along with vanilla. It's hard for me to love this combo. I respect that it's well done, ...