Il Mondo di Odore

Hard to believe another year has passed and a new decade begins. I must say that 2009 was an interesting year for me pertaining to this hobby. There were quite a few bumps along the way as I’m sure there was for everyone. No one gets a smooth ride. In truth however, the fun is sometimes found when life just isn’t going according to plans. What I found most interesting was that, somewhere along the way, my favorite designer fragrance of all time was eclipsed by one I finally managed to get my hands on in 2009. It was a blind buy and I chased after it for the sake of simply having it because of its rarity. The fragrance itself doesn’t matter nor does the favorite it deposed. It’s what can happen any given year. Things you don’t expect or see coming. Little things that alter perception and previously held value systems. Who knows what I’ll stumble upon or into this year that I cannot foresee at the moment. The same goes for you. I learned quite a bit in 2009 because of other people. ...

I have never sampled the original Mure Et Musc, so I do not know how this Extreme version stacks up. I need to say that I wouldn't recommend men wearing this, but that's simply my opinion. This leans too far feminine for me to ever wear this fragrance. Musc Extreme is a gourmand for musc lovers. It lists blackberries as a dominant note and I must say, the berry rendition is on the mark. It is a candied berry that is of the edible variety and smells like you are wearing a pleasant pie filling layered over musc. There's a citrus in here as well, but it escapes me completely. That isn't surprising to me since I seem to be hyper sensitive to any kind of musc. This is blackberry musc from start to finish on me with good sillage and longevity. I'm willing to bet this would smell very good on the female persuasion and I wouldn't be disappointed being in close proximity to a woman wearing Extreme. Simple but very pleasant offering from L'Artisan.

Records have this being released in 1941. Carroll & Company now have this scent along with another house brand of their own design. This is vintage right out of the bottle and you need to let the top burn off for a minute or so. At first smell, it's reminiscent of Shalimar. Not exactly the same, but the tenets are surely related. This is balsamic, slightly resinous and has a green hue. At the same time, it's heavily floral and has an old world vibe to it. Within 10 minutes, there is a transition of a very mild spice working its way into the accord. The tenacity has subsided somewhat and the scent has relaxed into a floral with the mild spice note and possibly olive. The base adds a light opoponax and wood tone without altering the previous accords. Nothing made today smells remotely similar to Royal Briar. If you're a fan of old world creations, you should at least sample this masculine and relive what others used to smell like. You may want to smell like that tod...

This is an edited review ( January 7,2011) of M de Morabito I initially completed in 2009. The review was scathing and only now do I know that my first review was courtesy of a "bad" sample. I am sure of this because I recently ( an inadvertently) acquired a bottle of this vintage juice. When I saw what I had done, I thought " Oh God, no......", but......it was too late and the transaction irreversible. Well, surprise, surprise......when it arrived, I was naturally in dismay and looked at the bottle. Not daring to spray it because of memory's sake, I sniffed the sprayer. My eyebrows scrunched up and I thought, " Some of this is familiar, but only some....." So.....I manned up and shot a huge spritz on my arm. I was at home and the sink was close by to scrub it off, so why not...... I immediately remembered the powerhouse aura from the turned sample, but instead of an old-man, musty smelling skankasaurus, this was completely intact and apparently ha...

Finally an Iris that's understated and used as a mere compliment to leather than an equal. This is not a bad ass leather rendition. Think uptown. This is plush leather from the get go. The opening is a sophisticated aroma and for once, the old chair comparison is accurate. For me, there is hint of iris and a fleeting, light smoke note. These compliment the accord and enhance an already dominant leather. After about 10 minutes, an amber starts creeping into the accord adding a touch of sweet resin to the leather and bolstering the insence. There is a very light dusting of powder present along with a thin mocha note. The drydown for me is a leather-amber duo with a nod from this phantom mocha aura. I admit to not getting woods or vetiver, but I don't feel shortchanged at all. They are listed, but no matter.....Cuir d'Iris is upscale leather with a nice amber and a nod of gourmand. This is a very good release.

This Eau de Parfum isn't exactly mainstream in it's construction or vision. What bellybutton has to do with this fragrance is beyond me. Niche is sometimes flat out weird. I guess looking for an edge in marketing is to be commended. I am a fan of patchouli. This rendition isn't incendiary nor is it uninspired. It's acceptable. The opening is a jolt of good patchouli with a shot of table pepper. Yes...black pepper for your dining experience as well as your olfactory voyages. The sillage is moderate to good and on me, the patch and pepper combo are dominant from the initial application. My skin seems to deny the opoponax, bergamot and vetiver that's listed to come to fruition. After some time, there is a very wispy amberish tone and also what I believe is carrotine, but sadly, they are subdued. I am left with a simple patchouli rendition that hints at peppered amber. Nombril is a good scent, but since it's patchouli dominant, I would opt for the less pricey Pa...

This mid 1980's creation unsettles me every time I sample it. I cannot bring myself to ever wear it. This is a spicy woody-amber to me and the way the scent is constructed, pertaining to individual note volume, I would like nothing more than to remove it from my skin. At the same time, it's not a "scrubber". I know that sounds like a contradiction. This simply is not for me and does not suit my tastes, yet it's well made. Dali opens with spicy citrus and a noble attempt on lavenders part to keep the zestiness under control. On me, it fails and the combination of topnote spices and geranium in the heart have an unpleasant effect to my nose. The remaining florals of jasmin and muguet can't salvage this accord being as submissive as they are in Pour Homme. The initial two accords last an unreal length of time as far as transition time is concerned. The base is full of my favorite hitters, but the van-amber, leathery wood and patch can't seem to get out ...