Il Mondo di Odore

My first sample wearing of vintage DNA for Men resulted in the commonplace feeling of " Okay......where have I smelled this before?" feeling. Regardless of some basenote members who disagreed with me on this, Bijan DNA for Men is B*Men Lite. The listed notes are very different but the end result is very similar to what a Sport version of B*Men would smell like to me. Do a side by side comparison and you will see what I'm referring to. There's no "Rhubarb" here, but I do not get that note in B*Men either like others claim to. DNA is a leathery, woody- fougere in totality and a lighter wear than the Mugler. The opening is a tart,citric accord with a green slant to it. There's cumin here along with an anise vibe that arrives within a few minutes. The cumin is restrained and simply gives an edginess to the topnotes. The heart accord continues the masculine direction with geranium, bay, a listed fir note which I don't claim to detect and a deft touc...

I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...

Could this be happening? A Lutens that actually works on me? This is my 4th wearing of Chene because I had to be sure. I have been rather frustrated with this house for quite some time ( with the exception of Borneo ) and I assume the law of averages is working its magic. Oak baby. Yes.....this is a different type of woody, but very wearable. Granted, it doesn't wear like my other more conventional woodies, but there's nothing conventional about this house. Anytime I sample-wear a Lutens, I normally use the entire vial via multiple wearings. I do this because the first wearing is usually off putting to me and I need to see if I can come around and have a change of mind and heart. One must give a scent a fighting chance if you're going to be fair about it. The initial sampling of Chene left me undecided and rather unimpressed.........however, I was not put off by any means. Oak is a wood note not very prominent in the releases I've tried or purchased. Cedar, Rosewood a...

Have you ever encountered a particular house that numerous people love and all that house has ever done for you ( with an occasional exception ) was bust your chops? Ah yes.........Serge Lutens......Eccentricities personified and creator of some flat-out weird juice. There's something about the house notes and/or accords that almost always come off (to my nose)  as a hairspray accord. I find it EXTREMELY annoying and I'm quite certain the problem is on my end. I guess I'll just never love anything from this house. For the record, I find Borneo a very good release and on par with the likes of Coromandel. That aside, Serge Noire is yet another strange brew with the patented hairspray aura. It's very linear and the clash of cinnamon against black woods is ....well.....disjointed, but somehow it has me smelling my wrist repeatedly. It's like these 2 notes are forced against their will to be joined together. There's patchouli in here as well, but it's buried...

When I initially applied Nicolai Pour Homme, I kept thinking "where have I smelled this before"? As the wearing continued, that line of thought continued and in subsequent wearings as well. I still haven't put my finger on it, but I have worn another masculine that is very similar. I simply cannot recall what it was. No matter. This house is one that, for some reason or another, I never explored like I would have wanted to. There is just so much out there that a person in this hobby cannot possibly keep up with the releases regardless of whether or not they are new or old. I find it numerically and economically impossible. Overall, Nicolai Pour Homme is a pleasing masculine scent. There's nothing groundbreaking here. It's on the dense side and very smooth. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's a heavy scent, but it's on the cusp of being one. NPH opens with a listed Galbanum, Mint and Lentisc. The galbanum and mint is a well done rendition. It doesn...

There's something about MPG fragrances that I like and find comforting. The years from 1988 to 1991 seem prolific for releases and of course quite a few have been reformulated since then. I have recently been able to sample Centaure ( Jean Laporte 1991) and naturally perused some reviews before trying it. The opinions seem to range from great to mediocre. I am compelled to throw my review into the ring as well since I am fond of this house. Take note however that, despite my favoritism, I have come across a few from MPG that I will never like or wear. I didn't know what to expect from Centaure. The complaints were " too much lavender" or "too much mint" or " too much of both". I say nonsense. The opening is a smooth accord of citric mint with a woody undertone. In about 5 minutes, a soft lavender mingled with jasmin start rearing their heads. Centaure, at this point, seems fairly linear, but well executed and pleasant smelling. I am already thi...

Even if I don't wear dominant patchouli scents very frequently, I still consider myself a patch lover. Montale's Patchouli leaves has been around for a minute or two, but I never was incited enough to sample it. The reason isn't because I believed I wouldn't like it. I have Mazzolari, Reminiscence, Givenchy Gentleman and Bois 1920 for my patch fix and they cover all the bases. They are mainly cold weather fragrances for me, but occasionally I will don the patch in warm temps. Patchouli Leaves is closer to Bois 1920 Real Patchouly than I ever expected due to the woodiness. Luckyscent has oak listed along with patchouli, yet I cannot discern oak in and of itself. I can, however, recognize a woody-patch accord when I smell one..........and this one is pretty well done. The listed notes are as follows : Patchouli, Oak, Vanilla, Amber, White Musk & Cystus Ladaniferus. For quite some time, the opening continues and ( on me ) it is a woody patch with an undercurrent...