First Impressions – Amouage – Guidance

Amouage - Guidance - Amouage is back with four new scents titled "The Odyessy Collection - Chapter 3 - Escape". All four feature frankincense and are accompanied by the usual nonsensical marketing mumbo jumbo. Overall, it's a stronger collection than the previous ones under their new creative director, Renaud Salmon. Still, that wouldn't be difficult. In … Continue reading First Impressions – Amouage – Guidance

First Impressions – New Fig Fragrances – Beso Beach, Houbigant, Obvious Parfums and Essential Parfums

In retrospect, 2022 was a particularly active year for new fig fragrances. So many brands got figgy wit it and attempted to capture the essence of the sweet fruit in perfume form. I tried quite a few, and I'll detail my thoughts on four of them in today's post. The first cab of the rank … Continue reading First Impressions – New Fig Fragrances – Beso Beach, Houbigant, Obvious Parfums and Essential Parfums

First Impressions – Parle Moi De Parfum – Wake Up World

Parle Moi de Parfum's latest is a blast from the past. Image from Google. Parle Moi de Parfum - Wake Up World - As we know, fragrance can transport us back in time. And Michel Almairac's/Parle Moi de Parfum's new Wake Up World transports me back to my high school days in the mid-nineties. For you … Continue reading First Impressions – Parle Moi De Parfum – Wake Up World

First Impressions – Jovoy – Fire at Will & 21 Conduit St

The two newest perfumes from Jovoy are under the microscope this weekend. Jovoy isn't a house I speak about often, but their latest two are worth a sample if you're a fan of their respective genres. Jovoy - Fire at Will - Putting the silly name aside, I enjoyed wearing this scent. Undoubtedly, it could have … Continue reading First Impressions – Jovoy – Fire at Will & 21 Conduit St

First Impressions – Eight & Bob – Agneta, Guéthary

I'm nothing less than disappointed with the two latest releases from Eight & Bob. Unfortunately, and for two different reasons, they fail to impress.   Eight & Bob - Agneta - Agneta begins with an interplay of spices. Cardamom, nutmeg, and pepper give this extrait a decent punchy opening. However, it quickly unravels. The middle phase … Continue reading First Impressions – Eight & Bob – Agneta, Guéthary

First Impressions – BDK – Gris Charnel Extrait

Picture courtesy of BDK. I tested quite a few BDK fragrances towards the end of last year, and sadly most of them had one nauseating common denominator - woody amber dry downs. Velvet Tonka, Pas Ce Soir, Ambre Safrano, and Villa Néroli featured such harsh base notes that within 30 minutes of testing each, it's … Continue reading First Impressions – BDK – Gris Charnel Extrait

First Impressions – New Summer Scents – Carner Barcelona, Guerlain & More

Image from Carner Barcelona. First Impressions - Carner Barcelona "Summer Journey" Collection "The heat is on," sang the late great Glenn Frey in the 1984 movie Beverly Hills Cop, and indeed the heat is on here in Australia as summer starts to bite. Fresh scents are again at the forefront of my fragrance rotation, and … Continue reading First Impressions – New Summer Scents – Carner Barcelona, Guerlain & More

First Impressions – Atelier des Ors – Pink Me Up & Noir By Night

Atelier des Ors - Pink Me Up - The bottles for the two new scents from Atelier des Ors are stunning. However, more importantly and dismally, the juice inside each is limpid and disappointing. Pink Me Up fuses berries, roses, and a champagne accord. But, the overall impression is of flat champagne that has lost its … Continue reading First Impressions – Atelier des Ors – Pink Me Up & Noir By Night

First Impressions – Imaginary Authors – Fox in the Flowerbed & In Love With Everything

I love the thematic storytelling behind this brand, their packaging is quirky and fun, but I've never clicked with any of their fragrances. Yesterday Haze (creamy fig) and Memoirs of A Trespasser (boozy vanilla) are my two favourites from the house. Recently, I sampled their two latest perfumes and found them to be quite interesting … Continue reading First Impressions – Imaginary Authors – Fox in the Flowerbed & In Love With Everything