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 →

First Impressions – Eris Parfums – Scorpio Rising

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of sampling Eris Parfums for the first time. If you haven't tried the brand, please do, as they have some excellent releases. The brand's seventh perfume, Scorpio Rising, takes inspiration from astrology and possibly a Kenneth Anger short film of the same name. Indeed, Antoine Lie's composition for … Continue reading First Impressions – Eris Parfums – Scorpio Rising →

First Impressions – Initio, Paragon & Arquiste, Indigo Smoke

In my blog post last week, I discussed the Rasei Fort scent, Kolonya, and how it made me think of the colour purple. This week, I sampled two new fragrances that were potential "purple" candidates, Initio's Paragon and Arquiste's Indigo Smoke. Inito's Paragon comes the closest to making me think of that colour. And despite … Continue reading First Impressions – Initio, Paragon & Arquiste, Indigo Smoke →

First Impressions – Dior Homme Sport 2021

Never easy keeping up with the flankers at Dior. But, a little background research reveals the latest Dior Homme Sport flanker is the 4th iteration in the line. Unfortunately, they've become progressively worse since the classic 2008 scent. Luckily, I have a backup bottle of this 2008 classic with about half remaining. Francois Demachy has … Continue reading First Impressions – Dior Homme Sport 2021 →

First Impressions – Lavender Fields Forever – Hermetica & Hiram Green

I've been craving lavender scents recently. The soothing and relaxing nature of the aroma works so well at any time of year, helping to relieve the stress of everyday life. Some of my favourite perfumes which feature the note include the lavender "standard" Caron Pour Un Homme, and for a more modern rendering of the … Continue reading First Impressions – Lavender Fields Forever – Hermetica & Hiram Green →

First Impressions – ånd fragrances

I jumped at the chance to purchase a discovery set from ånd fragrances when they arrived in Australia at a local perfumery. I've long been a fan of their founder Simon Constantine's work. For those unfamiliar with the name, he was the in-house perfumer for many years at his father's brand, Gorilla Perfumes/Lush. I'm an … Continue reading First Impressions – ånd fragrances →

First Impressions – MFK – 724

Maison Francis Kurkdjian - 724 - The award for most unimaginative and uninspiring release for 2022 goes to Francis Kurkdjian for his 724 from his eponymous line. The other day I was walking through a local perfume boutique and stumbled across 724. I was somewhat taken aback as I'd just seen the online promotional material advertising … Continue reading First Impressions – MFK – 724 →