Costume National - Cyber Garden - Futuristic Vinyl 6.5/10 Costume National borrow from the past and use a little creative marketing (a supposed vinyl note) to create their slightly left of centre fragrance, Cyber Garden. The fragrance opens up fresh with green notes, bergamot and grapefruit. The zingy top fades and gradually gives way to … Continue reading Reviews – Costume National, Lolita Lempicka, Bond No. 9
First Impressions – Montale, Mancera, Parfums De Marly, Kilian, Maison Trudon
Montale - Sensual Instinct - A slight resemblance to BR540 from MFK, but very slight. It hints also at one of Montale's best sellers, Intense Cafe. Sensual Instinct is a rich, creamy gourmand from Montale with notes of Praline, rose, coffee, with a sweet amber, woody dry down. Fans of Intense Cafe should enjoy this … Continue reading First Impressions – Montale, Mancera, Parfums De Marly, Kilian, Maison Trudon
Reviews – Guerlain, Serge Lutens, Byredo
Guerlain - L'Instant Pour Homme - A modern day classic from Guerlain 9/10 The lemon burst at the top of L'Instant Pour Homme Edt may lull one into thinking this may be another anonymous citrus. However, the magic of this Guerlain masterpiece becomes evident half an hour into development, as the lavender, sandalwood, patchouli and … Continue reading Reviews – Guerlain, Serge Lutens, Byredo
First Impressions – Jul et Mad, Maison Sybarite, Parfums Dusita, Floris
Jul et Mad - Stairway to Heaven* - A cold, cloudy fragrance of aldehydes, red berries and musk's that evokes Mure et Musc from L'Artisan Parfumeur minus the luminous blackberry note. Does a reasonable job convincing the wearer of its inspiration of hiking through the mountainous Himalayas. Doesn't seem quite as approachable as the blackberry … Continue reading First Impressions – Jul et Mad, Maison Sybarite, Parfums Dusita, Floris
Building a Fragrance Wardrobe
How many fragrances does one need? It's a very subjective question. Each individual person is different, but nobody, unless you're a serious collector needs 100s or even 1000s of fragrances. It just isn't possible to get through them in a lifetime. Of course variety is the spice of life, and it is always good to … Continue reading Building a Fragrance Wardrobe
Something Different for Summer – Rhubarb
Sick of the usual citrus colognes for warm weather. Consider the tart, fresh, fruity sweetness of rhubarb in your next summer scent. Here's a few fragrance suggestions to get you started. Hermes Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate - I'm not the biggest fan of this cologne line from Hermes, but I quite enjoy this minimalist rhubarb, … Continue reading Something Different for Summer – Rhubarb
First Impressions – Bottega Veneta, Dolce and Gabbana, Davidoff, 100 Bon, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany and Co, Hermes
Bottega Veneta - Illusione for Him - Bottega Veneta has an enviable back catalogue of fragrances that I place high on the designer pedestal so Illusione had a lot to live up to, and does it? Well not quite. It isn't as bad as what I've read online, but it is a fairly redundant release … Continue reading First Impressions – Bottega Veneta, Dolce and Gabbana, Davidoff, 100 Bon, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany and Co, Hermes
First Impressions – Nishane, Tauer, Teo Cabanel, Strangers Parfumerie, Liquides Imaginaires, Note di Profumum
Nishane - Ambra Calabria* - I've not encountered anything by this Turkish house I've at least not liked. Ambra Calabria is no exception. A green, citrus scent with a wonderful sweet amber and vanilla dry down. The sweet notes never become cloying and the fresh green notes combine with the citrus (bergamot) at the top … Continue reading First Impressions – Nishane, Tauer, Teo Cabanel, Strangers Parfumerie, Liquides Imaginaires, Note di Profumum
First Impressions – Frederic Malle, Le Labo
Frederic Malle and Le Labo are two of the largest, most well-known niche houses in the game. When they release a new fragrance, I'm always interested in testing them out. Over the last couple of weeks, I sampled their two new releases, Rose and Cuir and Baie 19, and I was underwhelmed by them both. … Continue reading First Impressions – Frederic Malle, Le Labo
First Impressions – Costume National
Italian fashion house Costume National recently released two new fragrances onto the market. The fragrances named, I and J are intended to explore the balance between the fashion cultures of Italy and Japan. I managed to get my hands on a couple of samples. Below are my first impressions. Costume National I - Julien Rasquinet … Continue reading First Impressions – Costume National