Posted by Marlen
on
19 October 2006
Somewhere between cough syrup and sex falls Hugo Boss’s 17th (yes, that’s right, 17!) men’s fragrance, Boss Selection. With notes that include fresh green accord, mandarin, pink peppercorn, grapefruit, cedar leaves, geranium, star anise, cedarwood, patchouli, vetiver, heliotrope and musk, Boss’s overall effect is akin to sweat and Robitussin.
“Sweat and Robitussin”, you’re undoubtedly saying to yourself. Let me elaborate: something about the blend of woods, anise, musk and grapefruit creates a syrupy overtone…
Posted by Marlen
on
12 October 2006
It’s been an exciting year so far for perfumery with launches of lines like Parfumerie Generale and Art of Perfumery. Thankfully for lovers of tea-inspired aromas, they both offer similar yet distinct takes on the smoked leaf. Sniffing Art of Perfumery’s no. 6, Spice Smoked Wood, I’m reminded of Parfumerie Generale’s L’Eau Rare Matale, with even the notes looking remarkably similar. While Matale heads for lighter territory with a crown of floral notes lifting the spicier heart notes, no. 6 goes for broke with notes of nutmeg, cedar, Chinese tea oil, pepper, clove, cinnamon, clary sage, Grasse lavender, Argentinian mate, moss, smoked woods and patchouli.
If it seems like no. 6 has something in common with another famous tea scent, L’Artisan’s masterpiece Tea for Two, you’d be correct. The two are at times uncannily similar, but more about that in a moment…
Posted by Marlen
on
3 October 2006
Calvin Klein’s 9th mens’s fragrance (excluding the CK line) is the counterpart to 2005’s pomegranate and orchid-infused Euphoria. In the men’s version, developed by perfumers Loc Dong, Jean Marc Chaillan and Carlos Benaim, top notes include ginger pepper cocktail, raindrop accord and chilled sudachi; heart notes include black basil, cedar leaf and sage; and basenotes include creamy suede, patchouli, Brazilian redwood and solid amber.
First, I’ll admit to being a long time Klein-o-phile, loving pretty much every scent the company has released, starting with the original Calvin…
Posted by Marlen
on
23 August 2006
Cacharel returns to men’s fragrance after a nearly seven year hiatus with the masculine counterpart to 2003’s Amor Amor, aptly entitled Amor pour Homme. The bottle has changed from red to blue and one of the Amors has been dropped, but the real story is the composition. With notes of bergamot, aromatic tea, mandarin, rose, cardamom, palisander wood, benzoin and tonka bean, Amor Pour Homme, created by Sophie Labbe and Pierre Wargnye, bears little resemblance to its feminine predecessor.
First, a word about Cacharel. Overall, I love their collection of women’s fragrances (though I found Promesse a phenomenal bore) but am saddened by the marked lack of men’s scents. Cacharel’s first men’s fragrance, Pour L’Homme, is an odd combination of nutmeg and ylang tempered by floral and herbal notes…
Posted by Marlen
on
7 August 2006
Being a huge fan of Valentino’s couture collections, I’m always a little dismayed by the fact that I only own a single Valentino fragrance — 1991’s masterpiece, Vendetta pour Homme. Although a couple of Valentino’s women’s perfumes intrigue me, I’ve never really gotten to know them; likewise, 1999’s Very Valentino for Men smelled pleasant enough, but never really grabbed me. So, it was with high hopes that I tested the new V Pour Homme, a subtly sweet blend of bergamot, mandarin, basil, pink peppercorn, transparent floral, jasmine, mace, cumin, ambrette seed, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla, dry amber and musk.
Last year’s initial launch in the V family of fragrances, V Pour Femme, was a soft, ambery floral and I’m pleased to say that V Pour Homme follows the theme rather well with sweet floral notes lifting the warmer amber and woods. V opens with a light and fresh yet peppery accord of citrus and jasmine. As the fragrance progresses, the sweetness of the jasmine becomes slightly more pronounced before finally relaxing into the background of darker base notes…
