05/13/2020
MonsieurTest
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Escentric Mandarines 01/02: Geza Schön synthesizes a year-round Cologne
This contribution in the long series of new combinations of 4711 is a remarkable one. It is a relatively long remaining cologne with a woody base. "Dit is not sofort un immer uff der Flucht", our favourite barber Korianke would perhaps sum up the contrast to many other Cologne cousins. Parfuma Venice has quite revealingly titled Mandarine Cardamom as Winter Cologne down here. There was also talk of Christmas, because Cardamom was cast here for the role of Princess Mandarine's sidekick.
I am generally very fond of cardamom. But here it plays a somehow lighter, thinner, lighter role than in the darker tinted scents like YSL La Nuit, Azzaro Visit or Niko's Sculpture Gods Night. The cardamom note here tends to remind me of those in Silver Quorum (Puig). In this wonderfully woody water, the cardamom appears, like here with Geza Schön dicht mingled with lots of light wood.
The 4711 pyramid does not talk about wood at all, so that it can be assumed that besides the two title figures, there is also plenty of Iso E Super and probably Ambroxan. The whole thing gets a volume - in my opinion untypical for Cologne - which nevertheless has nothing deep. A rather large string orchestra plus woodwinds without basses and with cellos that hardly descend into the lower levels. A perfume of loud middle voices.
The Mandarin, sings with a bright soubrettist soprano over it; it is lively, halfway naturally intoned, but certainly not as round, powerful and full-bodied as those from Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic, my mandarin reference. It doesn't last that long and it shines weinger far.
As much as I appreciate this cologne and its two main protagonists, as much as I would certainly like to count it among the best of the 4711 colognes and as versatile as its applicability seems to me due to its wood+freshness, a small doubt remains whether this really is a really big water with potential to become a favourite scent.
It does not seem to me to be as beautifully round and soft as Schöns 4711 Limette & Nutmeg. Something slightly shrill, dull, sharp, even synthetic vibrates in between. I'm guessing one of the two modern aroma chemicals mentioned, which make the whole thing look a little unnatural.
No grand cru. But a modern, original Cologne, where everyone can explore the many conceivable and certainly possible areas of application.
I am generally very fond of cardamom. But here it plays a somehow lighter, thinner, lighter role than in the darker tinted scents like YSL La Nuit, Azzaro Visit or Niko's Sculpture Gods Night. The cardamom note here tends to remind me of those in Silver Quorum (Puig). In this wonderfully woody water, the cardamom appears, like here with Geza Schön dicht mingled with lots of light wood.
The 4711 pyramid does not talk about wood at all, so that it can be assumed that besides the two title figures, there is also plenty of Iso E Super and probably Ambroxan. The whole thing gets a volume - in my opinion untypical for Cologne - which nevertheless has nothing deep. A rather large string orchestra plus woodwinds without basses and with cellos that hardly descend into the lower levels. A perfume of loud middle voices.
The Mandarin, sings with a bright soubrettist soprano over it; it is lively, halfway naturally intoned, but certainly not as round, powerful and full-bodied as those from Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic, my mandarin reference. It doesn't last that long and it shines weinger far.
As much as I appreciate this cologne and its two main protagonists, as much as I would certainly like to count it among the best of the 4711 colognes and as versatile as its applicability seems to me due to its wood+freshness, a small doubt remains whether this really is a really big water with potential to become a favourite scent.
It does not seem to me to be as beautifully round and soft as Schöns 4711 Limette & Nutmeg. Something slightly shrill, dull, sharp, even synthetic vibrates in between. I'm guessing one of the two modern aroma chemicals mentioned, which make the whole thing look a little unnatural.
No grand cru. But a modern, original Cologne, where everyone can explore the many conceivable and certainly possible areas of application.
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