I never thought I would find a fragrance with and precisely because of eucalyptus so beautiful. Yesterday, I truly tested it for the first time. When I got home, I actually went out again and bought the fragrance because I was in the mood for it.
But let's take it step by step.
The opening of
44 Gerrard Street is indeed a major event. If I could use GIFs here, it would probably be the big eyes and the tongue sticking out of Jim Carrey from "The Mask" when he sees Cameron Diaz on stage. The ginger is so sharp that it swallows the lemon right at the spray. On the test strip, I perceived the lemon before the ginger took over. When I apply it properly on my neck and throat, I no longer notice the lemon. The ginger is already there with force! It is sharp, smells very natural and invigorating. If you need a wake-up kick in the morning, you might want to reach for a
44 Gerrard Street from the bottle. (Similarly great wake-up calls from the bottle, in my opinion, are
Guerlain Homme Eau de Parfum and
Allure Homme Sport Cologne, while
Allure Homme Édition Blanche Eau de Parfum is also wonderful for morning coffee when you don't need an extra kick but want to start the day leisurely.) As for risks and side effects... no, no, I don't think there are any risks or side effects.
After about 1-2 minutes, the eucalyptus note joins the ginger, which some describe as a candy note. I don't like eucalyptus candies. Even when I have a cold, I'm the honey-ginger type, although this preference doesn't transfer into the world of fragrances, as "Naxos | XerJoff" is not for me. However, I find the eucalyptus note in
44 Gerrard Street particularly special and beautiful. It adds something unique and special to the opening of this fragrance, a certain green component that fits wonderfully into the freshness theme. While I previously found the opening of
Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée a bit too sharp over time, I really like the burn around the neck here. And when I sprayed
Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée in the store alongside
44 Gerrard Street, it seemed like a sweet, tame kitten. So, you have to like a certain sharpness if you want to hang out at 44 Gerrard Street.
One special feature that the creators of
44 Gerrard Street seem to have programmed into the fragrance composition:
The sillage is, in my opinion as a freshie fan, a hit. Yesterday, I wore the fragrance to a cozy pub night with friends, and on the train, my sillage acted like an antidote against all the
Ombre Nomade. The security personnel of the public transport actually escorted two young men with
Ombre Nomade out of the train so they wouldn't disturb my sillage. The other guests cheered, there were calls for chants, no child of man should ever wear heavy oud fragrances on the train again, may an era of fresh fragrances dawn, suddenly I felt hands on my legs, I was lifted up, I should lead the new era as P.... I must have dozed off briefly on the train. A dog rubbed against my leg. I got off.
Where was I:
I also find the drydown delightful, so I'm torn: Although I'm not a fan of rose, I find the rose here very soft and well done. I either perceive jasmine and orchid very lightly again and again, or I'm imagining it. Without knowing the fragrance notes, I probably wouldn't think of orchid. In any case, the fragrance transforms into a unisex floral scent that I find very beautiful.
Here comes the inner conflict: I find the opening very beautiful and wish that these sharp winds around my neck would last longer. On the other hand, I also find the fragrance progression very beautiful, as the ginger-eucalyptus note remains present, beautifully leading into the floral notes and accompanying them.
Where I still need testing and wear time: The fragrance darkens after 3-4 hours: I perceive musk, but not amber. The cashmere wood gives off a very nice warmth and slight sweetness. I'm currently wearing the fragrance and will provide an update once I've deciphered the base notes a bit better. Not being in a smoking pub right now may help. This is the second proper wear. Let's see.
The bottle:
The orange bottle, which is transparent when held against the light, looks quite impressive. The color is playful on one hand, while on the other hand, it maintains the "classic" and "stylish" theme of the Atkinsons house. Orange and black are a winning combination, in my opinion. The cap has a good weight, and with the house emblem, I find it very well done overall. The way it fits on is fantastic in terms of feel and sound. The spray head looks cheap, but sprays like a world-class product. I particularly like the slight edges on the back of the bottle, which not only look good but also make the bottle easy to hold. The bottle comes in an orange sliding box, which is at most okay. But I don't care about the packaging. I appreciate it when manufacturers invest in a high-quality bottle alongside the fragrance. The outer packaging stays in the drawer anyway, at least for me.
The longevity was perfectly fine at 5-6 hours yesterday, as I said, in a smoking pub on a sociable evening when I couldn't concentrate much on the fragrance. Under different conditions, it may be perceivable for longer.
As a little addition, a fashion recommendation: For whatever reason, I want to pull my gray Glencheck suit out of the closet and wear it with this fragrance. Even if it doesn't necessarily have to be the gray Glencheck: Although a freshie (at least in the opening), I see this fragrance on a well or classically dressed man.
How would Jim Carrey have reacted to the combination of
44 Gerrard Street and (my) gray Glencheck suit? I can only imagine!
Top Notes 
Ginger
Eucalyptus
Lemon
Heart Notes 
Jasmine absolute
Orchid
Rose
Base Notes 
Musk
Cashmere wood
Amber
GeorgeReid
Salva
Bastian
Gold
Tofuwachtel
Smoetn
Orodion94
Parma
Ergoproxy
Gschpusi
