gs02 opens with a mild and quite brief squirt of fresh orange before it turns into an accord I don't think I can easily describe... It has a bit of an olive oil-like smell mixed with bitter cherry spiced leather which most likely is a combination of angelica, castoreum and wormwood among other ingredients. This slightly spiced leathery-olive heart accord sits on an amber base that is not sweet at all, while from start to finish the scent is both minimalistic and extremely subtle in one. Projection and longevity are both poor.
I know I like gs02, but it is hard for me to pin down why. It is so subtle that I find myself having to apply a bunch of it on skin to try and nail down its scent. Even doing that, I am at a loss for words to describe what it truly smells like and I am sure my vague descriptors in the paragraph above do not do it justice. All I *can* say is it smells unique and quite good, but I wish it were much more assertive. In short, gs02 is a minor success from Schoen who also created Clive Christian's masterpiece X for Men that has some similarities in its base. I definitely prefer X over gs02 by miles, but gs02 is a good way to sample what Schoen has to offer at a much lower price tag. gs02 earns a very good 3.5 stars out of 5 and is recommended.
