There are parks near where I live. Every now and then I go there for running or jogging. If it has rained recently, the smells of drizzle, grass, wet earth, leaves, resin, wood and pine needles mix in my nostrils, and what comes out is like this scent. It tastes like wet woods and spices. Well, I don't find it particularly spicy, not like an Indian dish; it focuses on moderately sweet but not cloying raw tobacco. The mimosa note feels good and looks great, especially in the opening, and is entirely faithful, as it is synthetic. Mimosa is one of those hints that are difficult to recognize for those who have never heard it just picked or in the next two hours. I love mimosa, and I like to put my nose in a fresh and fragrant bouquet.
Almost immediately after application, the misty mimosa rises above me. It is the first note to break through and leaves an aggressive impression. There's a hint of subdued lavender and bergamot, quickly set aside by hot cinnamon, hot pepper, and sweet orange. London knows how to add spice to woody and floral scents to help create a different take on the spices. The initial blend, on my nose, blends perfectly and soon turns into something that reveals evergreens and leather. I must say that this unknown perfume took me entirely by surprise. It reminds me of the smell of some studies full of books, the scent in the waiting room when I went to the family doctor as a child, and we had to wait our turn.
Then comes the leather, a tarred birch, I guess, along with the fortified wine. The roaster claims to be port wine, an aromatic liqueur from Portugal, which shares some similarities with Italian Marsala. They are both red wines infused with aromatic herbs. I don't find it dark but pungent. Tobacco, mixed with cinnamon leaves, also reveals its more acrid and less woody nature. The Burberry London aroma improves over time, and this is where it shines. Tobacco is a major player here. It's a pretty sweet tobacco note, an excellent match of leather and cinnamon to give it something unique. Something a little smoky and aged just right, like a whiskey barrel, with port instead of whiskey. As the middle notes develop, the leather continues to hold its own, and a sweet and ever so soft aroma takes over. That beautiful leather accord marks the beginning of the transition to the dry down.
The port-wine present in the heart has almost disappeared, and woody notes emerge from the base. The last phase includes opoponax and honey-like tobacco. This aroma is sweet and narcotic, a cherry and vanilla pipe tobacco. I don't know why the Burberry colony takes this route on me, but it is undoubtedly a pleasant journey into foggy, humid and decadent London. The dark notes, composed of smoked guaiac wood and oak bark, show a dominant presence throughout the fragrance's life and give it a dark, sweet and vigorous depth. The dry, woody and amber accord with a bit of bitterness remains exquisitely on the skin.
A few hours after spraying it, there is only a very close smell to the skin, which no one feels. I hope it marries your skin better because it's worth it. Like other Burberry perfumes, this one is moderate in the way it projects and moderates its longevity. I love it when the masculine fragrance successfully balances warmth, masculinity and sweetness, and Burberry London does. It is one of my favourite scents on the scarf and sweaters, as it seems to bloom under the wool lining as my body heat amplifies it. If you are looking for a great perfume that ripens in the crisp autumn air, Burberry London should be on your list. I've always liked wearing it in the evening, but it's also good during the day. It is an opulent and magnetic perfume that evokes autumn in all its splendour. Just wait for the temperature to drop enough to call for a thick jacket or sweater. I would recommend this product to anyone who loves the outdoors or loves to smell like the outdoors. Ultimately, in the same baseball field as Bogart, but not quite similar apart from the opening. Bogart becomes powdery vanilla, where London remains piney resinous.
And you, did you already know this fragrance? What do you think?
I base the review on a 100ml bottle I have owned since February 2016.
Was it castrated by reformulations?