Allure Homme Sport Eau Extrême Chanel 2012

It's July. Outside the sun shines on my skin, sweat drips from my forehead, but I only walk through streets. Or do I? Aren't I sitting in the office? Don't I listen to my professor give a lecture? Or is it not actually already late, my date with me, which tells me that I smell so good after all?

Is it really July? Isn't it actually December, with a cold wind that slams on my hands and makes me regret that I don't have any gloves with me?
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. But at least I know how to smell so I don't stand out. Or do I stand out? Probably, I'm projecting strong enough for that. But negative? I never notice anything negative. I smell too pleasing for that, always according to the situation.

AHSEE shows its base from the moment it touches the wearer's skin. Musk and tonka bean together with sandalwood, which is subtly worked into the fragrance, so you have to look for it sooner. It doesn't drown them out, lets them play, ennobles them.

Mandarin and mint are added at the beginning. It is as if the mandarin had been squeezed out, mint added, and both subtly distributed across the base. This is where I like the scent best. A well-balanced, fruity freshness (and the latter rather) counteracts the sweet base.

Now I must confess that I do not perceive the heart note purposefully. The longer the scent remains on the skin, the more homogeneous it smells. After a few minutes, it gets harder for me to smell out individual notes. I don't really find clary sage and black pepper. But nevertheless the fragrance develops quite a bit.

The mandarin makes room after a short time; after an hour the fruit is no longer directly perceptible. The mint remains, brings its characteristic freshness, but also not in the same strength.

The sweetness of the base now gains the upper hand, the freshness is no longer such a good opponent. The former is now somewhat powdery, extremely pleasant. The latter now does exactly what she needs to do to stay present and at least steal some of the intensity from what lies beneath her.

Not much happens later. After a few hours, the fragrance will appear as it will at the end of its life.

The Blend is wonderful. Nothing is too much, nothing should be more present, nothing should be missing, nothing should be added. AHSEE is self-contained.

But what makes him such a good evergreen? The answer is simple: he simply has many things. Warm tonka bean and cool mint, powdery sweetness and countering freshness. It has seductive elements, but remains down-to-earth and casual. Surprisingly, he still does everything well and does not give up any quality for his pleasing versatility.

Now I must confess: very often I don't wear AHSEE. That's up to me. If I'm in the office, he's too good for me. I prefer something cheaper like Zara's Fresh Sandalwood, which is pleasant. On dates, I'd rather wear a sweet-spicy scent like Herod. If the outside temperature approaches 40°C, a higher proportion of freshness would be beneficial. But that's mainly because my collection is big enough to give me so much choice. When I have dressed for the day, look in the mirror, and have no idea what suits my outfit, season and mood? Then I very much like to reach for AHSEE.

There's only one thing I don't think he can do: be noble. I wouldn't like to wear it with a coat. It could be warmer, spicier there. In AHSEE I would not feel comfortable in very noble clothes. He is also young, so perhaps unsuitable for the older clientele. Otherwise? Always portable. At the most at dates in good restaurants or similar I would still do without him.

H+S are very good. Not a loud screamer like a Montale or Nasomatto, but it lasts a long time on the skin and also shows itself. One might say: H+S are not too strong for the summer, but at the same time not worse than alternatives for the winter. :)