Inspired by the great descriptions from Ponticus and Hautgout, this fragrance absolutely had to join my collection. Especially since the ingredients are right up my alley.
Today it arrived, this "cheap" little fragrance. Cheap in the sense of being financially very affordable, because it certainly does not smell cheap.
The very distinct character of bergamot is really well expressed here, and with lemon also present, it starts off very citrusy fresh, only to then unite into a spicy, flamboyant, gigantic conglomerate of vetiver and patchouli, mixed with just a tiny bit of tobacco.
I don't notice the spices sage and thyme, or they are so cleverly woven that they give the fragrance that certain something, that spiciness, which I don't recognize as these two spices.
And I find that is the genius of this fragrance, because I don't necessarily want to smell like kitchen herbs, who wants that, right? ;-)
Towards the end, it becomes a bit warmer and softer, and fades out with a green-soapy note, wonderful. I like this, I've been looking for something like this for a while and have finally found it.
The longevity is limited, but fragrances generally don't last as long on me as they do on others. After 2 hours, it's over and it requires one or more re-sprays. But I don't mind, I have 100 ml of a great, "ridiculously cheap" fragrance and I would gladly repurchase it, should it not be discontinued beforehand.
In my opinion, this fragrance is more suited for the "older, more mature" generation, as it is indeed a nice 80s classic, but I certainly don't want to deny the younger crowd that they might actually find it quite nice.
P.S. Now I also know what this perfume reminds me of: I once had a body powder that was called something like - Azzaro paglieri or Azzuro paglieri, it was blue and white and OPEN smells exactly the same in the drydown :-)
I love that one too! The traditional brand has beautiful scents in their range... the wonderful vintage version is often very affordable on eBay. Great comment!
The scent has supposedly been discontinued. To me, it sounds like a pretty conventional men's fragrance that I'd prefer to leave to the more mature men... But well described by you.
I can only confirm everything that’s been said and I’m glad to see your renewed appreciation for this perfume. Longevity can vary a lot from person to person, but a quick spritz can fix that! Great!
Glad to read this. I recently managed to get a vintage one. I really love these aromatic and powerful men's fragrances. They’re a welcome break from very feminine perfumes for me. It would be great if young people didn’t just chase the mainstream but could discover such fragrance gems for themselves. Long live individuality! ;-)
2 hours is really short; it definitely lasts longer for me. I have all of the ones from the Open line and can highly recommend the flankers as well. Only the "White" stands out because it's very heavy on the anise. It's worth a sniff for old-school fans of all ages ;-)
A well-deserved recognition!!!
That said, I can also imagine them as subtle flavor enhancers. Very nicely described!