Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
03/06/2022
Elysium
816 Reviews
Elysium
Helpful Review
5
The Futuristic ‘70s
U.F.O. was a British production drama series created by the fertile and visionary mind of Gerry Anderson, together with his wife, Sylvia. He had minor masterpieces on his resumes, such as Thunderbirds and Stingray, made using incredibly innovative puppets for the 1960s. Moving on to actors in real life, it was necessary to introduce a massive dose of special effects which, seen today, perhaps, will also make people smile, but in the 1970s, they were the state-of-the-art and made children like my dream. So, S.H.A.D.O.—an acronym for Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation—was the operational headquarters in England. Still, it operated worldwide and had an operating base even on the moon, which hosted three space interceptors ready to shoot down the alien spacecraft, a sort of spinning top that fired deadly laser beams. How come I spend my time telling a story like this to review a cologne? Keep on reading, and you will know.
Frankie Morello Man, aka COLD GRAY / 4 1384, is a perfume launched in late 2017, paired with the feminine Frankie Morello Woman, aka COOL GRAY & PINK, and miserably gone unnoticed. I say miserably because the perfumeries that distribute this brand have promoted it, and they will soon withdraw it from the market. Perhaps the somewhat futuristic shape of the bottle, reminiscent of spaceships and spinning tops, dark brown for the masculine and creamy white for the feminine, did not have the suitable attraction, and few have stopped to smell the beauty of these two unique, very particular, but above all delightful fragrances. At the first sniff on the strip of paper, I must admit that I, too, gave little importance to the aroma, immediately associating it with the many trendy fragrances rich in Iso E Super. But it was after some time that, feeling the strip of paper in the open air, I grasped more clearly the unexpected heart and base notes that I now want to tell you about.
For starters, the cologne is a kind of fougère genus, aromatic and woody, with smoky solid undertones, unfolding with a sunny citrus accord of bitter grapefruit and just a hint of bergamot. The citrus aroma is not strong, and the opening is not very tart. Instead, citrus peels dipped in aromatic touches of spicy pink pepper berries invigorated by the herbaceous tones of angelica. A more spicy and balsamic accord of sweet cinnamon and mentholated cardamom offsets the green and aromatic aspects of the herbs. The cardamom pods soon release their balm, and the cinnamon reminds me of the cinnamon-flavoured Trident chewing gum.
The iris dominates the heart wrapped in a note of church incense. While not mentioned, the smoky, resinous aroma of incense exudes quite evident in the core. Initially, I thought it was due to the mixture of dusty iris and dry cedarwood. But then, wearing it on my warm skin, the smoky note is unmistakable. Between the smoky accord, a pale floral touch comes from blue lavender and a soft rose. The two flowers smooth the resinous mastic but never become too sweet, floral or feminine. Close to the skin, I can even feel the pungent green notes of the aromatic rosemary as the incense fades a little.
The fragrance ends with a deep woody base of modern and clean patchouli, cedar of pencil shavings and an earthy undertone of vetiver. The bottom has a leathery cut, which isn't too rough or animal but reminds me of velvety suede. On the cold strip of paper, I get a slightly clean, musky and somewhat salty amber edge, which is not highlighted by my warm skin where the notes of incense dominate.
The scent has a nice evolution between spicy, aromatic, smoky, and woody aspects. The predominance of smoky and resinous edges makes me prefer it for the cool months of the mid-seasons; late autumn and early spring are the most appropriate times for me. It has moderate projection and sillage, so it suits everyday wear for leisure and going to the office. I haven't thoroughly worn it yet, so I can't judge the longevity, but I expect several hours of performance from its EDP concentration. Finally, I have not found any similarity to any other colonies that I own or know of, and it is unique. My advice is to grab it before it's too late. You will never regret it.
I base the review on a 50ml bottle I have owned since March 2022.
-Elysium
Frankie Morello Man, aka COLD GRAY / 4 1384, is a perfume launched in late 2017, paired with the feminine Frankie Morello Woman, aka COOL GRAY & PINK, and miserably gone unnoticed. I say miserably because the perfumeries that distribute this brand have promoted it, and they will soon withdraw it from the market. Perhaps the somewhat futuristic shape of the bottle, reminiscent of spaceships and spinning tops, dark brown for the masculine and creamy white for the feminine, did not have the suitable attraction, and few have stopped to smell the beauty of these two unique, very particular, but above all delightful fragrances. At the first sniff on the strip of paper, I must admit that I, too, gave little importance to the aroma, immediately associating it with the many trendy fragrances rich in Iso E Super. But it was after some time that, feeling the strip of paper in the open air, I grasped more clearly the unexpected heart and base notes that I now want to tell you about.
For starters, the cologne is a kind of fougère genus, aromatic and woody, with smoky solid undertones, unfolding with a sunny citrus accord of bitter grapefruit and just a hint of bergamot. The citrus aroma is not strong, and the opening is not very tart. Instead, citrus peels dipped in aromatic touches of spicy pink pepper berries invigorated by the herbaceous tones of angelica. A more spicy and balsamic accord of sweet cinnamon and mentholated cardamom offsets the green and aromatic aspects of the herbs. The cardamom pods soon release their balm, and the cinnamon reminds me of the cinnamon-flavoured Trident chewing gum.
The iris dominates the heart wrapped in a note of church incense. While not mentioned, the smoky, resinous aroma of incense exudes quite evident in the core. Initially, I thought it was due to the mixture of dusty iris and dry cedarwood. But then, wearing it on my warm skin, the smoky note is unmistakable. Between the smoky accord, a pale floral touch comes from blue lavender and a soft rose. The two flowers smooth the resinous mastic but never become too sweet, floral or feminine. Close to the skin, I can even feel the pungent green notes of the aromatic rosemary as the incense fades a little.
The fragrance ends with a deep woody base of modern and clean patchouli, cedar of pencil shavings and an earthy undertone of vetiver. The bottom has a leathery cut, which isn't too rough or animal but reminds me of velvety suede. On the cold strip of paper, I get a slightly clean, musky and somewhat salty amber edge, which is not highlighted by my warm skin where the notes of incense dominate.
The scent has a nice evolution between spicy, aromatic, smoky, and woody aspects. The predominance of smoky and resinous edges makes me prefer it for the cool months of the mid-seasons; late autumn and early spring are the most appropriate times for me. It has moderate projection and sillage, so it suits everyday wear for leisure and going to the office. I haven't thoroughly worn it yet, so I can't judge the longevity, but I expect several hours of performance from its EDP concentration. Finally, I have not found any similarity to any other colonies that I own or know of, and it is unique. My advice is to grab it before it's too late. You will never regret it.
I base the review on a 50ml bottle I have owned since March 2022.
-Elysium
1 Comment
Elysium
Jazzy76
