Adade

06:17 AM. I open the heavy door. Bright light comes toward me through the darkness. Gray, cool, and pleasantly fresh, I breathe in the morning air. My eyes are still struggling to adjust to the brightness - no wonder, as they have seen nothing but darkness and artificial light for hours. I stumble a few steps down the street, then I let myself fall onto the first bench. I take a sip from the drink that I somehow still hold in my hand. I light a cigarette and then assess the "damage." I don't look that bad: a bit of glitter on my jacket and whose makeup smudge is that anyway? Whatever, it's fine. Cautiously, I smell my shoulder... Uff. I instinctively pull my head back. It smells as if I rolled around in an ashtray. But somehow I have to smell again... There's more! I smell the sultry air from the club, the old velvet furniture I sat on, a hint of the fine drinks I had, and a trace of the perfume I applied in such a distant past. Traces of an unforgettable night, of which I've already forgotten half. I smile briefly, then I sit for a moment longer and make my way home.

Celine has truly succeeded in evoking unique images and memories in me with his fragrances. When I smell Nightclubbing, I feel transported directly into this fictional scene. At first, I found the scent very off-putting - the scent of cigarette smoke and nicotine on the test strip was too photorealistic. But if you give the fragrance 15 minutes, it transforms into a wonderful combination of smoky-alcoholic edges and corners, woody-spicy warmth, and powdery elegance. A true rockstar statement fragrance with very little everyday wearability and a lot of uniqueness and French elegance. Over time, it gets closer and closer to the Celine-typical base of powder and musk. On me, the scent lasts for many hours, and I could still smell it on my arm the next morning during the first test. The bottle and packaging are, by the way, above all else.

Clear recommendation for anyone who likes unusual fragrances. By the way: I have already read/heard many comparisons to Jazz Club. For me, both scents depict a similar picture, but they couldn't go in more different directions. While Jazz Club is round, sweet, and gourmand for me, Nightclubbing is more smoky, powdery, and dangerous.

When the original Dior Homme Eau de Toilette was released in 2005, the house of Dior was undergoing one of the biggest transformations in its recent history. The then-creative director was a young, rising designer named Hedi Slimane, who would later significantly change the fashion world at Saint Laurent and now at Celine. Slimane had just revitalized the men's division of Dior, previously known as Dior Monsieur. While the house had previously stood for relatively outdated (licensed) fashion for middle-aged men, Hedi Slimane breathed new life into it since the beginning of the new millennium. He renamed the men's division to Dior Homme and released prêt-à-porter collections characterized by then-revolutionary slim cuts, monochromatic color palettes, and modern, almost androgynous masculinity. During this time, Dior also launched the first three exclusive fragrances, which would later partly belong to the Maison Christian Dior collection: Cologne Blanche, Eau Noire, and Bois d'Argent - at that time still under the name "Dior Homme Colognes."

Around the same time, the Dior Homme Eau de Toilette was also released. It clearly bears the signature of Hedi Slimane's vision: powdery iris, which he still uses in most of his fragrances today, and metrosexual, almost androgynous modern masculinity. With these characteristics, the fragrance was an exotic choice among men's perfumes at the time, and even today it remains unmistakable and unique, although the iris has since gained more popularity in men's fragrances than it did back then.

Fifteen years later, here we are with the latest reformulation of the classic. This reformulation has turned many, if not almost everything, about what defined the fragrance on its head: the defining notes of the scent have been removed, the design of the packaging and bottle has changed and is now significantly less minimalist than before - only the name remains. Many fans of the fragrance are asking: Why? I believe that to understand the reason for this, it is worth taking a look at how the house of Dior has changed in recent years. Hedi Slimane left Dior shortly after the release of the original Eau de Toilette. He took his idea of fashion with him: first to Saint Laurent, and years later to Celine. For a few years at Dior, his former assistant, Kris van Assche, took over the reins. And although the designer certainly has his own interpretation of fashion, he adopted many of Slimane's core ideas. Thus, while the fragrance line did change slightly during his time under the influence of the new in-house perfumer Francois Demachy, there were no groundbreaking revolutions. The changes at Dior became significantly larger after van Assche left his position in 2018 and was replaced by Kim Jones. Since then, Jones has been completely revamping the men's division of Dior: he renamed the brand from Dior Homme to Dior Men, the previously simple fashion is now increasingly influenced by streetwear, and the entire image of the brand has been strongly modernized.

Why is all of this relevant for this reformulation of Dior Homme? I think the old fragrance, which was based on Slimane's vision of the brand, simply no longer represented the Dior man in 2020. As unfortunate as it is, the Dior of 2005 is now far behind, and the vision of fashion in this house has changed significantly. From this perspective, it makes sense that the defining men's fragrance of the brand (by name alone) is adjusted to best represent the brand in the present - and not to stand for the vision of a designer who is now working for competing manufacturers.

But how does the new fragrance smell? Generally speaking, it clearly plays in the league of modern woody-spicy-fresh men's fragrances, as we know them from recent years with scents like Bleu de Chanel, Aventus, Terre d'Hermes, or Sauvage. Does the new Dior Homme smell like a copy of these fragrances? Not to me. It incorporates individual elements from the mentioned scents, yet the composition itself is independent. Independent, but somehow also arbitrary. Personally, I perceive the fragrance primarily as modern-woody with the scent of Iso E Super and amber - accompanied by a dry freshness that smells of lemon, but is less prominent than in Sauvage or Bleu de Chanel. Overall, the fragrance smells like a nice everyday scent for modern men - of high quality, without being intrusive, and good.

But somehow I still feel a certain dissatisfaction, and enthusiasm does not want to break out. Even in the community, the fragrance seems to be received rather moderately. Why is that? In my opinion, the redesign of the fragrance should have been bolder. The fragrance is supposed to represent the new Dior vision for men? Then it should do so properly. The fragrance deserved an independent design for the packaging and bottle, a bold scent that stands for Dior fashion in 2020, and above all, a new name. The new men's division of Dior is called Dior Men - Dior Homme is history. Why not do the same with the fragrance? This would create less confusion among average customers, less frustration among fans (who could simply leave the old original in its current form until it no longer sells), and provide a completely contemporary representation of the brand. In my opinion, Dior has missed this opportunity. Instead, we now have a new fragrance that is good but lacks its own identity and simultaneously dilutes an existing classic. What a shame!

Oud Wood by Tom Ford was my first fragrance in this price range. Although I loved it from the very first moment, I struggled for a long time before treating myself to a small bottle two years ago. Since then, numerous bottles have joined the collection and I am still not tired of it.

Oud Wood is primarily what the name promises: woody! The combination of different woods is wonderfully crafted, and I find it hard to distinguish the individual woods from one another. Instead, everything is united in a unique, incredibly beautiful scent. The namesake oud is not animalic or dirty here, but rather spicy-light. Although the fragrance is so woody, it never becomes too heavy or overwhelming, instead radiating a certain transparency that makes it very pleasant to wear. Amber, tonka bean, and vanilla round off the scent beautifully without making it too sweet, and the cardamom gives it a spicy freshness.

Longevity and sillage are hard for me to judge nowadays. I have days when I can no longer smell it after a short time - on other days, I can still smell it in the car on my way back from work, 10h+ after application. I probably have applied so much Oud Wood in my life that my nose has gotten used to it.. All in all, I would rate the longevity as decent. The sillage is noticeably more limited than with other Tom Ford hits like Tobacco Vanille or Tuscan Leather, but the scent is still easily perceivable by those around me, and I have been approached about it several times at work. The not overly strong performance also makes Oud Wood suitable for me outside of the cold seasons - in my opinion, it works best in mild autumn temperatures.

For me, Oud Wood embodies a timeless elegance that is both classic and modern. Still, in my opinion, the benchmark when it comes to woody fragrances!

At the beginning of the millennium, the young and rising designer Hedi Slimane became the new creative director of the men's division at Dior. Under his leadership, the house underwent a radical transformation and revolutionized menswear: simple elegance characterized by black and white, tight cuts, and an androgynous image of men shaped Slimane's vision and can still be found in his fashion today. During this time, he also launched three exclusive men's fragrances with Dior, called "Dior Homme Colognes." Among them are Eau Noire, the now-discontinued Cologne Blanche, and Bois d'Argent, which has remained in the exclusive line and is still one of the bestsellers.

Bois d'Argent perfectly embodies that Dior fashion of the time for me. The scent is primarily powdery-woody. However, it is not heavy; rather, it conveys a certain lightness, transparency, and freshness. To me, the fragrance smells like a very modern version of a classic men's cologne - entirely without the classic scent notes typically found in such fragrances. The iris, which is at the center, gives it a powdery elegance without smelling like lipstick, as Dior Homme does. The incense and myrrh provide a spicy freshness that makes the scent interesting but not too overwhelming. Woods, leather, and musk give it a masculine and powerful base that remains very clean at the same time. Overall, the fragrance has a cloudy-luxurious aura that appears infinitely self- and style-confident - without screaming for attention.

The longevity and sillage are also fitting. The scent lasts on me for many hours, and I can easily get through the day with it. The sillage is present but always remains relatively close to the skin. The fragrance is there all day and perceptible to those in close proximity, but never so strong that it becomes annoying or intrusive. This makes the scent wearable for me in all times of the day and year, although it probably works best in spring and autumn. I can imagine the fragrance for many occasions, and it complements a stylish suit just as well as a white shirt with jeans.

All in all, Bois d'Argent is the perfect addition to the wardrobe of a man who is confident in himself and his style and who seeks a luxurious-light fragrance that interestingly complements any outfit without becoming the focal point of it. Therefore, I find the original label as "Dior Homme Cologne" incredibly fitting - I couldn't summarize the scent better.

For a long time, I kept my distance from Fucking Fabulous. I am a fan of many Tom Ford fragrances and of course I noticed the hype, but it was simply too expensive for me to take a closer look, and the descriptions I found sounded interesting but not like something I would enjoy wearing.

Well, recently the time finally came. I was at the airport in Milan and let myself be carried away by the Duty Free. As always, I made a quick detour to the Tom Ford counter and there was actually little there that I didn't already know. But suddenly, there it was in the corner, almost a bit hidden, the chic, eye-catching yet understated black matte bottle with a censored label. So I had a sample sprayed - why not give it a try? I was briefly confused by what I smelled, yet it kept drawing me back. After a few days, I ordered a decant and now a 30ml bottle is mine.

So what does the fragrance smell like to me? I perceive it as a combination of Oud Wood, Bois d‘Argent, and Tuscan Leather. It is definitely woody and still has a certain freshness, surrounded by an elegant powderiness and has a wonderful leather base. The individual scent components are not perceived distinctly; they come together to form an extraordinary overall picture. To me, the fragrance simultaneously smells of rock 'n' roll, decadence, and ecstasy on one side - and pure elegance and smoothness on the other side. The scent stands out compared to what one usually knows from (mainstream) perfumes, yet it somehow comes across as very approachable. Quite different from, for example, the strongly polarizing Tuscan Leather.

For me, Fucking Fabulous is a fragrance for special occasions. I would never wear it in everyday life, but for a wonderful evening when you feel particularly fabulous and decadent, it is just right. The performance is beyond any doubt and can keep up with the powerhouses of Tom Ford. The sillage is lush, but since the fragrance still has that certain elegance, freshness, and transparency, it is not overly penetrating. The longevity easily lasts through a night of partying plus after hours until the next afternoon.

Definitely not a fragrance for everyone, but if worn with the right attitude, it is an extraordinary and special scent that perfectly balances between decadent ecstasy and elegance. I like!