Adimus009
Reviews
Adimus009
A rather peculiar dry room.
Sat in a Finnish sauna, amidst the dry heat and wood, you foolishly open a box of cigars, packed with sage and inhale deeply. The sweet honeyed leaves are parched almost immediately and a fleeting ethereal sweetness greets your nostrils. The scent melds in the arid atmosphere and cloaks you in a veil of tobacco, hay and woods. You glance at the hourglass on the wall and marvel at the rapidity of the change. Sweet but for an instant. Dry forevermore. What a strange olfactive adventure. You close the cigar box and appreciate the peculiar nature of things here.
Une massive headache
I think ELDO should revise the fragrance pyramid to read as follows:
Top: Sudden severe headache
Mid: Intractable nausea
Base: Why do I feel like I'm licking a mouldy wet wooden bark?
There are some ELDO fragrances with certain synthetic notes that do not go with my olfactive system. Hermann with the Geosmin and I suspect the Akigalawood in combination with something else in this. Just no.
I can tolerate some challenging fragrances in high heat without much issue but this gave me a literal headache. The vigorous scrubbing of the skin site post application simply took me into the mid notes of intractable nausea. After some paracetamol, fluid resuscitation and time, I felt like I was in a torture movie in a some remote woods near a marshland being forced to lick a wet bark.
One of the reasons I love fragrances is due to individual variations in perception of scents. To some people, I'm sure this is a pleasant olfactive profile. Unfortunately I am not one the aforementioned people. ELDO, please for the love of God, keep this one away and out of the discovery set. I'd rather have had the opportunity to try Afternoon of a Faun instead. If you really wanted to shock, I'd have much rather smelled Secretions Magnifiques.
The only silver lining to this was the fact that it was just a sample. Still, I couldn't even bring myself to empty the fragrance down the sink before disposing of the bottle for fear of having to endure that scent *shivers*
Never again.
Top: Sudden severe headache
Mid: Intractable nausea
Base: Why do I feel like I'm licking a mouldy wet wooden bark?
There are some ELDO fragrances with certain synthetic notes that do not go with my olfactive system. Hermann with the Geosmin and I suspect the Akigalawood in combination with something else in this. Just no.
I can tolerate some challenging fragrances in high heat without much issue but this gave me a literal headache. The vigorous scrubbing of the skin site post application simply took me into the mid notes of intractable nausea. After some paracetamol, fluid resuscitation and time, I felt like I was in a torture movie in a some remote woods near a marshland being forced to lick a wet bark.
One of the reasons I love fragrances is due to individual variations in perception of scents. To some people, I'm sure this is a pleasant olfactive profile. Unfortunately I am not one the aforementioned people. ELDO, please for the love of God, keep this one away and out of the discovery set. I'd rather have had the opportunity to try Afternoon of a Faun instead. If you really wanted to shock, I'd have much rather smelled Secretions Magnifiques.
The only silver lining to this was the fact that it was just a sample. Still, I couldn't even bring myself to empty the fragrance down the sink before disposing of the bottle for fear of having to endure that scent *shivers*
Never again.
To be an Oligarch...
Many a reviews (video and written) rave about the depth and scent character of Oligarch. Rich, opulent, luxurious, multi-faceted, alpha. I would agree with all these adjectives except for perhaps the alpha one.
Here is my rather simple take on Oligarch.
Top: Our billionaire wakes, as they do, in the early afternoon on vacation on a tropical island surrounded by fruits a plenty. Lounging in a private villa, he indulges in an invigorating citrusy drink enriched with the lingering smell of tropical fruits and flowers that is carried by the non-salty breeze. He observes his surroundings and thanks his good fortunes. What a great way to start the day.
Mid: Mid-afternoon, his palate tingling with citruses, our protagonist leaves the villa to wander along the boundaries of this island. Venturing away with his significant other towards the beach surrounded by broad leaf trees. An air of sweet coconut mixed with champaca greet his nostril and as he turns to his significant other, he is greeted further more by the delicate scent of the white florals she has tucked around her ear. Ahh this is bliss. It wouldn't smell this good if it was any other time but summer, thats for sure.
Base: Early evening, the sun is due to set soon. Perhaps tired of terra firma and in need of a little relief from the sun, our Oligarch and the significant other plunge into the water for a short swim towards their exuberant yacht, decked out with the finest of cedar and juniper floors. Once there, the lingering heat gently evaporates their watery footsteps and along with it, the soft woody aroma of the mixed woods pervades the air. Gone is the citrus cocktail of the morning, the breeze still carries the tropical air from the afternoon but with a faint coolness to it. Day will be ending soon. A cool matè drink awaits on the top floor. The sun is setting, the silent waves ripple against the hull. Cedar, juniper and matè mingle in the cooling air. If only these moments lasted longer. Who needs a fragrance when life smells this good?
To be an Oligarch...EDP.
Here is my rather simple take on Oligarch.
Top: Our billionaire wakes, as they do, in the early afternoon on vacation on a tropical island surrounded by fruits a plenty. Lounging in a private villa, he indulges in an invigorating citrusy drink enriched with the lingering smell of tropical fruits and flowers that is carried by the non-salty breeze. He observes his surroundings and thanks his good fortunes. What a great way to start the day.
Mid: Mid-afternoon, his palate tingling with citruses, our protagonist leaves the villa to wander along the boundaries of this island. Venturing away with his significant other towards the beach surrounded by broad leaf trees. An air of sweet coconut mixed with champaca greet his nostril and as he turns to his significant other, he is greeted further more by the delicate scent of the white florals she has tucked around her ear. Ahh this is bliss. It wouldn't smell this good if it was any other time but summer, thats for sure.
Base: Early evening, the sun is due to set soon. Perhaps tired of terra firma and in need of a little relief from the sun, our Oligarch and the significant other plunge into the water for a short swim towards their exuberant yacht, decked out with the finest of cedar and juniper floors. Once there, the lingering heat gently evaporates their watery footsteps and along with it, the soft woody aroma of the mixed woods pervades the air. Gone is the citrus cocktail of the morning, the breeze still carries the tropical air from the afternoon but with a faint coolness to it. Day will be ending soon. A cool matè drink awaits on the top floor. The sun is setting, the silent waves ripple against the hull. Cedar, juniper and matè mingle in the cooling air. If only these moments lasted longer. Who needs a fragrance when life smells this good?
To be an Oligarch...EDP.
Pour Monsieur's metrosexual adventurer offspring
My love affair with Boy began when I, ironically, purchased a bottle of Sycamore and was given a generous amount of samples including 'Boy'. Sycamore no longer resides in my cabinet but is proudly being consumed by a vetiver lover friend of mine.
'Boy' on the other hand, where do I start? This has been an 18 month sampling bonanza. I promised to limit full bottle purchases to 'LOVE LOVE LOVE' having religiously stuck to venturing only on sampling journey of various houses. I have so far gone through 8 samples of 'Boy' having savoured every last bit of it through spring, summer and autumn. Winter is not for 'Boy', certainly not here in the UK.
Boy starts off with a very Chanel-esque aldehydes, aromatic lavender, grapefruit concoction that is oh so Chanel and a class above their regular line. On my skin this phase lasts about an hour whilst the florals, particular the heliotrope, vanilla and musk make their presence known. Afterwards this is a sexy, musky, slightly vanillic, powdery goodness tempered by a gentle dose of Sandalwood to stop it leaning feminine and kept unisex. Given the notes mentioned, ones thoughts might venture towards Musc ravegeur? No no no, that is a darling for the evenings (and wintery days), this is slightly similar in notes only but the symphony is played out with completely different instruments.
The overall scent and sillage are just 10/10 sexy to my nose. I regularly double back on myself to catch wafts of the trail which is mesmerising. Spring and summer is the height of this fragrances sexuality which is slightly subdued in autumn and practically libido-less in winter.
So whats the catch? Price tag and longevity. The Les Exclusifs are certainly priced more dearer than CD ,and previously, Guerlain. I still think for the right 'Les Exclusifs' fragrance, it is worth it purely for the scent. Longevity is a slight let down as this fragrance lasts 6-7 hours max if one is generous with the sprays, projects for the first 2-3, weather dependent.
This fragrance is a sexy aromatic fougere for those who want to venture a little further than the traditional concoctions. Where Pour Monsieur is your elegant oxford shirt, full windsor knot tie wearing gentleman chypre (EDT not the EDP), 'Boy' is a carefree, open buttoned short sleeve shirt wearing adventurer currently enjoying his/her scent trail through their travels through Venice/Paris/Florence/Vienna/Edinburgh/Amsterdam/Lisbon/Athens and other great European cities yet to be visited. Boy only travels and trails in warmer weather. Boy hibernates in winter. I can't wait for spring and summer...
'Boy' on the other hand, where do I start? This has been an 18 month sampling bonanza. I promised to limit full bottle purchases to 'LOVE LOVE LOVE' having religiously stuck to venturing only on sampling journey of various houses. I have so far gone through 8 samples of 'Boy' having savoured every last bit of it through spring, summer and autumn. Winter is not for 'Boy', certainly not here in the UK.
Boy starts off with a very Chanel-esque aldehydes, aromatic lavender, grapefruit concoction that is oh so Chanel and a class above their regular line. On my skin this phase lasts about an hour whilst the florals, particular the heliotrope, vanilla and musk make their presence known. Afterwards this is a sexy, musky, slightly vanillic, powdery goodness tempered by a gentle dose of Sandalwood to stop it leaning feminine and kept unisex. Given the notes mentioned, ones thoughts might venture towards Musc ravegeur? No no no, that is a darling for the evenings (and wintery days), this is slightly similar in notes only but the symphony is played out with completely different instruments.
The overall scent and sillage are just 10/10 sexy to my nose. I regularly double back on myself to catch wafts of the trail which is mesmerising. Spring and summer is the height of this fragrances sexuality which is slightly subdued in autumn and practically libido-less in winter.
So whats the catch? Price tag and longevity. The Les Exclusifs are certainly priced more dearer than CD ,and previously, Guerlain. I still think for the right 'Les Exclusifs' fragrance, it is worth it purely for the scent. Longevity is a slight let down as this fragrance lasts 6-7 hours max if one is generous with the sprays, projects for the first 2-3, weather dependent.
This fragrance is a sexy aromatic fougere for those who want to venture a little further than the traditional concoctions. Where Pour Monsieur is your elegant oxford shirt, full windsor knot tie wearing gentleman chypre (EDT not the EDP), 'Boy' is a carefree, open buttoned short sleeve shirt wearing adventurer currently enjoying his/her scent trail through their travels through Venice/Paris/Florence/Vienna/Edinburgh/Amsterdam/Lisbon/Athens and other great European cities yet to be visited. Boy only travels and trails in warmer weather. Boy hibernates in winter. I can't wait for spring and summer...
1 Comment
Once upon a time..
Enough has already been mentioned about Oud Wood and I'm not going to add anything original. This is purely my experience of this fragrance. I first tried TF Oud Wood after a lot of hype at my local department store back in 2015. Suffice to say, it blew my mind and evoked a sense of nostalgia I had not experienced in quite some time. I used up the first bottle within 4 months. The second within a year. I haven't even used half of my third yet.
Scent:
This starts off with a spicy cardamom and rosewood up top and slowly dries down to a creamy sandalwood, tonka and very tame and wearable oud. It sounds fairly simple but the fragrance journey is magical and if you have ever grown up in a household where spice and attars were everyday essentials then this may well evoke a lot of memories. This is an all round signature scent worthy fragrance.
Unfortunately, as I wore through my bottles and indeed time, the scent profile has remained the same but the magic has waned...something had changed.
Longevity:
This used to be a reasonably lasting 8 hour scent in 2015. From my latest bottle I get 4-5 hours at most. Clearly reformulations since transfer of ownership have diluted a once charming and evocative fragrance.
Projection & Sillage:
This leaves a wonderful trail and projects for an hour or two after which it becomes rather intimate on my skin. I don't think this is a bad thing as it is quite a personal scent for me but if others are looking for powerhouse scents, I don't think this would satisfy. It may well differ on individual skins but this is my experience.
Conclusion:
TF Oud Wood remains a great fragrance and certainly historical for recharging the fragrance industry when it was released with Tuscan Leather and Tobacco Vanille. It has however been reformulated to the point where the scent is just that little bit diluted and the performance that bit weaker on a background of rising cost that do not justify the value...at retail anyway. By all means try it and if you like it, purchase it and enjoy as many have done. Would I recommend the scent? Absolutely. Would I recommend it at retail? Absolutely not. I simply wish it remained what it used to be, once upon a time.
Scent:
This starts off with a spicy cardamom and rosewood up top and slowly dries down to a creamy sandalwood, tonka and very tame and wearable oud. It sounds fairly simple but the fragrance journey is magical and if you have ever grown up in a household where spice and attars were everyday essentials then this may well evoke a lot of memories. This is an all round signature scent worthy fragrance.
Unfortunately, as I wore through my bottles and indeed time, the scent profile has remained the same but the magic has waned...something had changed.
Longevity:
This used to be a reasonably lasting 8 hour scent in 2015. From my latest bottle I get 4-5 hours at most. Clearly reformulations since transfer of ownership have diluted a once charming and evocative fragrance.
Projection & Sillage:
This leaves a wonderful trail and projects for an hour or two after which it becomes rather intimate on my skin. I don't think this is a bad thing as it is quite a personal scent for me but if others are looking for powerhouse scents, I don't think this would satisfy. It may well differ on individual skins but this is my experience.
Conclusion:
TF Oud Wood remains a great fragrance and certainly historical for recharging the fragrance industry when it was released with Tuscan Leather and Tobacco Vanille. It has however been reformulated to the point where the scent is just that little bit diluted and the performance that bit weaker on a background of rising cost that do not justify the value...at retail anyway. By all means try it and if you like it, purchase it and enjoy as many have done. Would I recommend the scent? Absolutely. Would I recommend it at retail? Absolutely not. I simply wish it remained what it used to be, once upon a time.
