Animilovic

Through the Sample Box from Le Parfum Magazine, I initially received a 2ml sample of Antares, but over time I received an email informing me that I had won the full-size fragrance. Of course I wasn't going to say no, thank you! Since this is my first fragrance from the house, here is a brief introduction to In Astra:

Sofia Bardelli founded this still relatively young perfume house in Italy in 2020, and you don't have to engage with the brand very intensively to quickly realize that the fragrances are intended to be a homage to the poetic beauty of the universe and its stars.

Antares is a star also known as Alpha Scorpii, as it shines a vivid red from a distance of 600 light-years, being the brightest star in the constellation Scorpio. So how was this star interpreted in the fragrance? Not at all. Unfortunately, I have to make that clear right away, because this fiery red star has absolutely nothing to do with the fragrance. At first, a very artificial, hairspray-like pepper note unfolds. Well, it is of course possible that the star's atmosphere consists of pepper spray, but I am not going to assume that for now. Although the fragrance does become more pleasant as it develops, I cannot understand why one would choose white floral notes, sandalwood and amber for a red, Mars-like star. There are only 17 users of the fragrance on Parfumo, but the ratio there seems very balanced, with 53 percent women and 47 percent men. I would confirm its unisex character.

Regarding performance, the fragrance would not survive a journey to the star, and if anything, perhaps only Oud Satin Mood Extrait de Parfum would be suitable for that, but let's not raise our expectations to such absurd heights, because four sprays on the neck and self-perception of around six hours are quite good.

The bottle is beautiful and would actually deserve a rating of 8, but I have to criticize the fact that the fragrances all come in the same bottle, with only the labeling hinting at the different stars. Because what does the fiery red Antares have to do with a dark blue bottle and a gold cap? At this point at the latest, they would have had the opportunity to capture the character of the star, if they had already ignored it in the fragrance DNA, but there is nothing of it to be seen here either, and they opted for the uniform look instead, naturally for cost reasons. By the way: for anyone interested, the cap seemed so heavy to me that I had to weigh it. The bottle, with 50ml of contents, weighs 174 grams, while the cap alone weighs 100 grams, quite remarkable.

The savings made through uniform bottles are not necessarily reflected in the pricing policy. 150 euros for 50ml is too much in my view. The price might be acceptable for 100ml, but I cannot generously reward such disregard for the actual star, even if the fragrance performs quite well.

Stars, a thoroughly interesting subject that I have not yet explored very deeply. But it doesn't matter, because apparently perfume houses that have made this fascinating subject their mission only engage with the actual stars on paper for marketing purposes. Because there is nothing of Antares to be found in Antares. My television's standby light has more to do with the star.

This fragrance reminds me a little of Aoud Exclusif because the ingredient lists are partly quite similar, and this fragrance also creates a creamy something that barely allows me to discern any individual ingredient. But unlike the proverb, it is not particularly desirable when a perfume "remains silent"...

The description of the fragrance is somehow as meaningless as the fragrance itself: "This fragrance embodies contemporary and captivating elegance. Perfect for the charismatic, self-confident man: This urban and sophisticated fragrance leaves an unforgettable impression - modern and timeless at the same time." It does not mention a single ingredient, and although it is supposed to be a unisex fragrance, the description is aimed at men. Somehow, I believe that Mancera itself had no idea what to do with this fragrance. The opening offers a creamy scent that, if I smelled it blind, would still make me suspect vanilla, but oud, rose and leather are completely absent to my nose, and not much really happens as it develops either. Exactly as with Aoud Exclusif . Therefore, I find it difficult to understand why two such similar and meaningless fragrances were marketed one after the other just two years apart. Mancera shows considerably more courage with fragrances such as Red Tobacco or Tonka Cola. At least, of the 88 registered users on Parfumo, a solid 90 percent are male. That does correspond to the fragrance description, but to be honest, I do not find the fragrance as ultra-masculine as the description or the percentage breakdown of users might suggest.

The performance is actually not the best either. Mancera sometimes offers monsters with longevity exceeding 10 hours. I was able to smell this fragrance on myself for around four hours with four sprays on my neck. Rather lower mid-range for Mancera.

The flacon, on the other hand, fits the name quite well. Everything in gold for a fragrance called Gold Prestigium ? That makes sense, but unfortunately, the contents are not as valuable as the flacon would suggest.

Mancera's own RRP is 170,- euros for 120ml. Perhaps still rather low in the niche sector, but nevertheless too much for such an expressionless fragrance without a concept. However, there are offers online for just under 80,- euros, and at that price the value for money becomes considerably fairer.

Gold Prestigium can be worn, but you do not have to. The fragrance is expressionless and weak in character and resembles its housemate Aoud Exclusif in that respect, which I would be more likely to recommend, but only because it performs better. Fundamentally, however, I cannot recommend either of them, because even within Mancera there are fragrances that showcase vanilla notes much better, such as Aoud Vanille or Amore Caffè .

Perhaps cafés should rethink their concept in the future and serve incense cubes with coffee instead of sugar cubes. Because the unexpected combination in Encens Suave Extrait de Parfum is, as the perfume name already suggests, "spellbinding".

It is also easy to recognize from the name that incense is at the heart of the fragrance. However, the combination with amber, vanilla and coffee is unexpectedly good. I would not have identified the coffee note blindly, but immediately after spraying, a gourmand-like incense note unfolds that is beautifully balanced. As the fragrance progresses, it becomes somewhat smokier at times, and in the end the scent becomes a little sweeter. But regardless of the phase, the incense note is presented in a sophisticated and harmonious way in each one. I remember well when I smelled Ombre Nomade for the first time and this incense fragrance rather put me off. But something has changed since then and at the latest since testing my Opus XII - Rose Incense, incense and I have made peace again. On Parfumo, only 156 users are registered as wearing the fragrance and 79 percent of them are male. I actually would have expected that.

My praise does not diminish when it comes to performance, either. This version is an extrait and with four sprays on my neck, I was able to smell it on myself for around eight hours. Enough to smoke out every sin.

I generally find the bottles beautiful, and black is always sexy, even when it comes to perfume bottles. But every extrait comes in the same black bottle without any accents that fundamentally match the character of the fragrance. Understandable from an economic perspective, because all you have to do is print different names on a single bottle, which saves money. But from a creative perspective, it is not particularly imaginative.

And the money saved by producing uniform bottles does not necessarily show in the price. An RRP of 360,- euros for 100ml is steep, and although I have now been working diligently in the perfume business for four years, I will refuse to consider such prices "normal". Especially not when you consider that the cost of the perfume liquid itself is often only in the single-digit euro range, even for high-priced niche fragrances. But apparently humans are rational beings, and so one price or another regulates itself. I discovered numerous offers online for 100ml at ~230,- euros. At this price, the fragrance seems considerably more attractive, as it offers good DNA, top performance and an appealing bottle.

First Opus XII - Rose Incense and now Encens Suave Extrait de Parfum as well, one might think the Holy Spirit had appeared to me, because I have learned to love incense.

Summer may be going all out one last time this weekend and, fittingly for the final summer weekend, I want to test the last fragrance in the Coast to Coast sample box from Goldfield and Banks. Pacific Rock Moss and Sunset Hour were a pleasure with performance issues and Bohemian Lime fits right in there.

"Byron Bay, where lush rainforest meets sun-drenched coast." This Australian location serves as the inspiration for the fragrance and at the heart of the notes is unmistakably an unusual ingredient: citrus caviar. At first I thought, what the hell is that supposed to be? Lime fish eggs?! But the fish-egg-like shape of the limes merely gives them their name, and among the locals the fruit is better known as "Gualang" or also as "finger lime". So if such an exclusive form of lime is used, must I assume absolute luxury, since I am serving caviar to my nose? Absolutely! From the very first second, the fragrance wins me over and the citrusy/spicy freshness at the beginning may even have been the best citrus-like opening my nose has experienced so far. Even though some people here in reviews and statements talk about bathroom freshener or toilet synthetics, I have to clearly disagree. Mature, masculine and natural - that is how I would describe the citrus opening. And lime could certainly be used more often instead of lemon, because I like it better. The woody notes that join in shortly afterwards are also worked in with absolute harmony, and what type of wood could possibly fit better than Australian sandalwood? 1,694 users on Parfumo, of whom a whopping 87 percent are male. That does not surprise me. The woods give the citrus opening a rather masculine appearance.

As much as I like the house's fragrances, the performance is unfortunately just as poor. Pacific Rock Moss and Sunset Hour were already weak performers, but Bohemian Lime takes things one step further in the negative sense. The meagre distance from my neck to my nose could be bridged by the fragrance with four sprays for around two hours. Yes, freshies of this kind are not known for their performance, but that is simply too little for me.

The bottle, on the other hand, puts me in a rather positive mood again. Even though it is designed in a minimalist way, the light green coloring naturally suits a lime fragrance enormously well, and I have to say the play of colors in the Coast to Coast line really makes an impression in the sample box.

In terms of price, I found the fragrance online at 128 euros for 100ml. Unfortunately, that is only "ok" and even though the DNA and the bottle have my support, I would never spend that much money on a fragrance with weak performance.

Compared to the price per kilo of real caviar, the price per liter of 1,280 euros may still seem low, but if this fragrance had had better performance, I would have been completely happy. All good things come in threes, a proverb that unfortunately does not apply to everything in life. In the case of Goldfield and Banks, however, this wisdom is confirmed (if you evaluate only the pure fragrance DNA without performance), because the Coast to Coast sample box with Pacific Rock Moss, Sunset Hour and Bohemian Lime all managed to delight me with their olfactory Australia.

At the end of last year, my equally perfume-enthusiastic friends whisked me away to Maastricht. Since I live in Aachen, it's just a short hop. Both of them raved about the city centre and the selection of niche fragrances at the "de Bijenkorf" department store. Indeed, the selection was impressive. Ex Nihilo mhhh never heard of it, let's see what they have. I picked up Blue Talisman Eau de Parfum, smelled it and hey, this is good, why had I never heard of this house before? Shortly afterwards, an ultra-likeable Dutchman was standing next to me and said to me in an accent: "Ex Nihilo is a great house, the Blue Talisman is super." I sealed our agreement with a handshake and lo and behold, eight months later I am holding a travel spray of Blue Talisman Extrait de Parfum in my hand. I am looking forward to this review and dedicate it to my unknown Dutch department store friend, whom I will probably never see again. But enough sentimentality, let's start with Ex Nihilo:

The name "Ex Nihilo" is Latin and means something like "created out of nothing", and since 2013 it has been driven by a trio of Parisian perfumers. Particular emphasis is placed on the complete creative freedom of everyone involved in the fragrance creation process. Otherwise, I couldn't find sooo much worth mentioning, apart from the usual niche marketing spiel about only the highest quality in all ingredients, blah blah - everyone claims that.

So let's get to the fragrance: "A hypnotic jewel

Just like its original fragrance, BLUE TALISMAN Extrait was conceived as an immersive journey into the world of a precious jewel and invites you to lose yourself in a kaleidoscope of sensations.

Enchanting and multifaceted, this creation embodies the house's avant-garde spirit in its ultimate form." Now, even though I like the fragrance, I still have to criticise the fact that the manufacturer's description is a little exaggerated. Because at no point do I get the impression that I am immersing myself in a blue gemstone. To describe the fragrance with a little more grounding: It starts off citrusy-fresh / spicy. Very well done and very "grown-up". This bergamot-pear mix is better than one might initially expect, but exactly where the spiciness comes from remains somewhat of a mystery to me. The heart note would rather suggest another floral development, but to me it simply remains pleasantly spicy. The colour blue does not come to mind at all. Perhaps my expectations were influenced a little by the title and bottle, but the fragrance is not "blue". Musk, vanilla, sandalwood, a base like the one found in almost 90 percent of niche fragrances by now. Yes, it smells pleasant, but I am slowly getting the feeling that creations in the niche sector are simply repeating themselves and that a little of the courage to be "different" has been lost. Following the motto that niche is the new designer, the only question is what comes after niche. But please don't take that as being too negative: Blue Talisman Extrait de Parfum is a good, fresh-spicy fragrance. It is hardly surprising, however, that men account for 81 percent of the users of this unisex fragrance. I would almost have estimated that figure even higher.

Blue Talisman Extrait de Parfum is an extrait, so I had hoped for longer-lasting performance, and six hours of smelling it on myself with four sprays on the neck isn't bad for a "fresh" fragrance, but there are other extraits that make this performance look like a Dark Souls end boss, such as: Oud Satin Mood Extrait de Parfum .

The bottle certainly matches the name perfectly, but not necessarily the fragrance's spicy character. As I already mentioned, I don't perceive the fragrance as "blue" and would rather have expected a maritime cologne. And in general, I don't find the design particularly worthy of a niche fragrance in this price category, which brings us to the biggest point of criticism.

100ml cost 390 euros, so you get quite a shock at the checkout. With extraits, perfume houses do like to charge a bit more, but the fragrance isn't worth that much. Yes, the fragrance is good, but there are outright monsters in this price range, and this fragrance isn't one of them.

It is probably more worthwhile to buy the little brother, Blue Talisman Eau de Parfum, which still demands a hefty 280 euros for 100ml but can certainly hold its own against its extrait sibling. For spicy freshness, however, there is no getting around African Leather Eau de Parfum for me - I would choose that one any time.