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Chewed-out Chewing Gum
It was in 2012 that I first became aware of "Mint Woman" by Toni Gard. I liked that scent, nothing exceptional, but not a bad scent either. We can hope. A male counterpart, and maybe not a bad scent. Well, sometimes hopes are sadly let down.
Soon after Easter, testers were made available and I gave "Mint Man" a try. The bottle is a simple glass square with a sturdy base, has a solid silver top and is filled with a greenish/silvery shimmering liquid. Add to this a poster-type blue print of the word "MINT". The carton is equally kept simple and clean. I like that already quite well, not very resourceful, but straightforward.
The sniffing part, I am sorry to say, turned out to be a short-lived pleasure. At the beginning, no doubt, there is a subtle mint note. Not spearmint gum, not toothpaste, not catnip and certainly not the type of aromatic peppermint tea from Maghrib. At the same time, some fruity sweetness joins in, I can make out tangerine and peach. Then there is a floral note like lily-of-the-valley, but a bit artificial. Spicy and oriental notes round out the fragrance at the base. Helas, I cannot point out any specific components, not that I did not try.
The fragrance offers neither highs nor lows, nor are there any surprises. The mint is just plain boring and begins to fade after one hour. Those fruity notes combined with fresh flowery notes have also been sniffed by me many times before, and mostly artificial just as often. The basenotes are unremarkable and difficult to identify, I don't even venture to name patchouli or sandalwood. Pity, the whole thing is flat. Sillage is rather weak and longevity is average with barely four hours. A poor testimony to "mint" when I can barely smell that particular note after one hour.
A run-of-the-mill fragrance, uninteresting like a piece of chewed-out chewing gum. At least it does not stick to the sole of my shoe forever.
(Translation: Pipette)
Soon after Easter, testers were made available and I gave "Mint Man" a try. The bottle is a simple glass square with a sturdy base, has a solid silver top and is filled with a greenish/silvery shimmering liquid. Add to this a poster-type blue print of the word "MINT". The carton is equally kept simple and clean. I like that already quite well, not very resourceful, but straightforward.
The sniffing part, I am sorry to say, turned out to be a short-lived pleasure. At the beginning, no doubt, there is a subtle mint note. Not spearmint gum, not toothpaste, not catnip and certainly not the type of aromatic peppermint tea from Maghrib. At the same time, some fruity sweetness joins in, I can make out tangerine and peach. Then there is a floral note like lily-of-the-valley, but a bit artificial. Spicy and oriental notes round out the fragrance at the base. Helas, I cannot point out any specific components, not that I did not try.
The fragrance offers neither highs nor lows, nor are there any surprises. The mint is just plain boring and begins to fade after one hour. Those fruity notes combined with fresh flowery notes have also been sniffed by me many times before, and mostly artificial just as often. The basenotes are unremarkable and difficult to identify, I don't even venture to name patchouli or sandalwood. Pity, the whole thing is flat. Sillage is rather weak and longevity is average with barely four hours. A poor testimony to "mint" when I can barely smell that particular note after one hour.
A run-of-the-mill fragrance, uninteresting like a piece of chewed-out chewing gum. At least it does not stick to the sole of my shoe forever.
(Translation: Pipette)
Underrated Energy
Hugo Boss has launched a variety of new fragrances in recent years under the umbrella of his various fashion labels. If you don't pay attention, you can easily overlook one of many. Especially since recently many rather below average scents arrived at the market and thus gradually diluted the great reputation of outstanding scents from the 1980s and 1990s. So, are the current Hugo Boss products only among forgettable mainstream launches? By no means!
A signal red carton gets your attention. In it you have a cylindrical bottle made of clear glass, broadly increasing upwards, filled with a pinkish liquid. A simple red logo and a vertical red pipe provide optical accents. There is no stopper, the atomizer is integrated under a silver cap. The whole thing is supposed to remotely resemble a battery ... a bit farfetched when I am comparing this with my batteries for my car or in general household use. Whatever: the bottle not only looks good, it fits nicely into my hand and sprays easily.
My first impression is an immediate potpourri of sweet and fruity notes, with bold pineapple dominating over the citrus medley. I can pick out mint but it plays only a brief supporting role. As the scent turns spicier, I notice pink pepper and nutmeg, but also flowers. The base notes come in late and rather cautious, but one can make out leather and vanilla.
This first sweet impression never quite lets go with this scent, only the tonality varies from fresh to spicy and floral, and later vanillic. All along, the scent remains very pleasing, almost overly well behaved. Looking for edges and corners here would be in vain, neither are there any entirely new fragrance impressions. If one has resigned to that, one is left with a typical everyday scent for the office, shopping, sports, and family barbecues in Summer. For those occasions, the scent is actually very good. Compliant, as has been said. With a reasonable, not overpowering sillage throughout almost the whole day, at least a good six hours with a solid level before the final four hours fade-out.
"Hugo Energise" is for me an underrated everyday scent because it does deliver for a whole day. Possibly not by far better than any of its competitors, it still performs nicely.
My tip for Spring and Summer.
(Translation: Pipette)
A signal red carton gets your attention. In it you have a cylindrical bottle made of clear glass, broadly increasing upwards, filled with a pinkish liquid. A simple red logo and a vertical red pipe provide optical accents. There is no stopper, the atomizer is integrated under a silver cap. The whole thing is supposed to remotely resemble a battery ... a bit farfetched when I am comparing this with my batteries for my car or in general household use. Whatever: the bottle not only looks good, it fits nicely into my hand and sprays easily.
My first impression is an immediate potpourri of sweet and fruity notes, with bold pineapple dominating over the citrus medley. I can pick out mint but it plays only a brief supporting role. As the scent turns spicier, I notice pink pepper and nutmeg, but also flowers. The base notes come in late and rather cautious, but one can make out leather and vanilla.
This first sweet impression never quite lets go with this scent, only the tonality varies from fresh to spicy and floral, and later vanillic. All along, the scent remains very pleasing, almost overly well behaved. Looking for edges and corners here would be in vain, neither are there any entirely new fragrance impressions. If one has resigned to that, one is left with a typical everyday scent for the office, shopping, sports, and family barbecues in Summer. For those occasions, the scent is actually very good. Compliant, as has been said. With a reasonable, not overpowering sillage throughout almost the whole day, at least a good six hours with a solid level before the final four hours fade-out.
"Hugo Energise" is for me an underrated everyday scent because it does deliver for a whole day. Possibly not by far better than any of its competitors, it still performs nicely.
My tip for Spring and Summer.
(Translation: Pipette)
The Spirit Wins ... never mind the past reputation
Back in 1990: The author of this review fancies - other than "Photo" by Lagerfeld, "Obsession" by Calvin Klein or "Nightflight" by Joops - those dark blue chucks, the red jeans and white T-shirts with that black Diesel/Indian emblem. This was just as "IN" as Chiemsee, Ed Hardy, Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister.
In the 2000s not only the clothing style of the writer has changed slightly, but also the image of the Diesel line. Relatively meaningless fragrances are paired with questionable bottles, such as vivid green DDT spray dispensers, red cones, scruffy flasks and clenched fists. In this connection, the author cannot help but think of the memorable interview with the punk stars Bela and Farin (die "Aerzte") (= the "doctors") and ... while elaborating about sexual preferences, those "doctors" pointed to a spot above the elbow and said that "everything below that point is still fun"! So, well, the level of some of the Diesel scents ranges well below some raunchy doctors jokes. But I have to admit that with "Fuel for Life Spirit" the house of Diesel has had a stroke of luck; I for once have nothing to complain about.
An unusually discreet golden brown carton with understated print. A bottle which reminds me of the field flask, but fortunately without the half-rotten jute cover; instead, a raised lettering on the glass, discreetly gilded. Feels good in the hand, easy to spray: it fits!
Already at the first spray, you know where the ride will go: it is spicy and sweet. A not-at-all Christmas-type cinnamon makes the opening and is supported by a sweetness which seems to come from a not very citric grapefruit. After that, sweet and flowery blossoms follow. A non-scratchy incense fits perfectly with the cinnamon and woody notes offer a soft and warm support. Warm and yet masculine.
It is nice when a scent gives me a warm welcome and there are no ugly surprises, as are in some other current scents. Instead, "Spirit" is fully and intensely present without getting on my nerves. Warm and smooth like a good Bourbon, spicy and pleasantly male. Sillage is strong, but still tolerable in an office environment; longevity rates an enthusiastic OK with almost 10 hours, as the scent is fading away in a linear fashion. This is what I like!
This is the first of the Diesel fragrances that could win me over. It interprets classic masculine notes, yet is modern in keeping with current trends. Not bad at all, I could get used to this scent ...
(Translation: Pipette)
In the 2000s not only the clothing style of the writer has changed slightly, but also the image of the Diesel line. Relatively meaningless fragrances are paired with questionable bottles, such as vivid green DDT spray dispensers, red cones, scruffy flasks and clenched fists. In this connection, the author cannot help but think of the memorable interview with the punk stars Bela and Farin (die "Aerzte") (= the "doctors") and ... while elaborating about sexual preferences, those "doctors" pointed to a spot above the elbow and said that "everything below that point is still fun"! So, well, the level of some of the Diesel scents ranges well below some raunchy doctors jokes. But I have to admit that with "Fuel for Life Spirit" the house of Diesel has had a stroke of luck; I for once have nothing to complain about.
An unusually discreet golden brown carton with understated print. A bottle which reminds me of the field flask, but fortunately without the half-rotten jute cover; instead, a raised lettering on the glass, discreetly gilded. Feels good in the hand, easy to spray: it fits!
Already at the first spray, you know where the ride will go: it is spicy and sweet. A not-at-all Christmas-type cinnamon makes the opening and is supported by a sweetness which seems to come from a not very citric grapefruit. After that, sweet and flowery blossoms follow. A non-scratchy incense fits perfectly with the cinnamon and woody notes offer a soft and warm support. Warm and yet masculine.
It is nice when a scent gives me a warm welcome and there are no ugly surprises, as are in some other current scents. Instead, "Spirit" is fully and intensely present without getting on my nerves. Warm and smooth like a good Bourbon, spicy and pleasantly male. Sillage is strong, but still tolerable in an office environment; longevity rates an enthusiastic OK with almost 10 hours, as the scent is fading away in a linear fashion. This is what I like!
This is the first of the Diesel fragrances that could win me over. It interprets classic masculine notes, yet is modern in keeping with current trends. Not bad at all, I could get used to this scent ...
(Translation: Pipette)
