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The Dutch fashion brand BALR., founded by former footballer Demy de Zeeuw, ventured into the world of perfume a few years ago. By now, the brand, which describes itself as a "Luxury Lifestyle Brand," has released four men's fragrances, with the super-creative names "Homme," "1," "2," and "3." Looking at the fragrance pyramid of BALR.2, it initially sounds like a stylish men's scent. At €55 for 50ml and €80 for 100ml, the perfume is already positioned in the higher price range of designers.

BALR states on its website about the scent, among other things: "From driving the fastest cars to sailing in the Mediterranean on a stylish yacht - every experience is better when wearing BALR" - sounds like something for wannabe show-offs and not exactly elegant... Furthermore, it says: "[...] this Eau de Parfum blends bright aromas with warm base notes and leaves an impression that won't be forgotten quickly." - well, we'll see about that in the end...

The composition I smelled immediately after spraying it surprised me not at all. A brand with a sporty background that calls itself a Luxury Brand can probably do no better than 0815 shower gel scents. And this expectation was fully met by BALR.2! It totally reminds me of Adidas perfumes that I occasionally wore as a teenager. Fresh, uncomplicated, synthetic, and somehow smelling of "sport." Essentially, this scent could have also been named "Sport," then you would know immediately before buying what you're getting into.

The scent progression is as monotonous as the name. From the visually appealing fragrance pyramid, a nasty mishmash has formed in my nose that smells of everything and nothing and does not change over time. The longevity is poor for an EDP on my skin, more than four hours was not achievable.

So? - No, with BALR.2 I certainly do not want to cruise the seas of the world with my imaginary luxury yacht or take fast laps with my sports car. If I could ever afford such a thing, I would be in trouble if my taste in fragrance only stretched to BALR.2. This has absolutely nothing to do with luxury scent. The supposed warm base notes only leave me with the impression that I want to forget this perfume as quickly as possible. Thank goodness I only have a decant of it.

To write an appropriate comment about Aaron Terrance Hughes' "Animalix," I took plenty of time. Time that I believe is necessary to get to know this fragrance in all its glory - on one hand, to perceive it as an independent perfume, and on the other hand, to apply it as it is intended: for layering.

On YouTube, Aaron Terrance Hughes explains the concept of Animalix in a clear and precise two-and-a-half-minute video. This creation was designed as something that the wearer should not apply as a standalone daytime or evening fragrance, but rather as a base to enhance their own weaker or more boring scents, giving them body and, above all, making them last longer. For this, he exclusively used typical base notes of an animalistic nature (as the name suggests) in the development of Animalix. That’s the initial premise.

In fact, I found it quite challenging to consider how to structure this comment. First of all, I should mention that my bottle of Animalix is from the first batch and the old transparent bottle, not the current matte black design. Perhaps I’ll start with my very first thoughts and impressions of Animalix, which I had after applying the fragrance on my skin independently, without layering. After the very first spray and sniff, my inner self screamed "STOP! TOO BRUTAL! STOP, STOP, STOP - let's start over," as my nose was nearly overwhelmed by heavy, animalistic notes that seemed to annihilate everything around me. Such brutal force from a perfume (one of my first thoughts was also whether this could even be called a perfume) was simply too much at once. So I had to gradually acclimate to what was initially swirling around my wrist in large waves of scent. I closed my eyes and thought of the first association that came to mind: It was night, cold and wet, fog hung over the gentle slopes and between the trees of the dark forest I was wandering through. Without suspecting what dangers I might encounter in this forest, I decided to keep going and explore the surroundings not only with my eyes but also with my nose. Then suddenly I smelled it; it must be very close. The scent that hit me so strongly that a shiver ran down my spine represented everything I then saw with my eyes - a large, hairy beast. So if I imagine what a mythical creature in the form of a large, hairy, and aggressive beast looks like, then Animalix is simply that embodiment in the form of a perfume. Animalistic, with long-haired, dirty, damp fur - yep, that came to mind.

The question, of course, is whether one wants to smell like this. I’ll say this: if you’re very, very brave, you can certainly try it, but you should be prepared to quickly scare away those in your immediate vicinity, just as a large beast would likely do.

Instead, I took the last few weeks to layer all my autumn and winter perfumes with Animalix. Why only autumn and winter? Because the light spring and summer scents don’t stand a chance against Animalix; I gave up after just a few attempts. Fresh scents last a few minutes, then they’re gone, and Animalix completely overpowers them. For my experiments with my autumn and winter fragrances, I want to handle it by simply listing which perfumes I combined with Animalix and briefly noting what resulted on my skin. I won’t go into details about the individual scents, as that would exceed the scope here. The layering was done in a ratio of 1:2 - one spray of Animalix and two sprays of the other perfume. Rather, it should serve as a kind of guideline to describe from my subjective perspective which scents paired well with Animalix and which did not. I will not follow any particular order but will simply list them one after the other:

- Mugler Pure Havane: Works well, takes some sweetness out and makes the scent more masculine
- Davidoff Amber Blend: Works great, creates an interesting note of incense
- Roberto Cavalli Uomo: No chance for Cavalli, overwhelmed by Animalix
- Aaron Terrance Hughes Chocolate, Rose & Oud: Too brutal, the scents almost cancel each other out
- Rasasi La Yuqawam: Beastmode times 2, harmonizes well, possibly an indication that leather scents fit well
- Tom Ford Noir Extreme: Surprise - Noir Extreme beats Animalix after a while
- Tom Ford Noir EDP: Alpha male combination, but Noir steadily disappears after 2 hours
- Montale Chocolate Greedy: no, no, and no again - doesn’t match at all
- Margiela By the Fireplace: Scent becomes smokier, woodier, with a slight incense touch
- Margiela Jazz Club: Less sweet, slightly animalistic, very masculine, pleasant
- Mugler Pure Tonka: Very dark, slightly animalistic, Beastmode times 2
- Valentino Uomo Noir Absolu: hardly noticed any changes, can be left alone
- Dunhill London: stands no chance against Animalix
- Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud: Well, too much of a good thing, strains oneself and the surroundings
- Fragrance One Date for Men: Date even overshadows Animalix for a long time, making it hardly detectable. Afterwards, it harmonizes well and tones down the sweetness. Strong stuff, Jeremy ;-)
- Mugler A*Men: A*Men is Beastmode and even overshadows Animalix
- Montale Ristretto Intense Cafe: Good combination, harmonizes
- Salvatore Ferragamo Uomo: Although Ferragamo is Beastmode in itself, it gets overwhelmed by Animalix
- Calvin Klein CK Shock: Unharmonious, especially in the opening
- Gucci Intense Oud: Doesn’t fit well and takes away Gucci's "elegance"
- Polo Green: Polo Green more dominant than Animalix, but with an unpleasant touch
- Bond No.9 Success is a Job in New York: Good harmony, woody, dark
- JPG Ultra Male: leave it, nothing will come of it
- Penhaligon's Sartorial: no, not harmonious
- Armaf Craze: Mix of bitter animalistic and creamy-dark, quite good together and Beastmode
- Valentino Uomo EDT: nope, no chance
- Jacques Zolty Severo: no chance against Animalix
- Gisada Ambassador for Men EDP: not harmonious

Well then, that’s my list; perhaps it serves as a small aid. I want to emphasize again that this is a purely subjective assessment in combination with ATH Animalix. One thing is clear, longevity and sillage are amazing. However, I notice one thing now that I have had Animalix for a few months: The beast seems to be somewhat tamed, meaning that the brutality from the beginning is not as pronounced anymore; instead, it now seems sweeter and more balanced to me. Still, I wouldn’t wear it alone.

So, do you have to have Animalix? Not necessarily, but if you want to take the plunge, you can certainly treat yourself to a sample. However, I gladly forgo a second purchase, though I definitely acknowledge the thought and idea behind Aaron Terrance Hughes' creation :-)

Valentino's bottles are generally eye-catching, appearing both chic and a little decadent. With Valentino Uomo EDT, however, there is not only something good to see on the outside, but also something good inside.

The first spray is very fresh, almost sporty bergamot that you can sniff, but it completely disappears within seconds. It quickly becomes clear that this type of perfume already exists multiple times on the market - namely through the Dior Homme and Prada L'Homme lines. This quickly reveals the lightness and powderiness that this fragrance conveys and can thus be seen as direct competition (the same applies to the Eau de Parfum version, while Noir Absolu is structured differently). Essentially, the fragrance pyramid of Dior Homme EDT is not that different at all.

Valentino Uomo remains a very creamy and powdery scent for a long time, without any edges or corners. This scent progression remains consistent and feels almost unisex. A gourmand touch with a hint of milk coffee spreads in my nose. I have never tried gianduja cream. It seems to be a kind of nut nougat cream. For me, this implies that Valentino Uomo might have some chocolatey notes - unfortunately, I search for them in vain.

An elegant woody base allows the fragrance to fade over time. One should not expect strong longevity; on my skin, it lasted a maximum of 6 hours, with sillage being rather moderate. Nevertheless, this fragrance is a complete success. Anyone looking for an elegant date scent, either for themselves or as a gift, should definitely consider this one. It is definitely recommended if you want to dive into the Valentino Uomo perfume line.

I have been looking for a good fragrance for a while now, one that I can wear in casual settings or at the office, a scent that is clean and fresh while not overwhelming my surroundings too much. Ideally, something floral, not citrusy, and also unisex.

A classic in the market for an office environment is, from the designer corner, Prada L'Homme, lovingly praised by the German YouTuber "JF" as "the best soap fragrance on the market with a luxury touch." Yes, Prada L'Homme smells great, but it lasts almost zero on my skin, which is why my search for a scent with a comparable profile began. With Montale White Musk, I may have found what I was looking for. The fragrance DNA of White Musk and L'Homme is by no means comparable; just a glance at the fragrance pyramids makes that clear. However, what they do have in common is the "type" of scents: gentle, pure, floral, like freshly washed laundry.

I really have no idea what pure musk smells like. I even read that some people cannot perceive musk at all. Musk is often found in the base notes of perfumes, and I have always wondered what exactly musk smells like? White Musk seems to enlighten me a bit, as (white) musk is supposed to be a significant component here. First of all, the scent is very clearly white-floral in its character. The linearity of the scent progression does not seem to be a problem; this makes White Musk as a perfume easy to understand. Although Montale, especially due to its affinity for oriental fragrances, often brings real powerhouses to the market (-> Oud Blablabla), White Musk belongs to those that are more restrained. However, restrained here does not mean directly intimate; at least for the first hour and a half, the scent projects noticeably well on my skin.

With a sweet-floral and very subtly animalic note, I would describe this musk, the longevity of Montale White Musk is noticeably extended to up to 8 hours (which feels about 8 times longer than Prada on my skin). This very note makes the fragrance a unisex scent for me, which is fundamentally somewhat feminine due to its floral-soapy nuances, but I, as a man, would definitely wear it too.

Montale Vanilla Cake - a gourmand fragrance as it should be. A scent that already smells so sweet and strong from the sprayer that it almost knocks you over or makes you float on cloud nine. Upon the first sniff, it is clear what this is about: nothing other than juicy cake, the name says it all. This is not the case with every Montale, sometimes the names can be misleading.

I find it difficult to categorize these scent nuances into a pyramid, as so much comes together at once: vanilla, sugar, cream, a bit of roasted almond, along with strawberry and cherry in between (even if not listed). It actually smells like a perfect strawberry tart made by grandma, prepared with love. On the side, a hot milk with honey makes this cozy winter dessert perfect. One is already full from smelling after just a few minutes :-)

Vanilla Cake envelops the wearer in a strong sillage for quite a long time, which has the potential to fill an entire room. Perhaps for this reason, one should be cautious with the spray bursts. The fragrance hardly changes over hours and remains largely linear. The light fruity notes slowly fade over time, leaving behind a sugary vanilla base. Somehow, you can't keep your nose away from it; you’d prefer to constantly bite your arm.

Yes, Vanilla Cake is definitely more feminine but can definitely be imagined as a unisex fragrance. Perfect for winter, perhaps for a date, Vanilla Cake is simply irresistibly tempting.