DarkWinterCS

Shimmering flakes, cold, damp air and crackling logs. Silence in the forest and lost in thought on the way. Despite the November blues and pensive times, a warm glow brightens many profound minds here. Bright, cheering and safe. A velvety cushion made of velour, waiting for you in front of the fire and inviting you into a world full of affection. The quiet blaze of flames.

No ageing images of Roman-Greek commemoration that Memo wants to express to us here.
Nevertheless, the symbolism with the tool in the hand fits to create something wonderful, perhaps even monumental of culture in the next step. Ruler, hammer and chisel for the right proportions and creative freedom. Perhaps nothing new, but still something that awakens desire.

Memo has created a fragrance for itself that stays in my memory. A perfect harmony, which Celine already achieved with "Black Tie | Celine" and also made the vanilla theme accessible in a way that no one else had done before.

Instead of the creamy, powdery focus, here it is a wonderful interplay of spices and smoke that triggers fascination and makes me dream. The balance, which I always consider to be the crucial point, is once again achieved here. Not the performance or the annoyingly persistent presence.

Delicate vanilla, underpinned by light tonka bean and a hint of cinnamon. Add a little vetiver to lend an earthy touch and a certain strength. On its own, this would be too much in the long run, which is why a wonderfully creamy, resinous smoke is added that is not sharp, bacony or too intensely fragrant. Just the right amount to turn a good fragrance into an outstanding one.

For this reason, the monothematic composition or the lack of development does not interfere at any time. The focus here was on simplicity and creating the best possible combination of ingredients. Its place next to Black Tie is assured and the three designers of the bottle have done a good job.

Tart, classic feel, green and citrusy.
A combination of fragrance characteristics that I don't usually like in perfumes. This may be due to the way I came to fragrances and which ones appealed to me as a teenager. On the other hand, it may also be due to the extremes that usually fly at you in the fragrance landscape.

There were many attempts on my part. One or two hits were even successful, but I have never been able to fully get to grips with this DNA. Basso finally tried to steer this in a direction that I would like. However, when I thought about Terre d'Hermès Eau de Toilette and Oligarch Eau de Parfum, I didn't know whether this would work. Oligarch was too harsh for me, TDH always had a touch too much vetiver. Nevertheless, I would like to be convinced, because No. 007 already showed wonderfully that it can work.

Basso initially gave me exactly what I expected. Citrus that was tangy and tart at the same time thanks to grapefruit. Juicy, with a green undertone of vetiver without riding too much on this impression of freshly cut grass. Ginger, which gives a fresh and slightly soapy touch to the skin. Pepper, in the rather fruity form of pink pepper, as well as the spicy component of the black variation. In addition, woods that form a foundation and project a coarser bed. I can definitely also detect galbanum, which is greenish and slightly rubbery in the background.

I can't imagine that this fragrance is so popular. Quite distinctive, quite masculine and yet somehow contrary to the fragrance development of the masses, which tends to be sweet, fruity and oudy.
Nevertheless, it triggers a certain fascination in me that I can't really describe. I definitely have to feel my way around it over a period of time, as it "clicks" for me more slowly than the Floris mentioned above.

There's nothing to complain about in terms of longevity and sillage, as it is noticeable prominently at the beginning and projects clouds around the neck over time. The wood and green notes keep the fragrance alive for a really long time.

Is there vanilla in hell?
If so, it's served cold, as a stirrer in a Coke.

With "Vanille Diabolique | Renoir", I've actually seen everything you can do with vanilla. From classic to modern.
This one? Wicked.
Totally unconventional, almost artisan and artistic. An Enigma pour Homme Parfum with a more present performance and a slightly over-the-top top note.
Although not that over-the-top, but a brief flash of the DNA stars that announces what is hidden in this fragrance. Citrusy, almost pungently tangy. Slightly sweet, spiced vanilla and then cinnamon with cardamom.

Right from the start, the cola wants to jump in my face, splashing around, almost ginger-like. It really tingles on my skin and nose, although the vanilla is already creeping up in the background, revealing a heavy cloud of itself. Not so much the kind that tends towards a baking aroma, but the cola gives it a powerful effect, almost like vanilla pulp smeared on the throat. Wow, here we go. A cocktail for the whole bar.

Alcohol is poured, spices are distributed. Everyone gets a sniff, everyone gets a lick. Bitten cardamom pods, the cinnamon sticks as stirrers and straws. It continues to crackle, the refreshment has not yet worn off.
Then it's actually there, this vanilla from hell. Warm, soft, familiar and yet new. Somewhat unspectacular, yet everything smells good. Supported by warm resin notes and still a certain spiciness.

But somehow something is missing. i like Vanilla Diorama, similar composition, better implementation with its French style much better. The balance of the DNA was more convincing and, above all, the vanilla-orange combination was much nicer on the nose.

This cola breeze is somewhat distracting in the long run and masks some of the fragrance's nuances. Above all, the cloud of sillage seems different from the perceived notes of the wearer. My wife almost caught her breath from the hidden vanilla top note.

It was a good try.

Admittedly, I held off testing this fragrance for a long time, but I was looking forward to it now that time has passed. Excitement was probably more the right word, despite my impressions of Oud 31. Because this one didn't go down so well with me. I didn't like the overall progression, the typical Carbonn formula was more than visible and so were the parallels to his previous works. All in all, a rather disappointing experience for me.
When the announcement of Cherry X came, I was less euphoric than with the first release. On the one hand because of my experience with Oud 31 and also because of the cherry theme. Too often this note was spoiled for me. Whether through a cardboardy-sweet version as in Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum or through a beautiful DNA, which was then ruined by a grotty performance as in Cherry Punk Eau de Parfum. Then the thought of too strong tonka bean, etc. So the concerns were quite clear in my eyes.

But now I was in the mood for a test and dared to try it despite, or perhaps because of, the bad opinions, which were simply more to do with the person. Just this much, I also find some advertising placements too artificially pushed to the fore, but every now and then I discover a new fragrance that my nose knows how to like.

Cherry X is different, different from the cherry fragrances I've usually had under my nose. In the direction I had hoped for. More grown-up, darker, less that synthy marzipan cocktail cherry. That's a good thing, because it stands out from the usual crowd and is definitely appealing. The comparisons to the style of a Side Effect are not completely unfounded, but without that annoying chemical note of musky wood, which ruins every Initio for me and which Aaron Terence Hughes also uses. Therefore a definite plus point.

The fragrance starts with a beautiful cherry that is reminiscent of Amarena. Darker, riper, yet not too sweet or even jammy. Rather juicy and with a slightly almondy undertone that is very seductive. After 10 minutes, however, that's it for the fruit for the time being, as it only returns in the base. There is also a little barrel wood and a minimal hint of alcohol in the top, which keeps the marzipan character more subtle and therefore not annoying.
When the heart notes begin, the BUT that I propagated in the headline appears. Resinous notes such as incense and styrax come through, along with amber, vanilla and oud. In my opinion, this combination is the weakest part of the fragrance, which ruins a good half hour of the fragrance for me and unfortunately brings the score down. In the mixture and on my skin, the whole thing smells like warm candle wax or tart beeswax. Totally inappropriate for my nose and somehow seems out of place and wrong. As if I'm wearing something else, which I don't want to admit. Fortunately, it has to be said that it really is only half an hour. This waxy, slightly resinous, smoky scent is just not for me. Unfortunately, I don't know how exactly this impression is created, but it can almost only be the oud-resin mixture with vanilla.

Towards the base, things get much better again and it's something for fans of Kilian fragrances. Dark, very mellow cherry that can only be heard in the distant background. An alcoholic impact that can be sniffed out like a nice cognac barrel. A hint of vanilla, flamed wood. Nice to sniff, very pleasant to wear and again not overwhelming, rather light and sensual.

I actually like the fragrance as a whole, would even flirt with a bottle without this strange center, but my heart wants to screw it up. Maybe I'll get used to it at some point, but at the moment I don't like it. Mainly because the performance is perfectly adequate and is never annoyingly heard by the surroundings. For once, it's not a room-filling fragrance that makes everyone gasp, but rather discreet, elegant and still perceptible. It also lasts for around 7-8 hours, which is also sufficient in my opinion.

Someone who is really looking for a well-composed cherry fragrance will find it here, because apart from the - for me - difficult middle, this is a really beautiful fragrance that will certainly find more friends than Oud 31. Therefore, the rating without any hype is simply unjustified and unfair.

This is yet another example of the double standards applied by many reviewers. If the person behind the fragrances is so much the problem, then every Guerlain fragrance should only get 0 points if you go by Jean-Paul Guerlain's disgusting statements.

Oud is good, at least once you have made the journey through the varieties and different regions of harvest/production. This is the only way to get to know the true quality of the raw material and make well-founded statements. However, it is also possible to create a good, well-rounded fragrance with minimal amounts of natural oud or synthetic equivalents. This is less common, but it is possible in principle.

After so many years, however, the fragrance can also be considered "stale". There is little that is really new, lots of infusions and uninspired DNAs. But every now and then you find a fragrance or two that either mixes new nuances or strikes a perfect balance in a previously familiar and uninspired formula.
With Mango Aoud, I recently had another case where oud was only used as a supporting component and thus carried the fragrance very well. It doesn't smell like oud, but the meaning behind it is clear, even if most people give the fragrance a misleading name with false promises.

Another offshoot of perfectly combining components can now be found with Numero V, which aims to combine chocolate, coffee and oud. This is also presented very well, but despite its beautiful sillage, I am left somewhat ambivalent.
This is largely due to the base of the fragrance, as the beginning is already heavenly...

Numero V starts with a great chocolate note, which, together with the roasted aromas of coffee, delivers a sensual and almost chewy interpretation well into the heart notes. Tart dark chocolate with the typical aromas of a high cocoa content, which moves fluidly and assimilates everything oud that gets in its way. Oud plays a rather subordinate role at the beginning and, as with the aforementioned Gritti, is used as a supporting note to give the chocolate even more depth and spice.
You can already smell it, it comes like a magical cloud, an inspiration and a barista's dream come true, the coffee. Although, it is more the roasting of a coffee, the slow grinding of the intensely aromatic beans, which give off a wonderful sensuality and give the chocolate-oud mixture an even darker and spicier note and also have an illuminating effect. A contradiction in terms, yet it has no animalistic component whatsoever. Extra Virgo took a similar direction with Animal Café, but it came across as too heavy and coarse. Numero V, on the other hand, is the beginner-friendly version of this.

It's only in the base that I notice the slightly synthetic traits of the oud on my skin, which are evident in the typical aroma that you get in most fragrances with oud. Can I overlook that? Perhaps. Do I still enjoy it up to this point? In any case.

And yet, in the end, I am left with a melancholy feeling that this fragrance could have blossomed into an absolute masterpiece with the last few percent.