Dunst030

Admittedly, a steep thesis.
I'm not talking about the blond rag-tag Aquaman from the comics of my childhood, but the action Aquaman from the latest films who looks like Jason Momoa. A fragrance with the robust aura of oceanic spice and a power that probably projects underwater and can still be smelled even after a dive lasting several hours. No, I'm not exaggerating, I swear a hundred million times!

If there really was any hype about the Kenzo Homme EdP, it completely passed me by. When I tested it in stores, none of the Kenzos have really impressed me yet. But I'm all the more fascinated by this one.

The opening is really powerful and rustic. For me, it feels as if the fragrance grabs you by the collar and looks deep into your eyes to ask: "Are you strong enough for this aroma?". Either you look away intimidated and quickly reach for AdG or D&G LBEE with pee in your eyes. Or you can withstand the stare and be rewarded with a respectful nod and an elegant and stable fragrance with a distinctive patchouli note. I perceive the stated leather as very soft and rather subtle. I also imagine a hint of fruit, but nothing citrusy. More like an exotic dried fruit, fig or something, but there are finer noses than mine to identify this better.

The aforementioned longevity is really remarkable, easy eight to ten hours, with a strong projection and sillage in the first two to three hours. More than two sprays are neither necessary nor useful. The bottle, well...let me put it this way: it's better not to lift the bottle by the lid. The design idea as such is of course appropriate and understandable.

Basically, Kenzo is a refreshing change, at least in the context of aquatic designer fragrances. My association here is not so much the Mediterranean with its fine sandy beach, but rather a rugged bay in the Southeast Asian Pacific. Thanks to its power and spice, it can be worn all year round, both casually and for formal occasions. I find it extremely versatile, but also polarizing. Definitely outstanding!

Damn, why the hell did I buy this fragrance!
I have enough sweet stuff, enough vanilla, lavender, fruit and freshness. Yes, enough synthetics too. An unnecessary purchase. So why?

At the forefront certainly this fresh straight-in-your-face sweetness, combined with cool lavender, indefinable (berry(?)) Fruit and the aroma chemicals that give you a long nose. Very pleasing, mildly offensive, clingy.

My wild thesis on the actual reason for buying it, however, is rather the lack of certain elements that paradoxically made it interesting for me. Notes that are often found in my fragrances that are vaguely comparable to BIRI, such as iris. BIRI also has a slightly powdery effect on me, but without this lipstick vibe. Above all, however, it lacks spice. The fragrance seems conspicuously lacking in spice to me, the pinch of nutmeg drowns in a sea of lavender and vanilla.

This passive-aggressive restraint makes the fragrance extremely accessible and charming. The nice boy next door. After wearing it several times, however, I now realize that it ultimately leaves me bored. Apart from the fact that I am certainly at least 20 years older than the presumed target group, I should have realized before I bought it that I would quickly lose my impulsive interest in the fragrance. Another lesson on my fragrance journey.

And now? Give it away? Let it gather dust? Try out the souk? Nope! I layer it with dark fragrances, especially oud. This creates an exciting symbiosis for me, as oud fragrances are often too heavy and stick to me like fresh-from-the-gruft.

Overall, in my opinion, UBIRI is a lovely, just barely masculine fragrance that would have benefited from a little more spice. It is a safe choice for anyone looking for a reasonably priced EdP with a friendly character and strong performance for various occasions.

Zara has a real sense of humor. Or gives industry the finger. Or lets school trainees do the final inspection of its products. But probably they can simply afford it or it is them schnurzpiepegal.

Since one buys one of the best perfumers and writes his name wrong on the bottle (admittedly with the new no longer). Or spells names of the fragrances at best maximum creative ("Royal Fressia" - who does not know them, the flowering Fressien). Or messes up the arrangement of the words (unless the fragrance is really called "Red Zara Temptation" lately). Would not surprise me with the mass of fragrances that Zara throws in the worst sense of fast fashion on the market, if the quality control also Alberto Gorillas waved through.

At the same time, many of Zara's newer fragrance creations are actually surprisingly well done. As with everything else, they suck up the trends, copy them quickly and rotzen them cheaply on the market. Good, of course, for people on a tight budget. Especially if you do not want to smell cheap.

Because also "Sand Desert..." smells really good. Initially still slightly (incense) smoky, it quickly becomes sweet-gourmandig, cinnamon-vanillig with delicious development to the Schokoladigem. The orange note flashes on my skin only slightly, it remains essentially the vanilla with mild spice. For a zara fragrance, the longevity is really okay, so 5-6 hours I perceive it well, while not projecting obtrusively. For an EdP, however, mediocre at best. For autumn / winter it is a really pleasant fragrance, both casual and evening.

As with Zara unfortunately almost always usual is the disastrous sprayer. Lousy plastic quality, which also times like to give up the ghost and just still so useful nebulizes. But at the discount price must be made just cutbacks.

The original Boss Bottled EdT was my signature fragrance for many years. Okay, it was my only fragrance. It was originally given to me as a gift. And signature fragrance was not part of my vocabulary. Once I had started to get into fragrances and build up something of a collection, it was clear to me that a Boss Bottled, no matter what variation, would never find its way into my household again.

Spoiler alert: the Elixir has made it. Admittedly, Boss is only following the trend here of reducing a well-known and successful fragrance to its most distant essentials, working vigorously with the wood and spice club to create long-lasting, room-filling monsters, which for some are grandiose, darkly heavy masterpieces of perfume art, for others overbearing headache triggers. Well, there are certainly distinctions in between. Nevertheless, all the elixir flankers from Dior, JPG etc. are polarizing. Be it because of their strong character or simply because they often no longer have much in common with the original fragrance.

I feel the latter with Bottled Elixir. Not only the complete absence of apple (or other fruity notes), but I also don't recognize any other relationship to the OG Bottled. But it doesn't matter, on the contrary, I didn't want to buy Bottled anymore :D

Enough rumpalavert, to the fragrance itself: the first impression on the test strip was horrible! Kind of medicinal, like something to rub on, aggressive and unpleasant, ooh, get rid of it. At the same time, Le Mâle Elixir on another test paper, which was much more pleasant. But then, simply by sniffing the Boss strip again for comparison, the fragrance had changed. Into a warm, spicy smoky aroma with soft wood, which at best could be described as cuddly. The subsequent test on the skin confirmed this development, except that it did not have this alcoholic-medical opening on the skin. So the Mâle Elixir lost out that day and the Bottled bottle went into my bag at a really okay sale price.

Meanwhile, I find it exciting that the fragrance develops into a creamy vanilla as it progresses. Wherever that comes from, because there is no vanilla in it. Maybe I'm misclassifying the persistent patchouli note in combination with the cardamom in my brain ;)

In any case, I find Bottled Elixir to be a powerful, dark and masculine fragrance with a soft character that becomes more accessible as it progresses. Perfect for the cooler fall, definitely suitable in winter, certainly wearable well into the still cool spring. The fragrance is easily perceptible on my skin for at least 8 hours, whereby I perceive the projection and sillage as good, but not intrusive. For an elixir even rather moderate. Therefore, in my opinion, also suitable as a fragrance in the workplace.

So if you are looking for a fragrance with the right character and don't mind the name or don't expect it to have anything to do with you and are also lucky enough to be able to pay a reasonable price, this is a really successful creation. However, it is not a blind purchase! But if you blindly recognize from the scent that it is the elixir to Bottled, I'll give you an apple :)