EauKay
Reviews
Filter & Sort
Detailed
Where's the Beef? I mean, Basil?
If I could have just one herb growing in my garden, it'd be basil. It can be annoyingly finicky with how much light and water it wants, but it smells so darn good and imparts so much flavor when you cook with freshly-picked leaves.
I have a few basil plants growing on my balcony. I know what it smells like.
Thé Basilic doesn't bring me any basil. I was so excited when I read other reviews saying there's this $40 fragrance that's like Torino 21 but with tons of basil and a little tea! Nah, man. The note that overwhelms all others is the bitter tea note. To my nose, Thé Basilic is warm black tea with a liiiittle bit of mint and vervain but no sugar added. There's almost no herbaciousness like you might get from Hermes H24 Herbes Vives, and the fresh sweetness from Torino 21 is absent as well. It reminds me more of the many cups of tea I drink when I have a cold or sore throat.
The bottle is nice and stands out, though. Performance is fine for what this is, and if you really like tea, this may deliver what you want at a very reasonable price.
I have a few basil plants growing on my balcony. I know what it smells like.
Thé Basilic doesn't bring me any basil. I was so excited when I read other reviews saying there's this $40 fragrance that's like Torino 21 but with tons of basil and a little tea! Nah, man. The note that overwhelms all others is the bitter tea note. To my nose, Thé Basilic is warm black tea with a liiiittle bit of mint and vervain but no sugar added. There's almost no herbaciousness like you might get from Hermes H24 Herbes Vives, and the fresh sweetness from Torino 21 is absent as well. It reminds me more of the many cups of tea I drink when I have a cold or sore throat.
The bottle is nice and stands out, though. Performance is fine for what this is, and if you really like tea, this may deliver what you want at a very reasonable price.
An After-Dinner Treat
As a bourbon drinker, something definitely feels right about 51.
The strength is in the opening. The bourbon note can be a bit overwhelming in the first few seconds, but after it settles for a bit, you can detect every note. This phase is my favorite part of the fragrance. It's a pretty unique concoction, and each element feels balanced, which is really nice since some of these notes are really uncommon. Appreciate this opening, because the bourbon, barley malt, distiller spices, and plum don't hang around too long.
Once you're in the drydown, the notes that linger are honey, maple, and toffee, with tobacco hanging out in the background. This gives 51 a syrupy gourmand feel to it, like the ideal post-Thanksgiving dessert. I could see this being a bit too sweet and cloying for some people. It is quite strong, too. You really don't need any more than one or two sprays.
What would improve it for me is if the malt and spices hung around longer or if the oak note was more pronounced in the drydown. However, take that last part with a grain of salt; my nose seems to have a harder time picking up certain wood notes from fragrances.
It also deserves to be mentioned that 51 shows up in its own little wood barrel case that holds it very firmly, which is a nice touch.
The strength is in the opening. The bourbon note can be a bit overwhelming in the first few seconds, but after it settles for a bit, you can detect every note. This phase is my favorite part of the fragrance. It's a pretty unique concoction, and each element feels balanced, which is really nice since some of these notes are really uncommon. Appreciate this opening, because the bourbon, barley malt, distiller spices, and plum don't hang around too long.
Once you're in the drydown, the notes that linger are honey, maple, and toffee, with tobacco hanging out in the background. This gives 51 a syrupy gourmand feel to it, like the ideal post-Thanksgiving dessert. I could see this being a bit too sweet and cloying for some people. It is quite strong, too. You really don't need any more than one or two sprays.
What would improve it for me is if the malt and spices hung around longer or if the oak note was more pronounced in the drydown. However, take that last part with a grain of salt; my nose seems to have a harder time picking up certain wood notes from fragrances.
It also deserves to be mentioned that 51 shows up in its own little wood barrel case that holds it very firmly, which is a nice touch.
