Elijahrb67

Throughout my fragrance journey, I have been silently trying to find the "perfect" rose fragrance. Eau Rose stands out as the closest I have come to fulfilling this goal of mine. This is a rose that has a very clear goal, focusing solely on the natural beauty of the rose. What makes this fragrance so compelling to me is that it is very linear, fresh and vibrant, while still maintaining just the slightest bit of powder and sweetness. It never leans too far into syrupy or jammy territory, or in the opposite direction, bitterness and harshness. There's also a gentle fruitiness, which is quite typical in rose fragrances, woven into this composition. This fruitiness works well with the composition, and helps to amplify the freshness of the rose. In general, I found that Eau Rose seems to sidestep the excesses that many rose fragrances of today seem to gravitate towards in favor of a bit of a more serious take on the note, rooting itself in a sort of clarity and of course, the feeling of the color pink.

For those who could call themselves seasoned rose lovers, Eau Rose provides a refined take on the note that is elevated above many others. And, for those who might be unsure of rose fragrances, it offers an inviting introduction that is extremely pleasant and graspable. I don't think Eau Rose is reinventing the rose by any means, but it is certainly giving a worthwhile and appreciable take.

I’m still a bit confused on Diptyque’s Les Essences de Diptyques line. For a brand that has decent prestige, and is know for having some quite stellar creations, their ‘exclusive’ fragrance line is not feeling very exclusive, but rather a bit bland. Bois Corsé is not an exception to this, and I still found it an odd, and not entirely pleasant fragrance. The opening is very astringent, with a dry and powdery side as well. There is a very prominent woody note with a turpentine feel to it that seems to dominate the opening. To add, there’s also an underlying sweetness from the tonka , which is making the entire thing clash. This opening actually lasts for a fair amount of time, but the dry down is a somewhat better experience. The dry down consists mainly of powdery tonka, and the same woods from the opening, but they’re now toned down and easier on the nose. Despite it being more enjoyable I still found it to be awfully bland. It never really goes anywhere deeper than just vague sweetness, which is disappointing. I am truly having a hard time imagining this fragrance being the ‘essence’ of anything other than perhaps a furniture polish of sorts, or maybe some kind of unpleasant cocktail with lots of bitters?

I can’t fault Diptyque for much here though. From what I’m gathering this line as a whole seems to be aimed more at an abstract concept where they are attempting to capture the scents of things that don’t really have a scent. This is especially the case with Corail Oscuro, and the newly released Lauzulio, both of which seem like they wouldn’t strike as much of a nerve. Looking at it from a more artistic point of view, I can definitely appreciate the work, but at this price point I can think of better options that are more enjoyable and exciting to wear.

I've had my bottle of Sultan Vetiver for a while now, and I've worn it at least 7-8 times, but I still can't really decide how I feel. The immense praise it received on here led me, a huge vetiver lover, to blind buy this, and I'm happy with the choice I made, but I think I really prefer many other vetiver fragrances. That's not to say Sultan Vetiver smells bad, or that I don't like it. In fact, these things could not be farther from the truth, as I think it smells great, but truly I think I was just expecting a bit more? This fragrance is earthy and dirty to the max. It has a very soil-y and root-like (if that's even a thing) quality to it. It does have the damp and grassy qualities of vetiver, but I also get, oddly, a lot of a coffee-esque note. This is what throws me, as I feel like it's detracting from the vetiver here. It's not a sweet or sugary coffee, but rather like coffee grounds that are leftover from brewing. It's a unique facet, but in my opinion it almost makes the fragrance smell very flat, and removes some of the character of the vetiver notes. It is also worth mentioning that I can see this being a harder wear, especially if you will be in close quarters with others. It's not necessarily an offensive fragrance, but it's one that seems to be a bit too earthy and raw smelling for the general public.

For me and my tastes, I will be sticking to the likes of Guerlain Vetiver and Terre d'Hermes Eau Intense Vetiver. Comparison between this and those two seems futile as they are dramatically different, like apples and oranges, but I prefer those for my own tastes. Nonetheless, I will still enjoy giving this fragrance a wear from time to time, and maybe one day I can unravel the mystery it poses to me.

The fragrance of my dreams, truly. I have always wanted a luxurious, powdery, spicy floral like Orpheon, and was elated to finally discover this fragrance on my trip to New York earlier this year. Orpheon is a fragrance that screams 'luxury' in the best way possible. It's very upscale and chic, but never too full of itself or too kitschy either (I'm looking at you LV!) It's also a very ambiguous fragrance in the sense that there so much going on with it's composition that you never truly know what you're smelling, but you're always enjoying. The initial spray of the fragrance reveals the most floral notes, and a fair bit of clean powder. It's extremely vibrant and oddly refreshing, like hopping out of a steamy shower into a cold bathroom. As it dries it becomes a bit warmer, with a hint of spice, and a lot of tonka. Even with this bit of warmth, I wouldn't classify this as a particularly warm fragrance, as once again, it really leans into fresh and clean territory. It's quite sweet throughout the wear, but never overpowering or cloying by any means. I will say, I was expecting more juniper in the composition here, as Diptyque themselves lists juniper among the key notes in the fragrance. My nose is a bit out of practice at the moment, but I still don't get a ton of juniper here.

I think the composition of Orpheon is near perfect. It's easily one of my favorite fragrances of all time. Unless something even more magnificent sweeps me off my feet, Orpheon will remain a favorite. It's also one of Diptyque's best offerings in this price range. This is one of the very few fragrances that I recommend to anyone and everyone regardless of preferences, as in my eyes, it's really just THAT good.

In my recent trip to New York, I somehow found myself lucky enough to purchase a 'vintage' (which in this case is not super old given that this fragrance has only been around since 2009) bottle of Guerlain Homme. It's seemingly one of the lesser known Guerlain fragrances in general, as I'd never heard or seen much about it prior to coming across my bottle. I can't say I blame people for not giving this one much though. It certainly doesn't live up to the Guerlain greats, and it feels a bit too 'niche' to be mainstream, but it is still a really solid composition. It opens up with a very sweet-fresh feeling that is rooted in rum and mint. Some are saying this combination gives off a mojito vibe, though I can't say I know what that smells like, so I won't fully confirm this. After the sweet intro, it gets markedly fresher, with a very citrusy and woody dry down, and maybe just a hint of earthiness thrown in as well. It's quite nice overall, and a very easy to wear fragrance that has a bit of a niche feel to it. Despite it not ranking among the legendary Guerlains, it is still a good fragrance and one that I think many would enjoy if they gave it the time of day. It's pleasantly masculine, but never screams manliness like so many of the men's fragrances of this era did.

This fragrance is further proving to me that Guerlain did not ever really have a 'bad' period in history. The late 90s to early 2010s is often deemed a sort of 'dark age' for Guerlain due to questionable reformulations and supposedly subpar fragrances, but I've had a hard time finding any of the fragrances in this era subpar. It's true they are not as much masterpieces as say, Shalimar or Vetiver, but they are still good in their own right, and worth checking out.