Elijahrb67

I've never been a huge fan of the current Sauvage, mainly because I don't love blue fragrances, but Eau Sauvage is an entirely different beast. Created long before the screechy lemon-pepper Sauvage that has somehow become so popular today, Eau Sauvage has managed to impress me more than the current version ever will. This is a very classic fragrance, and a very mature one at that. The opening is very citrus-oriented with some powdery notes thrown in, and maybe a touch of floral sweetness as well. It's similar to Acqua di Parma Colonia in a sense, though this is more on the dry side compared to Colonia. The dry down is a bit warmer, with some woody notes, vetiver and oakmoss. The dry down is sort of like a combination of a fougere and a chypre, which I happen to enjoy very much. In weird way, this fragrance makes me think of the house that Nick Carraway, the character from The Great Gatsby, lives in. Refined, classy and masculine, but never making a huge statement for itself. It's very universal too, I can see this one being just as great in the winter as it is in the summer.

I once saw someone joke about wanting to replace every bottle of the current Sauvage with Eau Sauvage because they thought it was so much better, and I would have to agree with that person. Eau Sauvage is a far more interesting and unique fragrance, even if the modern formulations are not quite is strong or complex as older iterations. This will always be my favorite of the Sauvage fragrances.

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue has always been a favorite of mine, as it was one of the first fragrances that I ever purchased for myself. Upon first smelling Love Osmanthus, the similarities were uncanny, but I think that Love Osmanthus is better than Light Blue, if even only by a small margin. Love Osmanthus opens up with a very strong, sweet lemon note that segues into a delicate yellow floral note that combined with the lemon, creates a fragrance profile highly reminiscent of a cool sea breeze on a hot summer's day. As it dries down it stays virtually the same, with the addition of something sort of powdery thrown in as well. It's a great scent overall, and almost feels like a version of D&G Light Blue that combines both the men's and the women's version. This is not the most exciting or unique fragrance ever created by any means, but I think its a marked improvement on what D&G Light Blue did so many years before.

Overall, I think this fragrance is a good one to have around for when simpler, less complex fragrances are needed, but nothing that I would go out of my way to get again. This does smell good, and it's worth the money, especially for lovers of Light Blue, but it is a bit basic and I can see it being perceived as boring by many people.

While the DNA present in this iconic fragrance is quite storied, and important in the development of modern fragrances, it's sadly become a bit redundant in the more recent years. Replicated beyond all reason, 4711 has many similar competitors that capture the same fragrance profile in a far more worthwhile format. I still think that it smells great, but as time marches on and 4711 remains untouched, it makes me wish that there was something more here than a fleeting, classic eau de cologne. Nevertheless, it does smell good, and it's hard not to like it even if it does fade quickly. 4711 is a pretty quick wear due to the light concentration. When you first spray it you get some citrus notes which disappear relatively fast and fade into the iconic neroli-petitgrain accord that this fragrance is known for. This is quite a legendary fragrance DNA, and it smells fantastic, but sadly it's gone too quickly to ever be able to truly enjoy. There isn't much depth here which is fine given the price, but better longevity would certainly be a wonderful improvement at some point.

I should mention that I understand why this fragrance has never been modified or changed, and remains such a light concentration. I do think it's cool that the company has stayed true to their original purpose with 4711 (which was never really to be a perfume) but I do still wish that a stronger, but still fairly priced version could be released someday. The story of 4711 is cool and iconic, but the fragrance itself is a bit worn out at this point.

I must admit that prior to becoming more invested in fragrance, I didn't know much about Shalimar, which really was a big loss on my part. Since owning a bottle however, I have come to appreciate the pure genius that is this magnum opus from Jacques Guerlain. Shalimar opens with a wonderful bitter bergamot layered over a gorgeous balsamic vanilla. The floral side of the fragrance becomes present as it begins to dry, adding some powdery facets to the scent that help add a very comforting feel. The dry down is where the rich, resinous notes come in, alongside of the majority of the warm notes as well. There is a heaping amount of incense/smoky resin notes here that really make for a great finishing touch. Also worth mentioning is the touch of an animalic note (I believe civet was used originally, though it's almost certainly different now) throughout the wear of this fragrance, but it's not raunchy or pungent at all, and makes for quite a nice addition to this fragrance. I feel that it adds quite a bit of depth and helps cut down some of the more powdery aspects of this scent, while creating somewhat of a unisex edge as well. The result is a very cozy and timeless that has a comforting feel to it. Shalimar has become my comfort scent in my time of owning it, as it feels like the perfect fragrance for a cool rainy day, or really any day in general when you need a sense of warmth from your fragrance.

There is absolutely a reason why Shalimar is still so popular all these years later. It completely transcends all time and trends, and can easily be worn by anyone, which only adds to the legendary status of this fragrance. Among the well regarded legends of perfumery, Shalimar likely reigns supreme in my book. There is something so endearing, yet so naughty about it's composition that really sets it out from many fragrances, modern and classic. I highly recommend everyone get their hands on Shalimar at some point.