​So Damn Sublime, Yet So Miserably Ephemeral

Have you ever craved for a perfume, because you read some excellent reviews, because you wore it some time ago, or more just because its olfactory family and the notes that compose it go well with your tastes, and you have ventured a purchase blindly? The desire increases with the wait; the perfume becomes part of your collection; you smell it quickly, and you are pleasantly amazed. Then, when you wear it, you recognise that on your skin the performance is poor, disappointing. A daytime fragrance put on to go to the office, fades in the middle of the morning. Worse, though, an evening perfume made to get noticed at an important dinner or a date. You don’t feel it on shortly after leaving the house. Maybe it’s the fault of our skin or the batch of the perfume. Or its reformulation over the years. If you are anything like me, you feel bad; the dissatisfaction is strong, and of all that longing that burned in you before you had it, only the bitterness in your mouth remains.

This unfortunate inconvenience was the starting point for writing this article. I want to share with you the ranking of some perfumes I own, despite their popularity and goodness, they lack in performance; at least in their most recent reformulation.

Light Him Trussardi

The cologne is fresh, and I have been wearing as a signature fragrance since they released it in 1997. I got aware of it at a duty-free while waiting for my flight. The unknown yuzu immediately grabbed my senses, and the spritz I tried on my arm stayed there for quite a long time. I liked it a lot, and it got me a lot of compliments. It was unique at the time. Perhaps cologne did not receive the well-deserved hype and was discontinued. When I saw it online, I bought it without hesitation. The perfume arrived, the overall aroma was as I remembered it, but after an hour it almost disappeared, vanished, as if I had never worn it.

Dunhill Custom

A blind buy, based on the excellent review I went through that rated it as moderate, the amber, smoky and spicy aspects, and the alleged resemblance with Baldessarini Ambré. The overall aura pleased me, spot-on from this viewpoint. However, it is faint, short-lived, almost subtle, and it does not last long or project that far. After a couple of hours, it turns into a soft skin scent. Being a recent release launched in 2011, I doubt it is because of IFRA reformulation.

Jacomo for Men

Yet another blind buy, this time based upon my experience with Jacomo de Jacomo, both classic and Rouge, two powerful colognes, in my opinion. Again, the spicy-sweet, gourmand, and woody accords and oriental family were my triggers. I think this one is the one that disheartened me most. I go nuts for the way it smells, but less than one hour and it is gone, no matter if I take a shower in it. I am using it as my scent of the night, quite a few sprites on my pillow before going to bed. (https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Jacomo/Jacomo_for...)

Dirty English Juicy Couture

Intrigued by the resemblance to Gucci pour Homme, captured by a mix of dirty leather, dark woods and musky tones, this golden and amber juice doesn’t stick with me. I have the bottle reformulated with the plastic cap and believe it or not; this is lighter and smoother than expected. It is suffering from poor longevity on my skin. There is a lot of alcohol, and the scent is very subtle and too diluted. It’s a shame because the overall aroma is a very tart, manly, super sexy smell! I wish I could get something dirtier, more skanky and a little masculine. But there is something about it, and I find it very fragile. I liked the idea of a light oud and spice mix, but I’m not too fond of the miserable longevity and projection.

Adiós Pampamia Hombre La Martina

I came across this cologne in a perfumery where I usually use; it was apparent, and the super dominant ISO-e note on the paper strip immediately made me want to love it. Warm, incense, smoky, and resinous chords intoxicated my senses. Once I got home and tested on my skin, I thought something had gone wrong with my bottle. Well, I couldn’t feel anything from my skin unless I pressed my nose against it. I gave him more time to develop, but nothing happened. I went back to the shop, complained about this and found that the tester, once sprayed on my skin, also behaved the same way. The saleswoman told me that she could perceive the scent. Probably my sense of smell is anosmic to the notes of this blend, or the right chemical reaction does not happen in contact with my skin.

(https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/La_Martina/Adis_P...)

Adolfo Dominguez Viaje a Ceylan Hombre

Look at the bottle. It reminds me of an old inkpot because of its shape, with clean lines, with a sophisticated touch on the metallic stopper that makes it a more contemporary thing. The juice inside is sumptuous and sensual, pallid yellow, an aqueous accord that merges with a fresh mix of citrus, modern patchouli and legendary soft spicy notes of amber woods. While splashing against my skin, the introduction is scintillating. A combination of intense, fresh, and delicate spicy nuance of red pepper and an explosion of bitter grapefruit, followed soon by dusty bergamot and then a sweet tangerine touch, which melts with ozone breeze. But when you think the trip has just begun, actually it’s over. It will be gone in a while.

(https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Adolfo_Dominguez/...)

Hei Alfred Sung

Ultimately, one of my most recent blinds buys. Its big brother, Alfred Sung Homme, fascinated me with that tall bottle full of purple barbershop-like juice. My pleasant surprise after I received Hei and smelled it, a greenish and aromatic vibe, soon turned into a disappointment. The day after I wore it to go to the office, and just a few hours later, the scent was nearly imperceptible. So, assuming that I like it, my only problem is the performance. It only lasts a few hours, and only if I spray it heavily. But it’s also very cheap so that I won’t be distraught.

(https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Alfred_Sung/Hei_E...)

That said, the performance is subjective; some people like opulent and long-lasting colognes that fill the room and leave a massive trail. In contrast, some others are happy with more delicate and feeble ones with an intimate approach. What are your take and flavour here? Please add comments, and I am curious to know your experience with some of the fragrance’s performance you own.

-Elysium