ErhanSaceros

I am increasingly surprised in recent months by how simple, flashy fragrances are being used to try to conquer the market.
We have the almost complete overhaul of the Dior fragrances to the extremely ordinary.
Then there are the Louis Vuitton fragrances, which abandon a complete, stable fragrance structure with the "top notes concept" or "KISS principle".

Since I tested L'Homme Ideal Cool and the fragrances that followed, I have lost more and more interest in this brand. I know that especially experienced users greatly appreciate this brand, and rightly so. Many older fragrances from Guerlain have simply been very thoughtfully developed.
But the trend towards the trivial (as with Dior) seems to be slowly taking hold at Guerlain as well. I just briefly looked at the reviews for the new Habit Rouge. Unfortunately, the concern is confirmed here as well. But now to Herbes Troublantes.

The opening is crafted very well, even though it is not an olfactory highlight. We have slightly dried mint leaves that give the orange blossom a rather neroli twist. This is accompanied by authentic green-herbaceous, somewhat bitter notes. Quite refreshing!

After an hour, one must unfortunately realize that this construct quickly collapses in on itself and the fragrance has only dazzled you. The opening, which was actually not a highlight, is in comparison to the entire progression actually a highlight.
Because what comes after the opening is very ordinary: powdery-soapy orange blossom musk with subtly citrusy aromas. While it is finely rounded, it smells for hours until the end like Mediterranean refreshing wipes/refreshing sprays on my skin. All other notes only had their performance in the first hour.

I must admit that I do not know the previous version of the fragrance. But it does not make sense to me why one would transform a previous EdC into an EdP, knowing that the previous fragrance was more refreshing than perfume. One can really only get upset about how an EdC (which is generally simple in terms of fragrance) is being forcibly pushed into the "exclusive" corner to make more profit - with the justification of high-quality bottles and increased concentrations.

If we continue to be satisfied with mediocrity, then we can only dream of innovation and art in the future.

Dior has managed to launch a very distinctive, innovative, and unprecedented fragrance once again after the hit of Dior Homme 2020. Finally, the Ambroxan note, which gives the entire Sauvage line its recognizable character, has been almost completely removed. This has been replaced with a very high-quality and almost supernatural shower gel note. I am very impressed that Dior has gathered the courage to use shower gel accords that have never been used in perfumery before. I was not familiar with shower gel notes in drugstore, designer, or niche fragrances. With this innovation, Dior is catering to my olfactory needs. It is evident that many people came together and consulted for months to develop such a blockbuster.

Elixir is consistently fresh and has an aquatic/shower gel-like effect due to lavender and high-quality synthetic notes. However, the fragrance begins nutty-sweet-warm and slightly roasted, while harmonizing with the freshness.
After about half an hour, the nutty aromas bid farewell, and the wearer/environment is continuously and pleasantly provided with a fabulous, slightly bitter shower gel aquatic. The licorice lingers in the sillage for the first two hours before it also says goodbye.
And so the fragrance remains until the end. Bitter, masculine, very mature, fresh, captivating, and certainly gives the wearer charisma and character. Elixir also totally reminds me of the blue "duschdas" gels. Finally, I have an affordable alternative to my shower gels.
Accusations that the fragrance is not complex, or generic and very one-dimensional, I hereby reject. I know of no fragrance with so many clear and well-staged facets.

The hardly innovative, older Sauvage flankers have finally become obsolete. Dior has earned my respect by adding a very independent, wild fragrance to this line. I am very curious to see what daring moves Dior will make in the future, but since Dior Homme 2020, it can only go uphill from here.

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When I first tested the fragrance four years ago and wrote a statement about it, the rating was as follows: "Well, I don't find it that sexy. I only liked the top note, which starts off a bit oriental."
A new and young Parfumo from back then clearly did not truly appreciate this scent. Since I've been getting more into leather fragrances, I wanted to test Fahrenheit again. After all, it contains leather, and I've gained a lot of experience over the years. And I'm glad I retested this fragrance.

Neither classic nor modern. A timeless perfume that has convinced me greatly, but unfortunately disappointed me after two hours.
The fine, thin leather combined with this (motor) oil-like/gasoline-like note, subtly accompanied by oriental spices, fascinates me in its uniqueness and also in its mass-appeal wearability. The floral notes seem hardly recognizable here, likely because they have been skillfully integrated in a masculine way.
Unfortunately, the scent fades quickly after two hours and becomes insignificant. The oiliness is almost gone, the leather note is only faintly present, but/alas/at least the overall scent profile from two hours ago is still very "rough."

Now I have given the fragrance two more points. Back then, I simply did not recognize what was in this scent and rated it with 4.5 points. If the fragrance had remained so refined and clear until the end, I would have given it 8 points without much thought and possibly even bought it.

In addition to the collapsing scent composition, I was also bothered by the tame nature of this fragrance. Much too quiet and shy for a scent that should actually scream and intimidate. Unfortunately, I cannot say how much the reformulations have impacted it, as I do not know the older versions at all. Perhaps the fragrance simply fails on my skin or in my nose.

Right after spraying, I immediately thought of JPG's "Le Mâle Essence de Parfum." This is hardly surprising considering that Quentin Bisch is the perfumer for both Ganymede and Le Mâle Essence. It is not uncommon for perfumers to use similar or almost identical formulas for different brands.
I don't want to say that Ganymede is identical to Le Mâle. But it is clearly noticeable that Quentin Bisch has incorporated the same aura from Le Mâle Essence here or even improved it positively.

Looking at the fragrance twin reviews on the Le Mâle Essence page, you can see that twelve users voted for and ten against a similarity. Both sides are somewhat right.
This is because Ganymede has significant differences. But the main reason lies in the fact that Ganymede smells different on the skin than in the air/sillage. In the air, you can recognize the Essence aura. This is the only explanation for me as to why some perceive certain similarities while others do not.

Ganymede consistently has this leathery-floral-sweet, futuristic aura like Le Male. I don't know if it's due to Osmanthus, but since both fragrances have this note, I strongly assume so. Here, the leather note also comes across somewhat like suede. So, a balanced mix of both types of leather. Many describe the leather note as airy. That somewhat fits, but it is not transparent at all; rather, it is still tangible.

The opening on the skin is slightly fruity, but the mandarin is not recognizable. Very subtle, fiery-spicy notes can also be detected. Alongside, there is a caraway-like note that must come from the Immortelle. This provides a slight dryness that is not bothersome.
After two hours, the fruity notes and the caraway note gradually fade away, and it becomes more synthetic. Here, the synthetic quality is surprisingly pleasant. Not plastic, not chemical, not (too) cheap, and yet you can tell that it lacks some naturalness.
Another two hours later, amusingly, the mandarin appears on my skin. The Immortelle is completely gone. What remains are fruity-sweet notes with a synthetic veil. And the fragrance lingers like this until the end.

Immediately on the skin, the Essence aura is rather subtle, but in the air, it is quite pronounced. In the air, you can smell a tangible leather note, fruity-floral-sweetly fused in a masculine, pleasing, elegant, and yet somewhat sporty manner, typical of the Le Male Essence style. The mandarin and Immortelle do not come into play at all. The vanilla sweetness from Le Male is not present here. The sweetness apparently derives from the Osmanthus.

I must admit that I love Le Male Essence. This revised, more mature, cleverly designed version has made me happy and always brings a smile to my face, even though the scent profile on the skin is somewhat disappointing. This is the only drawback that prevents me from giving it a perfect score. The wheel has not been reinvented, but it has certainly been made much better and stronger. A fragrance that is extraordinarily ordinary, gives hope for more creative and newer fragrance genres, and generally offers hope for new creations.

Now I need to make a direct comparison and decide whether my Essence is enough or if Ganymede needs to move in.

When testing a high-priced fragrance, expectations are usually quite high. Especially when it comes to a scent that has made it into the top 56 in unisex perfumes after 300 reviews.
"Wow, it's getting great reviews. The notes promise no big spectacle, but the fragrance must have done something different to achieve an average of 8.5 points, especially with this typical top note constellation."

Um. What the Louis?

The opening consists of an orange, somewhat bitter and fizzy, processed through the other citrus notes. After an hour, the orange loses its shine and the fruit sugar (fruit sugar) comes to the fore. This is somewhat underscored by the mandarin, with its smooth scent consistency. It becomes paler and sweeter, and in the meantime, I get a cavity.
Overall quite pleasant, refreshing, nice, and childlike, without any particular character or even individuality.

And that’s it. Nothing more comes, and you could sense that just an hour after spraying. I am not disappointed because I had high expectations for the fragrance. I am just a bit confused as to how such a simple scent achieves such great success. Especially at this price, and even more so because there are similar fragrances for a few dozen euros.

"But Erhan, you are judging the fragrance based on its price," I hear you say.

No, definitely not. Even if it cost only €10, it would have received the same rating.

"But Erhan, there are also simpler fragrances. Sometimes less is more. They don’t always have to be complex scents. Sometimes you just have to dive in (and throw money out) and enjoy the fragrance," I hear you continue to say.

That’s quite difficult. For example, I love leather very much. But if there’s a pure leather scent for €200, I wouldn’t rate it very highly just because I like the note. I would rate it mediocre because I don’t see much effort or even a particularly challenging, creative process in such simple, monothematic fragrances.

Here, only one note stands out prominently. All the other notes only embellish it briefly or subtly. I know that the fragrance doesn’t need or want more than that. Still, as "critical" as I unfortunately am, I would have wished for more contrasts, more perfume than "refreshment," more film than a short top note trailer.

High price or not. For me, it’s simply incomprehensible to demand so much money for this. Perhaps ideal as a free gift with a purchase value of xx,xx€.

Of course, I’m happy if the fragrance makes you happy and this review makes you scream. :o)