FabianO

I can actually find quite a bit of merit in the praise being sung here for this splendid fragrance.

“Stellar Times” manages to envelop you olfactorily quite immediately. The Vuitton comes across with a festive aesthetic, from the very beginning a skillfully nested orange blossom sways back and forth. Overall, it is powdery, and I wouldn’t directly call it fresh in a summery sense.

Rather, it’s a lightly artistic floral freshness, ethereal, suitable for concert halls. Opulent in a way, already expansive, self-assured. There’s a hint of candle wax, and the whole is enveloped in the softness of Peru balsam and amber.

Longevity is enormous; the scent carries and lasts almost all day. Stylistically, it has quite a distinctive fingerprint. It’s something, absolutely.

I already love the original scent anyway - my curiosity about the 40 has been growing increasingly lately.

And indeed: it was more than worth it to have a decant sent to me by the nice @TheR3venant.

“Jubilation 40” is a splendor in every respect. From the very beginning, without a lengthy buildup, it captures you stylistically.

The berry note, distinctly a very delicate blackberry, is gently accompanied from the start by a cautiously gourmand, finely herbal complexity, in which much is contained and so much is simultaneously well hidden or woven together that nothing stands out. It’s somehow like a very well-rehearsed orchestra performing Mozart.

The Bay Rum adds a touch of sweetness, while labdanum, oud, and myrrh softly flank from the side, subtly transitioning into the Orient in a very understated manner, without ever being intrusive or loud.

Orange, clove, and cinnamon come in as accents, always lightly oscillating between fine fruit, autumnal or wintry nuances.

Overall, the classic 25 DNA is clearly recognizable; it is not a drastically different scent. The 40 feels slightly deeper, yet still more finely balanced to me. A festive fragrance and a caresser in one.

Great Amouage cinema.

I stumbled upon it during my summer vacation in Normandy, early August. Deauville was the destination - and indeed the only perfumery (out of 5) that had this previously unknown "Spirit" in its assortment.

The slightly wood-grained background of the label suggests it - this "Habit Rouge" clearly departs from the lemon and orange zone. "Summer go away" is rather the motto here.

Not surprisingly, the collaboration with Hennessy seems to be a factor.
Autumn is welcomed, where the cognac truly becomes a cozy little jacket.

You can indeed recognize a basic DNA of "HR," although it has shifted significantly towards the vanilla. The iris opens with a fine-pored, softly floral-creamy touch, while nutmeg can be identified as the one, gentle spice component.

Otherwise, gourmand elements are truly in focus, with a best-case scenario of a bitter-orange-tinged, but largely cozy vanilla, and the aforementioned oak barrel base note, which can be described as slightly smoky-caramel wood, dominating the composition.

This is very durable, very smooth, although personally I miss a bit of edges and corners, and I also somewhat miss the tension arc that is otherwise quite typical of Guerlain. Perhaps it is a bit too conformist. Nice, but definitely.

Yves Saint Laurent, it must be said bluntly, has a catastrophic marketing department when it comes to naming perfumes. Whether for men or women. It’s almost a miracle to order the correct and intended one among L´Hommes Parfum, Le Parfum, Parfum Intense, or Intense Le Parfum
(I believe some of the examples above don’t even exist like that anymore… Or do they?!:-) )

What times those were with iconically distinct bottles and names like Opium, Kouros, Jazz, and the like. One longs for those days…

As for the perfume itself, the Eau de Parfum is a quite pleasantly crafted all-rounder. More autumnal than the fresh-violet-toned EdT, a bit cozier, yet still casual and suitable for everyday wear, without drifting atmospherically towards the October storm season.

Overall, a rather warm opening, carried by a very softly enveloped orange, which is accompanied by a nicely rounded lavender undertone. Compared to Caron’s “Pour un homme…” or even Gaultier’s “Le Mâle,” where the lavender appears very natural or at least clearly graspable, here it hides a bit under or behind a slightly sawed-off powderiness. Perhaps the oak wood, which comes to the forefront quite early, is to blame, as it somewhat vanillan-toastily-woody stifles any hope for ethereal spaces.

The good thing: The scent is not breathtakingly original, but one wishes that certainly more men would opt for this at least smoothly crafted, harmonious fragrance rather than torturing others with horrors like “Sauvage” or lab news from Boss or Davidoff. My 20 cents on that.

Basically, I do like it. I’m surprised to find that it has now taken the number 1 spot in the men's charts. (I must have been offline for quite a while..:-) )

“Imagination” is the category of fine fragrance that manages quite cleverly to make it so that you can only rudimentarily grumble about the synthetic clean aesthetic.

At the start, it’s gently citrusy, especially the subtle yet pronounced tea as the core component leaves a careful fingerprint on the skin or alternatively in the air.

It’s very chillily composed, also quite balanced. If it weren’t for the Ambroxan, which I would simply wish away. Then it wouldn’t be itself, but it would rank higher in my charts.

Ginger…yes, Neroli…certainly that too, but otherwise these aromas tend to fade into the background or come across only homeopathically.

The Vuitton is decidedly linear, which is always a point of criticism for me, as I do like a bit of story to be told.

Overall, there is a relaxed, casual style prevailing throughout the entire duration, shifting between bergamot and ambroxan-infused clean black tea, which I find pleasant, doesn’t hurt anyone, and is simply quite nice.

However, it does leave me puzzled as to how such a clear clean scent can achieve 8.9 to reach number 1 in the charts. For me, it wouldn’t be in the top 75, at best close to it. It’s too flat, too under-complex, too shallow and inconspicuous. Nice, yes, but nothing more.