FabianO

To put it bluntly, Yves Saint Laurent has a catastrophic marketing department when it comes to naming perfumes. Whether for men or women. It's like a miracle, given the L'Hommes Parfum, Le Parfum, Parfum Intense or Intense Le Parfum (I don't think some of them even exist now... Or do they?!:-) )

What a time it was with iconic bottles and names like Opium, Kouros, Jazz and co. One longs for the past...

In terms of the perfume itself, the eau de parfum is a thoroughly pleasant all-rounder. More autumnal than the fresh, violet-tinged EdT, a little cozier, but still casual and suitable for everyday wear without drifting atmospherically towards the October storm era.

Overall, quite a warm opening, carried by very softly coated orange, with a well-rounded lavender background. Compared to Caron's "Pour un homme..." or even Gaultier's "Le Mâle", in which the lavender seems very natural or at least clearly tangible, here it hides somewhat under or behind a slightly sawn powderiness. Perhaps the oak wood is also to blame, which takes center stage quite early on and stifles any hope of ethereal open spaces in a somewhat vanilla, toasty and woody way.

The good thing: the fragrance is not breathtakingly original, but one wishes that more men would reach for this at least smooth, harmonious scent when in doubt rather than tormenting their fellow men with "Sauvage" or laboratory novelties from Boss or Davidoff. My 20 cents on this.

Basically, I like it. Surprisingly, I've just realized that it has now conquered number 1 in the men's charts. (I was obviously offline for longer now... :-) )

"Imagination" is the category of fine fragrances that manages comparatively skillfully to make you only rudimentarily grumble about the synthetic clean-man aesthetic.

The opening is gently citrusy, with the subtle but concise tea as the core component stamping a gentle fingerprint on the skin or, alternatively, in the air.

The composition is very chilled and well balanced. If, yes, if it weren't for the ambroxan, which I would simply wish away. Then it wouldn't be him, but it would be higher in my charts.

Ginger...yes, neroli ... certainly that too, but otherwise these aromas tend to fall behind or only come across as homeopathic.

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

Basically, a relaxed, casual basic style that oscillates between bergamot and ambroxed clean black tea prevails over the entire duration of the fragrance, which I like, doesn't hurt anyone and is simply quite nice.

But it makes me wonder how such a clear clean man can make it to number 1 in the charts with 8.9. For me, it wouldn't be in the top 75, at most close to it. It's too planar, too under-complex, too shallow and inconspicuous for that. Nice, yes, but nothing more.

It is a very fine little fabric, the still very new (and somehow also very "old" in terms of style, because it is sublime and classically primed) "Rouge Privé".

I already love and appreciate the now almost 60-year-old classic, so the new variation (or slightly iridescent interpretation) is in no way inferior to it.

The noble bitter-orangey-powdery notes continue to form the core, extremely gently and envelopingly coated by an aristocratic leatheriness, which is flanked by a very carefully dabbed fudge note.

The old advertising from the 60s with the British cavalry, the lords and the horse saddles fits again.

All in all, this composition of citrus/orange, powder/dust, leather and something minimalist caramel/vanilla is something quite unique in the perfume cosmos, which is now often copied and usually also dreadfully synthetic.

Guerlain at it's best!

I really like a whole series of the Vuittons. For example, "Sur la Route" (ingenious), "Imagination" (casually beautiful) or Orage (purist).

My expectations were correspondingly high, as I thought I was going to receive something pleasantly casual and pleasant with that certain French style icing on the cake.

In fact - I am downright repulsed and horrified by "Pacific Chill". Penetratingly exotic and quite sharp in its acidity. The fragrance lacks any elegance or even something like understatement.

The whipping exoticism flows oppressively into the nose, developing 0.0 over hours. As I walked past, my wife commented on the penetrating stuff I had put on it.

And indeed - I have faint memories of certain 8x4 or Fa deodorants from the 90s that had similarly clumsy, tangy exotic fruits stumbled together....

No, that was pretty much nothing - and the price is outrageous to boot.

Yes, well, of course, my 1,000th perfume comment can't be a snub, a reckoning, a tearing up. I do that often enough here :) and unfortunately, from my point of view, there is often and abundantly reason for it.

But the main reason for the exchange here, where I have been living for over 7 years now, is of course to enrich myself, to be inspired and to focus on the beautiful sides of snooping.

Acqua di Parma with their No.5 for praise now gives me plenty of reason to praise them. This is truly a pretty perfectly composed, very high quality, casually arranged Mediterranean summer scent. An abundance of citric aromas, lots of bergamot, lemon, naturally guessed.

Not sharp or sour, but rather quite creamy rimmed, dolce-vita-like. Carefully spicy, juniper and pepper play a subtle rounding off. One thinks with anticipation of the wonderful dolce-far-niente holidays in this great country, which will come back sometime when all the virus misery is put aside.

Yeah, really, big time on No. 1000! Lemon fans, hit it! :)