Farneon

I must admit that I only own a scent twin of "Jil Sander Man (1989) / Feeling Man (Eau de Toilette) | Jil Sander," but it blows me away! :-) It is no longer produced, this incredibly good olfactory experience in my nose. Anise, tarragon, and moss were extremely popular notes in the 1990s and were often accompanied by a gentle leathery-tobacco accord, underpinned by a minimal sweetness. It was a grand olfactory cinema in my nose, and I fondly remember it - especially Jil Sander Man, but also Lagerfeld Photo, Bogner Man, or Davidoff Relax, without these perfumes all smelling the same.

With the multitude of ingredients, it is of course extremely difficult to pin down Jil Sander Man (1989) Eau de Toilette to a single note, but that is precisely what I love about this brilliant perfume art: creating something that does not immediately remind me of something else, but confronts me with something entirely new. Many "parfumos" rejoice regularly when the Christmas market calls, the pastry chef invites them in, the spice bazaar lures, or the tobacco shop opens. I definitely do not belong to those!

As I said, I "only" own a scent twin, but I am very glad that it exists and matches my memory 100 percent. This fragrance exudes a balsamic freshness from the very beginning, accompanied by a magnificent bouquet of flowers and fruits, underlined by a green-spicy base and a very subtle sweetness. It does not strive to cater to any extremes just to stand out (sometimes unpleasantly) from the crowd. Jil Sander Man (1989) Eau de Toilette is so original and at the same time harmonious that I would still choose it as a signature scent today, as it is always wearable and suitable for any season.

What do you read and hear online about Kalan!? Red bottle equals aggression, even Ferrari gets a mention. Biting pepper digs into the nose. They say it’s stolen from Baccarat Rouge 540. Even the dentist is thought of. Headaches are the result, and so on. All pure nonsense, if you ask me, but of course: as always, it’s a matter of taste. I still go so far as to say that the criticism of this fragrance by some self-proclaimed influencers has contributed to the mediocre to modest image of Kalan.

This fragrance clearly divides opinions, which I can only somewhat understand. Because lovers of Pegasus, Layton, and Carlisle should fundamentally feel addressed by Kalan, as it also works with an original aromatic overlay over a sweet-creamy foundation.

We are dealing here with a mature, aromatic spiced blood orange, accompanied by sweet orange blossoms. The slightly nutty roasted tonka bean also comes through right from the start. Together, this creates a unique fragrance composition that follows the previously mentioned "Marly principle." No wonder that the most popular Marlys always seem somewhat two-dimensional to me, like a sweet pastry with a spicy-fruity topping.

The top note of Kalan speaks directly to me, as I have never smelled anything like it before. However, I can hardly categorize this impression, apart from the "wow effect" in my nose. I simply can't think of any occasion or situation that I would automatically associate with "Kalan | Parfums de Marly." On one hand, it’s a pity for the reader; on the other hand, it’s not tragic, as I can wear the fragrance whenever I feel like it.

The first impression (thankfully, in my opinion) carries through the entire fragrance development, although freshness and spiciness naturally diminish somewhat in favor of creaminess and sweetness. H/S are beyond any doubt.

No question: Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud is one of the most recognized perfumers in the world and has set some milestones in fragrance development (including for me), especially in the area of fresh and everyday wearable scents. For over ten years now, he has been the exclusive house perfumer at Louis Vuitton and has been working like on an assembly line since then. He has created over 40 fragrances for LVMH by now, and I naturally wonder how much attention and care is still given to each new release, or whether his own creativity suffers under the "chord work"!

Not to forget: We are talking about perfumes that, according to the manufacturer, proudly cost 280 euros per 100 ml, which seems completely inappropriate in most cases. Besides "L'Immensité | Louis Vuitton," there may be countless other scents that simply do not reach the quality in my nose that one would expect. Let's stick with the freshies from the house of Vuitton. L'Immensité does not come close to the sparkling elegance of Imagination or the citrus warmth of "Afternoon Swim | Louis Vuitton." On the contrary: For me, there are clearly noticeable bathroom cleaner vibes here. That may sound worse than it is, as cleaning products are supposed to smell pleasant at least, but I just can't get that association out of my nose.

Moreover, longevity and sillage are not particularly pronounced. With "L'Immensité | Louis Vuitton," you get a rather generically presented scent that fulfills its refreshing task solidly, but not better than a multitude of EDTs that can be had for a tenth (!) of the price.

Yes, yes, it's a thing with oud. Personally, I find the hyped agarwood only semi-appealing, but in the right combination, it has something special. This is the right combination! :-) I generally like many fragrances from Acqua di Parma. One or two from the "Blu Mediterraneo" line are definitely worth having. Even the bottles suggest a high degree of naturalness (whether that's true, I don't know), but in any case, they do not cater to the masses or the celebrated niche. Presumably, in "Oud (Eau de Parfum) | Acqua di Parma," the rose that is almost always used with oud would have also flowed into this creation.

With the multitude of oud fragrances, it is by no means a given that the namesake is also the heart note, but in this case, it is unmistakable. That's already a plus point. The clearly noticeable oud is accompanied from the start by citrus-herb nuances and a bitter-woody foundation. All together, this creates an original scent character that I have never smelled in this form before. In any case, unlike many other oud fragrances, I do not associate it with any furniture polish, even though I find the first minutes quite piercing.

Oud Eau de Parfum skillfully combines elegant seriousness with a hint of desert adventure, somewhat like James Bond hunting over sand dunes in the Sahara in his signature wardrobe. There are certainly worse scenarios one could associate with a fragrance, especially since this one is, for me, wearable in any season. Longevity and sillage are top-notch with a fairly linear progression.

It took me a few years to finally test "Pegasus | Parfums de Marly." According to the classification here, I always thought it wouldn't be for me because it's sweet, too creamy, too gourmand, too "feminine" (the white bottle, after all). Although I might have liked it less a few years ago, I only speculate that because former favorites in the standard blue bottles have mostly bored me by now.

But the best part is always when you are not just positively surprised but it even elicits a loud "WOW" from you. That's what happened to me a few weeks ago with Pegasus. I practically saddled the winged horse immediately and embarked on an olfactory high. Of course, Pegasus has a certain underlying sweetness, which I can expect from a Marly fragrance (exceptions confirm the rule). A pleasant, slightly balsamic creaminess is always welcome to me.

But that is not the special, indeed incomparable aspect of this fragrance. What is often described here as "metallic almond" I unfortunately cannot express any better in words. It gives the fragrance in my nose a core and also a freshness that I have never smelled in this form before. The fact that it doesn't veer too much into the extreme is certainly thanks to the finely balanced notes of lavender, bergamot, jasmine, and amber, which are more than just embellishments here.

Of course, I can understand that as soon as a fragrance is so unique, it also polarizes. However, in me, it only spreads a sense of pleasure, and I very much welcome that Pegasus comes across as somewhat less loud and significantly more linear compared to its "colleague" Layton (which I also like very much). This means: If you like the top note, you will be more than satisfied with the dry down, which brings a bit more creaminess, as is the case with "Allure Homme Édition Blanche (Eau de Parfum) | Chanel."

But what do I do now with the term "metallic"? Of all the fragrance types available here, "fresh" probably corresponds to it the most. Metaphorically, "metallic" stands for shiny, strong, and modern. Be that as it may: In my nose, Pegasus is a great hit that fits every season and many occasions. If there is such a thing as "snug freedom," this fragrance embodies it for me.

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H/S = Marly-typical very good