Farneon

Yes, the shape of the bottle resembles "Spicebomb Extreme | Viktor & Rolf," but primarily we are dealing with a clone of "Noir Extreme (Eau de Parfum) | Tom Ford." I even have a mini sample of the latter, so I can compare the two quite well.

Let me elaborate a bit: I have a problem with most Tom Ford creations aside from the price, namely that they only appeal to me in exceptional cases. I actually like Noir Extreme Eau de Parfum the best, even though I am not a fan of overly sweet and gourmand fragrances. The name doesn't really fit, because when I think of "black" and "extreme," I imagine something entirely different. How do the marketing folks come up with such ideas so often?

Anyway, onto the scent test: I spray a piece of paper with Noir Extreme Eau de Parfum and another with "Odyssey Homme | Armaf," and lo and behold: I notice clear differences, although I think both fragrances smell good and hit the same note. Warm and sweet, but nicely cushioned by spicy and fresh-creamy nuances. I like that, and it is so cleverly balanced that I wouldn't say in either case: clearly a fall/winter fragrance. Because the sweetness doesn't overwhelm me, and there is a kind of playful lightness that comes through more strongly in "Odyssey Homme | Armaf."

I spray both fragrances on my skin, and lo and behold: I hardly perceive any difference. But here we are talking about "Odyssey Homme | Armaf," so "Bye, bye, Tom Ford"! ;-) The individual ingredients are not listed here and unfortunately not on the Armaf homepage either. Therefore, I can only speculate that amber, iris, spices, and a hint of suede are the key players here. The result is a long-lasting, airy-sweet fragrance experience with an office-appropriate sillage, a wonderful creaminess, and an "Always happy to wear it" DNA - all for around 20 euros!

Yes, this fragrance is said to be a clone of "Le Vestiaire - Tuxedo | Yves Saint Laurent", just like Turathi (Brown) and Moustache Eau de Parfum. However, it is the only one that has the same ingredients as the original and should therefore be somewhat worthy as a supposed "twin brother". The problem for me in comparison: I do not know the extremely expensive Tuxedo and have never had a sample of it on hand. So I am focusing entirely on Penthouse Larvotto, which I purchased for an astonishing 18.60 euros.

Spicy-sweet describes it very well as stated. After a quickly fleeting alcoholic opening, the fragrance unfolds its qualities very linearly. I can hardly pick out individual components here, but a vanilla base sweetness forms the foundation of a masculine herbal blend, which receives a zesty yet never sharp note from bergamot and pepper. As it develops further, the floral notes of rose and lily of the valley add grace and elegance.

The nice thing about it: Even though Tuxedo (as with YSL) means tuxedo, I do not necessarily think of a posh evening gathering when it comes to Penthouse Larvotto. Larvotto is likely a district in Monaco on the Côte d’Azur. The rich and beautiful probably live here too, especially in the penthouse, but they are welcome to wear this fragrance for any occasion and, for all I care, in any season.

Everything is quite refined with Penthouse Larvotto, and I mean that positively. We are dealing with a long-lasting masculine charmer that, due to its class, does not need to push itself to the forefront with outstretched elbows, as its finely balanced base DNA cannot be compared to any other I know.

I can recommend this budget perfume as a blind buy for anyone who wants to surround themselves with an elegant and multifaceted fragrance aura for all possible occasions.

I'll keep it short! :-) When I first sprayed Imagination, I was blown away! From the very beginning, there is this unique scent note that probably comes from the tea. I perceive light hints of fougère and excellent citrus. Imagination feels so pure, clean, fresh, zesty, airy, carefree ... and yet a bit mystical. Like a bright, cooling mist through which the sun breaks from the sea. Well, something like that! ;-) For me, as a freshness fan, Imagination is certainly an original delight that can appeal to all age groups, and surely it doesn't need a flanker called "Sport."

The whole feeling lasts about 30 minutes, maybe up to an hour, then the fresh feel-good aura gradually fades away along with the originality of this fragrance. After about two hours, there is no longer any sillage, and what remains after 3-4 hours is a woody-warm background noise that is pleasant but nothing special anymore and only perceivable up close. So that's my experience with Imagination.

I don't even want to get into the eternal price-performance discussion here. It is what it is. But I do have to reapply every 2-3 hours if I don't want my "imagination" of a perfectly fragrant summer day to suffer.

I had tested this fragrance years ago and today I am sure that my previous sample had gone off. So here we go again!

Roja provides us with a true abundance of ingredients, so only a few stand out clearly. The citrus notes dominate the top note as expected, quickly followed by slightly floral hints and an apple that tends towards sweetness. The base, on the other hand, contains pretty much all the base notes one can imagine, each used very subtly. At most, a slightly peppery spiciness emerges in the drydown. All in all, this creates a pleasant but unremarkable cocktail on my skin, which I would describe more as fruity-warm than citrus-fresh, at least after the quick fading of the top note.

For a niche fragrance, Elysium is very pleasing and thus, in contrast to many others, is likely to provoke only a few controversies. The scent is already wearable on every occasion because, due to its low projection, it is likely to elicit compliments only in intimate settings! ;-) Therefore, the price and performance are not in an acceptable relationship for me, as if Roja Dove deliberately wanted to avoid any friction with his creation. In its own way, Elysium is still very distinctive and harmoniously rounded... but I miss that certain something and especially an aura that I would love to be enveloped in for a fragrance at this price point.

Well, this scent is simply powdery-fresh! :-) Here, the assessment is for once 100 percent accurate! This is likely due to the iris, which holds throughout the entire fragrance development. Those expecting a woodier and spicier note after a few hours will be disappointed, but somehow everything plays together perfectly without the scent ever feeling one-dimensional.

Since I personally really like linear fragrance developments, I give it a compliment for that. The distinction between top, heart, and base notes is also irrelevant here, as one doesn't necessarily have to relate to the other. Now, "powdery" is absolutely not my preferred fragrance note, but I can live with it when it comes across so balanced and "tailored for men."

I feel similarly about the somewhat more exciting, but also significantly more expensive "Chanel Boy." The even more powdery "Prada Amber pour Homme," on the other hand, turned out to be too extreme (or too feminine?) for me in the long run. Here, however, it seems to me that a lot was done right and nothing wrong, according to my nose.

Therefore, I can't say much more about "Prada L'Homme" than "everyday and office-appropriate harmony par excellence." If I preferred powder, there would probably be a better rating. Nevertheless, a very good job by Daniela Andrier, who has already delighted me with "Gucci Envy" and "Bottega Veneta pour Homme"! :-)