Farneon

Shortly after its release, I received "Bulgari pour Homme" in the normal version as a gift from my girlfriend at the time. It was my first encounter with the brand at all. To this day, I practically always have a bottle of this fragrance in my closet, because it has a unique fresh aura in my nose. At the time, I didn't think about the individual ingredients, but I think tea, flowers and (especially) musk, along with citrus notes, work together to give the original its distinctive character, which I find extremely pleasing. Unfortunately, "Bulgari pour Homme" suffers from a rather weak durability and sillage.

Clearly that one leads sometime also the "extreme" brother to mind, in the hope that this shortcoming would be eliminated. But this is only conditionally so. Extreme is here first of all nothing. The Flanker was simply trimmed to a longer shelf life, which is quite noticeable. But the incomparable freshness of the original is lost a bit. Far higher citrus, wood and spice shares make BPHE a much more ordinary fresh scent, although I would have expected otherwise.

Thus, the original in the top and base notes is lost to my regret, although one can certainly still speak of a flanker, which also deserves this name due to the similar DNA. However, the difference between the two Bulgari "men" makes itself much more noticeable on my skin than on the test strip, on which both fragrances differed for me rather marginally.

No question that with BPHE we are still dealing with a very nice and clean fresh scent (you do not need the umpteenth "Acva" version), but which lacks the uniqueness of the original. Wood and spices make for a slightly longer lasting scent, while the sillage remains more or less skin deep. If you have the one, you need in any case not also the other

In 1981 (when this fragrance came out) I was eleven years old. Especially the first half of this decade was certainly a transitional phase, also for me, as I naturally entered puberty and slowly but surely aspired to adulthood. Fashion and musical missteps abounded, but there was also always something new to discover, beyond Nena, mullets, cowboy boots, disco rollers and neon colors.

When I first came into contact with "Man Pure", I don't remember. I may have just been of age. At that time, I was probably also "too much man" in the fragrance, because he has quite a slightly soapy-leathery note, which, however, turned out much milder than in the decade before (transition phase just).

Anyway, the trends in the 80s came more from the bottom up, while today they are rather put into the world by big corporations and clever marketing strategists (in my opinion). "Man Pure" was one of the outstanding fragrances of that time, because it combined the old and the new in itself at that time. Had they known that the old would be resurrected in countless barbershops today, the fragrance would surely still be on the market. On the other hand, Jil Sander probably dared to do something, because aquatic freshness and earthy spiciness were already in there. Only with "male sweetness" one has probably not reckoned at the time.

The combination of ingredients was in any case suddenly no longer typical Chypre or Fougère, but contained a balsamic-herbaceous note, which built a bridge between different fragrance worlds. And since there's practically nothing that doesn't exist these days, I suspect that "Man Pure" would find its target audience today as well. Maybe more in the generation Ü45, but that's where all the money is! ;-)

Well, you can of course try to sell this no longer produced fragrance for 999 euros (no joke) on Ebay, but there are idiots everywhere. Why Zino and Cool Water are still available, but Relax no longer, understand who wants. I have consumed several bottles of it at the time, but now there are unfortunately only dupes, on which I like to fall back, and which (I must admit) are also pretty good.

The 90s were MY decade of growing up, have shaped me with great music (Britpop, crossover, grunge) and me after university rather accidentally "flushed" in the advertising industry. Niche fragrances I did not know at the time and Davidoff, Jil Sander, Joop, Calvin Klein and Bulgari were considered at the time quite "first cream"! :-)

Many then fragrances I miss today, because masculine freshness was then redefined and arranged. "Relax" is the best example of this: inconspicuous, but convincing. Suitable for everyday use, but innovative. Fresh, but challenging. All with a little "Cool Water" DNA underneath, but a little more leathery, floral, spicy or woody at the back. "Background" by Jil Sander and "D&G By Man" come to mind off the top of my head.

So what are we dealing with? With minty freshness, which is slightly sweetish cushioned, almost like the chewing gum of Wrigley's Spearmint. With a slightly soapy base note that unites the "old man" with the "barbershop" faction. And with a floral jubilant heart that makes you wonder: is this a bouquet of flowers for men, or are these the main ingredients for a future trend cocktail?

One will no longer be able to find out, but the Dupe manufacturers I'm grateful for the fact that such a great fragrance construct in a world full of uniform products and toogeballert with sweetness does not disappear completely from the world!

Again and again these associations that go along with the name or marketing promise of a fragrance. "African Leather" must of course (!?) smell like safari, savannah and wilderness, at best like a pride of lions and zebra stripes! ;-) SORRY, if someone now feels stepped on the tail, which seems inappropriate in the vastness of Africa but anyway!

Personally, I would have NEVER put on this fragrance because of the name and the stated ingredients. Oud, leather, cumin and rose geranium (all also not necessarily typically African) seemed so not at all mine, bergamot, vetiver and musk rather.

In fact, I have rarely been so positively surprised by a fragrance, because I would have expected something completely different: less freshness, more opulent leather, more dustiness and one-dimensional spice. How good that this fragrance is designed unisex and was obviously not developed for the passionate big game hunter! ;-)

I'm just thinking of the sports version of "Encre Noir", which evokes similar feelings in my nose. But what should "sporty black ink" and "African leather" have to do with each other? Nothing at all, except a similar fragrance DNA ;-) This stems, in my opinion, 1. from bergamot and vetiver and 2. from the campher-like (cardamom is known for this), ethereal impression that both fragrances leave - at least in my nose.

A bit of leather and a hint of oud then do distinguish "African Leather" from the other Parisian product. Anyway, this fragrance is a great surprise for me. He remains long time durable and contrary to expectations fresh. It is quite straightforward in its development (which I always prefer). As I said, I don't necessarily associate it with Africa, but with energy and awakening, with multiculturalism and creativity!

In fact, I managed to get hold of a sample of this highly praised fragrance. Of course, you can spend 450 euros for a 50 ml bottle, but only if you are extremely wealthy and slightly megalomaniac! ;-) Clearly Roja is not MY league and actually I do not want to play in it!

So far, only "Elysium" by Roja had come under my nose, which is described here as citrus-fresh. Under this I honestly understand something else, because it seemed to me maximum fruity-animalic. Nevertheless, practically every fragrance of this exclusive brand achieves a fabulously good overall rating here. Of course, this may also be due to the fact that "Otto Normaldufter" there not even bids and -evaluated! ;-)

But whether Roja, Amouage, Marly or Kilian: Basically, 90% of the fragrances of these niche brands are simply too sweet for me! This one is considered oriental-woody, but the first and last thing that arrives in my nose is sweetness, even if it decreases a little over time. Of course, with amber in the name, that was to be expected. I didn't choose the sample either, since I'm not a big oud fan anyway, but that's exactly why I want to compare "Amber Aoud" - I'm deliberately not abbreviating it ;-) - here times with my "amateur nose" evaluate.

I smell quite quality, so that should be given to me. It may also have been processed the choicest ingredients in this fragrance. However, I am not able to judge that just because of my sense of smell. Warmth and harmony float around me, even if I must say directly: This fragrance does not belong on my skin. But I'm only slowly venturing into other spheres that I didn't even know existed 4-5 years ago. I can now also live with sweet, powdery and leathery notes and these in the appropriate mixture for me (!) quite something abgewinnen.

Oud I have in any case already more strongly perceived and ambergris already finer dosed. All other components open up to my nose only marginally, saffron perhaps excluded. What I like is that "Amber Aoud" is not too extreme hammer and the scent progression is rather linear than constantly changing. Unisex he is all the time, for me even a little too much tailored to the ladies.

My final (as always subjective) judgment: sweetish warmth for the colder season is conveyed here harmoniously with great durability, but (fortunately) not overflowing sillage. I miss a bit of "toughness", perhaps a dash of vetiver, a hint of incense or a tart citrus note. In no way does the price justify the purchase in my eyes. "Ambre Nuit" by Dior, for example, costs converted to offered quantity only a fifth! and strikes in the same notch!