FloKro1992

I also tested the fragrance for the first time at 15West and can recommend the store without reservation - especially if you want to discover something that you can experience olfactorily away from the "luxury brand mainstream."

As a native Berliner, I was very curious about how a perfumer would capture the city. In a multicultural city that is not defined by just one scent, I was intrigued and had a very clear idea after Marc explained how Miguel Matos's journey through Berlin unfolded.
At first, I naively thought it could be something spring-like, when the sweetly scented linden blossoms bloom in Berlin and the city awakens from its winter slumber. It could just as easily have corresponded to a culinary potpourri of classic currywurst, döner, Vietnamese cuisine, a Viennese bakery, or in short, the offerings of the Bergmannkiez.

But it was supposed to be the Berlin club scene, and especially the techno scene. And I am honest. Capturing the club scene as a wearable scent seemed impossible to me, as my scent associations ranged from vodka-red bull, cigarettes, sweat, a mix of all the perfumes currently hyped on TikTok, haze from fog machines, and a drunken person who had already overdone it during pre-drinking.

What the fragrance does, however, is simply incredible.
The opening hit me like a sledgehammer. For 5 minutes, a mix of animalic, smoke, sweat from the cumin, something sharply synthetic and leathery. In short - overwhelming.
After the initial shock subsided, this fragrance became very exciting. As a lover of "Leather 6 / Fetish | J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin," I found several parallels. The Berlin is the big brother of Leather 6, the more experienced of the two, clearly having been in the club much longer and partying much more uninhibitedly in tighter leather, but with significantly more physical contact. This pairing of sweet notes, leather, and animalic elements makes it a party excess for the nose. Nevertheless, the overwhelming sensation fades, and you only feel the pounding bass that massages your nose and imagination. A trance develops from which it is hard to escape.

It is incredible and above all incredibly good. Its sweet woody base, which is continually accompanied by a slight smokiness, becomes softer and softer, culminating in a body-warming embrace that makes you forget. You no longer know when you entered the club, let alone on what day you left it.

For me, the art of the fragrance lies in its dominance, roughness, and simultaneous softness. Definitely not in the office scent category. However, I can very well imagine that with a spritz for a somewhat more sparkling rendezvous, this fragrance could do the rest.
It is definitely worth experiencing, just like the Berlin club scene. At the same time, many will think afterward: That’s enough for now.

Challenging, complex, and exciting - a fragrance that resembles an experience and is definitely worth a test.

When I first received a sample of this fragrance, I was visibly disappointed. Vanilla, minimal cherry, and sweet pipe tobacco.
So this is the scent that turns many perfume lovers' heads. After wearing it twice, I returned my sample at the souk. But due to the constant promotion by various fragrance influencers, it never left my mind.
Should I test it again?
No, for now, there are other scents that I don't know yet and haven't wasted their first chance with me.

But as is often the case in life, chance or perhaps fate played a trick on me. As a bonus at a souk, I received another sample of Herod. However, it wasn't the original Herod, but a dupe - a very good one.
And just like that, the real Herod landed back on my wish list. After a visit to KaDeWe, it became clear to me that yes, I need this scent again, and I would strike at the next interesting souk. Said and done.

Where should I start? The bottle is probably one of the most beautiful from Marly (when it is polished and not covered in fingerprints).
Spray head: Also fine.

But the scent, which I was finally able to truly embrace, has completely captivated me. This mix of dry and moist tobacco, which on one side is cherry sweet and on the other side smoky and bitter. The vanilla, which gives it its appeal, but also acts finely balanced in the background. Herod is a fragrance that has drawn me back in with its simplicity and charm. Recently, I have been exploring the depths of niche fragrances more and more, testing many interesting scents and discovering many exciting things. However, in the end, many of the fabulous creations suffer from the fact that I find them not particularly wearable. And I admit that I prefer to be approached with a compliment about my scent rather than a wrinkled nose asking, "What smells so strange here?"

It is my absolute autumn go-to and is often taken up for a sniff without necessarily having to wear it.

However, I can't particularly relate to the much-discussed issue of poor longevity of the newer batches. Mine from 2022 is perceptible to me all day long, both on clothing and on skin. I am fortunate that most fragrances often mentioned here for their poor longevity and projection hold well on me.

Once again a blind purchase from Kinetic. Tempted by the notes, I expected a fruity, but smoky dark, slightly oudy fragrance - something like a Sillage with mandarin instead of raspberry.
With high expectations, I picked up the package from the parcel station after my vacation and unpacked it immediately upon arriving home.

Packaging and Bottle:
The Kinetic packaging can only be described as simple yet stylish. Nothing special. The same goes for the bottle. Unlike the "Sillage | Kinetic Perfumes," the bottle is not lacquered but made of dark brown glass. To be honest, it doesn't suit my taste and strongly reminds me of a reusable beer bottle. The shape, cap, and spray head are great - it’s just the slightly crooked atomizer that triggers me. It’s really just the nozzle (is that what it’s called?) that is crooked. The rest fits well.

About the Fragrance:
I pulled out a test strip (they are promotional notepads), sprayed it on, and was utterly disappointed!!!
My expectations were completely missed. Nothing I had imagined in my head had anything to do with the scent.
Dark? no
Smoky? no
Fruity? yes
Mysterious? not at all

Recovering from the initial shock, I let the fragrance settle on me again. I wanted to give it a chance to show what it really is.
So what is it now?
It is a fresh, slightly powdery scent with a very pleasantly sweet woody mandarin opening. I don’t notice any of the indicated rosemary. The incense is not perceivable to me as a smoky or green note, but I attribute this slightly cooling effect to the Kayu. But somehow you seem familiar to me. Who do you remind me of? Then it hit me! My long-missed "Marzocco | Roberto Ugolini." Kayu brings the same lightness and likability, a similar mandarin note, and simplicity. They don’t smell exactly the same, but they work similarly.
And with the Marzocco, it was the same as with the Kayu. I found it nice, but not overly special. I missed that certain something and sold it again. Since then, I’ve missed it. The everybody's darling, simple and unobtrusive. But this is about Kayu.
The fragrance doesn’t develop much and fades with the mandarin into a sweet woody scent. In my opinion, you don’t particularly smell the oud, musk, or guaiac wood. However, they form a very pleasant overall composition.

The next day: Fresh and well-rested, I wore it the next day while working from home - still very unimpressed by the DNA. While working, a whiff of the scent came to me repeatedly, and I thought each time, "not bad at all."
Day 2: Due to the weather, I was very indecisive about what to wear. "Oh, why not the Kayu again," I thought. Sprayed it on, and the same game began. "Pretty good, this thing!"
Day 3: Same weather, same decision. "Damn, this is good, boring, but incredibly good."
And then I wondered: Why am I wearing the same fragrance several days in a row without much thought when I can choose from nearly 100 fragrances (collection and decants)?
It’s probably just good!

Conclusion:
As simple and boring as this fragrance may be, its strength lies precisely in that. It is the ideal everyday companion, works in any weather +5°C, and envelops you with a noticeable but not intrusive scent aura. After overcoming my initial impulse to send it back, I don’t want to make the same mistake with it as I did with the Marzocco. Kayu will stay and will likely become one of my signatures.

Hello everyone,
I am pleased to share my first review of a fragrance with you, as the signs for a normal statement on this work simply aren't enough.

I first tested the sample on a paper strip and it was terrible. At first, the somewhat barn-like Oud hits you, but it calms down within a few seconds and leads into an endless leather composition. Pungent, penetrating, and not at all to my taste. But we are still talking about paper. I was quite disappointed by now, as it was touted as the better "Ombre Nomade | Louis Vuitton." Even the blackcurrant and cocoa were unidentifiable to me.

After a few days, I decided to test the fragrance again on my wrist - I only have a decant. Again, a stinky opening, similar to Ombre Nomade, which quickly fades on the skin. What remains is the much-mentioned luxury bag leather note, which is truly intriguing on the skin.
Still, I was not really convinced, as I didn't want to smell like a Louis bag.

After about 45 minutes, the wow effect finally came. Both the cocoa and especially the light blackcurrant note suddenly open up a completely new olfactory experience. It is now a subtle luxury leather bag, with which you have just bought a bittersweet, blackcurrant-flavored chocolate in a confectionery. A leather gourmand, perhaps? Is that even possible? I think so! While I wouldn't want to bite into it, it definitely makes me feel hungry.

Despite its projection, it is not intrusive. I mistakenly wore it on a day when I went to the gym. Where some projection monsters would have knocked my sparring partner off his feet, the NM envelops you but is never intrusive.

Longevity and sillage are superb. As already mentioned, it is present but not overwhelming, and I don't need to speak about the longevity if there's any doubt. It is outstanding. It may not reach the level of an ON, but that is almost a plus for me. At some point, you just want to stop perceiving a fragrance and apply another one.

In summary. The luxuriousness of the fragrance is truly fantastic. Leather, cocoa, and blackcurrant. It doesn't sound particularly exciting, but it is. Even if it remains consistently understated.