GreenOG

Feel free to scroll down to the scent perception, I won’t hold it against you :)

When entering the depths of the niche world for the first time and also browsing on YouTube, Instagram, etc., there are several houses that you simply cannot overlook. Xerjoff, Roja, MFK, Amouage, and so on and so forth…

In my case, I wanted to understand what justifies these sometimes very “creative” price points. Regarding the quality of the raw materials, I know from my profession that there comes a point where it simply ends, and ultimately you have to pay a premium for names, marketing, exclusivity, etc.

So I ordered samples from the aforementioned houses like crazy. In a quick run-through, I inhaled all those compositions to be able to join the conversation, among other things. Expectations were met, exceeded, but also disappointed. I was particularly disappointed with Xerjoff.

Since I currently have to master the balancing act between family and professional life, I simply couldn't take the time to really engage with each of these scents and test them over hours or days or even weeks.

I also count coffee, watches, and creative design among my long-standing hobbies; (niche) perfume is still quite new to me.

Since all my other interests have been neglected for about 18 months, I thought it was unfair to give all my available attention to my new time and money thief (perfume, not the child ;)


The regular Mefisto from Casamorati was an additional bonus from a souk deal (thank you, dear Defcon) and was initially not really noticed.
At some point, however, I wore it out of whim and stamped it as “It’s okay.”

Some time later, I saw a video from LeniScents where she introduced the Gentiluomo and described it as Mefisto with a little wink.
She also mentioned that it has slight Le Male nuances, which ultimately prompted me to make a blind buy.
I love Le Male; it has always been a part of me and will remain so.

When it arrived, I sprayed it directly on my wrist and was initially disappointed, as I could hardly perceive any difference from Mefisto.
In my usual haste, I let it rest and initially left it in the cupboard.
But I just couldn't be satisfied with that.
Every day I thought to myself: “Come on, there has to be a difference!”
Every morning I sprayed it on, waited briefly, and then went under the shower disappointed.
But yesterday I had a bit of “time” to test the development for longer than 10-15 minutes. And yes, the long-awaited difference from Mefisto finally emerged….

But now to the SCENT PERCEPTION itself.

It starts off very beautifully citrusy and fresh, while initially leaving out any sweetness. Its brightness fascinates me; it is not too heavy but also not too light, simply beautifully balanced and transparent.
As it develops, I perceive bright florals and I can also clearly detect the lavender, which is very soft in my eyes and simply gives it a gentle barbershop vibe.

Yes, I can relate to shower gel associations, but they don’t bother me. On the contrary.

Slowly, a subtle sweetness comes in, making it a bit heavier, and the citrus notes fade away. A bit of cedarwood joins in and spreads the aforementioned Le Male touch together with the lavender.

In the end, a slightly soapy, fresh fougère remains with a certain sweetness/spiciness.

The longevity for me is about 6-8 hours, but it becomes quieter after 3-4 hours, while the sillage is not monstrous from the start.

By the way, I learn from this to simply give scents more time in the future and to engage with them more.
I think I made a hasty judgment about many scents, especially with Xerjoff, and I am now giving them a second chance.

Exploring the niche world should from now on be an act of deceleration for me, and Mefisto Gentiluomo should always remind me of that.
Atheistic Amen.

Finally, a few words about the price.
I purchased the scent here in the souk and paid about €170 for 98/100 ml including packaging & shipping. I think it is worth that price. However, I would not pay the €270 asked by Xerjoff.

Thank you for reading and have a successful week :)

Unfortunately, I wasn't interested in niche perfumes during the glorious days of Creed Aventus. I didn't even know that such a thing existed, not to mention this (great) community here.

But I'm sure that a few, let's say 6-8 years ago, it was still considered a niche fragrance and performed excellently.

Now, this scent and its thousands of dupes are certainly not bad or anything, but this DNA hasn't blown me away.

I actually wanted something like this. A fresh-fruity and spicy "men's scent" with After-Shave vibes (I see nothing wrong with that).

After I found Oxford to be very good, I continued to search through the endless expanses of the WWW.

I sampled and loved "Grand Soir | Maison Francis Kurkdjian" - but it's the complete opposite of what MY Aventus could be. Nevertheless, I decided to test the fresh scents from MFK; maybe there's something there!

Now I've had Gentle Fluidity Silver on my wrist for two hours and I'm blown away.

I like linear fragrances - because if I already like the opening, I want to enjoy it all day long.
One reason why I like, among others, Tom Ford. The scent developments at MFK and TF seem to be limited, which I really appreciate!

Now, let's talk about GFS: The opening literally hits you in the face like a bottle of Plymouth Navy Strength Gin, without ice and lemon, of course.

The nutmeg joins in and drags the woods along behind it. After a few minutes, everything settles down beautifully and stays exactly the same for the next 2 hours, no more, no less.

I'm still waiting for the drydown, but I assume that not much will change with my spiced juniper aftershave. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Gentle Fluidity Silver is MY Aventus; he is my slightly fruity, fresh, and spicy friend who looks good in all situations and will hopefully accompany me for a long time.

I can't say much about H/S yet, but it will be added later :)

Thank you for reading!

In my last review of Oud Noir Intense by Fragance du Bois, I was confronted with the question of whether what I perceived in the opening was that legendary Oud, as I had never smelled one before.

Well, Ombre Nomade answers my question. Yes, it is.

The opening of ON is similar; it is, as I now know, the Oud note, along with some incense and a subtle raspberry note.

As for the Oud, there is certainly room for improvement; it is not too intense, and I cannot speak of animalic or barn-like qualities here at all.
Especially in combination with the incense, it is quite pleasant.

After a short time, a leather note develops for me, but it also disappears as quickly as it came.

It remains a blend of Oud, incense, and a faint raspberry.

That’s about it for the scent progression. I don’t want to say much about the longevity and sillage; the score here on Parfumo says it all.
However, ON smells less Oudy in the sillage than directly on the skin.


It is certainly a more or less extraordinary scent that many might like; in my opinion, it is unisex, but unfortunately, it is not for me.
I just miss something, maybe a bit of spice or fruit.

However, it definitely has a recognizable character if dosed socially.
Otherwise, it can quickly become too much.

Most people know TF Oud Wood, I'm sure of that. In my case, it was a blind buy and, like so many others, I was not disappointed.
I actually ordered it because I thought it smelled like Oud - a beginner's mistake, I know.

But I just wanted to experience the most celebrated raw material in the perfume world.

Since OW unfortunately couldn't give me that and was simply "just" a wonderful combination of warm, spicy, and woody notes, the search continued and I stumbled upon Fragrance du Bois Oud Noir Intense.

Here too, the apparently very multifaceted Oud is supposedly not too pronounced, but as an amateur, one should get an idea of where the journey is heading.

Especially in the somewhat unusual opening, I am greeted by a scent that I associate with damp, sweet wood and a certain mustiness. Is this Oud now?

However, ONI develops quite quickly into a similarly warm spiciness and the wood seems to dry out a bit, the sweetness reduces to a minimum.

I get the vibes from TF OW, but something is different.
Is this Oud now?

Unfortunately, I don't know, but I definitely know that Oud Noir Intense increasingly distinguishes itself from Oud Wood as it progresses, even though the base is the same.
It appears more noble, higher quality, and somewhat better balanced.
As for longevity: where OW slowly fades, ONI picks up the pace and continues to project.

It lasts on me for at least 10 hours, the sillage settles after about 4-5 hours but still remains close to me; I can perceive it well from time to time and that makes me the happiest.

All in all, a wonderful perfume that will replace my OW as soon as it is used up. Even though the price is significantly higher, it is worth it for me.

Only this one question remains in my mind: Was that Oud now?

Maybe you can help me ;)

When you dive into the world of niche perfumes, there's one name you can't escape - Baccarat Rouge 540.

On YT, Parfumo, and also Instagram, it is hyped endlessly.

And although I've acquired several dozen samples of perfumes that are celebrated to varying degrees over the past few months, BR540 was never among them, even though I had it on my radar.

In my last sample post (thanks to ScentVibes at this point), it was finally included.

When I sprayed it for the first time yesterday, I naturally had high expectations regarding the WOW factor, thanks to the hype.

However, within a second, I could name about 10 people from my circle who wear this perfume. So we had known each other long before my test. The WOW moment turned into an AHA moment.

I'll try to describe it, although many of my predecessors could probably do this better.

First, the saffron greets me, followed by a warming, slightly floral undertone combined with the almond.
What do I mean by first - it actually stays that way until the end. The sweetness does increase significantly after a short time, but it somehow remains "airy" even though it is really very sweet.

Longevity and sillage - impressive and unmatched. Really top-notch.

I don't know the EdP, but I believe the difference isn't that gigantic here.

I'm neither disappointed nor fascinated - I can understand the hype because it does smell unique in a certain way.

But I'm fine with being able to join the conversation; I don't need to own it in any form.

I'd rather stick with Grand Soir - which truly fascinates me.

But it smells very good and performs great - so to all who enjoy it: Treat yourselves, my dears!