Hasenfurz

... of Bottega Veneta pour Homme Extrême.
That's how I perceive F black, which I actually like - that shouldn't sound derogatory.

I was looking for an alternative to Bottega that doesn't project quite as strongly and comes across more smoothly in the office.
I only wore the Bottega in winter when it was really cold.
I got lucky with the blind purchase of F black. I couldn't test F black in our small-town area and had to rely on the reviews in this forum.

I see F black as the shy buddy of Bottega pHE. While Bottega blasts loudly forward, F black remains discreet in the background and subtly attracts women with its elegance.
The two fragrances have something in common, even though the pyramid suggests otherwise.
I can't detect any fruity notes in F black at all. The scent is definitely spicy, and the sweetness only comes through very lightly.

F black will basically be my transitional jacket, for spring and autumn. Would I buy it again? Hmm... I'm missing something special. It's a pleasant scent, but it doesn't blow me away. Since production has apparently been discontinued, and the remaining stock online will soon be sold out, the question of a repurchase probably won't arise anyway.

It's like with the transitional jacket. Too warm with the jacket and too cold without it.
Best regards, Hasen-black-Furz

For the last few years, I've always been using Cool Water in the summer.
Recently, however, the chemical aftertaste has increasingly bothered me, so I wanted to look for an alternative.

I had already sniffed Acqua di Giò some time ago, but back then I couldn't decide to buy it. Mainstream or not, it can't go that wrong.

I decided to conduct the first test run during my beach vacation. That was a good idea because with AdG, I felt like I was on vacation twice. So much has already been written about the scent here, so I'll spare you the details. In any case, AdG is much more tolerable than Cool Water; I no longer felt like I was annoying others with it. However, the sillage and longevity are clearly behind Cool Water.

The next test followed after my vacation at work. Fortunately, I have a colorful mix of female colleagues available. I directly asked three women for their opinions. In my case, I was interested in the direct comparison between Cool Water and AdG. In all three cases, they voted for AdG. So that's already clear.
A good test always includes a blind study :-)
A few days later, a project group meeting was planned. I was able to influence the meeting room a bit and chose the following experimental setup.

It was a pretty warm day, and the sun was shining through the windows. I placed the fan next to the large screen monitor and set it to a low setting, securing my spot in front next to the fan facing the window. No one likes to look into the sun and get blinded ;-)
So the ladies in our group primarily took seats on the window side, facing me. Thus, nothing stood in the way of the gentle breeze from the fan behind me towards my colleagues.

I have no idea why the ladies kept smiling at me. I was slightly irritated by the blonde who kept fiddling with her neck and hair. How am I supposed to concentrate on that?

I don't believe in coincidences!

Project meeting on Monday morning.
I am stuck in the meeting room with 15 participants, a mix of Hugo Man and Jacobs' concoction hangs in the air. The two women in our group look helpless and olfactorily overwhelmed, staring blankly into space.
In such a homogeneous mess, no wars are won! I need to take action if I don’t want to drown permanently in this scent stew. So I need a fragrance that is anything but floral, fresh, and sweet.

With this requirement, I eventually landed on BVpHE. However, I could only approach this scent theoretically. No retailer near me could conjure a bottle from the drawer.
When a suitable % promotion went online a few days ago, I just had to buy it blindly.

The first spray startled me a bit. Oh, this one hits hard. The top note is already very present and, for my taste, a bit too "Extreme." Very spicy and woody, but fortunately not resinous. After about 1 hour, it quieted down and became very pleasant to wear. The spicy-woody aspect remained, but it no longer comes across as aggressively.
As time goes on, the wood is replaced by leather. For several hours, a leathery spiciness remains, which does not overwhelm the environment. I easily last over 8 hours!

The plan for next Monday looks different accordingly. Freshly motivated, and with the support of BVpHE, I will grab a strong espresso before the project meeting. I’ll bring the two ladies a latte macchiato. I will arrive a bit earlier and secure three seats at the end of the table. On the window side, the Hugo's with their filtered brew can take a seat; there, it can also be quickly aired out. And if the mood stinks too much, I’ll have a quick threesome with the ladies, or what do you call a group of three people?

Bottega Veneta pour Homme Extrême is, for me, the ideal "I have to look serious now" scent. It somehow radiates confidence without coming across as too dominant. Just a masculine base to show the other Hugo's who the real boss is here.
The ladies don’t seem to find the scent extremely sexy. One colleague said, "I don’t mind." So no ladies' panties will be flying. At most from the male colleagues who have made themselves comfortable out of respect for you. But that’s exactly how it should be!

"It doesn’t help if the perfume is called Boss and you still smell like Hugo..."

A 1.6ml sample was tested.

Sorry, but this is really not for me.
My first thought was "bathroom cleaner," but the very green kind. You know the type, it even fluoresces a bit in the dark like something radioactive.
Unfortunately, I can't detect any fresh green here. The top note is just heavily reminiscent of cleaning products. I only perceive the heart note as a weak copy of the top note. And I didn't wait for the base.
I can't think of any situation where this scent would fit well. Even a woman would likely be scared off by this little potion.
My wife and a good colleague feel the same way. The scent also didn't resonate with them.

Respect to anyone who likes to wear this fragrance.

Sorry, I really wanted to write a funny story about 1M, like I usually do in my other comments.
But there’s no story with this scent. It might be because I disposed of the 1.5ml sample when it was half full.

First of all, I (39Y) tested 1M in the store some time ago. I didn’t like the scent from the very beginning. Overwhelmingly disgusting sweet with a toilet finish. Not every fragrance appeals to every individual on this earth. At least I wanted to give the sample a chance to charm the ladies around me.
I noted the comments from the girls so I wouldn’t forget anything.

Wife (38Y) = "stinks" (Note! This statement always refers to the scent, not the person.)
Colleague (31Y) = "yuck, what is that?"
Colleague (34Y) = "phew, that gives me a headache"
Colleague (21Y) = "1 Million - after that, the whole club stinks on the weekend"
Colleague (30Y) = "dude, that’s not okay at all!"
Trainee (m) (19Y) = "That’s awesome!"

For those who don’t know the scent, you can recreate the following experimental setup at home.
Lift the toilet lid, press a proper WC duck under the rim, ignite 400g of torpedo, light 8-9 honey tealights, close the window, and leave the room.
Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then open the door again, and..... tadaa... 1 Million is ready.
I’m still not quite sure whether the 1M or Invictus is uglier when it comes to the bottle.

Maybe it’s due to age. My olfactory cells have probably developed antibodies against 1M at nearly 40Y. This is likely a biologically controlled self-defense mechanism to avoid completely losing control during a midlife crisis.

As the saying goes... the first million didn’t work out, I’m working on the second one.