IrisMann

I like it "punchy", "spacious", "overwhelming", etc. That's why I've been delving a bit into the affordable remnants from the 80s lately.

Back then, a perfume was still a perfume, an Eau de Toilette was still an Eau de Toilette and not some diluted aftershave. You got more for your money. Not just an expensive deodorant with a spray head.

But let's not be too strict. There are still powerhouses today. Let's think of "1 Million" or the indestructible "Le Male".

But in my search, I came across "Quorum". Thank goodness for parfumo! I had never heard of it before. The scent notes sounded interesting, the comments were not the worst, and the price was unbeatable. So I went for it!

"Quorum" is already very classic in terms of packaging and bottle! And "classic" is meant seriously here. The brown tones really fit the era.

But the scent is even more interesting! This is an Eau de Toilette! This stuff has power! And somehow it felt familiar to me. It smells like "Jules" by Dior! That wonderful fragrance composition that I love so dearly and that has just disappeared from the German market. Sigh! But here we have a first-class scent twin. With one small difference! The whole wonderful herbal volume is soapy underneath. If you can live with that and are looking for a replacement for "Jules", you should give this a try. It's no coincidence that the scent pyramids of both products are very similar. It's also friendly to the wallet. What more could you want?

A great blind buy! I couldn't be more satisfied.

I am currently working through samples from the house of Frédéric Malle.

Since I like floral scents, I enjoy the fragrance creations with floral themes the most. First "Carnal Flower" (the floral madness), then "Une Fleur de Cassie" (a grand drama), followed by "En Passant" (spring in a bottle), and now "Geranium pour Monsieur".

For the latter, my nose had to switch gears. Here we really have an Eau de Cologne of a special kind.

As already correctly reported by previous reviewers, it starts with fresh mint. Very striking, clean, and for our Western-conditioned noses, quite medicinal. It is what it is; it really smells like expensive toothpaste. The white kind, not that trendy gel stuff.

Through the strong mint note, the geranium slowly fights its way through. A strange scent emerges. I would call it green, herbal, floral. The geranium stands on its own and doesn’t even want to disguise itself as a rose. It’s not unpleasant but definitely very unusual. The geranium sits above the mint. The mint base, however, remains present. Up to this point, the scent hovers above the skin. After about an hour, the scent retreats to my skin. There is no more sillage. But my skin smells irresistibly good. So that’s my opinion. I just didn’t have a female test candidate on hand. ;O) A soft, slightly creamy, and warm base remains on the skin that lasts for hours.

I think this creation provides a good freshness kick in the morning and then scents the body. So it’s a really old-fashioned idea of masculine colognes and aftershaves, but all wrapped in a very unconventional and modern guise.

I’ve been pondering whether this creation is worth the price. I’m not entirely sure. The scent is intense and incredibly interesting, but it remains an Eau de Cologne.

Dear Pierre!

As a man, I also enjoy floral scents and specifically got a sample of your "Iris Poudre." I was so curious! From the house of Frédéric Malle, I expected the ultimate iris.

I sprayed it and then! I was astonished! I already knew this scent. Where had I encountered this soft, powdery iris before?

I searched through my small collection and lo and behold, a true scent twin! "Les Impératrices Japonaises" by Roméa d'Améor! This fragrance was also created by you. I sprayed both side by side and found no differences. It's nice when you can kill two birds with one stone. First, you offer your own creation among the "Nieschigsten" of the niche, and a few years later, you reintroduce the whole thing under a different label at a lower price. Right now, your own copy is even available as a special offer at ALzD.

Please don't get me wrong. I admire your unique business sense and I love the scent very much. However, I am glad that I didn't pay too much.

I wish you continued great success!

See you soon!

The Flower Friend

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Now back to the scent. Here, one is offered pure bright powdery floral elegance. Not too heavy, not too biting. The whole thing floats on a warm but bright creamy base. Wonderful!

This fragrance seems to belong to the "love it or hate it" category

The more I smell it, the more my feeling shifts to "I love it"!

I find this summer scent to be quite extraordinary. A blend of green, gourmand, sweet, and creamy-powdery notes. Although the longevity could really be better, this is not boring drugstore stuff.

On my skin, there is a shifting between the aroma of chopped green leaves and sweet, moist, squeaky coconut. The latter sometimes reminds me of coconut pieces from the fair or other coconut aromas from carnivals. This could also be a problem with this Eau de Toilette. The scent direction is not clear-cut. It can change and evolve. It then transitions into a gentle powdery creaminess.

The composition is bold and the exact opposite of the later successful product from this brand, "Bang".

The bottle is truly minimalist. It strongly reminds me of the Bauhaus style and its impact on the design of everyday goods back then. The shape supports functionality or submits to it. The bottle also shares the same design language as the bottle of the women's fragrance launched a year earlier.

The product does not seem to be a big success. I am surprised it hasn't disappeared from the market already.

I have secured myself a "block" of it for now. Summer can come now.

I don't know if ALzD sent me the right sample. But on my skin, Black develops very one-dimensional.

It smells like after a major fire. No "bright black" or licorice. All I smell is the smoke in the air and smoldering remains. Very charred and smoky. A little bit of incense shines through. But really just a little.

When would I want to smell like after a forest fire? I can't think of any occasion at the moment.

The fragrance is really well composed, lasts long, and has a certain projection. But somehow it feels too naturalistically dark and develops into a negatively feeling scent cloud. Perhaps not exactly suitable for wearing on the gloomiest days.