Italianstev

Why is a "designer fragrance" always viewed with suspicion, while in the fashion and jewelry industry it is almost worshipped?
Somehow, it escapes my imagination when I separate niche and designer fragrances.
If you take a strict look at it, for example, Ombre Nomade is a designer fragrance, while the €15 fragrance from Rasasi is a niche fragrance.
Or do we define niche fragrances by their performance? Then Le Labo's - Bergamote 22 would be a total flop.
Or could it be that fragrances are evaluated based on their exotic DNA? Then fragrances like Percival or Xerjoff's Nio would also be a total flop.
Could it be that we separate them based on price?
Why do Tom Ford fragrances sometimes cost €400, while a pure perfume house like Lorenzo Villoresi offers 100ml bottles for €150?
Is it separated based on the ingredients? Then fragrance notes like orange blossom or musk mallow would have no place in the niche world...

Before I digress further and pose fundamental questions, I want to focus on this wonderful niche or designer fragrance.
Déclaration d'Un Soir from the prestigious brand Cartier fundamentally connects everything you wouldn't expect.
How should one explain to an outsider how a pure (men's) fragrance feels that smells intensely of roses?
For me, this fragrance composition hardly provided any possibility to generate any expectations.
Be that as it may, I sought out a decant of this fragrance, having no specific requirements at first.
When the souk arrived, I was quite curious about how my reaction would turn out.

About the fragrance:
I find the fragrance to be very high-quality and unique, and its longevity is impressive.
In the opening, you immediately get the magnificent rose bouquet projected, while I can perceive slight pepper and nutmeg nuances.
The fragrance is surprisingly very masculine, which is why I see this fragrance categorized perfectly.
The further development is very linear and high-quality.

All in all, this is a high-quality, unique, and wonderful fragrance that also receives consistently good feedback in its surroundings.

Call me crazy, but Déclaration d'Un Soir is, in my mind, an absolute niche fragrance with a unique character ;-)

Like many others, I also stumbled upon JF at the beginning of my perfume journey.
Often, I ordered one or another bottle after watching his videos, such as Versace - Eau Fraiche or Mont Blanc - Legend Spirit.
What particularly stuck in my mind was that the fragrances were at most rated as adequate afterwards.
During this time, the scent Aqva Amara by Bulgari was often promoted, which, according to his statement, smells of the strength of the ocean.
I took this statement as an incentive to find an aquatic fragrance that puts everything else in the shade.
I slipped through countless perfumeries, but with moderate success.
Often, I had the impression that the aquatic fragrances were very synthetic, with Megamare by Orto Parisi being particularly noteworthy as a chemical club.
One day, when I came to the realization that I wouldn't find what I was looking for, I entered a perfumery that also sold TF.
As is often the case with TF, crowdpleasers like Tobacco Vanille, Tuscan Leather, or Oud Wood were predominantly offered.
When I briefly saw the bottle Oud Minerale, despite my heavy expectations, it piqued my interest.
When I sprayed it on my wrist, I was love-struck!
It exceeded my expectations of finding a perfect aquatic fragrance.

Now, when the JF quote "The Strength of the Ocean" comes to mind, it is definitely Oud Minerale.

If you like one, you like them all, that's the basic conclusion about the house of PDM.
I too have been influenced by this opinion, having tried Layton, Pegasus, Herod, and also Carlisle.
All of these fragrances are somewhat similar, yet still uniquely structured.

When I then stumbled upon Kalan, my curiosity knew no bounds ;-)
The scent arrived, and my first thought was... yes, this is the twin of MFK's flagship BR540.
In the following days, I had the pleasure of "deconstructing" this fragrance multiple times.
Little by little, the scent developed in my perception into an incredibly wonderful and warm direction, which scores with incredible performance.
Yes, the fragrance has slight synthetic nuances, but still, it is an amazing olfactory experience!

For me, Kalan is the flagship from Parfums de Marly, which does not need to hide from Herod or Layton!

Short recommendation:
To all men who love Baccarat Rouge....get yourself Kalan, it's the masculine "twin".

The Merchant of Venice is an Italian perfume house that, unfortunately, has hardly gained any attention so far.
When you get reviews from Italian perfume houses, they are usually Tiziana Terenzi or Xerjoff.
Unbiased, I got a sample to form an opinion about the Tobacco Vanille twin.
At first, I perceive a very penetrating and sweet note (probably plum), which strangely reminds me of Baccarat Rouge.
In the drydown, the tobacco/cinnamon nuances increase more and more, making the scent take on an oriental base, just as one imagines and wishes.
Sillage and longevity are outstanding!

If Floriental by CdG is, according to JF, the Arab prince, then this is the Arab king/queen!

This is the fragrance that truly drives me to despair.

On one hand, it's a truly wintery-sweet cinnamon-vanilla dream, with fine spicy nuances.
On the other hand, it's a dirty musk-patchouli scent that somewhat reminds me of a horse saddle.

This fragrance is so penetrating and at the same time so straightforward, as I have rarely experienced in a scent.
The reactions are like a roller coaster; I have received almost every possible feedback from "wonderful" to "disgusting"...

Nevertheless, this fragrance is something very special that I wouldn't want to miss.
I envision a suitable wearer as a guy who brutally implements his ideas and desires.