Karenin

The appointment of Tomas Maier as Bottega Veneta’s Creative Director can, no doubt, be seen as a major turning point for the company. He’s successfully applied his artistic and aesthetic vision on its overall image as well as its products, including (luckily!) fragrances. I’ve already reviewed Bottega Veneta’s first perfume, which though marketed to women, I find perfectly unisex and, therefore, enjoy wearing myself. Naturally, I was very curious to give “Bottega Veneta Pour Homme” a go.

I’m happy to say the “Pour Homme” version does not lag behind its female counterpart. Upon the first spritz, we are greeted by the zesty note of bergamot. Yet within seconds we leave the orchard and are instead invited for a walk through a forest of evergreen trees and shrubs. There’s no need to hurry, so the pace is relaxed. As our walk draws to an end, we suddenly realise we’ve been wearing a leather jacket, whose smell is effortlessly coupled with (and subdued by) the piney notes.

Honestly, there isn’t an awful lot going on in this fragrance, which is deserving of fair criticism. The blending of its notes, however, creates such a pleasant aroma of easy-going elegance that it has won me over almost instantly. Although I can’t help feeling the final result is a rather curbed and more digestible version of what might have been a much bolder perfume, I still believe this is another solid offering from Bottega Veneta.

A fellow perfumista once remarked (and I fully concur with this sentiment) that Amouage comes under fire no matter what sort of new fragrance they introduce. On the one hand, people moan that the company has set a low standard with un-Amouage-like scents such as “Lilac Love” or “Blossom Love” (a deviation from the company’s Arab roots is often quoted as the main complaint). Others, on the other hand, feel uncomfortable when Amouage releases a fragrance that does not follow suit, blaming its outlandish composition for its unwearability. “Myths Woman” is a case in point for the latter.

The thing that immediately struck me when I first sampled “Myths Woman” was how uninviting it smelt. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean this is an unpleasant aroma, it just flatly refuses to play the usual repertoire of tricks. There are no seductive sweet notes, no tangy spiciness or soft woodiness. This is an outdoorsy perfume which transports you right into the middle of a narcissus-and-chrysanthemum flowerbed. In addition to the flowers, you can catch light whiffs of composted soil to intensify your experience of the “great outdoors”. In about two hours, the perfume invites you to enter a different place: a dimly lit bar. However, you can’t help noticing there’s something odd about it: it’s deserted and the only trace of human presence is a stale smell of sweat mixed with cigarette smoke.

There’s no doubt “Myths Woman” is a nod to leathery green chypres of a bygone era. It successfully emulates not only their composition, but also a trademark feature of this category of scents, namely an air of standoffishness. “Myths Woman” may never become the signature fragrance of “shiny, happy people”, yet I’m sure some daydreamers and wanderers will be able to uncover and bask in its rugged beauty.

Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum probably comes across as somewhat of an oddity in the world invaded by a plague of cloying pinkish compote waters. My guess is the younger crowd will wrinkle their noses after smelling a perfume like Bottega Veneta, which, to be honest, does not bother me at all.

Despite not being groundbreaking or trend-setting, to me, Bottega Veneta EdP is a unique fragrant composition. I'm not going to attempt to describe its effect on me since I would be forced to resort to such cliched adjectives as "modern (with a classic twist)", "gentle", "sophisticated", "classy", "elegant", to name just a few. Bottega Veneta EdP IS all this and so much more. Even though it's been composed of run-of-the-mill notes, they're blended exquisitely. The scent starts off fresh and slightly spicy-citrusy. Then it moves to its floral-fruity heart (courtesy of jasmine, violet and plum), and signs off with oak moss and patchouli. The heart and base notes create a very pleasant rendition of leather, thanks to which on my skin, BV turns into a delicate and alluring skin scent. A considerable number of fellow perfumistas have commented on the unisex nature of this fragrance. In my opinion, a man can pull it off with the proviso that he's not put off by BV's head and heart which do lean more towards the feminine side. However, the reward in the form of the heavenly drydown is well worth the risk.

Bottega Veneta EdP is pure delight and one of the best mainstream feminine perfumes out there at the moment.

“Silver Man” is somewhat of a diversion from the well-trodden path typically taken by the Omani perfume company Amouage. This is their take on the concept of the traditional “cologne” and, as can be expected from a non-conformist firm like Amouage, the result is indeed a novel interpretation of the genre.

“Silver Man” starts off with a burst of citruses and fruit, namely bergamot, mandarin orange and plum. And although these notes linger for a while, it soon becomes obvious theirs is merely a supporting role. The true centrepiece of the composition is the white flower accord. First, there’s a generous dose of orange blossom whose effect is later intensified by the emergence of jasmine. While some readers might be wondering if the folks at Amouage have not made a major marketing blunder when it comes to the intended gender of its target customers, I assure you that despite containing several notes normally used in female-oriented scents, “Silver” can indeed be classified as a proper unisex/an unconventional masculine scent. (Actually, hesitant gentlemen may eventually be won over in the drydown during which the cologne’s chest grows a little hairier thanks to the addition of musk.)

To sum up, Amouage have done a very decent job tweaking the original idea behind the classic “eau de cologne” and managed to produce a refined, top-quality, feel-good fragrance, absolutely worthy of this reputable company. Let the summer begin!

Right off the bat let me state that Terre d'Hermes Parfum is one of the most unique fragrances I've ever sniffed.
In Terre Parfum, the vegetal and mineral facets of the fragrance are prominent and make a noticeable statement. I find its citrus accord less pronounced than in the Eau de Toilette. To my nose, the grapefruit note is virtually non-existent. However, what my inexperienced nose does identify successfully is the orange peel accord, which smells incredibly natural. In fact, the other day, after peeling a few oranges, the smell lingering on my fingers was comparable to the one contained in Terre Parfum. The fragrance then moves on to its woody-spicy heart, dominated mostly by cedar and benzoin. It finishes off with an earthy note which is also accentuated in the Parfum version.

What astounds me about Terre d'Hermes Parfum is that despite its concentration, it's by no means overwhelming, attention-stealing or headache-inducing. On the contrary, its sillage is rather moderate, yet its lifespan pretty impressive. Just when you think it's vanished, sniff your wrist and you'll find its earthy base is still alive and kicking. I'd recommend wearing Terre Parfum in the colder months of the year, but I suspect it can work well in the spring, too. I shall definitely put it to the test. As far as the potential fan base for Terre Parfum is concerned, I believe what's true of the Eau de Toilette is doubly so of the Parfum version. There's every likelihood it will mostly appeal to the 30+ crowd since it totally lacks the lightweight ozonic aquatic character so widespread in so many (or rather TOO many!) modern-day fragrances for (young) men these days.