MattRacer

Quentin Bisch and Amouage, that's quite a special combination. An extremely sought-after, if not THE trendiest fragrance artist of our time, is allowed to draw from the exquisite raw material drawers of this noble and traditional perfume house from Oman. I find it quite bold for this house to let Mr. Bisch create, as he often designs rather loud, ultra-modern, youthful, or even eccentric fragrances for other houses. Amouage is somehow always associated with elegance, timeless classicism, and tradition. Clearly, the collaboration between the perfumer and the fragrance house harmonizes at the highest level here, as the results of this collaboration in the bottle speak for themselves!
In my opinion, it has been excellently achieved here to combine a very potent and modern fragrance with sufficient classicism and tradition. Absolutely adequate face-saving for Amouage, and yet an artistic statement as well as a showcase of Quentin Bisch's own abilities.
Yes, Purpose 50 is indeed capable of being absolutely polarizing. But that also belongs to Amouage and Quentin Bisch. Apart from Reflection Man, most Amouage fragrances have something about them that is likely to olfactorily challenge some consumers quite strongly.

So how does it smell? Personally, I find Purpose 50 somewhat elusive and difficult to put into words. Most has already been said in the statements and reviews before me.
I think what characterizes the fragrance is a certain magic in the way it unfolds. It plays with contrasts and creates a present but, as I find, always stylish, magical aura.
I primarily get a synthetic, extremely potent base of woods (Akigalawood?) and something that comes across as an unprecedented musk accord (Mystikal?). The fragrance has very cool, borderline-fresh facets to it. I get a similar cooling effect to what mint oil provides, but without even remotely smelling like mint. I perceive a similar base in the Guidance 46 from the same perfumer and to some extent also in "Decision | Amouage." You can clearly smell Bisch's signature here.
Similar nuances can also be found in, for example, PdM Valaya or Bois Imperial. It's extremely interesting that one can somehow perceive an olfactory signature of the creator here.
Purpose 50 has an absolute unique selling point compared to the other in-house candidates mentioned here! Therefore, I find the fragrance, as it stands now, very unique and inimitable.
This is likely also due to the licensing/patenting of some "Captive Molecules," raw materials, and aroma chemicals by Quentin Bisch and Amouage.
Continuing on the topic of scent... supported by the base, the fragrance is dominated by a wonderfully soft, smooth, and very gracefully integrated incense. Here, you are not sitting in a fresh cloud of smoke... it rather feels as if a church service with the finest incense had been held hours earlier. The scratchy aspects of the smoke have completely settled, but the scent of the ceremony still lingers in the extremely cool air of the church.
Something citrusy accompanies the fragrance in a subtle and dimmed manner, especially at the beginning of its unfolding, that is, the first three days... (more on that later). However, the citrus is completely free of fruit acidity and comes across as rather balsamic, ethereal, extremely soft.
Otherwise, I perceive various lightly resinous woods. Again, no fresh, piercing resin scent, but gentle and settled for some time. Peppery facets give the fragrance a consistently aromatic, balsamic spiciness, without ever coming across as harsh. Everything is finely tuned and feels harmoniously massaged into the fragrance.
Furthermore, the fragrance progression is underscored by a wonderful vanilla note. Here, however, no gourmand pudding vanilla, but truly the noble, natural spice extract. This and more also imbue the perfume with a pleasant and stylish, well-balanced sweetness.

Now let's talk about longevity and overall performance. To illustrate, a little anecdote about my still two-year-old son.
It happened that I left my Purpose 50 decant unattended on a stair step in the house. On the way to getting ready for bed in the evening, the little guy went up the stairs as instructed by Dad. Apparently, he found the decant bottle with the golden cap very interesting and took it, unnoticed by me, in a flash. Unaware of this little cheeky act of theft, I prepared the bath and bedroom while he was still in his brother's room with his 4-year-old sibling. And then it happened... judging by the fill level, roughly 6, 7, or 8 sprays were emptied from the pocket atomizer. On himself, the bedroom floor, the clothes. I was about 10 meters away in the bathroom and knew about 5 seconds later what had happened. The scent cloud swept through the entire upper floor and took it by storm!
I entered the brother's room and saw the pocket atomizer in the hand of my grinning son, who had just launched an olfactory full-scale attack on all the scent receptors in the house.
Folks, I like this perfume, but that was too much of a good thing.
The clothes of the children that were in the scent cloud were immediately sent to the laundry. Result: After 3 washes at 40 degrees, the scent could still be perceived! And I mean that as surely as I write here.
The older brother's carpet still smells of Purpose 50, now 60 airings later.
The little man was thoroughly washed with soap and went to bed smelling of Mystikal and incense.
The next day, I picked him up from daycare. When I entered the group room, I couldn't help but grin. Purpose 50 had also conquered the entire daycare room here.
An educator told me he had been complimented on his wonderful scent and whether he had a new perfume. He then referred his colleagues to my son and his faux pas the night before.

The moral of the story is, don't go overboard with the spraying!
Whatever Bisch has incorporated, it is nuclear. The fragrance truly has style, but 2-3 sprays are completely sufficient here! Anything more is war.
In short: Quentin, you BISCHt a devil of the perfume scene!
I can understand anyone who doesn't like the fragrance. While it is not as challenging as, for example, an Interlude oregano smoke bomb, it is still clearly too intense and experimental for most, making a blind buy at the exorbitant price point unwise.
For me personally, where I have nothing against synthetic aspects of a fragrance as long as they are harmoniously and moderately integrated, this is truly a masterpiece with a unique selling point.

If you are not familiar with the inspiration behind the name of this fragrance, allow me a tiny clarification here.
Loki is a figure from Norse mythology, known as the (half-)god of mischief. He is a very notorious and complex character, part of numerous myths and legends. Loki is a trickster, famous for his shapeshifting abilities and use of magical powers. His stories are filled with intrigue, deception, and unexpected twists, making Loki a very fascinating and exciting figure. Sometimes he is an ally and sometimes an opponent of the Aesir gods. His magical skills and shapeshifting make him the god of chaos and the master of deception, always looking out for his own advantage.

I find this name inspiration both successful and fitting for the underlying fragrance!

Loki starts off quite fresh and citrusy. The associations mentioned here with aftershave, or rather shaving foam, I can largely confirm from my own impression. The oakmoss from the base contributes to a certain barbershop freshness. However, you can already sense from the beginning that this fragrance has more up its sleeve. The opening is directly accompanied by a certain vanilla sweetness and a pleasant, soft, smoothed-out spiciness. A lightly sweet peppery nutmeg can be sensed, while I personally do not recognize the clove from the pyramid distinctly.
As the fresh citrus notes of the opening gradually settle, they make way for a beautifully soft oriental base of the fragrance. The cool freshness dissipates and is replaced by warm amber and a creamy tonka bean. Soft wood accords accompany the fragrance from this point onward.
Towards the drydown, the fragrance becomes increasingly emphasized by tonka and vanilla. The level of sweetness is well-measured, stylish, and never annoying. The Thai oud is subtle but always perceptible and masterfully woven into the scent. Aaron uses nothing animalistic here, but a very gentle, mass-appealing oud that comes across as very soft. By the way, there is again a certificate of origin and used percentage, which to my knowledge only a handful of fragrance houses do with such transparency.
The fragrance character from the middle onward is always slightly sweet, gently spicy, subtly powdery, and comfortably warm.

The fragrance undergoes an interesting transformation from opening to drydown and reveals itself to be quite multifaceted. It is relatively easy to access, yet it shows a certain depth. Other creations are certainly deeper in this regard.

Other gods are often more present and louder in mythology. Thus, this fragrance is, in my opinion, rather moderate in terms of sillage. The scent is not a showstopper like the divine counterpart in some legends. Loki is always seen for his attractive appearance, but he spins his true strengths and intrigues rather unnoticed in the background.
The god of mischief accompanies mythology until Ragnarok, the Norse equivalent of Armageddon, the apocalypse, the end of the world. I wouldn’t go that far regarding longevity ;) In my opinion, the fragrance is in the upper average range. It produces about three to four hours of sillage and is perceivable on my skin for about 6 to 8 hours. That’s perfectly fine and better than most of what you get today.

Loki is part of numerous stories. Sometimes kind, sometimes evil, sometimes helpful, sometimes scheming. The fragrance almost exclusively showcases the "good" character traits of the figure. Thus, I also see the fragrance as wearable in many contexts. Generally discreet enough for the office, it likely plays its true strengths in the realm of evening outings, "dates," or in a calm, cozy atmosphere.

I find the bottle very chic. I really like the magnetic metal cap, the engraved company emblem, as well as the crystal stones. The bottle itself is beautifully minimalist and timeless, and well-crafted. The sprayer is of good average quality.
The pricing is unfortunately quite exclusive. I commend Aaron for this, as you are indeed acquiring rare small batches and high-quality craftsmanship here.

Is the "divine" name justified? I think so. There are certainly deeper, more multifaceted fragrances than Loki, which can be very simplistically but aptly described, and at this point, a quote from Cedrolemon from the statements is allowed, as "tonka vanilla incorporated in aftershave." Nevertheless, it achieves a great mix of likability, wearability, character, and above all, uniqueness, which earns it a rightful place in Asgard, the Norse "heaven."

Are you looking for a mother-in-law's favorite scent that doesn't clash in the office, is easily accessible, and likely appeals to everyone? Then please keep searching, you've made a mistake with this fragrance ;-)

Kalan is a scent that certainly polarizes. Probably, only a few will rate the fragrance with a "meh" - either you love it or you hate it.
It has numerous edges and corners and is more of an olfactory bully than Everybody's Darling.

The scent starts off somewhat fruity with its pronounced blood orange in the top note. Already a tart, bitter fruit, it is further enhanced by certain roasted aromas that accompany the fragrance, adding even more masculinity. The orange here seems as if the peel has been briefly flamed with a gas burner.
The fragrance already reveals its true nature in the opening: the perceptible lavender, like the pepper notes, is very sharp and not at all powdery or creamy. In my opinion, nothing here is softly balanced; everything is packed with a good punch and character.

Throughout the entire fragrance journey, there are also more or less indefinable woods to be perceived.
A slight tonka bean sweetness lingers from start to finish. But even this is not gentle; it’s charred, a bit like burnt cotton candy. Not least from this, some perceive a similarity to "Baccarat Rouge 540 (Eau de Parfum) | Maison Francis Kurkdjian." Certain facets of the fragrances are indeed similar, but this similarity in the overall picture is achieved through largely different scent notes. It's as if you were playing a similar melody but using completely different instruments. With Kalan, you get more brutal soot instead of sweet feminine Baccarat Rouge, more Heavy Metal than a baroque aria.
In the pyramid, there is also a "solar note." Not knowing which synthetic fragrance molecules were used to create this accord, I can at least confirm that some nuances of the scent remind me of slightly sunburned skin. As if you were smelling your skin after having overdone it with sunbathing.

Overall, the entire fragrance strikes me as humorless and in a bad mood, like Clint Eastwood in a classic Western before a shootout.
I like to wear the fragrance when I'm in a "No-F*cks-Given" mood and the opinions of those around me only tangentially affect me.

This scent is definitely a statement and not for people looking for a lot of compliments. But even that can occasionally happen with Kalan, from those who appreciate and understand interesting fragrances.

Coming from a time when Parfums de Marly was still cool, innovative, and somewhat niche, the performance of Kalan is very solid. On my skin, it produces about 5 hours of notable sillage and is perceptible up close for a total of 8-9 hours. Even the blood orange remains present throughout the fragrance journey.

Hard Candy Elixir from Aaron Terence Hughes: A scent as striking and interesting as the creative mind behind it.

The first time I smelled the sample, I had no idea how to assess the fragrance. Sprayed on, nose close… what the Fu* ?! I had to jerk back half an arm's length.
I was literally overwhelmed by the sensory impressions and the intensity of this fragrance explosion that penetrated my nasal mucosa. Hard Candy Elixir is like a basket full of all sorts of candies, compressed into liquid form at a tiny molecular level, capable of temporarily grilling the receptors and the olfactory cortex area.
Okay. Let’s let it sink in for a moment, let the scent rest, and start anew. What do I smell here? The fragrance opens sweet, fruity, and fresh to my perception. I detect all sorts of fruits, primarily mandarin. But imagine more of a multivitamin fruit compote. Not only natural fruit, but also generously garnished with synthetic aromas like effervescent tablets and gummy bears. This is directly coupled with peppermint and lavender. I also think I perceive cinnamon or something related. Don’t imagine the fruity notes as distinctly recognizable or emphasized fruity like Erba Pura. They are more part of an overall opening and are strongly embedded in the sweet-spicy opening. The indicated strawberry I only perceive subtly as a single component.
And one more thing: This fruit basket is not handed to you gently and politely; no, it is slammed right in your face with full force!

The opening reminds me of a mix between JPG Ultra Male and Versace Eros EDT, to draw a comparison with more well-known fragrances. Both scents are already quite loud and present on their own, and Hard Candy Elixir takes it up a notch. It’s like being at an AC/DC concert in the middle of the hall and not being quite satisfied with the volume, wishing instead for Manowar at 138 decibels in the front row.
Gradually, as the fruits settle down (after about 3 days with this scent), the fragrance reveals where its pronounced sweetness comes from: vanilla/tonka bean gradually assert themselves against the fruits. I personally do not perceive the indicated honey. I would rather say it leans towards caramel or chocolate.
And here the fragrance transforms in an interesting way. After the scent calms its fresh spicy fruit-mint blast, it gradually reveals a warm, cocoa-like, soft gourmand base. Quite gentle musk notes cushion the fragrance fluffily. Now a faintly swirling oud also appears in the background, which adds some depth and warmth to the scent. Even though it never completely sheds the fruity-fresh opening, the fragrance thus has a multifaceted and interesting progression. There’s definitely a lot going on in terms of olfactory presentation!
Regarding the drydown, I read in the statements the association with AXE - Dark Temptation. Although the latter deodorant/shower gel aroma does not come with the same quality, a fundamental similarity cannot be entirely denied. I personally also find the comparison to creamy cookie dough with chocolate chips quite appropriate.
By the way, one should like ambroxan to find pleasure in this scent.

In line with my chosen headline, it should be said that Hard Candy Elixir is indeed an extreme creation. The scent can be seen as an egg-laying wool milk saucer that attempts (and succeeds!) to cover many fragrance properties at once, creating perhaps a somewhat chaotic mix of notes and character traits for the human nose. The fragrance is eccentric, shrill, and attention-grabbing. It is about as subtle and appropriate as the aforementioned Manowar concert in the idyllic spa town of Bad Reichenhall.
Joking aside. To put it in perspective, it must be said that the fragrance appears pleasing to most noses, provided it is applied sparingly. Due to its richness in facets, it is quite versatile, as it is both sweet and fresh, shower gel-like to gourmand. To achieve this, however, one should apply one, at most two sprays.
I am not a fan of categorizing fragrances into specific application categories. I do not see UltraMale or Eros as pure "party fragrances" at all. But if one had to assign an occasion to Hard Candy Elixir, it would probably be the loud, colorful disco party.
The sillage is omnipresent.
A word about longevity: Yes. Period.
However, the main focus on performance lies with the projection. In terms of longevity, there are indeed more enduring characters in the fragrance world.

Aaron has really gone all out here and created an olfactory monster that radiates in all conceivable color patterns. This monster is less frightening than it is fascinating and captivating.

If you like the fundamentally loud character of the fragrance, there are still other points of criticism. These include the virtually nonexistent availability within the EU and particularly the grotesque pricing.
I no longer believe any other house that the highest quality raw materials are really used here, and that the path to the finished perfume is very long and labor-intensive. Aaron appears very transparent and authentic to me in his, by the way, very visually appealing videos. Of course, he, as it is his profession, will make enough money with the fragrances. Nevertheless, I find it quite plausible that the fragrances cost a fortune to produce, not least due to the relatively small production numbers. Nonetheless, a price of around 300 euros for 50ml is a tough statement. Especially for a fragrance whose individual facets one has smelled elsewhere in a significantly cheaper price segment.
For those for whom money is no object and the search for THE one all-capable "party fragrance" has so far continued, Hard Candy Elixir may well be the answer and bring happiness.

For me, it is not a candidate for purchase. Besides the high price, I find, for my taste, its application field so narrowly defined that the bottle would have no real justification for existence in my collection. Moreover, I do not need 50ml of it, as I do not intend to wear the fragrance until 2067 or, with overly lavish spraying, to contaminate the stratosphere with it.
So does it live up to the hype? Maybe, that’s something everyone has to decide for themselves. However, it is definitely worth a test for the olfactorily curious individual on a fragrance discovery journey!

Even though everything has been said about the market launch 2-3 weeks ago, I wanted to share my opinion on the latest release from Versace.

After the fragrance was announced back in May, if I remember correctly, the anticipation in large parts of the "scene" was very high. I felt the same way. The already known top notes sounded very promising, which raised expectations quite a bit. Personally, I thought Versace was trying to create a summer-focused designer Elysium. Something in the direction of Aventus might have been expected as well. However, I expected a bit more from a house that has produced some truly great and significant designer fragrances than a loveless uninspired pure copy of an already existing and over-cloned scent (Creed Aventus). Especially with the sonorous name Eros, which I believe brought the brand quite respectable sales figures over the last decade, one could have hoped for something more. But more on that later...

What do I get here?
The opening is really well done and yes, despite the often-used citrus notes in fresh (summer) fragrances, it is even somewhat independent and creative. You get a refreshing combination and composition of zesty citrus fruits thrown at your nose, which for me also triggers the much-cited association with yellow Nimm2 candies.
At first, it really feels uplifting and energetic. However, this top note, at least for me, lasts only about as long as the aforementioned candy stays in your mouth before the filling.
After that, Eros Energy takes a direct shortcut to the drydown. And that drydown should be well-known to anyone who has delved a little deeper into fragrances. It is the subtly scratchy spicy birchwood-like, oakmossy, slightly patchouli-tinged musk bed of a Creed Aventus. Here, however, it is a bit less scratchy/smoky and without pineapple. And exactly this base is something we have all smelled countless times: Montblanc Explorer, Armaf Club de Nuit, Afnan Supremacy... to name just three out of what is probably 35 similar perfumes without exaggeration.

Eros Energy does seem independent in that it runs out of steam much sooner compared to the competition. The drydown is also very close to the skin after an hour. After another hour, the scent is completely gone. I would have named the fragrance Eros Cologne or Eau Fraiche. The name "Energy" feels more like mocking sarcasm towards the buyer. There’s nothing here about nuclear power and plutonium sillage. Think more along the lines of a solar panel in the face of an approaching bad weather front in September.
And here come two more problems with the fragrance: It was released too late for the perfume world, and it was released too late in the year 2024.

Overall, I unfortunately have to say that I consider the release to be quite a fail both olfactorily and marketing-wise.
It will probably still sell: The top note will work well on test strips, and the rest will be handled by Channing Tatum...

As a conclusion, I can say as a disappointed Eros fan that the fragrance, which smells nice and pleasant, unfortunately has no buying arguments besides the great but short-lived opening and its totally chic bottle (!!!), in a world where already 30 very similar but often better alternatives exist.

Even the year 2024 has many great alternatives of amazing citrus fragrances to offer. For example, while sniffing the top note of Eros Energy, I think of an Acqua di Parma Mandarino di Sicilia or Rammstein Nitroglyzerin.
Sorry Versace, but you didn’t do your homework.