MickeyRourke

The women's and men's fragrance lines by Narciso Rodriguez have been with me for many years now. Even though Narciso's most formative fragrances are no longer available, I can recall their scent from memory with my eyes closed, and with the memories come the feelings that go with them. That's how we all feel about our fragrances and memories, isn't it? With the "Narciso For Her" range, I don't have to think long about what I associate it with. There was a time when my girlfriend at the time ritually sprayed "For Her Musc Collection" on my scarf before my motorcycle tours so that I would return to her as safe as possible. Yes, I associate this perfume exclusively with that time and that woman. It is still Narciso's best. But now there's also "For Her Forever".

There is no doubt that Narciso went a bit overboard with the number of variants of this fragrance and sometimes the result was not so exhilarating. In the end, I'm not surprised, because it's difficult to build on the past and create something new at the same time. Somehow, however, Sonia Constant has managed to do just that with this mysterious, creamy musk carried by lovely floral white flowers. Narciso 2023 actually means emotions for me again, and since the fragrance has only been on the market since this year, this review can only refer to fairly recent emotions, apart from the fragrance. In the short term, the question arose as to whether it wouldn't be better to take a more objective and sober approach. Well, I tried - and deleted everything again.
In the end, I have no choice but to describe this fragrance with all its emotions, with all the impressions and thoughts that go with it. Otherwise, this review would just be a stupid attempt at repression and not even a fraction of what one would call the whole truth.

So what is the whole truth? The truth is, For Her Forever, these are happy moments in which you feel the "we", in which you feel this intense connection with every meter and every minute you walk together, in which you can express words and feelings without speaking, in which you can say everything with touch and looks alone. For me, forever means longing, sensuality, eroticism, passion and - above all - an intensely felt love for the person we are ultimately talking about. A love that at one moment makes me feel happy like a teenager with a crush and at another moment makes me realize like an adult how serious everything really is - namely that you can't and don't want to imagine a future without all this and this person (fuck again) forever.

But the future seems anything but certain right now. Clarity and determination keep swapping places with uncertainty, doubt and heartache. The current reality is blocking many of the things that you recently counted among the happiest moments in your life. And where is all that now? Preserved forever in a bottle?
No, in the midst of this reality there is still this fragrance, representative of everything that was recently, what is now and what will be. Can you smell it, can you feel it? It fights with you and for you for your future. He shows you that there can be a different reality to the one you have now. He shows you that behind difficult decisions, which would involve losses and great efforts, there is still a beautiful future waiting for you.

Yes, it's not easy right now, but I'm not giving in that easily either. After all, it's "For her forever". And besides, a man once wrote: "Everything will be fine in the end and if it's not fine, it's not the end!".

The search for a sweet fragrance that suited me was quite difficult at the beginning. All the comments and recommendations you can find here didn't make it easy. It should be a sweeter fragrance, especially for the last two seasons, but a little sweeter than, for example, Sauvage perfume, which already has a permanent place in my closet. It shouldn't be too floral/floral or have too fruity a sweetness. Thanks to Parfumo and the Souk, a few from the shortlist finally landed in my mailbox. And what can I say, L'Homme Intense turned out to be the revelation for me. I should mention for the sake of completeness that there was also Tom Ford Noir Extreme, Valentino Uomo Intense and Dua Brands Midnight Rendezvous in the mailbox. But of all the fragrance of YSL came to me spontaneously and even later still the closest.

It took only seconds until I was already blown away. It starts sweet, powdery, slightly floral. Immediately unfolds the lipstick note, which in the further course but thank God again withdraws and is henceforth in harmony with everything that was there and comes. In a wonderful way, discreet woody notes combine with slightly clean, musky notes, i.e. the aforementioned virgin cedar with the ambrette seeds, which are also called musk grains. No wonder I perceive and love L'Homme Intense so much, as I also dig the musky scents of Narciso Rodriguez. Blind tested, I would have even guessed Narciso there. It is indeed a simple as well as beautiful composition that I find it hard to believe that it is supposed to be just the three mentioned components in top, heart and base notes. This sweet iris or iris absolute must be made of such unusual irises, I can hardly explain it otherwise.

Durability and sillage are indeed very good, but it never slays me. on the contrary, I just can't stop sniffing my hand. And if I'm ever walking around or outside without thinking about it, I immediately notice this gorgeous scent cloud again. In the end, I'm left with a slightly floral, vanilla, powdery, even minimally smoky sweetness with a hint of musk. I do not care if others say "what are you wearing for a sweet stuff" and no matter if disparagingly spoken of mass sweet plörre.

I'm glad that I could compare L'Homme Intense with the others, because I had already squinted very much in the direction of Tom Ford. And I'm just glad that I have no allergy to mass-market designer fragrances.

@!Update*
After multiple uses, I'm sorry to say that Midnight Rendezvous is just too penetrating for me and I'd rather get rid of this scent really quickly. The feedbacks in my environment were also not particularly. The original review I leave but in.

Actually, it's still summer and recently I was still with T-shirt and shorts at the barbecue. But the current look outside shows me an uncomfortable dreary gray, trees swaying back and forth in the wind while the rain falls on everything and pattering against the windows. The days are already getting shorter, the clothes for the fall I have also rummaged out of the closet and I could throw up anyway, how fast the time goes by now. It seems to me as if I had slept away weeks. All this tells me now, it's time to prepare for the coming two seasons with a suitable fragrance.

So I go ahead. Actually, I have with Sauvage Parfum a fragrance that fits quite well in these times. But a really sweet seducer is missing so far. So I come in my search among other things to YSL La Nuit de l'homme. But my attention is quickly drawn to Midnight Rendevous. It sounds good, what I read so and seductive sounding names drive my curiosity additionally in the height. A few clicks and the bottling is ordered.

A few days later...afternoon...
My view goes out the window, rain again, wet cold, only here and there shimmers a ray of sunshine through the gray. #Seufz #was for'n Sch... but not the worst conditions for the test, I think to myself, the sprayer already in hand.

It starts with bergamot, which first provides a surprisingly fresh prelude, which reminds me slightly of shower gel. After a few minutes, cardamom takes control. Sweet resinous notes combine with the initial freshness and vetiver to a sweetly balsamic scent, which is complemented by nutty, chocolaty and subtly woody-smoky notes while the freshness has long since given way to a light, subtly tart spiciness. The sense of the short fresh prelude does not really open up to me in retrospect, does not really fit together. I'm thinking of Sauvage and other fragrances like Armani Code, etc. But ultimately is Midnight Rendezvous there simply can not keep up.

Finally, it should be said that third parties have perceived it quite intensively after my test. So you can definitely say that durability and sillage are not to be underestimated, and that you should not mistakenly spray too much with Midnight Rendezvous. Otherwise, a rendezvous is possibly quickly over again ;-)

Isn't the devil's greatest art to make us believe that he doesn't exist? A minimal touch of citrusy, fruity freshness at the beginning, which must give way in no time to a floral, rosy levender mixture that does not really come beyond an upscale fabric softener feeling or sachet - that's called Mefisto. I'm just imagining how many sachets of fragrance I could probably buy for that money. Woody notes and musk don't pull it out then either. What the whole thing should have to do with a men's fragrance is beyond me. Mefisto laughs himself silly that this is still bought. He has deceived us beautifully.

Frapin, at the word I always come quite quickly into rapture, but L'Humaniste is one of my favorite fragrances. After my recent excursions into the Aventus world and various clone bottlings, I then read about The Orchid Man. Ok, I guess you'll have to try that one too, I thought to myself - in for a penny, in for a pound. Of all the fragrances that romp there around Aventus has The Orchid Man, I'm sending times in advance, the "leathery" touch.
You wouldn't expect that at first, because it starts with a slightly acrid, even briefly medicinal pungent note of bergamot and pepper. Jasmine makes itself then but quickly noticeable and dampens the fresh-peppery approaches with its floral influence. Then oakmoss and patchouli slowly get to work. It becomes slightly "woody", greener. I feel slightly and subtly reminded of fir/spruce bath oil, which was always poured into my bath water as a child. But that's not so bad now.
Patchouli skillfully finds the transition over amber to that leathery note, which then comes more clearly to the fore. The leather, by the way, could also be tobacco. I confuse that with wine actually also very often. Therefore, I can not confirm the information about heart and base notes so actually. I find, what remains is a leather/tobacco note, which is underpinned discreetly fresh by pepper and spruce forest.
All in all, already skillful, interesting and not bad. But it will initially no other Frapin join my collection. I continue then but rather with my combination Swiss Arabian Shawq / Al Haramain L'Aventure, I like the fragrance better. There I have at less than half the cost then even double the amount. If that is not an argument.