Nikmarbo

... immediately came to mind after spraying it on: smells fresh, a little leathery, rather inky, woody, floral, intense and masculine. Never smelled like this before.

What stands out here and makes the fragrance so 'unique' are cypriol, ylang-ylang in the top note, gurjun balsam and cedar in the heart note and perhaps the orris root.

I do not share the scent's associations with 'car interior' or 'plastic'. You definitely notice the quality of the ingredients.

In comparison to Ombre Nomade, the ethereal fragrance notes and the striking gurjun balsam, which is also contained in "Burdèl | Tiziana Terenzi", dominate here. The oud used here is not animalic at all. It simply forms a beautiful woody base with the other ingredients.
For me, the Nero Oudh is in the same league as the "Alhambra Oud | Ramón Monegal".

I can't say anything definitive about its durability yet. Perhaps there will be an addendum.

Conclusion: An exceptional fragrance for people who love woody, dark scents that still have a certain freshness to them.

Rose fragrances are not everyone's cup of tea, I would say. In any case, the rose is a symbol of love, especially red roses. And what man gets a bouquet of roses as a present from his sweetheart? Exceptions prove the rule...

But here it's different, probably because I recognize my beloved Quentin Bisch signature in it. Quentin Bisch fragrances à la "Ganymede (Eau de Parfum) | Marc-Antoine Barrois", "Masa / ماسة | Lattafa / لطافة" or "Bois Impérial | Essential Parfums", among others, are characterized for me by a mixture of natural fragrance notes paired with a certain pleasing synthetics, which nevertheless appears high-quality and sophisticated and leaves a lasting impression.

This is also the case here: The striking, fruity top notes of sweet lychee and juicy green apple paired with the slightly pungent spiciness of cumin followed by a powerful 'Rosa damascena' dipped in honey on a bed of musk, patchouli and Akigalawood - which form the base notes in both Ganymede and Masa and therefore the intersection - unite opposing accords to create a beguiling and harmonious fragrance experience.
In this respect, the name 'Experimentum Crucis' is also very well chosen.

Some Quentin Bisch fragrances seem to have been created according to this 'knitting pattern', I would argue, and that is why they stand out from the crowd - even within the niche.
Of course, his fragrances also polarize, but that makes them all the more interesting and unique.

While the "Ganymede (Eau de Parfum) | Marc-Antoine Barrois", "B683 (Eau de Parfum) | Marc-Antoine Barrois" or "Bois Impérial | Essential Parfums" will appeal more to male buyers, I can see this one appealing more to the female target group. Of course, it remains a unisex fragrance, but the tendency is clearly towards femininity. In any case, I'm torn as to whether I'll stick with the original sample or whether I'll buy a bottle after all.

Definitely fascinating and worth a try. In terms of H/S and P/L, you also get a good deal.

All in all, worthy of note and, in my opinion, undervalued.

It is not uncommon for the extrait versions to be more sophisticated, more refined, more subtle, simply more mature than the previously launched 'standard' release. This is also the case here with "Triumph of Bacchus (Extrait de Parfum) | Argos".

Of course you can go straight for the extrait based on various statements, reviews and recommendations, but in my opinion it makes sense to have tested the eau de parfum of "Triumph of Bacchus (Eau de Parfum) | Argos" beforehand or at the same time.

While the EdP immediately shouts out loudly with its top notes: 'I am the King of Boozy', its small but fine brother is a little more discreet and quickly brings a fine (pipe) tobacco note into play, which displaces the first thought of alcohol abuse with the 'big brother'.

Those who naturally like it 'loud' and want to stand out at all costs are better served with the EdP. However, those who value the virtues of a gentleman who sets himself apart in a different way would be better off digging a little deeper into their pockets and opting for the Extrait.

The longevity and sillage could certainly be better for a fragrance in this price range, at least in my experience and assessment, but it is still worth it to ME.
You can spray more until your partner politely tells you that you've had enough :)

I certainly don't regret having waited a good three weeks for the fragrance from the moment I ordered it. The outer packaging, the entire presentation and the bottle are a feast for the eyes and go very well with this release.

In any case, both versions are worth testing and are also recommended in the price range.

I had bought the fragrance directly from PdM a few months ago and was almost looking forward to it like a somewhat naive PdM fanboy. Beforehand, I had only watched the YouTube videos that had been posted about it. These and the fragrance pyramid should be enough for a successful blind buy! At least that's what I thought.

When the shipment arrived, I hastily unpacked it full of expectation and anticipation. The packaging looked promising, and I particularly like the leather travel case for the bottle - I really like it.

Now I got to work on the fragrance. I usually take a look at the fragrance pyramid beforehand to get my olfactory receptors in the mood for what to expect before spraying it on for the first time.
And off we go: The top notes are immediately very present, orange blossom, cinnamon, bergamot ... but vanilla also immediately pushes its way to the front. What???
I was a little disappointed at first: firstly, I had imagined it to be completely different and secondly, there was a disturbing factor that irritated me right from the start. It was either the vanilla or the cinnamon, but I'm leaning towards the vanilla. A) I find it unexpected and unusually unnatural and B) I didn't expect it until much later, in the base.
In my opinion, this 'note' (possibly not a single one), I'll just call it that, is so dominant and intrusive that it drags the whole creation down and ultimately only evokes negative associations in me, which I don't want to list here in detail.

All in all, a great pity, even disappointing.
But fortunately (for PdM and loyal fans of the brand) there is also a lot of positive feedback and I don't want to fundamentally criticize or question that.
Please let everyone form their own opinion on this.

Just my 2 scents ;)

... that has come under my nose so far.

Having only recently come across the "Ishq Special | Anfas" and read through the reviews and statements, I thought it might be worth a test.

I have to admit that I hadn't looked for it, because up until then I thought that perfumes that smelled of strawberry were for little girls or young ladies, but not for men.
I was wrong, and I was very wrong!

This fragrance is fine, elegant, classy - yes, it's sweet, but it's a very harmonious, pleasing sweetness. Not the sticky stuff, not synthetic, just lovely. In one of the statements I read something about strawberry cream sweets. In my opinion, this comparison fits very well, although I still have to emphasize the noble component in this fragrance, because it is certainly an art to bring a strawberry fragrance to such a high level.

In contrast to many oriental fragrances, the cast of this ensemble is manageable. Saffron and jasmine play in the front row, with strawberry - the soloist - behind them, slightly higher up, alongside amber, which accompanies them discreetly. Oak moss and vanilla play in the back row, completing the ensemble.

If just one of the accompanying players were missing from this ensemble, it would not be what it is, a MASTERWORK.