Norleans

Blind purchases of bottles to make, which are at, or in the three-digit euro range, I had actually accustomed me. Too often was the "blind" fragrance in the past, unfortunately, not at all as I had imagined him or as I had interpreted the comments of other Parfumos.
Sometimes, however, you can not stay true to your principles. Fortunately, I must say in this case. Already at the beginning of December I took advantage of a fair offer in the Souk and acquired the tragic Schorsch. Since then, I had plenty of time to test him.

The colder season is certainly ideal to encounter the fragrance for the first time. The "ingredients list" is not exactly overloaded. Brandy. Soap. Tonka bean. Brandy I've had before at some point. Soap I use. Tonka bean I like as ice cream on blueberry pancakes at our favorite summer restaurant.... I digress. The ingredients suggest much and fear much. But also much to hope for, which enticed me to buy it.

My hopes were not disappointed. Even if I do not recognize brandy, the note of a higher percentage alcoholic beverage, with its aromas, is quite perceptible. The soap, which is too much of a good thing for me in some fragrances, nestles nicely into the dark brandy note and could also be a "dark" shaving cream. A shaving cream that doesn't quite come across as tangy fresh out of the can, but rather how I imagine whipped up shaving cream myself. Maybe this one was even brought back from the Orient. The tonka bean brings this smooth sweetness to it- I was afraid that the tonka bean might come across as "sultry"-sweet (similar to Tom Ford's Fucking Fabulous, which I still like a lot but find unwearable). There's also a tiny hint of freshness resonating in its warmth, which gives it some airiness.

The mélange of spiritual, spicy shaving foam with fine grates of tonka bean is not only excellent for the office (if you have the luxury of being allowed to go to the office again), as well as for the new favorite leisure activities with the beloved (currently this is the weekly bulk shopping at Edeka, ...yes these are hard times).

The tragic Schorsch is distinguished, but not snobby. He smells special, but not sensational. A comparison with other fragrances is really difficult for me in this case. All I can say is that I like it and wear it really often. I can well imagine that Schorsch also in spring-like temperatures still knows how to convince.
Oh yes, the flacon! Very well finished, a great lid and an atomizer that could not atomize better, really special cream. The outer packaging is also befitting the status.


Thanks for reading and stay healthy!

At the first test I was still disappointed, because I had promised myself a different fragrance impression. On the Roja side, it seemed by its presentation much more pompous, glorious, voluminous and royal, at least this image arose in my thought muscle. Although I'm now not the type who stands on above fragrance attributes, the expectation went in this direction and my first sensation of the filling was an extremely emotional "goes so."

Because actually Burlington 1819 is at the beginning a sharp, pungent, tart, fresh, petrol-like cologne, which loses some punch in the scent development only after 20 minutes, becomes warmer and more cuddly. Nevertheless, I perceive it at least six hours very well on me, without it becoming too intrusive.

So far, I can only compare Burlington with another fragrance that I know: A Man`s Cologne by Gravel. A fantastic fragrance, in part. If, yes if, the exceedingly brutal top and heart notes would not be. A classic modern cologne that, after many hours, forms the scent that, for me, results in a cologne with potency and durability- yes, I know, actually not the characteristic quality of a colognes. These exhausting hours At the beginning led me to refrain from buying the Gravel.

In this notch beats for me Burlington 1819, only more pleasant and tolerable. My sympathetic pre-commentator draws parallels with a "musty" sofa in a cocktail bar, in which it smells of fruit (I allow myself to shorten his statements)- I feel rather reminded of a stay in a garage from the 60s, in which English gentlemen (one of them is William Habenborough, short form Will Haben) with their tweed jackets tinker with their sports cars (almost I want to say "old-timers", but in the 60s they were still as good as new). The musty I perceive as evaporating gasoline and engine oil, the fruity component is clearly present- even very tangy and almost pungent, I stress: almost. A bit of light rum, perhaps gin, floats in the air, with which you toast yourself after successful work on the speedster.

With Burlington I have found a wonderfully fresh Herbling, which has done it to me and which I can not really compare with any other fragrance. A masculine fragrance that you can not resent his appearance in the first 20 minutes. A real phenomenon is that after 9 hours in the office, back in my car, I find a pleasantly intense scent aura that I left in it on the morning drive to work. I never had that with any other fragrance before. Not even with Gravel.

Burlington 1819 is for me a cologne with potency and endurance, classic and modern at the same time. As beautiful as "love at first sight" is always with perfumes, I'm glad that even through second and third chances you sometimes only discover the value that a fragrance can hold for you. About the price you can argue, but with pleasure and luxury goods, you may like to leave that out, because you do not really need them to live, but would like.

Thanks for reading and stay healthy!

Not to let my own collection get out of hand is always one of my efforts. If I have been able to keep it in the single-digit range for a long time, I have been around and around 20 bottles for quite a while. The composition varies, sometimes even weekly. Even my financial controller for the budget has given up the fight in the meantime. There is buying, exchanging, selling, sharing, etc. Then you even have a good and very generous friend, who unexpectedly sometimes sends you a bottle. How can one ensure a puristic orientation of one's own collection?

I got to know and love Herrera for Men as a bottler at the very beginning of my perfume membership. When this was used up, my memory of this fragrance slowly faded due to a drumfire of ever new bottlings, samples, flacons etc. My quest for ever new discoveries, finding the one and perfect fragrance (you could also call it greed) was very successful. Almost every week a discovery like this opened up and was replaced a short time later by the discovery of a new "perfect" fragrance. In the last few months my memory of Herrera for Men has moved to the forefront, as if my brain was gently telling me to let it go by over-stimulating its olfactory centre, as I have already found THE scent.

Fortunately I followed this first gentle, later more and more conscious intuition and a real bargain, which was offered in the trade at that time, then completely suppressed the bad conscience. I must say that my memory was unfortunately mistaken. I must say, "fortunately"! Because Herrera for Men has not been saved in my memory as perfect as I feel it today.
This fragrance is so perfectly balanced, so round and harmonious, as I know it from no other fragrance. It is impossible for me to smell individual components in isolation, as they are so perfectly interwoven that they form a perfect unit as a whole. Until now I do not know of any other fragrance that is more pleasing. That doesn't mean that Herrera for Men wants to please everyone or that it comes off without a profile. The fragrance helps me to achieve a state of "resting within" by simply wearing it. This may sound more esoteric than I think, but this perfection in my nose is a guarantee of coming down, pausing and refuelling. At the same time, it drives me to step into the first row with this feeling and, freshly refuelled, to march forward. The durability is passable, the sillage and obtrusive, but present.

Why Herrera for Men has a niche existence, is hardly represented in our "Have I", wish or watch lists, although it is still in production, I can only explain through clumsy marketing and advertising. The fragrance has already been around for a few years and the attribute "modern" certainly doesn't stick to it (anymore), but today and in 20 years it is still very wearable and does not contain any musty flair.
Even if the term "masculine scent" has been the subject of some comments in recent weeks, which have been criticised by a few perfumers (m/f/d), as this is to be regarded as a relic from the pre-political correctness-era, I must dare to say at this point: "That's exactly what it is! Masculine. But gentle, warming, soothing. Men can be like that ?

Thank you for reading and please all get through the next four weeks and everything else that may follow.

...better?

This comment replaces my first comment on the fragrance, which was written in March 2019 and does not do justice to my attachment to the Himalayas, which I have rediscovered. Therefore a reformulation of the other kind. Well, actually it's a hymn of praise for the almost perfect fragrance.

Himalaya is incredibly classical without being old-fashioned. The expression "senior citizens' residence", which I have used several times in connection with overly classical scents, does not fit here at all. Also "barbershop-feeling" (barbershop sounds too uncool) doesn't really come up here with me.

This ice-grey claw of rocky freshness, which I spray extensively onto my chest and neck in the morning, immediately and lastingly clings to me. The first impression every time is, "haven't you perhaps overdosed it a bit?", because the top note is already intense. The bergamot fortunately keeps itself nicely in the background for my taste, with the grapefruit-lemon mix bringing the most power here. I can't smell tangerine. It's not too bad
Woods, grasses and - you'll be amazed - gunpowder should then come from the heart note. Maybe so. I have the sensation of spiced, very slightly salted lemon on the rocks. The really potent base lasts, with a slightly citric touch, for well over eight hours. Please note paragraph 3, sentence 1.

Now I am a proven expert and semi-non-audited expert for so-called business fragrances. With a few exceptions there are many fragrances in my collection to which I attribute this attribute. I do not want to say that Himalaya is the business fragrance par excellence, because that would not do it justice. Himalaya is versatile, for sports, games and entertainment. The only thing is, if it becomes a bit more cozy and you go out with your loved one in a comfortable way, it would be too harsh for me. Otherwise he always leaves.

But be careful (no light without shadow), the nose of the Himalayan wearer needs variety. The fragrance can also be worn two days in a row. However, you should always make sure that you offer your nose some variety, otherwise the Himalayas can bury you under an avalanche of olfactory debris. And here I draw the bow to my first comment. For almost a year I had the feeling that after wearing it extensively and very regularly I really couldn't stand it anymore. I got a headache when I smelled him. It should be worn with care, which at the same time increases the appreciation of the Himalayas ?
For me a modern classic, which does not go every day, but almost always.

Thanks for reading it

Left bank or left bank means this revealing perfume name. What the name means from the deeper meaning has not yet been revealed to me, but it really doesn't matter. Because the quality of this fragrance is not in the naming.

I'll just get something out. I have a weakness for classic scents, but they are not meant to remind you of a retirement home. Well-known seniors' residence fragrances include Monsieur de Givenchy, Chanel pour Monsieur EdT and Lauder for Men Cologne. All very good scents, but I would not wear them because they do not suit me. Quasi a single fate.
Then there are classic fragrances, like YSL Jazz (here I find the newer version extremely wearable), Chanel Platinum and also MFK masculin Pluriel (is a rather new fragrance, but plays "classical" music in me).

And then there's Rive Gauche. Which, in its relative simplicity, has such a bombastic effect. If I had to describe the fragrance with one word, it would be "shaving cream." Granted, it sounds very unspectacular. But it really isn't!
The oak moss, which is actually part of the basic equipment of every senior residence fragrance, does not really appear as an individual component at RG. Even the lavender, which I can only tolerate in moderation, only plays along with a gentle nuance. Vetiver provides, at least in the first half hour, a little bit of "nuttiness" and nestles slightly sweetly to you. I dare to say that the "shaving foam" comes mainly from guaiac wood, which carries the scent for many hours.

With Rive Gauche I smell like freshly shaved and clean all day long without giving your impression of shower gel (I like to emphasize here that I have nothing against so-called shower gel scents).

Speaking of many hours. These hours can be saved by using the spray head a little more courageously in the morning. The first time I put it on, I was a little reluctant with the dosage, as I could not yet estimate if the scent could be too strong. My impression is that if it is applied too thin, it actually has the same silage as shaving foam. So if you are looking for something more than just a skin-tight companion (but for at least 10 hours), please don't spray shyly.
The fact that Rive Gauche is no longer available in the shop is a sacrilege. A perfumer friend of mine suspected that, with the concentration of many perfume houses on the Asian market, it would be difficult to find too spicy fragrances. Since people in the Far East like to smell reservedly. In my opinion this decision of the house YSL is more than regrettable, no matter what the motives were.

Should there be any information from your ranks about comparable fragrances, I would be very pleased.

Thanks for reading