Ponticus

Sensuality in pale pink, romance and nostalgia dressed in flesh-colored attire, decent, calming, soft, and very feminine, or is it just the frivolous question about the color of her underwear and the lustfully bold thought that perhaps she wears none at all? Chloé, a pink seduction with a turned-up collar, gloves, and a naive gaze, uninspired, banal, yet very subtly presenting the rosy-scented skin, always concealing the fleshly lustful underneath.

Skin-colored pink as a hallmark for a perfume is popular and widespread (including Coco Mademoiselle, Mon Guerlain, L'Instant Magic, Narciso, Delina...). It symbolizes an innocent, guileless color without a claim to dominance and yet captivates with its washed-out, muted tone of human skin with rosy erotic facets. Sometimes this sensitive and discreet seduction succeeds, but I have my personal doubts about Chloé EdP. I, for one, do not feel captured, stimulated, or aroused by Chloé, and excitement does not arise at all.

Chloé EdP smells of rose from the very beginning. It is not a distinctly spicy wild rose, nor a seductive climbing rose, but simply rose. Rose as a mix of leafy long-stemmed flowers and shorter-stemmed, somewhat more intense bush bloomers, along with the opulent, soapy cleanliness of peony, which clearly dominates this dreary composition. The scent of this rose is not unpleasant, neither musty nor too sweet; nothing pricks or stings or gets on the nerves. A finely wrapped piece of rose soap that you simply do not want to unwrap. This lavish bouquet of monotonous, boring, and dull rose nuances lacks fruit, earth, green, moss, and spice; it lacks spirit, wit, creativity, and charm-simply put, it lacks the esprit to initiate or even achieve a sensual seduction.

Unfortunately, the similarly listed floral notes like magnolia, freesia, and lily of the valley do not contribute positively to the scent facets attributed to them, further undermining the originality of the entire composition. Even the lychee, which naturally also has a rosy-floral-sweet scent, cannot set any own, additional accents and, in my opinion, is completely out of place. This dense, uninspiring rose scent remains banal even towards the end but becomes warmer and increasingly "cleaner," like freshly washed and soft towels in the linen closet where the soaps are also stored. The cedarwood is completely buried under the mundane roses without making any noticeable contribution.

Roses are always a seducer, even when they come across as uninspired and stale as here. Likewise, the skin-colored pale pink is permanently a panty-colored temptation, for the flesh is weak and the spirit not always willing! So, even if the magic of temptation appears very modest here, it might still work with Chloé EdP, but I personally would not bet on it and would consider alternatives. However, I do like the bottle very much, and that is already something.

Life is too short and too contradictory to practice too much homely restraint, even if it is just with perfume! Thank you very much for your anticipated understanding!

Summer time - Cologne time! After British Sterling, the English Leather I am presenting today is yet another Cologne, and indeed a venerable aged treasure that immediately captured my heart with its slightly developed patina. First released in 1949, it is once again a perfume from Dana Classics Fragrances, founded in 1932 in Barcelona. On Parfumo, English Leather is represented in about 70 collections and has been honored with 9 statements and 3 reviews.

A word about the kaffir lime listed in the top note, perhaps better referred to as papeda today, as the old term carries a somewhat discriminatory connotation. It is a very spicy, invigorating, sour citrus fruit, large and green like a pear-shaped lime, but with a very uneven, coarse-barked skin. The whole plant has a strong aromatic scent reminiscent of lemon.

A generous splash of English Leather Cologne on the neck, forehead, and cheeks begins the refreshment. Very invigoratingly lemony with the special scent of papeda. Characteristically sour-bitter, perhaps a bit intrusive or even inhospitable due to the unknown aroma, the bouquet quickly becomes very pleasant, refreshingly cool, and extraordinarily fragrant in combination with bergamot. At the latest after thirty minutes, the freshness transforms into a magnificent leather dream.

It starts with the scent of new, strong suede from deer or moose, richly tanned and crafted into fine trousers, bags, and gloves. Currently dominant, it remains in the background for about 3-4 hours until the end. As time goes on, the leather accord becomes "dirtier." The leather pants are older, greasy, and earthy. Sweetly brittle suitcase leather mingles with used tack, the rugged boots smell mossy-woodsy, and the women's saddle, after a sharp ride, contributes its part to the fantastic leather experience. Everything blends into a straightforward, harsh, intensely leathery aroma that exudes a very masculine scent of surprising strength close to the body.

The dry-down phase of the perfume is short, warm, and truly noticeable woody notes are not present for me. As if one had left the worn leather goods at the saddler, the scent suddenly disappears, but the joy of a new application remains unclouded. Since English Leather seems somewhat out of time with its old-school character, the scent is, especially as a Cologne, extraordinary and very distinctive.

With British Sterling and English Leather, I have found two top-notch Colognes for refreshing during my summer activities, and as fate and ego sometimes dictate, both fragrances are found far from the mainstream and deeply hidden in a niche.

Well-scented, I sincerely thank you for your attention!

A hot day, the sky azure blue, not a cloud in sight, and the high sun beats down on the two gentlemen who are engrossed in conversation at the railing of the old river steamer. Their white clothing in colonial, tropical safari style shows the first signs of sweaty patches, and the beads of sweat on their foreheads and necks are rather unseemly for noble gentlemen. “Let’s freshen up,” are the relieving words of the slightly portly of the two gentlemen, and they promptly disappear into the respective washrooms of their first-class cabins. A quick glance in the bathroom mirror is enough; very leisurely and carefully, the moisture between the eyebrows is dabbed with a white cotton cloth, and then immediately four or five spritzes of Cologne are lightly patted onto the forehead and neck, without even taking off the jacket. Done! The everyday refreshing shower of a gentleman from that time, a ceremony in buttoned mastery with understatement and exclusivity in perfection.

This scene from the film “Death on the Nile” with Peter Ustinov and David Niven is surely familiar to many readers. Whether the Cologne used in the film scene was Dana’s British Sterling, I cannot say, but due to the extremely old-school craftsmanship of the Cologne, the scent, the era, and the “surroundings” fit perfectly together for me. British Sterling is a very masculine Cologne, an oriental men’s Cologne par excellence. Royal, British Empire aspirations in the form of a gentleman’s Cologne, even if true royal British glamour, whether in the kingdom or empire, has always been underpinned by femininity (Queens Victoria, Elizabeth I, Elizabeth II).

British Sterling starts fresh, even very refreshing, just as it should. Very volatile alcohols evaporate the strong lemon, drawing away plenty of warmth and leaving behind a stimulating, invigorating feeling. Thus, the citrus theme is resolved after about ten to twenty minutes, and feeling pleasantly refreshed, one is ready for the actual scent of the Cologne.

The remaining three to four hours of the Cologne’s lifespan offer a potpourri of the finest and most expensive spices that the empire can provide. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and especially clove create an oriental base mood, without any of the notes really standing out on their own. The fine, floral bed of the perfume is the binding element here, similar to the promise that holds the countries of the empire together. The often overwhelming power of the oriental scent direction comes across in British Sterling rather lightly, yet profoundly. Quite quickly, one becomes accustomed to a solid woodiness as the key allure, but this is skillfully embedded in a milieu of precious, spicy ingredients until the end. The aromatic, warmly flattering finish encourages reapplication, even if the temperatures have since dropped and a refreshment is no longer strictly necessary.

The responsible house, Dana Classics Fragrances, is one of the cornerstones of perfumery. Founded in 1932 in Barcelona and after many successful years, the company is now part of an American investment group. The name derives from Danae, the beautiful mother of Perseus. Alongside Tabu (1932), a Dana classic of perfumery, the Cologne British Sterling seems like a dwarf. It dates back to 1965, which also explains the very conservative, old-school scent composition for a Cologne. In 1996, Dana then released a woody-spicy reissue that closely followed the original in scent and bottle and is still produced today. Nevertheless, the Cologne British Sterling plays only a minor role on Parfumo. Only about 30 members claim it as their own, and apart from three lonely, many years old statements, there are no further contributions available so far.

A heartfelt thank you to all readers, whether Cologne fans or not!

As Easter is just around the corner, I’m guessing it’s the Easter bunnies. The bunnies have surely loaded their baskets with many colorful eggs and may have already hidden some of these artifacts. Perhaps the hens are still sitting on a few eggs to hatch new, cute chicks? Many eggs have fallen victim to bird flu or ended up in egg liqueur, and the rest will surely not survive the Easter festivities. I, of course, have two myself; white, soft-boiled, and three times a week for breakfast. By the way, the largest egg comes from an ostrich, the smallest from a hummingbird, and the most expensive from Fabergé.

As interesting as bird eggs are, that’s not what this is about, but rather the eggs in the pants in the sense of “having balls,” “having bigger balls,” “showing balls,” “having balls in your pants,” or as Oliver Kahn once roared, “Balls, balls, we need balls!” Figuratively, it can also be without balls, “having guts,” “wearing the pants,” or being the “alpha male!”

Obsession from 1985 for women has balls, and what balls they are. I have already discussed this in detail here. Whether this also applies to Obsession for Men, which was released in 1986, will be the subject of this review, as a comparison of this sibling pair of the same name is quite fitting.

Obsession for Men, like Obsession, relied on a hefty dose of eroticism in its advertising featuring the youthful, almost naked Kate Moss, which should also be reflected in the bottle. While the ladies' version comes across as demanding, dominant, and “seamless,” the bottle of Obsession for Men seems rather cute-naive to me, and with its cap-nipple appears more chaste and innocent than commanding and assertive.

We are greeted by Obsession for Men with a tight, spicy breeze, underlaid with sour-fresh and somewhat soapy citrus fruits of various colors, but dominated by plenty of cinnamon, and the clove is already well involved. Somehow, it blooms and herbs further along in a very spicy environment where the cinnamon and clove remain dominant and create a pleasant, festive atmosphere. Thus, there is unrestricted harmony among the fragrance notes, spicy, herbal, woody, and also a bit sweet, it all smells pleasantly cinnamon-like. The emerging warming sensation of sensual base notes like amber, musk, and vanilla rounds out the scent, but it doesn’t reach my heart and certainly doesn’t call for passion and eroticism. Obsession for Men rather tries to forge friendships under cinnamon’s leadership and in festive harmony, rightly trusting that security is also a wonderful form of lived eroticism.

The Obsession dedicated to femininity, on the other hand, comes demanding in floral-dark, oriental-feminine splendor, the warm-spicy accords tempt mysteriously, and a distinct Tibetan animalic along with the sensual, green-woody note of oak moss provide a rough liveliness that also carries frivolous, lustful traits. Obsession for Woman is not an invitation but a demand! And that clearly with balls or guts or under the skirt or wherever.

Even though I feel that Obsession for Men lacks the balls in this specific sibling comparison, the Men is by no means a eunuch; rather, it can easily hold its own against many other fragrances, as Obsession for Men is a successful perfume, balanced, rounded, and with a very pleasant scent as well as good sillage. Any future son-in-law could wear it without hesitation when he first introduces himself to his future mother-in-law. Obsession for Men is like the nice boy next door with a gingerbread heart saying “Mommy’s favorite” around his neck! Who wouldn’t like him?

A heartfelt thank you to all readers for the nice company in the search for these special eggs. I’m off to hunt for colorful Easter eggs, and that will take a few days. I wish you all a happy Easter, colorful, perhaps also fragrant nests, and wonderful holidays!

Perfume names, are they just sound and smoke? What does the manufacturer want to convey with the name, what do they want, and do they even intend to achieve anything with it? Does the fragrance designation make recognizable sense and is the name really important?

With Insurrection II Wild by Reyane Tradition, there are significant doubts. There are about 17 Insurrections with different subtitles from Reyane, and none of them deserve the translated classification of a rebel or insurgent, and wild is certainly not what Insurrection II Wild is. So is it all just sound and smoke!? Unfortunately, yes. Sadly, it is also always a wasted opportunity for a relevant characterization of a perfume, as the bottle and name create a first impression and are particularly defining at the beginning of a launch! But for a fragrance twin like in the case of Insurrection II Wild, sound and smoke may suffice, and it has sufficed.

Nomen est Omen, on the other hand, means, loosely translated, the name is a program. This pleases me much more personally and makes each of these fragrances inherently more likable if the promise of the name is kept. Great examples of this are Tobacco Vanille, Tobacco Oud, Oud Wood, Tea Rose, and Tobacco Honey.

Most fragrance names are positioned somewhere between sound and smoke and nomen est omen, and the truly successful ones are always based on a coherent, interesting, beautiful, and often seductive story (examples: Naxos, Knize Ten, Obsession, Chanel N°5, Shalimar).

Back to the perfume Insurrection II Wild by Reyane Tradition with its meaningless, misplaced name and its impressive scent, which makes it one of the best fragrance twins ever. How does it achieve this?

Insurrection II Wild starts opulently sweet with thick honey notes, aromatic and spreading smoothly over the soul yearning for sweet reward. There may be a double shot of the finest Eckes Edelkirsch in the bottle, but after its deliciously fleeting cherry bow, the stage again belongs to the honey. This, almost creamy, is a rather dark attire full of delicious aromas and with a subtle spiciness. The same sweet aromatic quality is very dense and quickly underlaid with a herbaceousness that does justice to the more green than smoky tobacco note. The masculine, tobacco-like bitterness remains the underlying tone throughout this otherwise aromatic-sweet gourmand. The further development is a long, pleasant straight drive with closed windows, where occasionally a hint of chocolate fields and vanilla forests wafts through the ventilation to the occupants, but no more than a whiff of it is allowed. The perception of the sweet heaviness of the fragrance becomes darker, warmer towards the long end, and receives a balsamic touch of smoky vanilla, which resides in the styrax resin. The fragrant finale lasts a relaxed 7 to 9 hours.

For me, everything about Insurrection II Wild just fits. The perfume is available effortlessly and almost for free, the packaging is appealing and solid, but above all, the perfume is a truly great one for fans of tobacco-like gourmands and a balm that flatters the tormented soul, so to speak, a scent ayurveda for the psyche and the spirit!

I give a clear recommendation for this perfume, directed at all readers who want to treat their emotional and sensory life to a real treat! (of course calorie-free)

Thank you very much for your appreciative companionship!