Raffatja

Hello,

it's been a long time since I wrote a review on Parfumo. My taste in fragrances has evolved, and I have learned more about the expectations for reviews. Well then, inspired by a worthwhile blog post from the Parfuma Tribler about the queen of... about jasmine, and taking into account that here on board, an anecdote or some lyricism in scent descriptions is often appreciated, here is my description of Louis Vuitton's "Les Sables Roses," as I perceive it.

Preface:

Why the scent of dawn? Well, this is about Eos, the delicate goddess of the awakening morning, tormented by insatiable desire. And she is desperate. Like every morning, she is just stretching her rosy fingers towards the west, and her gaze wanders over the night chambers of the boys still embraced by Morpheus, but slowly peeling themselves from their dreams, always in search of a particularly appetizing and desirable specimen that might finally quench her unfulfilled longing for erotic redemption after all these aeons.

And like every morning, this moment of tension between gentle desire and troubled agony ends as Helios, finally overcoming the velvety darkness of Nyx's night, drives his sun chariot across the sky, and the world fully awakens. Gone is the eyelash flutter in which Eos may gaze upon the world of mortals in the borderland between day and night, lost another chance for redemption from the merciless curse of the jealous goddess of love. And Eos, the rosy-fingered dawn, so inimitably described by Homer, clad in saffron, remains as always alone, though tormented, but also warmed by lust. Marked by melancholy, yet filled with a burning yearning, just like the moment between night and day, in which the immortal has her place and will have it for all eternity. Until the day when Ares may free his beloved from her undeserved fate with the force of the god of war, or when the vengeful Aphrodite may find forgiveness in her heart. So probably never. What a fate.

About the fragrance:

This very Eos, trapped in her contrasts and contradictions, existing in a beautiful yet tormenting moment between warm and cold, carries for me this truly Olympic scent. The beautiful rose, wrapped in a delicate garment of saffron, existing only in the moment between the cool darkness of the (for me, not precisely definable) oud and the warmth of pepper and saffron, has so far remained unique in the ever-expanding world of fragrances, and worthy of such a song.

The other factors:

Yes, yes, the fragrance performs, no worries. Not quite "beast mode," certainly not a "panty dropper," but a beautiful, lasting, and potent rose scent that I particularly want to recommend to gentlemen. Perhaps then Eos' gaze will someday fall upon you? Please do not fear the rose, nor the oud, which nobody has dug up in Aureas' cow shed, no worries.

Or to put it briefly: Awesome scent, respect, Vuitton!

P.S.: I spoke from memory; anyone who finds mistakes in the details while Googling may pat themselves on the back. Thank you,

Best regards, Raffa, in a hurry

… coffee. I was so disappointed by scents like Follow, Uomo Signature or even Intense Cafe, as I had hoped to catch that incomparable aroma of freshly squeezed cappuccino from the Cimbali. Nope, none of that was quite right. Then an unassuming sample arrived at my place, a random addition to a fragrance I had searched for here (thanks again to the good Auriel). I had never heard of Theodoros Kalotinis and thought to myself: Oh great, another wannabe café… yawn! But what then wafted towards my nose and immediately compelled me to place an order directly with the perfumer, I will now try to describe here, with my humble means of course:

The scent:

One word - dreamy. Sweet milk coffee with a caramel aroma that intensifies over time, somewhat reminiscent of the old Rolo from Nestlé (yes, I know, terrible company!). If you want to imagine how Coffee Addict smells, make yourself a sweetened cappuccino, dissolve a toffee or similar in it, drink the cup empty, and then sniff it. This is exactly how this masterpiece smells.

Rating: Solid 10

Its properties:

The scent has solid performance to show. It lasts on my skin for 6-8 hours and projects clearly for the first two to three hours. After that, it becomes increasingly close to the skin, but stable. Not a beast, but still very decent.

Rating: 8/10

Miscellaneous:

The bottle and presentation are below average, but acceptable. The spray head is good, and the cap fits well. Okay, maybe the label is not perfectly straight, but such things happen with much bigger brands too (right, Mr. Ford? *Cough*).

Important detail: The perfumer is based in Greece, and I found no source other than Kalotinis' own homepage. The scent is surprisingly inexpensive at €45 for 50ml, even though there are €20 shipping costs for orders under one hundred euros from abroad. So, a group order would be worthwhile, and I am fully aware that I just volunteered as the organizer. By the way, a customizable five-piece discovery set costs a moderate €25. Could be worth it.

Conclusion:

I have finally found the scent that quenches my olfactory coffee thirst; it is sweet, gourmand, convincing, and inexpensive. What more could you want? Exactly! Thank you.

… does not grow on trees. It does not develop as an underground tuber, nor does it sprout from the earth on mountain meadows. What do I mean by that? Of course (!) The Muse by Zarkoperfume is a completely synthetic fragrance. I find it silly and pointless to complain about this; if anyone knows a method to distill freshly washed white laundry straight from the washing machine, please get in touch with me. So! Now to the scent itself…

The scent:

This muse kisses the laundry ladies and modern househusbands, because all this fragrance has to offer is indeed freshly washed laundry. Nothing more and nothing less. But The Muse achieves this perfectly; I know nothing comparable. Is the scent one-dimensional, linear, and cobbled together from aroma chemicals? Absolutely. But it delivers what it promises, and in an absolutely impressive and highly satisfying way.

Rating: 9/10.

Its properties:

Here shines the often-criticized hero of the iron. Longevity and performance are well above average (yes, even above many other synthetics!). Two sprays on the skin, and you smell fresh and well-groomed for half the day. The same amount on clothing… lasts until the next "real" wash. For musty students, it’s a real alternative to going to mom. Oh… Before anyone gets upset about this, I was once just such a person, okay? Fine!

Rating: 9/10

Miscellaneous:

The bottle does not reinvent the tetrahedron, but it is nice and functional. The presentation is appealing. The price is more than justified for what is offered. Unisex? Absolutely. As if laundry freshness cares about gender…

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion:

I can keep it short; anyone looking for a fragrance that perfectly mimics laundry detergent or freshly washed garments and knows how to perform very well can confidently end their search here. The Muse delivers. Everyone else, especially those who have a real (or imagined) allergy to artificial aromas, should look elsewhere.

I give 9/10 points for the muse, who in my mind looks like Mrs. Clementine in front of the endless laundry line.

Absolute recommendation to buy!

Best regards, Raffa

Hello!

Dear fragrance enthusiasts, everything has actually been said about this highly renowned scent from Tom Ford's Private Blend collection. The ratings speak for themselves, the name has long become a legend… so why another review? Well, there are now numerous “inspired compositions,” some of which are indeed impressive, but I want to advocate for engaging with the original. Please read on:

The scent:

Warm, sweet, and seductive, an aura infused with spicy clove and a hint of freshness envelops the wearer as soon as the sprayer (well-dosed) is activated. Smoky, not fresh-green tobacco, neither too much nor too little, perfectly blends with a vanilla that, while not entirely natural, is very present and lingering. Rounded off with fine spice, this absolutely intoxicating fragrance composition unfolds and stimulates both the senses and the imagination. Some even claim it stimulates the libido. Please do yourself a favor and get a sample, a decant, or alternatively a friend who owns the fragrance, and try Tobacco Vanille on your skin (!). One must enjoy sweet, demanding scents; that would be the only prerequisite in my opinion. Please. Test it.

The characteristics:

Tobacco Vanille is present. Very present. The longevity for me is at least 12 hours, with the first three to four hours being exceptionally radiant. Perhaps not completely room-filling, but still very noticeably perceptible around the wearer. A word of warning, this enchanting creation is addictive, which can have significant consequences given the proud price one pays for Tom Ford. However, I have never needed more than two to three sprays, which somewhat mitigates this circumstance.

Other notes:

The bottles are… I’m sorry, but I cannot sing praises on this point. Yes, the glass and the design are solid, the sprayer too, but nothing more. The plastic cap and the label are unsatisfactory for this price range. Nice bottles with considerable room for improvement.

The price is steep, no question about it. The temptation is certainly great to instead acquire a copycat like Haramains Amber Oud T.E., and I understand anyone who does just that. After all, the scent comes close enough to the original. Nevertheless, the blending of the individual components in Ford's creation is in a league of its own, not to mention that there are simply fragrances that are so distinctive, such milestones in perfume history, that one should have them, at least in my opinion. This scent definitely counts among them.

Conclusion:

Tobacco Vanille is sweet, but sensual. Heavy, but intoxicating. Strong, but flattering. Captivating, but generous. The fragrance manages to unfold its magic on every wearer, regardless of whether young or old, man, woman, or otherwise oriented. With the tobacco and spice, the scent is excellently suited as a masculine note, but due to its sweetness and mysterious depth, it also serves the ladies well. For me, it is a work of art, a monument of a perfume, and certainly one of the particularly bright stars in the firmament. Hats off, Mr. Ford.

Oh yes, those who simply cannot stand sweet fragrances will certainly hate it passionately, and that’s okay. There are other special fragrance creations out there, and for the search for those, you are in exactly the right (virtual) place. Enjoy!

Best regards,
Raffa

*

Part 1 - The Cloud

Scent:

Ariana Grande - Cloud is a sweet, somewhat fresh and moderately heavy fragrance that presents itself as not overly complex, but extremely pleasing. Sweet, but not cloying. I hardly smell coconut, and what I do catch is more noticeable in the second half of the fragrance's development. Often, the little cloud is described as cotton candy in a bottle, which is not wrong, but it doesn't do full justice to the fragrance. A girl’s scent, too sweet for real men, many say… Nonsense. Please get into the next DeLorean and head into the 21st century. Cloud is absolutely unisex-friendly; a man just needs to be secure in his sexuality and self-worth to wear such fragrances.

Rating: 8/10

Characteristics:

Longevity and sillage are decent, especially considering the affordable price. The fragrance development is straightforward; it simply becomes increasingly sweeter until it settles lightly woody-warm on the skin. Nothing exciting, but by God, not bad.

Rating: 7/10

Miscellaneous:

The presentation is a horror. The garish packaging showcases the namesake, who, to be honest, is completely unknown to me, and it comes across as loud and cheap. The bottle itself is a monstrous horror, and it’s hard to surpass in tastelessness.

Rating: 2/10

Conclusion:

A very pleasing fragrance that one would not suspect in the off-putting packaging. The scent is primarily designed for young and young-at-heart ladies, but is inherently unisex. Sweet, not overwhelmingly heavy, and extremely nice and pleasant to wear as well as to smell on others.

Buy it!


Part 2 - Blessing or Rain?

Of course, one must address the elephant in the room when writing about Cloud: Is this fragrance a Baccarat Rouge clone? Yes. I don’t know who on God’s green earth would seriously deny the proximity to Kurkdjian’s masterpiece. Especially on platforms like this one, please, don’t tell me one must consider the fragrance for its own sake. Who would even talk about this thing if there wasn’t that other, many times more expensive fragrance? No one. So please, spare me the hypocritical pretense.

A completely different question is whether Cloud is a “good” clone… and this question is not so easy to answer. Let me put it this way, if you primarily love the sweet, lovely, and candy-like elements of BR 540, then absolutely, yes. If you prefer the slightly medicinal, subtly spicy element and the molecular lightness, then probably not. Hey, how many of you keep commenting on Baccarat Rouge that you dislike that “dentist smell” of Monsieur Kurkdjian’s creation? Good news, buy this one. Cloud is Baccarat Rouge EdP without those notes, plus a bit of coconut syrup. Voilà.

Oh, and of course, there are always those who want to tell us that their favorite is a 99.99999999% similar copy of BR 540… no, it isn’t. If someone wants Baccarat Rouge, in all its details, notes, and aspects, then please buy the original instead of wasting so much money in the search for the holy grail of shameless plagiarism that could easily have gone towards a real bottle of Kurkdjian.

Conclusion 2:

Is Ariana Grande - Cloud a near-Baccarat Rouge? Yes, it is. Does it come close to the original? Never in a lifetime. And that’s a good thing. For both fragrances and their lovers. For all those who cannot or do not want to afford the original (I feel the pinch in my wallet every time I buy Kurkdjian), are looking for a less medicinal, sweeter, and less complex version, and/or can live with a (well-made) imitation, the cloud is an absolute winner and worth the price. Clear recommendation to buy!

Thank you.