Riechsalzer

After much back and forth about whether I should bring it back into my home, I finally made up my mind and it arrived today.
Over 24 years ago, I owned Sergio and I remember well how distinctly masculine and angular I found it back then. Wood and vetiver were very prominent in the scent experience, reminiscent of tobacco smoke. (And that, even though I am a non-smoker ;-)
With this memory in mind, I immediately opened the perfume box upon receipt and, with joyful anticipation, sprayed a few spritzes on the back of my hand and forearm.
The disillusionment came promptly. What I smelled or sniffed was merely a pale imitation of the original scent from back then. A watered-down liquid that had its edges thoroughly rounded off. The original DNA can still be sensed, but one really has to go searching for it. The floral (unfortunately synthetically smelling) part now clearly dominates and pushes the remaining components quite far into the background. Personality is virtually non-existent.
Well, the liquid wasn't really expensive anymore. But I'd prefer to pay a higher price for quality (former) components so that the "composition" can be valued as such and an EdT is indeed an EdT and not a diluted broth.
The last review was in 2018. Perhaps Sergio smelled better and more "original" back then.

Yes, but then.
I had the opportunity to test the fragrance "live" before purchasing. And after checking it repeatedly on my wrist throughout the day, I found Kokain definitely worth buying. The sandalwood immediately caught my attention in a positive way.
So at the next good opportunity, off to the horse dealer of my choice and into the shopping cart with it.
In the following days, there were further tests, and on one of those days, it happened. A note pushed its way to the forefront and has unfortunately been immediately present ever since I apply the perfume. Nail polish remover - that is, acetone. Not pleasant for my nose at all, and it has thus greatly spoiled the perfume for me. Such a shame, as I really liked Kokain at first.
I will keep giving it a chance and apply it again. Maybe this strong association will fade away. So far, however, the attempts have been unsuccessful. Hm.

And I also cannot find any similarity with "Black Afghano." To me, there are worlds between them.

Most of my collection actually comes from blind buys. Many of the fragrances simply don't give you the opportunity to test them in stores. Not even in duty-free at the airport. There, you mainly find just the current mainstream (with a few exceptions).
So Le Parfum also came to me as a blind buy. And in this case, it's once again a real hit. The balance of the ingredients in the fragrance composition is truly at niche level for me. The citrus opening remains well recognizable throughout the entire duration, later almost more as an Earl Grey tea note. I think that's great. Violet leaf and oud are so well woven in for me that I couldn't pick them out individually - maybe that's the leather component. Patchouli, vetiver, and cedar create a very nice woody overall composition. All together, simply very elegant, masculine - it just has class. It fits just as well with a suit as it does with a stylish leather jacket.
I catch myself wearing the fragrance almost daily now that it's getting a bit cooler. It's developing into (almost) my signature scent. Let's see if it makes it.

I’ve been circling around this scent for quite a while. Due to a lack of availability locally, only a blind purchase was an option. Should I, should I not, should I......
Reviews are good, the price isn’t a dealbreaker, orientals often match my taste, also suitable for nice occasions on a summer evening - hm, hm, hm, hm?
Ultimately, a review video by Fragboy Stevie tipped the scales. For him, Entebaa is one of the best scents he has ever gotten his hands on. Well then, it really can’t be bad.
So I quickly ordered it, and a few days later, Entebaa was already in my possession. I should mention that I already have Daarej and Tasmeem from Rasasi in my collection and I’m very fond of both. For that reason, my expectations were relatively high.
Unpacked, the first spray on my forearm and... Hm? Well. A lot of sangria, red wine note, and then after about 10 minutes - where are you? According to the descriptions I’ve read or heard so far, it should actually be the other way around. CAUTION! ONLY 1 SPRAY! IT'S A POWERHOUSE! etc. etc.
Well, my nose unfortunately cannot confirm that. Is the juice in my bottle a quality outlier? I really have to spray quite a bit to perceive the scent over a longer time. And then it pretty much always remains this sangria note. No development. Hm? This is probably the scent with the most "Hm" in my collection.
To return to the title. Am I just scent-blind here? Can my nose simply not recognize/perceive all the other great things in this composition? Or is this scent just like that and I had too high expectations, or it simply doesn’t suit me?
Well, I will let Entebaa "rest" for a while and then give it another chance. It wouldn’t be the first time that you have to get to know and appreciate a scent.
Let’s see.

Addendum:
Well, after some time it turned out that the problem clearly lay with me.
By now, the blindness has lifted and I can perceive the scent well and for a long time. It really only takes a few sprays.
It's interesting how the nose can sometimes play tricks on you.
Maybe it’s also due to the season. For me, definitely an autumn scent. And now I really like it a lot.

Today it arrived in the mail. A blind purchase, like many of my fragrances, since you can't easily smell them beforehand. In this price segment, sending testers back and forth is also too much hassle for me.
This blind purchase was once again a hit. There have been quite a few, but unfortunately not always. ;-)
I definitely have a soft spot for the so-called "old school" fragrances from the 80s or even earlier. Many of these scents have (unfortunately) an overarching DNA. For example, Giorgio for Men, Bogart, One Man Show, or Pour Lui by Oscar de la Renta. These fragrances don't smell the same, yet they have so many similarities that I often wonder: Do I really need all of them in my collection? I am quite sure, however, that I really don't need another one in this direction.
That's why I felt such great relief and joy when Jacomo de Jacomo turned out to be completely different. Smoke, fire, a lot of bitterness, and very briefly in the first minute a parallel to Encre Noire, which then quickly fades away.
In principle, not much is familiar. After the smoky, powerful opening, it becomes softer, but never really sweet. Neither at the beginning nor during the development is it in any way overpowering. Finally something extraordinary again. Great!!
This will definitely be used frequently by me this winter (yes, I can't really imagine it in summer).
For me, it's a rather timeless scent. I would never have guessed the release date was 1980.
Definitely masculine. I don't see gold chains and an open chest shirt with it.
Age-wise, I don't find Jacomo de Jacomo really fixed.
Those who prefer fresh and sweet fragrances will be out of place here.
Otherwise, a clear recommendation.