SayreBea

I was afraid this would remind me entirely too much of Tequila and Coronas, but it really doesn't. Don't get me wrong, if you've ever drank either of those, you will feel them here, but only in essence because there's not even a hint of booze (for me). This is a light, refreshing scent evocative of summer by the beach, which is precisely what the perfumer said he was creating. In my opinion, he nailed it.

I tested this on paper only, not skin.

This fragrance should have just been named "Suede" in my opinion, because that's all I get from it. That said, it is indeed exactly the scent of suede leather.

I'm guilty of really getting into smelling my fragrances. Sometimes I have two hands on the tester strip to make sure it doesn't fly up my nose. But seriously though! So anyway, that's what I did with this one. Not two hands, but I held it way too close to my nose and smelled it entirely too deeply. I would advise you not do that with this fragrance. To be fair, I should have known better than to do that with *any* leather fragrance, but sometimes I just get too excited and lose my senses, I guess. At any rate, my first sniff repulsed me. Leather, especially suede, can come off anamalic, musty, and mildew smelling if you dive into it, and that's exactly what I did.

I had to set the strip down and take a moment before picking it up again and wafting it around my nose. This time around, I understood it. It was 100% suede leather to me, and nicely done. I picked the strip up probably 5 additional times after that to sniff it gently, and I enjoyed it each time.

If the price was more reasonable, I would purchase a full bottle of this for when I wanted to feel kinda bossy and sassy, but not as bossy and sassy as I feel when I wear Jovoy Private Label. I find the price prohibitive for the functionality of the fragrance though because I would not wear it often enough to justify nearly 3 Benjamins - but you might!

I think this house is widely unappreciated for the most part, so I am here to show my favorites some love.

I believe this fragrance's claim to fame is simply that it's an exceptionally long lasting freshly. If you are looking for something like that, this is your guy. It's bright, zingy and energetic. A pick-me-up type fragrance with bold citrus top notes.

I remember the first time I saw it, I thought to myself "Is this name implying that it literally smells like salt and pepper spices, or is it for a more mature man?" I soon came to the conclusion that I believe it is both. The pepper note is very prominent, and I think this would be most enjoyed by the 30+ crowd. It has a bit of a classic feel to it.

While I can understand the disappointment from some folks below, I think that this fragrance needs to be bought for your enjoyment/pick-me-up/happy mood; not for compliments. This is something I wear for me when I'm going to have a long, draining day and I just need to get through it. So friends below, try to think of it that way and maybe that will help you find a new appreciation for it. I know you shelled out some dollar bills for it, which is my only real pain point with the house, so try to change how you think about it and see if that helps.

I really enjoy this scent, and I don't get tired of it while wearing it, though it is somewhat of a linear scent that only changes as the fruity sweetness fades. It is enjoyable to everyone I know that has smelled it, and I think it is office safe. When I found out that the perfumer Richard Herpin also created Tom Ford's Oud Wood, it all made since. That same light, non-offensive, woody oud can be found here - it's just surrounded by yummy fruits instead of cardamom. If you like one, I believe you will like the other. My only dislike with the fragrance is the price because it is quite pricey compared to other similar houses.

I received a pre-sprayed tester strip with this fragrance on it in an order for another fragrance. Before then I'd never heard of this brand. I'm so glad they included it because this transported me back in time as soon as I smelled it. My grandpa used to roll his own cigarettes out of Velvet Tobacco, and he always had a giant can of it sitting around. I can remember being next to him when he pulled the lid off of it, and a smell almost identical to Tobacco Royal came wafting out.

To me, this smells like freshly dried tobacco - not the kind one would find in a modern cigarette, but the vintage kind. It's a little earthy and maybe even slightly nutty. I believe they flavor it with molasses, and maybe licorice or anise as well. There may be a hint of fruitiness as well. All this combined is exactly what I smell on this fragrance and I love it.