SeStra

Pioggia Salata was not an instant hit for me - even though I was actually sure from the first spray that it would be one.

Because I really like the opening. Fresh, salty, ozonic, somehow reminiscent of the sea and wet air. Lovely...

Then it becomes noticeably more unusual. Salt and sea suddenly meet floral notes, and I suspect that the listed white oleander is largely responsible for this. The whole thing feels unconventional, and I had absolutely no idea whether I liked this combination.

However, the longer I wear it on my skin, the more fascinating I find this salty-floral combination. It is simply not a typical aquatic that smells only of the sea and summer.

Maybe that is also why it fares somewhat worse on Parfumo than I can understand by now. You have to get used to it a little. It worked for me.

Bold Incense was actually a blind buy for me. I rarely do that... The reason was pretty simple: incense in the top note and then incense again in the base - that sounded promising.

And fortunately, the fragrance delivers exactly what I had hoped for.

The opening is dark, dry and almost leathery to my nose. Interestingly, no leather note is listed, yet with the first spray I immediately thought a little of Ombre Leather by Tom Ford.

The incense really remains present throughout the entire development. Not just as a brief smoky effect, but deep, dark and wonderfully substantial.

Later, the plum joins in and changes the character once again quite noticeably. It adds a lovely sweetness and fruitiness without covering up the incense. I like that! Dark and smoky on the one hand, soft and slightly sweet on the other.

In the drydown, the whole thing becomes increasingly rounder and deeper. The charcoal fits perfectly into this picture and reinforces the dark, dry side once again.

For me, a truly strong fragrance from the Boss Collection. Not a crowd-pleasing mainstream scent, but far more distinctive than I initially expected from Hugo Boss.

A blind buy that was a complete hit...

To be honest, even today I still don't really know what to make of Maître. I don't know the original, or rather the inspiration behind it, so I can't and don't want to draw any comparisons here.

I'm simply judging what happens on my skin - and unfortunately, it doesn't appeal to me at all.

There is certainly a certain fruitiness, but at the same time there is also a heaviness that seems to lie over it. In theory, this contrast could be interesting, but on me it doesn't result in a harmonious overall picture. Instead, what remains is a somewhat diffuse cloud, and I keep waiting for the individual facets to eventually come together. Unfortunately, they simply don't for my nose.

For a long time, I couldn't rate Maître on Parfumo at all because it hadn't been listed there yet. Now I can at least say this: Maître and I probably aren't going to become friends after all.

At the usual MA prices, it's certainly worth giving it a try. Perhaps this DNA works much better for others.

It's simply not my fragrance world.

With Iconic Nuit Cerulean, you don't have to think long about where the inspiration comes from. YSL's DNA is unmistakably there from the very first spray.

The opening is fresh, spicy and at the same time super soft.

What I like: The whole thing feels surprisingly well-rounded. No unpleasantly piercing synthetics, no completely overloaded amber base. In the drydown, vetiver and woods make it a little drier, while it retains that soft overall feel.

Of course, nobody is reinventing the wheel here. But clearly, nobody is trying to. The bottle alone screams YSL.

Longevity and sillage aren't monsters, but they are absolutely fine for this type of fragrance. And at this price, you can happily respray anyway.

Anyone who misses Bleu Électrique or simply likes this DNA gets a really strong alternative here at a very fair price.

Patrick is a true fougère breaker for me.

As soon as I spray it on, a wonderful soapy quality comes through immediately, blending beautifully with the earthy, mossy character. This is exactly how I imagine a classic fougère: clean, herbal, slightly bitter, pleasantly green and with that lightly old-fashioned elegance.

Patrick is oldschool. But to me, that absolutely does not mean dated.

Quite the opposite: the fragrance immediately triggers memories for me. Somehow, it smells like my grandfather. Not like a specific perfume I could name, but like that lovely, soapy scent I associate with my childhood. Incredibly endearing...

The combination of clean soapiness, earthy moss and classic fougère spice still works wonderfully today. Perhaps precisely because so many modern fragrances are becoming ever sweeter, louder and smoother.

This one does not play along. It remains classic, straightforward and wonderfully distinctive.

For me, a beautiful fougère with a genuine touch of nostalgia - and one that shows that oldschool is far from meaning old-fashioned.