Smora

Scentrack: Tina Turner – Look Me In The Heart

In 2012 in Florence I tried L’Eau Boisee for the first time, and I was not impressed at all. It seemed like a less lucid and more mainstream version of the original. A Guerlain’s take on highly successful Ellena’s Terre d’Hermes theme. In my opinion, all the uplifting playfulness was gone to make a room for dry and serious vetiver overload. However, as time goes by, I started to appreciate L’Eau Boisee version more and more. The composition possesses several layers, and one has to be very patient to reveal the subtle crisp beauty.
This flanker opened up with already known juicy lime, and a modest kick of mint. The mojito accord is present but toned down. There is a touch of fresh grass incorporated, which I really like. In this version vetiver is the main player. Clean, well-groomed, and with a smoky touch. The geranium in the heart gives a classic vibe of traditional French perfumery. The beautiful rum note of the original is subtle and paired with a fresh, woody note that reminds me of Virginian cedar. The composition is well harmonized, and although reminiscent of Terre d’Hermes, is still playful. Thus, this is not a strict office choice, yet suitable for sport or even casual occasions throughout the year. Guerlain Homme L’Eau Boisee is a jack of all trades which is the biggest value of this composition. Some kind of classy workhorse, if possible.

Scentrack: Tina Turner – We Don’t Need Another Hero

I was excited when Burberry announced the release of the new masculine line. Although a little bit concerned because of the name – Hero. Unfortunately, my concerns were justified. Burberry Hero is just another 2020’s fragrance. Inoffensive, easy to wear and politically correct male fragrance. Still, it possesses some pale interesting woody nuances that Aurelien Guichard replayed from his earlier creations like This is Him by Zadig & Voltaire or Bois Noir by Robert Piguet. Hero starts with, nowadays very popular, bergamot, some metallic undertones and a nice creamy touch that morphs into a full-blooded cedar heart. The cedar accord is really made of a fresh Virginian variety and a sweeter Atlas one. The composition is extremely contemporary woody, yet not overly synthetic. It has some nice woody and masculine undertones which I can associate with the classic Burberry brand. However, too weak, and bland. Hero is not a bad composition. It smells good, it is versatile, and easy to wear. Not so heroic, but a perfect ticket for newcomers to enter the serious niche woody game. Still, do we need another Hero? No Burberry, we don’t.

Scentrack: Sixpence Non The Richer – Kiss Me

Fragonard is a well-known fragrance house from Grasse that dates back to 1920s, However, for some reason it is not very popular in the Fragcom. There is not a lot of talk about Fragonard, reviews are scarce, and even their shop at Blvd Saint Germain in Paris is easily missed. I am glad I finally entered the shop, thanks to my fragrance-wise totally ignorant girlfriend who took me there because a travel guide suggested, I have discovered something I have been looking for years.
After spending around half an hour chatting with a very friendly and knowledgeable shopping assistant, I decided to take Valentin home. Valentin was so friendly, optimistic, and quite familiar. Still, I could not pinpoint the composition that Valentin reminded me of. It took me some time before I finally realized Valentin is a take on the old formulation of YSL L’Homme with a touch of Orient. The opening is similar, light citrus accompanied by ginger. While L’Homme possesses a muffled spicy character, Valentin shouts. The ginger is paired with a high dose of cardamom and nutmeg. L’Homme continues to stronger cedar base, while Valentin travels to the East. The more accented Oriental character of Valentin gives another dimension to the composition. The cedar is perfectly paired with a cozy nutty quality of Tonka bean and a touch of vanilla. Wearing Valentin in the Latin Quarter is like magic, and I have not felt so enthusiastic for years. The performance is only average, but for the price one could reapply the fragrance often.
Valentin is a small hidden gem waiting to be discovered, like most of the Fragonard collection and their charming boutique. From now on, whenever I am in Paris, Fragonard is the place to go.

Scentrack: Richard Cheese – Gin and Juice

Good vodka is odorless and devoid of any taste, thus in my opinion, creating a vodka-based fragrance is a challenging task. One has to recreate the essence of this East European drink without obvious ethanol smell that consumers rate as cheap. It seems, the perfumer solved this problem by introducing some spicy and herbal element to the composition. Vodka on the Rocks opens with the pale whiteness of aldehydes accompanied by some pepper, strong coriander and herbal cardamom. The initial blast tenders gradually to washed flowers accord, delicate by design yet strong in performance. This fresh, futuristic bouquet is paired to very nice rhubarb note. All the interplay notes morphs to gray base of Ambroxan and something similar to white musk, which gradually lose their intensity. Does Vodka on the Rocks remind me of real vodka? Yes, but just on one brand. Polish vodka Žubrowka, infused with bison grass, and very distinct herbal qualities, which was prohibited by the FDA until 2010 due to its coumarin content. Additionally, the herbal aspects of this composition reminds of several G&T-inspired fragrances. The performance of the composition is average (5-7 hours) with moderate sillage.
In conclusion, Vodka on the Rocks, is a solid recreation of vodka atmosphere. However, it lacks distinctiveness of the other By Kilian offerings. Personally, it is not my cup of tea, but one who wishes to wear a fresh herbal/alcohol combo could appreciate this fragrance even more. Still, the main question remains - is it proper to drink vodka with ice?

After discovering Wood and Spice, the beautiful Oriental creation from Proraso, I became interested in their other releases. Like Wood and Spice, Cypress and Vetyver was also released as the part of Single Blade Collection which was apparently now already discontinued. While Wood and Spice was complete surprise, Cypress & Vetyver was a somehow expected standard cologne.
Cypress & Vetyver almost does what its name implies. It opens up with some citrus note that instantly becomes greener. Although mentioned in the name, the cypress note is very mild and almost completely hidden by the green vetiver. The vetiver is also soft, clean and with just a touch of smoke. After an hour, the woody cedar with a pinch of Iso E Super becomes dominant. The dominance of cedar upon vetiver is accompanied at the end by the pale sweetness of the base. Cypress & Vetyver is a very straightforward creation. It is clean, simple and easy to wear. In my opinion, it resembles the great Mark Buxton’s creation Vettiveru for Comme des Garcons. However, while Vettiveru was a long lasting vetiver cologne with character, Cypress and Vetyver is a shy girl with longevity up to 2 hours. Still, Proraso launched a nice EdC for short term refreshment, but essentially nothing to write home about.