Sun

We open the packaging and take out a bottle that looks even better this time than in the pictures here - valuable, luminous, heavy. We expect clear notes from the signal colours yellow and blue, such as an aromatic lemon or an aquatic chord. Or maybe even the one or other pyramid note!

But first of all, a homogeneous start has to be coped with. Lemon, which is more reminiscent of lemon balm, blends with the moss to create a slightly cheap looking after shave like you've smelled a thousand times before. No trace of citric freshness. We search in vain for grapefruit and lavender, while the rose geranium slowly but surely spreads through our nose. This then also gives the blue-yellow brew a pleasant unobtrusiveness which, becoming ever softer and spicier, dares to last a few hours.

What do we draw as a conclusion for whom or what this fragrance passes the suitability test? Fresh citric invigorating: Negative! Aromatic lavender grapefruit fragrance? No way! Unobtrusive, average after-shave fragrance for the warm season? Klingeling! In the end all that is certain is that the expected powerful yellow lemon tree in front of the bright blue HImmel is in reality at best a slightly pollinated resistant ivy vine that has been growing unobtrusively along the Puig sales tree for years.

Since the original opium is unfortunately no longer available due to new formulations and the only good dupe, "O. P." has now been replaced by a successor, I went some time ago on the search for a fragrance that smells largely similar. Well, one that really comes to the original I unfortunately haven't found, but a lot of interesting scents that go very strongly in the direction of the original

So is Kobako, an intense fragrance potpouri of the most diverse (especially spicy) notes. The opening is very intense and soapy, after which the different spices slowly appear. Find an extremely successful, heavy fragrance that still fits in all seasons, if from the time of day more suitable for the evening hours. Unbelievable, however, is the price (about 10 €) for the best quality is offered here. For fans of the former Opium (EDP) or Dali (PDT) in any case worth a test.

Finally a good Si-fragrance again! My first one was the EDP, which I still like very much. After that I tested the EDT, Si Intense, Si Passione and Si Rose Signature - unfortunately they all disappointed me very much. EDT much too light, EDP Intense too strict-struggle, SI Passione annoying-nothing and Rose Signature similarly superfluous. Therefore I wasn't very curious about the next Flanker but had to test it anyway.

Then the surprise: Finally once again a Si on that or with which one can look forward! It is very similar to the normal EDP in the base note, but a bit more aromatic. I usually take Neroli as a very strict note, but here it is well embedded and also the mandarin is not bitter as expected but rather sweet-fruity. Altogether a successful, creamy and very aromatic Si version, which could become a good spring and above all summer companion, not only for all Si fans.

Spring 2019: Temperatures are rising and falling, but spring is not coming through properly. As soon as it is a bit warm on the weekend, the next cold shower comes directly on Monday. And that's been going on for weeks.

One longs for warmth, for summer and above all for SUN. Here she comes; the announcement of Sun Summer Edition, a ray of light opens. Finally something to look forward to, summer in the bottle so to speak.

But wait a minute - Sun Summer Edition? Sun is already a summer scent! And what a one! Sunbathing, swimming pool visits, walks along the beach, sun cream, cosy warmth - all impressions that the original has stood for for years even after many new formulations and makes not only the summer but also the cooler seasons much more bearable.

As you can easily see I am an absolute fan of Sun and also of some Flankers (especially Sun Delight) and so I was also very excited about this one like hardly any other new release of this season.

The bottle didn't look bad and so I was happy to finally take it in my hand and spray on it. But then this: 4711! A 4711 surge welcomes me, as if I had made a mistake in the bottle! I don't think that can be true, but I still hope very quickly that it's just the quickly fading top note and soon the other - sunny - aromas will come like violets, vanilla, lily of the valley, jasmine, rosewood or currant. But after the few minutes in which the top note is diluted I smell again - intensively - there and smell: almost nothing more. A hint of orange blossom and with great effort a touch of subtle vanilla - that's all you can smell. After 30 minutes until one hour at the latest there is already an end, except for a hint of 4711 there is nothing to smell anymore. Even a simple citrus plash smells more intense.

No sun similarity, no sun cream scent, not even a totally different, but good, independent citrus scent - only this strong resemblance to 4711.

What the house Jil Sander has thought of with this scent or waving through the formulature remains a big mystery to me. And whoever shall buy it and bear it shall also.

From the dream of a spiced up Sun version, which has a great similarity to the original and combines new exciting notes and with which one could change times. Just too bad.

After I liked "Velvet Orchid" by Tom Ford very much I was looking for more orchid scents with slightly different notes. After "Velvet Orchid Lumiere" smells disappointingly almost exactly like its predecessor and "Orchid Soleil" was a bit too heavy or flowery for me and I prefer rather stricter / stronger scents, I hit Balmain here once. First of all the positive:

The fragrance itself is a very fragrant, gentle, round orchid fragrance. Great different than the normal orchids smells the tiger orchid here like I also do not find. In any case, it is the clearly perceptible main note, from the other notes I only feel a hint; ginger blossom, pink pepper and cashmere wood stand out. Ylang Ylang, Jasmin, Patchouli and Benzoe I cannot perceive at all.

The bottle is not bad, lies well in the hand and very valuable worked and packed in a box with double protective padding, but unfortunately the logo of my copy was partly flaked. Well, what the hell, black edding and gold pin will fix it.

Now, unfortunately, to the two absolute weaknesses: Durability and Sillage. These correspond, although marked with EdP, to at most one EdC. You have to spray a lot, but even then the scent experience has an abrupt end after one to 2 hours at the latest, so you don't smell anything anymore, no matter where you sprayed. But if you don't have any problems with regular, luxuriant after-spraying, you can counteract this; unfortunately, you have to carry the clunky 90 ml bottle with you everywhere you go.

All in all there remains a great fragrance, which should be much more concentrated and much better received.