Taurus

One thing is clear: Atelier Cologne has not reinvented the wheel of citrus fragrances with Bergamotte Soleil. In principle, a solid summer fragrance with a bergamot main theme awaits you here.

Initially extremely citrusy, somewhat sharp and tangy with a slight twist towards the unnatural. There is also something unidentifiably floral and spicy here as a soft companion and carpet pad.
All in all, quite unisex and neither too sweet nor too sour.

Atelier Cologne always like to play with the exact origin of the individual fragrances. And the more exotic the ingredients sound, the more interesting the fragrance seems. There's no way of knowing which of these are marketing gobbledygook or hard facts, but they look good in the list.

What I notice here: a good half hour after spraying, the fragrance dulls a good deal. The base is a little drier and no longer quite as citrusy-fresh. Quite a lot of citrus fragrances actually do this, but I notice it with this one.

And of course, projection and longevity are manageable in this genre. Nevertheless, as already mentioned, a decent citrusy newcomer from which you shouldn't expect any surprises.

Mango fragrances are one of those things. They've been around for a while, but at the moment they're sprouting up like volcanoes. But sometimes they are too sweet, too artificial, too weak or too expensive. Stéphane Humbert Lucas seems to have done everything right - at least in terms of quality.

Here, the mango fire actually burns for a few hours after spraying and burns out quite late. The mango here also makes a natural fresh and juicy impression, ideal for a good mood on a warm to hot summer's day and for putting out fires.

But basing a fragrance solely on mango would be a little simple and monotonous. That's why woody notes, a little jasmine and an amber/musk blend provide a subtle, unobtrusive base that pleasantly heats up the exotic aura of God Of Fire.

This makes it anything but fruity-sweet, but relatively mature and valuable, even absolutely wearable for boys, gentlemen, men and gods. OK, if you are now on fire for this special "little fruit" or already are, you will have to put down a little cash. Otherwise, there are numerous Arabic alternatives available.

Lira has become something of a prototype for a gourmand fragrance. Full-bodied and voluminous with delicious vanilla vibes. Although the initial phase offers a little citrusy-orangey note for a blink of an eye, it is hardly worth mentioning.

The heart notes such as rose, jasmine, licorice and cinnamon also come across rather casually, as if they had been breathed in. It is only with the top note, which cheekily pushes its way right to the front, that things get interesting when the vanilla spreads out together with the caramel and seductively winds its way around the synapses.

From here on, memories of delicious creamy-sweet desserts or small pralines or children's chocolate come to mind, even though Lira officially contains neither chocolate nor cocoa and has a tiny hint of synthetics.
The mini splashes of blood orange and bergamot lighten up the high-calorie wall a little, otherwise Lira might have been a little too monotonous.

Accordingly, as with almost all gourmand fragrances, excessive snacking or spraying may lead to oversaturation. This means that a minimal annoyance factor could occur and it is better to be sparing with the quantity and frequency of the dosage in order to be able to enjoy the creation for longer.

For me, two sprays from a bottling were enough to enjoy the day, but I also know that I would only use Lira again after two weeks at the earliest. And of course: it is a fragrance that is particularly ideal for colder seasons. Otherwise, it just packs a punch.

With this latest offshoot from Elie Saab, I somehow had both high and low expectations at the same time. I wasn't looking for it specifically, but rather discovered it by chance in a perfumery. In the end, the classically designed bottle and the name "L'Homme" piqued my curiosity.

Immediately after spraying it on, I went through my fragrance archive to check for similarities with what I already knew. And lo and behold: within seconds I remembered Pontaccio 21 Eau de Toilette and even more strongly the classic Jazz (1988) Eau de Toilette, only less high-quality, less complex and with a more penetrating hint of synthetics.

First and foremost, bergamot and vetiver draw attention to themselves with a rather spicy impact, including cedar wood. In this constellation, it is less fresh and refreshing, but rather tart and dry. Of course, this is not wrong or would not be wrong if it came across as far more natural. As it is, however, it comes across as slightly pungent, rough, pinching ... in short, unbalanced. Even the use of myrrh and patchouli can't bring any joy.

L'Homme is definitely wearable in summer (at least that's how I would classify it), as long as you don't worry about a slightly overpriced price, moderate projection and durability and, if necessary, accept that a fragrance might perform better at the checkout during "Action" in the near future.

Although Bel Ambre is a typical fall/winter fragrance, I just felt like testing it on a sunny spring day. You can do that, especially as this amber is not too heavy and in no way sweet and pompous. The top notes also include lemon and bergamot, which promises a citrusy start.

After spraying it on immediately after the lemon and the small pinch of pepper, I had to think of two different other creations: firstly, Lagerfeld Classic Eau de Toilette only without sandalwood and less smooth, and secondly, even more intensely, Cuir Ottoman, which also contains leather like "Bel Ambre", but without the lemon.

What dominates, as the name suggests, is definitely amber in combination with musk and powdery notes, especially the complex iris butter. This provides warmth and coziness, a typical cold weather or rain fragrance, but also thanks to the leather with a slight animalism and stubbornness. Actually an interesting duality between culture and wildness, which is even good to wear in the evening in summer.

If you can imagine yourself in a rougher #lagerfeld classic with a little suede, you should consider Bel Ambre. It may be anything but everyday - but it's beautiful.