Telekinec

This one blew me out of the park and I was not expecting it. I've tried it out twice and I will be going for a full bottle. I was curious to test it due to the passion fruit note as I have rarely smelled this fruit in a fragrance. Well let me tell you that Giorgio Armani masterfully crafted this fruit in a fragrance fit for cold weather but also for warmer weather coming soon (I might not want to wear it during sweltering heat as it could choke people out due to the bourbon vanilla).

The beginning is all things passion fruit. Juicy, sweet, tangy, fruity, a pure expression of a tropical fruit that's beautifully realistic in its composition. It was a mouth-watering thing of beauty. I barely got any frangipani as it moved on, but I was quite surprised: the passion fruit lingered longer than I thought it would on my skin even as the bourbon vanilla started coming up. It definitely becomes sweeter (at this point it could be a little overwhelming as the bourbon vanilla isn't in the subtle territory) and slightly powdery, but the passion fruit seems to balance the bourbon vanilla and vice versa. It's all a balanced act of sweetness and fruitiness.

Drydown is warm, sweet and fruity. The drydown is just so beautiful, like a refined hug. It has an air of sophistication that the bottle conveys very well. The whole theme is quite on point. I will say it's pretty linear and might have less depth than some would like (which is why it's not a perfect ten), but it does hit all the right spots. This is a fragrance for fall weather when you want a hint of summer that has just passed and a fragrance for spring when you're just leaving behind the warm, gourmand and sweet world for something more fruity and uplifting (in a sun-is-coming-out kind of way). I will definitely be going for a full bottle of this beauty.

Just like its sisters Guava Granita and Miami Nectar, Isla Sirena is banking on the whole tropical, sunny getaway theme going on with Ellis Brooklyn's two other scents. It could've been good, great actually, but unfortunately it fell short of my expectations.

I will admit the beginning was very nice. I smelled bananas (I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a blue Java banana and a normal banana though), papaya and a subtle hint of salt that gave some moment-at-the-beach vibe. It's more during the appearance of the middle notes that the vibe started feeling off. The papaya remained, a juicy, sweet, pulpy fruit as coconut started coming in with a semi creamy, semi aquatic kind of vibe. There was a weird spicy and floral accord (maybe from the ginger flower...?) and some sweet vanilla that mingled in. It's difficult to explain at this point how and why I was turned off. I don't know if it's the ginger flower that clashed with the array of fruits or the salt that marred the vanilla orchid, but something didn't sit well here. As time passed, it started simmering down to a warm, gourmand, creamy and sugary coconut scent (without the sunscreen aspect) with a fleeting undertone of woodiness.

If it wasn't for the middle moment that went wrong, I might have gone for a travel size at least. Unfortunately, something turned out weird on my skin and I didn't like it as much as its other two sisters. If your skin chemistry doesn't betray you, this might be a very lovely vacation scent, great for the upcoming summer. I do suggest you try it out first (thankfully I tried it on at a Sephora before blind-buying it... I've learned my lesson, ha!).

This is a very lovely scent, but I'd see it better as a very luxurious candle ambiance scent rather than a fragrance I'd want to smell on myself. It has a very strong synthetic aspect that reminds me of laundry detergent or luxurious white soap. The synthetic aspect gives the scent an overall old school vibe, something I'd see a mature, older woman wearing (I'd see my mom wearing this or a rich grandmother).

It's overall pretty linear and there wasn't much difference between the beginning of the scent until its end. At the start it's quite strong and had very good projection, but as time passes, it starts settling down into a more intimate, delicate thing. Has an old school, white flower thing to it with the aforementioned soapy / laundry detergent vibe.

Not my kind of thing and the synthetic vibe is a no to me, but as a candle or something to freshen up your bed, I'd be down for it.

Interestingly enough, my skin chemistry doesn't seem to render sugar and leather as much as the title of the fragrance would suggest. I get something that sits between Oajan and Angels' Share Eau de Parfum with a lot of ressemblance to Ambre Khandjar .

Deep, liquorish-like plums permeate the beginning of this fragrance, with the mingling of cinnamon offering spiciness and warmth. I soon start getting some deep woodiness and an earthy patchouli that reinforces the spiciness. Tonka adds some sweetness and powderiness. Drydown remains ever so woody while the liquorish fruitiness has receded in favor of a soft, pliable and wearable leather. Not sports car leather, but more like a purse kind of leather. More subtle, more smooth. Overall, the fragrance seems to follow the same pattern as Ambre Khandjar with some slight adjustments due to the different notes. It has the same fruity / woody / dark aspect that I found in the aforementioned fragrance. The drydown of the fragrance leans way more masculine than Ambre Khandjar though.

Since I'm not a fan of liquors, woodiness and leather, this fragrance won't be making it into my collection. The drydown leans very masculine to me which is a turn off. I don't find that the title of the fragrance suits it well, but this might be due to my skin chemistry. On to the next!

This is a refined, elegant and sophisticated version of the your-skin-but-better-trend. It's soft-spoken, yet asserts itself enough to turn elegant to the nose. I'd see anyone who wants to smell nice wearing it.

I get a fresh, slightly sweet bergamot at the top that starts blending in with a soft, woody and creamy sandalwood. A thin line of pencil shavings somewhere in there, but nothing that bothered me too much. Musks starts mingling with the sandalwood as the bergamot leaves the accord. Musk is clean, white, pure and comforting. It's overall a pretty linear fragrance with a clean, soapy aspect to it.

All in all, it's a pretty soft and tranquil. Doesn't spark any wow factor or any excitement, but instills a sense of refinement, elegance and calm. It's okay with being there to prop up your natural scent. Missing that oomph for me, but I'd see many people wearing it when they just want to smell clean and nice.