TheScenter

In the already widely expanded portfolio of Sauvage, there were initially high expectations for this release but also no idea where the journey was heading. Without alcohol? Milky liquid?
But let's take it step by step..
Sauvage offers, in addition to the EDT, a sweet EDP, an even sweeter perfume, and finally a sweet-spicy elixir. The commonalities lie not only in the DNA but also in the projection and sillage. These are fragrances that are permanently present and can quickly become annoying.
Sauvage Eau Forte is quite different:
The milky liquid is not only white and matte, but it even looks greasy like milk in the glass. One briefly worries about where to spray it best. Once applied, no film is left behind, and everything dries down immediately. And how does it smell? Wow, okay!
The opening feels angular, sweet, but also spicy to me. Amyris Homme Extrait de Parfum comes to mind here, as the tonka bean combination also leaves a bright-sweet-angular impression. In the heart of the fragrance, this impression remains but is captured by green lavender vibes. The combination creates an Akigalawood association for me that reminds me, albeit distantly, of "Bois Impérial | Essential Parfums" or "The Hedonist | Ex Nihilo." Afterwards, the fragrance remains linear in its progression but stays airy and dry at the same time.
It becomes clear to me that this will not be a fragrance for the masses. Not for Sauvage lovers or compliment junkies.
This is Dior as a hipster, neo-alternative, different, far removed from Sauvage. Not only technologically innovative but also a completely foreign scent character.
The performance of the fragrance is crazy and probably due to the new alcohol-free technology. It does not have a permanently present sillage, but it still quickly acts as a room filler. Even 3 hours after application, the spicy-airy mist rises to my nose.
I find it good but can also understand the negative reviews. Because "simple" is something anyone can do. This is controversial and different enough to convince just the right people, not the masses!

There are perfumes that are perceived less as perfume and more as a scent or fragrance. Above all, of course, Geza with his "famous" Escentric series, who works with individual fragrance materials, leading to themes like perception thresholds and compliments in endless discussions.
IsoE Super, just like Ambroxan, should now be known to everyone at least as a carrier substance in almost every perfume. When considered individually, both can bring quite a bit of joy: IsoE as a gentle, cool-dry cedarwood scent and Ambroxan with its sweeter woody accents, both somehow convince every perfume lover at some point. Be it "monothematic" or as a carrier or additive combined with other materials... which ultimately finds its way into bottles via Dior, Chanel, or Hermès.
With Another13, we are dealing with a "scent" that, at its core, appears completely detached from any perfume concept as an abstract yet somehow natural work of art. The clear focus is on Ambroxan, which probably prevents some noses from perceiving the entire artwork at all, along with some old acquaintances like birch, jasmine, or moss.

Simply put, Another13 smells of synthetics.

More precisely, Another13 smells of craftsmanship, industry, and metal. But also of sun-kissed skin on long summer days in nature, of fresh sweat on warm but clean skin, of rain on warm asphalt, of the past but also the future. Innovative, minimalist, consistent, and puristic.
After an alcoholic start, it goes directly through the industrial Ambroxan veil, into nature. There, it lingers in a metal-musk mix and intermittently flashes metallic-cool like lightning in a summer storm. The main player here is likely to be Helvetolide®, which gives the entire fragrance a fabulous cool musk fog and adds a certain twist to the scent!
Similar to Molecule01, the fragrance also comes in waves. It wafts, reacts to temperature and environment. After a closer evaluation by a total of 5 people, it can be said that Another13 is pleasantly restrained and noticeable at a good arm's length, fantastically perceivable for 12-15 hours.

Gentle yet radical in its execution and convincing in its longevity, Another13 has completely captivated me. For me, it’s the perfect "anti-perfume" when I want to smell like I like to smell myself, without putting on a more "contrived" perfume. When I feel "arrived and finished" and the absence means more than the need to have. Synthetic yet maximally natural. Art can be that simple.

EDIT 10/2019: Unfortunately, the fragrance left me too quickly again, and often one only realizes what is important when it is gone. After a renewed rotation of similar scents, I returned to it through a leftover decant and now realize that it is indeed the scent with which I feel absolutely represented and, more importantly (this is important to me), not disguised. I am well aware that opinions on this fragrance are divided, yet I have received consistently positive feedback on it so far.

EDIT2 12/2019: Since one can quickly and hastily claim that a fragrance leads to more or fewer compliments, I try to evaluate this topic rather cautiously. However, what I can say for sure about this fragrance so far is: No matter when and where I wear it, I always receive positive feedback. That doesn’t mean it’s a magnet or that it wants to be super "crowd-pleasing," but it simply smells "real" and "different." It actually expresses a kind of aura. You wear it and don’t want to desperately smell "good!" but simply create an original pleasant aura, and I often receive such feedback. Whether in the morning at the entrance to the company or in the late afternoon at an external appointment, I have often been noticed and always positively. :)

Compared to all other Nasomattos, Silver Musk seems to absolutely not fit in with the lineup. While BA, Duro, and Pardon create a sillage explosion in the room after spraying, whose "contamination" can even exceed 12 hours, Silver Musk hardly stands out. Shortly after spraying, one wonders if it is really a Nasomatto or rather a citrusy, mild unisex fragrance. But far from it...
After just a few minutes, a very pure and balanced musk emerges, which I have not encountered in any other perfume to date. The citrusy and powdery notes blend cleanly and fresh with the woody musk. Although there is no special development here and the sillage is not enveloping, the longevity scores high once again with 10 hours+ in true Gualtieri style. Even the next morning, the scent was still clearly present and could accompany me almost the entire following day, albeit with a weak sillage.
With this bright, feel-good elixir, Gualtieri certainly did not score in the "steamroller" genre, but definitely in the "perfection" genre. Puristic like the scent itself, it requires no further words. It convinces with its simplicity, as rarely does a fragrance with such a low number of notes bring me good vibes and compliments so quickly. A heavenly musk dream that always works.

Creed's Royal Mayfair caught me off guard during a "perfume house visit," while Himalaya had been on my wishlist for quite some time and I finally wanted to conduct another skin test. Unlike most well-known Creeds from the Brigarde, RM is rather on the sidelines and is not hyped as intensely as Royal Oud (especially again at the moment) or the now mostly hidden Aventus tucked away in the drawer.
After testing it for the first time, it took me quite a while to "understand" it. Unlike Himalaya, which at that time clearly had the upper hand with its consistent freshness and quickly found its way into my collection, RM presented itself to me as a rather cumbersome rose-eucalyptus. Only weeks later did it become increasingly interesting to me, and I could appreciate its drydown, allowing it to also find a place in my collection.

Right after spraying, one is indeed reminded a bit of those (thankfully rare for me) days of colds when one has to use Vicks Vaporub.
But hardly has one wasted a thought on that, the rose bed opens up a minty-floral freshness that clearly has a unique selling point for me.
In all this floral and woody spectacle, to now speak of a gin note that one can at most guess but by no means smell outright seems exaggerated. But in fact, RM carries a zesty-clarifying freshness over time that, in my opinion, can be found in some gins (Hendrick's, Bobby's...?!) as well. This is not really surprising when you consider that a good gin is usually made with 5 - 11 "botanicals" (lemon peel, juniper, orris root...) that come at least somewhat closer to the RM fragrance pyramid.
I find RM to be an excellent scent that initially tries to demand quite a bit from you, but over its course is capable of rewarding the wearer with its floral-minty freshness. (Like a gin tonic in a rose garden after work).

The longevity and sillage are somewhat disparate, but are in decent Creed fashion. Initially, it radiates very strongly, similar to a night rubbed with Vicks Vaporub, and one should avoid smelling directly from the sprayed wrist. The subdued level it reaches after about a quarter of an hour lasts for a good 7 hours, and one does not necessarily have to reapply during a workday.

At this point, I would also like to draw attention to a tip from DaveGahan101 (thank you again for that). He mentioned that two spritzes of Himalaya would counteract the initial cumbersome nature a bit. And lo and behold... it fits like a glove! I'm not really a fan of layering (except for Molecule), but this creation has simply captivated me since then. If the floral bed or the Vicks Vaporub is too unpleasant for you, you should definitely add a spritz of Himalaya. It not only brought me a 100% feel-good factor but also numerous compliments. And so, after work, one not only sits in the rose garden with a gin tonic but also admires in the background the Himalaya, which provides a bit of shade on this hot summer day ;)

This could be how another Aventus comment begins. It would probably say just as little as the reviews and discussions about the batches and their longevity..
To put it simply, what distinguishes Aventus from other (dupe) fragrances can be illustrated with the following example:
After testing numerous dupes (IP2, L'Aventure, CDNIM, etc.) and only being satisfied with Zara VL so far, I was simply tired of the whole overpriced Aventus hype. I recognized the distinctiveness but also the shortcomings regarding longevity or performance of the dupes.
The actual trigger that made Aventus attractive again was a day trip to a big city. After searching the turquoise stores for a few candidates from my wish list and disappointingly noting the homogeneity of numerous newcomers on the market, a young man walked past me, leaving a sillage behind him that I had never smelled before. Eventually, I asked him what fragrance he was wearing, and he replied, "Creed!" ... ("Vintages?..wtf?.. what could that be..?") .... "Aventus!" ("ough!").
How could I not recognize THAT fragrance?
The answer is quite simple:
Aventus creates a beautiful balance between freshness and smokiness right after its opening. Some dupe developers might be able to replicate this quite well. However, what follows is an unmistakable drydown that certainly varies slightly depending on the batch but never deviates from its fundamental tone. A Creed-like musk note combines with the fruity-smoky top note to create a fresh and elevated balance that, on one hand, reminds one of aftershave, but on the other hand, of something expensive. The performance is unmistakable. No monotony, no piercing undertone - a delicately crafted work that knows how to convince at every second. Everything is soft yet hard. Bright - fresh - elegant. While you are still pondering the fragrance, it has already convinced you. A masterpiece.

Edit 20.01.2018:
Especially after frequent use of two very good dupes for me (L‘Aventure and eclat 700), the unique fragrance composition of the original really comes through. While many dupes either seem incredibly cheap in the top or in the base notes, Aventus delivers real fruit in a birch tar-musk dip. Certainly, batch discussions seem justified in the overall picture, but in the end, the fragrance remains a masterpiece for me.

There are fragrances that I get tired of wearing after just a few hours, after which I would like to apply something else..
With Aventus, I never have this thought. For me, it is the state of absolute perfection.