Wastlking

Free will. An illusion? Am I not ultimately determined? Genes. Drives. Socialization. Education. Yet: I experience myself as the author of my decisions and actions.

Is an absolute will even possible? Can I want an absolute will? An absolute will in the etymological sense as a will detached from all determinants? What relation would this will have to me? To my determinants? To my needs, interests, my character, my body?

Ultimately, it would no longer be my will. It would be foreign to me. It would not be a will.

What I want thus says something about me. I want purity without sterility. I want freshness without sporty simplicity. I want transparency without revelation. I want seduction without coercive guidance.

What I want, I have apparently found. Bitter freshness. Light intensity. Woody virility. Refined security.

Yes, this suit may be "very British" and possibly a bit "old fashioned" - but that can also possess 'sex appeal', even if this is a subjective perception. Looking at the components of this complex and balanced Fougère and their effect, it becomes clear that we are dealing with a balsamic-warm, aphrodisiac fragrance.

'Sartorial' initially starts fresh and cool. Especially the aldehydic-ozonic and metallic notes create a fresh, clean, almost medicinal impression, which is supported by the listed cardamom and its slightly camphoraceous quality. Cardamom, the second most expensive spice oil after saffron, simultaneously leads us to the spicy-aromatic and balsamic-floral undertones of the top note. The violet leaf, intensified by the peppery tones, comes into play. The spicy ginger, which I personally cannot detect, will surely contribute its part. The orange blossom and neroli gently underscore with their fruity and orange-like components the herb-spicy, warm-bitter development.
The lavender noted in the heart picks up this development of the fragrance and transitions it with spicy-herbaceous, floral-woody, and sweet-balsamic undertones to the warm, slightly animalistic leather.
The patchouli, which comes across as musky here, is woven in balsamically-finely by the warm, slightly spicy-sweet myrrh. Warm wood accords and, of course, the warm-balsamic honey and vanilla complete the base with the eroticizing amber.

A perfectly tailored suit that even Cupid could slip into.

"I knew that I was born to hold a brilliant position in this world," confesses Barry Lyndon alias Redmond Barry completely unabashed towards the end of his life while writing his memoirs. He - a completely impoverished, half-orphaned scion of minor Irish landed gentry - develops into a swindler and upstart through the vicissitudes of his life, a gambler and charlatan who gains access to the highest circles of European nobility, achieves a financially advantageous and title-bestowing marriage with Lady Lyndon, and at the peak of his fame comes to the edge of the abyss, into which he gazes for too long. It is the classic story of the rapid rise and deep fall of a seemingly fortunate man, which William Makepeace Thackeray allows his protagonist Barry Lyndon to narrate himself.

What would collapse for someone who found themselves in the predicament of having to reveal the name of the fragrance to bibliophiles who noticed the eponymous subtle Eau de Parfum on the wearer and inquired about it? A quiet smirk at the corners of the mouth? This cruel smile with slightly raised eyebrows and the clear, cold gaze of a judge, who classifies one as a reflection of this morally utterly decayed figure - who manipulates, deceives, and blackmails to achieve their set goals? Would past achievements be diminished? Would the person be unmasked as an egomaniac who has lost all self-reflection?

What do I care!

What a fragrance! What a green-herbaceous beginning that already hints at the powdery finale! - I didn't know that something like this could excite me; Barry Lyndon by Maria Candida Gentile made me completely revise my distant relationship with lavender (which, although not explicitly mentioned in the fragrance pyramid, is pointed out on MCG's own homepage), for which I would like to thank Yatagan here, who surprisingly sent me a sample of this fragrance during a swap. What a bittersweet symphony that reflects the life story of the eponymous character! What an elegant, finely-powdered oeuvre!

As I put on my powdered wig, I call out to the sneering, sycophantic authorities, who ultimately only fear for their own perks, loudly: "Oh yes, I’m the great pretender (ooh ooh) …"

My entry into the vast world of fragrances happened when I stumbled upon a glowing red vial in the bathroom mirror cabinet at the age of 15. It was one of the samples my father had received when he came home with a new aftershave. He seemed to have placed this sample dismissively among the others. However, the color of the contents of the vial already captivated me. The embossed lettering revealed that it was a men's fragrance with the simple name Joop! Homme. Nothing more and nothing less. Quite plain, underscored with an exclamation mark. Following the imperative, I opened the sample by pulling off the purple cap and held the vial under my nose. A completely different olfactory world opened up, one that was different from what my father, my grandfathers, and uncles represented - for my inexperienced nose, that was too "classic," too sharp, too soapy, too leathery. Already at the first perception of the fragrance, probably due to the use of synthetic fragrance materials and the rounded, smooth, indeed styled composition, everything was there: the fruity top note dominated by mandarin and especially orange, the cinnamon-sweet and heliotrope-laden heart, and the woody vanilla base. On the skin, the top note receded shortly after the fruity start, and the heart and base surged forward. So this is how a man can smell! I took the vial, accepting a rebellion, and guarded it. The fragrance was too precious for me to wear. Occasionally, I would smell the vial. Rarely, only on special occasions, did I wear a drop behind each ear. Until the vial neared its end, and I finally bought a bottle. Joop! Homme sparked my interest in fragrance notes, as I wanted to fully understand the scent, and it became my signature fragrance, without knowing that such a thing existed. For my surroundings, who liked to perceive me, I was Joop! Homme, and anyone who smelled Joop! Homme asked where I was.

I am like you
we are like sand and sea
that's why I need you so much.
I am like you
we are like day and night
always there for each other
always there for each other.

A snowball effect of new purchases followed. Anything that had a name in the mainstream was tested and bought if I liked it. Nevertheless, Joop! Homme remained the preferred choice for every occasion and every season.

And you know
yet I give you the freedom
because it makes it easier to stay true
just like you

that's exactly what
makes our love different

that makes our love so different and I think that's good.

I am like you
we are like sand and sea
that's why I need you so much.
I am like you
we are like day and night
always there for each other
always there for each other.

But after five or six years of loyalty, I felt drawn to new shores. New life chapters required a new olfactory companion. Tom Ford's marketing masterpiece for the Yves Saint Laurent brand in the form of the seventh men's fragrance from the venerable house freed me from the crimson shackles that I never wanted to wear again. At that time, the scent seemed too flashy to me. Our paths should never cross on my skin again.


And now? After several years of abstinence, a broad-shouldered bottle with the red elixir once again adorns my collection.

Whatever comes
we will never part
we just get to know each other better.
I just like you

that's exactly what
makes our love different

that makes our love so different and I think that's good.

I am like you
we are like sand and sea
that's why I need you so much.
I am like you
we are like day and night
always there for each other
always there for each other.

(Marianne Rosenberg)

Evidently, I have submitted the twentieth review of the fragrance Habit Rouge in the concentration of an Extrait, so now the fragrance not only has the chance to appear among the 100 most coveted men's fragrances due to this twentieth review - no: it has been ranking at number 1 for several days, and I feel compelled as the instigator to share a few words.

My predecessor aptly titled his comment. I also perceived the top note as "beheaded." The opening is indeed very citrusy-bitter, but it resembles more of a firework that bursts with a bang and then - at the zenith of its beauty - already fades away as if it had never existed. I perceive the top note for at most half a minute to a full minute.

Then comes the leather. And the leather stays. For hours. It is a pleasant leather. Warm. Distinctively masculine. Yes, it is animalistic.
It reminds me of the symbiotic relationship between leather craftsmanship and perfume production, which emerged at the latest since the 16th century when scented leather goods were in demand at both the Spanish court and among the Medici.
Nevertheless, my expectations were different in light of my experiences with the two other Habit Rouge concentrations I know - the Eau de Toilette and the Eau de Parfum. I am not disappointed. But Habit Rouge L’Extrait is a standalone fragrance that has little in common with the two mentioned concentrations of the Habit Rouge family - or at least hardly any. Because the next day, I perceive its soft side in the clothing. Here, parallels are indeed noticeable, especially to the Eau de Parfum. It is the vanilla that quietly and completely unexpectedly makes its presence known.

Habit Rouge L’Extrait is a fragrance with a very good, previously unexperienced longevity that should be worth a test for every leather lover, even if a decant of this exquisite fragrance comes at a price.