Top Rated Reviews

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”
1 Corinthians 13:11

"Eww, you smell exactly like your father!"-she said.

During my teenage years I never knew why my mother always said Kouros was one of her favorite fragrances ever. It seemed like everytime I tried to get myself to understand that I end up on the cold dark road (that pissy road to be exact, you know, the one next to the main highway). It seemed like I was tapdancing in the dark..for a long time. I remember I couldn't stop thinking about the fragrance for some reason..so periodicaly I kept coming back to it, to smell it again and again, hoping I could experience the exact feeling my mother had when she smelled Kouros (the best men's fragrance ever-her words) for the first time-but still no luck! After that, my interest started growing more and more each day because I couldn't understand that fragrance from the inside out like I used to understand other fragrances..and why was my mother so obsessed with it..this was a big enigma for me, and since I always loved mysteries, I kept pushing forward, I had to.

After 15 years..as soon as I got my first few greys on my beard I thought maybe now is the time, right?!
Still the same effect! Weird. All untill..
..one year ago I saw Kouros standing on some dusty shelve in an old perfumery in Switzerland. It looked kinda lost, lonely..something spoke to me in that moment and I went and sprayed it directly on my skin. Sensation I was anticipating for more than 15 years was there! From the opening untill the most beautiful, manliest, perfect, addictive drydown ever! Yes! It was worth of wait for so long! Now I understand how my mother felt when she experienced it for the first time! I was so happy and thrilled, so I came home and started telling whole story to my girl. After my half-hour monologue she just said "Eww you smell exactly like your father!"
(I sat there for a brief moment in silence and then it hit me) - "Yes I finally do"-and I smiled.

Ouch! How come I have not yet reviewed, or even commented on, this gem? Bogart pour Homme has been part of my arsenal since April 2018, and I only now realize that I haven't spent a few words to tell so much beauty. Bogart Pour Homme is a bargain, powerhouse scent from the well-respected yet under-appreciated house of Jacques Bogart. The fragrance is genuinely in my strings, albeit I rarely like too sweet scents. Here the tonka goes down heavy, but behind an overwhelming tobacco sweetness, there is something stylish, vaguely mysterious, and a little retro that makes me appreciate it and not a little.

It is a magnificent example where a balanced blend of a handful of notes creates an entirely new and unified olfactory impression. A cherry tobacco note dominates in this perfume and to my olfactory sense. Still, in the pyramidal notes, there is neither cherry nor tobacco. Just to give you a hint, Bogart pour Homme uncannily likens "Le Mâle (Eau de Toilette) | Jean Paul Gaultier" and "A*Men Pure Havane | Mugler". There are plenty of barbershop vibes in common. To some extent, the cologne also shares some nuances with "TL pour Lui (Eau de Toilette) | Ted Lapidus", which doesn't surprise me at all. In fact, behind the two fragrances, there are the same expert hands of the master perfumers, Maurice Roucel and Norbert Bijaoui.

Bogart pour Homme belongs to the aromatic, fougére, and oriental families. It unfolds fresh, vibrant, with tiny citrus bergamot that shares the stage with a couple of blossoms, an outstanding lavender, proudly blue, herbal, hay-like, and slightly balsamic and laundry, and a more humble water lily. The blend is kindly savory, as if aromatic leaves were present in the concoction. The blast of opening fills the room pleasantly, with an aura akin to dried fruits.

But the floral slant does not end with the rising phase. The heart releases a bouquet full of wild lily-of-the-valley; its poisoning bitterness is unmistakable. A smidgen of orange blossom balances the bitter harmony with honeyed facets. And, buried amid the petals, there is a tender rose, which adds smoothness and powderiness to the central stage. Despite there being a floral undertone, there is nothing prominent or tender.

As it settles in, it gets more powdery, and the coumarin base becomes more prominent. The final accords for this cologne are musky, spicy, and smoky. Don't let the patchouli scare you. It is modern, super clean, and subdued with a powdery, sweet, and lovely trail. The sweet, unburnt cherry tobacco pipe puffing away over manly coumarin vanilla-tonka combo and dry cedarwood are more substantial. The notes of cherry and tobacco are distinct, even if the initial impression is that they are amalgamated. The cherry shrinks a little, and the tobacco and spice come forward. Wait a moment, are we talking about a designer fragrance? Yes, we're. Though, throughout its lifetime, the scent seems to be a niche one.

The sillage of this scent is incredible, at least for the batch I own. And as for its lasting power, well, try to get rid of it, and you will see. It may be a good choice if you have a long day or night of plans. Bogart pour Homme is not for the faint of heart; it's loud and maybe too much for some people. But for those who can handle it, Bogart is a glorious scent. A strong opening calms down to a pleasant cherry note that lasts throughout the wearing and feels rich without being too sweet. I love this because I don't find it exceedingly sappy like some other modern colognes, thankfully. Instead, Bogart Pour Homme smells exceptionally aromatic, and I even detect some nice green mossy notes in this. Some have commented that it is relatively linear, and I would agree. Still, it makes up for it with excellent longevity and seriously massive projection. It's sweet, no question about it, but not cloying, and it has a hard edge somewhere in it. It's creamy but not lush and foody. I love it, it's a beautiful scent, and it's very inexpensive, with a masculine slant, though non-offensive, and not overly masculine. This fragrance has excellent performance and is a distinctive scent for the cold weather. My favorite season is fall. If you like cherry vanilla tobacco scents, you will enjoy this!

I base the review on a 100ml bottle I have owned since April 2018.

-Elysium

When Tom Ford took the creative direction of YSL, back in 1999, he helped the brand create some of the best fragrances in their catalog. This was his first men's fragrance and was composed by the great Annick Ménardo. Although is kinda forgotten despite the fact that it's still available to purchase. Everybody talks about the discontinued M7 and Rive Gauche pour homme (which are both great fragrances) but this is very under the radar and i don't know why.

This is a really interesting fragrance. Despite the name, it doesn't remind me of Kouros at all. In fact, it smells like sweet woods (benzoin mixed with cedar) but in a weird, almost alien-ish, yet warm-fresh and inviting. The eucalyptus note is noticeable in the opening and brings the green freshness facet to the fragrance mixed with a chinese incense type of a smell that quickly fades away to the sweet wood thing that will last a good 8h on skin. There's a liccorice kind of a smell mixed in the composition but not so strong as in others like Lolita Lempicka, created also by Annick Ménardo.

Despite the weirdness, this is very easy and confortably fragrance to wear specially in night outs or during fall and winter time. Annick Ménardo ussually utilises new synthetic components and mix them with classical bases and ingredients. And this one is a good example of it. Very new and weird smell but, at the same time, really well made and with a classical touch.

i recommend this one even in the newer formulation. Of course the vintage has better quality and has a more disctinct eucalyptus note but, it's still Body Kouros and it still performs and smell good.

A forgotten gem that is still available and pleasant to wear.

4/5 for the vintage
3/5 for the current formulation

There's 3 Vetiver variations used in perfumery. Bourbon (the most high quality one, with green, woody and hazelnut aspects), Haitian (perhaps the most used and with more smoke nuances) and Javanese (a very woody and smoky variation). Nathalie Lorson picked Haitian and, allegedly, Bourbon, and created one of the most beautiful clean and woody vetivers around.

We all know that the most known Vetiver based scent is the 59 novel Vetiver by Guerlain. A great green vetiver with tobacco and some spices undertones and, overall, a crisp and natural feeling.

Lalique picked Nathalie Lorson and let her create a fresh woody fragrance with ink as a concept. Very interesting specially for 2006, when Sport flankers were a thing. She was able to put out a fantastic creation around vetiver.

The bitter green opening of cypress is fenomenal and immediately evokes wet soil in a forest. As it dries down, the vetiver takes control. It's very woody and slightly smoky. I would guess that is more haitian variation than Bourbon one.
The overall feeling is very fresh, woody and slightly smoky. I never became overpowering or offensive. It's very masculine, upscaled and office friendly and long lasting (!) thanks to the highly dose of Iso E Super (45% allegedly). The drydown shows a more subtle vetiver and a amped up Iso E super and Cashmere wood. Both give a modern woody trail with musky undertones.

The price for this one is excellent, specially online, as you all know. 100ml for less than 30€. Crazy!

If you love woody fragrances or want to smell a great woody Vetiver based scent, go buy yourself a bottle, please. If you love perfumery in general, this is a classic and a must have for Fragheads. Lalique could only have this beauty for sale and i would be OK with that. Just keep producing this gem, please!

4/5

Take one sniff of Aramis and you are immediately transported to another era. Another time, another place. Sadly that place no longer exists. It's been replaced with all types of reformulated unisex garbage. A politically correct hellhole. A sad moment in time. Even though i have well over 100 fragrances, most of them are vintage beasts from yesteryear. I'm sorry i just don't belong in 2021. I belong in 1946, right after ww2 when EVERYONE was proud to be an American. Men were men and women were women. Respect was all around and most people were treated properly. The fragrance Aramis reflects those times with the nice clothes and leather and Artemisia notes just singing out loud all over the place all day long. I easily get 9 or 10 hours plus on the skin. Also I have to say I have at least six bottles of the stuff and every time I have a chance to buy another vintage bottle I do so without hesitation. This stuff is great it is easily in my top five a true top drawer fragrance. Thank the Lord above that the reformulated version is not too bad as they carefully did their best. However the oak Moss has been dialed down noticeably but I can live with that. Yes this fragrance is that good. Now go get some!

I must admit, I have never been too keen on Creed fragrances. They didn’t seem special or unique, and often overpriced in my opinion. Royal Oud however, is a whole different story. This fragrance is in a league of its own. Even though the name suggests oud, it’s not the main player here, this fragrance is all about the beautiful cedar and sandalwood playing together.

Opens a bit harsh and pungent, but let it sit for about 5 minutes, and watch the magic unfold. I know this seems like a big statement, but in my humble opinion, this would be a fragrance a member of a royal family would wear, whether it’s a prince or a king. That’s how good this stuff is. Royal Oud is not loud or shouting or aiming for attention in any sort of way. It projects just enough to let others get a whiff here and there. It has no need to be loud, cause the smell itself
is out of this world. It knows its worth. It smells so expensive, and it’s blended to perfection. Lasts a good 8 hours, and performs well, which is to be expected with its price tag. You don’t have to wear a suit and tie for this one, but be aware that people will take notice of you. I have heard some say, that it also smells like money or a very wealthy person, and I tend to agree with this. It’s a fragrance that can seem both masterful but also intimidating.

I wore this one time, and I will never forget this experience. I was walking towards a light signal, and it was red.. So we stood around 3-4 people, waiting for the color to turn green. A woman beside me, looked at me without saying anything, she was just starring… I looked at her but she said nothing. She just looked mesmerized, and I could see a curiosity in her eyes, before she walked away as the light turned green again. If you have ever got a compliment from someone, without them even opening their mouth, you know that you’re wearing something special. Julien Rasquinet, thank you for giving us this timeless classic.

Way back in the day. When women were women, children respected their elders, (some of them anyway,) and, most notably, men were men. Oh man the 1980s! If i could only relive that decade over again. Things were better, a LOT of things. Style, music, FRAGRANCES, movies etc. Giorgio Beverly Hills, an Amber woody masterpiece from Armani. Launched in 1984 it continued the trend of husky loud strong and beautiful masculine fragrances. A big gigantic slice of heaven that gripped you like a glove and 10hrs later would still not let go. There's no way on God's green earth would mainstream perfumerie make such a statement today. The war on men and masculinity in general would not permit it. Sad because its a great fragrance. Easily in my top 10. Modern mainstream perfumerie has sold us out to the communistic IFRA and they have taken a buzz saw to just about every masculine chypre and fougere that was ever made. Not only are they doing that they're also hiding under the guise of safety. I know this because Oak Moss has been used for thousands of years and now all of a sudden it's hazardous to about 1 or 3% of the population! What a joke that is! Out there today! They seriously need to be stopped. As for my masculine favorites of the 1970s and 80s there is always vintage. I have to overspend to get my hands on near perfection, and that's what I'll do. Giorgio is one of those greats on my list that I have and I will always have. Giorgio for men a true classic.

The way the master perfumer treated musk here undeniably brings your mind to a moist, clean and soggy accord. I do not base the damp asphalt accord that everyone describes on the smell of the individual notes, but strictly on how Narciso Rodriguez for Him, in its entirety, creates and revives it as a unique scented experience, genuinely like no other. I have never found another colony comparable to this one. The fragrance is reminiscent of new grass, damp moss, and wet bark, but it is so much more! Imagine walking along the sidewalk of a big city shortly after a short but intense spring or autumn downpour. Smell the wet concrete sidewalks, cobbled streets, ancient buildings, and structures around you that converge with clean sweetness and natural, clear, rain-soaked air. This scent stimulates introspection, like walking down that same busy street, alone with yourself. The composition also evokes the structure reserved for truly successful creations, certainly niche quality and character.

The fragrance is, in fact, as many say, a masterpiece. And so do I. It is a musky and earthy floral scent. I can make out a powerful punch of violet, then the musk, and finally the patchouli in it. Without compromise, it is a sweet, clean, and almost green opening with some floral shadows underneath. This accord makes a good impression from the start, at least to me: the violet leaf is refreshing and smells like young grass. The ozone opening is almost unparalleled. Not the kind of ozone smell you get when the first raindrops touch the burning summer asphalt, rather like the air you breathe when the silver raindrops start watering a wooded area, the undergrowth. Imagine that the rain has just stopped and the sky is still dark; there is a field of violets peeking out from a carpet of moss with raindrops sprinkled on them. The perfume for me is as if I had taken a violet leaf and crushed it between my fingers, bringing out a bittersweet aroma. The violet leaf isn't breaking out here, but the way they mixed it is. If that note releases an oil-like chord when mixed with leather, as in "Fahrenheit (Eau de Toilette) | Dior", it reproduces the damp concrete-like chord when combined with musk.

The scent is relatively linear and moves quickly from this outrageous, almost dramatic act of opening to something infinitely more wearable and understated. The combination of musk, amber, and patchouli takes center stage, never really removing the violet leaf from the background. If the powdery and moist note hits immediately, the base comes with more manly notes of musk and patchouli. Thick amber, but not sweet or cloying, and super masculine musk give a soft, soapy accord. Very classic, but there is something extravagant hidden between the lines. As already mentioned for the opening notes, amber, musk, and patchouli are well blended, clear, and soft on the finish. The first two create some buttery heat in this one, making sure it doesn't get so bland that it feels more like a smelly chemical. At this point, the ideal mix of white musk, which smells of clean, and dirty patchouli, which smells of earth, gives the best of itself to this fragrance—the right balance between clean and unclean, savory not too animalistic.

There are few examples left in circulation as they have been discontinued for some time, and it is a real shame. The most recent "For Him Bleu Noir (Eau de Toilette) | Narciso Rodriguez" has nothing to do with it. Kurkdjian has created a unique and challenging to interpret fragrance with only a few ingredients that leave a strange moist, earthy, mineral, ozone, and slightly sweet feeling. More suitable for the cooler months, day and night fit great, although it shines best during rainy days, such as gloomy spring and autumn days. Performance is outstanding, sillage is decent, and longevity is substantial. Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to call it an evocative masterpiece. It is simply absurdly sophisticated and unique.

I base the review on a decant I have owned since February 2021.

-Elysium

Unutamam, an underrated and less talked about fragrance of Nishane. This opens with a blast of aromatic pine, rosemary and oregano. The spicy floral heart of jasmine and carnation starts to open up at around 2 hour mark but the aromatic component is still present through out the development of the fragrance. The dry down is the most amazing part in which caramel is intertwined with oakmoss against a background of animalic leather. The projection and longevity is exceptional, two sprays is all I needed. My only complaint is that Unutamam only comes in a 30 mL bottle, I’d gladly buy a 100 mL bottle of this.

This opens up with the strongest hit of menthol i've ever experienced. It reminds me of early mornings, going downstairs to roll myself a method filtered cigarette. It's spring, and my neighbours floral and unkept garden is sending beautiful fresh, cooled by the morning breeze , wafts of tuberose and jasmine my way. There is the early morning smell of the past presence of animals in the garden, and possibly a small den of hedgehogs or mice nearby.

It's chilling, refreshing, and energising. It makes you want to chill out, be easy, but also has a restlessness that lies within it. Very similar to smoking while having a glass of wine with friends. The nicotine and tannin heavy alcohol dance around each other, in a dark sultry way in brightly lit, bone cold room.

This is beautiful and yet so unsettling. It makes me want to start smoking again, and grab my old leather jackets, skinny jeans and generally nonchalant yet always sharp sense of style. This is brooding. The wearer needs to have a certain presence and sense of self to pull this off for it to make sense.

Only downside is the sillage isn't great, which is odd as the fragrance is so fragrant, one would expect it to travel... but it doesn't. It's not necessarily a bad thing as I could imagine the scent upsetting some more fragile souls, and it could easily become cloying despite it's frostiness.

I would highly recommend everyone find the opportunity to experience this fragrance for themselves. It is not a safe blind buy in my view... although i did blind buy it. This is definitely a challenging and polarising scent. A fantastic creation from Sheldrake and Lutens.