Allegro Con Brio
Calé (2008)

Cale' Fragranze d'Autore Allegro Con Brio seems to be on my skin like a sort of Gaultier Le Male's shy cousin. A flashback of well known spicy/aromatic fragrances catch by soon my attention. A common foundation of aromatic herbs, musk, balsams (vanilla/ambroxan), spices, subtle floral notes, patchouli and tonka bean sets down indeed a more than vague resemblance between the previous two scents, actually being the Cale's one more rosey (properly floral) and finally somewhat talky while sounding the Gaultier's one far more soapy-musky, spicy and aromatic. The "bath-foam" brash muskiness is dominant in the Le Male's pale structure while Allegro con Brio is more properly a "fragrance", with its more articulated architecture (finally anyway collapsing), its wonderful balanced initial accord of floral leaves (geraniol and rose water in particular), limonene/citral, spices, aromatic artemisia, soft suede and creamy tonka. Rose jumps up gradually and (in its main accord with patchouli, artemisia, balmy-musky notes and spices) conjures more than vaguely the Kurkdjian Lumiere Noir Pour Homme's kind of romantic spicy rose. Unfortunately the Allegro Con Brio's dry down is not anymore so structured (unlike the Lumiere Noir Pour Homme's final "outfit"), balminess and powder start to jump up and a flat whiff of spicy powder envelops senses and body in to a softly talky (vaguely organic) aromatic cloud. Heavenly/exotic piece of delicious spicy-musky soapiness with not enough solidity in structure.

Allegro Con Brio opens with an almost boozy vodka-like alcohol accord transitioning to the heart notes primarily led by the coriander and clove with just a hint of rose peeping through. This overall accord is not the spicy herbal concoction you might think with those notes in the lead, but rather it reminds me more than a bit of the scent of baby oil. Things are pretty linear from here on out, with just a hint of clean musk, amber and patchouli joining the remnants of the heart notes in the base. The "baby oil" accord still dominates throughout though. Projection is below average, but longevity is stellar.

I kind of like the opening to Allegro Con Brio, but while the baby oil accord it transitions to is easy enough on the nose, its not something I really want to smell like all day. The scent is pretty subtle after the initial raw alcohol open and is quite wearable, but I guess after my extremely positive experience with my first scent from the house (Preludio d'Oriente) I expected so much more. I give Allego Con Brio a tentative thumbs up and a "good" 3 out of 5 star rating. Worth a sniff, but I can't really recommend its purchase.

Here's another winner from Calè. Allegro Con Brio starts edgy and invigorating with astringent artemisia and bitter/aromatic geranium/clary sage. Wow, what an opening. Rose make its appearance blending together with geranium while a remarkable spicy note add some boldness to the fragrance. In the back, tonka beans (and amber?) start to remark their presence introducing a dose of sweetness to warm and smooth the general austerity.

An intriguing floral fougere that may appeal to anyone who's into stark compositions as well as to who's into warmer ones.