Baldessarini Private Affairs
Baldessarini (2011)

Either I got a counterfeit version or this stuff is just plain terrible.

I blind bought and upon spraying it, it had the worst gasoline/ISO smell and only after an hour did it start smelling acceptable. Gave me a sore/raspy throat, and the dry down was hardly even perceptible. All in all not worth the hour-long intoxicating wait for a semi-decent smell...

Also no sillage or projection.

I'd say stay away from this stuff, even at a bargain!

Just your average scent. Worth a blind buy due to price and quality... this just isn't for me. Longevity is 6 hours and projection is about 2 good hours before turning to a skin scent.

This requires patience.
If you are the type to base your review on first sniff, you will not like this.
It opens with a prominent leather note coupled with a dull sweetness and vague electricity.
As another reviewer mentioned, it does smell like cheap leather, with hints of gasoline? or whatever chemicals are used to process lower grade leather. Fortunately that phase is over in less than 30 minutes.

The electricity (vibrance, luminescence, etc.) shows up in full force now putting every note into perspective. And that's when this shines.

Overall, it wears like a niche offering, something like Andy Tauer would create: seemingly simple notes structured in irresistability.

When I first took a sniff of this I was shocked; it smells literally like leather. Instantly, a classic, elegant black leather jacket came to mind, and I was impressed.

It also has good presentation, with a very slick looking bottle of black and silver.

I instead bought a different cologne, but I kept thinking about it, because to me (with my novice experience in dealing with fragrances) it was very unique. So I went back and bought it after a few hours.

After spraying it on me again and smelling it as it evolves, I wasn't sure I was glad I did. To me, the initial burst is all leather, but then it changes to what smells like a bad or annoying leather, perhaps a knock-off. At this point I got a little worried, but after giving it more time, it settles into a very pleasant, masculine, and some what sweet fragrance that still retains it's leather scent.

I can imagine wearing this at a business event, hanging out with a few gentleman while indulging in a glass of scotch, or perhaps other formal type events. It has a quality about it, definitely something masculine, strong, sturdy, noble. It reminds me of the fiery natural instincts that burn in men, but this specific man, while perhaps indulging those desires through a hunt, and adventure, or the like, remains refined, elegant, yet proud.

Smells like a leather coat which is a good thing. Problem is that it smells like a cheap leather coat. The notes clash and the dry down is irritating to the nose. I like the bottle, but the juice inside isn't nearly as good as the presentation.

Worth sniffing out! This is a scent that grew on me since I first got it. The projection is relatively weak but you have to spray a little bit more (even up to 10 sprays) in order for it to last and project. Excellent leather note that for some reason reminds me of the smell of the interior of a new car. Overall: 4/5Pros: awesome bottle that easily puts tom ford's private blend bottles to shameCons: weak projection"