Perfume Reviews by foetidus

Spirited by Perry Ellis

The opening vaguely reminds me of DK's Red Delicious except that I actually enjoy the top notes in this one, where I thought DK's Red Delicious was horribly synthetic. The apple accord in Spirited is the dominant characteristic of the fragrance: a definite apple note… not screechy… tolerably synthetic… and the ginger adds a lot to the apple accord. The opening has perhaps the most sillage of the levels, and it also exhibits decent longevity.

The heart notes are rather generic, but in a non-annoying way… I can't differentiate the sage from the opening's ginger and, as usual for me, I don't smell the pepper. Also, I don't really notice the sandalwood, but still, the middle accord is enjoyably mediocre.

The base's wood notes are quite synthetic, but in a non- annoying way. It grows sweeter as it goes along. It has fairly good lasting power, but its projection is below normal.

Spirited reminds me of many other Perry Ellis' fragrances in that it is pleasant, uninspired, and competent. It's meant for the younger crowd and, is an ok fragrance for its price.

Love, don't be shy by Kilian

Love (…don't be shy): Heavy duty bergamot, Neroli, and pink pepper opening… so heavy duty that, instead of citrus, it comes across as a strong, smooth spice accord with a soft resinous twist – the uniqueness of the accord is accomplished through the use of the oil form of the constituents which results in an accord that projects depth, silkiness, character, and sophistication.

The remaining actions of the fragrance seem to rest too much on the laurels achieved by the opening. The florals – jasmine, rose, and iris – do appear, but not enough to augment the waning power of the opening. And, as the beginning accord weakens, the fragrance loses as much interest as it loses potency. It needs those florals to keep up the drama and complexity. The resins of the base also fail to provide needed interest: I cannot find the civet, and the labdanum is much too discreet – this is not the time or place for transparency. The white musk is white musk so it does what is expected of white musk – very little.

Love began as a potently sweet caramelization. Its initial drama was achieved by the combination of the depth and strength of its vegetal oils. It was suggestive of resin and was unembarrassed in its projection. The promise of this impressive opening, however, has not been carried through the remainder of the fragrance… As soon as the opening began to weaken, it had not a substantial enough augmentation of middle tones of florals and resins, and this fragrance with its cheeky name, became just a rather ordinary long-lasting caramel skin scent that would have a difficult time competing with a typical designer gourmand.

Rose Oud by By Kilian

The opening is pretty much the whole story: Rose, saffron, and oud… Although it certainly doesn't win any awards for creativity, it is a quality accord that is almost painfully beautiful in a By Killian sort of way... Not a surprise. This one is perhaps as well done as any rose-saffron-oud fragrances I've smelled… The quality of the combined accord is excellent, but I have difficulty discovering the quality of the individual notes. A problem I have is that I've smelled so many of this combination of notes that I've become jaded… I find nothing special here to separate it from the rest of its ilk. And yet it is an admirably presented fragrance.

Not much changes from that first sniff… there some are variations in the development as Rose Oud continues, but they to not call to be pointed out. The entire run of the fragrance is a beautifully assembled, balanced accord of quality rose, saffron, and (artificial) oud. Its sillage performance is easily adjustable; its wearablity is remarkable; and its longevity is more than adequate.

This is one fine fragrance.

GF Ferré Bluemusk by Gianfranco Ferré

In the top and the heart level, Blue Musk has enough aquatics in its primarily fruity – floral structure to make it qualify as both an aquatic and a musky fruity floral. Blue Musk is one of the more natural smelling aquatics that I've encountered – Probably the one I would buy if I were at all interested in owning another entrant in the aquatic category. The opening is definitely and pleasantly fruity, and the middle is definitely and pleasantly floral; and both fruit and florals are presented in a rather traditional blue musk accord somewhat reminiscent of the good old Versace Blue Jeans. Blue musk is a decently constructed fragrance which boasts good sillage and longevity and excellent adaptability – three fragrances in one – what a deal.

L'Homme Idéal Cologne by Guerlain

L'Homme Ideal Cologne strikes me as being different from most Guerlains. It is a bright, pleasant citrus-almond confection that's a little shallow, a little plastic, but quite a good performer. It lacks depth and complexity; it presents a superfluous personality, yet there is something about it that makes it likable. Oddly enough, the opening reminds me a bit of Terre d'Hermes Parfum (probably due to the orange) – not quite as good, but still quite wearable.

The middle retains the orange note while melding with an almost tasty almond-Neroli accord – nothing dramatic or even notable but very easy to live with.

The base, in its own way, is the best level – an unremarkable combination of white musk and vetiver that somehow manages to present a decent sillage and a winning longevity.

I find L'Homme Ideal Cologne more desirable than Guerlain Homme and its flankers. L'Homme Ideal is pleasant and wearable, having just enough character and authenticity to earn a mild thumbs up.

Polo Red by Ralph Lauren

Fairly generic opening: the grapefruit and cedar are quite common in openings and the synthetic atmosphere is also common on cheaper fragrances. The exception is the cranberry, which provides a contrast to the more typical grapedfruit / cedar opening. It's almost an adequate opening for its price level, and certainly nothing special about it, especially because it morphs to the heart notes very quickly.

The combination of saffron, lavender, and sage in the heart is so typical of the drug store plus scents today, especially because a super sweet amber is drifting up from the base. Except for the sage and amber, I can't separate out the lavender or saffron; and all combined, these heart notes make it not worth the effort to individualize. To maintain a consistency, an un-obnoxious synthetic aura inhabits the heart notes, while the heart notes fade into the base at an exceeding fast pace.

The base is dominated by the already familiar amber combined with an artificial wood note which I assume is the redwood. The coffee is there lightly in the background but basically has no effect.

I'm not sure why I went out of my way to review Polo Red. I'd guess it has something to do which my abiding love for the original Polo green and my grudging respect for Polo Double Black and Polo Supreme Oud. But Polo Red is simply a typical modern, drugstore-level synthetic-sweet mess with astonishingly poor longevity.

Perry Ellis Cologne for Men by Perry Ellis

Yes, this is a Bleu de Chanel rip off. The opening smells pretty much like BdC, but it isn't as rich or complex, and it fades into the mid-notes much more quickly. The middle accord is thinner, a bit more herbal than BdC. And the bass gives me significantly more pepper than BdC has, as well as significantly less length of performance.

This is not a bad scent, but its accords are not as rich and complex as is Bleu de Chanel; nor does this one come anywhere near the performance of Bleu de Chanel, after all, what is remarkable about BdC is its ability to carry a quality aqua-aromatic scent for a full six hours. I'd be lucky to get two hours out of this one.

Still, if cost is important, one could do worse than this Perry Ellis offering.

L.12.12 Blanc / White by Lacoste

The initial accord is a soft, freshish, plastic aroma that is pretty much enjoyable. It's a clean, texture-scent of the kind that is available in all kinds of products now days. The accord is principally accomplished by a fresh, light, almost-creamy cedar and cardamom combination on a light, creamy floral from the heart. The translucent, creamy cedar is the dominant note throughout the run of the fragrance, even though the base where it joins with vetiver and suede to continue the smooth linearity.

L.12.12 Blanc is an adequate scent. Its fresh, synthetic ambiance is pleasant and non-obtrusive, and it actually projects a little more than one would think for such a quiet, fresh scent, but it a little short on longevity, which is not a surprise for such a quiet, fresh…

Eau Rose Eau de Toilette by Diptyque

I smell the rose immediately upon spraying: It's a clean rose with underlying bergamot and lychee notes, creating a full rose accord which is quite nuanced, full, and very enjoyable without being too strong… The rose subtly changes as the fragrance proceeds, getting even cleaner and lighter with a tinge of a geranium edge to it: this more diminutive rose I enjoy even more than the first rose accord. The remainder of the fragrance is a silky rose / musk – very light and clean… an excellent skin scent.

Eau Rose is an uncomplicated, clean and light rose scent. Though not a soliflore, it comes across to me with an aura of delicate, feminine minimalism. Very nice.

Versace pour Homme Dylan Blue by Versace

It's like every note in Dylan Blue's extensive list of notes is hyperactively buzzing all over the place. Dylan Blue is way too busy; it is awkwardly synthetic; and it is void of focus. Such an unpleasant, unimportant chaotic thing…

Armani Code Ice by Giorgio Armani

To my nose, the mint contributes much to the lemon / ginger opening – together the three notes create a very interesting accord… cool, fresh, and refined... probably why the fragrance is named Code Ice. Unfortunately the spicy part of the opening diminishes quite quickly, leaving a somewhat uninspired aroma platform to simply sit there until the geranium shows up… not unpleasant, but the ice disappeared too quickly. When the geranium and lavender show up, they do so quite subtly, as does the wood base. With the base, I get the dose of the chemicals mentioned by some previous reviewers. The base is a disappointment – too weak and too chemical, but not entirely disagreeable.

Code Ice does have things attractive about it, but when all is said, it is basically like most other Armani fragrances – subtle, predictable, and a bit too expensive for what they deliver.

Private Collection - Corps et Âmes by Parfumerie Generale

Strong aromatics in the opening – it's the result the leather, assisted by the geranium and the immortelle. No other element comes through for me in the opening… It's just one big aromatic emanation… and not that attractive to me because I dislike a rampant leather like this, especially when the leather note seems magnified by geranium and immortelle.

When I ordered the sample, I was hoping that the chypre quality of Corps & Ames would outweigh its leather delivery – it doesn't, the leather is there in full force, overpowering the chypreness, the jasmine, the sandalwood and anything else in its constitution. I would recommend Corps & Arms to a leather lover – it must be a good one because I dislike all the best leather fragrances.

V pour Homme by Valentino

Nice opening… citrus, fruity, a touch of green and a touch of pink pepper. There is a suggestion of synthetic ambiance that doesn't interfere with the enjoyment of it… Quite enjoyable in a sweet, contemporary, youthful way. The opening exhibits decent sillage and a very nice longevity, too. The sweetness makes way for a neutral floral that takes control of the heart notes: Simple, soft, textured, not overly sweet, and not flowery. V Valentino's base is a soft, complex multi-note affair that is not at all original, but is done quite well. Too bad it's discontinued.

Séville à l'Aube by L'Artisan Parfumeur

The petitgrain- olive blossom opening is interesting to say the least: slightly citrus; almost resinous; and olivey but not blossomy. I like it – it's almost green, a bit fresh, and extremely easy to live with. What makes the opening accord interesting for me, is the tinge of lavender that sneaks into the accord from the middle, which, somehow, makes everything seem reminiscent of the Mediterranean. And this opening accord lasts incredibly… petitgrain has that tendency.

When the petitgrain / olive blossom accord calms down, the orange blossom / lavender begins moving in and the result is a smoother, more floral, lower-key texture which still retains the edges of the petitgrain / olive core. I'm not sure how the competency of this heart accord is accomplished: I can't separate out the beeswax / tobacco from the middle accord, but the heart is definitely a worthy successor to the opening IMO.

With the base, the incense moves in and out of the still-familiar accord that has been performing from the beginning... This base accord performs with a definite loss of strength from the heart. It is reticent… near skin scent, actually, and its slight aromatic eminations are quite beautiful… very nice but sadly, demure.

Séville à l'Aube is an accomplished fragrance. I admire its originality and its performance – especially through its opening and heart... and I'm not too put off by the demureness of its base.

Armani Eau de Nuit Oud by Giorgio Armani

Smooth, restrained opening even though its elements have the potential to be potent… but I sprayed lightly. I get primarily pink pepper, cardamom, iris, saffron, and a shadowy oud note; and even though the combination is rather generic and identifiably synthetic, its quiet balance and warmth makes it a plus accord for me.

The middle level is a let down from the opening: the spices from the top and base flatten out with the addition a very dusty iris note, so the heart accord turns out to have only powdery, dusty spice-cabinet ambiance. It would help if I could smell the pyramid-listed rose or geranium, but, the only floral that is clear to me is the iris. Even the barely-present oud note doesn't bring much interest.

In the base, along with the exhausted oud, I get a modicum of tonka and saffron... This accord is no more than a pleasant skin scent.

Eau de Nuit Oud seems to me to be a genuine Armani product, and that is not necessarily a bad thing… but in this case I was expecting much more than it delivers. It certainly is not an offensive scent, and I do respect its discretion in the beginning, but the scent kept fading both in strength and interest, and its longevity is unacceptable.

Villain for Men by Ed Hardy

Slightly plastic, vaguely citric/spice (pepper, cardamom) opening. It's a rather textured cardboard-type opening that smells quite okay… it doesn't, however, separate itself from several dozen similar openings in similar fragrances. The heart is herbal / spicy (basil, sage, nutmeg) and just as generically anonymous as the opening. The base also claims very little differentiation... I cannot even separate the notes out from the base – it's a very common list of notes for the base – musk, amber, cedar, sandalwood – and it, too, is excessively generic…

Ultra-boring accords, super-uninteresting composition, and incredibly-indifferent performance. The name, Villain, is a complete misnomer.

Basenotes Kiss My Ass by O'Driù

Ditto on drseid's excellent review. I smell the "heavy mix of culinary herbs and spices": It reminds me of the discontinued L'Autre by Diptyque and Marrakech by Aesop. The herbs and spices in BKMA are surprisingly wearable because, although viscerally dark and complex, they do not send a strong or overpowering silage after the first several minutes. The accord has excellent longevity. I don't miss the absent basenotes… they don't seem to be needed. Nice fragrance… Way too costly, though.

Perfume Calligraphy Rose by Aramis

Aramis' Calligraphy Rose… interesting opening: part synthetic oud, part saffron, part mutated oregano, part floral-sweet honeysuckle… it would be intriguing if it lasted longer, but it's gone quite quickly. The oud and saffron were merely the surface frosting over a somewhat dense heart platform of rose absolute, myrrh, Styrax, and a dark lavender. This opening / heart are very different from about everything else I've experienced in fragrances. There's rose there, but it's not at all flowery, rather, it's a dark red, almost-visceral rose. The heart's myrrh and Styrax each join in with their individual throaty, vibrations. And the lavender is medicinal. For all its depth, this accord sits quietly on the skin. I find it a remarkable accord…

The base, dominated by labdanum and incense, quietly continues the primary rose accord; and the resinousness becomes more apparent. The base introduces a touch of truer sweetness with a diminutive dusty amber, but the accord does not come across on my skin as much as I would like. The base could stand to last a bit stronger, but it does hold as a skin scent for a decent length of time.

I really enjoy Calligraphy Rose.

Cold Silver by Benetton

My sample had leaked to the point where there were only a few drops left, but I think I have a fair idea of Cold Silver. It opens quite fresh dominated by the rather pleasant yuzu supported by cool spices –ginger. As a citrus accord it is pretty generic. The heart is more interesting with its dominant sage tinted with cardamom and driftwood notes: Reminds me a little of some of the wood fragrances by Dsquared2. The base is a letdown… the amber of the base does not present a very mineral edge to it and the mossy musk doesn't add much. The base is a little too sweet for me.

Habit Rouge Sport by Guerlain

Well, it is related to the renowned Habit Rouge. Habit Rouge Sport opens with a fresh green (bamboo) / citrus (bitter orange) / berry accord. The accord is light and clean and there's enough of a light powder in the background to remind one of its paternal ancestry. There is also enough powder to challenge its label as a sport fragrance.

The heart note is listed as jasmine, and a clean and clear jasmine it is, as it mixes with the remnants of the opening. I think the fragrance loses a little strength with this floral aspect. Besides the slight loss of sillage, the almost-straight jasmine note again puts into question as to why this was labled as a sport fragrance.

The base is basically a wood accord of patchouli and lighter wood notes, joined with an light musk. Although the base strikes me as adequately masculine, I'm not sure that it works as a sport fragrance.

Habit Rouge Sport is an ok fragrance: It's simple, nicely constructed, performs well, smells nice. Perhaps it's too simple… as if it's missing something. One of the things it's missing is “sportyness,” but it certainly is an ok fragrance.

Rendez-Vous by Atelier Cologne

Rendez-Vous delicately opens with a transparent bergamot / lemon-citrus with the lightest whisper of pink pepper… seriously light and fresh. Subsequently the fragrance moves to a floral accord dominated by osmanthus and iris – this heart accord is as transparent as the opening but holds for a longer time… about forty-fifty minutes. I don't get the violet leaf note, and I'm grateful for that. The drydown is basically suede ameliorated by white musk.

It is difficult to find a vocabulary for this scent because all the descriptive elements center on the same motif: “light, soft, gentle, mild, transparent, delicate, whisper, suggestion …. the whole thesaurus” The scent itself is so… transparent yet graspable… that Rendez-Vous is a league of its own.

UDV Night by Ulric de Varens

Very sweet fragrance - the opening is pineapple and apple with a hint of cinnamon, and the accord comes across cleanly and attractively. The fruit notes are well done fairly realistic with good silage . The accord even improves when the cedar and cinnamon from the heart show up… The heart is a balanced wood / cinnamon / fruit accord: Rather enjoyable but it could stand a somewhat stronger silage. The drydown loses a little of the sweetness and a lot of the pleasantness of the two previous levels… it's a tolerable 'amberwood' \drydown with a pleasant tinge of cinnamon… not high in sillage and rather normal in longevity.

UDV Night is a pleasant enough fragrance for its cost.

Perry Ellis Night by Perry Ellis

Lots of citrus. Night opens with a full, broad citrus accord. The accord is not light and sharp as citrus often is, its depth as an accord is aided is by the geranium and cedar. The accord is better than I expected… non-screechy and more natural than synthetic smelling. Good heart accord. As the fragrance moves to the base, it becomes more generic with its rather anemic and amber-ish, mossy-ish musk. The base accord is not clear and precise; in addition, it could improve in longevity. Not bad.

Only The Brave by Diesel

Only the Brave is generically and derivatively blah. It seems to have been created by throwing together most of the latest faddish notes that have caught on from the wannabe best sellers of late. Only the Brave boasts ozonics, labdanum, violet leaf, Styrax, and leather in addition to the very traditional citrus, rosemary and amber. It has a harsh opening, a cleansing-product middle phase and a mismatched chemical base. It performs adequately in sillage and longevity. It's overpriced compared to several better designer best-sellers available. One can do much better for less money.