Perfume Reviews by StylinLA

Millésime Impérial by Creed

I remember back when I discovered Creed in the 90s, this came in the gold bottle and I dismissed it. Too light for my tastes back then. What a missed opportunity. I'm not one to bemoan the "good ole days" but I'm pretty sure this was a lot more potent back then.

It's a fantastic scent. Really good in warm to hot weather. There are some good "inspired by"/imitations/clones out there, but let there be no doubt-- this is the OG. I've used some of the knock offs and they're not bad but none of them that I've tried quite combine and capture the melon, sea salt and ambergris as masterfully as this.

Big tip of the hat to Pierre Bourdon for his Creed Grand Slam- GIT, BdP, Silver Mountain Water and Millesime Imperial.

Biggest issue is the longevity which can vary from 3-5 hours for me. Wears pretty light, but it wears so richly and nicely, it's still worth having. I think it timeless. Nothing dated or old fashioned about it.

Malibù by Simone Andreoli

This is quite good. It's very similar to Virgin Island Water. Almost clone like, but it is not a clone, and it's not a cheap. Just cheaper than VIW.

It hangs more on the coconut/lime vibe. VIW has some nice white florals and some musk and seems a bit more nuanced and sophisticated.

I give the nod to VIW as a better scent for me, but if you want the resort vacation vibe in a bottle and want to spend less than Creed prices, this is def a nice choice.

Eight & Bob by Eight & Bob

Their back story about JFK and "Bob" is laughable. I remember when I first read it that was strike one. Strike two is some kind of side story that one of the notes comes from some odd rare flower in Chile that can only be harvested in a short window every year.

But a couple of Basenoters weighed in with some decent feedback recently and I decided to try it. Plus, it comes in 30ml which is always a plus for me.

I cannot expound on the notes with a deep analysis. It wears pretty cleanly and lightly, but it is very present. Good longevity. It pre-dates Bois Imperial by a few years, but to me it is somewhat similar/in that vein but more mature and easier to wear.

It's a unique scent for sure (precious rare flower or not).

With all the marketing garbage that was clearly pulled from the old Creed playbook, I'm pleasantly surprised that this is actually a well crafted scent.

It's not for everyone, but I think this would make for a great modern work scent. It's fairly conservative but a tad quirky, so sample first.

Back to Black, aphrodisiac by Kilian

Calling itself an aphrodisiac is a bit much, but it is a very nice sensual leaning scent. Don't wear this one to the office!

A nice touch of sweet... honey, cherry. There is tobacco, but it's a romanticized tobacco. Probably considered largely masculine but a lot of women could rock this one all night long.

I recall when this was one of the darlings of Basenotes after its introduction in late 2000s. It came out after Tobacco Vanilla, but it always seemed to me like Back to Black inspired more imitators. Maybe not..

I like it, but it takes just the right mood to spritz this one on. Sits nicely on skin. A terrific "walk by" kind of waft to it. Lasts pretty well.

Oddly, my mother was obsessed with this one. Out of nowhere she started asking me about it which made no sense. I can only figure she saw a glossy ad for it in a fashion magazine. So Basenotes boy had to gift her some.

I now have her last bottle of Back to Black and my dad's last bottle of Jaipur Pour Homme.

Film Noir by Clandestine Laboratories

I like this a lot. It's tough to get samples of this but I took a risk and blind bought it. It doesn't smell like anything that any of the reviews I read referenced. It is a fougere but not really like any others I have tried or owned. It's not a "fresh" or soapy scent, nor would I call it barbershop.

The civet is not nasty (pissy) and overpowering, but it really counter balances the lavender and gives it a much earthier feel than any other fougere I've tried.

For me it's good when I'm in the mood for it. Not a signature scent candidate.

I think it's well named... it does have a very retro feel. I think somewhere a review or write up said something like it "smells like what we would imagine cigarette smoke in a film noir to smell." That sounds about right.

Follow by Kerosene

I like this a lot. It's an unquestionable coffee scent right out of the box. It's blended nicely with some vanilla elements which takes it a bit too sweet for my usual tastes.

I like many of the current gourmand scents, but being fairly mature now, they never feel like a good fit for me out in the world.
But I am a fan of Follow and may buy some anyway to wear around the house. Great longevity.

Fans of gourmands and coffee should def give this a try. Very well done.

Façonnable Eau de Toilette for Men / Façonnable by Façonnable

Light, clean and floral. Reminds me a lot of Geir Ness. Bargain priced and a nice scent for spring.

Scent is great but wears so light I'd give it a neutral.

Overture Man by Amouage

As I age, I have less need for work safe scents. This one fills the bill nicely.

There is a touch of animalic, but it's not too strong for my taste. Some similarity to Jubilation XXV, but with a lot more spice and kick.

Warm, sensual with a touch of danger.

Not a "loud" scent, but it is very much present. Lasts quite well.

Awake by Akro

I've been working a small decant on this one for a couple of weeks. It grows on me more every time.

A coffee note, lemon and cardamom, low key vetiver. The coffee note is noticeable, but not so pronounced as to be silly and overwhelm the scent. I love the smell of coffee, but honestly think smelling like a freshly ground bag of beans would not really be so great.

A tad sweet but not sugary sweet. Strikes a nice balance. Would be good casual office wear. Not at all sensual or serious in my view.

Warm, friendly and pleasant. I've got plenty of scents in that category but it's pretty clear I'm about to have one more. It's a strong but relaxing scent to me.

Cologne Officinale by Heeley

This is a very nice scent. For me, the designation "cologne" always implies citrus. This is not that.


This leans more on lavender, rosemary, sage and basil.

It's very pleasant. Non offensive. A great office scent. A great summer scent. Good longevity.
Conservative.

I like it and thrilled I tried a decant of it. But it's a pass for a full bottle. A little dull for me.

Spencer Hart Palm Springs by Floris

Being in SoCal and being a fan of Palm Springs, I wanted this from moment I heard about it. But it was a "special edition" made for Spencer Hart, a British clothing designer that went out of business a few years back. The owner evidently loved visiting Palm Springs, California. It was an elusive frag to find.

It suddenly popped up at a semi decent price at an online discounter and I pounced.

Wasn't really sure what to expect from the range of reviews I had read but probably very akin to Floris No. 89 which I love. Well, it's not exactly that.

Polite, pleasant- very pleasant- discreet, gentlemanly, somewhat business like. But mainly quite casual, friendly.

It's a very blended scent in which none of the many notes really can stake out a claim. A lot of people note prominent cloves. I can kinda get that, but it's not a clove that's very pronounced to my nose, nor is it the scent I usually associate with clove. To me it kind of walks a line between a very trad Floris scent and a cologne type scent.

I'm glad I got it, but I just don't wear these kinds of office friendly scents so much anymore. What I find interesting is that it's definitely one of those "less is more" scents. A discreet application works way better than a heavy application.

Wearing it tonight, noticing this might just be one that grows on a little more every time I wear it. Decent scent, but not something I would every tell anyone they must have. I'm going thumbs up but it's mainly because I appreciate the nod to tradition here. It came out in 2014 but has a style more akin to something Floris would have done many years ago.

Platinum Égoïste by Chanel

This is rock solid very nice pleasant sort of modern take on a basic fougere. Though it's now almost 30 years old, it still has a sort of contemporary feel to it, which is quite a feat.

I wouldn't call it soapy per se, but as someone else referenced it is a bit like a luxury soap in a pricey hotel.

It's perfect office wear, lasts pretty well and doesn't project so much you're a walking air freshener. It wouldn't put off a date, but it's pretty straight forward "safe" conservative stuff.

As I recall, it was met with some apathy back in '90s when launched, but it has def built a strong following through the years which is a real tribute to Chanel.

Azzaro pour Homme by Azzaro

Jeesh this is a really nice scent. It's just so solid and comfortable to wear.

At such a reasonable price, most male fragrance fans should just buy this. This and Guerlain Vetiver seem to me like staples all fragheads should have.

It's great fougere. Wears very pleasant and cleanly, almost soapy. Good casual or dressy. Versatile.

I suppose the argument good be made it's a bit old fashioned or mature. But it's great wear that never disappoints for me.

Antaeus by Chanel

As happens to me a fair amount in the last 3-4 years, I develop a sudden passion for something that came out years ago and has hung around a long time. This past year, Eau D'Hermes and Antaeus became big time favorites.

This is just manly elegance to me. It's a bit on the serious side, so I don't usually wear it casually dressed though I'm sure that would be fine. I'm sure when it came out it was a "clubber" to be sniffed in every nook and cranny of Studio 54. Now, it's likely mostly a mainstay of dressy mature gentlemen.

Dark, woody, very slightly floral. Grown up gentleman scent.

I've dabbled with both vintage and current version and I must say the current while different is still very "Antaeus like" and very good. Slightly less animalic, though the vintage is not as beastly as some would have you believe.

Wonderfully, Chanel continues to make this available and that thrills me because I've gone through a couple of bottles and will no doubt need more.

Terre d'Hermès by Hermès

I avoided this one for years because my boss always wore it. Got some samples on a recent shopping trip and now I see why it's been hanging in there and praised for so long. This is a really solid, good scent that's going to endure.

However, I can see where it's loved by a lot of men and kind of meh for women.

I like it. I'll wear it a lot.

But not on a date.

Lempicka Homme by Lolita Lempicka

I got oddly fascinated with the original Lempicka Au Masculine in the last year. Realizing it was discontinued, sort of bummed I wouldn't be able to get more (at least reasonably priced....)

But a fellow Basenoter pointed out that Lempicka Homme was very close. Hadn't even known about this one.

I found a bottle at local discount brick and mortar at a very good price.

And it is fairly close to the original. It's a very nice scent. You have to like a licorice/anise/absinth kind of vibe because that's the main thrust of this scent.

It's a bit sweet and licorice like, but to my nose falls short of full blown gourmand candy like. I feel a bit too old to go super sweet sugary and this hits a nice spot I feel comfortable with.

I still prefer Au Masculine but I'm still getting to know this Homme version a bit. I will agree it's strongly related to Au Masculine and you won't be horribly disappointed if you like the original.

Two thumbs up!

Opus XIV : Royal Tobacco by Amouage

These days I normally don't opt for a scent like this. It's pricey. It's arguably a bit loud. But on a trip to Scent Bar to sample something else, I gave this one a quick wrist spritz. On the way home empty handed, the scent grabbed me so pulled a u turn and went back.

It's a very nice rich smelling scent. I'm sure there is tobacco, but it's not very tobacco forward to my nose. There's a very pleasant bit of kind of sweet anise/licorice which is a note I like a lot. It also features fenugreek which has a bit of a maple syrup kind of effect. But it's not as overwhelming as most of the immortelle scents I've tried. More subtle. Amouage frankinscence does a little dancing in here too.

Lasts really well. Smells very moneyed. My big splurge for the year.

Great Britain by Roja Dove

This is one major leather scent. Fit for a king- and that's the problem for me.

I got a small decant of this just to see what something this pricey smells like.
Well, it does smell pricey.

A real potent aged and elegant leather smell. Plus a great violet note that pokes up its head in the middle of a typical melange of rich Roja notes. Another Basenoter once said it smelled like getting into the back seat of Rolls Royce an hour after someone was in there partying with a hooker.

I quite like it, but I'm not a king. Not even close to a prince or an earl. This is one of most opulent scents I've ever tried and I like plenty, but I'm just not serious enough to pull it off.

M V2Q by Puredistance

I'm not enough of a notes analyst to give a ver comprehensive analysis of this scent. As a big fan of Puredistance M, I wanted to try this "modernized" version.

It falls short for me. It's nicely done. Quality frag for sure.

But there's something in the notes that rubs me the wrong way. It's not a "bad" smell, just something I don't like. Grabs my nose and won't let go. May be the cypriol or the jasmine sambac- not sure.

It seems that some people get a sense of leather out of this though it has no leather notes per se. I can kind of see that, but prefer my leather to be a bit more direct. It's fairly pungent and sharp, but wears close. Longevity is good.

Got enough of a sample to wear a couple of times and just doesn't grab me at all. Some may really like it. I can kind of - barely - see that this is meant to be a modernized version of M.

Not as strong and leathery as PD M and not as warm and spicy as PD Black.

It does feel posh and high end but def sample first.

Virgin Island Water by Creed

Ahhh well. This is the king of summery scents.

Many others here have written much more poetically about the scent evoking, suntan oil, pina coladas and relaxing at the beach. That's all true. Also the best lime note I've ever smelled (though it doesn't last of course).

Surprising to me, this may have the best longevity on me of all my Creeds.

If you a want a fun scent to evoke a holiday in a warm locale, you're crazy not to try this.

Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum by Pinaud

Love it. It's a real trip into the 40s or 50s- out of the shower with a close shave.
Doesn't last like any kind of EdT (all bay rum is pretty fleeting), BUT it's got a lot more legs than many aftershaves. Could fight with an EdT so I have be careful what I wear it with.

Heavy duty dose of cinnamon and especially cloves. Heavy on the cloves.

A very good way to start off grumpy old "get off my lawn" kind of days.

Whenever I hear some referenced as "smelling like aftershave" this is the exact aftershave I think of.

Prada Amber pour Homme Intense by Prada

This is an odd flanker to the original Prada Amber Pour Homme. I guess there is some fundamental relationship between the two, but I don't get it.

The original is a bright, clean, loud, soapy, soapy scent with a slight floral element.
This one is dark, sensual and sort of romantic.

The combination of myrrh and vanilla really set this apart. A break from the usual Prada squeaky clean scents they do so well. It's hardly animalic, but it is more sultry and darker than most of their offerings.

A nice daily combo would be Amber Pour Homme in day; Amber Pour Homme Intense at night.

Really surprised me. Became a fast favorite. A warm and cozy "come a little closer: scent.

Vetiver Royal Bourbon (new) by Oriza L. Legrand

Very nice scent! Took me awhile to sample it and glad I did. Instant buy.

Has become my "go to" pleasant vetiver.

The peppermint up top is a very nice touch. Not all that "minty" but lends a little extra oomph to the launch of the vetiver. Most vetivers come off as similar to Guerlain and there is some of that but this one lasts better on me.

Not loud or a big projector but good and present for 6-7 hours.

Nothing ground breaking here but a rock solid scent. Great for casual or office.

Richard James Savile Row by Richard James

I like this a lot but on a very limited basis. It's a masculine floral and tuberose at that.
But if you're up for it, it works well.

Screams for a white shirt more than many scents. Not really all that formal per se, but certainly calls for some sartorial support. Do not wear this with jeans. But I think even dressed up, this calls for a guy who's not skittish about wearing florals.

I wouldn't not call it feminine, but it takes a guy with his "frag legs" pretty developed to wear it proudly.

A white shirt, khakis, a blazer. You're good to go. A tad dandy, but a lot of guys can pull this off easily if I can.