Review of Olympéa by Rabanne

A salty clean jasmine top drying down into a lovely, distinctive, skin-melding salty vanilla. Without heat - I find the top almost leans too "salt aromachemical" and the flowers don't bloom. I also find myself wanting to overspray with another salty white floral such as BBW Tahiti Island Dream. That way, I get the salty white floral top I expect + the beautiful vanilla drydown. Now that I've used up an 8ml mini, would I purchase this again? Probably not. But I'm happy to have gotten to know it and get why some people use it as a summer signature.

Review by sakecat, 8 hours ago

Review of Wood On Fire by Montale

Wood On Fire by Montale (2021) was clearly Pierre Montale's jab at Alessandro Gualtieri with his dual brands Nasomatto and Orto Parisi, both replete with smoky incense fragrances that seem to be the flavor du jour for many of the most-insufferable "niche bro" types that need everything to be a one-ounce extrait to be considered "real" perfume. While not quite Nasomatto Duro (2007), and not quite Comme des Garçons either, Wood On Fire brings the best parts of those blackened ash tray style fragrances, and doses them with a woody and ambery oud that will feel right at home in the collections of people who love things like Yves Saint Laurent M7 (2003)....

Review by Varanis Ridari, 13 hours ago

Review of Shanghai by Lenthéric

I was startled with the winsome effervescence that greeted me upon applying Shanghai to my skin for the first time. Its radiant aldehydes, aperitif tang of bergamot and lemon-drop citronella, are dusted with an immediate clove and cinnamon warmth. A swift yet satisfying softening had me intrigued—the sharp and bracing opening transforms incantation-like into a heady velvet effulgence of florals. The cresols of ylang ylang and indoles of jasmine are remarkably annunciated, contrasted with rose and geranium, and at one point, this assortment has the texture of an egg flip: frothy, sweet, and decadent. It's the revelation that this is the junction between...

Review by Colbourne, 17 hours ago

Review of Blu Indaco by Giardini di Toscana

I always dislike being the first to review a new fragrance. And I feel equally bad when my experience is less than stellar. But someone has to be first. And the review is simply my experience. Your experience will be different. I've been searching for a comforting, warm, SWEET, gourmand-ish (not FULL ON food), enveloping, vanilla-centric fragrance I can liberally apply at bedtime. I sampled Bianco Latte and purchased a full bottle. As I've worn Bianco Latte, its lure and appeal have somewhat waned for me. Someone suggested I try Blu Indaco. I bought a relatively ample decant sample and recently gave it a try. So, I am wearing Blu Indaco (again) as I...

Review by tonileefiore, 1 day ago

Review of Boss Bottled Elixir by Hugo Boss

Decent amber based fragrance. Has a nice touch of cedarwood in there. Dries down to a nice vanilla. Warning: Do not overspray! I repeat, do not overspray. This stuff will last all day on about 3 sprays. And that's in the winter. Reminds me a little of Gucci Intense Oud. Not as good as Gucci Intense Oud, but similar.

Review by sjg3839, 1 day ago

Review of Series 3 Incense : Ouarzazate by Comme des Garçons

Fresh frankincense with a hint of what smells like cedar. It’s well balanced and warming, but perhaps a bit tame. You can pick out the other listed notes (except the white florals) once you know they’re there, but not really before. They’re very much a side show. All in all, a pleasant fragrance but perhaps not quite enough to justify the price tag for a bottle.

Review by Nose no limits, 1 day ago

Review of Instant Crush by Mancera

A better-blended, less bitter (on my skin) iteration of the BR540 formula. Saffron and a creamy musk on a bed of whipped sweets. There's a bit of the amberwood tingle towards the deep drydown, but, thankfully, the amberwood serves more to lighten the blend vs. dominate and perform that weird radiating-off-the-skin trick that contemporary scents often perform. Of the BR540 school of scents, Instant Crush is, thus far, my favorite.

Review by sakecat, 1 day ago

Review of Kashmir by Ormonde Jayne

The overall impression is of a pointillistic rendering of cedar rather than a figurative rendition. Think of the way Chanel’s Bois des Iles puts together a picture of Mysore sandalwood – without actually using any Mysore sandalwood – using an extended palette of rosy, green, sour, woody, and milky notes. Though Kashmir certainly contains cedar, it uses a vast palette of other notes and materials to render an idealized version of a wood that, on its own, can be somewhat tricky. Part of how Kashmir does this is by playing with textures. For example, it is dusty in such a fine-grained way that your perception of what is powdery and what is creamy...

Review by ClaireV, 1 day ago

Which fragrance do you think every man should smell/wear?

Which fragrance do you think every man should smell like / wear, even if it's something you wouldn't wear or don't like, but which would have the perfect meaning of being a "man"?

Thread started by Juliano.
11 posts. Most recent by Ken_Russell, 13 minutes ago

Red Tobacco; a first wearing.

After going back and forth on this for several years, I went ahead and blind bought it. That probably ended up being a good thing because I'd have never given it a chance based on a strip I'm sure. Having said that, I think this has gotten a reputation on BN that isn't quite accurate or deserved. After popping it out of the bag I hit the sprayer and promptly screwed up by getting a juicy stream, then a spray as the atomizer filled. I instantly thought "oh fuck" and made a decision that I would jump in the shower if I got strangled. Quickly I was overwhelmed by the unmistakable scent of Halls cherry cough drops complete with menthol. The raw power of this...

Thread started by Nihilist.
10 posts. Most recent by basicDave, 13 minutes ago

Ormaie anyone?

Hi all, I recently ran into the brand Ormaie by accident in my local niche perfume store, the one that notoriously cycles through new houses like I cycle through my underwear. The bottles have an eye catching design, where each scent has a differently shaped and coloured wooden block on top, so I tried a few and I must say I am pleasantly surprised! Barely a woody aroma chemical in sight and there are some interesting scent profiles there. Reading about the brand put me off a little (a lot of clean and natural babble), but after ordering some samples I must say I keep liking them. I will post some of my impressions here, but I'm also curious to hear from...

Thread started by yellowtone.
16 posts. Most recent by yellowtone, 29 minutes ago

Are the modern versions of Guerlain’s classics worth it, or is it better to pay extra for the vintage editions?

I'm eager to explore the house of Guerlain, especially their "Classics." While there’s a lot of talk around finding vintage Guerlain bottles, I'm curious: how do the modern versions compare to the originals? If I choose the contemporary fragrances, how much would I miss out on? Would I end up regretting not going vintage in the future? The "Classics" that I am interested in are: Heritage Habit Rogue Vetiver L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme Mitsouko L'heure Bleue

Thread started by Skysonic.
20 posts. Most recent by Ken_Russell, 32 minutes ago

Elsha is back!

One of my favorite vintage Russian Leather scents is Elsha 1776 which I used to buy (along with Royal Briar) at the late, great Carroll & Co. Seems their online presence is robustly selling their reasonably priced fragrances: https://elshacologne.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorDXc5VuRLnTVumAAhIM_6bn_KNkw_u3pyiXZlj4Ja8PgotXMW1 This is a soft, powdery leather scent that is so old school that it now seems to me to be oddly timeless. Makes me think of Burt Lancaster for some reason. Interestingly, they are also selling a feminine version ("Only for Women") and they are now sell the men's and women's in an pheromone version (very Raoul Dahl) that has a "man attraction"...

Thread started by Oviatt.
1 posts. Most recent by hednic, 36 minutes ago

Favourite grapefruit fragrances

What's everyone's favourite fragrance featuring the note of grapefruit? It used to be a challenging note for me as I get a BO smell in some fragrances such as dolce and gabbana light blue forever however I tried bvlgari tygar & that one has a stunning grapefruit note. It's more candy like which I prefer. Any other grapefruit fragrances I should try?

Thread started by ryan_.
38 posts. Most recent by sjg3839, 1 hour ago

Luxury Giant Hermes at a Crossroads: Should Replacement Perfumer for Jean Claude-Ellena, Christine Nagel, Stay or Go?

Inspired by a recent Fragrantica article questioning the impact and relevance of Hermès’ latest fragrance, Barenia, one must question what Christine Nagel’s leadership in Hermès’ fragrance division has truly brought to the table. While I enjoy certain selections of her work for the brand, such as Galop and Cedre Sambac, I find her vision for Hermès far less distinctive and much more fractured than the one Jean-Claude Ellena established. It’s as if Hermes is publishing Nagel’s conceptual experiments as fully realized products, in contrast to Ellena's meticulously structured approach to perfumery—which, if criticized, might be called...

Thread started by GWM.
65 posts. Most recent by Andrewthecologneguy, 2 hours ago

Layering Oud & No. 5

A few years ago, I read some Basenoter's great story about smelling Chanel No. 5 on a woman, but she'd layered it over something delightful and wouldn't say what it was. I believe I recall he could smell oud. I just tried it, and I have to say - yay. As strange as it might sound, a non-fecal oud under No. 5 edp is really rocking my socks tonight. And I've got a spray of Ambre Loup by Rania J. It's all quite blissful. That is all.

Thread started by SmokeAndSky.
2 posts. Most recent by hednic, 2 hours ago

++Manhattan Meetup ++ 2024 Edition ++ 23rd Nov ++

Dear Basenoters, Grab your fanciest spritz, because the 2024 Manhattan Meetup is officially ON! For those new to the scene, this is our annual pilgrimage to the scent mecca of Manhattan. Picture it: dozens of fragrant fanatics, wandering the streets, noses held high, all in pursuit of the perfect smell. If you missed it last year, it was as unforgettable as a 3 sprays of Vintage Kouros in an elevator—but don’t worry, we’ve toned it down this time (mostly). We'll definitely hit up Saks and Scent Bar for some sniffing. Beyond that, the day’s itinerary is still up in the air—mostly so we can stay flexible. Confirmed Basenoters (so...

Thread started by epapsiou.
11 posts. Most recent by epapsiou, 2 hours ago

Has anybody tried New Notes?

just bumped into new fragrance called New notes, The Harmonist .

Thread started by wrahman.
2 posts. Most recent by wrahman, 2 hours ago

Blue_Eyez is wearing Nirmala by Molinard

14 minutes ago

piotrtom is wearing Le Mâle Le Parfum by Jean Paul Gaultier

18 minutes ago

Wise Owl is wearing Tiberius by Star Trek

22 minutes ago

ScentsSibyl is wearing Bal d'Afrique by Byredo

28 minutes ago

alexanna7 is wearing Vanilla Fields by Coty

33 minutes ago

perfumekingdom is wearing Unknown Pleasures by Kerosene

33 minutes ago

Martialisaragon is wearing Gucci pour Homme (original) by Gucci

43 minutes ago

JakeStiebs is wearing Chrome Pure by Azzaro

45 minutes ago

JBHoren is wearing Private Label by Jovoy

"Vetiver Wednesday" Blade: Gillette "Lady Trac II" twin-blade cartridge Brush: Rooney 1/1 in Finest Badger Suds: QED "Vetiver" Scent: Jovoy "Private Label" Photo: https://bit.ly/48LgCUj

48 minutes ago

exmin is wearing Bois du Portugal by Creed

52 minutes ago

flavasauce is wearing Stash by Sarah Jessica Parker

56 minutes ago

LizardKing is wearing Allure Homme Sport by Chanel

58 minutes ago