Top Rated Reviews of the last 7 Days

I never cared too much about Xerjoff and their subsidiaries probably because the fanfare never quite seemed to match my own expectation. Nothing in particular from across their product range tickled my fancy as I felt that the brand's language wasn't really speaking to me. And in terms of their attar offerings I had experienced too many authentic Arab oils and mukhallats to be truly bothered. Alas, with all of that said, something about Java Blossom did intrigue me; maybe it was the thought (or hope) of finding the distillate of the most exotic and sensual orchid blossoms from Far Eastern rain forests oozing their beguiling nectar into a dark and strangely sticky oudy concoction.

Well, and Java Blossom does indeed turn floral in its heart half way through its life some 5 to 6 hours in - but the tuberose is much more muted than I had hoped for; especially in combination with a woody, earthy and slightly blue cheesy oud that got me excited that this attar could make a real difference.

On the one hand the opening of Java Blossom reminds me a little of a tamed Al Shomoukh (by Amouage, and whose oud is of Hindi origin, too) even though the Omani composition opens much more fiercely and pungently animalic owing to a great oud/ambergris duality with a subdued vetiver appearing in the later stages. There are also shades I encountered later in Lutens' Veilleur de Nuit - dark, cacao-earthy and grassy-oily vetiver as the mukhallat extends its spicy, earthy and floral facets (again, sans the pronounced animalics). The orange blossom provides mostly bitterness and it is at this point that there is the merest whiff of a slightly sweetened fleshy tuberose if I hallucinate just vividly enough, which combines beautifully with the smokiness present. Curiously Java Blossom now feels very much like some South American Arriba cacao pod (not a bad thing, mind) - and one can't help but conjure up a silly association with Columbus who was heading West in an attempt to reach the promises and delights of India (and the East Indias including Indonesia) yet got stuck midway through his travels in the West Indies instead (well, Ecuador isn't exactly WI geographically nor does Java Blossom really explore new ground, but there you go).

So all in all not excatly what it says on the tin but what one gets is a solid, pleasant green and smokey vetiver-oud with an emphasis on spicy rooty woodiness with delicate hints of floralcy. Could have been so much more with a little attention to detail but it is satisfactorily rewarding and appears to work best during damp Summer nights.

Well... let's divide this review in two parts.

The Smell : after 2 seconds you get a soft chocolaty earthy ( but polished ) patchouly after that the synthetic oakmoss starts coming soflty and will never dominate completly during the life of the composition. After 5 seconds something ( probably the pink pepper which here is soft and sweet ) starts envelopping the composition bringing it to a unisex lemony frizzy and mascara ish smell which smells feminine to me as it gets warmer on the skin and so it stays for hours.

Overall : I think I am not a fan of LeLabo, they kind of want to work on a composition and while doing something nice they kind of stop and make a step back for instead adding something feminine so to sell more ..or this is what I feel smelling their fragrances. It has a modest quality but no character no emotions, does not make you dream or change your mood, is just "ok" . It has a very designer character of something done without love or passion. No Thank you ! It's a pass for me.

This must be the place the note mentioned: intense crushed spices rubbed into cold smoked meat of some long bodied animals body hung to mature. A short relief from freshness like a last gasp of fresh air under a midnight sky before stepping onto the stairs leading to the tea room round the back of some grocery store at Kyoto market. Sweet candied fruit in jars on shelves way out of reach right next to an old tied up bouquet of jasmine flowers hanging upside down from an invisible ceiling absorbing the smoke of burning ginger cubes and patchouli incense sticks. A tattoed and handsome yakuza at the bottom of the stairs, without a doubt a sword for hire tonight, dressed in a black satin suit, effortlessly alert, guarding the entrance behind him sipping from an unlabelled bottle containing what smells even from a distance like port wine mixed with gasoline. He scans with piercing red eyes and merely nods without approval. Inside the chamber it's too dark to see at first but those could be silhouettes of low wooden chaise lounges surrounded by footstools (expensively upholstered in silk without a doubt) upon which slender women in shiny and tight leather outfits are engaging themselves in shadowy play seemingly undisturbed by the oncoming stranger.

Japon Noir to me is the crown jewel and a first generation scent of Tom Ford's Private Blends. It's mysterious, sexy-animalic, dangerous, ruthless, dirty, elegant and does capture (for once) the concept of noir. It's also the mentor of Interlude Man of whom is only spoken of in whispers and old scripts. This is the one worth hunting down from the collection; that one or, perhaps, the slightly more woody Bois Rouge.

Absolutely marvellous!

Somehow aroma M has gathered Hyacinth, Jasmine and Ylang-yang, taken the indoles out, then freshened the combo with lychee fruit. As a result, no shouting happens here. But get close and this pleasant scent attracts with its simplicity. Intriguing simplicity, like the expression of a Geisha, its very neutrality piquing interest. There is warmth here, though, and femininity, meant to symbolize the artistry of speech and makeup and hair and dress that marks the traditional Geisha. Some western ladies might find Geisha Blanche a bit too subtle. I find it wonderful at bedtime for restful sleep.

UNGARO III, it's listed as an AROMATIC, I guess what puts it in this category is the vodka.


I'm surprised that some people think of it as a cooler weather scent. It's airy, light, vodka-esque with a light rose in the background.

I can see why some might think of "bug spray" upon initial application. It eventually smooths out though and just stays airy and, to me, seems close to the skin.

I get a soft-pink-rose note in that background. Not feminine though, at least to me.

Summer or Spring, I will definitely be wearing this.

Well... this is a very earthy, mature, smoky , leathery patchouly, very solid and long lasting but it has that mature smell and the mandarine only makes this one smells more like a grandpa. Masterpiece ? No..but another Frederic Malle DNA composition ..with one note took to the extreme

I've never understood why this perfume doesn't get much love. I think it's gorgeous! Yes, it isn't extremely creative, quite simplistic I may say, but it smells divine. It really doesn't evolve, it is linear, but I've never considered this a bad thing in any perfume. I enjoy the same scent from spraying until last breath, instead of unpleasant surprises during wearing.
The name is a bit misleading in my opinion and I guess this is one of the reasons people are disappointed with this perfume. It renders a tomato leaf in a demure manner, instead of exploring the botanical profile of the plant. Tomato leaves are one of my favorite smells in the world. This being said, I've never felt underwhelmed with this perfume.
Like I've already said, it doesn't evolve, you get the same smell from start to finish and basically Tomato Leaf smells like sweet osmanthus and freesias, juicy ripe orange, tiny drop of musk and a green dry-ish accord that wraps all notes together. There is something in the base that smells similar to violets or violet leaves. Must be the carrot seeds. They are not earthy and raw, but more like starchy and sweet. And the thing that I find intriguing is the fact that, to me, this perfumes comes off almost like an aquatic.
It isn't grand dame or exuberant, but more of a Tres Chic! young lady who doesn't need artificial tricks to be considered beautiful. Her smile is her greatest asset.
It has good staying power and sillage, even in hot summer weather. It's very refreshing, pastel light yellowish-green in color.
Tomato Leaf is one of my most beloved perfumes and I treasure it like gold.

Behind the rain by Paul Schütze

This fragrance can show me a different variety of the rain smell, the one I couldn't find a reference for inside my memory bank. It has brought me to a forest I couldn't recognize. Thick trunks covered with dark bark that was appearing almost black when wet. The air filled with an unfamiliar scent. Not that balsamic sweetness of pine trees like here in Netherlands, but rather a fresh and tart, a little bit camphorous smell of lentisque. The rain? I recognize its presence by wet freshness in the air filled with aromatic smell of herbs, earth and wet wood. The moment after the rain when the smells of the forest become so prominent. My imaginary landscape of this perfume is built up on a contrast between black, dark rusty brown and tender green.

Vetiver plays the leading role in this composition balancing on the contrast of dark woody notes and a fresh green aspect of the roots. The smell accentuates the sharp aspects of vetiver, but at the same time feels quite comfortable. The core is supported by the aromatic herbs and the freshness of mastique resin and frankincense. I keep getting a phantom of the tobacco leaves mixed with a touch of coffee. The illusion that adds a spirit of a true adventurer who enjoys a good pipe and drinks his coffee from an iron mug while taking a pauze before he starts to explore the alien woods again. It's more on the masculine side. The tobacco and coffee illusion seemed to be familiar to me reminding of Bell'Antonio by Hilde Soliani.

On the website of Paul Schütze this scent is described as "A glowing vetiver, enlivened with grapefruit and pepper with a heart of frankincense and patchouli." It refers to to an experience of a sudden rainstorm at an island on the Aegean sea: "as the storm ends, the warmth of the emerging sun on bruised foliage coaxes waves of resinous fragrance that wash down onto our place of shelter under a stand of conifer trees"

A good fragrance from Creed that seems to fly under the radar.

Good, clean scent. I like the name. It makes me think of snowy mountains when I smell this stuff on myself; the name just plain fits the way this stuff smells, as it's crisp and clean like rocky snow-covered mountains. Add to that some musk.

Preferably worn on the colder, late days of fall and cold days of winter. Cuts through the cold quite nicely. Seems like a strange one to wear during the warm/hot seasons.

A nonchalant "I like it" from me.

This is a juicy, crisp, zesty bergamot scent with a green vibe and also neroli in the opening. The citruses do calm down after a while and this scent becomes a bit earthy, probably the vetiver and/or patchouli. Terrific bottle.

Unfortunately my mind can't help but make the association between this scent and household cleaners. Alas! Corporations' use of citrus in their household cleaning products have ruined this fragrance for me! Longevity of Xerjoff Nio is unforgivable, lasting around 1 hour on my skin. No exaggerations here - I time this stuff after spraying it on. Oh well, props for the exquisite bottle peresentation, Xerjoff!