I played with my ancient perfume samples again and found "L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme", and as I learned on this site to regard the allocation "for men" resp. "for women" as a mere recommendation, I allowed a drop of this on my wrist.
My first impression is wood, lots of it. A newly carpentered sundeck made from pine wood, cedarwood most likely. That would make sense because cedarwood is a resistant building wood that may be exposed to moisture. But now it's steaming in the hot sun.
In addition, there's a certain fruitiness, some herbs with mediterranean flair and a few blossoms that add depth to the fragrance. Plus pointy bits that prickle my nose unpleasantly.
I can't really smell cocoa, but I guess that that is the note that makes the wood smell less like trees and more like finely polished furniture, a refined woodiness.
Up to now I don't think this fragrance suits me. But I think that on the right skin - and I am thinking male skin actually - it will be stunning.
Ho, now the aniseed decides to show up and I like it! It is no domineering aniseed but a teamplayer using his pliant and slightly sweet spiciness to mediate between the other notes. I like to use aniseed that way in the kitchen myself!
I get the impression that aniseed is tugging along some shy friends from the kitchen spice shelf. I can't say which though, as they only shine through as a warm and spice presence in the background.
By now the woodiness has slipped into the background a bit, but it is still present and the spices seem to have blended with the woods. I can smell flowers now as well, jasmine with a hint of lavender, and there's a rose here as well, listed or not. A light but spicy Japanese rose. The blossoms are floating lightly and unobtrusively over the sweetish woody-spicy notes. they are not domineering, they only weave another plane into the fragrant picture. Beautiful!
Two hours later there is only a tender breath of wood and spice sitting on my wrist. That may be due to my splashing around with water in the garden getting my sleeve wet and releasing wafts of laundry detergent rivaling L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme.
I can't decide finally on the durablity. Sometimes I'm amazed at how tenacious such a tiny breath of redolency can hover over the skin. What I can say though: I like L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme, especially after the first hour. After that I like to smell it on myself, too, but I still think that it is more suited to male skin. There it may well be a fragrance I'd be willing to throw myself at...
Another hour later I can still detect little wafts of the fragrance reaching my nose every now and then. Very lovely, light, warm, cosy and inviting. And those little wafts are persistent.
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