Adade

6:17. I open the heavy door. Bright light comes towards me through the darkness. Grey, cool and pleasantly fresh I breathe in the morning air. My eyes are not yet able to cope with the brightness - no wonder, they have seen nothing but darkness and artificial light for hours. A few steps I stumble along the street, then I let myself fall onto the first bench. I take a sip from the drink that I somehow still hold in my hand. I light a cigarette and then I inspect the "damage". I don't look that bad: some glitter on my jacket and who's makeup stain is from? Anyway, it's fine. Carefully I smell my shoulder. Whew. I instinctively pull my head back. Smells like I rolled in the ashtray. But somehow I have to smell again. There's more! I smell the wicked air from the club, the old velvet furniture I sat on, a whiff of the fine drinks I drank, and a hint of perfume I've been wearing in the distant past. Traces of an unforgettable night, half of which I have already forgotten. I smile for a moment, then I sit down for a moment and set off for home.

Celine has really managed to evoke unique images and memories in me with his fragrances. When I smell nightclubbing, I feel transported directly into this fictional scenery. At first I found the scent very repulsive - too photorealistic was the scent of cigarette smoke and nicotine on the test strip. But if you give the scent 15 minutes, it becomes a wonderful combination of smoky, alcoholic corners and edges, woody, spicy warmth and powdery elegance. A true rock star statement fragrance with very little suitability for everyday use and lots of uniqueness and French elegance. Over time it comes closer and closer to the typical Celine base of powder and musk. In my case the fragrance lasts for many hours and I could smell it on my arm the next morning when I first tested it. The flacon and packaging are above it all anyway.

Clear recommendation for all who like unusual fragrances. By the way: I have already read/heard many comparisons to Jazz Club. For me, both scents paint a similar picture, but could not go in more different directions. While Jazz Club for me is round, sweet, gourmand, Nightclubbing is rather smoky, powdery and dangerous

When the original Dior Homme Eau de Toilette was released in 2005, the Dior house was undergoing one of the biggest changes in its recent history. The creative director at the time was a young, up-and-coming designer named Hedi Slimane, who was to change the fashion world forever at Saint Laurent and now Celine. Slimane had just brought the men's division of Dior, previously known as Dior Monsieur, back into the limelight. Whereas in previous years the company had mainly focused on comparatively outdated (licensed) fashion for middle-aged men, Hedi Slimane has been breathing new life into it since the beginning of the new millennium. He renamed the men's division Dior Homme and under this name he published prêt-à-porter collections that were characterised by revolutionary narrow cuts, monochromatic colour palettes and modern, almost androgynous masculinity. It was also during this period that Dior released its first three exclusive fragrances, which would later - in part - become part of the Maison Christian Dior collection: Cologne Blanche, Eau Noire and Bois d'Argent - at that time still under the name "Dior Homme Colognes".

At about the same time the Dior Homme Eau de Toilette was published. And he too clearly bears the signature of Hedi Slimane's vision: powdery iris, which he still uses in most of his fragrances, and metrosexual, almost androgynous modern masculinity. With these characteristics, the fragrance was then an exotic among men's fragrances, and even today it is still unmistakable and unique, even if the iris is now more popular in men's fragrances than it was then.

15 years later and here we are with the latest reformulation of the classic. This reformulation has thrown over much, not to say almost everything, that has made the fragrance so far: The fragrance's defining notes have been removed, the design of the packaging and bottle has been changed and is much less minimalist than before - all that's left is the name. And many fans of the fragrance ask themselves: Why? I think to understand why, it's worth taking a look at how the house of Dior has changed in recent years. Hedi Slimane turned his back on Dior shortly after the original eau de toilette was released. He took his idea of fashion with him: First to Saint Laurent, then years later to Celine. At Dior, his former assistant, Kris van Assche, took over the sceptre for a few years. And even though the designer has his own interpretation of fashion, he has adopted many of Slimane's basic ideas. And so the fragrance line has changed slightly in his time under the influence of the new in-house perfumer Francois Demachy, but there have been no radical revolutions. The changes at Dior were much greater after van Assche left his post in 2018 and was replaced by Kim Jones. Jones has been turning the entire men's division of Dior upside down ever since: He renamed the brand from Dior Homme to Dior Men, the previously simple fashion is now increasingly influenced by streetwear and the entire image of the brand has been greatly modernized.

So why is all this relevant to this reformulation of Dior Homme? I think the old fragrance, based on Slimane's vision of the brand, simply no longer represented the Dior man in 2020. It's a pity, but the Dior of 2005 is now way behind and the vision of fashion in this house has changed a lot. From this point of view, it makes sense that the defining men's fragrance of the brand (by name alone) should be adapted to represent the brand in the best possible way in the present - and not stand for the vision of a designer who is now working for competing manufacturers.

But what does the new fragrance smell like anyway? In general, it clearly plays in the league of modern woody, spicy and fresh men's fragrances, as we know them from fragrances like Bleu de Chanel, Aventus, Terre d'Hermes or Sauvage. Does the new Dior Homme smell like a copy of these fragrances? Not to me. It picks up on individual elements of the fragrances mentioned, but the composition itself is independent. Independent, but somehow also arbitrary. Personally, I find the fragrance to be mainly modern woodsy with the scent of Iso E Super and amber - in addition to a dry freshness that smells of lemon, but is less of a focal point than Sauvage or Bleu de Chanel. All in all, the fragrance smells like a nice everyday scent for modern men - high quality, without being offensive and good.

But somehow a certain dissatisfaction still remains with me and enthusiasm does not want to break out. Also in the community the smell seems to get away rather moderately. Why is that so? In my opinion one should have been more courageous in redesigning the fragrance. The fragrance should represent the new Dior vision for men? Then do it properly. The fragrance should have had its own design on the packaging and the bottle, a bold fragrance that represents the Dior fashion of 2020, and above all, a new name. The new men's division of Dior is called Dior Men - Dior Homme is history. Why not do the same with the fragrance? That way there's less confusion for the average customer, less frustration for the fans (who can simply leave the old original in its current form until it doesn't sell anymore) and you have a completely contemporary representation of your own brand. In my opinion, Dior has missed this opportunity. Instead, we now have a new fragrance that is good, but has no identity of its own, and at the same time dilutes an existing classic. A pity!

Oud Wood by Tom Ford was my first fragrance in the price range. Although I loved from the first moment, I struggled with myself for a long time, until two years ago I treated myself to a small bottle of it. Since then, numerous bottles have been added and I'm still not sick of it.

Oud Wood is above all what the name promises: woody! The combination of different woods is wonderfully created and I find it hard to separate the individual woods from each other. Instead, everything is united in a unique, incredibly beautiful fragrance. The eponymous oud here is not animalistic or dirty, but rather spicy-light. Although the fragrance is so woody, it never becomes too heavy or bulky, but radiates a certain transparency that makes it very pleasant to wear. Amber, tonka bean and vanilla round off the fragrance very nicely, without making it too sweet, and cardamom gives it a spicy freshness.

Durability and sillage are hard for me to judge meanwhile. I have days when I can't smell it after a short time - on other days I can smell it on me in the car on the way back from work, 10h+ after application. Probably I have applied so much Oud Wood in my life that my nose got used to it. All in all I would rate the durability as good. The Sillage is much more limited than other Tom Ford firecrackers like Tobacco Vanilla or Tuscan Leather, but the smell is still good for people around me and I have been asked about it several times at work. The not overly strong performance makes Oud Wood for me wearable outside of the cold seasons - it works best, in my opinion, but definitely in mild autumn temperatures.

For me, Oud Wood embodies a timeless elegance that is both classic and modern. For me it is still the benchmark when it comes to woody fragrances!

At the beginning of the millennium, the young up-and-coming designer Hedi Slimane became the new creative director of the men's division of Dior. Under his leadership, the company radically repositioned itself and revolutionised men's fashion: simple elegance characterised by black and white, tight cuts and an androgynous image of men shaped Slimane's vision and can still be found in his fashion today. During this time he also launched three exclusive men's fragrances, called "Dior Homme Colognes". Among them Eau Noire, the now discontinued Cologne Blanche and Bois d'Argent, which has remained in the exclusive line to this day and is probably still one of the bestsellers.

For me, Bois d'Argent perfectly embodies the Dior fashion of the time. For me, the fragrance is first and foremost powdery and woody. But it's not heavy, it conveys a certain lightness, transparency and freshness. For me, the fragrance smells like a very modern version of a classic men's scent - without the classic scents you know from such fragrances. The iris, which is the focal point, makes it powdery and elegant without smelling of lipstick like Dior Homme. The frankincense and myrrh give it a spicy freshness that makes the fragrance interesting but not too exhausting. Woods, leather and musk give it a masculine-powerful base, which at the same time remains very clean. All in all, the fragrance has a cloudy, luxurious aura for me, which seems infinitely self-confident and stylish - without screaming too much for attention.

Durability and sillage are also recommended. The scent lasts for many hours and I can easily get through the day with it. The Sillage is present, but always stays relatively close to the skin. The scent is there all day and can be perceived by people in the immediate vicinity, but never so strong that it would become annoying or intrusive. Therefore the fragrance is wearable for me at all times of the day and year, but it probably works best in spring and autumn. I can imagine the fragrance for many occasions and it complements the chic suit as well as the white shirt with jeans.

All in all Bois d'Argent is for me the perfect addition to the wardrobe of a man who is sure of himself and his style and who is looking for a luxuriously light fragrance that complements every outfit in an interesting way without becoming the center of it. I therefore find the original label as "Dior Homme Cologne" incredibly fitting - there's no better way to sum up the fragrance.

I've been away from Fucking Fabulous for a long time. I'm a fan of a lot of Tom Ford fragrances and of course I also noticed the hype, but it was just too expensive for me to take a closer look and the descriptions I found sounded interesting, but not like something I'd like to wear.

Well, now was the time. I was in Milan at the airport and let myself drift through the duty free. As always, I also made a short detour to the Tom Ford counter and actually there was little that I didn't know yet. But suddenly there was a chic, eye-catching and yet restrained matt black bottle with a censored label in the corner, almost a bit hidden. So I had a sample sprayed directly - you can try it out. From what I smelled, I was briefly confused and yet it always drew me back to itself. After a few days I ordered the bottling and meanwhile a 30ml bottle is mine.

So what does that smell smell like to me? I take it as a combination of Oud Wood, Bois d'Argent and Tuscan Leather. It is clearly woody but still has a certain freshness, is surrounded by an elegant powderiness and has a great leather base. The individual scent components are not perceived individually, they fit together more to form an extraordinary overall picture. For me, the fragrance smells of rock'n'roll, decadence and ecstasy on the one hand - and pure elegance and smoothness on the other. The fragrance stands out in comparison to what you usually know from (mainstream) perfumes and yet it somehow comes across as very tolerable. Quite different from a strongly polarizing Tuscan Leather, for example.

For me Fucking Fabulous is a fragrance for special occasions. I would never wear it in everyday life, but for a great evening when you feel especially fabulous and decadent, it's just the thing. The performance is beyond all doubt and can compete with the Power Houses of Tom Ford. The Sillage is opulent, but due to the fact that the fragrance nevertheless has this certain elegance, freshness and transparency also not overly penetrating. The shelf life loosely creates a celebrated night plus after hour until the next noon.

Certainly not a fragrance for everyone, but if you wear it with the right attitude, a very extraordinary and special fragrance that perfectly manages the balancing act between decadent ecstasy and elegance. I like!