Anessa

I had sporadically worn Sport over a few years before finally passing it on (and I regret not having shot a usable picture while it was still in my possession). Pour Elle is kept in the same colours with a similarly mirroring metallic cap like the men's version. Instead of a square, the bottle shape for the women's was round and flat, pleasantly compact, cool and smooth to hold in your hand with its matte glass surface, giving it a natural touch.´

The scent was a combination of concentrated berries and cold-showered, clean white florals. While musk certainly provided good longevity of more than half a day with a light application, it also amplified an edge which always started bothering me after the quite enjoyable beginning. I assume it was caused by the mix of musk, heady florals and the tartness of the fruit.

The influences of advertising aside, the scent to me did evoke the colour of a cool blue; the fruity casualness was kept 'mature' with the florals, and the otherwise quite unisex, woody-musky base matching the 'sport'- theme was countered by the bittersweetness of the fruit, more like the pip and skin than the pulp.
Overall, I would've called this the 'Sailaway'-version of Tommy Girl, with similarities not in the scent but the type; its persistence, together with the washed (but not bleached)-effect, would have made this a good choice for long walks along the windy coastline or a day out on the deck.

One of the interesting things about fragrances certainly is their ability to mirror us by leaving enough room for interpretation (at least many of them), thus functioning like a Rorschach picture. We project and choose what we prefer to see (apart from the 'wishful-seeing'), and tend to recognise those we know of, not unlike with anything else. As with many other brands, I learnt about AP and its existence through the perfume platform for the first time, and the curiosity of my nose won over any hesitation there might have been, considering the supposed target group. So far, I came to test 5 AP fragrances, and while one was a complete 'let-down', none of them at all conjured any association remotely connected with the images the brand seemed to aim at.

L'Agent, to me, smells like entering a Buddhist temple where a Western tourist just had left a trail of her strong peppery floral perfume in front of the shrine, which is now lingering in the serene and cool darkness, mingling with the scent of the wooden pillars and the smoke of the quietly burning incense. For this perfume, the Japanese expression 'to listen to a fragrance' (as used in Kodo) seems a perfect choice. From the opening till the dry down with the spicy, woodsy rose, the incense dominates which I always associate with meditation and calmness. Therefore, L'Agent does not evoke any sultry nor even sensual images to me. While I find it more of an ambience fragrance in the heat, in winter, L'Agent turns into a surprisingly 'cosy' scent like a comfortable kilt shawl, giving me solace and spreading a festive mood at the same time - I am reminded of the life-sized wooden crib figures I encountered during the childhood holidays in the Italian and Spanish villages, the myrrh and labdanum always wafting around in the cold, midnight air.

Even though it may not be anything revolutionary to those familiar with incense, I find L'Agent a unique amalgamation of a dusty, classic rose bouquet and boudoir imagery with the 'exotic' and solemn silence of the wooden Buddhist temple, with an excellent longevity and strength, accompanied by a beautiful bottle. Of course, it became discontinued. I will cherish this as my Christmas fragrance, while it lasts.

I instantly fell in love with the scent of the paper strip - the coffee note would've been enough to get me as a coffee addict, but the warm and aromatic uniqueness attracted me so much that, for about a year, I took the test strip out from time to time to just smell it. After consulting plentiful reviews which seemed to agree that Madras could well be a unisex fragrance, I decided for a bottle.

One spray sufficed as a sobering moment to realise that test strips were never an accurate presentation of the liquid applied to the skin. In winter, it was all about pepper to the nth degree and masculine to the extent that I almost felt stubble growing on my chin. In summer, the pepper was considerably toned down; still, the coffee note that had originally captured me never showed up again.
The peppery, warm spiciness made me think of a sugar-reduced mulled wine served by a hooded hermit in a solitary, hidden cave somewhere high up in the snowy mountains. Since I prefer to fantasise about The Lord of the Rings than The Name of the Rose, my association is of the Rangers practising steel discipline both in mind and body.
The scent remained 'hot' on a bitter woody base, peppery whiffs occasionally tickling my tongue for about four hours with a light application. For some wearers, it might lack any softness to serve as a comfortable cushion on the hard wooden bench.
A natural, fresh and ascetic fragrance that is masculine without playing out the muscles - something I would enjoy to smell of, if I were a man.

Prior to testing Café, I happened to generously pour a vintage Opium over my whole hand; I should've removed the cap very carefully and quietly, especially when it was a splash bottle apparently filled to the brim. A literally eye-opening experience... whatever meagre amount of caffeine the Black flanker claims to contain, the original was worthier to be named "café" or rather "espresso (doppio)" instead, judging by the effect it had on my mind.

Despite many people likening it to Opium, Café Café for me does not show much resemblance albeit from the same category. My first and foremost association was Christmas: Spicy and warm, a carnelian with golden glitters if I were to ascribe a certain colour. Also of Glühwein, the hot mulled wine offered at Christmas markets without its sweetness and alcohol.
Café has a strong floral note with an herbal accent that adds a somewhat old-fashioned touch - otherwise, it could be quite unisex due to the lack of sugar, and certainly 'out of time' in the current olfactory scenery. I did not perceive the patchouli nor anything else that would ground the fragrance, and hence, it appears to me light and weightless like a skeleton sketch of a house, with enough room for the air to breeze through.

Café is an airy and spicy, non-musky floriental with a retro flair and might suit people who are looking for a (rarer) lightweight from this category that could be compatible for daily use, even at the workplace.

As brief as its name:

This fragrance developed better on skin than from bottle or blotter where peppery notes dominated. Some sugar-coated fruitiness and bright white flowers together cause an uplifting effect. It appears to have been meant as an unobtrusive, light, and short-lived scent suited for springtime. For me, the pleasant top notes sadly wore off quite fast and my skin just smelt like hand wash soaked in soap water. And thus, the real message was revealed: Cherish your laundry!