Elysium

Since I have both Stand In Omerta (SIO) bottle and Azzaro Pour Homme (APH) mini spray I've decided to compare the two of them. Thus, I've sprayed one on my left back hand and the other on the right one.... and you know what? At the beginning I can recognize something zesty and citrus in both, lemon I would guess, even if not mentioned in SIO. Then, both lavender, star anise, and fennel explode in a magical combination. I don't know if fennel in SIO is supposed to replace caraway in APH, fact is it works well together with other notes. Few minutes later, APH presents some flowery notes that flies around, the magnificent iris I think, whereas SIO goes straightforward to the masculine character made of vetiver. patchouli, and just a little bit of cardamom. But is right after half an hour that SIO makes its best... bitter drops of leather and oakmoss fell off the fragrance and surround you. Well, it is a pleasant bitterness in respect with the sweetness of APH, which sometimes I like, but oftentimes I dislike.
In my humble opinion, SIO is a modern version of APH, and even if not identical they are very similar. Sillage is good and longevity is above the expectation. I worn SIO this morning before going to office and I can still smell it, on both my skin and clothes.
Allow me to say "When pupils know more than teachers"!!!
Enjoy

Regardless it is supposed to be a dupe of Armani Black Code, in my opinion it has nothing to envy to it. In some ways it's a clean and soapy interpretation of a spicy scent with a touch of citrus and leather. There is such a sense of intimacy and elegance surrounding this fragrance, making it rather formal in a way, like something you'd perhaps wear when dating someone.
At the very first spray the lemon reaches your nostrils, so clearly and zesty, stronger than the bergamot. Then, a bit of star anise and a lot of olive blossom, which is a wonderfully unique additive to the composition, brings with it an interesting saltiness which is quite enchanting on the skin. Afterwards, there is a powdery like aspect to this fragrance that tends to develop more towards the drydown. Do not fear, it's a manly powderiness, nothing like sweet, flowery baby powder or anything like that. I surmise, but I am not sure, that tonka and tobacco offer that powdery aspect. Last but not least, the leather. This is the base note I like most. It's a kind of scent you smell when you wear a brand new leather's jacket.
It is a fragrance suitable for office and leisure time, best for cold seasons like fall and winter, maybe during evening and night out it gives you the best. You know what? I cannot take my nose off of it.

There are a lot of flankers that followed Azzaro pout Homme original, and this one seems more intriguing because of the addition of the booziness. To begin with, I adore this one. It captured my attention and was love at first sniff. You have to try it with an open mind and not expect the original smell or anything alike since this is not an ordinary flanker, not this time. It is so freaking good, strong, aromatic, and kissing your face with newly added features.

It opens with slight Cinnamon surrounded by Vetiver, which is quite unconventional to see that earthy root in the top notes. So damn bitter, earthy, and dirty, nothing citrusy nor zesty in there. Immediately you sense the Tonka-beans in the undertones. But what thrills me is the hint of liquor that you can make out, very prominent even in the opening, a finest and smoky old brandy or cognac, which is both complex and nuanced, with a bouquet of the best Rémy Martin--it is hard to say that since I am a big fan of Islay Single Malts Scotch whisky! More, on my skin, the boozy liquor takes a cherry-like nuance, which is not bad at all. What about the star anise sign? Don't worry, it is there and detectable despite the riot of other spices.

It is surprisingly good! Fantastic, very beautiful, unique. It is warm and sensual, aromatic, fougère, woody, powdery, and smoky. In my opinion, Tonka-beans and Amber make it so smooth, a bit sweet, and a bit dry, but in a pleasant manner. Amber comes super strong in the dry-down, and so does the vetiver. I think it has nothing to do with the previous releases; I found only a slight similarity with Azzaro Pour Homme, more with the original and less with the flankers. Of course, it has something that reminds you it is an Azzaro's son; there is a common D.N.A., but not a revisited edition of past creations.

Ultimately, It gives me a perfect vibe. I am proud to offer it 9/10!!!
It is suitable for leisure and working days, and it gives its best on cool and wet weather, like wintertime, fall, and rainy spring days. You can smell and enjoy the earthy, smoky, boozy, and dark notes.

I base the review on a 100ml bottle I have owned since December 2015.

-Elysium

"Lancetti Homme is made from over 200 ingredients, carefully picked out by perfumers, following Maison Lancetti's wishes. It opens with brilliant and fresh notes of grapefruit, tangerine, basil, and Artemisia. Middle notes introduce Bourbon geranium, pink pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon, while base notes add Virginia cedar, Haiti vetiver, Malaysian patchouli, labdanum, incense, Tolu balm and Zanzibar vanilla to the composition. The fragrance is lively, elegant, and modern. The nose behind this fragrance is Mark Buxton."

Well, I have found that review on many sites, not sure whether it contains those many hundred of in ingredients; however, I decided to give it a try by myself and sprayed it on the back of my hand. The opening is citrusy and zesty, and I recognize the grapefruit and tangerine, a mild artemisia, but barely anything about basil.

After a few minutes, the floral geranium and other spicy notes smoothly pop up, softly, in a gracious way, which smells like Bleu de Chanel. And it is after half an hour that I start liking it most. Labdanum and patchouli make their best together, and the fragrance reminds me of Antaeus of Chanel, which I loved and used when I was 20 something.

So, it looks as though this scent as much in common with Chanel fragrances. Although I do not recognize all of the 200 notes, I do believe it is worthy of trying it. Absolutely! According to my nose and preference, this scent is okay for fall and maybe winter seasons. The fragrance overall is excellent, non-linear, given that it smells different as time goes by, but both projection and longevity are in the average or just a bit below. On me, projection stays close to my arms and longevity I would bet 5 to 6 hours. It's a pity since it is suitable for work, but you should refresh just after lunch. Nevertheless, in my opinion, it deserves 10/10!

-Elysium

I have owned Yves Rocher Cuir Vetiver for a couple of years since it was launched, but I haven't written any reviews yet. I think now is the time to do it. Cuir Vetiver is the most delicate leathery accord I've ever smelled in my whole life. On my skin, it is silky leather like the wings of a butterfly.

Cuir means leather in French, and I was intrigued to smell how the leather would translate into this fragrance because you have to evoke the scent of leather by using other, distillable elements. That means there is a lot of diversity in leather fragrances, based on how the perfumer interprets the scent. Cuir Vetiver is a light leather perfume created by Sonia Constant of Givaudan. She wanted to design a fresh leather scent, and I think she succeeded very well without sacrificing the cosy, warm notes I so enjoy in masculine fragrances. You might notice a slight similarity with "For Him Bleu Noir (Eau de Toilette) | Narciso Rodriguez", and the same perfumer pictured the scent.

The brightness comes right away with lively bergamot. As a partner, a few lavender kicks in. The lavender is the more floral form of the ingredient and blended with the bergamot, releasing a creamy aspect that attracts me now and then. True to its name, this perfume unfurls with the strong presence of smokey, citrusy, Vetiver, quite weird as a beginning note. The warm and intense notes continue into the heart of the scent.

It provides a contrast to the heart notes of cedar and vetiver. The solid lines of both notes offer the framework for the leather accord to appear. Cuir Vetiver pursues with citrus Haiti Vetiver, which is smoky like bacon. It manages to create the smell of just the warm aroma of your skin --a sensation so bright and clean-- which melts into a buttery, powdery, and woody leather supported by Caribbean sandalwood and cedarwood. So, no birch, no tar, no castoreum, no "Cuir de Russie (Eau de Toilette) | Chanel", or "Ombré Leather (2018) (Eau de Parfum) | Tom Ford". It's more delicate than that. It's neither quite refined enough to remind me of suede, nor is it animalic sufficient to be a rawer version of leather. It seems to sit closer to the suede side of the spectrum, with the brightness and lifts. The rich leather is very appealing, very masculine in a gentle way, rather than harsh.

This base is composed of vanilla-like absolute tonka. It is amber and vanillic, a sweet, warm comfort, which smells nutty without being a gourmand. It is a delicious roasted tonka bean, similar to the pleasant aroma you get from a warm Crème brûlée dessert, also known as burnt cream, Trinity cream, or Crema Catalana. It consists of a rich custard base topped with a textually contrasting layer of hardened caramelized sugar. That's precisely the dry down of Cuir Vetiver. It's the vetiver and cedar in Cuir Vetiver that overlaps with the fragrance notes in Bleu Noir.

Cuir Vetiver has four to six hours longevity and below average sillage. For those who consider longevity something important in the fragrances you buy, Cuir Vetiver, like most Yves Rocher releases, has some of the lowest amounts of endurance.

I find this a strong vetiver cologne with a touch of luxurious leather in the background, so Cuir Vetiver or Vetiver Leather makes sense to me. Cuir Vetiver is another exquisite perfume in the Yves Rocher collection. Mme Constant pulls off an exciting take on leather and vetiver while keeping the cost down. I think Cuir Vetiver has a delightful scent. A very stylish choice that will not overpower. Suitable for formal or informal occasions, this is easy to wear. I think it works in the middle seasons, both Spring and Fall, and at any time of the day, workday, a Sunday brunch with your friends or at a party with people you want to impress. Perhaps, at the end of a hot summer day, the perfect antidote to extinguish the heat and sticky sand.

In my last words, the composition is intellectually inspired by Terre d'Hermès, the first cologne that came to my mind when I tested it but is a faithful reworking of the idea. It does not aim, for instance, to reproduce the innovative flint-like note of the first. It smells like its perfume. It is in no way a slavish composition.

-Elysium