HugoMontez
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Weird hypnotic smell
Before i found out that this was going to be discontinued (in fact, it was discontinued recently) i bought a 50ml bottle of this. Not because i really love this but because it's weird and intriguing.
This is a fragrance that has a good idea but was made with low budget. It starts off with a blast of sweet mint and cardamom. Sweet inducing and annoying. As it dries down, the lavender round things up a bit and links the sweet and fresh mint-cardamom combo with the shower gel amber and patchouli-musk base. Nothing is particularly good and the opening is definitely cheap smelling. But there's some interesting ideas and the overall experience isn't that bad and, in fact can be alluring in the right occasion.
This was made to be worn at night. I tend to wear it on a dinner or a night out, but this isn't that strong to be considered as a good clubing fragrance. It's just a cheap fragrance that has nice ideas but on a budget.
Maurice has better options even with low budget (Nautica Voyage). I compare this one with Ted Lapidus pour Lui which has the same problem but that one is actually worse cause it's just a Le Male done wrong.
This is a nice fragrance if you find it for a nice price. Has some nice ideas and the overall smell is pleasant but it's cheap materials make me nauseated sometimes, specially the opening.
Because this was discontinued, it may became a bit expensive and i will not recommend you to spend much money on this. Get "La Nuit de L'Homme (Eau de Toilette) | Yves Saint Laurent" for a better night out/dinner fragrance. They aren't super similar but they do utilize lavender and cardamom and the YSL is miles away better.
3/5
This is a fragrance that has a good idea but was made with low budget. It starts off with a blast of sweet mint and cardamom. Sweet inducing and annoying. As it dries down, the lavender round things up a bit and links the sweet and fresh mint-cardamom combo with the shower gel amber and patchouli-musk base. Nothing is particularly good and the opening is definitely cheap smelling. But there's some interesting ideas and the overall experience isn't that bad and, in fact can be alluring in the right occasion.
This was made to be worn at night. I tend to wear it on a dinner or a night out, but this isn't that strong to be considered as a good clubing fragrance. It's just a cheap fragrance that has nice ideas but on a budget.
Maurice has better options even with low budget (Nautica Voyage). I compare this one with Ted Lapidus pour Lui which has the same problem but that one is actually worse cause it's just a Le Male done wrong.
This is a nice fragrance if you find it for a nice price. Has some nice ideas and the overall smell is pleasant but it's cheap materials make me nauseated sometimes, specially the opening.
Because this was discontinued, it may became a bit expensive and i will not recommend you to spend much money on this. Get "La Nuit de L'Homme (Eau de Toilette) | Yves Saint Laurent" for a better night out/dinner fragrance. They aren't super similar but they do utilize lavender and cardamom and the YSL is miles away better.
3/5
2 Comments
Fall in a forest
Rocabar is so good and unique that i can't put my finger on any note in particular.
There's a woody and sweet resinous thing going on (definitely Benzoin mixed with cedar) but the opening adds fresh citrus and herbs, and the coniferous aspect is always present with probably the fir and cypress helping it out.
What a ride. Although it seems weird, the dry woodiness, the herbal and fresh opening, and the coniferous heart are masterfully blended with the sweet amber base making this fragrance one of the best fall and early spring scents ou there.
Gilles Romey, who had created "Eau de Rochas Homme (1993) (Eau de Toilette) | Rochas" , was capable of making another interesting creation with classic elements put in a different way. The coniferous smell is present in may classic men's fragrances but mixed in a woody amber/oriental base is pretty new and unique for the époque.
Somewhere in between the greens, woods and resins, i find ionones from violets but in a way that it seems like iris to me. Buttery, creamy, lighlty floral. So delicate that between these powerful materials is quite easy to get unnoticed. But it makes the difference. It's like the incense in "Un Jardin sur le Nil | Hermès" . Which is always there but under the green mango and the plastic grapefruit.
Hermès pre-Éllena has some special and timeless aura around. BelAmi, Eau de Hermès, Equipage and Rocabar are quintessential fragrances that need to be discovered and experienced. BelAmi is one of the best leather based scents, Eau de Hermès is a classic spicy leather that inspired Éllena work, and Equipage screams gentleman.
But Rocabar is probably the one that links the past with the present best, and represents a beautiful time of the year which is autumn. The performance is good. Lasts all day, creates a bubble around you, is not a strong projector but is always present. Everytime i get a whiff, i feel at home, in a fall day, around lumber and a forest. Peaceful.
4/5
There's a woody and sweet resinous thing going on (definitely Benzoin mixed with cedar) but the opening adds fresh citrus and herbs, and the coniferous aspect is always present with probably the fir and cypress helping it out.
What a ride. Although it seems weird, the dry woodiness, the herbal and fresh opening, and the coniferous heart are masterfully blended with the sweet amber base making this fragrance one of the best fall and early spring scents ou there.
Gilles Romey, who had created "Eau de Rochas Homme (1993) (Eau de Toilette) | Rochas" , was capable of making another interesting creation with classic elements put in a different way. The coniferous smell is present in may classic men's fragrances but mixed in a woody amber/oriental base is pretty new and unique for the époque.
Somewhere in between the greens, woods and resins, i find ionones from violets but in a way that it seems like iris to me. Buttery, creamy, lighlty floral. So delicate that between these powerful materials is quite easy to get unnoticed. But it makes the difference. It's like the incense in "Un Jardin sur le Nil | Hermès" . Which is always there but under the green mango and the plastic grapefruit.
Hermès pre-Éllena has some special and timeless aura around. BelAmi, Eau de Hermès, Equipage and Rocabar are quintessential fragrances that need to be discovered and experienced. BelAmi is one of the best leather based scents, Eau de Hermès is a classic spicy leather that inspired Éllena work, and Equipage screams gentleman.
But Rocabar is probably the one that links the past with the present best, and represents a beautiful time of the year which is autumn. The performance is good. Lasts all day, creates a bubble around you, is not a strong projector but is always present. Everytime i get a whiff, i feel at home, in a fall day, around lumber and a forest. Peaceful.
4/5
80's revival masterpiece
Francis Kurkdjian has done some amazing fragrances, specially for other brands. And this first masculine from Narciso Rodriguez is a great example of it. A musk based scent with a lots of patchouli and violet leafs.
This composition is kinda simple yet still unique and interesting. It utilises violet leafs in the opening, which mixed with patchouli gives this famous "wet concrete" accord. Very dry, gothic and a bit austere in the opening. Totally a throwback feel, with a modern twist. A powerhouse type of smell with animalic nuances but more focused on the "wet concrete" vibe.
As it dries down, the earthiness of the patchouli mellows a bit, becoming more rounded and sweeter. I personally enjoy it more as it dries down, when the amber and the musk became more present, giving a mellow and sweet comforting smell.
The fragrance has a very melancholic feel and everyone that like old style fragrances would probably like this one, since the patchouli-musk is the main theme here. The amber helps it being more rounded and appealing to newer noses. The longevity is decent (8h easily) and the projection is very good for the first 2h.
The only problem is that this one was discontinued and they only sell the Bleu Noir line nowadays. But you can still find deals on this fragrance online and i totally recommend you to buy it because it's unique, interesting and great overall.
I love this one since the first time i tried it long ago. It became one of my favorites and every time i wear it i understand why i love it. I wear it manly during spring rainy days but even in fall, when you have cooler cloudy days, this one fits perfectly.
My favorite from the brand and one of my favorite Kurkdjian creations of all time. It pairs very well with the women's counterpart that he and Christine Nagel had created years before. Although the musk is more pronouced in the female version, you can still smell it here mixed with a beautiful patchouli and a ambery base. Brilliant.
5/5
This composition is kinda simple yet still unique and interesting. It utilises violet leafs in the opening, which mixed with patchouli gives this famous "wet concrete" accord. Very dry, gothic and a bit austere in the opening. Totally a throwback feel, with a modern twist. A powerhouse type of smell with animalic nuances but more focused on the "wet concrete" vibe.
As it dries down, the earthiness of the patchouli mellows a bit, becoming more rounded and sweeter. I personally enjoy it more as it dries down, when the amber and the musk became more present, giving a mellow and sweet comforting smell.
The fragrance has a very melancholic feel and everyone that like old style fragrances would probably like this one, since the patchouli-musk is the main theme here. The amber helps it being more rounded and appealing to newer noses. The longevity is decent (8h easily) and the projection is very good for the first 2h.
The only problem is that this one was discontinued and they only sell the Bleu Noir line nowadays. But you can still find deals on this fragrance online and i totally recommend you to buy it because it's unique, interesting and great overall.
I love this one since the first time i tried it long ago. It became one of my favorites and every time i wear it i understand why i love it. I wear it manly during spring rainy days but even in fall, when you have cooler cloudy days, this one fits perfectly.
My favorite from the brand and one of my favorite Kurkdjian creations of all time. It pairs very well with the women's counterpart that he and Christine Nagel had created years before. Although the musk is more pronouced in the female version, you can still smell it here mixed with a beautiful patchouli and a ambery base. Brilliant.
5/5
2 Comments
An imaginary planet
Marc-Antoine Barrois, as a fragrance brand, it's known for the fairly hyped Ganymede (2019) but, before that, in 2016, the brand was launched with this fragrance that, to me, has an even superior experience.
B683 is a mineral spicy scent with a soft leather. It's weird, new, masculine, addictive and appealing. The combination of fresh spices, soft leather and the weird but great mineral accord makes this fragrance a fantastic and enjoyable experience.
The idea of a new planet is well kept here since you have a dusty, earthy, otherworldly vibe around it, with a mineralic smell to it.
It starts off with the spices on front, manly black pepper and chili, to my nose. But with the mineral accord and the leather supporting it. After a while, it becames more about the mineral-leather thing that creates this gorgeous and sensual sillage for a good 8-10h.
The perfumer Quentin Bisch is a really talented person and was able to create something unique here, but also with classic ideas. The mineral effect (that i believe is a combination of saffron, cistus and violet leaf), is very interesting and, in a way, reminded me of Fahrenheit (nutmeg is also a star on that one and it's present here too).
Another thing that i find great is that despite the heavy woody, spicy and leather elements, this fragrance is perfect during spring and summer time.
Ganymede has a fruity fresh green apple note that turns it a great companion on a beach walk, but this one, even with the added somewhat heavy spices, the fragrance is still fresh, mineralic and suitable for the hot weather. In fact, as i said before, i find it better in warm weather. And the sillage is great.
I recomend this one as a great example of a good new scent with new materials done right. For woody-spicy lovers, fresh-leather lovers and eveyone that wants something elegant suitable for work and warm weather, with good quality, personality and appealing to others (i receive a lot of good comments on it).
A new planet has born.
4/5
B683 is a mineral spicy scent with a soft leather. It's weird, new, masculine, addictive and appealing. The combination of fresh spices, soft leather and the weird but great mineral accord makes this fragrance a fantastic and enjoyable experience.
The idea of a new planet is well kept here since you have a dusty, earthy, otherworldly vibe around it, with a mineralic smell to it.
It starts off with the spices on front, manly black pepper and chili, to my nose. But with the mineral accord and the leather supporting it. After a while, it becames more about the mineral-leather thing that creates this gorgeous and sensual sillage for a good 8-10h.
The perfumer Quentin Bisch is a really talented person and was able to create something unique here, but also with classic ideas. The mineral effect (that i believe is a combination of saffron, cistus and violet leaf), is very interesting and, in a way, reminded me of Fahrenheit (nutmeg is also a star on that one and it's present here too).
Another thing that i find great is that despite the heavy woody, spicy and leather elements, this fragrance is perfect during spring and summer time.
Ganymede has a fruity fresh green apple note that turns it a great companion on a beach walk, but this one, even with the added somewhat heavy spices, the fragrance is still fresh, mineralic and suitable for the hot weather. In fact, as i said before, i find it better in warm weather. And the sillage is great.
I recomend this one as a great example of a good new scent with new materials done right. For woody-spicy lovers, fresh-leather lovers and eveyone that wants something elegant suitable for work and warm weather, with good quality, personality and appealing to others (i receive a lot of good comments on it).
A new planet has born.
4/5
It's more than it seems
I reached Burberry Hero with no expectations, when it was released. And it didn't gave me good impressions. I wrote in a statement that it is very boring and generic cedar-iso e super smell and that Encre Noire is a better woody experience.
Well, i still think that Encre Noire is better but, this is actually good. Not great, not fantastic, but decent and well blended.
Aurélien Guichard is a great perfumer and has done some classics by now, so it's not a surprise that this would be good. The combination of juicy and fresh bergamot with the aromatic and dry woody base is very appealing and masterfully well blended. It didn't convinced me in my first impressions because it seemed very vulgar but, for a fragrance in the mainstream world, where everything has weird sweetness all over, this is really chic and sophisticated.
As it dries down, the cedarwood (the combo of 3 different types, in fact) is what makes this fragrance a good one and not a cheap and generic one. Because of the high quality of these materials, the drydown is actually good and long lasting, and don't became cheap like many other offerings.
This is not revolutionary, neither a great and must have fragrance, but it's a really nice, well blended scent, that makes a good office scent, or a causal everyday type of fragrance. If you want something versatile, masculine and polite, this is a contender, along with Encre Noire, Terre d'Hermes of even Bleu de Chanel.
The bottle is nice and the magnetic cap it's a nice touch. I don't like the new fond in the name of the brand and the name Hero it's not that accurate, but what matters it's the fragrance itself, so, if you want something new and not sweet, young and fun, but want something masculine and with nice quality for a good price, this could be your next purchase.
3/5
Well, i still think that Encre Noire is better but, this is actually good. Not great, not fantastic, but decent and well blended.
Aurélien Guichard is a great perfumer and has done some classics by now, so it's not a surprise that this would be good. The combination of juicy and fresh bergamot with the aromatic and dry woody base is very appealing and masterfully well blended. It didn't convinced me in my first impressions because it seemed very vulgar but, for a fragrance in the mainstream world, where everything has weird sweetness all over, this is really chic and sophisticated.
As it dries down, the cedarwood (the combo of 3 different types, in fact) is what makes this fragrance a good one and not a cheap and generic one. Because of the high quality of these materials, the drydown is actually good and long lasting, and don't became cheap like many other offerings.
This is not revolutionary, neither a great and must have fragrance, but it's a really nice, well blended scent, that makes a good office scent, or a causal everyday type of fragrance. If you want something versatile, masculine and polite, this is a contender, along with Encre Noire, Terre d'Hermes of even Bleu de Chanel.
The bottle is nice and the magnetic cap it's a nice touch. I don't like the new fond in the name of the brand and the name Hero it's not that accurate, but what matters it's the fragrance itself, so, if you want something new and not sweet, young and fun, but want something masculine and with nice quality for a good price, this could be your next purchase.
3/5
