Kurai

Well to me this is Turkish delight all over, with some rose water on the side. Not that it's gourmand, but there's a middle eastern vibe to it that is just tasty.

The opening however is a very strong and medicinal blast of wood. It's a warning sign: this stuff is strong and it's going to last, whether you like it or not! As soon as the perfume is properly settled on skin it reveals what it's all about. Rose and oud, hints of saffron. A classic combination, no groundbreaking innovations but that really doesn't matter. It's mouthwatering jammy without going sweet. Into the drydown, it just gets better and better. The rose fades a bit and the leather comes through. Well into day 2, still going strong.

The bottle itself is stylish with a good sprayer, but it comes in a leather-look mini bag of mediocre quality.

Now this fragrance is unique, not a crowd pleaser. People will either love or hate it. Personally, I like how Gucci is positioning itself in the designer perfume market with relatively non-mainstream fragrances.

The first spray is a herbal tea slap in the face. Then a floral chamomile comes through, which is truely pleasant. I get instant flashbacks to the happier days of summer vacation; sunny, innocent and nothing but positivity. After a while the freshness makes place for a heavier floral with a serious retro vibe. In the end I get a lovely drydown; soapy florals with jasmin.

I liked that i tried it out. It's fascinating, completely different from any scent I have ever bought or tried before. I finished my 2ml sample, so now I'm at the point to ask myself "Do I want to continue wearing it?" Well.. Yeah I do! And that stylish bottle is also a great plus. So, most likely when I run into a good deal, I'll end up buying it.

This is a lovely lavender and vanilla combination, with citrus and fresh herbs at the top and dry woods at the bottom. It's gentle, not sweet at all. There's a fougere accent that keeps it sharp and interesting. I get a faint soap vibe as well, a bit old-school yes, which may explain why people call it 'barbershop'. I don't know, the stuff my barber splashes on me after a cut can't compete with this elegant fragrance.

It stays close to the skin, even when temperature goes up.
All in all a versatile high quality scent. The bottle is just impressive artwork.

Cypress with vetiver that develops into vetiver with cypress, basically. Minimalistic yet fascinating; there is a certain wow-effect on the first time wearing. The dramatic goth associations actually make sense. After that first time wearing, it's 'just' a nice sharp vetiver with strong performance.

The sillage is rather strong in my opinion. There's a sharpness to it, that's just too much to wear indoors. The woody earthy vibe works great in outdoor settings, though. Funnily, my tastebuds got totally messed up while wearing this. Lunch tasted like a bowl of twigs and leaves. How appropriate :)

The price level is ridiculous, by the way. The bottle itself is worth more than that. As always, Lalique's bottles are pieces of art.

I bought this one after reading all the appraisal in the online reviews. Fully aware that I got myself a new bottle, no vintage. This perfume itself isn't one that I remember from my younger days. This type of mossy musky power-slap-you-in-the-face overall scent is surely something that triggers flashbacks for me, being born in the 80's and all.

The opening is just harsh. Fruit and leather, I think. Combined with the classic moss base, it gets a bit sour and dirty. The sourness is gone after one or two sniffs, but it definitely scares off the young and insecure.

In the middle I get a wonderful soapy tobacco. With honey. And rose. I love it. It feels incredibly warm and pleasant. The tobacco and rose fade slowly. A powerful residu of musky moss remains and lasts forever. The more I wear it, the more i get used to the 'vintage' feel and learn to appreciate it.

It's just classic eighties power stuff. A must-have, mainly for sentimental reasons. I like the flashbacks to this era. I wouldn't wear it to any occasion, though. It's way too powerful, totally intrusive especially in indoor settings. Although during this Covid confinement, I dont have to care about any of that.