Kurai

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.

Well, this is heavy on the balsam/resins. Tolu balm, a sweet vanillic kind of balsam, incredibly warm and dark. Lavender is too faint to really notice in the top. I get some spices now and then, hints of cloves. After the spicy opening it turns into a vanilla balsam that remains forever. A rather straightforward development.

There is a powdery feel at first, which may explain the resemblance to Dior Homme Intense, that some people mentioned. I don't really see much resemblance though. Givenchy Gentleman EdP is milder on the powderiness and way more balsamic, less woody.

Sillage is a bit strong for me, as I prefer skin scents. The sweetness of this perfume is very present, making it more suitable for the colder months.

EDIT: after some wears, I found the scent more and more cloying. It appears I have developed a serious aversion to the Tolu balm note.