Landshark321

Malpaso is one of the most recent Happyland releases, a spicy, fresh, sharp expression featuring castoreum, citruses, and florals, primarily. It smells like a bit of a cousin of the suede-rich, earlier release, Man Shit / Hommeland Extreme. Malpaso is a bit more nuanced, pivoting almost toward one of the sharp iris-rich perfumes in the catalogue, so perhaps somewhere in between Hommeland Extreme and, say, Sundown. It’s definitely a bit easier on the nose and less edgy than Hommeland Extreme, just to put that out there, as much as I enjoy Hommeland Extreme as one of the house’s boldest undertakings. I think Malpaso smooths things over a bit better, though, with almost a lavender-type sharpness, paired with citruses and spices, to complement the central-but-not-overused dry, animalic note of castoreum. Really nicely done, with characteristically great performance and pricing from the line.

7 out of 10

Incense Night is a Dua original blend from 2019, at first a high-priced metal plaque entry that’s now on the vaulted list a reasonable price, a dark, mysterious, pungent blend consisting of a variety of fairly intense notes, like cypriol, tobacco smoke, violet leaf, birch, rum, leather, and of course, incense itself. It starts out superlatively spicy and mellows out gradually over time, as one would expect, and it generally devolves into a resinous potion of sorts, not a gourmand, but rather a blend of the sharpness of the violet and rum with woods, resins, smoke, and darkness, an experience that ranges from the raw to the sophisticated. Very interesting, innovative, strong, but not one I reach for often. High in uniqueness and specialness, lower in utility.

7 out of 10

Sampling Bon Parfumeur 402 Vanilla Caramel Sandalwood, a delicately sharp, sweet, and woody blend, with the second note listed as toffee or caramel, depending on the language, and it seems to blend well with the woody sharpness of the sandalwood, regardless, a bridge to the sweeter vanilla. In total, the blend is not too sweet, instead almost floral and a bit feminine, gourmand-adjacent while not being totally gourmand. Definitely nicely put together while not being a huge standout, but after trying a couple of pleasant, green freshies, it’s interesting to see an example from the brand of something a bit more gourmand-like, a little heavier while not being excessively heavy. I quite like it.

It’s EDP concentration with retail pricing of $100/53/34 for 100/30/15ml via boutiques like Ministry of Scent, so quite reasonable in the current market, and the brand generally seems to be available in the grey market, also.

7 out of 10

Sampling Bon Parfumeur 004 Gin Mandarin Musc, and like 003 (which I sampled yesterday), this is a really pleasant blend that feels aptly described by the titular trio of notes, with fresh/sweet/tart playing against junipery/somewhat boozy gin, tastefully modern but with enough of a classic cologne aspect, something vaguely reminding me of Dior Eau Sauvage, that it’s a nice innovation while not being terribly new or unique. A bit of a gin-and-tonic cologne vibe, overall, while not insisting heavily on the alcoholic aspect.

The concentration is EDP with retail pricing of $107/53/34 for 100/30/15ml, sold at boutiques like Ministry of Scent from which. It performs pretty well, also.

7 out of 10

My very first try of Bon Parfumeur is 003 Yuzu Violet Leaf Vetiver, their straightforward naming convention giving away a bit of the blend, which I think straightforwardly encapsulates the citric, fresh, floral, and slightly green and earthy aspects that the three titular notes employ. It’s very easygoing overall while the sharpness of the violet and multifaceted vetiver provide a good bit of intrigue and sophistication beyond the yuzu tartness. It’s a sensible, versatile freshie that also has some nuance and depth, surely memorable enough and one I would enjoy wearing all the time while not standing out too much in an extremely positive or negative way.

Its concentration is eau de parfum, and its pricing is quite reasonable in the current market, even for something that does not reinvent the wheel, so to speak, at $107/53/34 for 100/30/15ml, and sold at boutiques like Ministry of Scent, from which I bought a curated sample set of best sellers. It does seem to be sold on the secondary market, also.

7 out of 10