Laurana77

It's pleasant enough. At first, I didn't smell much and wondered if it was a skin scent or if I had suddenly become anosmic. Then the saffron came through and it's quite potent. It was swiftly followed by smoky campfire cedar and the fir resin came through so strongly my eyes watered. It is extremely strong even if you can't smell it after a while, so only use a little bit at first. For myself, I am very glad indeed this was sample from luckyscent. It's definitely more for men, although as a woman I can wear it. I don't think there's anything special about it. It is a typical amber-cedar smoky scent with a light saffron top note and there are many fragrances that provide those notes which are not only much cheaper but smell better. It is certainly not a fragrance to ever blind buy. Get a sample and try it if you like. It might suit you. Some people evidently adore this one. For myself, it's okay but headache-inducing and way overpriced for what it does on my skin.

This is a classy, sophisticated, clean and sensual fragrance which is extremely well blended and quite unique. Opening with a lusty fruity blast of lime, bergamot and pink pepper, it's a fresh and clean fragrance with a spiciness from the cardamom and the cloves. The notes for are well blended and in the heart there is a lovely juxtaposition between sweeter notes like violet, iris and lavender - all purple flowers which I appreciate in fragrances - and the more sour geranium, juniper, tomato leaf and clary sage. The base is a sweet woody bend with moss and leather. It lasts for quite some time although in the drydown it does become a sweet yet spicy tobacco and one can still scent the lavender and juniper which both uplifts and gives it a masculine kick.

It's more masculine than unisex and reminds me of the type of fragrance one would apply after showering. It smells fresh and clean and has just the right touch of spiciness and leather to suit a mature and confidant man. It might have benefited from some sandalwood in the base notes and maybe more citrus in the opening with neroli and orange blended in with grapefruit and pineapple to provide even more of a fruity citrus blast for the first 20-30 minutes.

This fragrance is definitely suited for the office and corporate climates yet because it's also quite unique it could easily become a man's signature scent. It's best suited to cooler weather and the day time. It does seem a bit pricey but it's a complex well-blended fragrance that's uplifting and somewhat exotic whilst being warmly seductive and masculine. I keep wanting to smell it - it's quite intoxicating! This is one of those fragrances people seem to either love or find run-of-the-mill. I personally love it and enjoy my husband wearing this.

This is an old-fashioned but quite lovely and sophisticated style of cologne with an initial fresh citrus burst mixed with the herbaceous green of thyme, and artemisia. It reminds me of a powdery lavender cashmere soap mixed with musk and vanilla. It is a nostalgic scent for me, reminding me of the lavender and cashmere soap my mother used to use. After about 30 minutes, the spices - cinnamon and cloves - are noticeably wafting up and blending seamlessly with the balsamic-sweet floral and somewhat spicy styrax, the vanilla and musk and wrapped around by a light note of incense. The drydown is a mix of powdery lavender and cashmere.

It was one of the 'luckyscent' 0.7ml samples that a family member had bought a while ago and found "too strong" so gave to me to try. Whilst it's technically a men's fragrance, as a woman I did like it on my skin. When I wore it out for the first time today I received a lot of lovely compliments for this fragrance which was quite nice. I wouldn't have worn this in my early 20s. However, it's a decade or two on since then and I think it's suited to women if they have a strong and independent nature. It's got a great projection and lasts about 5-6 hours. It suits most occasions, from the office for certain to something to wear during cooler weather curled up by the fire in a cashmere sweater.

Recently I was tidying sections of my bedroom and came across a bottle of perfume which I realised I had completely forgotten I had. It's an older formulation, thankfully, because after spraying it on this evening I was reminded why I loved it.

Euphoria has a beautiful and sweet opening with a strong, lusty burst of berries and fruits. After about half an hour this blends with the sweet florals of the heart which make for a beautiful and sensual fragrance. The heart is a blend of sweet, spicy fruity florals. This is due to the sweet, somewhat heady lotus and the strong, spicy vanilla scent of the orchid is given more strength by the vanilla in the base. Champaca, which is rarely seen in fragrances because of its price, provides a scent a little like orange blossoms and has both the floral-fruitiness of magnolia and the spicy characteristics of star anise. Whether in the initial opening or the heart, the notes blend seamlessly to create a soothing yet exotic and elegant fragrance. The drydown mellows into a still sweet but woody amber with the musk wafting up now and again and ensuring the scent remains both sensual and inviting without being in any way overpowering.

This is a fragrance that can be worn to most occasions and places although I think it best suited to cooler weather and evenings. That said, it's not overpowering and could be worn to the office and throughout the day time although I don't think it's suited for hot or humid weather. Euphoria lasts quite a decent time for its price and for being an EDT. It was still noticeable on my skin 7 hours after first applied. It's projection is moderate and if you want to make it more noticeable, you can also spray it on your clothing. My bottle, as mentioned, is a very feminine fragrance and the wood notes are not too strong. Apparently the reformulated versions nowadays are much more woody and masculine which is a shame. Whilst Euphoria is not my signature scent nor one of the perfumes I will wear often, it is still a lovely warm and sensual fragrance and although it will take me some time to run out compared with other, more expensive and niche scents, when it does I will be replacing it if I can find another original formulation.

I was checking the remaining other samples of fragrances from luckyscent which a loved one had bought some time ago now, and decided to try this one after reading it was surprising that it was "pour homme". As a woman, I wanted to see how this fragrance went on my skin so I applied a little bit of this from the 0.7ml sample onto my wrists and behind my ears.

My initial impression was immediately of a very fresh, green and fruity rose mixed with what I can only think is Oud(h) - an oil I've not scented before but which has a unmistakable and distinctive aroma based upon this fragrance - and there was the definite aroma of patchouli mixed with a musky rose wood scent, basically akin to rosewood and musk mixed together and wafting up from my skin.

Initially, the scent of the Oud was quite strong and sharp and I worried that I'd end up with a headache but thankfully, after about 15 minutes, the sharpness of the Oud became a softer mixture of aromas, with rose the dominant note and blending with musk and a fruity floral herbaceous note, orange mandarin, which uplifted the fragrance, giving it a fresh, fruity, brighter and citrusy tone. which really uplifted the perfume and my mood which was exactly what I needed. As someone who has been involved with aromatherapy for some years now, and uses essential oils often, mandarin and citrus oils are renowned for their abilities to balance and uplift emotional states such as depression. That was a wonderful touch and I commend Montale for this.

I was pleasantly reminded of some rose-musk incense sticks I use to source at a quaint little bookshop in Glebe when I was living in student accommodation during my first year at University. The bookshop always had an excellent collection of good quality incenses and I would buy these lovely rose-musk incense sticks as well as patchouli incense sticks from Nepal and India. This fragrance reminds me vividly of being in that lovely little bookshop, browsing through books and breathing in the beautiful aromas of the various incenses, especially when the musk-rose sticks were being burnt.

Half an hour after first application to pulse points, I was enjoying the delicious aromas of a gentler rose and noticed the rose had softened from its initial sharp rich freshness on opening and had become much more feminine and powdery, reminiscent of a rose talcum powder. There was still the hint of musk and just a touch of the moist earthiness of the patchouli base to contain the aromas.
By the time the heart notes were reached, the combination of the warm gentler almost powdery and very delicate rose fragrance blended seamlessly with musk and transported me back in time to my frequent perusals of the quaint bookshop in Glebe. This lovely blend of delicate rose and musk reminds me of those halcyon days at University.

Montale Black Aoud Pour Homme also reminded me of exploring one of the beautiful rainforests in Queensland during my summer holidays between University years where wild roses grew amongst the foliage and emitted beautiful rose scents and the earthy and moist smell of damp fertile soil underfoot rose up just as the patchouli provides a lovely base for the rose-musk- and fresh floral tones. In the dry down, after about two or three hours, the rose became more delicate and sensual and blended seamlessly with the woody notes of sandalwood whilst being rounded off by slight aromas of labdanum. The memory of being in the rainforest during my University holidays, exploring the walking tracks with loved ones, was intensified due to a hint of moss, the fragrance becoming more woody whilst the rose still takes precedence but has become sweeter and brighter, and the moist earthiness of the soil that one walks underfoot due to the patchouli.

This fragrance is quite lovely, and whilst it does indicate that it's for men, I think it works well for women. There's a strong scent of rose and combined with the musk and a fresh, herbaceous green floral aroma, this perfume is ideal for a woman who is confident and who likes rose-musk fragrances as well as the earthiness of a patchouli base.

This fragrance is one I absolutely adore even though I had to rely solely on a luckyscent sample and it's my experienced to date that these samples tend to be much more concentrated than the actual bottles of EDP. Montale's Black Aoud Pour Homme does not contain too many different notes but it is blended beautifully, also suits women, and is a divine scent which I'd like to perhaps buy in the future.