Massimo

Last winter I met Encre Noire à L'Extrême in a French department store. I already knew the big brother, but I could never do so much with him.

The Extrême version, however, received a commendatory note from me and a place on the watch list, so I bought it this summer as part of a larger order for little money.

Well, at 28 degrees in the shade the test of this (half-)blind purchase went wrong and made me doubt my mind and my nose. Vetiver, vetiver, vetiver. Dark, heavy, melancholic, unsuitable.
But I decided against the souk and for being patient
And it was worth it. Because in autumnal temperatures this fragrance is excellent to wear. I perceive the vetiver less now, but in my description I tend to woodsy, slightly smoky

All in all a round composition, contrary to the name without extremes. The durability is good, only in terms of sillage this dark fragrance could show much more.

So, dear Souk, I'm sorry, but EN Extrême stays with me :-)

I was also allowed to spend several months in the USA, in 2009, when A&F was already well known, but only had a branch in Europe and was therefore still a bit exotic. I also remember that Fierce was just starting to come into my mind.

First of all: I was and am a fan of the brand. Simply for the pragmatic reason that the clothes are of very good quality. And if Black Friday and a weak US dollar are added to that, so much the better.
The models of the stores and Fierce are actually only background noise, but they still shaped the image of the brand. And Fierce was horny. Synthetic yes, but new, fresh, strong, unknown and perfectly adapted to the target group. So I bought myself a bottle, but used it irregularly.
The "you can smell it on every corner" that is often read here really applied to Fierce. He was simply _too_ good and - not to mention Abercrombie's EU expansion - made sure that the brand clearly lost its exciting flair.

At some point I pulled the bottle out again for a journey. Unfortunately, it contained only 30ml of a liquid with a detergent note and a limited shelf life of minutes, in technical jargon: tilted.
And this association never got rid of my nose - neither with the original, nor with Montblanc, Aviator or anyone else.
The scent no longer worked on me
The chapter Fierce was finished. But I didn't think it was bad and I put it on my nose.

So I got to know the reformulated version only marginally, because I only go to an A&F store because of the clothes. The other scents are not usable anyway

Because I wanted to order from Dua anyway, I used the last 30% OFF action and gave #Fierce a chance. And yes, what can one say, I can only agree with the previous speakers: that's how it smelled back then, and it smelled good! So it wasn't the nose after all...

Dua doesn't offer a total time travel here, because the typical Fierce note can be sniffed here and there. However, there is without doubt the best dupe, clone, replica, whatsoever, to indulge the original purpose of perfumes, the wearing.
This will not happen too often with me, since Dua is not exactly cheap and Fierce is on everyone's lips anyway, sorry nose.

But still: it's great to reminisce. Because the chapter Fierce is over - but that doesn't mean that you can't open it up again now and then. And who knows, in a few years he might be niche and unique ;)

As a friend of the 'Man' from the house of Conran I have dared to make a blind purchase here - for lack of reviews, apart from "my Husband loves it!!", and because I like mint and violets in general

Yes well well, the Husband is not badly served with this smell. 20€ per 100ml, in British Pound maybe a bit more, and a nice bottle is a good start

Everything else is also quite passable. The initial mint alcohol cloud disappears within seconds and what remains is mostly sandalwood with a slightly peppery cool base. Every now and then you can smell out some violet and something warm and ambry, but a big transformation is not offered here.

I'm a little torn. Conran Blue is not an insider tip, not a masterpiece, not a hidden jewel and certainly not 'blue'. He reminds me of pencils and wooden spatulas. And yet it is balanced, coherent and offers enough performance for Husband's day in the office. My final opinion will, I suppose, become apparent in autumn.

A lot has already been written about Annayake. The brand is trying to give itself a mysterious aura - Japanese perfumer's art with corresponding background stories, simple design, exclusively available only at Douglas. Well. What counts for me is what comes out of the sprayer, the rest is secondary.

And so last winter, by chance, I held Omiyage in my hand and did not find him bad at all, see my statement written at that time.
The fragrance itself is actually not that spectacular: a fresh, aquatic shower gel that quickly settles and then turns into a constant note of cinnamon, with a little bit of smoke and pepper. The beauty of it, however, is the - very important to me - spiciness and a great balance of sweetness and freshness, which I have never smelled before in this form.

Now in the middle of summer I have tested it twice more on the skin. For this weather there are more suitable candidates, but he was not overloaded and annoying. The durability is sufficient for one day in the office including overtime. When it was recently offered for 43 € / 100ml, I took it - but at the same time I became suspicious.
The employee at Douglas knew nothing official. He is not (anymore?) listed on the Annayake website and finally I got the answer that Omiyage is a limited version. Meanwhile he has even disappeared from my local branch.

I personally think it is a pity that he is not allowed to stay and I will probably buy a bunker flacon. He is worth at least one test, just like his colleague Kimitsu, who is a bit more woody and dry, but is definitely related to him.

Arigatō.

Like CroDuft, I walked past a Gutteridge branch in Italy one day and was led in by my nose. The golden bottle pyramid also stood in Milan, but testers were only available at the cash desk on request. So I got some splashes and continued my tour.

The attack is strongly alcoholic, but the lemon takes over quickly and then changes fluently into a berry, somewhat synthetic-looking note with a slight incense association. On myself, the shelf life is enough for a working day, and although the scent can quickly get on your nerves when overdosed, ergo thriftiness pays off.

I'm not so sure if Creed was really a role model here, since Aventus simply smells different and most imitators have been inspired by the head note fruit.

So if you love Aventus and are looking for a cheap alternative, you won't find it here, especially as I agree with Achilles, since mostly only the original is an original.
For me it is a fragrance that you don't smell and get on every corner and is therefore well suited to smell a little different on a boring autumn day. No more, no less.