Matux

The initial sensation is that of a stronger EdC, the neroli is easily identifiable; from then on the blend is all about flowers in a good way, for those than do not care about the way compositions can betray times gone bye.

The blend has very good projection, its longevity is limited - it could be the best option right after shaving, it is very appropriate for the beginning of the day.

I can imagine an older man using this as a way to remember his father's mornings before heading to work, however I can also imagine a young man choosing this one as some kind of statement. Make sure the wearer will stand out from the sea of men smelling of the usual suspects when it comes to aromatic molecules marketed under famous gobal brands.

Fougeres are blends with sweet top-notes, lavender and oakmoss. Well, this Drakkar is a perfect example of such kind of compositions. Not the classiest around when launched, still, a truthful one.

It does smell dated, so if fashion is your kick, rule it out. Strong? Too, sillage - wise, actually. Complex too. Good longevity also. In a nutshell, it will accompany you along the day, you will get whiffs of it as time goes by.

If you wear it you will know how smart, well dressed men felt twenty years ago when leaving for a date or the disco.

Besides notes and accords, you might as well enjoy that.

Insensé is an point in case.

It does smell odd straight from the bottle, it is difficult to convey how... I would say a blend of skanky flowers, or flowers "with an attitude", definitely not the kind you would give to a woman - it might be the presence of the blackcurrant and the basil, maybe the mastic; one way or another these redefine the floral notes in a way they do not smell "flowery" the way traditional floral scents for women do.

Flowers bloom, so does Insensé.

It happens when full worn, body heat will make the blend show its complexity along the journey, It is in this instance where the wearer can sense the iris, lily of the valley and the magnolia. Again, set in this right context you can hardly associate it with the kind of beforementioned fragrances.

In my case Insensé proved a surprise, I never thought I could enjoy it so much.

I can relate this to others, as mentioned here and there by many fragrance - hobbysts: Millesime > Sean John Unforgivable > Club de Nuit Milestone > Carolina Herrera CH Men > Natura Homem Verum.

Except for reports on two being quite similar, my observation does not support the idea that they are clones or dupes, just different takes on the same molecule. For example, Natura's feeling is synthetic, while CH is not; at the same time, CH has some notes in common with Millesime, however, this last one is an EdP while CH is an EdT, so complexity favors the CH.

The point being is that these points in common are a perfect reference about the way fragrance - design works, namely, a molecule that is adapted to a brief, be it the nose, the client or, simply put, the market's preferences.

As to the scent, marked spices, some fizziness, very nice longevity (my bottle's content evaporated, and as a consequence, the EdP might have become a perfume), very complex.

Truly enjoyable.

Sauvage's DNA is present however in a very subtle fashion: the Edt's hiperbolic topnotes are absent, which is a good thing. There is some spiciness, a tad enough to relate this with the original one. At the same time there is fougere - molecule that I can associate with other present day blends of the kind like Beau de Jour and Viking, maybe this is what provides Elixir balance and elegance to the composition.

It is a complex, full bodied yet discreet blend, almost unrelated to the original in its lack of references to the concept of "synthetic".