MrOllium

I know and have some fragrances from Nathalie Lorson and appreciate her work
While looking through what she has created yet so, I came across "Graphite".
Due to the low price, I took the risk of a blind buy and was not disappointed.

The first sniff was a bit sobering...but with each new attempt I liked the fragrance better.
Meanwhile, I am very enthusiastic, but do not really know why...
Possibly know it yes some, there are fragrances in which one must sniff again and again and "Graphite" belongs for me to it.

You get a simple but massive flacon with a fancy wooden lid.
Either two versions exist or something has been changed over the years.... both in the packaging as well as the flacon labeling.
At the current price to get over.

The fragrance opens in my eyes only conditionally fresh, bergamot I do not really notice ... and then comes directly with this woody graphite note aka pencil around the corner.
For me a consistently woody and dry fragrance that is linear for my nose.
Dill and cucumber ? For me, no.
Rather "I and my wood".
Unfortunately, it's more of a Skin Scent on me, so it's not really projecting and the longevity isn't intoxicating in the eyes of the wearer.
However, I have heard that in this fragrance is a lot of "ISO E Super"...therefore, it is probably perceived by bystanders more than you.

In the end, for me, it's a feel-good scent that I like to put on in between sniffs.
The association with the freshly sharpened pencil reminds me of school.... Childhood... for me positive memories.

At this point I would like to break the lance the many drugstore and celebrities fragrances.
Because honestly, it has surprised me for a long time that these fragrances almost through the bank perform poorly.
It should not be a bashing now against niche or designer fragrances.

I stumbled, as a Vetiver fan, through a few YouTube reviews about "Instinct" by David Beckham.
One of the noses behind this fragrance is "Béatrice Piquet".
She has created a number of fragrances, which I cherish, such as:
- L'instant de Guerlain pour Homme
- Jill Sander sun man
- Trussardi Uomo (1983)

For me, "Instinct" is a straightforward and straightforward fragrance.
Fresh, spicy with a certain creaminess from start to finish after about 5 hours on my skin.
It's not a revelation, but it doesn't overwhelm either, making it a good and affordable everyday fragrance.
The bottle is plain but made of solid glass with a sort of embossed diamond in the bottom.
The lid is held magnetically...and that for a bottle from 2005.

As mentioned at the beginning, it makes me a little sad when such fragrances (for whatever reason) are so badly rated.
I can recommend "Instinct" to anyone who is looking for a fresh and spicy daily driver for little money and would like to get a taste of this fragrance category.

Why 007 ... some will now ask themselves ... and why the hell Acqa di Parma Colonia ?

To explain this I have a little catch up.
When I got a bottling of Acqua di Parma Colonia, I fell in love with this fragrance right away.
I do not know if they knew ...
Nah different, I do not know if anyone knows it, but I associate fragrances mostly with all sorts of things but in the rarest cases with the stated fragrance notes of the pyramid.
With the Colonia James Bond came directly to my mind.
Not Daniel Craig, no... Sean Connery or maybe Roger Moore.
Those old gentleman agents.

And here at last I come to Esperidi Water.
Whose opening with the natural smelling lemon and the fresh orange is just delightfully refreshing.
Then quickly comes this creaminess, which I appreciate so much.
But here comes again and again the lemon / orange blown through, longer than the Colonia as I think.
In the Drydown it is then for me 1:1 the above-mentioned classic from the house Acqua di Parma.

Whether it is coincidence, or whether someone has been inspired here too much...one does not know.
However, the similarity is already enormous. Who does not mind and who likes the Colonia, which can definitely hold here times his nose purely.

In the presentation of the Esperidi Water is superior to the Colonia imho.
The great box with small background story, a map of the old trade routes and a very nice bottle...fits.

I spray me then times properly and think...today I look times "Love greetings from Moscow"
And don't forget... shaken and not stirred ;-)

This fragrance came together with the Esperidi Water from the same house to me.
When I read something of "Asia bag soup" ( YumYum lets greet) broke out slight panic...
But no, I smell a lot of spices like at a spice stand.
Nutmeg and pepper I can definitely detect, albeit nicely interwoven.
As a fan of the Jovan Sex Appeal, which just pushes cloves up your nose, I really like this spicy combo. Here it is clearly more subtle and not so "in your face".

Yes, spicy and peppery but not too sweet...that's how I would describe it.

By the way, I can say about both tested fragrances of "The Merchant of Venice" that they seem high-quality to me and I perceive zero synthetics.

An exciting walk through the oriental market.
Whether it is "Asian" ... as the name suggests, I can not judge, I have not been to any Asian market
But I was already in Duisburg Hamborn on the market...and it is definitely oriental ;-)

Who likes a good presentation, will also find here.
Visually beautifully embedded comes this pretty flacon in Murano optics.

Preface:
I am (unfortunately) not a poet.

Nostalgic babble:
It was in the early 80's when my cousin's brother-in-law had a Porsche 924.
We were allowed to ride in the back when it went to the ice cream cafe Giancarlo...and felt so cool.
Then Rainer (the brother-in-law) infected us with musical viruses on his Revox system.
Nina Hagen, Klaus Nomi, Zeltinger Band, Ideal, Marius Müller Westernhagen and Kraftwerk.
I just wonder if it was already then Rainer, who wore Lagerfeld?

Then finally 15 and with the moped around the houses düsen.
At that time we still celebrated fetes in the basement bars of parents...and here comes

Lagerfeld Classic

finally into the game. Before it went on the "role" was properly bathed in Lagerfeld.
Then off into the thick of the fete and "Amaretto apple juice", "Blue Angel" and "Pernod Cola" tipped until the number of people had doubled.
Now that I write these lines...I'm just thinking whether the headache the next day really came from the alcohol ? Or rather from the bottle of "Lagerfeld" the buddies and I had sprayed over us ?

Inliner ? Firlefanz ... at that time we are in the roller disco with the roller skates, since the wheels were not yet arranged in a row ... afterwards off on the skateboard.
Popper, Punker, Waver, Grufties ... i was something of everything but nothing so right.

What has remained?
When I sprayed today, after almost 40 years, Lagerfeld Classic again...were immediately the 80's and my youth there. A flood of images of memories.
Probably the memory influences me in my opinion of this fragrance,
but I think that is justifiable.

I find Lagerfeld classic lives up to its name and is still super wearable today.
At least for those who like it spicy/oriental and masculine.
Nowadays, the unisex fragrances seem to be on the rise and few dare to stand a properly projecting fragrance to wear.
And who thinks the fragrance would be too "old school" or only what for "old farts", I must teach a better.
My daughter (22) found the fragrance right away super...so much for that ;-)

To the fragrance:
I find the, designed by Karl, flacon classic and timelessly beautiful.
Unfortunately, the metal cap at the time was replaced by a plastic cap.
Lagerfeld starts fresh for me with the bergamot and lemon and you recognize him imho on the first spray.
Then comes through something slightly floral in the background and at the same time he radiates for me more and more pleasant and powdery warmth.
In addition, then a sweet tobacco note, for me the actual DNA of the fragrance.
Who is struggling with the prelude...should allow in about an hour.
If it still does not fit, then you will not be friends ;-)
As for H/S, I still find him above average.

I love Lagerfeld hot and hearty and could constantly sniff.
Surely one can discuss whether Lagerfeld has earned such a high rating !?
In my transfigured eyes, definitely.


Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Rainer, Frank, Heiko, Rolf, Wolle, Bert, Carsten...and all the others.
Beautiful was the youth ... and remains unforgotten with this fragrance.

Addendum (02.08.2021):

After I have read through all the "Statement's" here, I would like to comment at this point.
It's really sad how some users deal with the classics.
You do not have to like every fragrance, but you can still respectfully deal with it and his opinion as well kundtun.
I can eg. also nothing with the current "bubblegum" or "blue ozonische" fragrances begin.
But I deal with it and also like to give a statement about it...but for this I do not reach into the bottom drawer, but do so respectfully.
Many fragrances of the 70's or 80's are very masculine and I can understand that younger noses have a hard time with it. But there are also young people who like these fragrances.
I like to compare it with movies.
Here, too, I often read in the community "old hams" ... "totally outdated" ... "oldie crap".
But you always have to look at things in their time and not compare with current.
A film from the 60's also reflects its zeitgeist and even if you do not like it, you can respectfully deal with it.

Just as I see it with classic fragrances.
Since such comments are simply inappropriate:
- smells for me but rather after Kloreiniger / cleaning
- The first and only fragrance I threw in the trash. I tried it for a long time but always found it unpleasantly stinky
- No.Unbearable,would have to stand next to YSL Kouros on the shelf. So smell the guys from "mother in law wanted". And quite rightly so!
- Sometime times for 10 euros purchased in Penny. Even that was still too much

People....I can do with the synthetic fresh ozonisch blue bubblegum fragrances also nix.
But that's why I'm not writing for a long time:
- Only what for wimps
- Full of synthyplörre
- Expensive mouthwash ... buys you rather Odol

No, there you can reasonably describe his impressions and leave a respectful "statement".

Well-meaning greetings, the old bag.

Update 28.10.2021:
Today I added a vintage Splash Bottle from Lagerfeld Cologne to my collection.
And yes, the vintage version is definitely better than the current.
Clearly more intense, darker, more adult.... not so light, "watery" and thin as the current version.
Nevertheless, I'm glad that he is still produced at all.
My ~40ml Vintage I will save for the special days and cherish him :-)