SirAddy

After extensive testing of various Roja fragrances, I am now writing a commentary on the fragrance that I actually like best by far. So well in fact that it not only got a 10 from me, but landed directly in my collection. But this fragrance is not as high in the perfume charts as other Roja fragrances. It's a pity actually, because I think that "A Midsummer Dream" is underestimated. Especially because I had the feeling that the others had smelled it somewhere before. I did not know the scent as I describe it yet. Especially the top note I found special and special

According to the manufacturer, the fragrance starts with a bergamot/grapefruit combination. I rather perceive a ripe, but dried and bitter grapefruit. This is very present and I think that the fruitiness and freshness comes from the bergamot. It plays around the grapefruit, which gives the whole thing something unusual, but amazingly thoughtful and interesting. Definitely an opening that you have to get involved with first, but which is becoming more and more accessible and fascinating.

In the heart it becomes creamy and above all it remains citric-orange blossom. I don't know myself how orange blossoms smell in reality, but "what with orange" I recognize here immediately and 100%. The creamy and softness probably comes from the May rose. Here a certain basic theme continues for me. A central note, which can actually be recognized and differentiated, is artfully accompanied and complemented by another. Due to the citric base note, the grapefruit top note is actually preserved for a relatively long time, while the fresh fruity prelude of bergamot says goodbye early on.

The base. In my opinion, this may be the reason why this perfume is considered unisex. There are so many different, especially beautiful components and none of them really dominant, that it probably depends on what you are so familiar with. Is it the oakmoss if you know more green scents? Is it the vanilla? All in all I perceive something spicy, woody (cardamom?) but also something slightly smoky has already been reported to me by others. What is exciting for me is that the basic theme of the top and heart notes described above is dissolving. Instead of a more dominant note that is accompanied, a soft and noble bouquet is now presented, from which one can "dream" out the favourite scents. Wonderful.

In summary, I think it is masterful how a really enchanting scent was created here. A scent gradient that you want to smell like. This is essential in a perfume. Durability for me about one working day and Sillage very neat. I don't even count compliments anymore. The bottle - the most beautiful in my collection. In view of the price, I would of course wish that it would never run out, but I guess that remains a dream. At least a beautiful one.

Always this choice. Always those decisions you have to make before you leave the house. What's the weather like today? What am I doing today? Do I have an important meeting? How do I feel and what do I want to express with my perfume? Okay, maybe that's how it looks with me. There will be many people who spray themselves and think "the main thing is that I smell good and the others like it". A lot of "perfumes," I think, are knitted more like me. Don't just spray it on like that, but give a few thoughts first. Of course there are the "all-rounders" and "Everybody's Darling" between the whole selection. But I'm sure Égoïste isn't one of them. Just to write the name correctly I had to scroll up five times to set the accents correctly.

I first met the fragrance at a good friend's house. I'm afraid we have to tell our former good friend by now. Gay, very experienced in lifestyle and life and twice as old as me, he had suggested this fragrance to me. So while he was wearing Antaeus (at least I don't have to look for accents here) and other treasures, I was already walking around in the early 20s almost exclusively with this scent. That polarized! Some found it mega because the scent just smells so good. Others found it surprising and unusual because the fragrance was quite classic and a bit older or more traditional. The perfumes of that time that came out at my age and were so "in" were not at all comparable to Égoïste.

In general I found the scent landscape at that time exhausting. In the end, I was glad to have somehow "pressed" the scent more or less. There were so many fragrances then (and still are today) that I was really insecure and often bought them according to the motto "expensive = good". Somehow I have especially learned to love this fragrance but love and I still love it today. I didn't care how anyone else found the scent, and I still don't. I didn't care what occasion I wear the scent for and it still is. The scent was like a scent compass to me at the time. He gave me a fabulous feeling - and this feeling is what I am still looking for in every fragrance today. Then it doesn't matter what the fragrance costs or how others find it. I want him to do me good. I'm supposed to like it. It's about me, all alone.

If I want that feeling, that feeling that today is about me and that I should be fine. If I don't feel like dealing with the usual decisions before the fragrance collection - then I wear this fragrance. He always reminds me that you should go your own way and consciously do something good, even if sometimes you have to be led to the right way by someone first. So I find the name and its story with me, just perfect. Michael, thank you for rubbing the scent in my face back then. I dedicate this comment to you and wherever you are, I hope you are well.

It is early August 2018. In the incredibly hot and driest summer in a long time, the first rain finally falls. I look up, my eyes off the beaten track. I'm pointing you at the deep purple fields of the Plateau de Sault. The sun is just above the horizon and the raindrops glisten where they meet the fields in the distance.

The air gets thicker, smells warm and inviting. A light breeze blows into my face and quickly displaces the smell of the earth getting wet from the rain. Instead, I get all captured. Surrounded by the scent of lavender fields that have ripened all day long in the brooding sun and, like me, are relieved that we are facing a cooling and life-giving rain.

I take my spices out of the shopping basket and stow them safely and dry in my backpack. I swing him on my shoulder, look forward and see the way through the fields clearly in front of me. Looks like it's about to rain heavily. I'm going out, but I wouldn't dream of hurrying. I'm getting smaller and smaller until I merge with the fields in the distance. A bell. A jerk. A twitch. The morning breaks and I look at the ceiling of my apartment in the middle of the big city. Caron, I like to dream about you. I look forward to next time...

So far I've only written comments on fragrances that I've rated at least 7.5. For this reason I would like to write a comment to a smell, which I did not find so good and justify this as accurately as possible. Memoir Man has now still received a 5.0 from me, but compared to the average this is clearly below the general average on Parfumo. Many love this scent and I tell you: It's also good if you love him. You certainly have your own personal reasons and arguments and preferences. That is why I hope that you at least accept my point of view and whoever wants to go further understands it. My thanks go at this point to Fab83, from whom I got the bottling (which has meanwhile been sent further).

Perfume is always a personal thing. One underlines his outer nature and his character, possibly also his mood with a scent. Of course, this should also be perceived by others and fit the external circumstances. To be honest, I don't want to smell of absinthe, burnt tobacco or alcohol. These scents are very well made for me at Memoir Man. Unfortunately, it is so authentic that I simply can't imagine that this would cause any positive associations in anyone. Still underline my character somehow. At the most I could get carried away to the spectacularly spicy drydown, if it wouldn't take about 8 hours for this to happen.

I want to be fair, too. I think the scents are actually very well done, a scent is given and somehow the composition has something noble and rich. The minty alcohol note in combination with the smoky - I admit it has something! It's really well done and I can absolutely understand it if someone thinks the scent is good. Personally, I really can't do anything with him at all. Even my beloved lavender I tried to smell there. It does stand there but in the whole alcoholic-balsamic turmoil it simply drowns. I can't wear it, I would never buy it and I absolutely can't recommend it to anyone. Even my cousin, who is travelling in gothic style, I would rather advise to wear Lalique's wonderful Encre Noir. I'd wear it even if it rained once and I'm not up for anything. Faith has such days every time. But are these days desirable? I don't think so. Do these days often happen? I hope not!

Conclusion:

It is a very well made aromatic fragrance that beautifully shows what perfumers at Amouage can do. In spite of this high art, I have to say "No" to Memoir Man myself. Sometimes this art just isn't enough. You must also like it personally and it must suit you.

Sunshine Man took by far the most time to get to know each other. Normally, especially when it comes to perfumes, I take the liberty of making a quick judgment. Here it has a whole filling of 5ml used - which corresponds with the Sillage and durability approximately to an equivalent of 50ml of a Cologne. Thanks at this point to Fab83 for the bottling. Sunshine is definitely a fragrance that must be intensively tested. I can still remember very clearly my first encounter in my trunk perfumery. I just found the scent there exuberantly sweet, intense and opaque. As with so many Amouage fragrances, it seems to me, it is due to their complexity that you have to hold your nose to them from time to time. Since I am an absolutely convinced fan of Bracken Man, who, like Sunshine, belongs to Amouage's "The Midnight Flower Collection", I decided to try Sunshine regularly and spray it on myself. I wanted to expose myself, so to speak, to this fragrance in order to see whether it proved itself and showed other facets. So it manages to convince me.

There's one thing you should definitely consider: Sunshine is present. Really, every time I had Sunshine on, someone would talk to me. To be fair, you have to say positive throughout. But as soon as you put a sprayer on it, no matter where on the body, it is perceived. The alcoholic effect of the "lavender-orange-whatever-always-note" can be seen throughout. I write something like this in a distorted way, because I absolutely like lavender and somehow I could not understand that so many perfumes here smell or are said to smell lavender intensively. If I compare it with Caron's absolutely fantastic fragrance "Caron pour un Homme", one discovers a similarity, but this is more to do with vanilla. The vanilla of Sunshine gives the fragrance a slightly smoky (tonka bean?), synthetic but sweet-powdery note that remains constantly present. That's what I'm talking about now. Absolutely positive. The longer I tested the fragrance, the better I found the composition, because you always smell a slightly different side of the fragrance. Many also speak of an alcoholic or tipsy orange. I myself perceive a fresh, citrus-like note that is somewhat menthol-alcoholic. I guess it's the bergamot and juniper berry that's supposed to be in there. But I have to confess that I don't smell anything at all (anyone who knows gin or drinks juniper might be able to confirm that). In any case, this note makes the fragrance a little more versatile. But with all my versatility, I must confess: Classic fragrance? Nothing. I get the impression there are two stages. First a warm-up with a huge load of sweetness, vanilla icing sugar poured over one and then simply after about 10-15 minutes a never-ending exposure of sweet alcohol and sugared orange slices - very strongly sugared orange slices. You notice I struggle with myself to describe the scent. He clearly reads worse than he is. But it might make it clear why it took me an incredibly long time to like it.

Conclusion:
Please test. I can only advise everyone: Sunshine Man is a fragrance, you have to give it time. One sample won't do. Get yourself a bottle, use it several times. It's been three months since I got my bottling. In the meantime, I have come to the conclusion that I find it very good in itself. Still, I'm not gonna buy a bottle. For me it is not really a Fougère, especially since the lavender influence is a little too small for me. Especially when I compare it with Bracken Man it becomes clear that the fragrances are absolutely different from the overall impression. Other notes tend to dominate Sunshine Man. Nevertheless a really great fragrance and if you get a bottling, you are definitely supplied for a long time! 5ml have kept with me three months. With a 100ml bottle that would be then....oh. ;)