Taurus

The fragrance label Essential Parfums has attracted extremely positive attention, at least with the release of Bois Imperial. If you compare it with the label's other creations, it is likely to have generated the most sales by a huge margin. Unfortunately, the other fragrances fall far behind, even if they at least don't receive bad reviews on average.

The situation is similar with Nice Bergamote, which stands in the shadow of Bois Imperial. After all, Antoine Maisondieu has also created some highly successful fragrances for other brands, but this "nice bergamot" is perhaps simply too well-behaved, too arbitrary, too unexciting and not innovative enough.

However, what you get here is what you get or could expect: a citrusy bergamot refresher with a clear impact with floral notes of jasmine and ylang-ylang. There is also a small hint of cedarwood and barely any tonka bean. That's about it.
You shouldn't expect an outstanding performance, as Nice Bergamote is too close to the body and too short-breathed for that.

In principle, one could assume that the entire creation is unisex, but I personally find the floral notes quite feminine and the core theme not fully served. I would definitely recommend a test before placing a blind order.

If you wear it, you have a spring-like, summery companion - but you have to ask yourself whether this is exactly what you want because there are so many alternatives. It's nicely made, but as we all know, that's unfortunately not always enough and the better is simply the enemy of the good.

... i would have signed that just a few years ago. But over time, you change your habits and getting up early is no longer torture for me, even on days off. Some would call this a senile flight from bed, but for me I simply get more out of the day, especially from spring onwards, even if I'm not the classic "lark".

Accordingly, Petit Matin is the perfect weekend companion for an early morning stroll in a park. When it's still a bit chilly and the sun is trying to spread some warmth with its first sharp rays. A few birds are already chirping, yet it remains calm and relaxed.

The olfactory notes of delicate lemon and orange blossom, blended with a little lavender and hawthorn, are slightly refreshing and keep you alert. Musk provides a pleasantly creamy stability so that the "little morning" is by no means too floral. Nothing more is needed for this fragrance, which on the one hand is familiar and on the other hand has a high-quality feel thanks to its naturalness.

Wonderfully clear, somewhat sweetish and excited without frills, Petit Matin brightens up the morning hours or even the whole morning and beyond, because projection and durability are decent thanks to ambroxan. The overall effect is quite unisex with a slight feminine twist. Not necessarily a great innovation, but rock solid and with a positive vibe.

Alongside Purple Flamingo by Marc Gebauer, Perseus was the second recent release that I was totally curious about, even though I knew full well that I was neither the target audience nor did I have any intention of buying it. I had already reviewed the former in detail, although I had Perseus under my nose a good hour beforehand.

This is also due to the fact that I was a little disappointed with Perseus despite my subdued expectations beforehand. I had the same expectations for Altair, only they were relatively high and were met satisfactorily.

The citrusy notes, especially grapefruit and mandarin, pop through right at the beginning, very fresh and sparkling. Almost a little over the top. But after a short time, the divine offspring becomes tamer and more serious. Here, the rather warm and dry woody notes in combination with timid rose geranium become apparent until the drydown. Of course, with massive longevity and acceptable projection. Remarkable for a citrusy fragrance without annoying synthetics and a point for Perseus.

That's solid, but what I'm missing is a consistent hint of innovation or sophistication. Of course, the orange-yellow bottle draws attention to where the journey is heading. But the result doesn't really offer a wow effect. I would have liked something along the lines of "Feu Patchouli | Maison Rebatchi", an excellently concentrated orange fragrance with a fine patchouli core, which deserves the niche label because it has taken an innovative approach to the classic citrus theme - and it's completely successful, but still totally under the radar.

Of course, some influencers are going crazy with enthusiasm. If they gave it to me, I'd probably secretly do the same. But at this price, I'm not even thinking about buying it. Especially as this PdM has been rather poor so far. The "Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée | Hermès" is by far the more interesting alternative.

A new JPG? And then created by Quentin Bisch? That should actually be something. At least in theory. After all, the brand is known for not churning out run-of-the-mill fragrances and Quentin Bisch has been on a roll with his nose for trends for some time now. I'll just briefly remind you of #ganymede and #lemaleelexir and many more
The concept also makes sense: Le Beau as Adam in the Garden of Eden. Equipped with a fig leaf (i.e. after the "fall of man", when shamefulness entered paradise and the carefree time was over and before the Creator threw the two of them out of paradise), which is woven into the fragrance, as is the olfactorily obvious coconut water, which could convey small exotic paradise vibes. The rest? Ok - will have its reasons ... but an apple would have fitted the theme ;-)

In practice, this paradise is not quite as sensual, exotic and pure as one would have expected. The fragrance is at its best after an intense spray, with a remarkable appearance in the first few seconds. Coconut water, fig, fresh and fruity notes work wonderfully together here. After that, the EdP fades quickly, as if Adam had been kicked out of his comfort zone with a big kick. The fig seems more artificial and the coconut water is reminiscent of the starch from boiled rice water. The whole thing then goes in the direction of sweet children's porridge. Some people probably rightly perceive this as creamy. But I miss freshness, exoticism, sensuality or other positive attributes in the rest of the fragrance.

After that, the garden bobs along rather flatly without any wow factor, recognition value or summery ambitions. In terms of fragrance, it's almost a fall from grace and I think I wasn't the only one who expected more from paradise.

There were two releases these days that made me particularly curious, even though I knew full well that I am neither the target group nor do I have any intention of buying them. One fragrance is Perseus by PdM, the other Purple Flamingo, which, as you know, is only available in the Marc Gebauer store in Düsseldorf, which is centrally located in the perfumery Bermuda triangle of the most beautiful city on the Rhine ;-)

But let's quickly get to the point: Purple Flamingo surprises me in that it doesn't play it safe or young or youthful, but rather comes across as a more grown-up, mature version of Orange Flamingo. Both work quite intensively with floral nuances alongside the orangy-citrus theme. Purple Flamingo in particular has a lot of powdery iris and some violet. Jasmine and rose as well as lily of the valley are still rather restrained here, but present. There is also a fine, soapy base and minimal green and woody accents.

Purple Flamingo almost gives the impression that the floral soaps of the great-grandmother have been poured together into an extrait de parfum to create something new and yet classic. This is not meant in a derogatory way, but in my opinion rather against the trend of oversweet shower gel fragrances and therefore daring and welcome. This step is certainly more courageous than the release of Perseus, which I will discuss in more detail in another review. Otherwise, it would be like comparing apples with pears or oranges with iris.

I like this flamingo, which embodies maturity, calm and security and is based on classic values. Nevertheless, I would not consider buying it ... and certainly not at this price. Nevertheless: respect!