Month: January 2012

* Initial sniff is spicy leather. Leather that is soft, supple, broken in, and sexy.

* Montale is known for their oud fragrances. Black Musk is considered by many to be a mashup of two of the house favorites: Black Aoud and Musk to Musk.

* The leather recedes and a dirty, sweaty musk comes up. It starts off strong and then lightens up and almost goes away.

* Definitely not office-friendly, this would be a great scent for clubbing.

* Just as you think the scent is gone, a third wave comes back strong with a dark musk. This base lasts a long time, even sexier than the top notes.

Summary: Montale Black Musk is a sexy night out on the town scent. It’s not overwhelming, but strong enough to enjoy with the one (or ones) closest to you.

Montale Black Musk is available from Luckyscent, MIN New York and select independent boutiques.

* Vetiver is a green grass with earthy, woody, and smoky qualities. The top notes are green, but not really bright, and sort of muddle with clove.

* The Bois 1920 line was launched in 2005 when Enzo Galardi began reinterpreting his grandfather Guido’s original formulas.

* A hint of amber starts to peek through the green in middle development. It’s light and reminds me of the modeling clay that I played with as a child.

* As an Eau de Toilette, the strength is moderate, and it would make a great office-friendly scent.

* In the dry down, the amber becomes the focus. It’s not a bold amber- more light and powdery.

* Although this is in their men’s collection, it could easily be worn by women.

Summary: Vetiver Ambrato is exactly what the name suggests. While it doesn’t blow me away as life-shatteringly amazing, it is a high quality fragrance that will work for many as a safe, office-friendly fragrance.

Bois 1920 Vetiver Ambrato is available from Luckyscent, MIN New York and select independent boutiques.

* Profumi Del Forte is an ultra high end Italian niche line – smelling their fragrances, it’s easy to tell that they use the highest quality ingredients across the board.

* The initial kick is pure sweetness with plum and strawberry, with a touch of tuberose.

* Versilia Aurum is a powerhouse statement of a perfume.  It is obviously made for women but is so over the top strong that a man with confidence could make this smell very sexy indeed.

* After the sweet fruit recedes, the tuberose stays strong as other florals make their presence known.  Each time I wear it, I smell something different – a white floral with a touch of orchid, a jammy rose fighting the tuberose, and sometimes, a dirty iris is mixed with the tuberose.

* I first smelled this fragrance at Selfridge’s in London.  As someone who likes dark and evil, this was so far the opposite that I was attracted to it.  The fact that it lasted through two showers and more than 36 hours of wear made it worth the high price to me.

* The base notes last forever (see above) and are a comforting mix of vanilla, amber, and balsams.

Summary:  Versilia Aurum is not for everyone.   Guys who wear it need to be very confident in their masculinity.  Gals who wear it need to strong enough to project such a strong fragrance.  Two sprays will last you for days.  If you get a spritz on clothing, it will last through a laundering.   I absolutely adore this scent and wish that it was available as a candle.  Please note that this fragrance is quite expensive, but it is of the highest quality and lasts a long time.

Profumi Del Forte Versilia Aurum is available from LuckyScent.