Category: Fragrance Reviews

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Fragrance Reviews

Creed Bois du Portugal Fragrance Review


* The fragrance kicks off with a blend of bergamot, lavender, woods, and spices.

* Bois means woods, and this scent was inspired by the woods of Portugal.

* What you smell on top is what you get for most of the span as this scent is mostly linear, until the base comes in which is often after 8-12 hours.

* The bergamot and lavender eventually fade as the sandalwood and cedar become the main focus.  A little spice is left and there is a light grass smell hazed on top.

Summary:  Bois Du Portugal has an old school and distinguished, manly feel to it.  Some refer to it as a 70s/80s powerhouse and I can totally see that as it is strong and projects.  Wear this to an office if you are a CEO or want to feel like one.   It’s one of those scents that gives off the smell of “old money.”  I couldn’t imagine anyone under the age of 30 wearing this, but I can be wrong.  If you happen to have a bottle of Tom Ford Private Blends Bois Rouge, this is similar, but longer-lasting and has more depth.  I know this because I skin tested the two back-to-back for weeks before making a decision to buy a bottle a few years ago.  With everything in my fragrance collection,  I find myself reaching for BDP quite often and the more than half empty bottle is a testament to that.

Creed fragrances are available from Neiman Marcus, select Nordstrom and the Creed Boutique.   If you live in South Florida, I strongly recommend that you reach out to Eduardo, the Creed representative at the Bal Harbour Neiman Marcus.  If you live in Nashville, Byron at Green Hills Nordstrom is quite exceptional as well.

No disclaimer needed – I own a full bottle.  Image from Creed Boutique

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Fragrance Reviews

Etat Libre d’Orange Fils De Dieu Du Riz et Des Agrumes Fragrance Review

Etat Libre d'Orange Fils De Dieu Du Riz et Des Agrumes

Etat Libre d'Orange Fils De Dieu Du Riz et Des Agrumes* Fils de Dieu goes on like a cocktail (possible a mojito) with citrus, coconut, ginger, and green notes blending together.

* The name means “Son of God, the rice and citrus.”

* As it develops, it smells even more like a mojito with lime and vanilla joining in as the coconut note increases in intensity.

* This wears differently on me sometimes.  It’s gone in a floral direction a few times with rose and jasmine coming up.  Other times the mojito gets dosed with a foody notes of cinnamon, cardamom, and rice.

* The mojito drifts away as vanilla and amber form the base with a soft leather and musk chiming in.

Summary:   When I was in Paris last year at Eldo boutique in the Marais, I got to sniff this and it was referred to as Filipino Houseboy.  I am guessing they renamed it because they were afraid that it might be considered offensive.  Seeing as this is the same brand that released Secretions Magnifiques, arguably the most offensive fragrance ever made, I am unclear as to why they changed the name.  I love this scent and plan to buy a bottle as it is light enough for summer wear as an Eau du cologne but has enough weight to stick around.  Fils de Dieu could be considered office-friendly in light doses.  If you spray on too much, it does start to project loudly.  Longevity is strong, more than 8 hours.

Fils de Dieu is available at Lucky Scent , Min New York , Henri Bendel and other select boutiques.

Disclaimer:  Sample provided by Luckyscent.  My opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. Image from www.luckyscent.com

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Neela Vermeire Bombay Bling Fragrance Review


* Bombay Bling kicks off with a juicy fruit bouquet that has a refreshing, almost cold feel.  The fruits are exotic with lychee, mango, black currant, and something citrus, perhaps lemon or verbena.

* Part of a trio of fragrances celebrating the history and traditions of India by Neela Vermeire and perfumer Bertrand Duchaufor, Bombay Bling draws inspirations from the joyous, celebratory feel of modern India.

* Imagine a pleasant version of menthol, a cold that is bracing but not overbrearing.  This is the effect of the vivid and dimensional top notes.

* The fruits are joined by white floral heart notes.   The listed notes are jasmine, tuberose, plumeria, gardenia, and ylang ylang, but I am not able point out which ones are actually there since it seems very blended.

* The florals recede a bit, but the fruity top notes act as a haze over the base notes of wood, patchouli, and a not too sweet vanilla.

Summary:  Fruity floral fragrances are all over the place, but Bombay Bling stands out as one of the best ones that I have ever experienced.  Not only is there a clear development, it feels incredibly rich and full without being too strong.  I used the words ‘vivid’ and ‘dimensional’ to describe the top notes, but those words also describe the floral midnotes and the woody base.  I found myself sniffing the scent nonstop while wearing it, because it feels like a three-dimensional fragrance.  The inspiration of colorful, modern India is definitely clear throughout the development of the fragrance.  Even though Bombay Bling is a fruity floral, guys could definitely wear it, and it’s not too loud for an office fragrance.  Longevity is excellent, with it lasting more than 12 hours on my skin.

Bombay Bling is available at Lucky Scent and the Neela Vermiere website.

Disclaimer:  Sample provided by Neela Vermeire  My opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. Image from www.luckyscent.com

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Neela Vermeire Mohur Fragrance Review


* Mohur is all about the rose with its development being an exploration of rose combinations.

* The top note is a soapy rose that projects strongly for the first 20 minutes or so.

* Part of a trio of fragrances celebrating the history and traditions of India by Neela Vermeire and perfumer Bertrand Duchaufor, the name Mohur comes from a gold coin that was important in the history of India.  It is also a tribute to an empress of the Mughal dynasty Noor Jahan, who celebrated the art of perfumery.

* The soap of the rose burns off and it gets a little bit sweeter, almost gourmand with the almond milk and iris – making it more luscious.

* The sweetness quiets a bit as oud comes into play.  Before you shake your head and say, please not another oud fragrance, this is one of the rare scents where oud is a supporting player and not stage hog.  The oud makes the rose a little sweaty and almost brazen in feel.

* The oud dissipates and the base of vanilla and tonka sweetens the rose, with wood and patchouli settling it.

Summary:  Mohur is a fragrance that I didn’t get the first few times I wore it.  I wouldn’t say it’s an intellectual fragrance, but the development is quite subtle and gradual over a long period of time.  Aside from the rose, none of the other notes stand out or scream.  They act as supporting players that tell a story about the rose.  Mohur is not one that I personally love, but I could see people who like rose loving it.  If you are interested in a different take on rose and oud that is more subtle and refined, Mohur is definitely one worth experiencing.

Mohur is available at Lucky Scent and the Neela Vermiere website.

Disclaimer:  Sample provided by Neela Vermeire  My opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. Image from www.luckyscent.com

Fragrance Reviews – Page 34 – Notable Scents

Category: Fragrance Reviews

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Creed Bois du Portugal Fragrance Review


* The fragrance kicks off with a blend of bergamot, lavender, woods, and spices.

* Bois means woods, and this scent was inspired by the woods of Portugal.

* What you smell on top is what you get for most of the span as this scent is mostly linear, until the base comes in which is often after 8-12 hours.

* The bergamot and lavender eventually fade as the sandalwood and cedar become the main focus.  A little spice is left and there is a light grass smell hazed on top.

Summary:  Bois Du Portugal has an old school and distinguished, manly feel to it.  Some refer to it as a 70s/80s powerhouse and I can totally see that as it is strong and projects.  Wear this to an office if you are a CEO or want to feel like one.   It’s one of those scents that gives off the smell of “old money.”  I couldn’t imagine anyone under the age of 30 wearing this, but I can be wrong.  If you happen to have a bottle of Tom Ford Private Blends Bois Rouge, this is similar, but longer-lasting and has more depth.  I know this because I skin tested the two back-to-back for weeks before making a decision to buy a bottle a few years ago.  With everything in my fragrance collection,  I find myself reaching for BDP quite often and the more than half empty bottle is a testament to that.

Creed fragrances are available from Neiman Marcus, select Nordstrom and the Creed Boutique.   If you live in South Florida, I strongly recommend that you reach out to Eduardo, the Creed representative at the Bal Harbour Neiman Marcus.  If you live in Nashville, Byron at Green Hills Nordstrom is quite exceptional as well.

No disclaimer needed – I own a full bottle.  Image from Creed Boutique

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Etat Libre d’Orange Fils De Dieu Du Riz et Des Agrumes Fragrance Review

Etat Libre d'Orange Fils De Dieu Du Riz et Des Agrumes

Etat Libre d'Orange Fils De Dieu Du Riz et Des Agrumes* Fils de Dieu goes on like a cocktail (possible a mojito) with citrus, coconut, ginger, and green notes blending together.

* The name means “Son of God, the rice and citrus.”

* As it develops, it smells even more like a mojito with lime and vanilla joining in as the coconut note increases in intensity.

* This wears differently on me sometimes.  It’s gone in a floral direction a few times with rose and jasmine coming up.  Other times the mojito gets dosed with a foody notes of cinnamon, cardamom, and rice.

* The mojito drifts away as vanilla and amber form the base with a soft leather and musk chiming in.

Summary:   When I was in Paris last year at Eldo boutique in the Marais, I got to sniff this and it was referred to as Filipino Houseboy.  I am guessing they renamed it because they were afraid that it might be considered offensive.  Seeing as this is the same brand that released Secretions Magnifiques, arguably the most offensive fragrance ever made, I am unclear as to why they changed the name.  I love this scent and plan to buy a bottle as it is light enough for summer wear as an Eau du cologne but has enough weight to stick around.  Fils de Dieu could be considered office-friendly in light doses.  If you spray on too much, it does start to project loudly.  Longevity is strong, more than 8 hours.

Fils de Dieu is available at Lucky Scent , Min New York , Henri Bendel and other select boutiques.

Disclaimer:  Sample provided by Luckyscent.  My opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. Image from www.luckyscent.com

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Neela Vermeire Bombay Bling Fragrance Review


* Bombay Bling kicks off with a juicy fruit bouquet that has a refreshing, almost cold feel.  The fruits are exotic with lychee, mango, black currant, and something citrus, perhaps lemon or verbena.

* Part of a trio of fragrances celebrating the history and traditions of India by Neela Vermeire and perfumer Bertrand Duchaufor, Bombay Bling draws inspirations from the joyous, celebratory feel of modern India.

* Imagine a pleasant version of menthol, a cold that is bracing but not overbrearing.  This is the effect of the vivid and dimensional top notes.

* The fruits are joined by white floral heart notes.   The listed notes are jasmine, tuberose, plumeria, gardenia, and ylang ylang, but I am not able point out which ones are actually there since it seems very blended.

* The florals recede a bit, but the fruity top notes act as a haze over the base notes of wood, patchouli, and a not too sweet vanilla.

Summary:  Fruity floral fragrances are all over the place, but Bombay Bling stands out as one of the best ones that I have ever experienced.  Not only is there a clear development, it feels incredibly rich and full without being too strong.  I used the words ‘vivid’ and ‘dimensional’ to describe the top notes, but those words also describe the floral midnotes and the woody base.  I found myself sniffing the scent nonstop while wearing it, because it feels like a three-dimensional fragrance.  The inspiration of colorful, modern India is definitely clear throughout the development of the fragrance.  Even though Bombay Bling is a fruity floral, guys could definitely wear it, and it’s not too loud for an office fragrance.  Longevity is excellent, with it lasting more than 12 hours on my skin.

Bombay Bling is available at Lucky Scent and the Neela Vermiere website.

Disclaimer:  Sample provided by Neela Vermeire  My opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. Image from www.luckyscent.com

Categories
Fragrance Reviews

Neela Vermeire Mohur Fragrance Review


* Mohur is all about the rose with its development being an exploration of rose combinations.

* The top note is a soapy rose that projects strongly for the first 20 minutes or so.

* Part of a trio of fragrances celebrating the history and traditions of India by Neela Vermeire and perfumer Bertrand Duchaufor, the name Mohur comes from a gold coin that was important in the history of India.  It is also a tribute to an empress of the Mughal dynasty Noor Jahan, who celebrated the art of perfumery.

* The soap of the rose burns off and it gets a little bit sweeter, almost gourmand with the almond milk and iris – making it more luscious.

* The sweetness quiets a bit as oud comes into play.  Before you shake your head and say, please not another oud fragrance, this is one of the rare scents where oud is a supporting player and not stage hog.  The oud makes the rose a little sweaty and almost brazen in feel.

* The oud dissipates and the base of vanilla and tonka sweetens the rose, with wood and patchouli settling it.

Summary:  Mohur is a fragrance that I didn’t get the first few times I wore it.  I wouldn’t say it’s an intellectual fragrance, but the development is quite subtle and gradual over a long period of time.  Aside from the rose, none of the other notes stand out or scream.  They act as supporting players that tell a story about the rose.  Mohur is not one that I personally love, but I could see people who like rose loving it.  If you are interested in a different take on rose and oud that is more subtle and refined, Mohur is definitely one worth experiencing.

Mohur is available at Lucky Scent and the Neela Vermiere website.

Disclaimer:  Sample provided by Neela Vermeire  My opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. Image from www.luckyscent.com