Category: Uncategorized

European Trip 2015 – Day 6 (Paris)

Post author By Ron Slomowicz
Post date November 4, 2015

After visiting Paris for a few years, I’ve realized that a trip to Jovoy should start in the morning. They open at 11am so I was there to work my way around the room. I started at the back and went around and sniffed everything that I have never seen before. Starting at the back of the store:

Institut Tres Bien is a basic intro line. Cologne a la Russe is a spicy wood with a nice citrus kick. The three tradition scents – Amber, Cuir, and Bois are realistic single-note scents.
Berdoues Colognes Grand Crus are elevated colognes. They are light but have a full-bodied feel. Scorza Di Siciliar and Assam of India are both solid citrus scents. Scorza brings in cedar and vetiver, which means it will probably never touch my skin. Assam brings in a tea note and a hint of creamy sandalwood. Arz El-Rab and Oud Al Sahara are heavier orientals, but not overbearing. At 70 Euros a bottle, all of these colognes are a much better value than Third Men.

I discovered the Gritti line in Germany last year with its heavily-spiced Damascus (review coming soon.) The high end expensive jeweled line (Collection Prive) didn’t grab me except for Areta, a spicy, candied carob with a lot of weight. I actually think the main line is nicer with the spicey Damascus and Noctem Arabs. Doped Tuberose is a unique take on florals. Saraj and Delirium start with the same briney note as ODriu scents. Antalya has a strange top note that makes me sneeze and has that ugly pretty vibe that Tyra Banks always talked about on America’s Next Top Model. This interesting line is definitely worth exploring.

Olfattology seemed a bit generic for such an expensive niche line. Yacuma is a nice rose. OT-11 is a spice bomb. Sagami is the major standout with a mix of incense, plum, tobacco, and woods.

I spent more time with Nobile 1942 than I did in Italy and started to really enjoy the line. Anonimo Veneziano, Pontevecchio, and Casta Diva are three florals that I want to spend more time with. La Danza delle Libellule is an upscale fruity floral that would be a nice adult fragrance for any woman who grew up on Britney Spears perfumes. Cafe Chantant is a sweet, milk chocolate coffee with a hint of cherry. The extrait version is a dream come true. The only scent that lost me in the line was Malia which had a witch concept that was beyond cheesy.

While there was nothing new from Bois 1920, Sensual Tuberose is always amazing. Jovoy also has full stock of cult favorite Vento bel Vento, which is hard to find.

Chabaud Maison de Parfum does sweet very well. The three milky scents – Lait de Biscuit, Lait Concentre, and Lait de Vanille were all so strong that it was a challenge to choose which one was going home with me. (Lait de Biscuit made the final cut.) The two florals, Vintage and Chic et Boheme are both worth sniffing. One criticism, the only mysterious thing about Mysterious Oud is why every niche line have this same exact scent. I will also note that the caps are unique with the pass through top.

The new Collection d’Ailleurs remind me of the first batch of Tom Ford Private Blends – you know they were really good. D’Ame de Pique and Noir d’Orient are heavy and full-bodied. Blanc de Sienne is ethereal and reminds me of IUNX l’ether. The wood feeling caps give the bottle a really nice feel.

One line that didn’t impress me at all was Anatole Lebreton. Looking past the cheap bottles with tacky white sticker label, the three scents could easily be described with two words each. L’eau Scandaleuse – Cougar Juice. Bois Lumber – Dirty Pet. L’eau De Merzhin – farm hay. I don’t see myself spending much more time with this line.

For some reason, all the notes that I wrote after this entry disappeared without a save. The Arty line of scents and candles were quite nice.

I remember liking the Premiere Note line as well. I sniffed the Xerjoff Al-Kimiya line and as amazing as they smelled, the price price point made me too scared to try on skin.

I ended up skin-testing Gritti Arete, Chabaud L’ete du Biscuit, Mendittorossa Segno Beale and Liquides Imaginaires Bello Rabelo. All four of them did really well but my sweet tooth won out and I bought the Chabaud.

Fragrance Reviews Uncategorized

Blackbird Broken Glass Fragrance Review

Post author By Ron Slomowicz
Post date October 2, 2015

* A sharp, metallic violet pierces through the opening.

* It is brisk and will take you by surprise.

* The violet mellows down into a brew of muddled, rubbery flowers – rose, iris, and violet in the background with angelica on the top.

* All of the flowers seem to implode into one other and a woody note comes to the forefront.

* There is a hint of spice in the warm base with some resins sweetening the wood.

Summary: I am back from a long break of reviewing perfume. and Broken Glass is one that reinspired me. I wore Triton a few times and noticed it was a complete 180 from the bongwater scent that didn’t work on me. Triton was crisp, atmospheric, and pleasantly astringent – which honestly doesn’t make sense when you read it, but in texture and experience that is the perfect description. Broken Glass is creative and interesting without being a scene stealer. It doesn’t demand attention by screaming but lures you in with interesting changes over its development. Longevity is excellent – well over 12 hours, but it is not overwhelming. It feels like a second skin, present in your space but not burdening you with a heavy film.

Other opinions:

Colognoisseur
Best Smelling Perfumes

Blackbird Broken Glass is available from Blackbird Website.

Disclaimer: Sample provided by Blackbird. Image courtesy of Blackbird website.

Tags blackbird, iris, rose, violet

Fragrance Reviews Uncategorized

Masque Milano Montecristo Fragrance Review

Post author By Ron Slomowicz
Post date June 17, 2014

* Tobacco and rum dominate the top – and the room – as it projects strongly.

* When I say it projects strongly, you will be leaving a strong scent trail.

* The tobacco and rum stay present and gradually get more dirty and animalic as the smell of dirty leather and musk comes in.

* It starts to get a little smoky at this point, as if the match for the tobacco has been extinguished in the dirty leather.

* As the smoke rises, the heart of sweet resins and earthy patchouli come in with a hint of the rum from the top still in the mix.

Summary: The buzz on this scent from my fragrance friends has been deafening. Last time I was in NYC, my friend Brian was wearing it, and walking a few steps behind him, I felt like I had to control my urges to throw him down and ravage him. Montecristo is very powerful, primal, and sexual. Obviously not a scent for the office, but for a night of clubbing (or hunting for a partner) this would be a great go-to scent. I supposed a woman could wear this but it feels so virile and masculine, I am not sure how it would work. Longevity is great at more than 12 hours on my skin. It also wears a little differently each time – sometimes it feels dirtier, while other times the rum on the top remains the dominant note. For a good bit of the time in the heart phase, it smells like a used leather satchel used to carry around illicit goods that has absorbed the best of all the elements – well worn, but still very desirable.

Other opinions:

Ca Fleure Bon
Kafkaesque
The Non-Blonde
Colognoisseur
Chemist in the Bottle

Masque Milano Montecristo is available from Twisted Lily and LuckyScent.

Disclaimer: sample received from fellow perfume lover.. Image courtesy of LuckyScent website.