Tag: musk

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Fragrance Reviews Mainstream Monday

Masik University of Tennessee Men’s Cologne Review

masik-university-of-tennessee

* Sweet fruit on the top- black berries and strawberries- with a hint of spice.

* It smells clean and fresh to me, very similar to what you would expect from a department store designer fragrance.

* The fruits fade away as lavender comes in with a spicy floral undertone.

* Guys shouldn’t be scared of the floral note – it isn’t that strong.

* The base is a clean, woodsy musk.

Summary: Although I live in Tennessee, I don’t make it up to Knoxville that often – so I can’t really gauge if these are REALLY the smells of the college.  Honestly, it could probably smell like bongwater and the ravenous UT Vols fans would still buy it up.  The MASIC company has discovered a great and loyal crowd who will buy signature fragrances – university students and alumni.  The scent smells nice and will please a lot of people who are looking for an easy to wear, everyday, work-friendly scent.  As stated above, it is very similar to a lot of the designer fragrances you see in a department store.  It isn’t groundbreaking, but that’s not its purpose.  For the target audience, it is a great fit.

Masik University of Tennessee Men’s Cologne is available at the Masik Website and Belk. Sample provided by publicist.

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Fragrance Reviews

Bond I Love NY for Holidays Fragrance Review

bond-no-9-i-love-ny-for-holidays* Fruity kick for the intro with berries, plum, and a sweet citrus.

* The berries stick around and are joined by a melange of florals.

* Just as we say fruit salad for a generic, indistinct jumble of fruit smells – ‘melange of florals’ would be my polite way of saying floral salad.

* The florals last for a couple of hours before fading a bit.

* The base is described as vanilla gelato and sensual musk.  Let’s skip the fancy talk and just say the base is vanilla and amber with a light musk in the mix.

Summary:  I haven’t been that impressed with the recent Bond No 9 fragrances (Parfumista Ave and NY musk) but for some reason the I Love NY scents seem to work better on me (and are at a cheaper price point).  I don’t get the holidays from this scent but that is not necessarily a bad thing – because if it was pine, cinnamon and fruitcake – the scent would be TOO specific to be worn for the holidays.  As it is, it doesn’t stand out from many of the designer fruity floral scents that dominate department store scents, but since it’s at a similar price point, has the iconic I Love NY logo on the bottle, and says “holidays” – it makes an obvious gift for anyone on your holiday list.  The compliment I want to pay it is that it is inoffensive and universal – but that sounds backhanded,  which isn’t my intention.  Longevity is good for an EDP, lasting about 8 hours on my skin before it turns into a subtle skin scent.

Other opinions:

Ca Fleure Bon
Man Loves Cologne
GoodSmellas

Bond I Love NY for the Holidays is available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks 5th Avenue and the Bond No 9 Website.

Disclaimer: Sample provided by department store. Picture courtesy of Sephora.

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Fragrance Reviews

M Micallef Vanille Orient / Vanilla Oriental Fragrance Review

* A nice, thick, boozy vanilla bordering on extract is the top.

* Of the four scents in the Art Collection, this is the only one focused on vanilla the whole time.

Continue reading “M Micallef Vanille Orient / Vanilla Oriental Fragrance Review”
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Fragrance Reviews

Illuminum Orange Blossom Fragrance Review

* Orange Blossom kicks off with orange flower – surprise!  Actually the orange flower is not overly sweet and juicy, spices are there to dry it down.

* The spices are slowly replaced by a quiet oud.  It’s not screaming at first, but you can smell it enter the room.

* The oud is kind of like tequila – you add it to a party and things get interesting.  The oud is joined by a musk that goes a little animalic and gamey, but not all the way to skank.  The orange flower stays present which really accents a contrast.

* After about 6 hours, a sweet zesty incense joins the orange flower to make up the base.

* It calms down to a skin scent that lasts more than 9 hours.

Summary:  When I saw Illuminum Orange Blossom was classified in their musk family, I knew this would be an interesting take.  Mixing oud and flowers is not a new idea, but it’s usually rose which is the flower of choice – using an orange flower was quite unique.  As with all the other Illuminum Haute fragrances I’ve tested, the top broadcasts and then it calms down over time.   This one can easily be for men or women but I definitely see this more for evening than daytime wear.  The oud party in the middle is definitely too much for the office.

Illuminum Haute Perfumes are available from http://www.illuminumperfumelounge.com/ .  They will be available at Henri Bendel in June 2012.

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