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Fragrance Reviews Mainstream Monday

Dior Homme Eau For Men Fragrance Review (Mainstream Monday)

dior-homme-eau-for-man
* First whiff is a bit tingly and spicy.  Its hard to define the notes but it feels (but doesn’t smell) peppery with the way it makes my nose twitch

* Within three minutes, a semisweet grapefruit and citrus comes in with a bit of spice.

* The fruits mix and stay at the forefront, and a faint flower starts to come in.

* The original Dior Homme was an iris-based scent – so I am guessing the flower is a muted iris.

* The long-lasting base of amber woods lasts a really long time.

Summary:  Dior Homme Eau For Men is a safe and solid designer men’s fragrance. It is easy to wear, accessible, and will work for a lot of people.  I think it is better than most department store scents because what you smell on top is pretty similar to what you smell throughout the life of the scent and it lasts more than twelve hours.   Fans of scents like Chanel Blue and Dior Light Blue would do well to check this one out.  It is office-friendly and will no doubt be very popular as I’ve already smelled it on guys at the club several times.  The glass bottle is also quite attractive – in a modern masculine minimalist way with the black tube accent giving it a visual exclamation point.  This is one of those times when I appreciate a fragrance for its merits while realizing that it is not something that I personally would reach for.  

Other opinions:

Alpha M
Goodsmellas

Dior Homme Eau for Men is available at Macy’s.

Disclaimer: Sample received from publicist. Image courtesy of Fragrantica.

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Fragrance Reviews

Chanel Pour Monsieur Eau de Toilette Concentree Fragrance Review

* Pour Monsieur starts off as a classic men’s cologne – a mix of citrus and lavender.  It’s fresh, but has depth with some green woodsy notes filling it out.

* The Concentree version that I am reviewing is available in the U.S. and is a tan-colored liquid.  The non-concentree version is only available in Europe and is a completely different scent.

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Fragrance Reviews

Smell Bent Violet Tendencies Fragrance Review

Smellbent Violet Tendencies* Violet Tendencies must be a play on violent because this one goes on with a punch – leather sharpened with wood and some violet.

* The way that menthol is bracing and cold, that’s how sharp the initial blast is.

* Some more wood comes to the forefront with a tad bit of spice – but it’s the violet and the leather that hold the lead.

* This smells much more expensive and manly than the bottle looks.  If this was put out by a major house, they could easily charge three times the price.

* Although kind of linear, the base notes last for more than 8 hours. Smellbent-Violet-Tendencies

Summary:  Of all the Smell Bent scents I have played with, this is the most masculine and I don’t think most women would want to wear it.  I could see a college student wearing this at their first job out of college – it’s aggressive and decisive but not overbearing.   If you are looking for a gift for a college graduate who has personality but is looking to enter the corporate world, Violet Tendencies is a good choice.

Smell Bent Violet Tendencies is available from Indiescents and the Smellbent website.

Disclaimer:  No disclaimer needed.  I own a full bottle.  Images from Indiescents.com and Smellbent.com

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Fragrance Reviews

Guerlain Elixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin Fragrance Review

Guerlain Elixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin

* Imagine the most delicious and decadent milk chocolate in the world.  That’s what this smells like.

* There is some cherry and rum at the top to support the chocolate, but it really is all about the chocolate.

* Slight projection for the first thirty minutes or so, and then it becomes a skin scent.

* The cherry/rum melts away and a soft vanilla comes in to join the dominant, sweet chocolate.

* The scent slowly fades into a delicious soft chocolate which last for about eight hours.

Summary:  Gourmand Coquin is the first fragrance I bought from the Guerlain boutique in Las Vegas.   It is also my comparison that I use when I am considering purchasing an expensive fragrance.  I think to myself, do I love it as much as Gourmand Coquin?  Everytime I wear this, I sniff myself constantly.  It is delicious, edible, and amazing.  This is not the chocolate scent you would get from a celebrity fragrance or something cheap from the mall – this is high-end, ultra luxe and rich- if there was chocolate nicer than Godiva/Lindt/etc. – that would be the chocolate that you smell here.  Although you would probably wear this as an evening scent, it works as an office scent because it stays close to the skin.  It is marketed as feminine, but guys could easily wear it.  Only two drawbacks – as a Guerlain exclusive, it is insanely expensive at $260 per bottle.  Also, the word is that it will be discontinued.   Although it might anger me, I wish Guerlain would change this from an exclusive to a mainstream fragrance so more people could enjoy and experience it.  If Gourman Coquin was marketed in department stores like their other mainstream scents, it would be an international smash.

Though Voyou is available from Neiman Marcus, I would recommend that you contact Guerlain Boutique in Las Vegas as their customer service is beyond impeccable, and they carry a complete line of all Guerlain fragrances.

Disclaimer:  No disclaimer needed.  I bought a full bottle.  Picture from Guerlain website.