Cleanliness and Fragrances -- Reviews and Essay
Cleanliness and Fragrances
-- Review Essay
Fragrance
Reviews begin at the end of this essay.
Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is an
ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Song of Songs 1:30
Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars
of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the
merchant? Song of Songs 3:6
Most people, throughout most of history, in most times and
places, most of the time, stunk. Left
unattended the human body will stink to high heaven in a very short time. It is eminently natural to stink. It is said that the Mongol army could not
launch a surprise attack because it was possible to smell them from twenty
miles away. They prided themselves on
never bathing. They were
barbarians. The Mongols did not torture
people to death, unlike most civilized societies of their time (Weatherford, pp.
115-16). The Romans and most other
civilized societies made torture a public spectacle to entertain and intimidate
their citizenry. They were sadistic. What made the Romans civilized and the
Mongols barbarians was that the Romans took baths and the Mongols stunk. The Mongols believed that a person's body odor
was part of their soul (Weatherford, p. 12) , and this probably was part of the
reason they refused to bathe -- in addition to the scarcity of water on the
Central Asian steppe.
It is the practice of bathing, the attendance on personal
hygiene, the mitigation of offensive odor from the body, rather than moral
superiority, that distinguishes civilized people from uncivilized. Not stinking, or actually smelling good, is
the mark of civilization. One of the
most commendable achievements of modern capitalism is that it has made people
smell better.
In former times the practice of bathing was much less common
and human body odor was ubiquitous, although attitudes toward body odor and
bathing are highly variable from culture to culture (Ashenburg,
Introduction). The ancient Egyptians
were known for being fastidious about bathing and personal cleanliness (Ashenburg,
p. 6). They were one of the earliest
civilizations.
It was Christian hatred of the body that brought about the
demise of the Roman public baths and ushered in a long era of despising and
devaluing bodily cleanliness and sanitation (Ashenburg, p. 58f.) From the 16th to the 18th centuries it was
not unusual for people to go for a year or more without ever bathing. Even the aristocracy was noted for rank
malodor (Ashenburg, Ch. 4). Queen
Elizabeth I bathed once a month "whether she needed it or not"
(Ashenburg, p. 99). If the queen only
bathed once a month, imagine what the rest of the people were like. It was a different time.
This long era of filth and stink in the western world began
to recede in the last half of the eighteenth century and accelerated in the
nineteenth, especially with the advent of running water in the home.
As cities expanded, and people
worked close to one another in crowded offices and factories, they grew
unhappily aware of the smells produced by their own bodies and those of
others. The arrival of women in the work
world accelerated this new sensitivity. The
fastidiousness that had first surfaced, tentatively, in late eighteenth-century
Europe was becoming an American obsession.
At the same time, prosperity was at an all time high. People could afford the products that would
enable them to live in a smell-less zone, a safe place where they would neither
"offend" nor be "offended." (Ashenburg, p. 244)
Advertising campaigns in the 1930s and 40s promoted
deodorant, shampoo, and razors to women, and later sanitary napkins (Ashenburg,
p. 5). A major industry has been built
in the twentieth century around suppressing natural body odor and replacing it
with something supposedly better.
My own attitude is that one should have to get pretty close
to another person in order to smell their body.
Smell is intimate, and one's personal body odor should be largely
private. If you can smell a person from
more than a few feet away (and that includes perfume, or anything), that person
is not civilized and is out of place in a modern society.
"the slovenly folk, who have
been going on the theory that they can take a bath or leave it, are to be
brought to their senses," (NYT, July 10, 1927. Ashenburg, p. 255)
"Odors are unnecessary and
those that have them are violating rules of courtesy." (Ashenburg, p. 254;
quoting Hadida, 1932, pp. 98-104)
"Smelling someone's real
body or allowing your own body to be smelled has become an intrusion, a breach
of a crucial boundary." (Ashenburg,
p.271)
San Luis Obispo, CA, law bans people from the library for
having offensive odor. This provision
was part of a list of disruptive behaviors prohibited from the library. (Los Angeles Times, March 5, 2005. Ashenburg, p. 273)
Why not make scentless the modern ideal, since ever greater
cleanliness seems to be the American way?
There is a lot to be said for that, and the only argument I would make
against it is that people have always smelled, and so we are accustomed to our
bodies emitting odors and to perceiving the odors of others. If we are going to smell, why not smell good
rather than offensive? Scentless in my
view is too conservative and carries the war on body odor to an untenable
extreme. The aesthetic I advocate is
that body odor should be minimal and not intrusive or attention seeking,
pleasing if possible, but at least minimally offensive.
The word 'perfume' comes from the Latin per fumum meaning "through smoke." (Morris, p. 16) The earliest perfumes were likely the burning
of wood or meat to offer a pleasant savor to the gods. Burning incense to the gods was a widespread
practice in the ancient world. (1 Kings 11:8, Ezekiel 6:13) The sweet smell of the incense was judged to
be pleasing to the gods and the rising smoke and fragrance would carry aloft
the prayers of the people and provide a pleasing presentation to the deities. In the thirtieth chapter of Exodus God
commands Aaron to build an altar and burn incense on it.
Of shittim wood shalt thou make it. . . And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. Exodus 30: 1-8
Of the three gifts that the wise men brought to the baby
Jesus, two of them were fragrances. In a
world where obnoxious smells were the rule, pleasing fragrances were valued on
a par with gold.
There is archeological evidence
of a thriving perfume industry on the island of Cyprus as early as 2000
BC. Perfumes have been found in Egyptian
graves going back to 3000 BC. (The Scotsman: Scotland on Sunday,
September 21, 2014)
A pleasing fragrance, a sweet savor, was thought to be
better than the ordinary rancidness of daily life and thus worthy of
presentation to the gods. So also in
perfuming the body one gains favor and elevates oneself in the noses of one's
peers and especially in one's estimation of oneself. One gains in self confidence and self esteem
knowing that one's fragrance is apt to make one pleasing and attractive to
others. A pleasing fragrance is a sign
of cultivation, sophistication, aristocracy.
The European tendency to be more accepting of the stink of
everyday life is a cultural difference which I regard as somewhat
primitive. You have to keep in mind that
the smells that come off of our bodies are the result of bacteria and fungi inhabiting
our skin and orifices and these organisms can be pernicious. They can create
infections, irritations, illnesses. They
can cause your teeth to rot and fall out.
The odor that we perceive is only the first indication of their presence
in significant numbers and the impact they are beginning to have on our bodies
and health. Body odor tells us that it
is time to wash off the bacteria before things get worse. Modern hygiene has made us healthier and
lengthened our lives -- not to mention improved the aesthetic quality of our
personal interactions.
The modern perfume industry began in the eighteenth century,
mainly in France and Germany, with the return of bathing. As people bathed their bodies they found it
pleasant to anoint themselves with fragrant waters and oils. The spread of the use of fragrance grew in
conjunction with the development of porcelain ceramics and glass which were
used to make containers for these fragrant concoctions, because they would not
react with the fragrant oils and extracts in the perfumes. (Morris, 1999, pp. 74-82)
This nascent perfume industry, catering as it did to the
aristocracy, was nearly obliterated in the French Revolution. However, Napoleon Bonaparte, who came to
power in 1804, was a dandy, who was very conscientious about bathing and
hygiene, even on military campaigns, and he revived the perfume industry in
France, giving it generous support and encouragement (Morris, 1999, pp.
84-87). The discovery of chemical
solvents in the 1830s that allowed for the extraction of exotic scents from many
flowers and plants that had never been possible before, led to an explosion of perfume
manufacturing. Many of the major perfume
houses that exist today got their start in the nineteenth century. It was the growth and rising affluence of the
middle class and the increasing attention to bathing and hygiene that fostered
this prodigious growth of the perfume industry.
Today the fragrance industry is a multibillion dollar worldwide
behemoth that employs sophisticated technology, marketing, and huge budgets for
product research and development. The Perfect Scent by Chandler Burr is an
excellent inside look at this modern industry.
I am not going to go into surveying it here. I think this is long enough already. But Burr is an excellent, knowledgeable
writer whose books are readable and very interesting.
I want to make one more philosophical foray into aesthetics
and taste before I leave you to peruse my reviews of individual
fragrances. Ashenburg gives an
unwarranted amount of space to Sissel Tolaas, who runs a research lab in Berlin
devoted to scent (Ashenburg, 2007, pp. 271-74).
Among other projects, the lab is building an archive of scent which
includes over 7000 aromas neatly labeled and catalogued. Tolaas hopes to develop a vocabulary of
fragrance that will allow us to describe and discuss fragrances in words for
which for which our current linguistic capability is dearth. These are laudable projects and I do wish her
success in these efforts and I remain interested in her progress. Where I differ with Tolaas and the slant that
Ashenburg gives to her, is her aesthetic.
It is best illustrated by an anecdote that she relates herself:
Once at the Berlin Film
Festival I wore a beautiful evening dress and put on a smell which was the
absolute contrast -- the smell of garbage and the stench of dogshit! And people were completely confused because
the way I looked and the way I smelled had nothing to do with each other. And I had the most fun time in my life! In this case the purpose of smell was to say
"leave me alone."
Normally the role of smell in
our society is to say "come to me!" but I did the opposite and I
succeeded. Maybe at some point we will
have smells for different purposes, the "stay alone" smell,
"come halfway" smell, "come close" smell. What's wrong with that?!" ( Tolaas, Huffington
Post, September 24, 2013)
What's wrong with it is that you don't need smell to
communicate those intentions, and Tolass was sending out a very mixed message
by her appealing dress on the one hand and her offensive odor on the
other. The point was to create confusion
in people and thus draw attention to herself.
She was at an event where everyone would be dressed fashionably and thus
dress alone may not have been sufficient to make a distinguishing splash, so
she doused herself in stink in order to make herself stand out from the
crowd. A kind of grandstanding with odor
and dress. There is also a hostile,
contemptuous element in it. It's childish.
My view is that smells are mostly offensive, probably 80
percent, ranging from the mild to the disgusting. The evolutionary purpose of smell was
primarily to warn us of danger and secondarily to help us find something to
eat. In civilized societies the role of
smell in meeting these needs has been minimized and thus smell has been freed
from its primary function of perceiving hazard to offering the possibility of
aesthetic enhancement, in the same way that clothing has gone beyond simply
protecting us from the elements to making a personal statement about ourselves
in society. Deliberately wearing a
fragrance to make oneself stink in public is either a reflection of low self
esteem and the anticipation of rejection, or a childish, sassy
provocation.
Luca Turin has a somewhat different sensibility and
aesthetic. But he is French and
Italian. He tells us
France is a country of smells.
. . The idea that things should be slightly dirty, overripe, slightly fecal is
everywhere in France. They like rotten
cheese and dirty sheets and unwashed women
(Burr, 2003, p. 3-4).
I noticed that in many of the fragrances that Turin favors
and praises. They sort of stink. He thinks it is sophisticated to like these
somewhat offensive smells. I think it is
civilization turned on its head. One
might question whether Turin speaks for the whole kingdom of France, but his comments
are echoed by Henry Miller writing in Paris in the 1930s
That's the first thing that
strikes an American woman about Europe -- that it's unsanitary. (Miller, p.
137)
Chandler Burr rightly calls Luca Turin the "Emperor of
Scent." Turin probably knows as
much as anyone alive about scent, its history and the contemporary industry of
scent. In addition he has an
extraordinarily discerning and well trained nose for grasping the ingredients
and building blocks of a fragrance. In
presenting these fragrance reviews here I don't claim anywhere near the skill
and sophistication that Turin has to offer.
He is the unquestioned master. His
perception of odors is unmatched and his ability to analyze the compositions of
perfumes are far more precise than my own.
I am totally untrained in the language of fragrance and the building
blocks of modern perfumes. Everything I
have picked up on my own, with gaps and limitations. The differences I have with Turin are in
taste. What one chooses to wear, in
both clothing and in fragrance, has to do with personality and style and the
image one wishes to project in the world.
In this we have substantial differences, and this is reflected in our
respective evaluations of perfumes. It
is also true that perfumes can smell differently on different person's
bodies. That might also be a source of
difference in some evaluations. Turin's Perfume Guide is the standard classic on
this subject. Anyone who is with more
than a passing interest in perfumes should have it. I used it to help select some of the
fragrances to sample. I did not consult
it in formulating my evaluations. My
evaluations and comments on the fragrances are my own.
Every fragrance listed here I have used on my body. Most of the time I bought small samples and
wore them for a couple of days. In many
cases one day was enough. My comments
are generally spare, mostly little more than a reaction. In rare cases I have changed my mind after a
second try. Usually I know right away
whether I like something or not.
However, perfumes change on the body after some time wearing them. Some perfumes might start out good and then
slide downhill after a couple of hours.
Less often they will start out somewhat negative and then evolve in a
pleasing way later on. All of the
fragrances that I tried are marketed as "Men's" or
"Unisex." There are women's
fragrances that I like, but since I haven't worn them or tested them myself, I
didn't think it was appropriate to include them in this list. I also tried a number of "essential oils" in an
effort to sharpen my powers of discernment of the components of a
fragrance. I don't know that it helped
all that much, but I listed my comments on the essential oils as well.
After some debate I decided to list the fragrances in
alphabetical order. This posed some
problems because some fragrances are known by the perfume house that created
them, but many are known by their trade names, with the name of the
manufacturer being less well known. I
have tried to list them by the manufacturer, but some that are better known by
their trade name may be listed that way.
If you are looking for something and you don't find it by the
manufacturer, try looking for it by the commercial trade name.
A key to the entries.
If a fragrance has a + after it, that means I like it. If you see ++, then it means it is on my
shopping list, or I may have bought a bottle of it already. The vast majority of commercial fragrances I
do not like and would not wear. So these
reviews are overwhelmingly negative.
Chandler Burr's estimation of the typical commercial masculine
fragrance is as follows:
The surefire formula for making
a bestselling masculine seems simply to be mixing together enough
dihydromyrcenol (laundry detergent) with the smell of metal garbage can to
choke a horse, then topping that with the scent of cryogenically frozen citrus
peel dusted with DDT and a whiff of recycled plastic. Chrome
is fit, at 10 percent dilution, for controlling weeds on your lawn. Aramis
makes a fine garage floor sterilizer.
But following a plan of simply pumping out some metallic doesn't always
work. All sorts of things that smelled
of the effluent of arms manufacturing plants were put on the shelves every year
and, for some reason, refused to sell.
(Burr, 2007, p. 151)
I'm not as caustic as that, but I understand where he is
coming from. However, what I do like, I
like a lot, and I admire expert perfumers who are able to create interesting,
unique fragrances that have a pleasing effect.
I plan to update this list from time to time as I try new samples.
References
Ashenburg, Katherine (2007)
The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History. New York:
North Point Press.
Burr, Chandler (2003)
The Emperor of Scent: A True Story of Perfume and Obsession. New York:
Random House.
Burr, Chandler (2007)
The Perfect Scent: A Year inside the Perfume Industry in Paris
and New York. New York: Picador/ Henry Holt.
Hadida, Sophie (1932)
Manners for Millions: A Correct Code for Pleasing Personal Habits
for Everyday Men and Women. New
York: Doubleday, Duran & Co.
Miller, Henry (1961) Tropic of Cancer. New York:
Grove Press.
Morris, Edwin T.
(1999) Scents of Time: Perfume from
Ancient Egypt to the 21st Century. New
York, Boston, London: Metropolitan
Museum of Art, Bulfinch Press/Little, Brown & Co.
Turin, Luca and Sanchez, Tania (2009) Perfumes: The A-Z Guide. New York and London: Penguin Books.
Weatherford, Jack (2004)
Genghis Khan and the Making of the
Modern World. New York: Three Rivers Press.
The
Fragrances
A*Men by Thierry Mugler Smells like the Wysteria incense my dad
used to burn. But also has a strong
vanilla fragrance that becomes dominant.
Very durable. Too sweet and
perfumey for me. Womanish. A woman could wear this.
Affinessence Paris Patchouli Oud Wood, leaves, earth OK undistinguished
Agonist Black Amber Rather light, grassy, hint of vanilla, some wysteria if applied more heavily, vaguely pleasant, not strong, not durable
Agonist Black Amber Rather light, grassy, hint of vanilla, some wysteria if applied more heavily, vaguely pleasant, not strong, not durable
Agonist
Dark Saphir Fresh,
Soapy, clean, little bit smoky, pleasant, not bad, durable +
Second time better, more smoky, incense, pungent, good ++ Third time Smoky, pungent, incense, wonderful ++ Ordered
Agonist Infidels Smoky, herbal, kind of biting. Nice.
Agonist Liquid Crystal Eau De Parfum light, floral, vague citrus, sweet, >
baby powder, little womanish, fairly durable
Amouage Beloved Man Little smoky, herbal, clean, not strong at first, grows some. Not real durable.
Amouage Ciel Man Citrus, lime, fresh, clean, something slightly dark, not strong, not durable
Amouage Epic Nothing
Amouage Gold
Detergent, stinking, offensive
Amouage Honour Spicy, smoky, fresh, clean very durable
+ +
Amouage Imitation Man Spice, Grass, Water, little musky,
unimpressive. Grows stronger. Fairly durable.
Amouage Journey Man smoky, spicy, pungent, clean, rather nice. Softens later on but still retains its spicy character. Very durable. Excellent. ++
Amouage
Jubilation XXV Mens
smoky, moderate, durable + +
Amouage Lyric
Detergent, chemicals, durable
Amouage Memoir
Fresh & light at first, smoky, can't make up my mind. Second try:
Negative.
Amouage Myths Man Smoky, wood, dry leaves,
earthy. At first a bit astringent, which
I rather like. Softens after a while
becomes somewhat like pancakes. Quite
durable. Rather good. +
Amouage Puro
Nejma Fruity, rich, dark,
pungent Durable Excellent
+ +
Amouage Silver Moth balls, offensive, choking
Andy Tauer
Lonestar Memories Stinks chemicals
detergent very durable
Anise --
Smells like licorice, but better than licorice.
It has a sweetness and a smokiness, rather pungent. Very pleasant and fresh. Could wear it alone. Fairly durable. I only used a very little bit.
07-31-14 Tried a bit of anise
w a little bit of lime oil on top. At
first it smelled a little rancid, then got itself under control. The lime seems to freshen and brighten the
anise, but the lime disappears quickly, but then occasionally reappears from
time to time. Anise is much stronger and
more durable than the lime. Good
mix.
Anubis
Papillon Artisan Perfume
Musky, woody, little spicy, fairly strong, not bad, not durable
Armani
Acqui di Gio -- watery, somewhat
offensive, very durable, definitely a no
Armani
Light, fresh, little bit spicy, not durable. So light hardly noticeable. Don't really like it.
Armani /Prive Ambre Soie
Light incense, Pleasant, not long
lasting +
Aspen
Very nice. Fresh, woodsy, clean,
slightly bitter, but pleasantly so. The
opposite of sweet powdery, perfumey. Has
a kind of tang, but not citrus. Very
interesting.
Atelier Cologne Bois Blonds Grassy, musky, tobacco, leather,
becomes a little watery, rather light but persistent
Bogner Wood Man Light, pleasant, slightly perfumey. Not much.
Bogner Wood Man Light, pleasant, slightly perfumey. Not much.
Bulgari Pour Homme -- Light, watery, little bit detergent. Don't like it. Very durable.
Bulgari Aqua Marine Pour Homme Clean, fresh, watery. Not offensive but not compelling either. Fairly durable.
Burberry
Brit -- Spicy > Old Spice Lite durable
not bad
Burberry London -- Grassy, citrus, light OK, but
not much
Burberry
Touch -- Grassy, pungent,
watery. Don't care for it.
Burberry Weekend Fresh and clean, little bit grassy,
little bit spicy. Maybe a little bit
soapy, but that fades. Durable. Rather fresh and pleasant. Not all that bad. +
By
Dolce Gabana Sweet, perfumey, light, slightly watery,
little bit sickening. Not
distinctive. Unfortunately rather
durable. Threw it out.
Byredo Encens Chembur Light, fresh, crisp, pine, incense, very
clean. Doesn't last.
Byredo Oliver Peoples Incense, citrus, pungent, good. Little bit smoky. Smokiness grows. Very nice.
Long lasting. +
Canati --
Sweet, musty, pungent > mothballs
don't like it
Calvin by Calvin Klein Light, fresh, kind of spicy,
reminiscent of new carpet. Durability
only moderate
Carrot seed -- Essential oil. grassy, waxy, little bit sharp, herbal. Not strong, not durable.
Cuiron Helmut Lang Nothing.
Couldn't smell it. Very
indistinct, no character. Later becomes
watery and gains strength. Very
unimpressive.
Cedarwood --
Essential oil. Heavy, musky,
woody. Without the sweetness and
freshness of real cedar. Not very durable.
Clove bud --
Essential oil. Smells just like
cloves. Spicy, pungent. Lovely.
CB I hate Perfumes Lavender Tea Absolute Fairly strong Long lingering +
Compagnia del Indie Vetyver
light pleasant not long lasting
Carven
Vetiver Nothing
much. OK.
Charvet Cuvee Speciale Stinks and is durable. Double negative.
Charvet Cuvee Special Stinks
Clive Christen X for Men A little too sweet. Durable
Comme de Garcons Avignon Incense, Smoky, very strong, pungent, use sparingly very durable gets better ++ Bought larger sample Very strong, pungent, very durable, Too much. Sweet. Threw it out.
Comme des
Garcons Series 3: Incense Avignon Smoky, spicy, nice. Not real strong. Lasts for a while and then fades. (Complimentary)
Comme des
Garcons Series 3: Incenses Kyoto (Complimentary) Incense, smoke. Not real strong, but present. Slight hint of water. Clean.
Lasts fairly good.
Comme des
Garcons Wonderoud Wood, earth, leaves, musky, >
smoke Not real durable
Comme des
Garcons Blackpepper Peppery, spicy, smoky, Not real strong. Not durable.
Creed Spice and Wood (Complimentary) Wood, leaves, earth, Not real strong. Faint spiciness
emerges. Vague sweetness, maybe floral,
but very very subtle. Does not have much
punch. Not impressed.
Creed Royal Mayfair Grassy, fresh, little citrus,
shit. Reminds me of Gray Flannel. Softens later on.
Not durable.Creed Vetyver Nothing special
Creed Green Irish Tweed -- Grassy, Fresh, clean, later spicy. Durable.
Nice one. ++
Creed Royal Water Grassy, little bit spicy, very
light. Not durable. Unimpressive
D & G Masculine Spicy, some citrus, rather pungent,
little musky, pleasing, becomes sweeter
after a while, somewhat oppressive, quite durable. I'm giving it a + but I don't wear it very much because it's
after effect is so strong and lingering and frankly rubs me the wrong way. It is much better when you first put it
on. If it would disappear after a couple
of hours, I would be much more inclined to wear it. It makes a good impression, but then hangs
around too long. +
Dark Blue by Hugo Sort of stinks, sweat plus baby
powder, not durable, fortunately
Davidoff
Hot Water -- Sweet, sickening,
threw it out
Davidoff
Cool Water -- Spicy, fresh, little bit pungent, pretty good
Davidoff Cool Water Edt
Very light, fresh, hint of pine, unimpressive
Declaration by Cartier Sweet, syrupy, perfumey, sickening,
offensive. Strong, enduring. After 3 hours had to wash it off, but it
still lingered.
Dior Homme
Very light, fresh, little grassy, powdery, womanish, next to nothing,
powdery smell becomes stronger.
Donna Karan Fuel Original Not bad, Nothing special
Dunhill Black Little grassy, musky, fresh,
light, not impressive, not durable.
Egyptian Musk -- Essential oil. Fresh and clean. Little bit soapy. Very light.
Hardly smell it. Emerges
later. Watery, clean. Somewhat durable, but fades.
Eight and Bob Eau de Toilette Very fresh, clean, herbal, wood,
maybe a little water. Very nice +
Escada Pour Homme Light Silver Edition Clean, fresh, slightly smoky, Not real strong. Moderately durable Pleasant. +
Etro Messe
de Minuit Smoky, pungent,
durable excellent + +
Exceptional --
Grassy, light, insubstantial. Not
impressed
Farmacia Annunziata Patchouli Indonesiano (Complimentary) Sharp, Chemical, vinyl, linoleum, kind of musky, don't care for it.
Fennel -- Essential oil. Pungent, sharp, spicy, clean > anise. Later becomes sort of toasty, but sweet. Durable.
Fennel -- Essential oil. Pungent, sharp, spicy, clean > anise. Later becomes sort of toasty, but sweet. Durable.
Fougere Nobile Nobile 1942 Light, little spicy, little musky, little
watery. Not much. Not durable.
Fragrance du Bois Oud Vert Intense Spicy, wood, little grass, clean, very nice, grows stronger, becomes a little bit sweet. Don't like the sweetness so much. +
Frank No. 1 Frank Los Angeles Fresh, clean, herbal, fruit > grape juice? little bit smoky. Nice. Not strong. Not durable. Unimpressive. Second time -- Fresh, Herbal, pleasant, slight smokiness that grows, slight muskiness. Rather light, not particularly durable. Wouldn't buy it, but it is not bad. +
Frank No. 2 Pine, woodsy, herbal, very fresh, clean Nice, herbal quality grows stronger, becomes
pungent. Durable. Very nice + +
Frankincense -- Essential oil. Light, clean, woodsy, not much. At first I could hardly smell it at all. After about half an hour a beautiful smoky, wood fragrance emerges. It is not strong, but it is marvelous. An exhilarating surprise.
Frapin Passion Boise Smoke, wood, herbal, grass, rather
fresh, nice, fairly durable
Frapin Passion Boisee Hard to describe. Indistinct.
Dust, grass, not real strong. Not
interesting.
French Lavender -- Essential oil. Fresh, clean, musky, very light at first but grows stronger and lasts all day. Becomes spicy, little bit smoky. Very pleasant.
Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur edp Urine plus Vanilla
Fueguia 1833
Darwin Fresh, clean, woodsy > pine, nice,
good one fairly durable ++
I'm going to get this one.
Excellent.
Fueguia
1833 Otro Peoma de los Dones Musky, dusky, rotting leaves, not much
Fueguia 1833
Pulperia Grassy, pungent,
sharp, smoky, different, not bad, sort of fresh and clean, interesting, not
real durable +
Givenchy Eau de Vetyver Musty
Durable
Grey Flannel
Musky, pungent, little bit grassy, decomposing vegetation, Little bit
stinking, little bit shit, musty, Smells like a horse barn, but without the
sweetness of hay. There is a vague
medicinal quality, but it is very remote.
Becomes somewhat soapy. Don't
really like this, but it is wearable.
Gucci Pour Homme (2003) Smoky, pungent, strong, but not overwhelming, use sparingly, durable. Very good one. Discontinued. Has become expensive on the secondary market. ++
Guerlain
Apres L'Ondee Edt Very fresh and clean, kind of spicy,
earthy. Little bit sweet. Maybe a hint of citrus. Well balanced. Sort of womanish. The sweetness seems to grow, but does not
become too much. The earthiness holds it
in check. I wouldn't buy it, but it is
very pleasant. Fairly durable. Luca Turin likes this one. +
Guerlain
Bois D'Armenie Vanilla Pleasant, sweet
Guerlain
Derby Grassy, fresh,
very light, hint of pine, not much
Guerlain
Jicky EDP Grassy, little bit pine, clean, light,
unimpressive
Guerlain
Mitsouko EDP Musky > Patchouli
Fresh, not strong, not impressive
Guerlain
Mitsouko Edt Little bit Pine, Little bit Musky,
little bit horseshit, not real strong, not to my taste
Geurlain Sous le Vent Stinks
Guerlain Vetyver Stinks
Halston Z12
New bottle 08-14 Little grassy,
little musky, little rough like sandpaper, not sweet, powdery, flowery, or
perfumey at all. Totally
unwomanish. Not real strong. There's a freshness to it. Clean smelling but not soapy. As it goes on becomes stronger and more
pungent. The freshness and lightness
disappears. I like it rather less after
an hour or so. Becomes
detergent-like. Astringent. Very durable and exceedingly strong. I don't like this. I think I am going to throw it out.
Heeley Agarwood Spicy, strong wood, water,
grass, rather light, not real durable.
Unimpressed
Helmut Lang Cuiron Almost nonexistent. Very light. Pleasant. Practically nothing.
Hermessence Poivre Samarchande Nothing
Hermessence Vetiver Tonka Light grassy, fresh, not durable
Histoires Parfums
1740 Woodsy, herbal, rotting
vegetation, strong, not durable
Histoires Parfums 1899 Little spicy, maybe citrus, little
musky, not strong. Later spicy
vanilla. Pleasant. Just a whisper. Not strong, but has some durability.
Histoires Parfums
Vidi Watery, soapy,
little herbal, light. Herbal grows
stronger and later dominates. Little bit
spicy or smoky. Durable. Interesting mix, but too soapy for me.
House of Silage 001
Fruit > grape, flowers, little spicy, not bad, not durable
House of Silage 002
Spicy, herbal, kind of pungent, clean, not real durable
House of Silage Dignified
Medicinal, Herbal, little bit sweet.
Light at first. Slightly smoky. Sweetness grows. Syrupy.
Becomes intrusive. Very
durable. Lasts all day. Don't like it.
Huitieme Art Fareb Musky, sort of stinking, not real strong, dust, earth, doesn't last
Huitieme Art Liquer Charnelle Smoky, fresh, becomes slightly sweet,
retains spicy, smoky quality, durable +
Hyssop -- Essential oil. Turpentine, Eucalyptus, pungent. Later softens, less astringent, vaguely sweet. Rather nice.
Intoxicated
Killian Little spicy, maple
syrup, pancakes, not strong, not durable
Jean Paul Gautier Le Male -- Vanilla, womanish don't like it
Jo Malone Ambr & Lavender Nothing special
Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Fruity, lime, clean, little bit sweet, on
the light side, not impressed
Juniper -- Essential oil. Woodsy, musky, fresh, reminiscent of pine,
but the muskiness and woodsiness give it a different character
Kinski Eau
de Toilette chemicals, sweat, mildly
offensive, vaguely fresh durable
Kinski
Eau de Toilette grassy,
soapy, musky, hint of pine, rather pungent, not offensive, but not to my taste,
after a while somewhat fresh, watery, not bad as a change of pace, fairly
durable Second try. Do not like this. Rancid.
Grassy. Offensive.
Knize Ten
Grassy, little bit shit, or decomposing vegetation. Pungent shit smell grows stronger with
time. Fortunately not real durable.
L'Art de la Guerre Jovoy
Clean, minty, perhaps a little musky, not strong, not durable. Not much.
Lanvin
Vetyver Light, pleasant
Le Labo Rose 31
(Complimentary) Rose,
little bit sweat, womanish, not real durable
Le Labo Santl 33 Little grassy, little watery, little musky, fresh, not strong, not durable
Le Labo Santl 33 Little grassy, little watery, little musky, fresh, not strong, not durable
L'occitane Vetyver Light, almost nonexistent
Lubin Idole Edt Nothing
Lubin
Korrigan Musky, incense, rotting leaves, not strong,
becomes softer, sweet, finally kind of powdery, womanish, durable.
Mancera Paris Wind Wood Wood, pungent, fresh, clean, nice,
light at first, grows and persists, Not bad.
+
Mark Birley for Men
-- Eau de Toilette Clean,
herbal, little citrus, little spicy, rather light
M. Micallef Emir Starts out light Smoky > incense grows stronger Very nice. Durable ++
MEMO Quartieer Latin Little bit sweet, flowery, musky, not strong.
MDCI Ambre Topkapi Light
Citrus, Fresh Not much
Mohave Ghost
Byredo Parfums Herbal, little
watery, little musky, light, not distinctive
Montale Dark Aoud chemicals, detergent, but clean
smelling durable
Moroccan Myrrh -- Essential oil. Sweet, spicy, extremely light. Can hardly smell it. Later it emerges. Sweet.
Maybe a little herbal.
Pleasant. Fairly durable.
Narciso Rodriguez Musc for Him Oily, grassy, not much
Oakmoss -- Essential oil. Musky, decaying
vegetation, leaves, little bit watery.
Very light at first.
Pungent. Does not emerge. Not durable.
Very minimal.
Odin
10 Roam Vanilla, sweet, musky, perfumey, not
strong, not durable
Odin Tanoke Grassy, charcoal, pungent +
Old Spice
Spicy, somewhat smoky, subdued sweetness which emerges later on,
pungent, clean and fresh, fairly durable.
One of my all time favorites.
Cheap, but very distinctive. ++
Oregano -- Essential oil. smells like oregano, musty, heavy. Not real durable. Unimpressive.
Oriental Kush --
Essential oil. Heavy, flowery,
incense, sweet, kind of womanish.
Ormonde Jayne Isfarkand Very light, non existent
Oud --
Essential oil. Musky, dusky, little bit watery.
Not real strong. Increases
somewhat with time and becomes perhaps a little more pleasant. Woody.
Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe Smoky, pungent, very durable Excellent
+ +
Parfum d'Empire
Fougere Bengale Syrupy,
little but smoky, not impressed
Parfum d'Empire Tabac Tabou Strong, pungent, musky, trace of fruit or wine at first, quickly disappears. Later reappears in a wisp but doesn't last. Becomes stinking, choking, dust or dirt, earth. Fairly durable. I added a little basil oil to it later. I don't think it helped much.
Parfumerie Generale Arabian Horse Leather, leaves, maybe wood. There's a softness to it. Not bad. Not strong.
Paris LA Lab on Fire Citrus, lime, fresh, bright, little watery, maybe mint. Becomes somewhat more watery, and sweeter, mild powder, but retains the citrus element. Not particularly durable. Nice but weak.
Pi by Givenchy Very sweet, womanish, cheap, tacky,
tasteless woman, vanilla. Over
much. Can't stand it. Threw it out.
Prada Pour Homme Spicy, little bit sweet,
reminiscent of baby powder, but not offensive, very light, not durable,
unimpressive
Profumum Eccelso Light Pleasant not durable or distinctive. Second time at first baby oil, then
musky, leaves, grassy, earthy, little watery, rather light > shit
Profumium Fumidus Smells like rotting potato skins, then
later turns smoky. Not half bad. Very durable.
Profumum
Olibdanum Grassy
Musky mildly offensive
Puig
Vetyver Nothing
Unimpressive
Ramon
Monegal Agar Musk
fresh, light, grassy, watery, pleasant, not strong, very durable, don't
like it
Robert Piguet
Vintage Bandit Edt Grassy, motor oil, little bit shit, mildly
offensive, not strong, not durable.
Rosemary -- Essential oil. Pungent > Turpentine or Eucalyptus, can
feel in sinuses. Not durable. Not strong.
Rosewood -- Essential oil. At first nothing. Couldn't smell it. Applied a moderate amount. Once it is on the skin the scent begins to
emerge. A little bit pine, a little bit
woody. Fresh and clean. Not real strong. Seems to develop after a while. Slight sweet smell emerges freshened by the
woodiness. Hint of anise could be left
over from yesterday although I washed my neck well this morning. Overall, nice, subtle. Not a strong impact.
Salvatore Ferragamo Subtil Pour Homme Fresh, clean, light, a little
grassy. Not durable. Nothing special.
Salvador Dali
Purple Light Mothballs,
disinfectant. Fairly durable.
Santal Carmin
Atelier Cologne Smoky, incense, wysteria, very light at
first. Grows stronger and becomes
somewhat powdery. Pleasant, but too
sweet and womanish for me.
Sassafras --
Essential oil. When I was a kid,
sometimes when we visited my cousin we would walk up on the wooded hill behind
the town where he lived. We would pull
up sassafras saplings and cut the roots off them and bring them home to boil
and make tea. The tea was awful. But the smell of the sassafras roots was
wonderful. It was a sweet, pungent,
clean, woody fragrance. This oil is
nothing like that. It is like someone took that sassafras fragrance and painted
over it with a translucent gray paint.
It is very muted and subdued compared to real sassafras. It is reminiscent of pine and shoe
leather. It is clean, but not very
strong, not real durable, and nothing like real sassafras which is exhilarating.
Serge Lutens
Ambre Sultan Smoky, incense, vanilla, little bit pungent, kind of
sweet, womanish, at first I liked it but turned against it. Arabie is better
Serge Lutens
Arabie Strong, pungent, spicy,
hint maple syrup, hint of leaves, pretty good.
Fairly durable +
08-08-14 A dark, rich, pungent
fragrance. Strong tea. Maybe Anise covered w maple syrup or
marmalade, a hint of apricot or pomegranate, something vaguely fruity, but way
in the background, not pronounced.
Compelling. Interesting. Wonderful.
++ A couple of websites that had
this for sale called it "Arabie for Women." It does not say "for women" on the
box it came in or on the label on the bottle.
I regard it as a masculine fragrance because of its depth, complexity,
and richness, although I suppose a woman could wear it. It would be sexy and alluring on a
woman.
06-01-15 It has become one of
my favorites.
Serge Lutens
Chergui Musky, herbal, not
strong, quickly gives way to soft powder.
Not durable. Womanish.
Serge Lutens
De Profundis Musty grassy
repugnant
Serge Lutens
Enscense et Lavande Light,
fresh, clean. Turns smoky. Not very durable +
Serge Lutens Fourreau Noir Smoky, rather strong, very durable
compliment from a girl ++
Serge Lutens
Gris Clair Smoky quality
that grows +
Sergei Lutens Muscs Kublai Khan Musky like dust not durable
Serge Lutens La religieuse Sweet Vanilla at first, but fades, light,
has a hint of smoke or incense, but soft.
Not impressed.
Serge Lutens Nuit de cellophane Sweet, fresh, floral > Freesia,
later a hint of citrus. Rather
interesting, pleasant. Long
lasting. Rather strong. I would never wear it. Recommend it for a woman +
Serge Lutens Fleurs d'oranger Strong floral fragrance. Didn't get a
strong scent of orange, maybe a subtle hint, but that's all. Beautiful fragrance. I wouldn't want to smell like this, but it
would be gorgeous on a woman. Very
strong throughout the day. +
Serpentine Comme des Garcons Medicinal, alcohol, little grassy, not much.
Sexiest Scent on the Planet Ever Tuesdays Musky, spicy, cloves, hint of mint. Later on becomes smoky, clove scent grows,
> incense. Fairly durable. I wouldn't call this sexual but it is very
good. ++
Simply Belle (free sample) Fresh, clean, watery, hint of smoke, little
bit soapy. Not bad. I usually don't like this kind of a
fragrance, but I don't mind this.
Soapiness increases as we go along -- a negative. Fairly durable. +
S-Perfumes
S-ex Fresh, clean, musky,
woodsy, rather light, vague hint of
sweetness or flowers, hint of something herbal: maybe coriander, nutmeg,
patchouli? Grows stronger, rather
spicy, interesting. +
Tauer Perfumes Incense Rose Rose, musky, womanish, grows a bit stronger. Fairly durable.
Tauer L'air du desert Moroccan Pungent, not bad
Tauer L'air du desert Moroccan Pungent, not bad
Tauer Perfumes Lonesome Rider Musky, slight sweetness, leaves,
earthy, balanced. Becomes somewhat watery. Durable.
Not to my taste.
Terre D'Hermes Grassy, fresh, very light. You have to use a goodly amount. It does linger, becomes somewhat
pungent. Not half bad.
Tom Ford
Bois Morcaine Light, grassy
not much
Tom Ford Fougere Argent Spice, earth, grass, rather light, not durable.
Tom Ford Oud Wood
Intense Spicy, woodsy, grass, earth,
excellent wood fragrance grows
stronger very durable This is a buy
++
Tom Ford Oud Wood
Spicy, clean, floral, wood, little bit noxious. Not real durable. Oud Wood Intense is much better
Tom Ford
Private Blend Tobacco Vanilla
Strong vanilla odor sweet womanish
fairly durable
Tom Ford Ombre Leather Leather, pungent, little spicy, hint of
citrus or floral emerges, interesting mix.
Pretty durable. +
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille Vanilla, leather, smoky. Smokiness becomes stronger, softened by the
vanilla. It's an interesting blend. I wouldn't want to wear it, but it is a well
crafted fragrance. Durability is
moderate.
Tom Ford Tuscan Leather Strong leather and smoke. I like it.
+
Tom Ford Soleil
Blanc Spicy, watery, rather light, but lasts
all day long. Unimpressive.
Tom Ford Vert D'Encens Grassy, smoky. Not strong at first. Smokiness grows. Not to my taste.
True Lavender -- Essential oil. Clean, herbal, little medicinal, somewhat pungent. Evolves into smooth, polished blend. Spicy, slightly sweet. Very nice.
Une Nuit Magnetique Different Company Flowery plus rotting vegetation. Sweet shit.
Interesting mix. The sweetness is
not overly so and held in check by the earthiness. The whole thing is not very strong. Not durable.
Rather weak.
Une Rose de Kandahar Tauer
Floral, little bit smoky, little bit sweet. Nice
Not strong. Turns powdery, but still retains some smokiness. Not durable.
White Amber -- Essential oil. Practically nothing. Musky, little watery. Can hardly smell it. Becomes more decisively watery. Unimpressive.
Not durable.
Wit
Parfums Delrae Clean, somewhat choking, > moth balls, detergent, musky. softens later, becomes less astringent,
somewhat powdery. Not terribly
appealing, very durable. Lasts all
day.
Versace Blue Jeans Very light, little bit sweet, little bit
powdery, little bit musky, not
impressed. Later, increasingly sweet and
powdery. Womanish. Dislike.
Moderately durable Threw it
out.
Yves Saint Laurent Body Kouros Smoky, but a little too sweet, durable
Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit de la Homme -- Smoky,
spicy, rather light, not impressive