Profumum Roma Patchouly Eau de Parfum is for those who love a darker, earthier patchouli with cocoa powder that softens and sweetens as the amber and sandalwood strengthen over time. The drydown was mostly patchouli-amber with darker, more resinous sweetness and a touch of spice. The notes are:
Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club Eau de Toilette is primarily a tobacco, rum, and vanilla fragrance that kicks off with a brighter, zesty lemon and pepper opening with orange blossoms but the tobacco showed up within the first 15 minutes with vanilla getting amplified within the first hour through...
Profumum Roma Fumidus Eau de Parfum lives up to its name: fumes, smoke, char. It is reminiscent of smoky, peaty Scotch, but it felt like the smoke was intensified 10-fold during most of the wear. Every note in the fragrance works to support dark smoke--intense, charred, dry, and earthy: birch on...
is a new release from niche perfumer Areej Le Dore. I have heard bottles tend to sell out, so I decided I'd give it a go and buy one and see how it went (and if I didn't like it, gift it to a good friend), but the notes definitely gave me pause as I thought it would be challenging for me to wear!
After...
By Kilian Apple Brandy on the Rocks Eau de Parfum is a boozy, apple liquor drizzled over lightly smoked oak that progresses more linearly from middle to end. The apple note softens and fades as the drydown emerges, where lightly spiced, smoked woods and vanilla start to take over. The notes are:
Kilian Intoxicated Eau de Parfum showcased cardamom in all of all of its smoky, nutty, spicy-sweet glory. I struggled to really discern other notes throughout the development of Intoxicated; at most, a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon appeared with a vague sense of creamy vanilla and coffee about mid-way...
Slumberhouse Jeke (2022) Perfume Extrait is marked by a heavy dose of smoke; both from tobacco as well as the whiskey that gets its initial sweetness from rum and caramel, then later from honeyed amber and benzoin. There was light spice from the clove but it was very diffused and blended into the...
Stephane Humbert Lucas 777 O Hira Eau de Parfum (SHL 777 O Hira for short!) is one of those scents that ends up being a must-try for those fascinated by amber accords. It is prohibitively expensive for most fragrance lovers, but as someone who was exploring the depths and grandeur of all things...
Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe Eau de Parfum has a biting, vodka on the rocks kind of opening that might catch one off-guard initially, but it's soon overtaken by hot, warm spices, slight earthiness, and amber. I detected a note of sweet tea through the opening and middle phases, which was initially...
Les Indemodables Vanille Havane Eau de Parfum is about the celebration of vanilla as an ingredient, but it's less sugary vanilla and more the vanilla bean. It is a heavier, headier, and darker fragrance with lots of body and little airiness. In many ways, I felt like I didn't get "vanilla" as I know...
