Musings of a Fraghead: June 2019

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

My Most Versatile Fragrances

Hello, ladies and gentleman! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day today! I have made plenty of lists for fragrances for each season and certain occasions, but what about fragrances that you can wear for most situations. These are my dumb raches. The ones I wear when I can't decide. Most of these will work out no matter where you go. Le's get into it!

Chanel Bleu de Chanel Eau de Parfum

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Key Notes: Grapefruit, lemon, ginger, cedar, and incense

Every versatile list has one version of BDC on it. It's so successful for a reason. It's a jack of all trades. A fresh fragrance with some woods and a bit of class. I think the EDP is the most versatile. It's a good mix of the fresh grapefruit and woods. The Parfum is woodier and the EDT is fresher. I also get the best performance out of the EDP. Any version is very versatile though, but I still think the EDP is the best.

Burberry Touch

Key Notes: Violet, clean musk, and pepper

This is my favorite designer for a reason. It also happens to be super versatile. It's clean and elegant. Suitable for anything from the boardroom to a casual weekend. Clean never feels out of place. The violet and musk are beautifully accented by the pepper and cedar to keep it masculine. This fragrance is also very cheap and has very good performance.

Creed Green Irish Tweed

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Key Notes: Lemon verbena, violet, and iris

Green Irish Tweed is the king of green fragrances. It is my favorite fragrance for a reason. It's masculine and it doesn't feel old fashioned. Any of the clones of this fragrance work as well. My favorites are Genre's Irish Rainfall and Alexandria's The Irish Gentleman. It's a bright spring day after a light rainfall in the countryside. It's much better in the warmer weather, but you can still wear it in the cooler months. This fragrance adapts to what you wear. Whether it's a weekend stroll in some jogger shorts and a tee or a suit headed to church. GIT is legendary for a reason.

Dior Sauvage

Key Notes: Ambroxan, pepper, and bergamot

Sauvage is a love it or hate it fragrance. I am not a huge fan of it, but it works. There is no question that it is versatile as well. The spicy woodiness of it fits into anything you could think of doing. It also has beastly performance. Some people have said that newer batches are weaker, but I don't think they are. Sauvage is just easy to go anosmic to.

Lacoste Pour Homme

Key Notes: Plum, rum, vanilla, apple, and cinnamon

This is one of the fragrances that started my fragrance journey. It flies under the radar a lot because...Let's be honest, Lacoste fragrances aren't anything special. Most of them are good, but not great. This one is great. It's the most versatile date fragrance that you can buy. It works for any season, but I would only wear it at night in the summer. It's not expensive, so check it out. I think you will find that this is a high-quality fragrance that smells quite unique.

Conclusion

There are a lot of versatile fragrances out there. If you are not a fragrance collector or you are just starting out, then I suggest looking into these. They are all great bang for your buck fragrances and you will get a lot use out of them.

Have a great day, everyone! Be safe and remember to say a kind word to someone today! Some people are going through rough times. Your words could help them pull out of it! Until next time, keep smelling amazing!

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Tuesday, June 18, 2019

My Top 10 Cheapies for Summer(No Clones)

Source: www.pixabay.com

Greetings, everyone! Welcome back! I hope everyone is doing fantastic. As we all know, summer is in full swing right now. At least for the western part of the world. Green grass, scorching heat, longer days, and barbeques. It's hard to dislike this time of year, even though I prefer the cooler months. Along with that heat comes a change in our fragrance wardrobes to lighter and more fresh fragrances in an attempt to cool us off. I went through my collection and picked out 10 cheapies that I think are bangers to keep you cool and smelling amazing. My criteria for this was that it had to be under 50 USD for 60ml. This list is not in numerical order from worst to best. I will have links to where you can buy these fragrances at the end of the article. Let's get into it!

10. Bvlgari Aqva Atlantique

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Key Notes: Salty aquatic notes, ambergis, lemon, and bergamot.

Situation: Casual daytime

Performance: Good (8ish hours)

Bvlgari Aqva Atlantique is an oceanic centered fragrance that evokes the feeling of a deep blue ocean. It has depth, feels cool, and is effortlessly enjoyable. It's live a dive into the Atlantic on a hot summer day. This is a good signature scent for the summer. It has good performance, yet it's not strong enough to offend anyone.

9. Guerlain l'Homme Ideal Cologne

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Key Notes: Almond, peach, grapefruit, and musk.

Situation: Casual daytime

Performance: Decent (6-8 hours)

This one has been getting some hype lately. I hear it was discontinued and has been popping up as discounters. Nonetheless, this fragrance is unique and amazing for me. It's a casual carefree fragrance. Perfect for running those weekend errands in some jogger shorts and a tee. The nutty almond and fresh grapefruit serenade beautifully with the sweet peach and clean musk. It's clean, fresh, and I don't see many people not liking this one. You can get 1.6oz for $20 on Fragrancenet.

8. Ferrari Noble Fig

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Key Notes: Fig leaf, orange, and iris

Situation: Casual daytime

Performance: Average (6-7 hours)

This one caught a bit of hype a while back. I personally think this is the best Ferrari fragrance as far as smell goes. Radiant Bergamot would be my second favorite. Noble fig gives off a green coconut vibe. It's light, inoffensive and decidedly casual. This would go perfectly with a white linen shirt and some chino shorts. To me, this fragrance is also unisex.

7. Hollister Wave

Key Notes: Yuzu, bamboo, salt, lavender, driftwood, and musk

Situations: Casual daytime

Performance: Decent (6-8 hours)

I covered this one a while back when I was doing my "Surprising Sleepers" series. It's nothing amazing, but for the price you can get it at, it's a solid pickup. If you are looking for a cheap beachy fragrance, then check this one out. It's like sitting on a wooden pier on a sunny day next to the ocean. I really enjoy this one. Be warned though, my atomizer was a squirt gun. I am not sure if mine was dysfunctional or they are all like that.

6. Bvlgari Aqva Amara

Key Notes: Orange, watery notes, neroli, and incense

Situation: Daytime casual or nighttime casual

Performance: Excellent (9+ hours)

The second Bvlgari to make the list. This one is either loved or hated. I love it. The orange and incense with the sea notes are melodic and they do truly make you think of rocks by the ocean. The performance is amazing for a citrus based fragrance. The projection on this one is pretty massive as well, so don't overspray.

5. English Laundry Riviera

Key Notes: Citruses, cedar, and pepper

Situations: Daytime casual or daytime semi-casual

Performance: Good(8ish hours)

EL Riviera was hyped, along with the other EL fragrances that promptly hit discounters last year. I picked up a gift set at Fragrancebuy.ca for around 20 bucks, I think. It's a masculine fresh and spicy fragrance. This would make a great signature scent for a man who doesn't collect fragrances. It isn't original or jaw-dropping, but it does what it intended to do well.

4. Nautica Voyage N-83

Key Notes: Saltwater, lavender, and musk

Situation: Daytime casual

Performance: Meh (6 hours)

The lesser-known flanker of the legendary Nautica Voyage. Everyone knows Voyage is a cheap and good, so I added this one instead. It smells like laundry hanging out by the seaside on a warm day. It's cool, fresh, and pleasant. The performance isn't the best, but for the price you can't complain too much.

3. Azarro Chrome Legend

Key Notes: Tea, apple, orange, and musk

Situation: Daytime casual

Performance: Excellent (9+ hours)

Chrome Legend strikes a very slight similarity to Creed's SMW. It's fresh, cooling, and slightly metallic. It has some depth to it. It has great performance and projection, so don't overspray. This fragrance really relaxes me on a hot day. One of the best bang for your bucks fragrances you can get. The presentation is cheap and flimsy though.

2. Moschino Uomo

Key Notes: Kumquat, musk, and aldehydes

Situations: Anything

Performance: Average (6-8 hours)

Moschino Uomo smells like an expensive bar of Italian soap. It smells clean and masculine. The aldehydes uplift the whole composition with that sparkle that they are known to give. This is one of the most versatile warm weather fragrances that you can get.

1. Kenneth Cole Mankind

Key Notes: Pineapple, cedar, vetiver, and ginger

Situations: Daytime casual/office

Performance: Mediocre (6-7 hours)

KC Mankind is a generic fragrance, but it works. It smells very good. The pineapple mixing with cedar and spicy ginger is an excellent combo for officewear. I don't get the best performance out of it, but others have stated it works well on them. A safe and inoffensive fragrance for the warmer days. It's still a winner for me and I wear it when I can't decide what else to wear.

Conclusion

I hope everyone enjoyed my picks. What are your experiences with these? Let me know in the comments!

Remember to say a kind word to someone today. You never know what sort of impact you can make!

Until next time, be safe everyone!

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Link to purchase these fragrances:
Note: I am in no way affiliated, sponsored, or have any relationship with any of these companies.

Aqua Atlantique

l'Homme Ideal Cologne

Noble Fig

Wave

Aqua Amara

Riviera (They still have the gift set in stock for $20)

Voyage N-83

Chrome Legend

Moschino Uomo

Mankind

Thursday, June 6, 2019

7 Fragrances that are Worth the Price

Source: www.pixabay.com

Hello, once again! I hope everyone is having a great day. Yesterday I covered 7 fragrances that I thought were overpriced for what they were. Today, I am going to cover 7 that I think are worth it. Some of these aren't super expensive, but they all will run you over 100 bucks. Even though I suggest these fragrances because I enjoy them, I still suggest sampling first. This list is not in any sort of order. It is only numbered for cleanliness. Let's get into it!

7. Creed Virgin Island Water

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Being that this is a Creed fragrance, it is quite expensive. There are some clones out there that are very good at recreating this one, but I don't think any of them quite capture the magic and realness of the original. The authentic coconut and lime notes are just so natural and soothing. The performance is mediocre, but it's a very enjoyable scent and I think it is worth the price if you can pick it up at a discounter.

6. Maison Margiela Under the Lemon Trees

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Maison Margiela puts out some other quality fragrances like Jazz Club, At the Barber's, and By the Fireplace that I also think are worth the sticker price. At $125 for 100ml, Under the Lemon trees is a stellar citrus fragrance. Granted the fragrance has no lemons in it and instead has lime, which is strange given the name. They still give off a lemony vibe. With some woods and green tea and pretty good performance for a citrus-based fragrance, this one checks all of the boxes for me.

5. Parfums de Marly Carlisle

Source: www.fragrantica.com

I raved about this one a lot over the fall season. I still love it and it's one of my favorites. So naturally, I would think it's worth the sticker price. At $202 for 4.2oz on Fragrancenet it's a good buy. It's not super unique or anything, but it's just a solid wearing fragrance for the cooler months.

PdM Carlisle Review (this is an older review and I will probably revise this review in the fall if I pick up a bottle of it.)

4. Floris No 89

Source: www.fragrantica.com

This is the fragrance that Ian Fleming(the writer and creator of James Bond) wore. Supposedly, this is the fragrance that Bond also wore in the books. If it's good enough for James Bond, then it must be good and worth the price. 100ml will set you back $135, which isn't too bad. It's a classic gentlemanly fragrance, so don't expect this to be a Daniel Craig fragrance. This is more of a Sean Connery one. It's very floral barbershop fragrance.

Check out my top 5 picks for James Bond

3. Houbigant Fougere Royale

Source: www.fragrantica.com

A classic fragrance that still holds up today. A clean, yet interesting fougere with a somewhat barbershop vibe. This one is expensive, considering most fougeres/barbershop fragrances are pretty affordable, but they lack the quality and depth that this one has. This one will make your wallet cry a little bit at $180 for 3.3oz.

2. Kerosene Follow

Source: www.fragrantica.com

This one is a beautiful coffee fragrance with maple syrup and vanilla. Like a nice latte in the fall, this one just warms your senses on a cold day. This one won't make you cry too much at $140 for 100ml. Considering it's one of the most realistic coffee based fragrances I have smelled, I think it is well worth that price.

1. Bond No 9 Scent of Peace

Source: www.fragrantica.com

This is one of the easiest summer fragrances to wear. It really is peaceful. It has amazing projection and longevity as well. It's a juniper and pineapple bomb. However, it does cost 239 bucks for 50ml, but sometimes you can find it on discounters and it's totally worth it if you can. If you are into projection monsters and want a beast mode fragrance for the summer, then look no further than Scent of Peace.

Conclusion

I hope everyone enjoyed this article. I am sure some of you will disagree, but that is okay. Fragrance collecting is an expensive hobby and there aren't many fragrances over $100 USD that I would say are worth their price, but these are. As I said before, make sure to sample first. They might not be worth it to you.

Have a great day and remember to say something positive to someone today! Until next time, be safe!

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Wednesday, June 5, 2019

7 Overpriced Fragrances

Source: www.pixabay.com

Hello, everyone! Welcome back! As most of you know, when it comes to fragrances, I am pretty cheap. I don't like to spend a lot on one particular bottle. However, there are some fragrances that I think I think are very overpriced. This post today is going to cover that. This is just my opinion. Some have no issue with spending hundreds of dollars on a fragrance, but I am frugal and do not. So, for you folks who are like me, this list should help you with what not to waste your hard-earned cash on. This list is in no particular order. Let's get into it!

7. Le Labo Santal 33

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Santal 33 was an utter disappointment for me. The overlying pickle vibe it gave me just didn't allow me to enjoy the woodiness of this fragrance. The few whiffs that I did get on the woody notes were great and very natural smelling. A lot of people love this one, but I do not. Especially at $189 bucks for 50ml. No thanks, Le Labo. There are plenty of other great woody fragrances out there that are more affordable and still smell natural.

Santal 33 Review

6. Creed Viking

Source: www.fragrantica.com

I have grown to really like Creed Viking. It really is a nice fragrance, but I still don't think it is worth $355 for 50ml. I have smelled a few impressions of this and Zoha Aroma Oseberg is really close to smelling like Viking. For $41 USD for 50ml...You can't go wrong if you love Viking. Viking is overpriced for what it is. Just do yourself a favor and get an impression of it from Zoha Aroma.

Buy Oseberg here

Viking review

5. Zegna Sicilian Mandarin

Source: www.fragrantica.com

I am not sure what this retails for. On eBay it's going for around $200 for a bottle. Given that this line was discontinued, it is hard to tell if those prices are inflated due to that or if they are still around the retail price. Regardless, that is way too much for this fragrance. It starts off nice with some bright citruses and green notes. Then on the dry down it turns into a bland oakmoss and petitgrain fragrance. The fragrance is called Sicilian Mandarin. Where did the mandarin go? Although it's not bad in the dry down, it is boring. Sorry, Zegna. This one missed the mark.

4. Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi Acqua

Source: www.fragrantica.com

What overpriced list is not complete without a Tom Ford fragrance? Yes, I do enjoy some of Tom Ford's fragrances, but I still think they cost way too much. Granted, this is not one of his Private Blends, so it's not quite as expensive. It still runs $125 for 50ml. The fragrance itself smells amazing. Like a freshly sliced orange. It's very realistic and pleasant. However, it only lasts for 3 hours. Most Tom Fords have this problem. It's a shame really. This would be one of my favorite summer fragrances for hot days if I didn't grimace every time I sprayed it due to its price, which you will have to overspray to get a lot out of this one.

3. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Francis Kurkdjian makes some amazing fragrances such as BR540 and Amyris. I haven't tried any of the flankers to this one, but they seem to be talked about more. MFK Oud just lacks depth for me. The depth that I would expect from MFK given his $300 price point for 70ml. It just doesn't do it for me. It is a nice fragrance that I do enjoy. I would just never pay his prices for it.

MFK Oud review

2. By Kilian Black Phantom

Source: www.fragrantica.com

This one is an amazing fragrance that I really do enjoy. It's rich, succulent, and captivating. However, the sticker on this one will run you $295 for 50ml. Genre Parfums makes an impression of this (or conjuration, as Devin calls it) for 25 bucks and it's very good. I can literally get that, plus 11 other fragrances from him for the price of Black Phantom. Sorry, By Kilian, this is a great fragrance, but I have to be realistic here.

1. Memo Irish Leather

Source: www.fragrantica.com

This is another one that I like. This one will set you back $300 for 75ml. It's a nice fragrance that smells natural and it is unique, but there are many clones of it out there that you can get for much less. I detailed this in my recent review of it. Even if there weren't any clones of it, I still don't think it is worth the sticker price.

Irish Leather review

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Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Frapin 1270 Review

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Hey, everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful day. Another doubleheader today because I have a lot of reviews that I need to catch up on. This one was also a sample that was sent to me by Kyle Stevens. Thank you once again, Kyle! This one is from a relatively unknown house, as far as what fragrances I commonly see in the Facebook groups at least. The story behind this fragrance is that Frapin was created in the year 1270 and became famous for high-quality wines in France. This fragrance is boozy, so it fits that much. Let's get into it!

Notes

(Taken from https://www.luckyscent.com/product/22600/1270-by-frapin?utm_source=fragrantica&utm_medium=www.fragrantica.com&utm_campaign=5325)

Exotic Woods, Spices, Raisins, Vine Flowers, Pepper, Candied Orange, Nuts, Hazelnut, Prunes, Cocoa, Coffee, Leather, Woods, White Honey, Vanilla

The Scent

Opening

1270 opens up with a nice melange of dried fruits. You certainly get the prunes in there. The coffee and cocoa also add a warmness to it. The hazelnut and honey also accentuate this. It's a very inviting opening. It's warm and cozy and draws you in.

Dry Down

The dry down starts to turn boozier, I can't pick out exactly what it is, but I am going to assume it is cognac since that is what they were known for. I have never had cognac, so I am not sure what it smells like. The spices and some light woods start to come out, no doubt giving the impression that this boozy fragrance was aged in a wooden barrel of some sort. You also get some more of the vanilla mixing with the coffee and cocoa to give it even more depth.

Performance

This fragrance smells really good, however, it is short lived. It becomes a skin scent is less than an hour and has very soft sillage and projection. The longevity is around 5 hours. So, this is more of a personal fragrance which shocks me due to it containing gourmand notes which normally perform well. Given the price ($165 for 100ml) I would expect a bit more performance.

When to Wear it

The performance is so soft that I will say you can get away with wearing this all year and it won't be cloying to anyone. However, it would be best worn in the cooler months or at night. Would be a decent first date fragrance if you are unsure if your date enjoys stranger fragrances or not. This can be worn casually or dressed up in a suit.

Overall Impression

This fragrance smells very good. I thoroughly enjoy it, but the performance is certainly lacking. I cannot justify spending that much on this fragrance given that. It is a high-quality fragrance and I still think you should pick up a sample to see if it works better on your skin. It is worth a shot...even if you can only smell this for a few hours. As I said, it does smell very good.

Conclusion

I hope everyone has a great day and remember to say something positive to someone! Don't let my somewhat negative review dissuade you from trying this one. It could very well work for you, but I highly suggest sampling it first! Until next time, be safe.

Buy 1270 here

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Memo Irish Leather Review

Source: www.fragrantica.com

Hey, folks! I am glad you all stopped by again. Today I will be reviewing a fragrance that I have had for quite a while, but forgot about it. That fragrance is Memo's Irish Leather. My friend and fellow reviewer Daniel San sent me a sample f this a while back and I just forgot to review it. I seriously have about 50 fragrances to review, so content should be coming at a decent pace now. I hope you enjoy it! I will forgo the presentation on this one since I only received a sample.

Notes

Leather, Juniper Berries, Tonka Bean, Mate, Amber

The Scent

Opening

Irish Leather opens up with a beautiful leather note. It is strong, but not overpowering. It is furthermore accented by some green herbal notes from the mate. If you aren't aware of what mate is, it's also called yerba mate. A tea type drink from South America. This version is certainly the dried leaves of mate. There is also a slight dry gin vibe from the juniper, but I wouldn't say it's potent enough to call this fragrance "boozy".

Dry Down

The dry down doesn't change too much. Like most fragrances, the notes just calm down a bit and get along with each other more than in the opening, which is somewhat scattered. The amber is dry and the overall composition of this fragrance is dry. There is no sweetness here at all. The overall vibe is dry and earthy, not a prominent leather like the name would suggest. At times it smells like dry dirt and grass that was cut a few days prior. It has an overall "countryside" vibe to it.

Performance

My nose picks this one up for about 8 hours with 2 of solid projection. The sillage trail is pretty good too. It's not beast mode and you would expect better performance and projection considering it's a leather fragrance and costs a fair bit of cash, but it's still not a terrible performer.

When to Wear it

This is an amazing fall fragrance. It suits the vibe of it very well. Overall, stick to cooler months with this one. It's super dry and not fresh enough to be worn in the heat. This is mostly a more casual fragrance, give it's "country" type vibe. I wouldn't wear this one for a date unless I was going to the county fair or something. It would pair perfectly with a flannel, jeans, and leather boots.

Overall Impression

I do enjoy this one. I am not huge on leather fragrances, but this one has more depth than just a leather fragrance. The cost of this fragrance is prohibitive though. It's not worth the full retail price to me, but it is worth it if you can manage to pick it up at a discounter. This fragrance clocks in at $150 for 50ml(retail), which I think is too high. It would be acceptable at $100 for 50ml. Luckily there are also clones of this fragrance. I hear both Alexandria Carve On and Rasasi Al Yuqawam AmberGris Showers are good impressions of this. DUA has one called Cuir de Irlandes as well, but I haven't heard much about that one.

Conclusion

I hope everyone has an amazing day and thank you for stopping by. Also, thank you all for stopping by and still supporting me while I was away. It means a lot to me to still have support! Remember to say something positive to someone today!

Daniel San's Youtube

Buy Irish Leather here (Note that this is a big 6.7oz bottle. I suggest ordering a sample first)

Alexandria Carve On

Rasasi Ambergris Showers

DUA Cuir de Irlandes

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Monday, June 3, 2019

My Favorite Alexandria Fragrance

Source: Hany Hafez

Hey, folks. I hope you are having an excellent day today. I have done a lot of Alexandria reviews. In fact, Alexandria is my most reviewed house. I am going to talk about my favorite fragrance from their collection. I have/have tried probably 25 or so Alexandrias and this one captivates me every time I smell it. It draws me in and I can't get enough of it. It's a hard feat to top a list against 24 other fragrances, considering some of them are impressions of some of my favorite fragrances, which are all great impressions of them, but this one is still my favorite. Well, I will stop babbling and tell you what it is...

Source: www.Alexandriafragrances.com

It is none other than Interplay Extrait, which is an impression of Maison Francis Kurkdjian's BR540 Extrait. This one just does it for me in every aspect. My buddy, Kyle Stevens, sent me a small sample of this when he sent me all of the other samples of it. I am working on trying to get a full bottle now, since that was used up in a matter of days since I love it so much. Now, let's get into the review. I won't go over the presentation since it's the same as the other Alexandrias (given I had a full bottle), even though I don't have any Alexandrias with the new labels on them yet.

Notes

Top
Saffron, Bitter Almond

Mid
Cedar, Jasmine

Base
Ambergris, Woody Notes, Musk

The Scent

Opening

Interplay Extrait opens very sweet with a burst of sweet saffron and ambergris. Yes, it does remind you of a dentist's office. Granted all of the pain and bad memories most of us have of those, I am surprised that I like this so much. However, it has much more depth than that. For only having seven notes, this thing has a ton of depth. You also get a healthy dose of the bitter almond and clean musk and I assume that is what gives it the dentist office feel.

Dry Down

Interplay Extrait is still very sweet on the dry down, but smells less like a dentist office. The woodiness comes out mixing with that aforementioned sweetness. It doesn't develop too much from the opening to the dry down, some of the notes just settle in to cooperate with one another a bit more.

Performance

I see a lot of people in the Alexandria Fragrances Facebook group talk about this only lasting two hours. Ladies and gentleman, I am here to tell you that this is a fragrance you will go nose blind to and pick it up again later. People will smell this on you. I get around 10 hours with it. I am not 100% sure on the projection since it comes and goes, but people say they can still smell it on me for hours after I applied it. So, don't let those reviews fool you. Also, keep in mind that many Alexandria fragrances need to macerate for at least two weeks before they show their true form.

When to Wear it

This is a year-round fragrance, except for hot summer days. It would be way too sweet then, but you can still wear it for summer nights in most places. This can be worn casually or dressed up. Rock it how you want to. It has so much depth that you can make it fit in anywhere. It is also decidedly unisex.

Overall Impression

Given the title of this article, my overall impression is obviously that this is an amazing fragrance that every man and woman should own. It's a workhorse that gets good reactions from those around you. I think most Alexandria fragrances are good, but this one is phenomenal. Do yourself a favor and get a sample and a bottle of it in the same order, since you will be angry with yourself when your sample runs out. Seriously though, sample this if you haven't tried it. I wouldn't be talking it up so much if I didn't believe in it. I did receive my sample for free, but it wasn't from Alexandria, s I had no obligation to review this beauty.

Conclusion

I hope everyone has a great day and remember to say something positive to someone today! You never know how much it could help them! Until next time, be safe!

Buy Interplay Extrait here

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Ryan Richmond: Rich Mess Review

Hello, everyone! I hope everyone is doing fantastic. I am back at it again with another review for you. This time all of you leather lovers will appreciate this one. Also, you folks who love huge projection and longevity will as well. Ryan did send this to me for free, but as always my opinions are my own.

Presentation

The one he sent me was the rollerball version, but I am not sure if it's pure perfume oil or not, but it most likely is. It also comes in a spray form. There isn't too much to say about it. The label is black and white with Ryan's name on it and the fragrance name. The cap screws off to reveal a steel rollerball.

Notes

Top
Bergamot, Fig, Grapefruit

Mid
Saffron, Vanilla, Sandalwood

Base
Leather, Atlas Cedar, Lily

The Scent

Opening

Rich Mess is a very potent fragrance, even in the rollerball form. The saffron's leather-like accord mingling with the actual leather note mixes to make a very potent leather accord. It's a little bit dirty, but sophisticated at the same time. I guess that is why he called it "Rich Mess", knowing it was a bit dirty. Others on Fragrantica get the bergamot and fig, but I get mainly leather and a bit of the spiciness in this phase.

Dry Down

The leather calms down a bit, but it still pretty stout, but it refines itself a bit. The cedar starts to show a bit, bringing its spicy woodiness to the composition and turning this into an entirely masculine fragrance. I still don't detect the fig individually, but it does have an underlying greenness to it, which I assume is created by the fig note. It does have complexity and you pick up more notes, but I am not able to detect what they are exactly. It also has a healthy dose of sandalwood with its light woody nuances.

Performance

This fragrance is nuclear on my skin. I am getting around 12 hours with 4-5 of projection, even in a rollerball form. I heard that the spray form is 22% concentration, so that is some potent juice. This isn't a fragrance for people who don't want to be noticed.

When to Wear it

This is a cooler weather fragrance to me. The leather is super strong and would be cloying in the heat. You might be able to get away with it on a cooler spring night, but I don't see it being wearable in the summer. I will have to try it on a warmer day to determine that. This is like a guys night out fragrance. It's labeled as unisex, but I find it entirely masculine. This is also a nighttime fragrance to me.

Overall Impression

I do like this fragrance. It's very high quality and has depth. For myself though, I can't find many places that I would wear this. Part of that is probably my stigma that I should wear a leather jacket with a leather fragrance. Regardless, if you love leather based fragrances and want something that is big on performance and has a lot of quality to it, then I suggest ordering a sample of this. It is worth the price tag if what I described it as sounds good to you, even though it isn't the cheapest fragrance on the market, which is understandable given the angle Ryan wanted to go with this.

Conclusion

Thanks for stopping by everyone! Have a fantastic day and remember to say something positive to someone today! Sorry that I have not been around as much, but I should be reviewing on a more regular basis now. Be safe everyone!

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Sunday, June 2, 2019

Genre Parfums R.A.M.C. Review

Credit: Genre Parfums

Hello, everyone! Thanks for stopping by! Today I will be reviewing another fragrance from genre Parfums called R.A.M.C. This one is an original creation from Devin Breaux, the owner of the house. RAMC stands for "Ran After My Car". I did inquire about this name with Devon, hoping for a funny backstory, but he said he is naming his original fragrances in such a way to make them conversation starters and that none of them have a real backstory to them, at least not yet. So, without further ado. Let's get into it! Also, I did receive this product for free from Devin, although as always, you will get my honest opinion on it.

Presentation

RAMC comes neatly packaged in a lack box with the name of the fragrance on the box, which is a very nice touch considering most clone houses use generic boxes with just the house name and not the fragrance listed on it. Which there is nothing wrong with the generic boxes, but these add another special touch to it. The slide over the top is what has the fragrance name though, not the actual box. Once you slide it off there is a box that you can open from the side with a pull tab.

The bottle is cylindrical, which a slightly more detailed black and gold Genre label on it. The bottle does not have a cap and the atomizer works fine. He did say he was working on sourcing new atomizers, but I didn't inquire if they included caps or not.

Overall, the presentation is quite good coming from a house that generally produces clones. It gives it a touch of class, but it's not over the top, no doubt in order to keep his prices low. Also, RAMC only comes in a 60ml size as of right now.

Notes

Taken straight from my FB conversation with Devin when I asked.

Top: Bergamot, Lemon, Pineapple, Cassis

Heart: Jasmine, Clary sage, Spicy Notes

Base: Oud, Nagarmotha, White Musks, Amber

Yeah, I have no idea what Nagarmotha is either. Maybe it's some sort of LA slang? I don't know ;)

Seriously though, a Google search informed me it's another name for cypriol. It totally sounded like it could have been much cooler in my head.

The Scent

Opening

RAMC opens up with a fresh and zesty citrus blast. The pineapple is creamy and somewhat similar to Aventus, but not quite as realistic, but it's not super synthetic either. I enjoy it. The tanginess of the lemon is also very much alive at this point too, but it doesn't smell like a floor cleaner. You can also pick up on the cassis in this phase as well. It's a very fresh and summery type fragrance in this phase. It manages to execute a potent citrus opening which doesn't overpower. WHich is somewhat rare for citrus based fragrances.

Dry Down

The dry down has some of the woody notes come out. I know it says oud, but I don't get that. It smells more controlled and laid back than most ouds are. It smells similar to the woodiness in BDC to me. So essentially, to my nose, this is a BDC/Aventus hybrid. You get a bit more of the clean white musks which gives it more diversity and wearability than most citrus/woody fragrances in this genre. I don't get any of the oud, or amber, but I can detect a bit of spiciness.

Performance

I am getting around 3 hours of projection and 10 of longevity. Which means it will pass most people's expectations on how long it should last. It does leave a nice sillage trail as well. For the price, you will hardly find something of this quality that smells this good.

When to Wear it

The opening is summery, but the dry down allows you to wear this year rounds, but I don't think it would be as fitting for the dead of winter. I would wear this when I would reach for BDC or Aventus. It's offensive, mass pleasing, and long-lasting. It's safe for the boardroom, a trip to the beach. A leisurely stroll on a fall day. Rock it how you want to.

Overall Impression

I will cut right to the point here, 50 bucks is a steal here. I have already used 1/4 of my bottle and I still Devin only sent it to me a month ago. For someone with as many fragrances as I have, that is saying something. You all know how I feel about citrus fragrances and this one hits the mark. It's powerful, has longevity, and cheaper than most alternatives out there. So, my advice is to order a sample if Devin doesn't sell out. Which looking at his Facebook group, RAMC has been going fast, which is understandable. I think most of his originals line has been met with great success, so check those out too. I will link Devin's Facebook to contact him about ordering and his Facebook group below.

Conclusion

That's it for today. I hope everyone has a great day and don't forget to tell someone something positive today! Until next time, be safe!

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