Woods and Woods: Benoit Thibeault Accomplissement Pour Homme Review

 

Credit: Benoit Thibeault 

Hello, ladies and Gentlemen! I hope everyone is having a pleasant day today. I'm doing just fine. I am writing up a bunch of reviews today, so you might see me post a new review or topic each day in the coming week. 

I have a new fragrance from a new house to review today. This is from a self-taught Canadian perfumer named Benoit Thibeault. He started his house just this year and he did send me some samples for free. However, there was no agreement to review them. I did think this one is worthy enough to review, so here we are. 

This house is not IFRA-compliant. This means that some of the concentrations in the fragrances might not be deemed as safe due to allergens. Make sure to test these fragrances on a small patch of skin before giving them a full wearing. He is working on becoming IFRA compliant though. He just isn't at the current moment. Because of this, I will give a full note breakdown for this fragrance, in case you have allergies to anything included in it. 

Now that we got that out of the way, let's get into it!


The Notes


Top- Grapefruit and Black Pepper 

Heart- Thuja

Base- Amber, Iso E Super, Tobacco, Oud, Vetiver, Pimento, Clary Sage, Nutmeg


The Scent

Accomplissement Pour Homme opens with a cooling greenness that is quickly met with dry woody accords accented by black pepper. This is a base heavy fragrance to me. This means that the base takes over right away.

The heart and base quickly come out. The thuja is apparently a tree that brows close to where Benoit lives and it's quite similar to cedar. It smells just like a dry cedar to me. This is a natural note. It is meat with dry amber, woody oud, and tobacco. These notes are accented by an accord of various spicy notes. Woody vetiver and thuja with the pepper are the most dominant notes to me in the dry down.

This fragrance is quite linear to me, which is a good thing if you are a fan of dry woody and spicy scents. Essentially, you get an almost lumberyard feeling that is classed up with warm spices. 

I don't think this one projects very much, but it leaves a nice soft bubble around you. I do believe that this is intentional since the perfumer made this fragrance with the intent on using it as a work fragrance. It's hard to tell what the projection is with social distancing taking place, so I could be incorrect in assuming this. I am solely going off of my own nose. The overall longevity is around 8-9 hours on my skin. 


My Opinion

Accomplissement Pour Homme isn't doing anything new or daring. It's a really safe fragrance, but it was crafted to be that. I do not think this fragrance is limited to a professional environment. It can be worn casually as well. It's just a dry woody and spicy fragrance that is masculine. There aren't any bells and whistles, but it accomplishes what it was meant to do. 

This fragrance costs around $70 USD for 50ml, which I think is a fair price. It does come off as quite natural to me. I would have liked a bit more tobacco in it, but that is just my personal taste. It's a solid offering from a new perfumer, but in the future, I would like to see him stretch out his style more and create something a bit more daring. He is an indie perfumer and that comes with the expectation that you will create unique things. He has a solid start and I assume he created this to sell so that he can expand into some more unique things, but time will tell. I think he has potential. Every niche and indie brand has a more safe fragrance to sell to keep them in business.


Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my review. I will leave some links to his store page and his Youtube channel if you'd like to check them out. Have a great day and remember to say a kind word to someone today. You never know how much it could help them. A kind word only costs a moment of your time. 


Buy Accomplissement Pour Homme here (prices are in CAD)

Benoit's YouTube(English)

Want to see what is going on in my group and vote on my upcoming articles? We also discuss fragrances and fragrant topics in a drama-free environment. You won't see any troll Aventus and CDNIM posts in my group! Join my Facebook group!

Want to learn how to support my work? Click here

Follow me on Instagram!

Beach Days: Cremo Iced Citron & Driftwood Review

 

Greetings! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day today. It actually just started raining after I took this picture, so I got out there just in time. Maybe a few raindrops would have helped, but I like it regardless. 

Today I am covering a new release from Cremo, Iced Citron & Driftwood. Cremo has been reliable in creating solid fragrances for the money thus far, so we shall see if they continue that trend. This will be the first fresh release that I have covered from them. 

Cremo did send this to me for free. I am not sponsored by Cremo and none of the links in this article are affiliate links. All that means is that I don't get anything from you clicking or purchasing this fragrance through anything in this article. As always, I will be transparent about how I feel about the fragrance. 

I know a lot of you have been asking me about this one. Let's get into it!

The Story

The sun peaks over the ocean on a cool summer morning. Its bright orange glow dances over the gentle waves in delight with the heralding of its warm embrace. You hear a distant seagull trumpeting it familiar call, it must be breakfast time for them. The sound of the waves gentling washing against the shore relaxes you. 

You sit on the dock and the sun's warming rays gently caress your face. The cool salty air still lingers from the chill night. It's a breath of fresh air. A moment of solitude within nature's divine system. It's worked out to absolute serenity. The contrasts, sounds, and ambiance are undeniably fascinating.

There is something that man always craves in nature. We long to be a part of us, to participate in its simple, yet complex cycle. A time away from the hustle and bustle of human life. You get lost in the moment, blankly staring across the massive body of water, until reality sets in.

Human life requires you to contribute to society. I will be back again, old dock. You are my place of solitude in this crazy world. My clairvoyance of mind before the day starts. That simple wooden structure is very special to me. 

The Scent

Iced Citron & Driftwood opens up with a cool citrusy blast that will remind you of something like Mercedes-Benz Cologne, but only vaguely. It's not nearly as bright as the Cologne. Cremo seems to be aiming for a mature vibe with this one. When I say mature, I don't mean something suitable only for elderly men. I mean mature as in a man who is a working professional. The citrus isn't as playful and the musk has been toned down in Cremo's creation. 

They threw in some salty notes, along with some light woods. It makes me think of something similar to the wood and salt in Jo Malone's Wood Sage and Sea Salt. Only those two notes together, not the whole fragrance. I am also picking up something that smells like ginger in here, but it's not very strong.

Overall, what you get is a more serious version of Mercedes-Benz Cologne, with a pinch of Jo Malone's Wood Sage and Sea Salt. Now, this fragrance isn't copying either one of those. Those are simply the closest fragrances I can use to describe what I get from it. 


My Opinion 

Cremo has provided another fragrance that is solid for its asking price. While this one isn't totally unique, I do think fans of the "lemonade" type of fragrances will enjoy this one. However, be warned that this one is not as fresh as the Dior or Mercedes-Benz. Given how difficult those two are becoming to find, then you might appreciate this one. 

The performance is adequate for this genre, clocking in at around 6 hours when it's warm outside. If you are looking for projection, this one only projects for around an hour, as far as I can tell. It's quite difficult to properly judge projection with everyone wearing masks and social distancing. So, don't take my word as set in stone on that. 

It's not very effective to try and sample Cremo fragrances because they are so affordable to begin with. If you like the fragrances that I compared this one too, then I think this one is a safe blind buy. I don't think it will blow you away, but I think you will enjoy it for the price you will pay for it. 

Note: This is a Wal-Mart exclusive fragrance. You cannot buy it from the Cremo site or Target. You can buy it online at Wal-Mart, but it sells out quickly. I will provide a link so that you can check up on it.


Conclusion

I am planning on picking up some more offerings from Cremo, including some of their shaving products, body washes, soaps, fragrances, and shampoos. They seem to know what they are doing when it comes to value for money and I respect that. When I do get around to purchasing those things, I will certainly review them for you folks. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Keep being great and doing great things. Remember to say a kind word to someone today. You never know what they are going through. You can make someone's day for free. Try it. It doesn't hurt.


Buy Iced Citron & Driftwood at Wal-Mart

Want to see what is going on in my group and vote on my upcoming articles? We also discuss fragrances and fragrant topics in a drama-free environment. You won't see any troll Aventus and CDNIM posts in my group! Join my Facebook group!

Want to learn how to support my work? Click here

Follow me on Instagram!

Not Worth the Hype: Azzaro Ginger Lover Review

 

Source

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! I hope everyone is doing well today. I am doing just fine. I have been testing a lot of stuff and dealing with something in the family, so I haven't had as much time to write lately. I should have a few new reviews published over the course of the next few days. 

I saw a few YouTube videos hyping Azzaro's Ginger Lover, so I decided to purchase a decant of it. The fragrance contains ginger, lime, and vetiver. I love all three of those. Well, I will give you my opinion in a bit.

I purchased my decant from Mario Sharvae who is a legitimate seller and has great prices. One of my bottles leaked and another one the atomizer broke. He sent me a new atomizer and 10ml of MFK's Masculin Pluriel to make it right. Both of those things were out of his control, but he still made it right. So, I can recommend doing business with him. I will use him again if he has what I want. My review of this fragrance isn't a reflection on him. He didn't make the fragrance. 

Just to be clear, I have no relationship with Mario and this is not sponsored. I purchased the decants from him. I was just pleased with my transaction and his willingness to make it right, so I thought I would give him a shoutout. 

Let's see where Ginger Lover failed for me. Let's get into it!


The Scent

Ginger Lover starts out with a fresh and spicy lime accord accentuated by a prominent ginger note. The opening is actually quite beautiful and it's my favorite part of the fragrance. After 30 minutes the lime dies down and becomes barely noticeable in the back, only signified by a very slight fresh sweetness in the dry down. What you then get is just a dry ginger accord with woody vetiver. There isn't greenness in this vetiver. It's only dry and woody. It's certainly a more fantasy version of vetiver. 

This woody ginger lasts for the life of the fragrance, which lasts around 8 hours in total. This is marketed towards men, but I think women could wear this as well. This is a fragrance that can survive high heat as well. 


My Opinion

The opening of Ginger Lover is the best part. the dry down is simple, boring, and uninspired. Does it smell bad? No, but it's just flat. There is nothing exciting once the lime dies down. Maybe they should have used lemon or grapefruit as a longer-lasting citrus note to give this one some life. 

I honestly don't get why people hyped this one. This fragrance has no soul and it's just a money grab to me. It could have been so much more interesting than it is. This is exactly the reason why I always tell people to buy decants before committing to a full bottle, even though this one is inexpensive. 

Now, if you love Ginger Lover, then wear it. I am not trying to insult your tastes or what you like. I am just giving my personal opinion about it. I tried to come up with a good story for this one, but the fragrance didn't inspire me at all. I don't like doing negative reviews because it's much more difficult to write about things that don't inspire you. However, with this one being hyped up recently, I figured I might want to give a contrasting opinion to what others are saying out there. 

My overall take is that it's not a bad fragrance, but it's not exciting. It's certainly not one I will be purchasing a full bottle of. There are much more interesting ginger and citrus-based fragrances, even in the same price range. Azzaro Pour Homme still holds the crown in the Azzaro lineup for me. 


Conclusion

I hope everyone has a lovely day. Be well and do well. Remember to say a kind word to someone today. You never know how much it could help them. Kind words are free to use. Be blessed and stay safe!

Want to see what is going on in my group and vote on my upcoming articles? We also discuss fragrances and fragrant topics in a drama-free environment. You won't see any troll Aventus and CDNIM posts in my group! Join my Facebook group!

Want to learn how to support my work? Click here

Follow me on Instagram!

Go Green: Genre Parfums Expletive Review

 

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day today. I am doing just fine. The sun is shining and I am alive, so that always makes for a good day, even if I do prefer rainy days over sunny ones.

I have a new Genre Parfums fragrances for you today. If you don't know who Genre Parfums is, they are a small house our of Louisiana in the US. Devin Breaux is the creative director of this house. They started off making inspirations of other fragrances, but he is working a lot more on creating his originals now. Expletive is an original creation. I can go ahead and tell you that it's quite unique.

Full disclosure: I was sent this for free from Genre. It does not impact my view on the fragrance. I have given negative reviews on stuff that I have received for free before. If any of you know Devin, then you know he is all about transparency. That is what he expects in this review. I would not be an honorable friend of Devin's if I told him everything was perfect and never gave him room to improve. Yes, I do consider him a friend, but we aren't super close or anything like that. Devin does work with perfumers to create his originals.

Now that we got that out of the way, let's get into it!


The Story

A meadow in a forgotten place, the sun shines brightly, and the grass grows unchecked by human hands. A meadow of fresh green grass growing tall once more. As you walk through the meadow with your arms at your side, feeling the blades of grass caress your fingertips, the sun warms your face and urges the freedom of a smile. A new life, a new start, freshness embodied. Nature is all of its cleanliness. The raw mystery of the earth caressing your senses and emboldening you to dig deeper into its splendor. The music of crickets chirping in a melody that gives the final ambiance. This is spring.


The Scent 

Expletive starts out with an explosion of very tart bergamot, that comes off similar to grapefruit to my nose. The sweetness and sparkle identify it as bergamot, grapefruit is a bit sourer when it's tart. A freshly cut grass accord merges with white musk to create a clean and soapy feeling to me. The camphorous qualities of hemp and rosemary join in creating a pungent, but also a lingering fresh feeling. I pick up an accord that smells like the aroma as if you took a dandelion stalk and split it in two. I am not sure what is causing that, but I get it quite vividly. A pinch of fresh basil leaves are delicately placed into the middle of this fragrance. I have a garden where I grow fresh basil, so this note might be more apparent to me than others. I can also pick up a slight hint of soft jasmine when the heart comes out. It's not indolic at all. There is a very faint woody accord as the base that I assume is cedar, but it's difficult to directly identify it. 


My Opinion

Expletive is a very green fragrance. Devin has been using #GoGreen for this fragrance and I totally see why. It's very, very green. It's citric, fresh, tart, a bit soapy, and slightly medicinal. It really embodies a spring day here in South Carolina. The aroma of plants and grasses with soft delicate florals lingering in the air. For this reason, I am going to say this is Genre's best fragrance that I have smelled to date. However, don't take this as hype. You certainly need to sample this one. It's also the most niche one I have smelled from the house.

The accords are crafted in a way that works with each other and they weave through different phases throughout the life of this fragrance. The notes used in this fragrances are very intentional. This is not two clones mashed together. This was built from the ground up with a vision in mind. 

This fragrance performs much better when the sun hits your skin. The warmness causes this fragrance to project heavily to those around you. However, this fragrance will not be cloying as all. It's too green and fresh for that. Overall, this fragrance projects for around 2-3 hours, depending on the weather conditions and can last for up to 8 hours total on skin. 

I usually don't go over the presentations anymore, but I have to say that Genre stepped their game up on the bottles for their originals. I love the gold plaque on the front with the Genre logo. The atomizers are much better and the caps are improved as well. This bottle can compete with most indie houses out there and I think it's a huge step up from their old bottles.


Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my take on this fragrance. Sadly, you cannot purchase it yet, but it should be available around the middle of  August for purchase. I will leave a link to Genre's Facebook group. In that group, you can see when Devin opens up the ordering cycles and how to order from Genre. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Remember to keep saying positive things to people. It doesn't cost you anything and you can make someone's day so much better. Keep smelling great and being great. 


Genre's Facebook Group

Want to see what is going on in my group and vote on my upcoming articles? We also discuss fragrances and fragrant topics in a drama-free environment. You won't see any troll Aventus and CDNIM posts in my group! Join my Facebook group!

Want to learn how to support my work? Click here

Follow me on Instagram!