WHAT I SMELL – OUD:  Oud’s opening kicks off with a soft and lightly sweetened grapefruit that quickly melds with a somewhat menacing leather.  There’s a heft of sexiness with the leather being slightly carnal without being funky or crude. After a little bit, a sweetened vanilla emerges with a layered sheen over the leather.  Here, the perfume continues its seductive path, but where it started off a bit masculine, it now embraces its feminine side.  Oud to me is less oud, but more of a sweetened wood.  The strong sensation of oud which usually dominates does not occur here. Instead, the perfume bounces between leather, vanilla and wood.  To me, this makes it the perfect perfume that can be worn for any occasion.  It would be perfect to wear when you’re feeling strong and seductive as the leather comes to the forefront letting anyone who enters your path will know that you mean business.  If you’re in the mood to be mysterious, the vanilla wood tinged with the smokiness of the leather will make you smolder with a quiet confidence.  In the end, a light floral component seems to weave in and out of the composition, adding just another incredible layer to what is an already incredible unisex beauty.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Seductive confidence ala Theo James.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE OUD:  captivating, self-assured, quietly bold

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUD:  Colognoisseur

• Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent: Oriental
• Nose:  James Peterson
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense:  $150 for 30 ml eau de parfum

WHAT I SMELL – VETIVER EAU FRAICHE:  Vetiver stays true to its name with an opening of hay and dried grass which quickly moves to a sensation like that of grass that has been cut and left out in the sun to dry.   Not long after, a buzzing light sugar accord rests on top of the dried grass.  The perfume is a subtle and easy wear, although as time goes on, it does grow a bit in volume.  Vetiver’s woodiness is casual, yet elegant and is timeless in its beauty.  As a soliflore, Vetiver does not provide any twists or turns, instead it unfolds into a familiar and comforting ageless fragrance.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  summer dunes

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE VETIVER EAU FRAICHE:  uncomplicated, easy, careworn

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VETIVER EAU FRAICHE:  No other reviews found.

• Bone Rating:  3 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent: Woody
• Nose:  James Peterson
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense:  $45 for 60 ml eau fraiche

BOTTOM LINE:  The perfumes in the Brooklyn Perfume Company line are simple beauties that don’t try to be anything but what they are; uncomplicated.  When it seems that twists and turns in a perfume are par for the course, it’s nice to have perfumes that don’t pretend they’re something they’re not.