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February 13, 2012
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Black Aoud by Montale

You would think that a scent that I would describe as going on as smelling like plastic and burning rubber would be a scent that I wouldn’t recommend. Well… when I first put this on, I was ready to wash it off right away. But as you know, things can change as time passes and indeed this is one of those times. I walked into work about 45 minutes after I applied this perfume and no sooner than I was in the door (I hadn’t even had time to remove my coat), did a co-worker lean over and ask me what I was wearing because it smelled so wonderful. Go figure. So in about an hour, I went from smelling like an old tire to smelling delicious. And yes, once the fragrance opened up, it turned into a lovely warm and musky rose scent. And don’t get scared of the idea of roses, this is not the kind of rose scent that your grandmother wore. Overall, it’s a very distinctive and original scent. In addition, it’s a scent that lasts all day. I’m just not sure that it’s a scent for me…but I’ll give it some time and will definitely give it another try; old tire smell and all!

From the Montale Website:

A magnificent Cambodian Aoud blended with Indonesian Patchouli leaves over a combination of Mandarin, Musk and Rose petals.

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: musk, rose, patchouli
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Moderately expensive – $110 for 50ml eau de parfum

February 9, 2012
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L’Hetre Reve by Nez a Nez

I love good surprises. I am always hesitant with scents that are comprised with elements of leather. I know as a man, I should embrace that rustic side of me, but I usually find that the leather is just too heavy. When I first applied this to my skin, the leather was clearly present, but it mixed wonderfully with the spices of cinnamon and clove. I can live with that kind of leather. As a unisex perfume, I thought at first that this was a decidedly a masculine scent; manly but warm and very enveloping. By the time I arrived at work, the magic continued but on a whole other level. Still warm, but now sweet. The leather dissipated and out came the light floral elements, a tinge of musk and a tinge of powder. I noticed that as the day went on, depending on what I was doing, sitting at my desk quietly or running to a meeting very busily, the scent changed… warm, cool, sweet, powdery, musky. It was like I was applying a new scent throughout the day. My one downside is that by the time I got home, the scent had pretty much disapearred on me. Well, I guess that just means that I’ll have to apply some more!

Notes:

Star anise, mandarin, cinnamon, clove, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, plum, wisteria, cedarwood, gaiacwood, jacaranda, leather, musk, port

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: leather, sweet, musk
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Moderately expensive – $165 for 100ml

February 5, 2012
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Ambra Aurea by Profumum

More sampling, more to love. I had to try Ambre Aurea due to my love of ambers, despite the fact that at $240 a bottle I probably was not going to buy any. At that price, something has to be “over-the-top” special. So my expectations were high for this scent to surprise and delight me. A tough one to describe…when you first apply it, it’s almost chemical in it’s introduction. At first I was concerned, but then quickly, the scent transforms into a delicious warm, slightly sweet and enveloping amber. It is a very reassuring fragrance with a subtle sexiness about it. This truly is a unisex parfum, I can see this wearing well on both men and woman. I have the feeling that the characteristics of the scent would probably vary greatly on each individual. A truly beautiful fragrance. But at $240 for 100ml, I’m still not sure if I’m going to venture forth to purchasing a full bottle. I’ll have to give that some thought. However, I’m very much looking forward to testing out some more of the Profumum line.

From the Profumum website:

Olfactory Notes: Grey Amber, Incense, Myrrh