Cuba by Czech & Speake - Thumbs down
- Thread starter WhosYerBob
- Start date
Well, because God says it should, (super)naturally!
I tried the Cuba sample, and really liked it. No fecal note either. However, there is a very pronounced peppermint note that starts in the beginning and stays. I'm not a big fan of peppermint, but love the scent other than that. Can anybody recommend any alternatives?
Aramis Havana is in a similar spirit, but smells very different. The mint might grow on you.
I agree - Havana is different than Cuba, but in a similar vein. It's different enough that I am (somewhat) considering buying a bottle, perhaps a large decant - even though I have a bottle of Havana. I didn't notice the mint in Cuba. I'll have to check it out again.
Mint is in there as it is in O&C! A clever reference to mojitos, perhaps. Seems tropical and rummy to me.
B. Some people like the fecal note (Luca Turin & C&S & Frued).
C. Some people don't smell the fecal note.
D. The rest of us don't count and should take meds for our disorder.
To me this fragrance is terrible. My suggestion, get something by Puig and then pick a nice Dominican cigar. BTW my nose is fine and is actually pretty strong, I grow antique roses so I practice.
Parosmia sounds horrific, like The Outer Limits episode. Does anyone know a person that smells feces in coffee and chocolate.
Well, okay, this thread forced me to search though my shelves and find see if I had another sample of C&S Cuba. Turns out I did and my memory of it was pretty good.
What I get is a strong initial note of mint (I am not sure I would say peppermint) and something that seems unburned tobacco to me, along with mildly citrusy sweet aromas, maybe a bit of rum in there, something like tropical bar smells. Maybe even a bit of fragrant suntail lotion smells in there and a bit of underlying funk apart from the tobacco. Not so much fecal to my nose as loomy, mulchy. I hate to bring this one up, but a bit like those opening notes of Lilac Vegetal.
As it dries down to me the mint persists but fades to the background and the tobacco is imore in the front of the mix with the sweetness and all of the other scents lingering in a more married and less dictinct way.
Seems like a nice, perhaps informal, scent that does not really capture my imagination. Maybe a nice scent for a night on the town. It does remind me of the Carribean plus more ccigar than the places in the Carribean I have been, Havana, on the other hand, does capture my imagination, and also reminds me of the Carribean. Havana makes me homesick for a place I have never been. Not subtle and not everyone's cup of tea I would not think, but I like it. I am amazed that Havana has gotten as much favorable press as it has because just because I like it does not mean others do. Cuba on the other hand seems pretty innocuous to me and I am surprised it is so polarizing. There is something about it beinng polarizingn that make me want to buy some though and I probably will at least get decent decant of it. YMMV!
What I get is a strong initial note of mint (I am not sure I would say peppermint) and something that seems unburned tobacco to me, along with mildly citrusy sweet aromas, maybe a bit of rum in there, something like tropical bar smells. Maybe even a bit of fragrant suntail lotion smells in there and a bit of underlying funk apart from the tobacco. Not so much fecal to my nose as loomy, mulchy. I hate to bring this one up, but a bit like those opening notes of Lilac Vegetal.
As it dries down to me the mint persists but fades to the background and the tobacco is imore in the front of the mix with the sweetness and all of the other scents lingering in a more married and less dictinct way.
Seems like a nice, perhaps informal, scent that does not really capture my imagination. Maybe a nice scent for a night on the town. It does remind me of the Carribean plus more ccigar than the places in the Carribean I have been, Havana, on the other hand, does capture my imagination, and also reminds me of the Carribean. Havana makes me homesick for a place I have never been. Not subtle and not everyone's cup of tea I would not think, but I like it. I am amazed that Havana has gotten as much favorable press as it has because just because I like it does not mean others do. Cuba on the other hand seems pretty innocuous to me and I am surprised it is so polarizing. There is something about it beinng polarizingn that make me want to buy some though and I probably will at least get decent decant of it. YMMV!
I recently got the C&S sample pack - beautiful presentation. Agree that the Cuba is a bit full on for my tastes. Another vote for Citrus Paradisi and O&C!
Now on to my Floris fragrance library!
Now on to my Floris fragrance library!
I smelled Cuba while visiting ShopLondons in person. My initial reaction was, "Yuck! That smells horrible!"
ShopLondons gave me a sample of Cuba in a later purchase and I bravely gave it a try. I did this on a Monday. I figured if I ended up hating the scent, it might as well happen on a Monday.
Many folks forget that fragrances will morph and change throughout the day. Cuba starts out intense, but soon settles down to a spicy drydown. I have found though, that while the scent lasts all day, it does diminish to my nose.
I do think that Cuba is one of those scents that body chemistry plays a large role in how it interacts.
And of course, the ultimate test is when my wife gives her approval and Cuba passed the test.
One thing is for sure: when you wear Cuba you can be assured that you won't end up smelling like John Doe Public and his department store cologne.
-joedy
ShopLondons gave me a sample of Cuba in a later purchase and I bravely gave it a try. I did this on a Monday. I figured if I ended up hating the scent, it might as well happen on a Monday.
Many folks forget that fragrances will morph and change throughout the day. Cuba starts out intense, but soon settles down to a spicy drydown. I have found though, that while the scent lasts all day, it does diminish to my nose.
I do think that Cuba is one of those scents that body chemistry plays a large role in how it interacts.
And of course, the ultimate test is when my wife gives her approval and Cuba passed the test.
One thing is for sure: when you wear Cuba you can be assured that you won't end up smelling like John Doe Public and his department store cologne.
-joedy
First, I want to say that this is a good debate, and I hav enjoyed it and I want to try the Cuba.
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This is one wacky thread.
<I am now really curious if this Cuba fragrance causes religious impulses.>
I am telling you, it will "take the dark out of the night time" and "bring eyesight to the blind!" Scents have a long history of close associationn with spiritual matters!
But let's all keep gentlemanly re religion, okay? I do not think that anyone means to be intrusive or disrespectful, but no one should want there to be any poosible appearance of that either.
No dis from me intended to Puig, much less to nice Dominican cigars, and mad props to, and lots of curiosity about, antique roses!
And as far as I know learned quotations accepted from all sources, and expected given the learned members here.
I am telling you, it will "take the dark out of the night time" and "bring eyesight to the blind!" Scents have a long history of close associationn with spiritual matters!
But let's all keep gentlemanly re religion, okay? I do not think that anyone means to be intrusive or disrespectful, but no one should want there to be any poosible appearance of that either.
No dis from me intended to Puig, much less to nice Dominican cigars, and mad props to, and lots of curiosity about, antique roses!
And as far as I know learned quotations accepted from all sources, and expected given the learned members here.
Gents, let's get back on topic. Thank you.
I agree with you guys.
But I think the record is very clear who brought religion into this thread (#81, #90, #97). I don't think the act of responding to him is disrespectful; unless we just have to knuckle under to the Bible being brought into a discussion about C&S Cuba!
But I think the record is very clear who brought religion into this thread (#81, #90, #97). I don't think the act of responding to him is disrespectful; unless we just have to knuckle under to the Bible being brought into a discussion about C&S Cuba!
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I sampled the entire C&K sampler pack and have been underwhelmed at best, nauseated at worst. I applied Cuba twice this week and don't find it as terrible as some; however, it does have an "off-note" that is troublesome. Whether this note is charred tobacco or stale molasses or sun-dried feces I'm not sure. Having said this, it smells DIVINE compared to C&S Mimosa, which is the most foul smelling thing I've ever put up to my nose. If you haven't tried Mimosa, imagine taking that foul note in Cuba and amplifying it a thousand times. My nephew's description of Mimosa: "it smells like someone sprayed a load of dog crap with some flowery air freshener." Paradisi also has that off-note after it dries down. Really, while it is true that we all smell differently just as we all taste and hear differently, I cannot imagine the decision-makers at C&K thinking they had a winner with any of these scents. I don't know anyone who has ever come out of a portable toilet exclaiming, "wow, it smells wonderful in there!" 
I sampled the entire C&K sampler pack and have been underwhelmed at best, nauseated at worst. I applied Cuba twice this week and don't find it as terrible as some; however, it does have an "off-note" that is troublesome. Whether this note is charred tobacco or stale molasses or sun-dried feces I'm not sure. Having said this, it smells DIVINE compared to C&S Mimosa, which is the most foul smelling thing I've ever put up to my nose. If you haven't tried Mimosa, imagine taking that foul note in Cuba and amplifying it a thousand times. My nephew's description of Mimosa: "it smells like someone sprayed a load of dog crap with some flowery air freshener." Paradisi also has that off-note after it dries down. Really, while it is true that we all smell differently just as we all taste and hear differently, I cannot imagine the decision-makers at C&K thinking they had a winner with any of these scents. I don't know anyone who has ever come out of a portable toilet exclaiming, "wow, it smells wonderful in there!"
This gets more interesting all the time! My wife had a similar reaction to Mimosa as described above and I have heard of others having that reaction. But I really cannot smell animalic (or pick one of the adjectives like fecal or dirty or whatever) notes of any kind in Mimosa. Citrus Paradisi to me, though, is a gloriously dirty frag, and I adore it for that character. A funky grapefruit scent. I generally would not want a straight up grapefruit scent but the combination of grapefruit and funk is wonderful to me. I would not say fecal re this one, though. More like cigarette ash or something simlar. Distinctly dirty though.
For those of you who have worn Cuba, a question.
Did your dogs try to roll on you after you put it on?
Y'all are making me quite curious about this scent.
Did your dogs try to roll on you after you put it on?
Y'all are making me quite curious about this scent.
My dog says its smells like cigar tobacco to him and that John Stephen has one heck of a nose for a human being! At least that is what I perceive him to be communicating!
By the way, according to the scent notes on basenotes Citrus Paradisi certainly comes by its funk honestly with basenotes of "Oakmoss, Civet, Ambergris." The notes listed for Cuba, iinterestingly, have not overlap with Cuba, and certainly nothing like civet or ambergis is listed for Cuba.
I know what you mean when it comes to desiring some funkiness. My choice when it comes to this is Penhaligon's Elixir: it has some rummy, musty, smokey notes that are addictive to me. It smells like a beer-stained leather couch in an old frat house on the day after a party, but I like it!
