As Autumn arrives I gravitate towards darker scents. One of my favourites is Aramis Devin - which they describe as a country cologne, whatever that may be. It's a Chypre fragrance by Bernard Chant that was first launched in 1977, it was popular for a while and indeed won an award but is now I suppose, like the Chevalier D'Orsay cologne about which I wrote here earlier this month, something of a niche fragrance.
Top Notes: Bergamot, Galbanum, Artemisia, Lemon
Middle Notes: Jasmin, Carnation, Pine, Thyme, Cinnamon
Base notes: Leather, Olibanum, Cedarwood, Amber, Musk, Moss, Patchouli, Labdanum
It starts very strongly, for the first few minutes it's actually a bit harsh and on some can smell bitter, but it very quickly becomes a well-rounded somewhat woodsy chypre with leather undertones which just gets smoother and smoother. For me (like all the Aramis scents) it's got good sillage and longevity, somewhere between 4 to 6 hours depending on temperature and what I'm doing, with the last hour or so being a very mellow leather. If you search around it's reasonably priced. If you liked Polo or Halston Z-14 you'll probably like this, to my mind it works better than either of them. I wouldn't wear it to work, but for autumn and winter weekends it's perfect. For some reason or another I seem to always wear it on Christmas Eve. It's a complex and well-balanced scent that after the first few minutes leaves many of its thinner, more expensive, and 'modern', successors gasping in the dust.
Top Notes: Bergamot, Galbanum, Artemisia, Lemon
Middle Notes: Jasmin, Carnation, Pine, Thyme, Cinnamon
Base notes: Leather, Olibanum, Cedarwood, Amber, Musk, Moss, Patchouli, Labdanum
It starts very strongly, for the first few minutes it's actually a bit harsh and on some can smell bitter, but it very quickly becomes a well-rounded somewhat woodsy chypre with leather undertones which just gets smoother and smoother. For me (like all the Aramis scents) it's got good sillage and longevity, somewhere between 4 to 6 hours depending on temperature and what I'm doing, with the last hour or so being a very mellow leather. If you search around it's reasonably priced. If you liked Polo or Halston Z-14 you'll probably like this, to my mind it works better than either of them. I wouldn't wear it to work, but for autumn and winter weekends it's perfect. For some reason or another I seem to always wear it on Christmas Eve. It's a complex and well-balanced scent that after the first few minutes leaves many of its thinner, more expensive, and 'modern', successors gasping in the dust.