Random testflight reviews

[StylinLA]

Oh, how I envy you! I finally got around to checking out Lucky Scent's website, and went a little crazy on the samples page
The wonderful thing about Lucky Scent, is that going a little crazy on their samples page only put me out $53, and now I look forward to trying some oft-discussed frags as well as a few obscurities
Soon come:
Amouage Dia Man
Amouage Epic Man
Comme des Garcons Series 3: Incense Avignon
Comme des Garcons Series 3: Incense Jaisalmer
Comme des Garcons Series 3: Incense Kyoto
Comme des Garcons Series 3: Incense Ouarzazate
Comme des Garcons Series 3: Incense Zagorsk
Comme des Garcons Wonderwood
Comme des Garcons x Monocle Hinoki
Divine L'homme Sage
Mazzolari Lui
Montale Full Incense
Montale Red Vetyver
Odori Tabacco
PARFUMS DE NICOLAI New York
Susanne Lang Tamboti Wood

Thanks for all your helpful comments and reviews, StylinLA!

You bet. I know only a few of those, but that is a nice broad selection. For $53, that's a whole lot of scent to pick from. Wise to go the sample route. The Lucky Scent people employ some fantastic copy writers. There's nothing I ever read in there that doesn't make me want to rush in there and buy it on the spot.

Let us know what you land on. Would love to hear if you can make sense of Dia Man...be forewarned that's a "comes and goes" scent. Many people have commented how it seems to vanish only to reemerge later in day. That's been my experience with it too.

 

[Obsessed]

The Lucky Scent people employ some fantastic copy writers. There's nothing I ever read in there that doesn't make me want to rush in there and buy it on the spot.

Tell me about it. I just made the mistake of reading through the Montale section of their website. Of course, I only know about Lucky Scent or Montale in the first place because of this forum . . .

 

[vertigo12314]

I really look forward to hearing about Acqua di Sale. Supposed to pretty intense "oceanic" experience. Profumum uses some top notch ingredients- I know that much.

Basenotes is pretty divisive on aquatics so it'll be interesting to see where I land.

 

[StylinLA]

Basenotes is pretty divisive on aquatics so it'll be interesting to see where I land.

Yes, but those are pretty high end aquatics. There are no AdGs on your list.

 

[vertigo12314]

The Different Company Sel de Vetiver

Top notes: Grapefruit and cardamom;
middle notes: Tahitian vetiver, bourbon geranium and ylang-ylang;
base notes: Iris, patchouli and bourbon vetiver.

On the top the noticeable grapefruit appears and patchouli (anyone with Terre D'Hermes will understand) but a high quality vetiver accompanies it and together it's like a gourmand vetiver. With the floral cardamom it keeps it outdoorsy. It's evocative like outdoors near an ocean but it's a mile away. For an aquatic this is very different than the typical kind and I don't get any obvious salt smells other than the floral seeming like salt on skin. For the price I would put this under Guerlain Vetiver but it's a little higher quality than GV and more beautiful in that the floral makes the vetiver and grapefruit more interesting. It seems simple at first but in the end is very complex and well mixed. The vetiver even goes towards a L'Occitane Vetiver territory on the drydown. This is more for good weather but really it can be worn anytime of the year. Both men and women can wear it. The staying power on me is close to Terre D'Hermes and I think I like it a little better. Those who like Nicolai New York should also try this one. I would put the florals here as much better than Beyond Paradise by Estee Lauder which goes more towards BO flowers. To think I was done with vetiver. If you like vetiver you could easily blindbuy this one

 

[vertigo12314]

A point to add: because of the high price it would make sense to buy a 10-15 ml decant if you have lots of vetivers already.

 

[jakespoppy]

The Different Company Sel de Vetiver

Top notes: Grapefruit and cardamom;
middle notes: Tahitian vetiver, bourbon geranium and ylang-ylang;
base notes: Iris, patchouli and bourbon vetiver.

On the top the noticeable grapefruit appears and patchouli (anyone with Terre D'Hermes will understand) but a high quality vetiver accompanies it and together it's like a gourmand vetiver. With the floral cardamom it keeps it outdoorsy. It's evocative like outdoors near an ocean but it's a mile away. For an aquatic this is very different than the typical kind and I don't get any obvious salt smells other than the floral seeming like salt on skin. For the price I would put this under Guerlain Vetiver but it's a little higher quality than GV and more beautiful in that the floral makes the vetiver and grapefruit more interesting. It seems simple at first but in the end is very complex and well mixed. The vetiver even goes towards a L'Occitane Vetiver territory on the drydown. This is more for good weather but really it can be worn anytime of the year. Both men and women can wear it. The staying power on me is close to Terre D'Hermes and I think I like it a little better. Those who like Nicolai New York should also try this one. I would put the florals here as much better than Beyond Paradise by Estee Lauder which goes more towards BO flowers. To think I was done with vetiver. If you like vetiver you could easily blindbuy this one

Sounds interesting, but you really hooked me with your last comment.

 

[vertigo12314]

Sounds interesting, but you really hooked me with your last comment.

It's because I can't find anything really bad about it other than the price.

 

[jakespoppy]

It's because I can't find anything really bad about it other than the price.

Yeah, I've seen several what I thought sounded like great prospects slip out of reach once I saw their price tag.

 

[vertigo12314]

Santa Maria Novella Acqua di Cuba EdC

Notes: Honey, leather, tobacco

The leather starts off a little like talcum powder (in a good way) and mixes well with the light tobacco and a good helping of honey. This is a very pleasing scent and for an EdC lasts pretty long and the sillage is very good. The price may be a bit steep but anyone who likes Creed Vintage Tabarome, Knize Ten, and Burberry London should give this one a shot. Overtime the scents meld together in a cohesive oneness that's very masculine and classy.

 

[vertigo12314]

Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561 Hyle

Lemon, bergamot, myrtle, lavender, ginger, ozone, musk notes, juniper wood, patchouli

This is a strange acquatic. It has barely some ozone and much more noticable myrtle and lavender. It comes off a little like overchewed bubble gum. The juniper wood is more noticable and as it comes in it improves the scent, but ultimately the sillage is nonexistent and there's little longevity. For the price it's not worth it. If you like this make sure you use lots.

 

[vertigo12314]

Profumum Acqua di Sale

Myrtle, Cedarwood, Marine Algae

Very similar to Hyle but much stronger scent. There's a Marine accord but it's less fake smelling than most and the cedarwood definitely gives off a vibe of wood floating in water. The ingredients are good and the sillage and longevity are better than Hyle. The myrtle and cedarwood mix well together and the algae gives off an oceanic greenness. The price is exorbitant for either Hyle or Acqua di Sale. Those who love licorice will love these scents because the Myrtle (I think) smells like it.

 

[vertigo12314]

I Profumi di Firenze Brezza di Mare

sea salt, bergamot, lemons, limes and watermelon

Starts off with a harsh blast of hairspray before it starts calming down. There is rubbery sea salt accord that's slightly sweet. The slightly sweet part is supposed to be bergamot, lemons, limes and watermelon but it's swamped by "hairspray sea salt" to the point that it's hard to decipher. It's basically like headache inducing paper with hairspray and slightly sweet. Yuck!

I'm really starting to LOVE my Imperial Millesime!

 

[vertigo12314]

Il Profumo Aria di Mare

Ocean notes, bamboo stalk, java tea leaves, floral herbaceous notes, sweet water mint, yellow wild broom, acacia flowers, sand white lily, yellow rose, tiare, musk

Oh no it starts off with hairspray much like Brezza di Mare! Pretty quickly some different accords appear. A soft bamboo and minty florals. The hairspray is lighter in this and mimics sand/dirt so there's a little impression of flowers and dirt. This maybe too feminine to me but Lucky Scent describes it as unisex. Again for the price it's not really worth it. Unless you like hairspray this will give you some headaches and there are much better scents to try.

 

[vertigo12314]

For aquatics above I would rate them:

Acqua di Cuba (very good scent but nothing acquatic about it. Worth sampling nonetheless).
Acqua di Sale (best of the "naturalistic" acquatics. If you like licorice or anise this will be easier to like but definitely not for me.

Stay away from:
Brezza di Mare (Hairspray!)
Aria di Mare (Hairspray!)
Hyle (very low longevity compared to Acqua di Sale and even lower than Caldey Island Lavender).

 

[vertigo12314]

Santa Maria Novella Ginestra

Notes: Citrus, Ginestra flowers, Oakmoss

Very refreshing scent. It's got a nice citrus to it and mixed with sweet hay like florals and oakmoss it becomes this nice outdoorsy scent. This is perfect for anyone who likes Oakmoss but not Grey Flannel.

 

[mdevine]

I couldn't pass up the recent Valentine 15% discount at Parfum1 and did something completely out of character for me. I bought three different fragrances blind. On getting home from work today, I had a box holding bottles of Lalique Encre Noire, Caron Third Man and Caron L'Anarchiste. I tried Third Man early this afternoon and applied Encre Noire after showering this evening. Here are my initial impressions.

Caron L'Anarchiste;

Top Notes: Orange Blossom, Mandarin,
Middle Notes: Cedar Leaves, Sandal, Vetiver, Cedarwood
Base Notes: Musk

This starts off with orange and spice, smelling very similar to spiced orange herbal tea. The orange top notes are very pronounced and I've not tried anything remotely similar at the outset. Although not listed, there is a cinnamon/ clove note that is quite pronounced for the first couple of hours. As it dries down, the orange and spice fades into the background and the sandalwood becomes more noticeable. The sandalwood here is reminiscent of the basenotes of Green Irish Tweed. I think this should make an interesting change of pace from what I usually wear.

Lalique Encre Noire:

Top Notes

Middle Notes: Haitian Vetiver, Vetiver Bourbon, Cypress Wood

Base Notes: Musk, Cashmere Wood

Where L'Anarchiste is an interesting change of pace fragrance, I don't see it as something one would want to wear everyday. Encre Noire, on the other-hand, is one that would be well suited to being a "signature scent" (if you were inclined to wear just one fragrance). It starts out with a sharp, dark, pure vetiver. Like Montale's Black Aoud, it is very intense and piercing for the first 15-20 minutes before settling down and doesn't change much from that point forward. My favorite vetiver scent has been L'Occitane Vetyver. Where L'Occitane is clean, sweet and a little smokey, Encre Noire is darker, dirtier and sexier. L'Occitane Vetyver reminds me of walking through a field of grass on a sunny, warm, Spring morning. It is a perfect scent for a first date where you meet her parents and want her to feel safe and at ease. Encre Noire is the same field, but you are walking on a path beneath the trees to stay dry on a rainy, cool Autumn evening. It is much better suited for the fourth or fifth date, or perhaps an evening at a hotel, spent with your wife away from the kids.

I took a quick sniff of Third Man from the bottle. There was something about it that reminded me of Knize Sec. I'll try to post again after giving it a wear or two. If my opinions of L'Anarchiste or Encre Noire change after further use, I'll try to post back.

 

[vertigo12314]

Upcoming samples:

Tauer Perfumes Vetiver Dance EDP

Guerlain Mitsouko EDP

Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Santal Noble

Givenchy Eau de Vetyver - Original - Rare vintage

Diptyque Tam Dao

Chanel Les Exclusifs Sycomore

Floris Vetiver

 

[gaj90027]

Upcoming samples:

Tauer Perfumes Vetiver Dance EDP

Guerlain Mitsouko EDP

Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Santal Noble

Givenchy Eau de Vetyver - Original - Rare vintage

Diptyque Tam Dao

Chanel Les Exclusifs Sycomore

Floris Vetiver

Can't wait to read your reviews on these. Santal Noble and Tam Dao are 2 new recent discoveries for me and may end up being full size purchases this year.

 

[vertigo12314]

I've read good things about SN and TD sandalwoods.

I also ordered a 15ml decant of Sel de Vetiver.  I'll definitely use that masterpiece sparingly.