Burberry Men’s Fragrances ~ 4 mini reviews

Posted by Kevin on 1 November 2007 38 Comments

Burberry London for men Burberry Brit for men

Recently, a Now Smell This reader from Canada asked me what I thought of the Burberry fragrances for men. I had to fess up: “I’ve never tried any of them!” Shocked by my ignorance, my friend from the north braved the post office (and its rigmarole for shipping liquids across international borders) and sent me generous samples of Burberry for Men, Burberry Touch for Men, Burberry Brit for Men and Burberry London for Men.

Burberry For Men is the oldest Burberry scent but has been reformulated several times since its release in 1981; the current version contains lavender, bergamot, thyme, mint, moss, cedar, amber and tonka bean. Burberry for Men opens loud and proud: it’s cool, sharp and herbal. Burberry for Men’s lavender is enlivened, and somewhat disguised, by strong bergamot, mint and thyme. Straight out of the bottle, Burberry for Men smells like a lip-puckering French mouthwash I used to buy at Caswell-Massey…

Read the rest of this article »

Top 10 Fall Fragrances 2007

Posted by Kevin on 26 October 2007 51 Comments

When autumn arrives in my part of the country, it’s often accompanied by fog and rain. The vibrantly colored red, purple, orange and yellow leaves on maples, gingkoes, liquidambars, smoke bushes, and all trees and shrubs that have a colorful “faint” into dormancy, are even more glorious with a gloss of moisture. The chilly Northwest damp also accentuates aromas; the ground smells pungent, leaves lose their juicy, “green” summer scents and begin to smell like antique paper or old books. As wood smoke begins to swirl from chimneys, providing its own gray mist to the heavy air, I feel as if the entire city is burning incense to mourn the lost summer and to pay homage to the coming winter.

Fall is a time of excitement and stillness; cool winds and refreshing rains energize me, while the sight of dead leaves slowly dropping to the ground, and the silence in the garden (most birds have headed south) put me into a contemplative state of mind. The perfumes I wear in autumn reflect these shifting moods of the season…

Read the rest of this article »

Tokyo by Kenzo ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 16 October 2007 25 Comments

Kenzo Tokyo fragrance advert

Tokyo at night, especially on a rainy night, can be a nightmare for an astigmatic like me: lights everywhere, lights reflecting off metal, slick roads, sidewalks and glass. Everything is a blur. Perhaps Kenzo Parfums believes only a YOUNG man can navigate the sprawling, complex landscape of Tokyo, because Tokyo by Kenzo, their latest fragrance release, was created for men 18 to 25 years old.

Tokyo by Kenzo’s ingredients were chosen to conjure the colors of nighttime Tokyo: yellow and red lights, the green of trees and plants tucked away in parks and small private gardens, and dark sky and looming empty skyscrapers. Tokyo by Kenzo’s fragrance notes are: (yellow) ginger, lemon, grapefuit; (red) pink pepper, bitter orange; (green) shiso, maté absolute, green tea; and (darkness) guaiac wood, cedar, clove and nutmeg.

Tokyo by Kenzo opens with ginger, lemon and a fragrance note that smells like brewed green tea…

Read the rest of this article »

Calvin Klein Man ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 4 October 2007 9 Comments

Calvin Klein Man fragrance advert

Eternity and Obsession (in men’s and women’s versions), Escape (for women) and cK One are the six Calvin Klein fragrances I like. The Eternity, Obsession and cK One scents are all so “instantly recognizable” (and commercially successful) that I find them ‘difficult’ to wear.

Perfume People are an annoying bunch. We like fragrances with individuality, originality, and we like to smell different from the “masses.” We are drawn to exclusive scents. Any perfume that’s wildly popular, even if we like it, even if it stands out from the perfume pack, often does not get bought and worn by Perfume People because “Everybody’s wearing it!” I love Christian Dior Fahrenheit, but I rarely wear it because on the days I do, I am stopped in elevators, in line at the coffee shop, by the postman, and told: “You are wearing Fahrenheit.” Yes, I am — now leave me and Fahrenheit alone! I hate my perfume snobbery but can’t seem to overcome it…

Read the rest of this article »

Tom Ford For Men ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 25 September 2007 45 Comments

Tom Ford For Men fragrance advert

Tom Ford for Men just “arrived” on the perfume scene and the fragrance has taken a back seat to its advertising campaign. Love it or despise it, the ad campaign, photographed by Terry Richardson [ed. note: if you want to see those ads, you’ll find links here], has gotten a lot of media attention. I don’t have much to say about the naked oily woman with red lips and fingernails, and the “perfume-bottle-as-penis” images, but thanks to the advertising, when I hear ‘Tom Ford for Men,’ even after wearing the scent, I don’t think about “the juice” — I think about the ads’ glaring photos: a woman’s big boobs and her shaved genitals. Should advertising loom so large over the product being hyped?

Tom Ford for Men sounds complex “on paper”; its ingredients list includes citrus, lemon leaf oil, mandarin zest, bergamot, basil, ginger, violet leaf, orange blossom, grapefruit blossom, tobacco leaf, black pepper, amber, cedar, patchouli, vetiver, oak moss, leatherwood and cypriol. Tom Ford for Men on skin smells much simpler than it sounds. It opens with a fresh citrus accord (bracing, not “cold”) and violet leaf, and proceeds quickly to the heart of the scent, where amber, cedar, ‘leatherwood,’ and especially patchouli, dominate. There are hints of oak moss and tobacco leaf in the fragrance but I don’t smell basil, black pepper, ginger or blossoms; all these well-blended notes may contribute to the slightly sweet and sprightly aspect of the fragrance. After you think Tom Ford for Men has played itself out, it suddenly “sinks” into a darker, murkier world — a world of unclean muskiness…

Read the rest of this article »

« Newer articles

Older articles »