On the blotter it’s a fresh feminine, with delicate mimose and citrus notes.

On my skin it had an exquisite, classy and discreet smell of rubber, just like the one those gloves to wash dishes are made of.

As it moves on, a change in the blotter gives a hint of where the rubber probably comes from: it’s the laundry clean smell of dehydromyrcenol, ever present in many fresh / aromatic fragrances for men, Cool Water and Paco Rabanne Pour Homme above all.

The hint is confirmed to be right when blotter and skin come together: the clean laundry smell is more rubbery on the first, and the rubber is less dense on the latter, letting dehydromyrcenol come out more. In the background, there is still a base of delicate and fresh florals,

Cerruti 1881 Perfume for Women is a floral perfume that may as well go in the category of fresh aromatic. The detergent smell was used very sparingly here, and the bouquet of florals really is delicate, fresh and feminine, although amber and the clean smell bring the fragrance towards the unisex middle.

And speaking of rubber, it reminds of Bvlgari Black, although this one is gentler, rubber is not burnt, and it’s absorb the freshness of the florals. The gloves are clearly still new.

I liked t his one, it feels different. And for a fragrance created in 1995, that means something. Although I personally wouldn’t want go around smelling like a condom, Perfume Cerruti 1881 may have a different outcome on you. Or, it may be the same, but you may actually like it.

If this was a color it would be:
Cerruti 1881 Femme Eau De Toilette

Cerruti 1881 Parfum For Women

The reason behind the first rule is that, if I described a perfume with constant comparisons with another, and you don’t know second one, what you read is completely useless to you.

And the reason behind the second one is that every perfume is different from the other, even when it’s very similar to others, so it deserves a different review.

I think those are worth keeping, and that’s why today, for this 212 Vip Men Carolina Herrera For Men I will raise the white flag: it is the perfect copycat of One Million Paco Rabanne.

I have both of them on my wrists and, except for a boozy and fresher start of 212 VIP men (a vodka note), and the fact that it’s slightly less dirty (two comparisons are allowed), the only reason why I can tell one from the other is that I remember which one I sprayed on the left and which one on the right.

Principle number two failed, and the only Carolina Herrera 212 Vip Men Review possible is this one.

And to think that I even said that One Million was nothing new under the sun….

212 Vip Men Carolina Herrera For Men

In other words, quite similar to Nina and Delices by Cartier. That’s why I found the first part Very Resistible indeed, as these are not my favorite types of perfumes.

To sum up the start, Perfume Irresistible Givenchy has hazy fruity and sweet notes. Although it’s not excessively sweet, it’s quite sugary, so if you find it cloying I’m in sympathy.

Anyway, I’m making it sound bad, while it’s not, and it gets better with time. Especially on the blotter, there are sour citrus notes popping out as well, with almost an astringent quality (berries herbal tea, anyone?).

A little bit further down the road, Very Irresistible is less sweet, and musk comes to rescue smudging those young and innocent notes with earthy and almost dirty ones.

Hei, didn’t you forget the florals, you may ask. I didn’t forget them, but Givenchy apparently did. By the notes description, this one look like a rose powerhouse, but I just couldn’t find any. In the first part, there’s probably something but it’s weighed down by the sweet notes. And when it grows less sweet, florals are definitely there, but all quite generic.

The dry down of Very Irresistible Fragrance is the best part, It’s surprising, quite different from what came before: the musk of the heart notes is gone, but there’s no jump on the sweet and warm vanilla/patchouli bandwagon. Although still with indefinite fruity and florals in the background, the blotter gives out a bitter and dry aroma, something between mint and sage, quite close to anise, but less stinging than in some perfumes for men like Diesel Fuel For Life or Must de Cartier pour Homme.

Very Irresistible Eau De Parfum is a good girl by day, well-mannered and with a sparkling smile, and a cold and detached bitch by night. You may not like her, but sure the whole package is interesting.

If this was a color it would be

Very Irresistible Givenchy Review

Very Irresistible Perfume Review

The opening extends for a good one or two hours, and it’s sweet and delicate: half fruity, with a bubbly gummy strawberry (well, it’s litchi actually), half with florals that feel quite generic, and it’s fresh and clean. I know it’s not elegant to make fun of a good girl, but one could say that it feels like shower gel.

The second part is where skin and paper part ways. On paper, it becomes more floral, soapier and loses the strawberry chewing gum, which was the part – I realised when it was gone – that gave the shower gel effect. It’s a good thing that it disappeared, as something didn’t quite add up there. It gave a teenage attitude, which is not a problem in other perfumes like Paris Hilton Heiress, or Britney Spears Curious, but in this case it felt somehow inappropriate for the rest of the notes.

Anyway, the skin got more interesting stuff to say. Strawberry left from there as well, and an herbal note came out. It’s the typical bitter tone you would find in fresh aromatic perfumes for men, and although it felt quite green, it’s probably ginger.

The perfume will keep its real self secret, and you won’t know if it’s mainly fruity or floral, except maybe in the dry down, where florals will come out more, plus, musk and amber will give a hint.

This Miracle fragrance will hold on to your skin more than you will expect. Especially if you won’t get the green bitter herbal note, it will be a gentle, delicate perfume, with a quiet character and a placid smile. Indeed, so gentle that some of you may find it irritating.

If this was a color it would be:
Parfum Miracle For Women

Lancome Miracle Perfume Review

And here I could stop, but I won’t. In the opening there is juicy pear, which is the name I personally give to a green fruity accord that I found at least three times so far, in Especially Escada, Beyond Paradise, and Ralph Lauren Romance).

There you have a fruity fragrant note (to me it’s pear but could be apple as well, or melon maybe), with a green air. And it’s probably a citrus of some sort that gives the unripe feeling.

There are no florals standing out, although they’re there in the background, like an event waiting to happen. Eventually they indeed turn out to be a tease, keeping on playing hide-and-seek: you smell and they’re there, you daydream for a second, and when you smell again they have disappeared.

And at some point, the floral will reveal itself as rose, but it’s not dense, nor velvety, and without those two main qualities, it feels like a generic pleasant floral.

Eaudemoiselle Givenchy perfume will surprise you by remaining the same. Fruity and green, always on the verge of changing towards something creamier or more floral, but never taking the step forward.

Although it’s totally unsexy, it’s just great for an everyday use, and almost unisex. If you’re a guy, don’t be scared off by the girly bottle, there’s always time to stick a picture of Josh Holloway on it, if you’re taking it with you to the gym.

It was launched in 2010 and the perfumer is Francoise Demachi, who also made Miss Dior Cherie and Palazzo by Fendi.

PS: nevermind the blonde chick of death in the picture, there’s little or no darkness in here

If this was a color it would be

Eaudemoiselle Givenchy Women

Givenchy Eaudemoiselle Review

The opening is chemical with strong woods. It’s really like smelling a piece of furniture that’s just been polished. 

This chemical stuff has a sort of additive quality (OMG, I’m not a glue sniffer, aren’t I?), and just like it happens with the certain florals (like ylang-ylang), if inhaled deeply and from a close distance it gives a feeling of freshness in the nostrils.

After a while, the chemical polish recedes and the woods are in proper array. It’s like entering an antiquarian’s shop. Still old you may argue, but at least there is no mould in here.

As Aramis cologne smells dirty enough, I thought I also felt tobacco big time. I was wrong, of course, as no reviews seem to talk about it. Let’s say that’s probably the effect of the woods with the leather, which would be the main note here.

So, as I’m very image-oriented today (I have to make up for my lack of knowledge of notes somehow, right?), let’s put it this way: it’s like smoking a cigar, in a room with old wooden furniture, sitting on and old leather armchair.

And, holy cow, what a dry down this Aramis fragrance for men has. That’s where the leather comes out with a vengeance, and I’m sitting in a railroad car, with leather seats, the cheap ones though, as it’s second class (something similar to this).  The leather carries the olfactive traces of the thousands of people who sat on it, intensified by the stuffiness of windows that haven’t been opened for a long time.

This stuff is mature and intense. Probably not suitable if you’re under 45, but man, what a trip.

If this was a color it would be

Perfume Aramis Edt

Aramis Perfume For Men Review

The opening is full of peppery indefinite florals, confusing but promising, it seems like good things are about to happen. And after a minute or two, there it goes with dense, heady, boozy and velvety notes.

Is it rose? Hmm, wait a minute… yes, and mixed with berries, which are very present and with their natural sourness.

It’s a rich and complex character, fruity and floral, dense and with layer of cling film all around (I read that in the original Parisienne perfume that vynil side is even stronger), but also with a fresh and juicy side.

After a while, there is a point where the notes come together more tightly, but it turns out to be a transition towards the stage where rose takes the lead. It dresses down and slips into something more comfortable, becoming softer, less spicy and a tad sweeter, but warmer and more velvety.

In the dry down, there is no concession to musk or vanilla: it’s rose all the way.

I’m not much into the this-is-a-perfume-for-a-confident-woman kind of crap, but this time I’m very tempted to say: this is a perfume for a confident woman.

Although… I wish the first part had lasted longer to be honest – with those berries playing with the floral side. Roseberries don’t exist, but if they did, they would smell like that. It’s one clear example of how perfumery as an art can go beyond nature.

But hey, rose is rose is rose, and its dense, powdery, peppery, sensual smell always works. The perfumer decided to trade interesting for sexier: I can live with that.

If this was a color it would be:
Parisienne Perfume A L’extreme By Yves Saint Laurent

(can you believe that I couldn’t find a decent picture with the bottle?)

YSL Perfume Parisienne A L’extreme Review

1. Vanessa from Bonkers About Perfumes published a guest post on Now Smell This, about 5 Things To Think About Before You Start A Perfume Blog. Did I think about any of them when I started mine? Of course not.

The link is to Vanessa’s blog (oh, and there is a comment from me there), where you’ll find the link to NST’s post.

2. A little bit off-topic if you will, but Barney at Fragrant Moments published this clip of a Fiat 500 Abarth commercial, which – and he’s right – may as well be an Axe ad.

Fiat may not make great cars, but sure make great ads. I still remember this one from years ago. Basically, the girl is on the phone with her boyfriend, accusing him to be cheating on her, and before hanging up she says “you know what, I’ll go out now and hook up with the first one I see.”

The last bit with the guy says it all, and still cracks me up every single time. Thanks Barney for the trip down memory lane.

3. Victoria at Bois de Jasmine offers an interesting post about olfactory cross-dressing. Her point seems to be: re-think your boundaries, but when you’re finished, put them back in place. Couldn’t agree more.

4. The last two are from the news: the old Jean-Paul Guerlain is facing trial for his racists remarks during an TV interview a couple of years ago. You’ll find the link in my Idylle review.

5. The state of New Hampshire is considering a ban on perfumes for its employees, because, as an Union Leader says “Many people have violent reactions to strong scents”.

Hmm (scratches his head), what’s strong? Does a strong perfume, when sprayed lightly, become weak, or is it still strong? And that would be just the beginning…

OK I’m hyperbolizing again (yes, it’s a word): of course there is orange in here, as well as there is green apple in DKNY Be Delicious, just don’t expect a shower of squeezed orange and juicy bits on you. It’s all disguised, and mixed with sweet vanilla notes and other stuff.

In the opening, there is a mix of undefined fruity notes, with a certain unpleasant stinky smell here and there (but to me, unpleasant in perfumes always means at least interesting). Everyting is mixed with sweet notes, which come most likely from vanilla, but where orange takes away all its orientality (not a word) to make it a generic sweet, with a light powdery halo around.  After a while, it gets a bit aromatic and spicy, but it’s all soft.

And this is, I think, the problem with Orange Hugo Boss: it’s low-profile, introverted, almost subdued. There is a hard shell of orange, vanilla, aromatic, spicy notes, but nothing will come out of there individually, everything is kept in the house.

The finale, well, what am I supposed to say, it’s on the same line, just warmer and more opaque, with orange giving light flicks here and there and a darker vanilla. But it’s almost sad.

Don’t get me wrong, Boss Orange fragrance for men is a very pleasant perfume, gentle and warm, perfectly done, and I definitely recommend it, if nothing else because there is not one single occasion where it wouldn’t fit.

But its personality reminds me of a friend of mine, who gave up on everything before even trying. He’s a great guy, but he pisses me off sometimes.

If this was a color it would be (a depressing brown):
Hugo Boss Orange For Men

Hugo Boss Orange Perfume Review

It opens almost gourmand, but not because it’s sweet or fruity, it’s still floral, but a floral you could eat.

This sense of edibility will move back quickly when jasmine takes the stage, but will remain throughout, in the form of vague sweet and creamy notes.

The main theme is jasmine, coupled with a certain sourness that comes and goes, but it’s when it’s gone that the magic happens in full, and the fragrance is really an ode to a summer night.

So close your eyes and inhale the warm night breeze, carrying jasmine and the whole greenness around, from the tress, the bushes, the grass and the honey.

A great unisex delicacy behind a warm intensity. For once, a monofloral that is also gentle. Love it.

If this was a color it would be:
A La Nuit Perfume Serge Lutens

Serge Lutens A La Nuit Review