Gucci - Guilty Absolute Review

I love Gucci's clothing and leather goods. Their products are typically distinctive, innovative, tastefully audacious at times, and although quite expensive, you do get the quality to match. I'd even go as far as saying that their horsebit loafer, although copied by numerous shoe makers, is my favorite shoe design of all time. When it comes to the fragrances which are most readily available, however, my feelings are quite different. I can't say I've disliked the Gucci fragrances which I've tried at Sephora over the past few years, but I also can't say I felt the need to have anything more than a sample. Even then, I would only finish the sample in order to get a good feel for the fragrance before writing it off. Their more enjoyable scents are, unfortunately, often discontinued or unavailable at brick and mortars.

During a routine visit last year in which I perused the offerings at some local fragrance/cosmetic chains, I saw Guilty Absolute sitting on the shelf. It is an ambery liquid in a bottle which looks sort of like Bulleit, or some kind of nineteenth century medicine. Quite intriguing. So I had to try it out, even if only to see what approach they would take with that sort of presentation. After one spray on my arm, I was left completely speechless and awestruck, which rarely happens at first sniff. "Is this really Gucci?" I wondered. That feeling stayed throughout the duration of the scent, which is even rarer. I spent hours just sniffing my arm and feeling like I was in a state of bliss.

Guilty Absolute is the fragrance for which I've been searching for years. I've always wanted a fragrance which is similar to Islay whiskies. If I was being more specific, I'd say Caol Ila 12, which is my probably favorite whisky. This is about as close to capturing the smell I get when I pour myself a dram. Unlike Laphroaig or Ardbeg, it's not a peat or smoke bomb. It's balanced with more prominent salty and iodine notes, which gives it a buttery, leathery aroma. Guilty Absolute is much like that.

Upon first spray, you get a balanced mix of medicinal iodine and smoke, which overpowers any other notes. Within about a minute, that initial accord becomes more distinctly leathery. The "woody notes" remind me of the smell of a charred oak barrel. Shortly after, some fresher nuances start to appear, courtesy of vetiver and cypress. In that regard, it should appeal to fans of Encre Noire L'Extreme, although it also has that somewhat grapefruity tone from the vetiver of the current formulation of the original Encre Noire. Guilty Absolute basically smells the same way throughout its duration. I do get some patchouli further in the drydown, but it's not really as prominent as "three forms of patchouli oils" would have had me expect. It lends a bit of earthiness, but it's not spicy, chocolaty, or minty, just a bit dirty.

Performance is really good. It projects strongly for an hour, but sits closer to the skin soon after. Then it lasts as a skin scent for 8-10 hours, perhaps somewhat longer. I would have preferred something stronger, but given how much I love this, I can't complain.

I sincerely hope Gucci doesn't discontinue this fragrance. At times, I feel like they are dedicated to mediocrity, but if they keep releasing fragrances as good as Guilty Absolute, I would be proven completely wrong. This is one of the best designer releases I've tried in a long time. It's nothing short of a masterpiece. Great job guys.

Tom Ford - Noir Anthracite Review

 The polarity of the composition is really surprising. One the one hand, it's fresh, with a really strong blast of szichuan pepper and citrus. On the other hand, it is also very dark and smoky. The smokiness is not quite as pronounced as fragrances like Encre Noire L'Extreme or Gucci Guilty Absolute, but it is nonetheless a dominant accord which may be off putting to some. The darker notes minimize the freshness, and the freshness tempers the darkness. I don't really get that dynamic in, say, Aramis, Antaeus, or Jacomo de Jacomo.

I also don't get animalic notes or moss. While there are floral notes, they're not really in the forefront either. What I get, instead, are leather, patchouli, smoke, spicy, and woody notes as the fragrance dries down.
The leather is buttery, smooth, and rich, yet also somewhat rugged. Think of the intoxicating smell of a pair of Gucci horsebit loafers, crossed with a worn out leather jacket which has spent years rested on the back of a chair in dive bars filled with cigarette smoke.
The wood is smells more like natural cedarwood oil (earthy, damp, kind of spicy, and resinous). It is not the clean, dry, and inoffensive pencil shavings of TdH.

Noir Anthracite also has that sharp texture I get from Tuscan Leather. Not an abrasive sharpness you get in some cheap or poorly composed fragrances. Rather, it's like note from TL which people say smells a, uh, really expensive stimulant.

Also, it might be worth noting, this smells NOTHING like Noir or Noir Extreme. Keep that in mind if you're expecting a powdery, chocolaty, creamy, or confectionery fragrance.

Performance is really good. It's not as excessive as some of Ford's other scents, but you'll get 8-10 hours out of it. It'll project for about an hour two before it sits close to the skin. It might not be as great a value as the other fragrances I mentioned; most of which are between 15-40 bucks for 3-4 ounces. However, I'm actually surprised this wasn't part of his private collection since it's quite daring and "nichelike" (I hate this term).

Lalique - White review

 I am sure it did not happen like this, but I am imagining Jean-Claude Ellena giving a notice of resignation to Hermes. They wonder "oh crap, now what?!" Someone in charge of finding Ellena's replacement had just gotten a bottle of Lalique White. They go on Fragrantica, find out it was composed by Christine Nagel, then call her with a job offer.

Lalique White would be at home in a tall, slender, tapered, pillar shaped bottle sitting alongside Hermes' cologne collection. Upon initial spray, I immediately notice that it has the characteristics of Hermes' unique takes on classic eau de cologne themes. White's use of the lemon leaf is somewhat analogous to neroli; dry, floral, and a tad citrusy. It has a soapy violet note, which nods to Grey Flannel and Green Irish Tweed, aiding the leaf's bracing character. I do notice the black pepper, but it's not too heavy.

The scent doesn't evolve radically as it is drying down, other than the spices, tamarind, and cedar start to become more apparent and the lemon leaf gradually disappears. The cedar and spicy notes are not at all heavy handed or dark. They contribute to the fragrance's fresh and tart qualities, but also give it some legs to push out off the skin.

Longevity is actually really good. I get around 6 hours from it, maybe 8. That's not really great by general standards, but considering the nature of the composition, it's pretty impressive. It projects well for about an hour or so, then becomes more faint. It's a pretty gentle scent, so you can go a bit heavy on the sprayer

Jazmin Sarai - Nar review

(From the Adel Emam film Al Erhab w'al Kebab)
After a long day of work, Ahmed comes home and tries to serenade his wife who is fast asleep. He sings some classic Egyptian songs from Abdel Halim Hafez, Mohammad Abdel Motaleb, and Farid el Atrash off key, while trying to make as much noise as possible to wake her up. He has no success. He pops in a cassette of Abdel Halim Hafez and proceeds to wake her up in the comical fashion for which Emam is best known. When she yells at him for making so much noise and waking her up, Ahmed reminds her that despite life's challenges, listening to Abdel Halim reminds one that life isn't so bad and they should enjoy it. Ultimately, Ahmed fails to seduce his wife, which is part of the movie's themes of accepting and making due with what is beyond one's control. Nonetheless, what he said about Abdel Halim's music is a common sentiment. He remains a figure of hope and passion even decades after his death, and his music continues to be heard in bars and concert halls among a younger generation. The deep, emotive and warm crooning of the Egyptian Nightingale stirs a burning fire in the hearts of Arabs and non-Arabs alike. Hence why a fragrance inspired by Abdel Halim Hafez is named Nar, which means fire in Arabic.

The immediate impression when you first spray Nar is smokiness. It's not the kind of smoky note associated with birch tar or incense, but more along the lines of liquid smoke. As it dries down, Nar freshens considerably with coriander and cedar. However, the smoke stays throughout the duration of the fragrance, even if it becomes somewhat muted. I don't get an amber accord out of it, even though it's in the note pyramid here. My description is short because the fragrance is straightforward and simple. However, that works to Nar's advantage, since there is clear note separation, it smells natural, and it is exceedingly smooth.

Performance is average. I get around 5 or 6 hours from it. It also sits close to the skin. It is gentle and tender like Abdel Halim's voice.
If it was inspired by someone with a voice as powerful and boisterous as Oum Kalsoum, on the other hand, I'd imagine it would make powerhouse houses like Jacques Bogart or Montale seem tame in comparison.

Jazmin Sarai - Ma're review

 This fragrance is the Mediterranean in a bottle. Absolutely gorgeous, and one of the best neroli scents I have tried.

The neroli note is stunning, and perfectly captures the smell of natural orange blossom water; which is a staple in Lebanon (and in much of the Arab world). It is mixed with a tart, sour, and dry lemon note. I'm not getting a yuzu note ala L'eau d'Issey, but I am familiar with citron fruit, which this does sort of resemble; albeit without any sweetness. These two notes drive the fragrance until the cypress starts to appear, which smells fresh and green, not particularly smoky.

I can't say I really notice arak - one of my favorite drinks, albeit one which has led to far too many horrible mornings - fig, or anything particularly aquatic, however.

Unlike, say, Neroli Portofino, I don't notice any sweetness here. Nor does it have the barbershop qualities of the Aqua di Parma line.

It is dry, bitter, bracing, and refreshing, like mixing orange blossom water and lemon juice in an ice cold glass of water, but forgetting to add any sugar. This is magical on a hot, humid day.

Its smoothness and uplifting beauty perfectly embodies the gentle tenderness of Fairuz, by whom this fragrance was inspired. Her elegant voice is as iconic to Lebanon as the cedar tree which adorns its flag.

Performance is ok in general, but superb for this kind of scent. I get around 6-8 hours out of it if applied liberally. It projects nicely for around an hour, then sits closer to the skin. By hour 3, I'd call this a skin scent.

Review of Terre d'Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche (2014) from Hermes

The most common theme for a fragrance flanker is the fresh reinterpretation of the original. It'll go by plenty of names; sport, eau, cologne, l'eau, summer, fraiche etc. It's a theme which is meant to take the original concept of the fragrance and lighten it with potent citruses or fresh spices. It's almost guaranteed to be a people pleasing scent, even if fragrance enthusiasts often hate the genre.


Personally, I'm more on the ambivalent side of the spectrum. I can't say I dislike them, but they're rarely anything I would reach for. There are exceptions, of course. Givenchy's Pi Fraiche, for example, is far superior to Pi to my nose. Claiborne Sport, Polo Sport, Roadster Sport, and Encre Noire Sport are fantastic fragrances too. Another one which impressed me is Terre d'Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche, which was released in 2014.

Terre d'Hermes is a fragrance which I enjoy, but not one that I love. It’s elegant and well composed, and I do like its use of vetiver and bitter orange. But there are some similar fragrances which follow similar themes and smell a lot better to me. Terre d'Hermes Eau Tres Fraiche, on the other hand, is a different story. Without exaggerating, this might be one of my favorite citrus fragrances that I have ever tried. It’s up there with Atelier’s Orange Sanguine in terms of how realistic it smells.

Eau Tres Fraiche is clearly related to the original Terre. However, it really amps up the citrus notes. Instead of just getting the bitter orange from the original, it’s like an entire citrus salad. You get a bright, juicy orange note, paired with the dirty bitter orange, along with a tart, barely ripened grapefruit. It’s a mouth-watering melange of freshness. I’ve no idea how, but this citrus accord is very potent for a couple of hours on my skin, and hints of it lasts throughout most of the duration of the scent.

As it dries down, I get the woody – cedar – and vetiver notes from the original. However, it doesn’t smell earthy. It’s a fresher and cleaner rendition of those.

Longevity is good for this genre. I get around 7 or 8 hours out of it. It projects pretty well for around 2 hours. It starts to sit closer to the skin after that. By the 5th hour, and until the fragrance entirely disappears, you would have to get very close to its point of application to detect it.