By Kilian - Eternal Oud

Hello readers, welcome back and thank you for joining me once again as always. Over my coffee this morning I have been lost in the past, from a time when my fragrance hobby took a back seat in my life. A time when my very young sister who is no longer with us, was losing her life with a battle of cancer. Though she may no longer be with us in body, she will always remain in spirit. Bless her spirit, wherever she chooses to be.

Over the past months I have been experimenting with a fragrance known as Eternal Oud from the famous cognac family known as Kilian. Research will show you that one son from the Kilian family decided to break off and embark on a journey to use the taste of their fine spirits and translate it into fragrance. Our olfactory senses truly are remarkable and for him, I'm sure this journey must pay homage to his families successful name. From the few that I've been lucky enough to sample and wear, I believe his vision is staying the course. Eternal Oud though, much like his other oud fragrances, takes a turn from what was his standard base of spirits-themed scents. Eternal Oud however, remains spiritual. There is something about this fragrance that is intoxicating to my senses and at an attempt to describe it, I will do my best.

In a world of clustered notes, Kilian's vision manages to take three supreme ones and create a symphony. Rose, Oud, Saffron...together these make up the baseline for Eternal Oud; the rest is up to your skin and how the two will react together. From the top, to an untrained nose, the scent of roses and oud will react in a way that can be confusing. It's unapologetic in strength and will permeate the area in which you stay for a little while...but it is not your normal strength. To smell up close on your skin when first applied, this fragrance is hard to understand. Give it time though and even directly on your skin this scent can be matched by no other that I've experienced. From a distance, I get the feeling that Eternal Oud can be intimidating and hard to understand for a few reasons. One, it is unlike anything you'll ever smell on anyone else and I think because of that, people may mistake you for simply smelling like that. I have noticed a level of respect that comes along with wearing this fragrance. Though I have never received an open compliment, I find conversation to be completely professional on days that I wear this. It's almost as if the scent itself creates the atmosphere around me...and then of course my attitude reinforces that air. It is why this fragrance works for me...and only one reason why I will always try to keep it on hand.

Breaking from the technical standpoints, this fragrance also does something for me on an intangible level. Never before have I experienced a fragrance that has taken me so off guard. This first time I wore this to work was at 8 A.M. on a Sunday morning and I did this as a way of testing it in the open air while I was alone. It very quickly became apparent that I was dealing with something that would touch me on a spiritual level. I found myself smiling, I could feel my mood being uplifted...it was like a drug in a sense. The moments of peppery oud and saffron would fuel adrenaline until a note of soft rose would rise and blossom a blanket over the incredible sensations, creating a sense of intoxicating calmness. Fast forward to the next morning more than 24 hours later. The rose, gone, my mind only remembering and studying my experience from the day before. As I made my coffee, "What? No...certainly...there it is." A strong peppery note, the oud and saffron still there but somehow different. Ingrained in the back of my neck, for just a few short hours when air passed over me I would re-live that sensation that only Eternal Oud brings me to. It was that morning I realized that I had found the one fragrance that would stay in my collection. It is one that I will wear on days that are meant to remember my sister.

Those days come often.
                                                 Thank you for reading,
                                                             -Nicholas

By Kilian - Musk Oud Review

Oud Exploration Part 1

Welcome back readers, once again its been far too long. Over the past little while (the better part of a year) I've been reading and watching different viewpoints on an exotic scent known as Oud/Oudh/Aoudh. Now from my knowledge, which is still expanding, the scent of Oud comes from a tree fungus known as agarwood which can be raised in either India or Arabian countries. In those cultures it seems to be quite sacred in many different aspects and is treated as such. In comparison to fragrances from the Western (North American) countries, the idea of fragrance from the East is quite different than what most folks like me are used to. I've come to learn over time that French perfumery is not necessarily something used to disguise our body's natural scent, rather it's made with the idea of developing over time with our body to create something truly unique...and for the most part that has been my experience thus far.

Lately I've been lucky enough to start delving into Oud fragrances though and these are truly in a realm of their own. My first two experiences were with Royal Oud from Creed (which I'll get into later) and Eternal Oud By Kilian. I can say without a doubt that Eternal Oud is one of the most unique scents I've ever put on my skin. There's something magical about the way it layers on my skin and along with it's own unique notes it is just absolute perfection. As it turns out, Eternal Oud has two main notes of Rose and Oud which is quite common for most Oud fragrances I've come to find out, but it does something great for me with it's third and final note of Saffron. It's hard to put into words just how much I enjoy that scent when it's fully dried down on my skin.

For those of you who have heard of Oud, both the good and bad, and are interested...let me jot down a few words we can all relate to. Oud seems to have two ways it can turn, one being medicinal/rubbery and the other being natural/earthy/raw wood (like a tree trunk). You will find most note combinations contain primarily Oud and Rose and this is not a bad thing if you keep an open mind. One thing you will learn over time is that because different perfumers use ingredients from different countries, no two roses will smell the same and that can be a lot of fun to explore! The natural/earthy/tree trunk type is a bit less harsh at the start but dry-downs are very daring in that they can smell like a hay-field that has had animals grazing in it. Beautiful in it's own wright but not for the person who wants to smell fresh and tame.

More to come soon and as always thank you so much for reading! Until next time, take care!

-Nicholas.

Creed Tabarome - Unusually Nice

Hello again everyone! After a bit of a hiatus I have decided to take time to begin writing about and reviewing these marvelous fragrances again. Tonight I bring you a fragrance called Tabarome from the house of Creed.

When I first started wearing this I could not help but think to myself that I might never review it because of how odd it seemed at first. Upon first applying it, you are greeted with the strangest concoction of sweet citrus, ginger and clean leather and while it isn't exactly off-putting it will certainly make you think to yourself, "what the hell is this?" The first full wearing I gave it still did not do justice to this supremely ambiguous fragrance.

There is a story behind this fragrance, as is with most Creed's, that I find fairly interesting. The original formulation was requested and made for Sir Winston Churchill and is now known as Vintage Tabarome. Apparently he requested that Mr. Creed create a fragrance which would remind him of his home and what was within it's walls. His fondness of ginger root, tea, pipe tobacco and leather were translated into liquid and blended to his liking and thus Tabarome was born.

This fragrance, as stated before, starts out as one of the most odd fragrances I've ever put my nose to. What should be spicy ginger root is actually turned sweet by a note of citrus thereby confusing an untrained nose into thinking it may be something else while a clean leather note sits in the background giving the entire beginning some ambiguity. It is however around the 3-4 hour mark on my skin where this fragrance comes into its own. The tobacco slowly comes to the top and dominates the sweet ginger and clean leather. It is so deceptive that the first time I experienced it I thought I was actually smelling someone else. It wasn't until I was once again alone for about 10 minutes that I realized I was smelling myself...and I was utterly speechless. The tobacco, leather and ginger hang on for hours and hours, gently wafting around you without ever taking control of your surroundings. Don't be mistaken! This is no synthetic mess, it is a true tobacco scent that is as close to anything as I've ever smelled. The leather compliments it, giving it the old-world feeling that I've been searching for...for as long as I've been wearing cologne. The ginger keeps it from becoming smokey and dry. All in all it is a full-bodied fragrant experience that will live by your side until you decide to wash it off. Truly wonderful.

This fragrance, while enthusiasts may know about it, still remains under the radar and it's clear why. This is a persistent enthusiasts fragrance. It takes a few days of living with it to decipher the beauty blended into this potion but once it becomes clear, it is utterly pleasing. A great fall, winter and early spring fragrance and absolutely bottle worthy. Thank you for reading.

Perfumes or Colognes, Whichever You Choose.

Hi everyone, been a while since I've exercised the literary part of my mind and the past few days I've had a hankering to write and what better choice to write about than my hobby? I had mentioned in few previous posts about  being taken to particular landscapes/settings through my olfactory senses when smelling a particular fragrance and how strongly I felt about the emotional tie it creates.

I recently received two samples, one of which I have been waiting on for 2 months, the other was a surprise. They are from the famed house of Hermes (makers of my favorite, Terre d'Hermes) and a part of a non-designer line called Hermessence. From my understanding, Jean-Claude Ellena, who is the in-house perfumer for Hermes, wanted to create a line of fragrance that dared to set a new bar in design-house fragrances. The entire line is marketed as completely unisex and dares to be different in the light of crowd pleasers. Instead he boldly takes his creations into translations of pure essences of plants and memories of places traveled. He combines memories from his own life and weaves them together, essentially taking one part of the world and harmoniously connecting it with another...just as our world should be anyway.

Upon smelling these two fragrances (I have not finished the samples as they are generously sized) I was instantly transported. Poivre Samarcande connects me with memories of my own life whereas Vetiver Tonka takes me to a place I've never been with elements from different parts of my youth. Both of these fragrances achieve a standard that I believe has not yet been set in the world of designer fragrance and I absolutely must commend Hermes for allowing Jean-Claude Ellena to create these fragrances under their name. These are marketing changers in the long run and testaments to what an imagination can do when given the appropriate resources combined with a mind and talent completely unique. I will do further in depth reviews of both Vetiver Tonka and Poivre Samracande in the days to come.

If interested, here is a link to my youtube channel in which I also review fragrance...though it seems I have a knack for getting lost in my adventurous spirit. https://www.youtube.com/user/gallataki16/videos

Thank you for reading!

Creed Aventus - My Critical Review

Hello readers and fragrance fans alike, thanks for joining me again. It's 5 AM and I've spent the past two days wearing Aventus both on my neck and wrists and it really has just been a pleasant experience from start to finish. Official notes are as follows

Top note: Finest blackcurrant, Italian bergamot, French apples and a burst of royal pineapple.
Middle note: Exquisite roses with a complement of dry birch, Moroccan jasmine plus a hint of patchouli.
Base note: Musk with a touch of oak moss for depth, then ambergris and a dab of vanilla.

A great thing about this fragrance is that it only took one evening for me to get used to. That is to say that I enjoyed it as if I had been smelling it for a long time. While I could not find every note in a single wearing, over time as always I found more and more coming to the surface. From the two decants I've had, it starts out with a seriously authentic pineapple note but the pure pineapple only lasts a few moments. Very quickly a smoky scent comes in that is quite dry, dark and harsh, which as stated in my previous review I attribute to the birch and blackcurrant. After about two hours on me there is a new sweetness though that gradually works it's way in. The scent of the french apples becomes clear and sits beside the pineapple while the blackcurrant continues it's harsh impression making for an overall fresh yet deep and dark fragrance. It is extremely masculine and evokes the feeling of strength. All of this promotes a feeling of energy within me as I catch it drifting around me for the first hour or two. At the ending stages, I detect an awesomely sweet ambergris mingles perfectly with my skin for a clean and natural scent and if the weather is warm, the vanilla is there too.

I have found that this fragrance must be applied while my skin is freshly washed and clean otherwise it turns into a terribly nasty smell...which is quite unusual for me. Another note is that while I have received compliments on this, they have been compliments from afar, point being that when my wife smells this she doesn't give me the wow factor that I was expecting from all the hype. It appears that this is a fragrance to be enjoyed from a distance rather than having your face right up in it. The strength in this fragrance is also quite surprising. On my skin it just goes and goes and...oh wait, yep it's going some more. I can apply it at 9pm and I will still get a compliment at 3-4am and the person won't exactly be, "all up in my business."

If you're into fragrances, give this a try...but do not blind buy because this one is risky business. As always I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog and I hope you join me again soon.

Thank you for reading!

Creed Aventus - Power and Energy

Hello everyone and welcome to an entry that may rival my Original Vetiver and Terre d'Hermes posts. As stated in the title, this is the infamous Creed Aventus. Claimed by the company itself to be the most popular and sought after fragrance in the perfume house's current 254 year life span...and I can quickly begin to understand why. Before I say anything else, this fragrance has been reviewed over and over again, each with a different take on the scent and no two quite the same on overall results. With this fact in mind the first time I sampled it, I thought I knew what to expect as far as top notes go because usually those are quite similar on each person...although at times different notes come through at different times. Aventus shocked me and not in a good way either. It was right around noon and I had worked the previous night but did not shower after work so my skin was still quite dirty. I excitedly took my 3 milliliter decant out of it's packaging and applied two sprays to my wrist. It was god-awful. Dry and pungent, smoky and dirty in the worst way with no hint of fruit as the notes claim. It reminded me of the wooden floor smell of an old rollerskating rink. This was literally the most bizarre fragrance I had EVER smelled and was sincerely disappointed from the start. I continued to smell my wrist on and off for the next hour to the point of having a headache, so I took some medicine and went to bed and it was still so strong that it wafted up through the bedsheet. That night I woke up headache free and got in the shower. Over and over in my head I asked myself, "Take the chance...or go with Terre d'Hermes?" I made my mind up, one more try for the legend that is Aventus...bingo.

One spray inside each elbow and one on the back of my neck to play it safe with my previous headache and I can safely say that I was almost literally blown away. My olfactory senses were so bedazzled that my brain went into joyous overload. Surges of energy were flowing through me as I drank my coffee and smelled the bright, fresh pineapple float into my nose. Soon after it was joined with a dark, smoky smell that I can only attribute to the finest blackcurrant and dry birch combining with each other. Smoky, birch-like pineapple now mingling with rich french apples, another sensory overload in the best way. I got to work with a sensation I had never known. Was the scent actually fueling my adrenaline? Without question, I knew I smelled good...end of story. An hour passed, I'm on the floor stocking my freight, blood pumping causing the fragrance to gently project throughout my entire area. A group of younger folks come within 10 to 15 feet of me, one immediately looks up and points at me, "You smell GOOD! That is you, right?" An older woman at least 20 feet away in another direction looks to him and says, "Yes that's him, I smelled him when I came around the corner and it is amazing." I was blushing profusely and could only say, "thank you," a few times as they continued on their way. I was ecstatic.

Same night, new area which was a little more confined, still stocking freight on the main floor and now aware of how powerful this fragrance is. A group of girls and a middle-aged woman come through but say nothing which is the usual case. However, they wouldn't leave. Two of the ladies kept walking back and forth in front of me over and over again, never speaking to me yet hovering somewhat quietly. A literal 20 minutes went by and they were still there simply pretending to stare at the same shelves time after time. It was when I noticed the time and how much freight I had stocked that I began smiling to myself once again, having to stifle a few laughs. I left the area to take a break with my co-worker and came back to an empty area...almost thankfully.

Folks, I have never experienced a fragrance such as this one. It is quite simply the best personal experience I have ever had with a fragrance. The compliments themselves are nice but they will eventually stop and that is when it is up to you to decide whether it is worth it or not. This fragrance is. Each time I wear it I appreciate it for hours on end. It gives me a boost of energy throughout the night and it just feels good to know that I am wearing and smelling of something that feels as if it is of the highest caliber.

I will bring you a post with how the notes work with each other later on but I felt that this entry was a good start. You can at least imagine slightly now how this smells in the beginning and how powerful it is. I do hope you enjoyed as I know this was a longer post than usual. Please join me again for my critical review of this incredibly refined fragrance.

Thank you for reading!