Kenneth Cole NYC - R.S.V.P.

Hello folks, thanks for stopping by! Today I'm going to continue my trend following my YouTube channel of commercial designer fragrances. Now to start off, this is one of the cheaper fragrances I've come across, as a lot of Kenneth Cole's seem to be. I don't say that to prematurely put down this line, in fact I was pleasantly surprised by this one; more to the point I think it's priced well to be considered a safe buy if you're not looking for artwork in perfumery.

To start off, R.S.V.P. was released in 2006 and it's a safe bet that it doesn't smell dated. That is to say this fragrance certainly does smell good, it has good lasting power and projection and I believe it will do well in the cold weather especially in the cool beginnings of fall leading into winter. If you like the smell of strong, sappy cedar-wood chips that have been baking in the sun then I can't imagine at some point you wouldn't like this fragrance. It does start off extremely sharp for 30 minutes or so, almost piercing...but that's really only when you put your nose directly to where it has been applied. The strong scent of cedar is predominate on me throughout the fragrance so that is probably the most redeeming quality for me. The first hour or so of this fragrance maintains a nice fruity top to the woodsy undertone but then it finally does give way, losing it's citrus-like aroma and becoming more sweet than anything else. There is certainly, as well, a few other earthly qualities to this one such as vetiver, patchouli and on my skin...a hint of vanilla which certainly lends a good hand to the dry-down which keeps it from becoming too sweet. Overall, completely masculine.

 Projection and sillage on this fragrance is quite surprising in that to the wearer it just doesn't seem like anyone going to really notice...but on the contrary this fragrance will indeed get you noticed. Women most certainly seem pleased by it as I've received numerous positive comments on the days I've worn it. Mind you, this is no ground-breaking fragrance, it really is simply put...a good smelling cologne. There are other men's colognes out there that this gets compared to quite often but I have yet to compare/contrast myself and I probably never will, it just has no real, "wow factor," to me. The best redeeming quality is that for such a modestly priced fragrance, it's a safe bet to wear in most any occasion and you certainly won't break the bank for it.

A Return From Hiatus

Hello folks, thanks for stopping by! I just wanted to quickly write down a few thoughts. Now I seriously doubt that I have any regular viewers/visitors to my blog so to whoever may have frequented it before, I appreciate the support and I feel bad for not expressing it prior to this post. Seeing visitors coming to my page and YouTube channel gives me a tremendous amount of drive to continue writing.

The short explanation for my disappearance is simply that, very unfortunately, my marriage failed. I continued to write for a short time afterwards but it was quite difficult to find the proper motivation to exercise my creative writing for this passion in fragrances that I have. Since all of that took place, I moved to a few different places spanning a few thousand miles here in the United States.

The good news though is that I feel I've handled the situation with a level-head (in most instances) and have made the right decisions in moving forward with my life. I've had some extremely healthy experiences and have been fortunate enough to have two very dear people come into my life and alleviate the negative haze which I had to push aside for so long.

The two things that have remained a constant though are my passion for fragrance and my love for my children; even during the time where I have not written or vlogged about it. I've continued to add small decants to my collection and very lightly study them, so my nose is just as ready as it's ever been to re-ignite my love of writing and journalism.

If you have made it this far in reading then I thank you from the bottom of my heart as I pour a lot of passion into my writing and it is one thing that I really don't take lightly. I want to ask for your feedback and suggestions on improving my content, no matter how big or small, because I really do love expressing myself with this medium. I look forward to hearing from you, whoever you are! =D


-Nicholas

Creed - Acier Aluminum Review

Maison Francis Kurkdjian (MFK) - Oud Silk Mood Review

Ermenegildo Zegna - Uomo Review

Polo - Double Black Review

Creed - Selection Verte

Hello readers, it's been quite some time since I've exercised my nose and mind in tandem to come up with an article. I've been holed up in my home though for the past few days due to a decently rough illness and thought this may be a good way to lift my spirits. Today I want to talk about a fragrance that has received zero complaints from anyone I've encountered while wearing it. This fragrance is claimed to have been released in 1901...if you can believe that, and is still in production today as one of the few Creed's that's been able to withstand the test of laws and time; no doubt due in part to it's refreshingly minty yet transparently light aroma which is a perfect combination for a lovely inoffensive finishing touch to one's wardrobe. It's called Selection Verte...and this article isn't exactly in season.

When I first had the opportunity to try this fragrance out I all but lept on it and got myself enough to last through the spring and summer (which is not hard to do in Michigan!). I had been reading about it for quite some time although I've not seen any video reviews of it, which is sort of odd in my mind, but at the same time not surprising considering the price tag it carries. With that in mind though, if you have one or two other people in your life that have a taste for pepper(mint) and spear-minty spring/summer fragrances, then this would be perfect to share among them. For a moment though, on to the notes to give you an idea:

Top notes: Neroli and citrus, slightly peppered
Middle notes: Peppermint and green herb notes
Base note: Ambergris

The first time I read that note list I immediately told myself I would enjoy this fragrance all 'round aaand this was one of the few times I was right. From beginning to end Selection Verte just feels and smells right. On my skin the neroli note is there initially but it is very underwhelming. It gives way to this lemony citrus-mint scent which is surprisingly sweet and I believe it is due to an early appearance of the Ambergris base (not necessarily a bad thing). It then immediately lends a helping hand to the herb notes in the middle once it's dried nicely. Just as the top notes say though, on my skin you can detect a very slight peppermint scent which is also superbly done for me. It's like a cold, zesty, sweet lemon-peppermint drink with a bit of strength behind it. Nothing spicy at all about this though, so don't think it's that kind of pepper. There isn't much to say on the base note for this relic. The use of Ambergris is absolutely superb in making this fragrance a staple summertime concoction with it's uniquely sweet attributes. It ties everything together, making it something you'd like to see fizzing in a glass with ice.

If your are not well versed in today's fragrances you might find Selection Verte to be groundbreaking. Once you venture out of the normality of common department store fragrances, though, and into what is your unknown, you will find that Selection Verte isn't exactly storming the front of summer by today's standards anymore. In fact there are many similar fragrances out there, all of which have their own unique citrus-y attributes...but Selection Verte still rightly remains on a high shelf of it's own.

That isn't why I'm here though is it? To study and review common-ground fragrances? Probably not why you're here either if you've read my blog in any detail. Being claimed a formula from 1901, to my young mind, is astonishing. Certainly I'd imagine it's been refined a bit, chemicals tweaked to give it a little more lasting power for today's demanding market. One thing I can respect though is Creed's claims to hold fast to their original formula's and only changing it when a particular law demands and only if it can be done without detriment to the scent (yes those types of laws exist). If you've made it this far take a look at Creed's vaulted fragrances on their website. Point being; if a successful Creed fragrance cannot retain the original scent, it will be forever vaulted as to uphold it's makers vision. That is yet another reason I continue to wear and support Creed in the fragrance community. As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.