Iris Celadon: A Wierd Bombshell

Iris Celadon by Giorgio Armani
Floral Woody Musk

Iris Celadon is essentially an iris fragrance; however, it is not the typical clean and sharp take on iris. It is rather a creamy and mysterious iris scent.

There is a huge dose of chocolate coming through but it is rather dark chocolate than milk or white. The lasting of this perfume is fascinating. You still smell traces of patchouli, musk and ambrette the next day. I really like it.

Iris Celadon is captivating, smells niche and is well blended. You get what you pay for. The price is astronomical; nonetheless, the quality and creativity of the aroma are definitely there. I would buy a bottle If I did not hate to sell my kidney for it. Lol.

It can easily be one of the best from the Armani private collection. You are going to smell different with Iris Celadon but still classy and happy at the same time. It is a good balance between white collar and blue collar, sophisticated yet there is something addictively pleasing and joyful about it. Moreover, it is an easy grab-and-go perfume during fall and winter.

Rose Alexandrie: Too Cool for School

Armani Prive Rose Alexandrie by Giorgio Armani
Floral

Rose Alexandrie is an approachable take on rose. In other words, rose for teenagers or rose for people who do not like realistic-smelling rose fragrances. The perfumer added a lot of neroli with mimosa and created this sweet floral happy harmony.

It is innocent as well as playful. The scent leans more feminine but is not an absolute no-go for men. It goes hand in hand with Mimosa & Cardamom by Jo Malone. This citrusy-rosy uplifting aroma is excellent for spring and summer. It is nothing too complicated that has not been done before. Linear as it is, still an excellent example of this note profile.

When Armani Prive Rose Milano is the edgy sultry Cady Heron, Rose Alexandrie is the obviously well-liked Regina George. I like them both but I am a Rose Milano type of girl more.

Vétiver d’Hiver: My Potential Signature?

Armani Privé Vétiver d’Hiver (Vetiver Babylone) by Giorgio Armani
Woody Aromatic
Alberto Morillas

I am going to be totally honest with you guys, I have fallen in love with this fragrance. It is when you want to be elegant without thinking too much. Great for a man as well as a woman.

It has a heavenly opening with bergamot, lemon, and mandarin orange. I also smell something a little bitter and grassy. Probably bergamot? The best part is the heart though. It is mild spices of pink pepper, cardamom and corriander. I get especially the cardamom. It is somehow milky and sweet here. It is what gives otherwise a nice fresh scent a character. Then the soft creaminess mixes with woodsy vetiver. Still very refined and classy. I think I am in heaven.

There is just one thing that is getting in the way and I am sure you already know what the hell I am talking about. It lasts literally 30 minutes on the skin! I do not know how it works on clothes but what a disappointment for a private line?

It happened to all of us. We finally discover the perfect perfume. It is slightly overpriced we are willing to pay. Then we realised longevity is crap. We think we can buy a bigger bottle and heavily overspray. Yeap, yeap, yeap. But it is too expensive for that.

Anyway, enough of rumble, I did not buy a full bottle. I recommended it to my father instead. His signature scent has been Irish Tweed for quite some time. It is a classic that is slowly falling into the old-fashioned category. Therefore, I think Vétiver d’Hiver could be a great alternative for him. Plus, he works in the medical field where something light and inoffensive, if anything, is a must.

Magenta Tanzanite: Who could resist coffee and tobacco?

Armani Privé Magenta Tanzanite by Giorgio Armani
Amber Spicy
Violaine Collas

The sweet spicy gourmand scent of Magenta Tanzanite evokes mornings in the African savanna filled with a tropical grassland, roasted coffee, warm tobacco, spices of cardamom and ginger. It is a melting pot, you smell pieces of an exotic food market, nature in the dead heat of summer, and a lush cafe full of hipsters.

It has the wow effect. The smell is intoxicating, attacks your nostrils and does not let go. Even if you do not like the fragrance, you keep coming back, revisiting the aroma. It is reminiscent of Chinatown by Bond No 9. While Chinatown is perhaps friendlier, more straightforward thus easier to wear, we have to appreciate Magenta Tanzanite for its courage. Although it should evoke a morning in Africa, I suppose it is a perfume more suitable for colder climates. The longevity is not eternal as is the case with Bleu Turquoise but you get solid hours.

The burning question is “Can the price be justified”? For me, not at the moment. I already have my Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford, which falls into the same group. Plus is not that sweet, and that makes it even sexier. But if you are looking for a womanly perfume with sweet coffee and tobacco, go for it. You are going to cherish it and get tons of compliments.

Armani Privé Bleu Turquoise: High and Mighty

Armani Privé Bleu Turquoise by Giorgio Armani
Amber Spicy
Aurelien Guichard

Bleu Turquoise was on my radar for quite a long time. It is spa-like incense woody marine vanilla. Very special and very unique. It smells like a quality oriental summer resort dream.

It is considered to be a summer daytime fragrance; however, the projection and especially the lasting power is incredible. I could still smell it after a shower. It is a mature scent, definitely unisex.

Recently, I have fallen in love with this type of note profile. Aquatic earthy sweet scents. It falls into the same category as Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone, but of course, much stronger and more refined.

As much as I love it, I find Bleu Turquoise difficult to pull off. It is not exactly a casual perfume. I also associate it with luxury-style holidays. There is time and place for a perfume like that, otherwise, it can go really wrong. Maybe, men find it easier to wear Bleu Turquoise as it is quite woodsy and incense-like. It is practical to have a decant of fragrances like this. You do not need a full bottle unless you live a bougie life most of the time.

HUBO BOSS Alive Collection: EDP, Intense EDP, EDT

ALIVE EAU DE PARFUM: A Universally Likeable Fruity Vanilla Perfume

Woody Aromatic
Annick Menardo

A fruity vanilla scent – plum, apple, and black currant is melting together with your vanilla. There are cinnamon and thyme added to the mixture for an extra kick. The perfume is grounded in sandalwood, cedar and olive tree. When looking at the notes, you think, hmmm, that must smell yummy and outstanding, and yes, it is an all-year rounder type of fragrance. Alive is juicy and warm with some nice touches of physicality, yet it does not knock my socks off. It is a more refined and spicier Christina Aquilera fragrance. The more scents I try, the pickier I am. My apologies.

ALIVE INTENSE EAU DE PARFUM: An Appealing Jammy Raspberry Flanker

Amber Woody

The top is fueled with pretty detectable raspberry. I find a similarity to La Vie Est Belle Intensement by Lancome. I could almost swear I smelled iris too, but apparently, there is vetiver instead. The whole composition is sweetened and deepened with benzoin which is quite enjoyable. It is a sensual combo, yet it does not reach the qualities and eroticism of the Lancome beauty. If you are not on a strict budget, get La Vie Est Belle Instensement. It is levelled up.

ALIVE EAU DE TOILETTE: A Watered Down Summery Version of Alive

Floral
Honorine Blanc and Marie Salamagne

Guys, common. What is this? A burst of apple and orange toned down with jasmine and may rose, balanced with some standard woods and moss? Fruity – floral – woody, meaning I am tired of this profile. There is nothing outrageous about it except that it does not last. Why would you take the original Alive which is already light, and make something even lighter? It is a fresh, watered aroma with no potency. I know I know, it is common to make an EDT after you have done EDP intense, so business-wise, it makes sense. At the end of the day, you can spray it on your way to the gym or work when your goal is to fit in with no intention of being remembered.

Gucci Guilty Absolute: Dry, Naturalistic and Mossy

Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Femme by Gucci
Chypre Fruity
Alberto Morillas

I knew that Gucci Guilty Absolute will be either a hit or miss for me. On one hand, I love my berries in fragrances, plus Gucci Guilty Absolute was recommended by a fellow perfume enthusiast Sandra Solomon. On the other hand, I am not huge on Gucci Guilty in general – it is too floral for me, and I was also afraid of the woody part of the scent. It is supposed to be quite a tenacious earthy odour.

After the first spray, my worries are officially confirmed. Once you get past a beautiful juicy blackberry, you are doomed to the downward spiral into deep aromatic woods. It is rich and heavy, masculine at points. Definitely for fall and winter. Do not expect airy blackberry dancing with dew drops and green leaves. This is a dark forest, has its charms but is not for everybody.

I recognise it is a good scent – powerful plus unique but lacks femininity and the lightness of being.

Burberry Her London Dream: A Fuss About Nothing

Burberry Her London Dream by Burberry
Floral
Jerome Di Marino and Maia Lermout

I love Burberry Her and Burberry Her Intense. They are both unique stunning fragrances. This release from 2020 Burberry Her London Dream does not have the cheek and originality of its predecessors.

It is a boring floral in my opinion. I do get the zesty vibe and spices from ginger. The middle is a subtle floral, base musky and ambery. I hate to call perfumes basic or generic but this is it. After bombs like Burberry Her, this is an anti-climax. It does not stick around, you do not remember how the smell develops after an hour or two.

I am not saying it is a poor aroma but if you have sniffed a lot of fragrances in your life, you are not going to be wowed. However, if you spritz something on just for the sake of it as a regular “normal” consumer, you may find the scent quite pleasing.

Boss Bottled Tonic: A Citrusy Clean Aquatic Break

Boss Bottled Tonic by Hugo Boss
Woody Spicy

The Boss Bottled collection goes back to 1998, starting with the original Boss Bottled with the green juice inside. This is a nice light fragrance wearable all year round by Hugo Boss for men. While the original is reminiscent of Lacoste scents or Calvin Klien’s Eternity line, the Boss Bottled Tonic goes more in the citrus marine direction of Davidoff’s Cool Water or When the Rain Stops by Martin Margiela.

Bottled Tonic falls into the inexpensive aroma category thus do not expect a high level of sophistication or lasting power. You will get just a few hours out of this. It is good to spritz on before you are off to play golf, run your errands, or meet your mates. Summer appropriate, totally unisex in my opinion. I get the ginger – it is a nice twist. Cinnamon gives it a hint of sweetness, and woodsy notes a solid ground.

Dolce Garden: A Creamy and Edible, Tropical Bomb

Dolce Garden by Dolce&Gabbana
Floral Fruity Gourmand
Violaine Collas

When I sprayed Dolce Garden for the first time, I was shocked! Astounded by its sweetness and strength! It felt almost sickly sweet, heavy, sticky. Just wait … please wait … The scent will surprise you.

Once it melts to your skin, it becomes the most beautiful comfortable warm floral full of tropical coconut, almond and vanilla. You wish you could taste it … that is how addictive it is; but, of course, you must love sweet gourmands to appreciate it. Dolce Garden is very milky and yummy. It just smells like your perfect vacay, the great gate away you have always dreamt of.

It is a pretty unique smell too, I must say, I have never smelled anything slightly similar but that was probably because I was avoiding coconut. I am head over heels to try perfumes with a similar profile now. Look at me, I think I have become a coconut sucker.