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Your Latest Fragrance Purchase

Costume National - Cyber Garden
@GlazedBoker got me into this house, and of course the one of the three I was most interested in didn't come in the sample set.
I'm always on the look out for green scents of all sorts. One of the hardest types is the green fougere type scent, because they tend to smell really old fashioned on me, though it's a category I absolutely adore. So naturally with a name and box like that, I was curious. Checking the Costume National site, since I made an order for my Christmas gift from my kids, and to my shock and dismay, Cyber Garden wasn't there any more!
Well, if I've learned one thing as a bona fide Cadre member is, time to blind buy! So I scoured the internet and finally found it on an eBay shop in Germany, and promptly secured one of their last bottle, for a decent price at that.

Let me tell you folks, this stuff hits green on all cylinders, a really good time kind of bright almost candy apple green just like the box and bottle suggest. Of course, that's heaven for me, though I have my share of dower scents, it's the fun category that can be trickiest and it so easily tilts off fun and into tired cliche or old man. This does nether and is a real green heads dream.

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Costume National - Cyber Garden
@GlazedBoker got me into this house, and of course the one of the three I was most interested in didn't come in the sample set.
I'm always on the look out for green scents of all sorts. One of the hardest types is the green fougere type scent, because they tend to smell really old fashioned on me, though it's a category I absolutely adore. So naturally with a name and box like that, I was curious. Checking the Costume National site, since I made an order for my Christmas gift from my kids, and to my shock and dismay, Cyber Garden wasn't there any more!
Well, if I've learned one thing as a bona fide Cadre member is, time to blind buy! So I scoured the internet and finally found it on an eBay shop in Germany, and promptly secured one of their last bottle, for a decent price at that.

Let me tell you folks, this stuff hits green on all cylinders, a really good time kind of bright almost candy apple green just like the box and bottle suggest. Of course, that's heaven for me, though I have my share of dower scents, it's the fun category that can be trickiest and it so easily tilts off fun and into tired cliche or old man. This does nether and is a real green heads dream.

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Great pick up! (y)
This house produces bonafide hit after hit. They are different and unique while still producing aromas that are not that far off from mainstream creations. They add enough to arouse the senses and tickle one's olfactory nerves. They produce nothing difficult nor ho-hum. One of the best designer houses that nearly borders or actually straddles the niche/designer aspect. Severely underrated.
 
Great pick up! (y)
This house produces bonafide hit after hit. They are different and unique while still producing aromas that are not that far off from mainstream creations. They add enough to arouse the senses and tickle one's olfactory nerves. They produce nothing difficult nor ho-hum. One of the best designer houses that nearly borders or actually straddles the niche/designer aspect. Severely underrated.
You nailed it with that description. They stride the line between unique and mass appealing and do it with aplomb. Comme des Garcons is similar, but CN's offerings are always easy to wear, and that blend of unique space age style and wearability really appeals to me.

All of the samples I tried were pretty darn good, I think you'l like Scent Intense if you haven't tried it yet, and the new one Free d'Homme is an outstanding and extremely wearable incense, one of my most worn.
Looking forward to Homme EdP when it arrives.
 
Mail call #2 for fragrances in 2023. The left is Issey Miyake with a limited summer release in 2022, L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme Summer (Kevin Lucbert is just the artist for this bottle graphics design). This one actually has a close proximity to the Original L’Eau from the early 90’s just slightly more modern. Still herbaceous and woodsy but, with a slightly brighter opening with the Lemon & Bergamot. The right is Valentino Uomo (L’Oreal version, not the Puig creation) which was super cheap for $83 US for the 150ml. I’ve never sampled this nor the Uomo Intense version but, I do have the Noire Absolu which is fantastic. For the $$$ I just took a chance and see how it goes.

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Costume National - pour Homme EdP
Semi sweet cardamom, clove, cinnamon, sandawood, and patchouli are the main players here. Has a real niche meets designer feel.
Being a minimalist design house with connections to Japan, I picture an anime character wearing a tux, top hat and cape, sweeping across the neon lit streets of Shinjuku after midnight, fighting crime with style and enigmatic riddles.

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Miller Harris - L'Air de Rien (Nonchalance)

I really enjoyed Feuilles de Tabac, and saw this come up as another classic from the house. Apparently it's only available in certain occasions, so I thought I'd give it a try since it was available directly from Miller Harris EU with a decent discount.

So far liking it, but definitely want to give it a couple full wears before commenting. Hard to describe, so far I'd say it's like a very earthy twist on a classic masculine. This is much more 'artistic' than Feuilles de Tabac, though you can very clearly see the same DNA underlying it.

Also go a sample of Vetiver Insolent, which sounds like a real winner of a vetiver.

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Mancera - Tonka Cola
My last Christmas gift has arrived, I got a gift certificate, and went with something out of my normal wheelhouse. This is my first purchase from Mancera, and I'm really enjoying it. I read it was a bit like the smell of gummy cola candy, and that's something I just love, so went for it. Just spraying it on, I totally get that, though it doesn't last long, I get cherry over a sort of sweet medicinal vibe, which makes this have a bit of a retro feel, not something I expected from Mancera. All and all, a happy blind buy, thanks to my mother in law.

I also got some samples, I understand they have some great lemon scents, so got them to test as well as some of their classics. Then they threw in four other samples as well.
I tell you houses that don't give out samples with purchases are missing an opportunity.

The perfume spree is nearly over folks, one more order and I'm on a forced break.

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Mail call from DUA Fragrances. First purchase from this fragrance house that produces quality dupes/clones/replicas of designer & niche type fragrances. Extreme Fellow is a copy of Tom Ford Extreme for Men and Covet is a copy of Gucci Envy Pour Homme. Personally, I’d say they are about 90% identical to the Original creations. They are both extrait versions so potency should be amped up as well as performance across the board (well, that’s hoping that they will). Can’t say anything except that as a quick spray on each hand, they do smell amazingly good. Wearing them in the coming weeks to see how they fair from start to finish. Samples were quite nice as well but, they lean more gourmand to my nose. Why did I get these specific two? Well, my bottle of TF Extreme for Men was dropped and it shattered. Nothing could be saved. And my Gucci Envy pour homme had lost its magic. The juice had turned a dark green (don't know if there was humidity in the storage facility or change in temperature) and had no potency whatsoever. And the prices for some of these fragrances are beyond ludicrous. 1/10 the price and get me close to the originals and I'm a happy camper.

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This one I managed to finagle from the ”E-b” auction site for a paltry $52 shipped. And yes, the 150ml at that. Here it’s from the Blu Mediterranean Line, Mirto di Panarea is a classy aromatic & marine fragrance of old school charm yet it exhibits modern facets of today’s perfumery from the house of Acqua Di Parma. But, then again just look at the creator of this juice, Francois Demachy. The former Executive Creator for the design house of Dior, the man is a who’s who of timeless creations such as the Dior Homme Line, the modernization of the Eau Sauvage lineage and the continuation of the legendary Fahrenheit Juggernaut and its flankers. He also has his signature on a few Acqua Di Parma creations as well such as Colonia Intensa (my favorite of the whole house), Colonia Oud and a few others. This one has his touch in full force especially with the basil, rose & juniper. Opens with a wonderful juicy citrus accord that is mouthwatering and natural to the nose. The myrtle though is the star of the show with this one playing nicely with some sea type accords. Almost like a eucalyptus type of vibe but, slightly sweeter and fresher with a camphoraceous tone from the opening into the mid. The base is a classic woods and amber drydown that compliments the very bright and aromatic opening to near perfection. There is a floral component that dances in and out during the wearing but, is not dominant or heavy. Really is one of the best creations from this house and the Blu Mediterranean line that gets very little mention across the fragrance forums. Marketed as a unisex fragrance, I can see both sexes wearing this quite nicely. For me though I get a slightly bit more of a masculine vibe especially on the drydown perhaps coming from the cedar & juniper note. Fresh, clean and a classic Italian style cologne as if one is seated right off the shoreline in Polignano A Mare with a serving of Prosecco and fresh lemonade or some Negroni. I can practically taste it.

Good stuff gents….

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This one I managed to finagle from the ”E-b” auction site for a paltry $52 shipped. And yes, the 150ml at that. Here it’s from the Blu Mediterranean Line, Mirto di Panarea is a classy aromatic & marine fragrance of old school charm yet it exhibits modern facets of today’s perfumery from the house of Acqua Di Parma. But, then again just look at the creator of this juice, Francois Demachy. The former Executive Creator for the design house of Dior, the man is a who’s who of timeless creations such as the Dior Homme Line, the modernization of the Eau Sauvage lineage and the continuation of the legendary Fahrenheit Juggernaut and its flankers. He also has his signature on a few Acqua Di Parma creations as well such as Colonia Intensa (my favorite of the whole house), Colonia Oud and a few others. This one has his touch in full force especially with the basil, rose & juniper. Opens with a wonderful juicy citrus accord that is mouthwatering and natural to the nose. The myrtle though is the star of the show with this one playing nicely with some sea type accords. Almost like a eucalyptus type of vibe but, slightly sweeter and fresher with a camphoraceous tone from the opening into the mid. The base is a classic woods and amber drydown that compliments the very bright and aromatic opening to near perfection. There is a floral component that dances in and out during the wearing but, is not dominant or heavy. Really is one of the best creations from this house and the Blu Mediterranean line that gets very little mention across the fragrance forums. Marketed as a unisex fragrance, I can see both sexes wearing this quite nicely. For me though I get a slightly bit more of a masculine vibe especially on the drydown perhaps coming from the cedar & juniper note. Fresh, clean and a classic Italian style cologne as if one is seated right off the shoreline in Polignano A Mare with a serving of Prosecco and fresh lemonade or some Negroni. I can practically taste it.

Good stuff gents….

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Might not get a ton of attention but I’ve seen a number of people in the know say it’s one of their best.
 
Might not get a ton of attention but I’ve seen a number of people in the know say it’s one of their best.

Too early for me to call as I haven't tried it in warmer temps as of yet. But, so far out of two trial wearings at home, this juice is as good as anything in their Blu line up and is slowly moving up on the ranks in my small Blu Mediterranean Line group.
 
Picked this up at a local TJMAXX today for $29.99US. I’ve never heard of Davidoff Cool Water Reborn until today. At first sniff, there is a semblance to the original but, this goes off on a different path of its own. More woods and a blue nuance to it. Looking forward to wearing it in the coming weeks and see how it fairs. Initial impressions are not bad at all….

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