Olfactics

  • 1 Million by Paco Rabanne

    1 Million by Paco Rabanne

    What never fails to surprise me is the idiosyncrasy of compliment getters. Often the simpler, more stereotypical (I’ll expand on this eventually) fragrances receive most praise.   Plastic gold. How fittingly superficial. Photo by Paco Rabanne We take, grudgingly for example, the infamous One Million by Paco Rabbane. Sweet fairy…

  • Cuir de Russie (EdT) by Chanel

    Cuir de Russie (EdT) by Chanel

    Every so often when preparing for my next fragrance review I have a wild and obsessive tendency to hammer down and scour the internet for histories; notes and other people’s reactions for a particular fragrance because doing so often prepares you to gauge and uncover more of a fragrance than…

  • Iris Ukiyoé by Hermès

    Iris Ukiyoé by Hermès

    Fresh purple iris in domain. Photo by Hermès It’s a crisp spring morning and the long crepuscular rays of sunlight hits the garden and creates a warm embrace. Fresh blooming flowers of iris and rose secrete the sweet scent of florals; these smells are unlike anything else, they are natural.…

  • Noir De Noir by Tom Ford

    Noir De Noir by Tom Ford

    Imagine taking the darkest, most exotic rose and blending it with ingredients only improving the murky, heavy side of rose. What you receive is dark luxuriousness. Noir De Noir.  Photo by Tom Ford I won’t lie. This fragrance was enormously hard to review. It is a welcome take on the smack-bang…

  • Rive D’Ambre by Tom Ford

    Light elegance. Photo by Tom Ford Rive D’Ambre is yet another Tom Ford retake on cologne. This time, instead of the Italian riviera we take a subtle, but handsome, journey to the orient. ORNATE. COMPELLING. WARM. RIVE D’AMBRE IS A GOLDEN-TONED EAU DE COLOGNE WITH A VEIL OF COLONIAL ELEGANCE. PRECIOUS…

  • M7 Oud Absolu by Yves Saint Laurent

    M7 Oud Absolu by Yves Saint Laurent

    A woody oriental to remember.   © 2014 Liam Sardea A resounding disruption for a fragrance of excess, the first to use a oud accord: it merges with myrrh and cistus to create a warm, intense and fascinating trail. Mandarin gives a top opening and delivers singular vibrancy, whereas a…

  • Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford

    Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford

    “Anymore garish, sex-filled models and I might be sick; regardless of how true the ad is!” © 2014 Liam Sardea and Tom Ford Allow me to address the elephant in the room: the advertising campaign! How sexy! A pair of youthful, olive-skinned, carefree and soapy individuals in peak physique ‘swimming’ in…

  • Fahrenheit by Dior

    Fahrenheit by Dior

    Masculinity bottled. © 2014 Liam Sardea Ultimately, Dior’s Fahrenheit is a very distinctive fragrance. It is described as something: Truly embodying the pioneering spirit of Dior, Fahrenheit entered a territory thus far unexplored by a fragrance: the land of dreams, of fancy, of the quest for meaning and the infinite. A legendary…

  • Coromandel by Chanel

    A moreish gourmand. Welcome to olfactic cloud nine. © 2014 Liam Sardea   The precious Coromandel screens are intimately linked to the world of Gabrielle Chanel. This exceptional and meticulous art from China perfectly illustrated Mademoiselle’s approach to work: infinite patience and a spirit of perfection. Gabrielle Chanel took refuge amidst…

  • Vetiver Extreme by Guerlain

    Icky. They have destroyed the clean yet dirty balance of Vetiver in the original Guerlain and when they said extreme they certainly didn’t lie. Don’t mess with the classics. Photo by Guerlain In a purely analytical sense, it is important to appreciate the composition of fragrance as something more than…