A fast bubbly splash of Coca-Cola, cheeky spice and snappy sweet citrus, and then it’s gone.
Too much caffeine for a children’s party, too juvenile for cocktails. This is the quick kiss at a high school locker between classes–fresh laughter and a pop of effervescence–then nothing but a memory.
Liking this one right now–check out how much the drummer gets out of just that tambourine.
Azzaro Chrome is the first cologne a guy buys himself after an ugly divorce. He’s just started dating again; a little shy, maybe socially awkward, but he’s charismatic and hungry enough to be quite sexy.
Limes and neroli on top, raw silk and alimony payments underneath.
I wish the cardamom were stronger. Our guy would get more dates if he had a bit more spice.
This came out in 1996, too. I love Beck’s weird.
This is a baby-sitting diaper change at a ridiculously rich family’s house.
A splash of lemon scented bleach that combusts to a cloud of talcum powder and finishes with high end floral musk potty-spray.
An enormous powder grenade, yet there was an ugly chemical plastic underneath. I’m a Lolita Lempicka fanatic and I was so disappointed I didn’t even keep it for the bottle.
I’m not so sure about this song either, but it gets stuck in my head a lot.
I got this at a mission store in Stockholm for ten kronor, and didn’t open it until I got back to the States…
…where it smelled like every Victoria’s Secret store distilled into a bottle. Entirely too girlish sweet almond, rosebuds and muted citrus with some obligatory white musk underneath.
On my early twenties daughter-child it became Earl Grey tea in a rose-patterned china cup, elegant and perfect.
Dammit, I’m old.
This Swedish song (Oriflame started out in Stockholm) was a hit in 2016, too.
A noncommittal and tired rose–a little dusty (the blooms might be fading a bit)–in some canned mixed fruit, heavy on the pink grapefruit wedges.
Boring, and not even that high end.
I’m rather sad about it.
Edit – 1/5/2022
I had to go back and give a re-sniff, just to see if my negativity might have been the weather, or just my dreary mood, but nope, this is definitely a disappointment.
Oddly, it was designed by the same guy who did Teazzurra, which is one of my favorite scents ever.
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Looks like rain.
Lime and oak leaves.
The bottle says “Relaxing” in many languages. The eau is certainly not exciting, but it’s pleasant enough, I suppose. Lasts the usual 4711 quarter hour.
Perhaps one for unassuming gentlemen with good taste in hats?
Edit – 6/18/21
I had a good cup of Earl Grey tea this morning, and pulled this one out to compare the bergamot.
The soft green citrus was easy to recognize in both, but I was struck by how much of the vetiver comes out when sniffing them side by side–almost nutty, like filberts or walnuts.
Also, nicer in the summer than the winter–less lime notes and more herbal vibes, and not so oaky dry.
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Love this relaxing Louis Armstrong cover of Irving Berlin and Fred Astaire’s classic.
TokyoMilk No. 7 touts: Crushed Herbs, Exotic Teak, Crisp Citrus, Cedarwood.
One bite of lemon ice–eaten with a wooden spoon–then it’s gone. I wanted more.
Some herbal hardwoods lay a few inches above the skin for an hour.
Might be nice as a boy’s first cologne.
Edit – 9/17/21
The dry-down is pleasant enough, but the performance is not worth the collector’s prices–unopened one ounce bottles are scarce and run as much as $150 now.
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Refreshing grapefruit tea, at the edge of a swamp.
Edit – 1/20/23
Found a solid of this and am enjoying it much more than the spray tester I wrote off years ago–the cedar musk is cleaner, the almond topping less muddy–much more pretty marshland than bog.
I’ve seen a few comparisons to Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, and while I get a bit of that sunny water garden vibe, this one is more crystalline.
Collector prices are fairly steep, so snag it quick if it’s within the budget. Or just get a bottle of Guerlain’s Pamplelune, if you want a slice of grapefruit.
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I’ve been stuck on this song lately.
The bottle lists Clean Coral, Mineral Salt, Watercress, and Crushed Citrus, because why not be fancy? but it’s really filled with loud dish soap.
Edit – 1/29/2023
Yeah, the tide of suds settles down after half an hour and gives way to an almost plummy spice under salty aquatics, but it doesn’t make any beach waves.
I should probably get this to someone who might enjoy wearing it, rather than spraying it in my sink so my drain smells nice.
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A much better Ocean.
Or, lemon balm and vervain.
Bright citrus without the bite, that settles down to woody tonic water.
Greener and sharper and more linear than the original–I miss the sweetness and the quickly shifting nuances–but longer lasting.
Good for cocktails on the patio, perhaps.
Edit — 8/14/21
I usually pass fragrances that I wouldn’t wear on to someone who would appreciate them, but I’ve had Melissa & Verbena for years and still not found a home for it.
There’s an herbal musk at the bottom that sits strangely on the skin, so not one to use as a mask spritz, either.
4711 released it in 2009, but I don’t think it was in production long.
Lemon & Ginger was the hit of that run, and is still made today.
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This came out the same year. Saw it in concert–it was awesome.
kira a. gold 