NEV2: Initial Impressions, Part One

My package from Luckyscent arrived this afternoon and I don’t have nearly the self-restraint to let these go untested until they each come up on their day for testing. During the first set of niche samples I put my initial impressions up on Basenotes (in this post, to be precise) and it also gave me [...]

Fresh is dead, long live fresh: The Anatomy of the Discriminating Man’s Summer Scent

Before I actually tackle the matter at hand, I’d like to thank Nukapai at Basenotes for putting the question to me, on Twitter (where else?). When I commented that most of my wardrobe was for cool to cold weather and I needed more summer variety, she wanted to know what I thought made a good [...]

Thierry Mugler A*Men – The Ten Ton Pacifist

Recently on Basenotes I ran the first-ever Basenotes March Madness, and one of the criteria for a fragrance being in the running was to have the most reviews. A*Men led the pack by a huge margin, but it’s also probably the most divisive fragrance mentioned on the boards. It’s very polarizing, you either love it [...]

Niche Experiment Volume Two

Luckyscent is getting more business from me as I delve back into reviewing niche. Expect to see reviews for: Andy Tauer Lonestar Memories Andy Tauer Une Rose Chypree CdG Series 2 (Red): Sequoia CdG Series 3 (Incense): Avignon Domenico Caraceni 1913 Keiko Mecheri Bois de Santal L’Artisan Timbuktu Le Labo Rose 31 Mazzolari Lui Montale [...]

Not dead. Not, in fact, deceased.

I’m alive, and in fact have been writing all this time, albeit in smaller, 140-character chunks on my Twitter account. So what happened after that fateful evening of March 15th? Well, an hour or two after writing that, I sent a message to a member on Basenotes named exquisitely_me, and the message said… “What’s new [...]

Five Fragrances To Live Life To

Inspired by Redneck Perfumisto’s plug of Chandler Burr’s GQ article, I’m gonna see if I can’t pare my wardrobe down to five fragrances that let you do anything in life, and smell great doing it. 1.) Aramis Havana. Serial readers saw that one coming after reading the title. It’s a spicy, heavy, masculine fragrance that [...]

The Palisander Conspiracy, Part II: The Mystery Of M7

I write this with still-shaking hands, the events described below are no more than ten minutes old. Saturday was a day for rest and relaxation, or so they say.  I was lounging on the couch in nothing more than a pair of underwear when the serenity was abruptly ended. THUD! THUD! THUD THUD THUD THUD!, [...]

The Palisander Conspiracy

Months ago, Basenotes’ mikeperez23 was kind enough to mail me a sample of CdG Series 2 Red: Palisander. However I never ended up seeing it, and was quite disappointed that it either had been lost in the mail or stolen from my mailbox. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I found out what [...]

A conspiracy from outer space. Also, you’re drunk.

I’ve yet to figure out why, or how, this works, but it’s happened enough times over the past few months that I can only assume the worst. By the worst I of course mean that aliens are remotely turning off the hot water when I decide to wash my hair. EVERY SINGLE TIME! What is [...]

V&R Antidote – Sovereign Specific

One of the more ubiquitous sights on Basenotes is a thread to the effect of “Given what I already have, what else do you all recommend I get?”   I just commented on one of them a few minutes ago, and I’m responsible for three or four of them myself.  One of them had several people [...]