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Aramis Gentleman's Devin County Eau de Cologne
by SoadFan
~Divine Devin!~
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Aramis Devin is a gentlemans fragrance based around the wonderful original Aramis fragrance. I have very often worn Aramis even though it is a mans fragrance, as it smells really lovely on me which is how I came to buy a bottle of Aramis Devin that I saw in a well known store at a super ... bargainous price. I bought my bottle of Aramis Devin after having sampled it, as I found that in many ways it reminded me of Alliage by Estee Lauder mixed with original Aramis, both of which I really like to wear. I find that Aramis Devin is a fragrance that can be worn by either a man or a woman if wanted, as it has plenty to offer due to its great depth of fragrance and super classic(perhaps by todays standards slightly dated) feel.
This fragrance created by Bernard Chant is not a new one by any means as it has been on sale since the late 70's having been first produced in 1978. The fragrance has a classic feel to it in my opinion and once it warms up on the skin I really enjoy wearing it as it lasts so very well and smells amazingly good. The blend of ingredients used in the fragrance seem to work really well for me when I wear it, as I like the slightly spiced feel that the fragrance has which mixes with the classic Aramis bergamot opening that this fragrance shares with the original Aramis blend we all know and love.
~Wearing the fragrance~
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Aramis Devin will appeal to those who like me enjoy wearing Alliage (the closest female version of this fragrance in my opinion) as it shares many similarities yet manages to have a twist that makes it more wintery and spicy. If you enjoy wearing, Azuree or Alliage by Estee Lauder then Aramis Devin might be an interesting alternative that works really well on colder days due to its super warm spiced feel. The beautiful and bright opening notes of bergamot, lemon and galbanum are skillfully added to artemisia to give this fragrance the classic Aramis tangy feel that is so very pleasing to my nose. I really like the freshly applied feel of this fragrance as it has a great tangy citrus edge that bursts through from the very first moment I wear the fragrance.
Jasmin warms and intoxicates the senses, whilst carnation adds a sweeter slightly synthetic flowery edge to what is a very interesting mix when I wear the fragrance. Cool green and fresh feeling pine, herbaceous feeling thyme and warm spicy cinnamon create a whole new layer of scent that sits on top of this lush, spiced, green feeling, leathery chypre fragrance to great effect. The base notes used to make Aramis Devin are punchy and strong enough to be able to fix the fragrance onto the skin for many many hours after the first application in my experience, meaning that the fragrance doesn't need to be topped up much if at all throughout the course of the day.
There is warm amber, cedarwood and cool green moss in Aramis Devin which combines well with patchouli and musk to give a grown up feeling base to the spiced mid notes of the fragrance. I really like the way that the initial citrus kick Aramis Devin has, changes and becomes more spicy and warm once the mid and base notes begin to take effect and work with the oils in my skin. I really feel that the fragrance is able to envelope the senses and give a wonderful long lasting feel when I wear it that I find is even more enhanced once the fragrance changes over time on the skin.
I would say that Aramis Devin can and does last all day when sprayed on to freshly washed skin if applied generously. When applied more lightly the fragrance still lasts extremely well in my experience although it does fade away more quickly after a number of hours if applied sparingly. When I spritz the fragrance on in a more generous yet not wasteful way I find it can last all day without the need for top up sprays. The fragrance does change over time as it softens and fades, slowly losing its initial citrus burst, although it still warms and envelopes the senses for a considerable time after application in my opinion. The cinnamon used in this fragrance gives a nice spicy touch that stays with you throughout the whole wear time in my experience although it does fade and soften over time. Aramis Devine has a good deal of longevity to it that is something I have come to expect from the Aramis fragrance range, meaning that a bottle of the fragrance will last for many months before it needs replacing, even it you wear this on a daily basis.
~Top, middle and base notes~
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Top Notes: Citrusy and fresh feeling bergamot, blend with galbanum, artemisia and lemon to give the fragrance a tangy uplifting opening feel that softens over time.
Middle Notes: Exotic jasmin mixes with the sweet and full on florals offered by carnations in the fragrance. Cool green pine, thyme and spicy cinnamon add plenty of style and texture to the fragrance that make it stand out from the crowd.
Base Notes: Leather, olibanum, cedarwood, warm amber, musk, lush green moss, labdanum and hippy chic patchouli work their magic towards the later stages of wear time to give a great deal of depth and staying power to this fine fragrance. The base notes give out a classic aged effect that the fragrance picks up on after a few hours wear time, that I feel works really well in Aramis Devin.
~Product presentation/ ease of use~
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The solid feeling clear glass fragrance bottle that Aramis Devin comes in has a classic look to it that appears grown up and really rather masculine in my opinion. Of course this is something that I would expect as this is not a fragrance aimed at women even though I feel women can wear it. The product box has a slightly minimal look to it in my opinion, with the only sign of style being the logo/ brand name of the product, although I rather like that as it gives off a grown up feel that works with the fragrance. The fragrance bottle has a nice weighty feel to it that sits well on a dressing table and in my experience this allows the bottle to sit firmly in place without any chance of it being knocked over or damaged. The bottle lid has a luxury feel to it with it being made in a simple silver coloured polished metal effect that I think sits well on top of the fragrance bottle. I find that the bottle lid works well as it stays where it should keeping the contents of the bottle fresh and ready for use. The spray applicator delivers a nice amount of fragrance to the skin in a soft mist that allows the fragrance to sit where you want it to rather than being wasted. Over all I feel the product presentation is simple and effective with both the fragrance bottle and product box having a classic masculine feel that suits the fragrance.
~Price/ product rating~
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When I bought my bottle of Aramis Devin I was really lucky to be able to buy it for a super low £15 which I must admit I snapped up! Prices are generally much more expensive than this and I would normally expect to pay closer to £45/ £50 for a bottle of this fragrance. I have only ever seen the fragrance on sale for close to its full price prior to having bought the bottle I have in use at the moment and whilst at full price it isn't cheap to buy, I feel it is worthy of consideration as it really does wear very well in my opinion. The fragrance bottle holds a generous 100mls which lasts avery long time even with regular use. My rating for this product is 5 stars. I feel that Aramis Devin can be worn by both women and men if wanted depending on personal preference.
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Jo Malone Vanilla and Anise Eau de Cologne
by chrisandmark
While Jo Malone likes to shout about her fragrances being unisex I find myself in complete disagreement most of the time as while her colognes don't have the prettiness of other perfumes, I do think the majority have a distinctly feminine edge which would put off any of the men I know - the main man in my life, Mark, scoffed when I ... mentioned the fact that a previous Jo Malone fragrance could be worn by either sex, commenting that Pear & Freesia suited me far better than it would suit him. And I have to agree...
Vanilla & Anise is another one which in my opinion is suitable mainly for us women, despite the fact that the vanilla has been beefed up compared to that that you usually find in perfumes. By this I mean it lacks the intense level of sweetness that can usually be found in fragrances which use vanilla as their base, and while Vanilla & Anise remains a beautifully sweet perfume there are other, spicier, fragrances swirling around to give it a chic scent, rather than the usual candied vanilla notes which tend to appeal mainly to younger perfume wearers.
It's completely 'vanilla', and there's absolutely no getting away from it - the only respite coming at the very beginning of the perfume's life when it's actually such a harsh fragrance that I can barely smell anything over the generalised smell of 'decent perfume' for the first five minutes. Once this has settled down the vanilla starts to creep through, slowly at first but building up in intensity pretty rapidly until you feel that you're enveloped in a cloud of sweetness. It's tempered ever so slightly by a distinct and easily identifiable blend of liquorice and cinnamon, but these are done almost TOO well and to me come through as stand alone notes rather than being a part of the Star Anise which is lauded as such a large chunk of this cologne. The cinnamon is a stunning addition; my two absolute favourite fragrances are vanilla and cinnamon, but not usually together as even the best perfumiers struggle to blend the two with any degree of competency in my opinion. I'm actually amazed by the strong vanilla/cinnamon combination and think both fragrances hold their own beautifully, mingling perfectly with one another while still standing out as natural individual notes.
Thanks to the ever-present vanilla it's hard to pin down at what points the different notes take over, this isn't one of those perfumes that you can neatly compartmentalise as having a top, heart and base simply because the notes come through in a much less defined manner. The robust vanilla gives it a pretty cake-like fragrance for the duration of the perfume, and to my nose the various different fragrances simply add to this and create wonderfully sweet pockets of 'cakeiness'. For example, I've been wearing Vanilla & Anise for four hours today and currently smell of Christmas cake as it's developed a lightly floral tone which mixes with a subtle chocolate fragrance (as well as the general sweet spiciness of the perfume) to give me this specific cake aroma. The end of the perfume is a delicious sugary cupcake, simply because at this point in time every other note has disappeared and I'm left with a soft-yet-rich vanilla which has been sweetened to within an inch of its life - it's vaguely reminiscent of one of the 'Cupcake' scents from Yankee Candle, only obviously much nicer and designed to be worn as a personal fragrance rather than a home scent!
Having glanced at the Jo Malone website I can confirm that the notes given are all very much apparent in the fragrance; not strictly in the 'correct' order as given on the website, but they're certainly there. Aniseed, liquorice and clove are the notes which supposedly made up the Star Anise but still I can't particularly smell this fragrance as a whole despite being able to pick out all three pretty clearly at the beginning of my journey with Vanilla & Anise - I'd actually suggest a name change for this cologne, calling it instead Vanilla Spice as this seems to suit the fragrance far better. Next up Jo Malone tells us we should be smelling of purple orchid, cinnamon, candy and dark chocolate - to be honest I hadn't identified the floral as orchid but knew it was certainly one of the more delicate floral notes, the candy tone doesn't come through for me with this batch of fragrances but later on bursts out quite strongly to encourage the cupcake scent I mentioned earlier.
It's the tail end of the perfume which amazes me if I'm honest, as while the vanilla remains the most vibrant fragrance it twists itself into other notes which I wasn't aware of until I checked the website - but now I know they're there I can definitely pick them out. Custard creams! Who would even THINK to look for this in a perfume, especially an upper class perfume such as those created by Jo Malone - but it's there! It doesn't give the cologne a biscuity fragrance in the slightest (thankfully) but now I can detect a certain vanilla custard aroma in the final hour or so of the fragrance, which adds oomph and an added element of richness to the perfume just as it's beginning to die off.
As far as wearability goes, I find Vanilla & Anise to be one of the more feminine of the Jo Malone range of fragrances and therefore it's definitely my favourite. It's not the strongest fragrance I've ever used, but the intense sweetness mixed with the more subtle (but still pretty in-yer-face) spices makes it seem headier than it actually is. It lingers for around seven hours on my skin, but this is obviously subjective as perfume lasts for different time periods on different people - personally I'm glad for the longevity of Vanilla & Anise as I adore the heavy vanilla fragrance and am pleased it sticks around for so many hours, some would get bored with the constant vanilla I'm sure but for me it just makes the perfume perfectly tailored to my love of this scent. Another aspect which is ideal for me is the fact that the fragrance travels with me, but never becomes overpowering to the people in my space - I've recently stopped wearing an Armani fragrance which was slowly choking the life out of my partner and children, and an YSL perfume is going to go the same way now I've realised people on the other side of Birmingham are sniffing the air and saying 'what's that smell?' whenever I spray it on. This one, however, is more personal and I'm confident that when people smell my fragrance they're being treated to a waft of sweetness rather than suffering a vanilla induced headache when I come near.
I'm going to happily recommend Vanilla & Anise to anyone who favours a sweet and sweetly spiced perfume. Obviously the elephant in the room when declaring this one recommendable is the fact that it's such a heavily vanilla fragrance - if you don't like vanilla then walk away now, you'll hate this. For the rest of us, however, it's a wonderful lesson in how vanilla in fragrance should be done - with passion, ingenuity and a large dose of femininity.
I always find myself a little bit shocked when I see the prices of Jo Malone products; this is no exception with a 100ml bottle costing an incredible £78, and the 30ml size being a little more affordable at a shade under £40. In terms of quality it's certainly worth the money, but I can't help thinking that I could boost my perfume collection with three 'lesser-brand' bottles for the price of the large Jo Malone offering - I'm sure I'll purchase this again at some point (or more likely add it to a birthday or Christmas list!) but right now I can't justify using such a large chunk of my hard earned cash on such a relatively simple bottle of perfume. It still comes highly recommended though, I just wish it had a smaller price tag!
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Kenzo Flower La Cologne Cologne
by Ninski1
I was first drawn to this perfume by the bottle; it is clear glass, with long poppies on the outside and a vibrant red pull-off metallic lid. The bottle comes presented in an off white cardboard box, also with the poppy design on and the usual details of the product and the maker's name. You can currently purchase 90ml of the perfume ... for £31.94 on Amazon (March 2013) which is a bargain, as this size bottle usually retails for around £50. The design of the bottle, does not indicate that the perfume will smell of poppies, instead this is just the design for all the Kenzo Flower range, which includes eau de toilette, shower gels and body lotions, amongst other things.
The bottle looks attractive and is easy to hold, as it is tall. The pull off lid is easy to remove and replace, it does not leak and the push dispenser sprays evenly, I use two to three sprays, and find that to be adequate to last all day.
The perfume has top notes of bergamot, bigarade leaves and orange blossom, middle notes of parma violet and white musk base notes.
Overall this perfume has fresh, non-powdery flowery and citrus scent, the musk is not over powering and you can definitely smell the orange blossom, though I am not sure about the bigarade leaves, as I have never heard of them and do not know what they smell of. As I said I use two to three sprays and this will last for around 12 hours, I notice the scent starts to fade after about 4 hours, but this is probably as I get used to it. I have been using the perfume for around 6 months, two to three times per week and still have plenty left, so at this rate it will last me around 18months.
I would recommend this perfume to others who like delicate, fresh flowery scents that last well, and if you can get it for a bargain price, it makes it even better. This is not just a summer scent, I tend to wear it all year round, and also the bottle is lovely to look at.
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