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Sean John I Am King ~ new fragrance

Posted by Robin on 8 August 2008 85 Comments

Sean John I Am King fragrance

The next fragrance for men from Sean Comb's Sean John line will be I Am King, due to launch in December. According to Combs,

I Am King is a statement about all men. We are all descendents of royalty — and if we carry ourselves and respect ourselves in that manner and believe in ourselves, then we are all kings.

The notes for I Am King include tangerine zest, orange, cranberry, "a proprietary Imperial French berry note", kir royal, crème de cassis, premium Champagne, cooling Mediterranean water, key lime pie, lemon cream, labdanum, cedarwood, vetiver, white moss, sandalwood and clean powdery undertones.

Sean John I Am King will be available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette and in matching grooming products. It will be exclusive to Macy's until February 2009; look for the feminine counterpart, I Am Queen, to launch in the fall of 2009. (via wwd)

Update: see a review of Sean John I Am King.

Filed Under: new fragrances
Tagged With: celebrity perfumes, sean john

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85 Comments

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  1. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 9:57 am

    And here I heard we were decendants of primates. Go figure.

    What funny copy, especially the list of notes. You just can't make this stuff up. xD

    But no, not my most anticipated new fragrance.

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  2. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:05 am

    Seriously, you really can't make this stuff up! Key Lime Pie with berries, fit for a king.

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  3. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:07 am

    Ha – the size of that man's ego!!

    It does sound better then a lot of women's fragrances lately, though.

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  4. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:31 am

    And it sort of sounds like a women's anyway, doesn't it? Or is it just me?

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  5. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:32 am

    There are no words.

    Yet a found a few. I am so sick of people using alcohol as a status symbol. And I hate reading it in fragrance notes. If you want to add mint to a fragrance, fine, but don't add a “mojito accord.” Ok, I get the rum references because of it's inherently spicy nature, but champagne? kir royal? With all those berries, it sounds like a crappy cocktail at some upscale lounge bar that no one orders.

    The name is totally, utterly ridiculous. At least they resisted the impulse to call it “Je suis le roi”

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  6. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:36 am

    I don't know, but “kir royal, crème de cassis, premium champagne” just makes me think of hangover headache. You know, the nasty kind, like after one of those parties in your early twenties, at someone's flat, where you'd just mix up every sweet liquor left in the cupboard… yikes!

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  7. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:39 am

    Je Suis Le Roi! I do with they'd called it that, I mean, it's already funny but that would be hysterical.

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  8. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:46 am

    Everything about that fragrance, from the name to the notes, is a complete turn-off.

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  9. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:49 am

    Too close to 'Je suis Leroy', perhaps?

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  10. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:52 am

    LOL! This is a fun morning. I'm especially enjoying the ad visual sitting on the front page right by that image of sad little Anne of Green Gables — what a contrast!

    When they do the advertising for I Am Queen, do you suppose she'll still have to walk several paces behind Sean John?

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  11. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:53 am

    Mind you, 'I am Queen' is even funnier. I wonder how many people will think it's a men's scent?

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  12. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:53 am

    It does sound like that, but guessing this is going to be very “fresh”!

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  13. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:54 am

    would that be Sean 'just call me Mr. Humble' Combs, or Sean 'modesty is my middle name' Combs? LOL. Imperial French Berries – Vive le Ego! (or is that la?)

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  14. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:55 am

    I don't know — I mean, all celeb scents are vanity / aspirational projects. I sort of like taking it to the limit of absurdity, I mean, at least this is funny. Most of them are just sort of dumb.

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  15. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:55 am

    All that and then 'clean powdery undertones' ROFL! It's like, I'll have the triple whopper meal with extra large fries…and a water please, because I'm watching my figure :-D

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  16. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:56 am

    HA, and not just Imperial French Berries, but PROPRIETARY Imperial French Berries! Nobody else can have any — they'll have to make do with regular ole blackcurrant notes.

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  17. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 10:59 am

    Is anyone else thinking of the Imperial margarine ad from the early 80's right about now? LOL. Is the same thing going to happen to me if I spritz this on?

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  18. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:01 am

    u-hu, like a bucket of “cooling mediterranean water” over your aching head.

    seriously, can't help chuckling whenever I look at that ad… Robin, you've made my day with that one!

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  19. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:05 am

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but to my knowledge Kir Royal IS crème de cassis with champagne, so why add cdc and champagne notes to the kir royal notes? And Kir Royal with key lime pie? Yuck. Cooling Mediterranean water? As opposed to all that boiling water elsewhere? Oh, this just makes me soooooo prone to grumbling!

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  20. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:08 am

    you're absolutely right. How hilarious is that!

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  21. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:13 am

    Stop it! You are KILLIN' me with this copy!!LOL!
    King Key Lime Pie?
    Prince Matchaberry?
    Lord Lemon Cream?
    My stomach rumbled (and not in a good way) just reading the notes.
    And the photo? “hey, that's MY crown! Go get your own!”

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  22. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:14 am

    That's what I thought. So, it's kir royale extreme: EXTRA champagne and creme de cassis!

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  23. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:14 am

    LOL!!!

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  24. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:16 am

    Well, I, for one, am grateful that they're using Premium Champagne, and not the cheap stuff. LOL! ;)

    Maybe the flanker will feature Billy Dee Williams accord with a splash of Colt 45 undertone? The ad on the billboard always said “colt 45. It works!”

    That ad makes me chuckle… who is he pointing at? For what reason?

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  25. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:17 am

    I certainly am! I'm also reminded of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine dates The Wiz. I'm the Wiz! Nobody beats me! roflol!

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  26. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:27 am

    LOL! Yes.

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  27. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:28 am

    Dinazad, I assume that is for all the commoners who don't know what a kir royale is.

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  28. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:28 am

    Maybe The Queen will be carried on one of those chaise loungers, like Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra?

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  29. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:28 am

    Go get your own! Yes, that's exactly what he's saying.

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  30. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:30 am

    Colt 45, of course!

    Mamabear has explained just above why he is pointing :-)

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  31. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:32 am

    It's not just you. It does sound like a woman't scent to me, too. it sounds very “Fancy”, lol!

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  32. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:50 am

    I Am King? I am repulsed.

    The woman in the visual doesn't look very impressed either.

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  33. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 11:59 am

    I Am King Of Thanksgiving Leftovers? Cranberry sauce, alcohol, and dessert.

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  34. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 12:11 pm

    Fess up, Robin — this is a leftover entry from Le Prix Eau Faux, isn't it?

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  35. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 12:13 pm

    I think it's more J.T. Leroy than je suis le roi myself…

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  36. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 12:19 pm

    Truth is always stranger than fiction…

    Hugs!

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  37. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 12:20 pm

    I'm loving the comments on this one, but the Thanksgiving Leftovers takes the cake. Now if only they could sneak some turkey in there – wait, that's the wearer.

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  38. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 12:39 pm

    The women in his ads always look bored to death; wonder why?

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  39. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 12:39 pm

    LOL!

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  40. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 12:40 pm

    It's so over the top that I don't know that it would have won!

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  41. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 12:41 pm

    It's so true, R, you really can't make this stuff up. Hugs to you!

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  42. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 12:44 pm

    LMAO! Flash that gold tooth, baby!

    I was looking for lavender in the notes, you know, “Lavender blue, dilly dilly lavender green…”. Still, this over-the-top food fest fits the image much, much better. Ewww.

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  43. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 1:33 pm

    LOL! – you know what that is don't you…It's going to be the Designer Imposters ripoff. 'If you liked I Am King, you'll love The Wiz' ;-D

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  44. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 2:10 pm

    OK ….. am I supposed to know who Sean Combs is?!

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  45. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 3:33 pm

    PBI: He was formerly known as Puff Daddy. Then as P. Diddy. That should help. ;)

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  46. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 3:45 pm

    Aha! Have at least heard of Puff Daddy. Thanks.

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  47. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 3:49 pm

    This ad copy looks like it came from the movie “Idiocracy”

    (I recommend you all to see it! it is not Kant or Kafka, but makes you think about the future while having a good laugh! Not a small feat!)

    Also over and over and over again each time I see this I remember Boomerang by Eddie Murphy and the “Strangé” ads.

    I know I've said this on almost all celebrity perfume postings, but Grace Jones face keeps popping up on my mind… The reasoning behind the name of the fragrance is preposterous, and makes every entry on the NST competition we held hide back in shame.

    We will never be able to surpass this level of stupidity!

    I mean the way it describe the fragrance and says “Ourselves” over and over reminds me of Zoolander describing the “Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too”

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  48. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 4:39 pm

    Yes, kg, it does sound like that! lol lol lol

    The frag notes are redundant and so is the ad copy. I wonder what the bottle will look like? This sounds absolutely horrible.

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  49. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 5:03 pm

    I really, really hope we won't be getting this. I will refuse to sell it if it does come in.

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  50. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 8:04 pm

    Oh, everyone has made me laugh till I cried. So funny and so true! The notes all sound like someone went on a binge. Key Lime Pie, Premium Champagne and Lemon Cream! It is like the clean powdery undertones were added because they felt so dirty after indulging in all that stuff!
    Wouldn't it be funny if this actually came out nicely after we all nearly hurled reading the notes? I can't wait to read about I Am Queen. Maybe they'll make an “I Am Princess” instead.

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  51. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 8:35 pm

    “I Am King is a statement about all the whopping ego of men like me — after all, my ego is so large it has its own zipcode. We are all prone to wankery — especially the people who conjure up this drooling ad copy — and if we carry ourselves and respect ourselves and believe in ourselves, then we are all suckers. So yay for me and my bank balance!”

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  52. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 9:37 pm

    You guys are on a roll :-)

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  53. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 9:37 pm

    LOL! Can you really do that?

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  54. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 9:38 pm

    You know, Unforgivable was darned well done, and won't be at all surprised if this one is too. If I was a celebrity doing a scent, I'd definitely want to be w/ Estee Lauder — they don't do crap.

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  55. Anonymous says:
    8 August 2008 at 9:39 pm

    “…and my bank balance” is just about right, isn't it?

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  56. Anonymous says:
    9 August 2008 at 1:18 am

    I agree on both counts.

    The first one, although not my cup of tea, was very well done.

    and..

    Erin Lauder runs a tight business.

    Now, let's spray on some “Beyond Paradise for men”

    I haven't smelled “Sensuous” yet!

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  57. Anonymous says:
    9 August 2008 at 1:30 am

    What a stupid name for a perfume. And who wrote that tag line? It must have been someone who clearly hates Sean Comb.

    Good that they chose premium champagne instead of some mediocre stuff; that will make the difference.

    I am king et l'etat c'est moi!

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  58. Anonymous says:
    9 August 2008 at 9:42 am

    Not sure either the men's or the women's was my cup of tea either, but they are better done than the average, we agree. Do try Sensuous, although many are finding it too sweet.

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  59. Anonymous says:
    9 August 2008 at 9:42 am

    It would be very amusing to see “cheap champagne” as a note; wish someone would do it!

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  60. Anonymous says:
    9 August 2008 at 4:41 pm

    That has to be a female fragrance! or it might be that hes targeting to be the first male fruity fragrance….Whats a really fruity male fragrance in your opinion?

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  61. Anonymous says:
    9 August 2008 at 5:40 pm

    Sure, but I do it quietly. When a customer comes in and asks for it, I redirect them to something more appropriate. This is done all the time … not just for anti-celebrity reasons, but also if a fragrance company rep or account exec does something underhanded or treats us badly. Then we 'squash' the line. I can't name any line in particular, of course. But it's pretty common practice. We've killed several lines.

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  62. Anonymous says:
    10 August 2008 at 9:35 am

    He looks as if you've trespassed and he's about to set the mastiffs on you. Why didn't they call it “Apres moi, le deluge” (sorry about missing accents), which could neatly signify both depraved indifference to plebeians and the intensive shower you'd take after applying the scent? Mr. Combs is the lucky winner of my free gift of a copy of “The Culture of Narcissism”.

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  63. Anonymous says:
    10 August 2008 at 3:17 pm

    Gosh, there are actually tons of men's fruity scents, although they tend to be less sweet than the women's. Lots w/ apple, for instance. But not a one is coming to mind…brain is on vacation along w/ body today.

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  64. Anonymous says:
    10 August 2008 at 3:18 pm

    Yes, yes! Whomever he is pointing at, they're in big, big trouble.

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  65. Anonymous says:
    10 August 2008 at 3:19 pm

    Wow, I had no idea!

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  66. Anonymous says:
    10 August 2008 at 5:13 pm

    Notes are yadda yadda yadda and “clean powdery undertones.” I read, “clean powdery onions.” I am not making this up. Must have been the tangerines, cranberries and oranges. I'm thinking cranberry sauce.

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  67. Anonymous says:
    10 August 2008 at 5:16 pm

    You made me snerk. Good one.

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  68. Anonymous says:
    11 August 2008 at 2:14 am

    OH SWEET LORD! I Could Just DIE! I so Loathe Mr. Combs it borders on Obsession! I have never seen a Celebrity so Overwhelmingly full of his own Self Worth and Importance (aside from Tom Cruise! his fragrance would be “I am GOD!” LOL) that it sickens me to my very CORE! And it would be Different if, per se, his Fragrances Smelled Good, Like that other Overly Sel Indulgent Celebrity, Mariah Carey (at least her fragrance smells fantastic!) but Unforgivable was just that….. UNFORGIVABLE! Boring, Sterile, Plain, Uninspiring, CHEAP! VERY CHEAP! the Womens Version was only slightly less a hot tranny mess, but not by much! He should really be hit in the head by a Meteor and leave the rest of humanity alone… and from those notes on this new Scent… I am not inspired to want to even smell it let alone Buy it! sounds like a Alcoholic Fruity Disaster Movie of a scent! ICK ICK AND MORE ICK!

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  69. Anonymous says:
    11 August 2008 at 9:08 am

    lol lol

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  70. Anonymous says:
    11 August 2008 at 11:19 am

    I liked Unforgivable more than you did, but so agree on the similarity between Combs & Cruise!

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  71. Anonymous says:
    11 August 2008 at 11:43 pm

    There you go — there's the Thanksgiving dinner!

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  72. Anonymous says:
    13 August 2008 at 12:16 pm

    Are you guys crazy? What the hell is wrong with i am king? Feminism has gotten out of hand in the west. O MY GOTH HE'S IMPLYING THAT ALL MEN ARE KINGS, AHHHH!!!!!!! Even worst he said women are queens and we all know that Kings>queens so he is a chauvinistic pig.

    The name have a much bigger meaning but i wont share what it is. If you don't get it then it's not for you.

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  73. Anonymous says:
    13 August 2008 at 2:07 pm

    We are no doubt crazy, but it did not seem to me that the criticism voiced here was from a feminist viewpoint at all. Please don't share the larger meaning, I'm sure I'm happier not knowing :-)

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  74. Anonymous says:
    14 August 2008 at 2:00 am

    nowsmellthis, so whats so funny about the name? I think the name is great, it's bold.

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  75. Anonymous says:
    14 August 2008 at 5:07 pm

    The name just sounds conceited to me — but you know, if the scent is great, I'll get over it, right? And I'm sure you're not the only one who thinks it's a great name!

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  76. Anonymous says:
    14 August 2008 at 5:32 pm

    see but the name isn't only about puff so it's really not conceited, but you're right. if it smells good then it will do well

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  77. Anonymous says:
    15 August 2008 at 11:22 pm

    We'll have to keep our fingers crossed!

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  78. Anonymous says:
    8 October 2008 at 6:56 am

    This thread is a treasure! I had the best laugh in a while. Till I got to August 13, that is. But then again, that probably qualifies in its own way.
    It really seems he doesn't know Sean is (the same as) John.

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  79. Anonymous says:
    8 October 2008 at 10:26 am

    Always glad to provide a few laughs :-)

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  80. Anonymous says:
    29 November 2008 at 1:30 am

    So I smelled this in a magazine…

    The smell made me laugh too :P

    Smells like when I eat too many tangerines, and drink wine after… and then burp.

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  81. Anonymous says:
    29 November 2008 at 11:17 pm

    Ouch! Doesn't sound very compelling.

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  82. Anonymous says:
    30 November 2008 at 3:26 pm

    No, not at all compelling. It has that 'hang-around' thing to it, like D&G's The One… very airy but not light, kinda detached. I like colognes that stay close to me and have to be smelled up close…know what i mean?

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  83. Anonymous says:
    30 November 2008 at 9:14 pm

    Yep. I don't mind some sillage myself if the scent is really good, but doesn't sound like this one is.

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  84. insider says:
    20 January 2010 at 11:51 am

    Yet, by the end of 2009 “I Am King” is the highest selling men’s fragrance ever. Preceded only by his first release, “Unforgivable”.
    Guess that ‘cocktail’ tasted pretty good after all kids.

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    • Robin says:
      20 January 2010 at 12:18 pm

      Highest selling ever? I haven’t seen that in print anywhere.

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