Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
Browsing by tag: classic cologne

Comme des Garcons Eau de Cologne & Oriza L. Legrand Cologne Extra-Vielle ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by on 9 Comments

lemon

Soon, Seattle will have its one week of spring followed by a long, hot, dry summer (such is the new ‘normal’ in the climate-changing world). As I gear up for warm weather, I start to test citrus-y Eaux de Cologne, looking for refreshing, sparkling, natural-smelling perfumes to wear when the going gets sultry. These fragrances need not last longer than 10 minutes: I use them most right out of the shower (before putting on a stronger perfume) or at bedtime (when long-lasting fragrances are verboten).

Comme des Garçons has reissued its 1994 1996 Eau de Cologne as part of the Olfactory Library series…

Read the rest of this article »

Les Parfums de Rosine La Cologne de Rosine ~ fragrance review

Posted by on 18 Comments

Les Parfums de Rosine La Cologne de Rosine

Today was one of those hot-hazy-and-humid summer days in New York when the air had a palpable, spongy weight, the subway stations could only be described as “infernal,” and every trash receptacle was emitting its own unique stench. As a consequence, everyone was sweaty and miserable, and everyone — including me — was in a bad mood. One of the small comforts of my day was a sample vial of La Cologne de Rosine, the latest release from Les Parfums de Rosine, which refreshed me at a moment when I couldn’t have tolerated my usual powdery or spicy-sweet floral fragrances.

La Cologne de Rosine is a rose-tinted interpretation of a traditional Eau de Cologne, with notes of bergamot, mandarin, rose, freesia, violet, white musk, cedar and amber. It was developed for Rosine by perfumer Nicolas Bonneville. If you’ve read Robin’s recent posts on “old school” and “new wave” summer colognes, you may be in the mood to break out your own favorite colognes, regardless of the weather…

Read the rest of this article »

5 perfumes: (great) old school summer colognes

Posted by on 70 Comments

orange slices

If you’re in the northern hemisphere, there’s a decent chance you’ve already entered that part of summer known as the dog days. The hot, humid weather was traditionally expected to last around 40 days, but where I live, we’ve surely already had 40 days of sticky, and we could easily have 40 more before it’s over.

I’m not complaining, or at least, I’m not complaining as much as I’d be complaining if it was cold out. I’ll always take hot over cold. But this is just the sort of weather that calls for a classic Eau de Cologne: a little concoction of citrus and flowers, perhaps a few spices, perhaps some oakmoss or amber. It won’t last long, but it will lift up your spirits while it does, and you can always reapply later or move onto something else. Here are five choices, although I’ve (of course) expanded the definition of a classic Eau de Cologne a wee tad…

Read the rest of this article »

Juliette Has A Gun Gentlewoman ~ fragrance review

Posted by on 21 Comments

Juliette Has A Gun Gentlewoman

French niche line Juliette Has A Gun recently launched Gentlewoman, a new fragrance inspired by traditional Eau de Cologne, “a masculine fragrance dedicated to women.” It features notes of neroli, orange blossom, almond, bergamot, petitgrain and musky woods, and the brand’s founder, Romano Ricci, has said, “With Gentlewoman, I wanted to give women a dash of dandy. Modern, daring, I envy her freedom, her taste, her look.”

This is a brand that has never quite “clicked” for me, and there’s a lot about this fragrance that doesn’t appeal to me at first glance: the image of a faux-surly teen model reprising the classic photos of Yves Saint Laurent’s “le smoking” suits, the thread-worn praise of the “modern” woman, the mix of citrus and gourmand notes. Weirdly, I ended up liking Gentlewoman…

Read the rest of this article »

Back to Top

Home
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy

Shop for Perfume Online
Perfume Shopping in New York
Perfume Shopping in London
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Links
Perfume Books
Fragrance Awards

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z