Sueded Oud by Clean Reserve Fragrances

I have owned Sueded Oud for a while now (since last summer). It was a blind buy made solely by the raving reviews from Anne Lauren (yes, once again she's managed to do so!).

I don't know why and I don't know how, but I managed to forget to write a review and even worse, add the fragrance to my Parfumo shelf.

I have made mistakes blind buying a fragrance before, so I didn't dare to get the full bottle, but I managed to find a 10 ml bottle perfect for an introduction. Which is also why I'll spare you my own photography - the 10ml atomizer isn't very photogenic.

Luckily, Sueded Oud, wasn't a mistake.

The name Sueded Oud alludes to a dominating and strong fragrance, but the key wording here is 'sueded'. This fragrance is smooth and delicate, just like I imagine the word sueded to be - making something softer like the feeling of soft suede. 

I don't know how Clean did it, but this fragrance has so many notes whereas the scent itself is very simple.

Pimento, cactus, praline, incense, patchouli, birch, cypress... This should knock you out like the first spray of Oud for Greatness, but instead, Sueded Oud comforts you, snuggles you in and feels like a freshly washed warm and cozy blanket. 

It has a wonderful projection and I feel confident wearing it, it is perfect for an office job, a meeting or if you want to emanate maturity and confidence.

Though not like that of praline, which I find sticky sweet, Sueded Oud has a perfectly sweetened balance that is delicate and feminine. It isn't just a cashmere soft scent. Very close to skin, I even find it powdery, but in a very endearing way.

I am very pleased with my blind buy venture, thank you Anne!

The Scent for Her by Hugo Boss

I cannot believe that I haven't posted this review yet! What had held me back? I can only imagine that I got a new set of samples much more interesting than this. However, I am just going to embarrass myself and admit that I wrote it back in June 2022... 

[Review]

A juicy, ripe peach clouds over the entire room. The Scent for Her by Hugo Boss is a realistic fruity fragrance like I have never expected from a designer fragrance. Usually, fragrances like this are not just a fruit, they are a whole basket! Peaches, pears, currant, apple and all.

After a short while, the peach is less prominent and the fragrance becomes more soapy losing its magic. I do have to say that it's a lovely spring fragrance, but the cheap quality that it gets from losing its initial juicy peach, changes my whole perspective of it.

There's a white floral, freesia, that in combination with the peach makes this scent very bar-of-soap like. It's really a shame, I was just hoping I could find an alternative to Bitter Peach by Tom Ford, which of course has a poor longevity on me. Unfortunately, The Scent is not it.

I hate being so negative about designer fragrances, so I'll just cut this review short and end it with that the fragrance is not for me.

Absolute Aphrodisiac by Initio

Oh, I see what you all mean... Absolute Aphrodisiac came on my radar when I saw Anne Lauren's date night fragrance video. Once again, this girl made me want to blind buy a fragrance, but I restrained myself and waited for the opportunity to get a sample first. It was as if Absolute Aphrodisiac haunted me, because I saw it everywhere and you guys raved about it calling it sex in a perfume. I am not disappointed, but I'm also happy that I didn't buy a full bottle.

Absolute Aphrodisiac is creamy, thick and delicious. It is a cousin to the smoothness of Milk and Gold by Commodity, but without the Commodity plastic-DNA that I experience. On top, the creaminess is made rough and sexual with notes of leather and castoreum. The castoreum isn't repulsively animalic, but it is at just the right amount to make the fragrance sensual. This is a skin scent done right, but it is a true skin scent. After dry down, Absolute Aphrodisiac mostly disappears. It is a lingering scent of amber creaminess and just a tad amount of leather that is slightly peppery, however, if you expected to project a gorgeous vanilla, sweet and musky scent, Absolute Aphrodisiac isn't for you. This is a scent you wear for yourself or for those you invite to be close to you.

I must say that Absolute Aphrodisiac isn't groundbreaking. Besides the two Commodity scents, it reminds me of something else, but I cannot remember which fragrance. I hoped to be in love, but Absolute Aphrodisiac isn't for me, it is too discreet, whereas I like to smell my fragrances and like when they have a prominent note that defines it. 

Something about fragrances like Absolute Aphrodisiac gives me a headache and makes me nauseous. An hour in, and I have had too much. A throbbing headache, yet a relief that I didn't blind buy it too...

Paradoxe by Prada

Hi, hello, yes, I'm late to Paradoxe... I was at the release party when it came out on the market, but had I formed an opinion and written something down? No of course not... 

I remember that I reeeeally disliked it. A sweet, obnoxious mess. So, she's gone, I don't have her anymore and all I have to offer is this photo. I think it's the first time I'm just posting a photo without a review. And I don't like it.

I only remember that I laughed out loudly when I smelled it the first time, because of the backstory of the name, Paradoxe, whereas the fragrance has nothing to do with opposites at all. No duality, nothing contrasting, nothing special. It was so sweet and monotonous I washed it off after a couple of hours, because it was so bad. I honestly remember the jokes I was cracking about it better than I remember how it smelled, because it's so unmemorable.

God of Fire by Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777

This fragrance has been the talk of the town for a long while. The mango note had me very curious as I'm in a phase of loving sweet tropical notes in perfumes. Also, I finally got my hands on Lamar, another fruity tropical scent, and I feel very satiated by having it, but when the opportunity came, I just couldn't miss it, because a mango fragrance is very appealing to me.

God of Fire opens with a note of unripe mango. It is tart, fresh, not too sweet and it is quite green. Soon after, a light, shy sweetness appears and the fragrance is very appealing, especially with the sunshine outside. I cannot help but compare it to Lamar and the two are very different, in such a way that Lamar is sweet, sensual and mouthwatering. God of Fire, however, is a fresh and uplifting scent. The mango is still quite tart, the lemon uplifts the fragrance even more and the sweet, grounding notes haven't made their entrance yet.

After dry down, I find the mango note quite elusive and I'm unsure whether it's still there or if it's just a memory... Mango Skin from Vilhelm Parfumerie is still fresh in my mind, I have to say that I prefer MS. God of Fire is nice, don't get me wrong, but it is just that, not much else. I find myself completely satiated by Lamar at the moment and God knows I have enough fresh citrus scents in my collection! God of Fire falls short of what I expected. Reviews made me believe it would be the most mouthwatering mango, dripping with juice from the ripe fruit. I was lead to believe that the scent would be absolutely addicting, but I am left feeling underwhelmed. After just an hour, I have trouble detecting the scent, let alone the mango note. I reapplied liberally and find myself comparing God of Fire to scents from The Body Shop or Yves Rocher, both being simple and likeable in their own way, but not mind-blowing or mesmerising.

Luckily, or maybe not, time will tell, I bought two samples of God of Fire, because I was sure it would be amazing. Maybe this is a scent I have to wear a couple of times before I start loving it (like Hibiscus Mahajád), but I am quite sure that the scent has just been overhyped and now suffers the consequences. 

Aoud Lemon Mint by Mancera

Mancera is a fragrance house I have seen all over my feed, but I had never encountered them to smell any of their fragrances. I was just reading your reviews and wondering from the sidelines. I saw that Notino sells Mancera in Denmark, but my bad streak of unsuccessful blind buys had me waiting and wondering.

I was just browsing, when I saw Aoud Lemon Mint at a very low price. At first glance, I didn't think much of it, because the thought of mint didn't appeal to me, but I love oud and I love lemon. The almond, vanilla and nutty accords had me change my mind. And I did it, I blind bought the fragrance and could only hope for the best...
So how did it go?

Aoud Lemon Mint, straight from the bottle, is surprisingly warm and creamy. There's a hint of citrus freshening it up, but on first impression I am sensing a delicious, honestly deep, fragrance. However, the first sprays are very citrus dominant, but something sweet and creamy is tagging along very promptly. After the initial dry down, the scent is balanced between citrus and almond equally. Luckily, I don't get any mint, which isn't stated on Fragrantica and if I recall correctly, The Perfume Guy mentioned that it was a clever play of words being that patchouli is in the mint plant family (patchouli is mentioned in the notes).

Besides what I've mentioned, I am actually finding it difficult to describe. Aoud Lemon Mint is lemony, it is warm and sweet, a little powdery, I get the tiniest hint of vetiver, but the scent remains unisex.

I added more sprays and the citruses came to play once again.

Hours later, Aoud Lemon Mint has remained a lovely citrus with creamy sweetness from almonds. Something sharp, slightly sour, is detectable close to skin, but I'm not sure whether it is the oud or the quality if the lemon though it smell fine from afar.

Theoretically, Aoud Lemon Mint should be just as loved by me as Davana & Vanille Bourbon, both being sweet citruses with the warmth of vanilla/almonds, but I can already tell that Davana & Vanille still has my heart. The vetiver in Aoud Lemon Mint makes it more aromatic than I prefer, whereas the feminine elegance of Davana & Vanille mesmerises me every time.

Though not a complete mistake, Aoud Lemon Mint will find its place on my boyfriend's shelf instead of mine.

PS: would you believe that the flare isn't added? I got the photo just right and caught the sun!

Bloom Nettare di Fiori by Gucci

Listen... I... I'm honestly finding reviews that are over one and a half year old!
I've been buying new samples, doing collections, trying to create a harmonious feed and some fragrances are left behind. Left in the dust!

Bloom Nettare di Fiori has long been sold, I don't have it anymore, so bear that in mind reading the review.

To my surprise, I was yet again lucky and was #gifted two new fragrances. I was allowed to choose freely and even though I should be grateful, I found myself in a difficult situation. The scents I could choose from were almost all florals. You know how I feel about those. I sniffed and sniffed until I got a piercing headache, but ended up choosing Sí eau de parfume and Nettare di Fiori.

Nettare di Fiori is a pure floral fragrance, so you might wonder how I ended up choosing it, but my explanation is quite simple. Nettare di Fiori didn't have any notes that bothered me. It is a lighthearted floral fragrance of white florals, a delicate sweetness and a unassuming elegance. I cannot imagine anyone disliking it with a passion. After dry down on paper, the florals become more nuanced.

On skin, the fragrance is quite nice, not my usual type, but it isn't as bad as I have found designer fragrances to be. Floral, a little nauseating, not too sweet though. After dry down, the scent becomes musky and a little deeper. Powdery from the osmanthus and a little dirty from the patchouli. It has a funny balance of being elegantly mature, but at the same time sweetly juvenile.

I was hopeful, but true to my taste and nature, this floral isn't for me either.

Infusion d'Iris by Prada

Lately, I've been acquiring fragrances that I wouldn't necessarily purchase myself, if at all. I have been blessed to be #gifted so many that I am grossly behind on reviewing them and taking photos, but one that really stood out was Infusion d'Iris. Besides the beautiful bottle, many of you have recommended it to me as well. Infusion d'Iris is a powdery fragrance, so I had my doubts, but this is how it went...

On paper, the scent is very mature from the get go. It does have a slight mandarine top note, but the thickness and powderiness of the fragrance makes it far from fresh, but elegant and, how I only can describe it, mature. After dry down, the scent is less thick than it was in the beginning. What is revealed is an elegant, smooth and sophisticated fragrance. It has a slight peppery undertone, but very faint. Perhaps from the benzoin.

On skin, Infusion d'Iris is even more rich in mandarin, which I really like. It gives it a light hearted freshness. After dry down, the mandarin fizzles away, but the scent isn't as powdery and thick as it was on paper. I find it quite difficult to describe. It is powdery, but also so many other things. I would give it a "freshly washed linen" quality, but not as realistic and simple as in Clean fragrances. 

Months later, I am revisiting the fragrance, because I haven't finished my review and... I actually haven't worn it either. Infusion d'Iris is just not me and I have learned to let go. Gone are the days where the collection has to be as big as possible. I really only want to own fragrances that I love.

Goodbye Infusion d'Iris.

Vanilla Woods by The 7 Virtues

Let's finish how we started, with a vanilla. My hopes aren't high, though. The 7 Virtues discovery set has, unfortunately, made me disinterested in the house. I might jump hoops to try Cherry Ambitions, because I am in search of a good cherry fragrance, but I have gotten a feel of the DNA of the house and it is not for me. At all.

Vanilla Woods, alas, is not for me either. A zero percent success rate with The 7 Virtues discovery set! The fragrance opens very sweet, from the pear, and has a Royale Sugared Patchouli (one of the Kayali fragrance) vibe. During the dry down, Vanilla Woods changes a lot. The sweetness isn't as pungent and a cigarette bud note appears. I think it's here to stay. I don't get any rose or caramel, just a sweet vanilla flavored cigarette bud. Not smokey, no burning note either. But the scent of a bud laying on the pavement, fire out, a little diluted by yesterday's rain.

Lowd! I am NOT looking forward to trying it on myself.. And you know what?

I won't.

Coconut Sun by The 7 Virtues

We are nearing the end and if I had to say upfront how my experience with The 7 Virtues has been, it has definitely been a disappointment. None of the fragrances have made an impression on me, in all honesty, I think quite badly of The 7 Virtues now. Synthetic, cloying, flat... Something just isn't right. You might as well get nicer scents from the Yves Rocher body mists or The Body Shop.

I am, however, oh so hopeful that Coconut Sun and Vanilla Woods will redeem the house of The 7 Virtues.

Coconut Sun promises something milky, creamy and tropically yellow floral. I was imagining Ylang in Gold Nectare or Eau de Soleil Blanc. What I got was a soap bar version of those scents. Coconut Sun has a soapy, fresh note. Not particularly from the citrus note though. Coconut-wise, I do get coconut water instead of coconut milk. The scent is therefore not thick and milky, but light, somewhat fresh, but made tropical and summery by the frangipani and barely there sea salt. This gives me luxurious air-refreshener vibes. Luxurious, because the scent isn't cheap or synthetic enough to be a "Tropical Beach Getaway" candle slash air-refreshener.

In all fairness, Coconut Sun isn't that bad. I just think I have gotten bitter by the disappointing scents I have tried thus far and because Coconut Sun isn't blowing me away. I am giving it a hard time.

I left Coconut Sun last night not wanting to try it on myself. This morning, I am completely surprised how much this scent reminds me of a friend. I had to contact her and ask, if she has this perfume, because the scent is uncanny!

I'm putting off trying it on myself, why? Because I'm tired of smelling badly since testing the scents of The 7 Virtues...