I’ve never reviewed a soap before but Vivid Gardenia “Perfume in a Soap” from Andy Tauer of Tauer Perfumes made me excited to venture into new territory.
Tauer Perfumes & Andy Tauer’s Vivid Gardenia soap. Photo: my own.
Jeke 2022 is an interesting creature. It’s nothing like the original Jeke but it’s also not the same fragrance from one wearing to another in terms of its development, the strength and unfurling of its notes, or the ways that various materials combine to create impressions of entirely separate materials. There are a whole list of recreated scents aromas that have me utterly confused, uncertain as to whether they are the result of the listed materials have exceedingly complex facets or whether they ensue from unlisted notes. For example, I have no explanation for the savory, culinary herbs that appear on my skin, nor for the profound impression of vetiver.
Further, as alluded to up above, Jeke 2022 is prismatic – never the exact same way twice in terms of its details or nuances – though its basic gist remains the same from one test to another. As a result, the format of this review will differ from my usual style.
Drying tobacco leaves. Source: offtrackplanet.com
Ore 2022 is not Ore 2009 or even the Ore circa 2013 that I tried – and that’s fascinating as a historical development for those of us who have followed Slumberhouse for years. The original (or 2nd version?) Ore was replete with pure Scotch whisky of the wonderful single-malt variety, infused with dry cocoa powder, butterscotch, smoky woods, dark resinous amber, peppermint, and a hint of green herbs. In fact, as I wrote back then: “It’s hard not to think about drinking when you wear Ore, a dry, woody, sweet, and virtually alcoholic fragrance that swirls about in a rich, unctuous, deep bouquet that can be compulsively sniffable at times.”
The new Ore of 2022 is a somewhat different creature on an olfactory basis. That’s not better or worse; it’s just different. As it turns out, however, Ore 2022 is just as enjoyable as its predecessor. I just don’t know whether die-hard Slumberhouse loyalists will feel the same way.
Source: Dreamstime.com
Amouage‘s new Renaissance Collection marks the beginning of a new era for the Omani brand; its most popular release, Crimson Rocks, is the subject of today’s review. One of four fragrances, Crimson Rocks eschews Amouage’s old system of having twin Man/Woman fragrances on the same theme. Instead, there are four new unisex fragrances, each with a different focus. Crimson Rock’s focus is a cinnamon-spiced, honeyed, slightly gourmand and very woody desert rose which eventually becomes a honeyed, spicy, rose-tinged woody amber.
Amouage Crimson Rocks via Amouage Official Twitter.