Affogatto

Someone is still making barbershop/ fougere fragrances and making them good! This is a true modern classic... simple, not many notes but with a timeless feel. Since I was talking about notes, here you have them: bergamot, lime, basil in the opening, thyme and carnation in the heart, vetiver, tonka and amber in the base. Odd enough, no woods, but the generous dose of vetiver makes up for it so you don't sense something missing. To my nose the most standing out note here is thyme which, by the way, grows spontaneously in my neighborhood and gives the fragrance a fresh, peppery and unexpected twist. Together with thyme, basil and vetiver provide a very green and aromatic experience. Tonka bean and amber in the base add to the seasonal versatility with some warmth that makes this scent suitable for year round. Finally, the notes are so realistic that I think top quality oils have been used. Things that I like: Versatility, quality of the ingredients, unbelievable price/quality ratio, that thyme. Things I don't like: Not really a con in my opinion, but someone could argue that the packaging is pretty basic. It is, actually, a no-frills cardboard box and a simple bottle... I like the simplicity (the atomizer works great btw) and imagine it contributes to the amazing price/quality ratio. This is a niche quality offering at an inexpensive designer price point. If you like your classic masculine scent I strongly recommend you give this a try!

I was both surprised and impressed with the scent. When they said this scent "evokes a library of leather bound books", they were not kidding. It literally smells a lot like leather. It's immediate. When on the skin, you later get the tones of vetiver with the leather. I don't smell anything remotely of black pepper, but I do get a spice note. The description seems a bit odd, but it's a clean scent. But you must like the smell of a high end leather to appreciate. The best I can describe it is that smell of a pair of really nice dress shoes kind of leather scent with a mix of vetiver and spice. I like it and it's growing on me the more I use it.