Gruhme for Him EDT

It was quite by chance that I was offered the opportunity to try out Gruhme for Him, a new aftershave that I hadn’t ever heard of until a brief exchange over Twitter. When the lovely branded box arrived I was not only delighted with the size of the signature fragrance sample (a 100ml bottle) but also the fact that it oozes style and cool. 

Opening the box had that "wow" factor and as far as first impressions go, it was a thumbs up from me, but looks can be deceptive so it was seconds before I had this out of the box and sprayed all over. Now my first whiff of this triggered a whole host of feelings until I finally nailed what it reminded me of (you‘ll have to read further to find out what).

Rather than let first impressions cloud my recommendation I have been using this each day since receiving it bar yesterday when I started tested out a another aftershave. Over those weeks I’ve had the chance to not only get a real feel for the fragrance, but it has also allowed me to get the thoughts of friends and family to it. 

If you like how the fragrance sounds, and my recommendations hold any weight at all, then you can buy a bottle direct from the Gruhme website here.

So this, is what Gruhme say about their signature fragrance:

‘Sensual aromatic woody accord with top notes of juniper berry, organic black peppercorn, bergamot, lemon and lavender, a heart of patchouli and cedar, on a base of oakwood amber musks interlaced with traces of cumin, celery seed and petitgrain.

What is Petitgrain? Petitgrain oil is extracted from the leaves and green twigs of the bitter orange plant but was once extracted from its green unripe oranges, when they were still the size of cherries, hence the name Petitgrain or ‘little grains’. Petitgrain is believed by many to calm and soothe the mind, while relaxing the body, perfect for balancing our non-stop modern way of life.

The fragrance along with its packaging has been designed and made in the UK.’

The notes to Gruhme for Him are outlined in the marketing blurb above so I won‘t be repeating them here, instead I‘m going to plough straight into how it smells, how long it lasts and whether it had the effect of attracting or repulsing those close to me when wearing it.

When I first applied this I thought it had an identical hit on the nose with a sharp yet light citrus of the lemon as Acqua di Parma does with it‘s orange citrus, but it almost immediately changed and became heavier and reminded me of the new Sanctum Soho fragrance as the peppercorn and lavender provided extra body. It was light and then so much heavier in almost an instant. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement, and understated this fragrance is as it ticks every box.

Within fifteen minutes the heart notes of patchouli really calm this down and the fragrance oozes masculine as the base of musks provide warmth to this lovely aftershave. That warmth evolves ever so slightly to provide a hint of spice after a few hours leaving one hell of an amazing aroma.

Despite having a heavy base of alcohol this aftershave doesn’t dry out my face or neck, and in terms of lasting power it kicks the aforementioned Acqua di Parma into the long grass. Perfect for daywear and social occasions I have found that both I and those around me can still smell this (and love it) over ten hours later. Whereas other fade into the skin this stays strong and suits my skin perfectly.

At just £35 for a 100ml bottle I can’t recommend this enough. It goes ooze class and will make you stand out in a crowd. I have been raving about this since I received it and will continue to do so. It’s an exceptional fragrance with a value for money edge that sets it above the rest. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED   

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Acqua Di Parma Eau De Cologne

Another trip to Manchester, another funeral but it wasn't all doom and gloom, a lovely evening out with my Aunt really put me in the Italian mood (Puccini's in Swinton opposite the Town Hall is amazing). A brief shopping trip on the Sunday meant shopping in Harvey Nicols and in turn, me making a beeline for the aftershave section.

Acqua Di Parma was an aftershave I had wanted to try since February of last year after someone on Reddit mentioned in passing that it was their favourite and gave me a run down on the notes.

Fast forward ten months and as soon as I saw a bottle I knew I had to give it a whirl. The fact that I spent ten minutes talking notes with the gentleman with the tester says a lot about my obsession with all things fragrant. Needless to say, one whiff and I was hooked. £53 was parted with for a 50ml bottle.

Marketed as a timeless, refined Eau De Cologne, which is still created in the same traditional method and with the same original composition since it's creation in 1916. The smooth notes of Silician citrus reveal a rich heart of blooming rose and refreshing lavender, the precious woods offer warm base notes to this harmony of more than ten natural ingredients.

A delicate, fresh and elegant Eau de Cologne that embodies the Acqua De Parma brand.

Now my personal favourites in the cologne and aftershave stakes tend to err on the citrus side, with a few exceptions where they have rich and light top notes that dry down to a warm and earthy aroma. Given the patter coming from the salesman I thought to myself that this would be a perfect fit for me and my skin type.

First impressions in Harvey Nicols were that this baby comprised simply all of the citrus zest top notes on earth and they were very strong, really strong, yes it may initially come across as it leaves the bottle that you have just paid £53 for a bottle of orange rinds blended with lemon zest but almost instantaneously it hits the heart notes and within minutes the entire blend has dried down

As it dries down for around thirty minutes you can pull out incredibly subtle hints of the citrus and lavender and it does get a little warmer on the nose as the dry down woody notes come through, but then nothing, nothing I tells ya.

An old favourite of Cary Grant and Ava Gardner (the salesman had every fact in his arsenal) this is indeed a timeless classic with a wonderful fragrance. Yes, I’m in love with the actual fragrance but this is wear it all goes a little bit pear shaped - the staying power. It has none to be blunt and that is a massive disappointment. Within thirty minutes of applying I asked for a second opinion while out and about to be greeted with “are you wearing any aftershave?”. Not good, not good at all.

Still the same some 98 years on the mantra 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' really doesn’t work here. It needs tweaking so that it simply lasts longer on the skin and is more noticeable ten minutes after applying it. At £53 for a 50ml bottle I expect it to still be wafting around hours after application.

Putting all of my cards on the table I love the fragrance for the first half an hour but then boom, a reapplication is needed and taking the price into comparison this just doesn’t represent good value for money. Six to seven sprays and still no signs of the cologne after an hour. This is not good.

If you can afford to work through a bottle quickly then you probably won’t mind this but for me I expect some form of quality to go with the amazing fragrance and this is sadly lacking and therefore it is the first aftershave where I love the smell but can’t in all honesty recommend it. 

NOT RECOMMENDED

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