If I told you that you could pick up a hard-wearing and lovely smelling fragrance (and a 50ml bottle of it at that) for just £16 you would probably be calling for the men in white coats. No, I haven’t fallen for Old Spice (although a bottle of that is nearly £10). I have fallen for Ambre Noir by Yves Rocher.
Read on into my insanity....
When I was told by my other half (affectionately known as the ball & chain or Beautyqueenuk) that one of her PR contacts was going to send me an aftershave to sample from Yves Rocher my response was quite blunt (the expletives have been removed) - “who are Yves Rocher”.
Fast forward (weird flashback to my last job there) a couple weeks and a 50ml bottle of Ambre Noir popped through the letterbox. After looking for the aftershave online to do a bit of research and seeing that the same bottle could be picked up for £16 here my expectations were low - lower than a world champion limbo dancer in fact.
This is what the Yves Rocher folk have to say about Ambre Noir:
‘The intensity of dark woods, the sensuality of amber.
Assert your seductiveness with AMBRE NOIR, which combines the intense and woody character of patchouli and vetiver with the sensuality of tonka bean. At the heart of this fragrance, the subtlety of cedar and lavender accentuates its elegance.’
The main ingredients to Ambre Noir are botanically based: essential oils of patchouli, vetiver, bergamot, cardamom seed, mandarin, cedarwood, elemi and lavender, violet leaves and tonka bean absolutes.
First impressions were good, it was very light and fresh. To me, I was sure that the main top note was a light and very subtle lavender which blended with the mandarin to give a rather fruity citrus aroma (if you really do keep sniffing away you can pull out the sharpness of the mandarin just momentarily).
Within fifteen minutes the top notes die down yet the aftershave becomes sweeter on the nose - weird, but a good kind of weird. This sweetness remains for moments, less than five minutes.
At this stage, the amber and tonka beans blend beautifully. It’s almost a weird union of the warmth of the amber and the sweetness of the tonka bean. Without the amber this would probably have the same sweetness as Versace Eros, Joop or Valentino Uomo, instead it starts to dry down to a lovely warm reliable fragrance very much on a par with Fahrenheit by Dior.
As I have said, the fragrance on dry down has the warmth of Dior’s Fahrenheit, it has a depth of both spice and wood to make this probably a bit too earthy and masculine for me to wear out and about at night, but perfect for daywear on a regular basis. That depth and the dry down base keeps Ambre Noir sitting on the skin really well and for over ten hours which is always a plus.
At every stage of wearing this what I found was a series of ingredients that blended so well it was a pleasure to wear Ambre Noir, and I rarely say that. Take into account the excellent, and I mean astounding value for money and the lack of burn when applying after shaving then I can’t sing it’s praises enough. Top notch stuff - one does doth ones cap to the perfumer who came up with this baby (sorry, I think I added this line after a night out).
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Uomo by Valentino is the final purchase made on holiday this year and was a fragrance I had been dying to get my hands on since receiving a small tester earlier in the year.
While the tester was quite bland from a visual perspective the same cannot be said of the fragrance that to me comes across as completely unique - both in terms of the fragrance but also the blingtastic look of the bottle that is soooo cool.
At £91 for 100ml and £46 for a 50ml bottle this has to be put into the luxury aftershave category in my book. Had I seen the price before becoming completely hooked on the fragrance I probably would have backed away from it in the shop. Instead I just had to pick up a 50ml bottle and I haven't regretted it since.
My only previous experience of Valentino was forking out £200 for a shirt back in 1996 - yes, that long ago, wearing it once, loving it and then proceeding to spill kebab juice down it after a night out thoroughly ruining it forevermore.
Everything about the bottle oozes class, in fact put it in sunlight and you can marvel as it’s glass ridges reflect and refract light making it shine like some form of heavenly gift. OK, ok, a bit over the top but it is probably the best description you are going to get out of me!
Valentino market this with the stylish waffle you would expect from a leading fashion house, a sophisticated fragrance that is suppose to evoke thoughts of family lunch (what no beef and Yorkshire pudding notes) on the terrace of a Roman Palazzo with a series of notes that come from the dishes on the table. Hmmmm…..
The official notes to Uomo are:
- Head: Bergamot, Myrtle Liquor
- Heart: Crema Di Gianduia, Coffee
- Dry-down: White Leather, Cedar Wood
After removing the atomiser protector and giving this a few squirts the strength and sweetness are unleashed with aplomb. After a squirt there is no hiding from the fragrance and for me this is a good thing as it is instantly addictive.
While you can detect hints of bergamot, the liquor makes this incredibly sweet on the nose. The sweetness stays around for about 30 minutes steadily getting warmer and heavier as it starts to dry down. It actually becomes a little bit floral I find until it settles. I’d be lying if I said I knew what Crema Di Gianduia is or should smell like but it is obvious to my nose that this blended with the coffee provides depth to what could be a rival for Joop in the sweetness stakes.
It takes around an hour for the fragrance to really settle on the skin to a point where it doesn’t alter any further and boy you will be surprised by the results. It retains some sweetness but it stays subtle, the warmth really comes to the fore and the leather and cedar wood provide an earthy body and base to this wonderful fragrance that you will catch as you go about your day to day business.
While Uomo has a price tag to make you weep a little goes a long way and the strength makes this a fragrance where only a few squirts are needed to leave you smelling awesome all day long. I’ve had my bottle for two months and after fairly frequent use I am yet to have used a third of the bottle.
Perfect for daywear thanks to the hardwearing nature of the fragrance this is one that ticks every possible occasion be it special occasions, romantic nights out, nights down the pub or office wear. You can’t go wrong if you like strong yet sweet fragrances. Still being evident after 10 hours you would be foolish to dismiss Uomo and negligent not to give it at least a good solid sniff at the aftershave counter.
Try it, you will like it.
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Aftershave finds its way into my collection in a number of ways - PR companies send me samples, I buy some or they arrive from the other half in an attempt to cheer me up. In the case of Eros by Versace I had just been foiled in an attempt to have a go in a dune buggy while on holiday.
To avoid the risk of me tripping over my bottom lip we stepped into a perfume store and I left loaded down like a pack donkey but with a huge smile on my face.
After testing everything in the store, and I mean everything I had nailed it down to four that I really wanted.
What was surprising was that I fell head of heels in love with the new fragrance from Karl Lagerfield but chose not to buy it, instead opting for Eros, the subject of today’s post a bottle of Uomo by Valentino.
I had seen the bottle to Eros in the past and thought “not for me” and gone on to instantly forget about it. My favourite Versace fragrance had always been Dreamer and that was what I was looking for without success.
One glance at the notes to Eros however and I couldn’t wait to give it a blast, hey I even started to like the dark blue frosted bottle with bling-tastic Versace emblem on the cap.
The marketing blurb to Eros as outlined by Versace is:
‘Love, Passion, Beauty and Desire: these are the key concepts of the men’s fragrance by Versace. Eros, God of Love, able to make people fall in love with his bow and arrow. A luminous aura with an intense, vibrant and glowing freshness obtained from the combination of mint leaves, Italian lemon zest and green apple.
An addictive sensuality delivered by oriental, intriguing and enveloping notes like Tonka beans, Ambroxan (amber), Geranium flower and vanilla.
A racy virility symbolised by woods such as cedarwood from Atlas and Virginia, vetyver and oak moss, providing intensity and power.’
The official notes are:
- Head: Tonka Bean, Ambraxan, Geranium Flower
- Heart: Mint, Lemon, Apple
- Dry-down: Vanilla, Vetyver, Oak Moss, Cedarwood
As a fairly new fragrance on the market (it was launched in 2013) I had moderate expectations but was immediately blown away, so much so that Eros now sits as one of my favourite aftershaves, bumping old favourites like Acqua di Gio out of contention.
So, does it live up the marketing blurb and what does it actually smell like I hear you demand?
In short, yes it does and I love it.
The head notes of Tonka bean combined with hints of Geranium explodes out of the bottle and has an immense strength and depth which I found quite heavy on my nose, not because it is earthy, but just so evident - it is so sweet that I was actually scratching around to see if there was anything being used in the ingredients to do this artificially. There isn’t. The Tonka bean smashes out light hints of vanilla and it becomes lighter and lighter the longer it stays on.
After the initial head notes the citrus and fruity elements of the heart notes shone through making what was on first application a rather heavy fragrance so light and fresh. The apple is to thank for this but it blend with subtler notes of mint beautifully.
After about an hour the head and heart notes dry down, but rather than leaving the top notes to be dominated by the dry down they remain and flawlessly blend. Yes, vanilla becomes more evident as the Tonka bean and vanilla mix but it becomes much warmer as the oak moss provides depth.
At £46 for a 50ml bottle and just a few squirts from the atomiser to keep this lingering on and around you for well over 10 hours then this represents an aftershave excellent value for money. Throw into the mix that people around you both male and female will love it and actually enquire as to what you are wearing then you have the perfect mix of an aftershave that sits head and shoulders above the rest.
Perfect for daywear, special occasions and those romantic nights out I promise you that this would make an excellent addition to any collection either for yourself or as a gift for a loved one.
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After nearly a month I’m back - I’m not sure if it was a lack of energy or just the fact that I’m simply overwhelmed with the sheer volume of things I have to write about. Needless to say, let’s ease back into this gently and by casting my thoughts on an old school favourite of mine.
Fahrenheit by Dior is one of those staple aftershaves, it stems from a period in my life when I had a job that allowed everything I wore to be made by Dior, Valentino or YSL.
Christian Dior oozed class to a younger, less wiser Stephen, although I have to say their shirts still scream quality and to this day retain an air of distinction.
The packaging is very dull. If I was out shopping, the packaging and the bottle itself would probably put me off trying this at all. The bottle comes wrapped in burnt red box and the bottle bears the same colouring.
The notes to Fahrenheit state that this is a warm sensual fragrance with hints of hawthorn, honeysuckle, sandalwood, cedar and patchouli (whatever that is).
After applying the product I found the smell to be very warm with an earthy and strong woody overtone.
As the smell stayed on my skin it changed becoming a distinctive honeysuckle smell that was delightful, it lightens and becomes softer but you are never far away from the warmth striking your nostrils.
I always find that aftershaves that suit me aren't noticeable after being applied. This basically means I can't smell it. Fahrenheit, after about an hour is one of those fragrances and only a tiny amount was required for good coverage.
Although this is marketed as a sensual fragrance I wouldn't say that it's one of those aftershaves that will make heads turn (not unless you put too much on) in the street but it is very pleasant.
Personally I wear this fragrance to work. If you're looking for a "pulling fragrance" and if you pardon the pun, it won't have temperatures rising. For that, you are much better off trying Joop or CK Truth, they have softer notes that leave a far sweeter smell fragrance after time.
In my opinion this is an aftershave for a man‘s man, but it's not one of those smells you'd prefer on a night out. OK for daywear, left on the dresser for big nights out.
Despite that, it is a quality product and you can do a lot worse.
Fahrenheit can be purchased in 30mls, 50mls and 100ml bottles. A 50ml bottle will set you back £17.99. At that price it represents excellent value for money and is well worth a look.
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.JPG "Valentino Uomo")
.JPG "Valentino Uomo")
