by Mark
A frequent accusation against "Big Perfume" is that new fragrances are tested, calibrated and re-tested in order to insure the "safest" launch possible, with the result that each year, dozens of bland, inoffensive, generically pleasant scents that smell a lot alike appear in their massed rows in the Sephoras and Macy's of the world.
My first impression of Ferré for Men was that it was of this ilk; another fresh, clean, pleasant and vaguely masculine - but not too masculine - fragrance. I impatiently handed back the paper strip to the SA and said "I don't like fresh, clean scents" which effectively backed her off, looking offended.
The second time I smelled it, the unusual pineapple note caught my attention, though it seemed more to me like a very ripe, sweet honeydew melon.
Ferré for Men goes on smelling like a fruit salad in a leather bowl. It is a light leather, maybe like kidskin gloves. The effect is somewhat acrobatic; the pineapple zooms in and out, and the fragrance seems to be saying "look at me! look at me!" After a short time, things get very powdery, and the powder and pineapple modulate and demodulate in intensity.
The aerial show ends after awhile, and the oakmoss and sandalwood sit at the heads of the table, surrounded by muted floral notes.
The drydown is similarly muted; vetiver and patchouly dominate, with the amber and vanilla somewhat down in the mix. Longevity is moderate.
Ferré's description of the scent on their web site states, in florid prose, that the scent is built around the "distinctly mannish" Black Iris Flower. This smells like marketing to me, but their classification of the fragrance as Woody Powdery is as good a description as any; the list of ingredients contains everything but the kitchen sink, and at different times the scent comes off as leather, powder, fruit bowl and chypre. The accusation that the scent tries to be all things to all people fails for two reasons; one, it is a surprisingly harmonious blend of a long list of ingredients, and two, the rogue pineapple rolls around the deck like a loose cannon, and keeps everything from being too perfect or too squared away to be interesting.
My first impression of Ferré for Men was that it was of this ilk; another fresh, clean, pleasant and vaguely masculine - but not too masculine - fragrance. I impatiently handed back the paper strip to the SA and said "I don't like fresh, clean scents" which effectively backed her off, looking offended.
The second time I smelled it, the unusual pineapple note caught my attention, though it seemed more to me like a very ripe, sweet honeydew melon.
Ferré for Men goes on smelling like a fruit salad in a leather bowl. It is a light leather, maybe like kidskin gloves. The effect is somewhat acrobatic; the pineapple zooms in and out, and the fragrance seems to be saying "look at me! look at me!" After a short time, things get very powdery, and the powder and pineapple modulate and demodulate in intensity.
The aerial show ends after awhile, and the oakmoss and sandalwood sit at the heads of the table, surrounded by muted floral notes.
The drydown is similarly muted; vetiver and patchouly dominate, with the amber and vanilla somewhat down in the mix. Longevity is moderate.
Ferré's description of the scent on their web site states, in florid prose, that the scent is built around the "distinctly mannish" Black Iris Flower. This smells like marketing to me, but their classification of the fragrance as Woody Powdery is as good a description as any; the list of ingredients contains everything but the kitchen sink, and at different times the scent comes off as leather, powder, fruit bowl and chypre. The accusation that the scent tries to be all things to all people fails for two reasons; one, it is a surprisingly harmonious blend of a long list of ingredients, and two, the rogue pineapple rolls around the deck like a loose cannon, and keeps everything from being too perfect or too squared away to be interesting.
Perfumer: Pierre Bourdon
Year: 2007
Notes: Bergamot, Pineapple, Lavender, Iris Leaves; Black Iris Flower, Rose, Geranium, Egyptian Jasmine, Orange Blossom; Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk, Patchouly, Oakmoss, Tonka Beans, Amber, Vanilla.
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