By Thomas
Maybe it’s the Lenten season, maybe it’s the purple juice, maybe I’m just a little bit biased, but when I saw the new release from Sean John Puffy Combs, two words ran through my head: CRUCIFY HIM!!!!
…ahem…
For all the flanker scents and re-hashes that crowd the retail shelves, I was convinced that Sean John Puffy Combs’ latest scent would be called Unforgivable Triple Black, or some variation thereof. Seeing the name I Am King was a refreshing relief, to see him strike out in a new direction, at least as far as names go.
The name on the bottle sets my inner grammarian’s teeth on edge, but the scent inside is better than I expected. The scent, too strikes a new direction. The opening is…quiet, an interesting contrast to the bold name. It’s also rather good, at the opening, with a sense of quiet repose – juicy fruits, berry notes, and some light florals. But…do you want to know what it really smells like? To me? I Am King smells like iris mixed with grape kool-aid. The effect: not bad. Kind of a faux-naif thing going on.
Not much changes for a while – the balance shifts slightly toward the florals, but after four hours, the red berry note comes up, not quite raspberry, not quite strawberry, and some lightly musky woods come around to give some needed weight to it all (but not enough), but the berries dominate. It’s teeters on the edge of Bath & Body Works, with just enough presence, complexity, and discretion to avoid that comparison.
By lunchtime, it’s all over – only a light trace remains. The king is gone, but he hasn’t overstayed his welcome – it’s a good scent, but with a shortish longevity and very little throw, I’m not bowled over. Better than I’d expected, and a step in the right direction for Sean John.
Year: 2008
Notes: Tangerine Zest, Orange, Cranberry, French Berry, Key Lime Pie, Lemon Creme, Labdanum, Cedarwood, Vetiver, White Moss, Sandalwood
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