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Notes -
I finally finished going through my fragrance samples. The previous part is here.
Histoires de Parfums 1899 Hemingway, 0. Very nice, out of all Equus alternatives this one has the most personality. But there's a certain underlying note that I am not a fan of.
Celine Reptile, +1. It's a puzzling fragrance. I don't recognize any of the notes enumerated on Fragrantica, I can't form any associations with the scent, but it's very pleasant in a mature way.
Miller et Bertaux Oh, ooOoh ...oh, 0. Pleasant, but not better than any other citrus+wood fragrances I've tried.
Hermes Hermessence Vetiver Tonka, 0. Smells like ISO E Super. I like it, but not at this price point.
Christian Dior Sauvage Elixir, +1. If you told me it was an Initio Parfums Prives fragrance, I would totally believe you. It's as monumental as Side Effect or Narcotic Delight: a warm, sweet, spicy beast of a scent that fills the room.
L'Artisan Fou d'Absinthe, +1. A sweet herbal scent. At first I didn't think much of it, but kept sensing it over the day and wondering what this nice smell was.
Gucci Guilty Cologne pour Homme, 0. Pleasant. Boring.
Carolina Herrera Mystery Tobacco, +1. Sweet tobacco. It probably was more interesting back in 2015, but in 2026 similar stuff from Quentin Bisch is literally everywhere. I don't see why I should pick this over Sauvage Elixir or anything by Initio.
Etat Libre d' Orange Fat Electrician, 0. I don't get the sweet lactonic note that they promised, but a lot of Iso E Super. Like I said, I like it, but not at this price.
Bon Parfumeur 601 vetiver, cedar, bergamot, 0. You get exactly what it says on the label. Sweet, but not as sweet as Td'H. Nice, but already have enough stuff that fits into this niche. It's still nice, so when all my tiny testers are gone, I might get this one and not, say, Escentric 03.
Orto Parisi Viride, +1. Nice, but similar to Fou d'Absinthe. No need to get both, unless you're a big fan of bittersweet herbs.
Final thoughts
Will I buy another full-sized bottle after Equus? Not really. Issey Miyake L'Eau Bleue d'Issey Pour Homme is very tempting, but I already have Terre d'Hermes Eau Givree, and I don't need another fresher. It's inexpensive, but I don't want to turn into a collector.
I might build a small collection of special occasion decants, though:
My only complaint is that it's too hot to wear Equus right now.
Someone once asked if I was a mechanic because I smelled like "motor oil" and then he corrected himself and said I smelled like "Gucci Guilty pour Homme." I bought a sample and it smells good to me.
This was my go to in college. I still love it, very sexy to me.
Antaeus is good, slightly dated to my nose. I had an Antaeus stick deodorant I bought in France and it was very nice. I love Chanel's Le Lion but it is crazy and strong and too much can make me slightly nauseous after having drowned myself in it a few too many times.
I took a single look at its notes and noped the fuck out. No labdanum for me.
Oh really? I have a whole bottle of labdanum oil, I love it. What do you dislike about it?
The smell. To me it smells like a nasty bacterial infection.
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