Hard Candy

I was getting bored and thinking of stopping buying anything for a while until i found this! I absolutely love this fragrance and i am so thankful to those who tried the previous versions and begged Aaron not to discontinue this when he was talking about actually doing so. I also have to thank Aaron for not only listening to his fans unlike so many designer houses do when they reformulate or just discontinue their most popular fragrances to replace their best flankers with something subpar, but also thank him for actually listening and on top of that going and making the fragrance perform better and upping the concentration to an Extrait De Parfum! What more can you ask from a perfumer? So this is the 2023 version of Hard Candy i own. When i heard he had done this i knew this was a perfumer i had to take seriously and try out his fragrances ASAP and after talking to someone about strawberries recently in fragrances, i was looking for a fragrance with that note in it and of course came across Hard Candy, and here it is in the mid, great i thought! I love this fragrance. It only arrived yesterday evening at about 8pm and from the time i sprayed it on until the time i went to bed i just could not stop smelling myself. You would think looking at the notes this wouldn't be wearable in summer but this is easily wearable all year round. I am guessing the Elixir will be more of a winter setting version, i could be wrong. I also got 2 samples, Legend 2023 which is a blue fragrance very close to Luna Rosa Carbon and Sauvage but with what i could recognize was Aarons own twist after i had smelled the other 2 fragrances i have of his. What intrigued me more though was a sample labelled "Autumn Release" which really has me excited. I am sure that is the working title and it will have a full release name when it comes out. After 9 months of winter weather which is not normal, even here in Scotland never have i been so excited to get to Autumn before when the weather is rubbish here, but i am so excited about this Autumn fragrance coming out! What i love about his fragrances is they are absolutely high quality, and he makes it available to us all because he has his 50ml bottles and 10ml bottles at very good prices, so we can all have a taste of the niche level fragrances he produces himself. Yes, most of you probably know this but for those that don't Aaron has a YouTube channel reviewing other houses fragrances, but he is first a perfumer then a reviewer. He creates them himself, and he creates them so that he can wear them himself also, so you know he is going to be intent on making the best product possible, hence the new 2023 improved versions. Honestly i feel invigorated and so excited with just these three alone. i am definitely buying more and this is just after i recently got my first 4 Xerjoff fragrances that i am more intent on buying more of Aaron's fragrances first, that should tell you something! If you have not tried Aaron's fragrances, trust me now is the time to with the upgraded formulations and at the prices he makes them available to us all, especially the 10ml bottles at roughly £15-£35 there is no reason not to try them. This is a new favourite house for me, just nudging out Lorenzo Pazzaglia from 1st to the No.2 spot. They are both great, but i feel so excited with what i have smelled from Aaron so far and it has been a while since a fragrance made me feel this way hence me leaving a review which i hope you can feel my excitement from which is hard because words written can only go so far and is why i urge you to try the fragrances for yourself to experience it on your own. The reviewer below me is spot on and is exactly how i feel. Remember when reading some of the older reviews that some will be from his older version and possibly his Elixir which i am sure will be just as great! Scent 10/10 Sillage 10/10 Longevity 7.5/10 Price 10/10

This is the first time I have been compelled to write a review here, so please bear with me as your subjective experience may vary from mine. ATH seems to be a divisive figure in the fragrance community, but I cannot deny that he is a talented reviewer who is improving at perfumery as well. I am rooting for him. First of all, I think this is a beautiful fragrance, and one of ATH’s best from what I have sampled. The opening and top notes seemed a little synthetic to me and gave me Layton opening vibes but soon the fragrance transformed into, as the name implies, a trip to the candy shop with the general smell and atmosphere of the inside. In that respect, I do not believe it just comes off as a hard candy, rather, it’s an amalgamation of all the flavors and variants of sweets you could find inside, therefore I believe it is blended quite well. As with most of ATH’s fragrances it lasts a very long time on skin. The rest of this review applies to Hard Candy Elixir, as I believe that is the true masterpiece here. Hard Candy Elixir is even better because it evolves seamlessly into a darker, chocolatey, almost Nutella-like vibe (this may be the smooth oud coming into play, although it remains a tame background player!). The REAL (ethical) ambergris and amber in Hard Candy Elixir give it a divine, addictive, and sensual quality. This may not resonate with others, but hours after I applied the fragrance the vanilla, tonka, and amber harmonized in a very similar way to Grand Soir, which makes complete sense to me as ATH rated Grand Soir as a 10/10 classic sweet French scent, albeit linear. I personally love the way this scent evolves compared to Grand Soir. The fact that the scent transforms into this over many hours is incredibly impressive to me and shows me that Aaron has immensely improved his talents.

This is a really great fragrance that performs very, VERY well and is a mix of familiar, mass-appealing elements with some added twists making it a unique experience. Namely the strawberry, which is a note I've been seeking for a while - a strawberry heavy fragrance that is unisex-leaning masculine and actually sticks around and is more than a fleeting top note. Check and check. As for sillage and projection - projects STRONGLY in the opening 2-3 hours, and the sillage doesn't just trail behind you but lingers in the atmosphere you've just left. So, 2-3 hours of strong projection, and then it becomes moderate, but stays moderate for the next 3-4 hours, so in total, you get about 6+ solid hours of, at the very least, moderate projection and sillage, which is really, really good. From there it begins to rein in and becomes more than a skin scent - more of a scent that someone directly next to you will absolutely pick up. That's between hour 6-8. From there, skin scent, but completely detectable and not faint. Fantastic. The seasons voted are pretty accurate, and it is absolutely a casual, fun fragrance that would do well outdoors and, with a few less sprays, incredible indoors. Not work, unless work is very chill and non-corporate, but outside of that, its a fragrance that you'll enjoy wearing a lot. For me, Le Male Le Parfum smells incredible, but as a guy in his 30s I've smelled it in the vicinity of too many people nearly half my age. Wear what you like, but I don't ever want to smell like a teenager haha. Hard Candy came through and gave me that energy but with such a clear distinction that it makes a fragrance like LMLP obsolete. 9/10, only because it can be hard to get, and is maybe just a tad overpriced, but not by much.

This is unlike anything I've ever smelled in my life. Smells like Starburst candy and electricity (or something like it) that gives it lift and brightness. It crackles. I'll have to test it properly and come back. I like it a lot, hopefully it won't give me a headache. Edit: I think my husband may have ruined it for me by saying it smells like another cologne. Don't read this if u don't want it to happen to you too. I hate when this happens, someone says a fragrance smells like something I didn't notice before and then I pick it up too. He said it smells like Drakar Noir and now... I can't unsmell it. Every time I wear this he either asks why I'm wearing cologne or Drakar. I'll try to get other people's opinions. It is very long lasting but more importantly it projects like 6 feet. This stuff pushes unlike anything else and I have middle eastern fragrances, BR540, Tiziana Terenzi, V Canto, Xerjoff etc.

Amazing. Fresh, sweet & candy-like. First few sprays out of my bottle were very weak smelling and uninteresting so my original opinion was that it was just a bit “meh” but after a few days it now smells much stronger and I can tell that theres a lot more going on. Great citrusy and fresh opening which then becomes more fruity and sweet from the strawberry & vanilla and then settles down with a very smooth oud. This stuff is very mass appealing and performs very well with strong longevity and sillage. It will work in any season and most occasions, probably excluding high heat due to the sweetness. I think it’s worth the price (£125 for 50ml or £25 for 10ml here in the UK). Once my 10ml is empty i’ll most likely purchase a 50ml which as a bonus seems to have a much better atomiser and nicer cap.

Sweet and dirty! YES!!! Has a hint of Layton but sweeter....and a smidge of that "vicks" thing Layton has going on but much more palatable and is only in the top notes. I pick up candy, pear, lavender, mint, cardamom, tonka, and oud. As it dries down, it's dirty candy....so good!!! Yes, it should have been called Dirty Candy! It's extremely playful and can wear just about anywhere. Please spray with caution because it does project like a beast upon first spray. Like most ATH frags, it lasts an eternity. I've sprayed at 6am out of the shower and catch wafts in my car on the way home from work at 4pm. It also clings to clothes so be careful. I think this is one of his better releases to date, IMO. It checks a lot of my boxes when I want my fragrance to be noticed. Cheers!

I get why people think of candy - but I don't really agree that this, overall, is a sweet candy store Willy Wonka happy toot toot scent – I feel like the oud, which is cleverly placed in the back, hiding behind the mint (it took a while before I spotted it) like a quiet, brown earthy grandpa covered in a suit made of candy, makes it more of a boozy, brown, deliciously sweet gourmand scent rather than a party candy dancing scent. I get mint, mandarin, honey and vanilla in the opening, with grandpa oud sitting by them, while they play. Pretty soon patchouli arrives and stabilizes it, and those are the notes I can clearly tell. An amazing, unique, scent. Lasts for 24 hours, projects for 15 hours.

I have this sitting by my desk smelling it all day, it's so addicting.. I think it's a lot more versatile than I was expecting, you could wear this year round as your going out scent at night. performance is incredible, the minimum sprays you need make the 50ml bottle not get ran through. I got a compliment from a stranger the first time I wore this, which is pretty rare. I prefer this over the elixir too. I think the elixir's opening might be better, but in my experience it sits a lot closer to the skin and turns into more of a gourmande overtime. Hard Candy projects off my skin very well. The og is just a perfect blend of fresh and sweet that makes it a lot more versatile. 10/10 fragrance

Women love this scent, every woman I encountered said I smell good, yummy or sexy. This fragrance is very sweet but not obnoxiously sweet and yes I get a Layton or Ultramale vibes from this if I had to compare it to something, but to be clear, Hard Candy is not a clone it's definitely its own thing. It's pricy, sells out quick and is mostly only known by those in the fragrance community... But it's good if you're lucky enough to buy it when it's available. It projects, performs and has the quality of a niche fragrance. Strong magnetic cap, pressurize atomizer, good weight to the bottle. The quality is all there and you get your money's worth.

I love this scent everytime I wear it I feel like I pick up on a new candy note. 🍬 Imagine smelling like a sophisticated bag of Halloween candy, leaving an hier of class in your wake, it really smells great, it's a fun scent to wear and seriously reminds me of shoving my face into bag of Halloween candy when I was a kid. But done in a way that you wear it with dignity as an adult. (Wife actually thought I was wearing Layton or side effect at one time.) I wasn't but I can actually see why she thought that, as it shares some of the mild nuances of the others mentioned. 😂 enjoy this fragrance, it's fun to wear.

This is really strong, beast mode and a delicious fragrance. However.....it genuinely is just a niche Ultra Male. This is to Ultra Male, what PDM Percival is to AF Fierce. I love it regardless and would prefer it over ultra male since I really enjoy the oud and strawberry touch, but if the price is a problem for you, you will do just fine with ultra male and won't be missing out on too much. I however, much prefer Percival to Fierce and here I much prefer Hard Candy to Ultra Male. Amazing work here by Aaron, will be copping the elixir too for sure.

Sometimes I go a while without wearing this and forget how good it is. It’s so incredibly alluring and enjoyable to wear. The perfect amount of sweetness that satisfies my sweet tooth without being cloying or over the top. The subtle mint and oud brings a nice contrast to the sweetness and makes for a great scent for almost any occasion. One of my favourite aspects of ATH frags is that performance is never an issue. 3 sprays and you’re good to go for the day or night, either one since this stuff is so versatile. Absolute belter of a frag 👌

Soft, sweet, versatile, unisex. The drydown is a bit vanillic and infused with strawberry Starburst candies on top of a light oud that is so smooth it resembles whipped chocolate. A dollop of nutmeg and honey round out the blend masterfully. It's fun, sexy sweet and performs well like all ATH fragrances do. This is a must have! Also, there is absolutely nothing about this fragrance that resembles layton. NOTHING! Drakkar either! For those who said so, turn in your frag card, you're fired

I have no idea how he did this... it's exactly the smell of hard candy from a candy shop in a small town or something. It's fairly linear to me and really lovely. Not harsh at any point. It's lasted 20 hours so far and is a skin scent but I wouldn't be surprised if I can still faintly smell it tonight. The oud is not dirty at all which is good for me. This fragrance isn't one I'd wear a lot, but it's very well put together and very unique and performance is crazy. The name is perfect.

Reminds me of Le Male Le Parfum or Layton. Has that aromatic green vanilla opening mixed with a fruit note, in this case strawberry. The patchouli and oud take this from being a bright happy sweet fragrance to the darker side. Just the right amounts to please most without becoming too fecal or earthy. Overall it is quite alluring and seductive scent. Performance is stellar with great projection and longevity with two sprays. While the price is high you still get your money's worth.

Fantastic fragrance and unbelievable projection and longevity, much like all Aaron’s formulations. Opening starts with a blast or beautiful bright citrus that stimulates the senses. After which, the middle notes start coming in which which consists of a beautiful vanilla accompanied by nutmeg and strawberry. All the while this amazing sweet Oud is present throughout the wear. Aaron just knows how to create things that are different and things that last. Easily worth the buy IMO.

When you find a fragrance that reminds you why you got into this game, you know it's special. Starts off with the oranges blended well with a very subtle mint note that gives the candy vibe. Eventually it turns gourmand, the honey I'm assuming helps with that. I get the strawberry, the pineapple. This is amazing. Insane longevity, projection. Definitely the best purchase I've made all year. This performs as well as amouage interlude man on my skin. Try it. Blind buy worthy 💯

Masterpiece fragrance, my favorite in my small collection. Aaron did something incredible with this fragrance, the clean-skin accord that his brand is known for blended with the smoothest oud you'll ever smell and a unique strawberry note make this an easy 10/10 for me. Highly recommend, part of my 5 for life. Very versatile, works all seasons day and night, although could be too much during a very hot & humid summer day. Other than that, perfect versatility.

Absolute masterpiece! In that Le Male family but has it's own DNA. Fresh citrusy opening, that quickly goes over to a masculine fruity tonka mid. After a while, the Oud and Sandalwood takes over. Someone else here wrote that the oud smells like whipped chocolate, and I couldn't agree more. It's such a beautiful scent that evolves during the hours and is never boring. If you would like to have one fragrance for everything, you should consider Hard Candy.

I love this stuff, but it was $50 for a 10ml so I'm have guilt each time I spray the damn thing 😭 Its super sweet, aromatic, and strawberry forward in the opening. I mainly get a strawberry, vanilla, and woods note with something aromatic in the background. It lasts easily 12 hours and I let my girlfriend put it on and she used two sprays; I could smell it from 10 feet away outside on a windy day. 8.6/10