Ultimate

To start with the packaging is pure class. My 50 ml. bottle looks and feels like a chunky piece of clear crystal. The textured chrome cap snaps snugly in place giving it an overall feel of quality. All of this showcases the color of the juice. But packaging means nothing if it doesn't perform. Prominent opening notes are pink pepper with some cedar woodiness in the background. In fact pink pepper is present throughout the dry down. About 30 minutes after I applied it, I went outside to scrape ice off my windshield in -2 degree weather. Despite the cold and my thick clothing the warm citrusy notes of orange and bergamot began to emerge along with the pink pepper. Finally after 45 mins or more subtle florals joined in with buckets full of woody cedar notes and amber. If you want to stand out from the pack in a subdued but refined way this might be the frag for you. It is very different from the current wave of fresh and fruity, slightly unisex fragrances. I don't see how most young teens to 30 could pull this off. On top of that the ISO e super gives it an ethereal quality that reminds me of a Terre D'Hermes feel in this fragrance. I cannot wear Terre D'Hermes because I'm relatively anosmic to whatever is in it. But Ultimate works for me despite the iso super. It gives seemingly infinite amounts of pink pepper and cedar shavings mixed with amber that come and go for a good 6-7 hours. It is not a beast mode fragrance. But the dry peppery, woody notes are with you in a restrained but continuous supply. Final thoughts? Uniqueness: 10/10 No one will mistake you for any one else. Value: 10/10 Fantastic! 50 ml. with 100 ml shower gel for 25 dollars at a discounter Seasons: 9/10 I could imagine wearing this possibly all year round with the exception of hot Summer days. Age: Not a boys fragrance. The dry woody notes will appeal to an more adult nose/ possibly 30 and up. But definitely not an old man's fragrance. Performance: 9/10 A good 7 hours with decent projection. After that a skin scent for 4-5 more hours. Sillage: ? Hard to say in this current corona world. Versatility: 9/10 All but the most casual of settings. Would not work with shots and a t-shirt I would make this one of my top 5 frags. If the cedar wasn't as strong I might give it a higher ranking The various notes were all blended in a such a way that made the whole composition a thing of beauty.

update. So i finally get to wear this on a nice cool northeast day. This thing blew my mind as I was hoping. I'm still looking for the leather, but what i noticed after an hour or so was a wonderful vetiver-like note. It's not listed as having vetiver, so all i can think is the citrus in this blended with the other stuff just gives you that warmth. I also noticed a strong similarity to the dry down on Laligue's Hommage al'homme Voyage. Lalique's strong patch openning slowly gives way to a nice mellow vetiver. Not as prominent as the scent on Ultimate, which stays very linear in my opinion. Tut the similarity was uncanny. It's perhaps the only thing I don't like here. I don't like fragrances too similar to others in the collection. Nonetheless, Ultimate is a definite keeper and I'm glad i got it. Another big plus (compared to my other Baldessarini fragrances) is longevity. This one has a long life. Projects very well and long after initial application the skin scent is beautiful. So if you can find it, go for it. Cheers. lovely spicy kick to get your attention from the start. mellows down fairly quickly...very few minutes!! The patch is prominent from the very beginning without being overpowering. It's well rounded off by the florals in the mix. This is a very masculine fragrance that feels quite different from other Baldessarini offerings. Sadly I'm waiting and looking for the leather note...seems to have gone MIA. Great fragrance and finally available at reasonable prices if you look around. This one should make for a great cool weather scent, so enjoy. I know I intend to. Cheers!

SPICY-SLIGHTLY SWEET-AMBERY-EARTHY-SMOKEY Superb fragrance (especially for the price). Spicy-Slightly Sweet w/ pink pepper-amber-sweetness which makes it not too dry, i've read reviews which detect a "cola" accord and i do as well, has a slight syrupy-like sweetness it's faint though, the spice is more bolder than the sweetness; The opening is strong, mandarin + slight bergamot intensifies the sweetness along with a floral hint, as BU dries the florals just leave a hint of powderiness along with the leather it's detectable but not too powdery + frankincense which adds a smokiness to the spiciness & patchouli adding some earthy/darkness providing a nice solid base for the composition; The mid-dry-down is the sh*t (that's all i can say), the slight sweetness gets sort of boozy (like a cognac or other brown liquor), sweet with a spicy kick); Has enough sweetness to be 'modern' in 2021 and worn by younger noses (mid 20s+) yet has enough depth & class to be appreciate by mature noses. Geza Schoen did his thing with this 1 (hence the Clive Christian references from other reviews). Well done Baldessarini / Coty, well done; Fall, Winter, even Spring, more Evening/Night but versatile enough for Day-time wear, Formal or Casual scent; Projection/Sillage' is GOOD, aromatic can be noticed in the air in a room, provides nice scent bubble within about 10 ft for first 2 hours, then from within about 5 ft. Performance/Longevity is GOOD, on skin last about 7-8 hours, double that on fabric. * @Ed Wardian's review is spot on

I'm pretty sure this is the only Geza Schoen fragrance I have in my collection. I need to try some of the Escentric Molecule line soon. Baldessarini Ultimate is an über masculine spicy leather fragrance with some resins and patchouli. As the main notes section suggests, pink pepper is the most prominent. Pink pepper is an unusual material. Depending on how you use it in a perfume, it can be rosy, slightly powdery, spicy (like black pepper, but a bit softer), sparkly (as with citrus and petitgrain), or can add any number of other effects. Here, it comes off as very spicy, almost aggressive. And I love it so much! I think it's the combination of the pink pepper with the olibanum that gives it a manly punch. This can dry down a bit powdery, which is more prominent on clothing than on skin. Or if you spray under your shirt, it can smell a bit powdery in the mid and drydown. Even though this has some strong floral notes, it never becomes even remotely feminine to my nose. It's perfectly manly and assertive from top to base on my skin. That leather, labdanum, olibanum, patchouli, and amber synergistically form a dark, incense-y base that evokes an assured masculine confidence. I know people say it a lot, but I feel like this is so well-crafted that its quality is on par with a lot of niche fragrances that are 10 times the price. Confident, manly, assertive, and near perfect for the self assured modern man with old school sensibilities. Beautiful. Or maybe handsome is a better word. LOL. 10/10

Ultimate opens with a stunning, tasty, pink pepper along with a mandarin and bergamot one-two punch that jolts the olfactory with a palpitating rush that one feels when there is something wickedly beautiful in the making. Thankfully, it is just that... The sweeping floral heart, particularly, the dusty freesia shapes the whole accord by rounding the citric waxiness of magnolia and the pissy dryness of jasmine, into a garland of airy delight till a leathery, earthy base enters and put its full weight down. The smooth leather note, with a thin suede finish, is augmented by the resinous exchange of labdanum and amber, that gives the accord a softly refined animalic timber, balanced out with an incense, possibly masked as ISO E Super (merely an assumption), that strips the tone out of the earthy, woody green patchouli while retaining the spicy bits. All this consequential action in the base gives Ultimate its divinely masculine gravitas. Citric, floral, spicy and beautifully refreshing in a male genre overfilled with cavities. Ultimate is revelatory and a dare release for a designer house that let Geza Schoen do his thing. Sexy, manly, classy, elegant and worthy!

A real sleeper. Really didn't like it the first two times I tried it, but something wouldn't let me swap it. Then something clicked, and this is one of my very favorite fragrances. I wish it had clicked earlier, bc I would have bought a few backup bottles for under $30. Now that it is no longer available, the few bottles on Ebay are around $100. I bought one of those, because it is that good. Forget about the Viking comparisons, this is its own thing. If you are the type to make a decision on a fragrance after one wearing, don't bother with this. But like fine single malt scotch, your tastes need to mature beyond freshies and gourmands to appreciate this. It is complex, uses florals, pink pepper and resins in a way that is quite unlike any of the 500+ fragrances I have tried. I view most florals with a skeptical eye, but this one nails it. If anyone who doesn't love this wants to swap, I have some niche and upper designers I will part with for another bottle.

First thing first, although it's a niche smelling, it's nothing original. You can find hundreds of "oud" fragrances at middle east smelling like this fragrance. But the article of Sergey Borisov at Fragrantica on 15 July 2016 is definitely on point, you cannot find anything similar at today's western perfumery. İt's extremely similar and more tamed version of Khalis Oud Gold Special (with notes of:Citrus Chords, Mandarin Peach Pulp, Bergamot, Heliotrope, Freesia, Jasmine, Nutmeg, Patchouli, Oriental Saffron Spice And Marshmallow) which I bought from middle east, so I am super disappointed with my new blind buy. For the smell of Ultimate imagine that you are walking through an old antique shoe boutique with genuine leather vintage shoes and there is some flowers (roses maybe?) and oud incense on the table. All in all is a good (but nothing special) mature "shoe polish" smell for people who loves risky niche smells. Not suitable for blind buys...

Very Nice... Regal Opening... Classy... Orange and Spicy Smooth Leather... The Olibanum Amber and Patchouli mix give this almost a smooth Wood Feel... with mixed spice... Don't be afraid to spray heavy, doesn't go cloying... Also does have a very brief fleeting white floral which is nice part of the journey if you happen to pick up on it as its really very fleeting... Feels and Smells expensive... Niche Quality... Worth 3 to 4 times what you pay for it... If you can find it buy it... In my top 12 and its among the top shelf heavy hitters... This is a serious find... In contest with Bentley Absolute, and Rochas Moustache for the best cheapy ever... And a beautiful bottle and sprayer to boot... A+++

Very Nice... Regal Opening... Classy... Orange and Spicy Smooth Leather... The Olibanum Amber and Patchouli mix give this almost a smooth Wood Feel... with mixed spice... Don't be afraid to spray heavy, doesn't go cloying... Also does have a very brief fleeting white floral which is nice part of the journey if you happen to pick up on it as its really very fleeting... Feels and Smells expensive... Niche Quality... Worth 3 to 4 times what you pay for it... In my top 12 and its among the top shelf heavy hitters... This is a serious find... A Top 3 cheapy ever... Bentley Absolute and Rochas Moustache being the other contenders... A beautiful bottle and sprayer to boot...

An enjoyable, very masculine, dry spicy leather with hints at LADDM, Bvlgari Terre Essence, and the beginning of Bentley Absolute, which is decidedly more dry than that one’s OG Gucci counterpart. I can also see the dry and very spicy aspects of CC X, although that one is much deeper, and also the airy pink pepper of Ormonde Jayne. You could say it’s a very Geza style undoubtedly. I would say negligible to zero sweetness, so I wouldn’t expect compliments, but definitely a more serious masculine vibe that isn’t going for the appeal of others either. Very much in my wheelhouse of aggressively spicy and drier frags.

A fantastic warm, spicy scent that’s comforting and lasts all day. Easily one of the best values in my 100 bottle collection. I’ve paid twice as much for half the quality. And I’ve paid the same price for half the quality. And I’ve paid half the price for over hyped one note Johnny cheapies. Ultimate is high quality juice. If you like the Zaharoff Signature family, and EL Windsor, and Bulgari Man in Black, and K, and the way OG era perfumes were blended (think Aramis, Polo and Rochas Monsieur), you’ll like this. And for all these comparisons, its got its own thing going on. Highly Recommended.

Besides a small amount of spice, I see no resemblance between this and amouage honor man. The closest thing I've smelled to this is Frederic Malle French lover. What's strange about this is the perceived notes compared to the actual note breakdown. To me, I get an orange and vetiver combo with a patchouli base. When I came back to check the notes, I see how very far off I am! This is not a typical designer scent - and I can see this being signature worthy during the cooler months. For the price, this is a steal. 7/10

Today i got my hands on this one, i have been looking for it since i saw the first adds. And it arrived finally, the first spray just blew me away, it started out very strong and spicy, but after 20 min it soon dried down to a more calm variation, this fragrance slightly reminds me of a twist between gengis khan and dsquared potion royal black, but still it has its own charachter, i love spicy fragrances like this so i am thrilled by this one, if you like spicy frags you will love this one i am positivly sure of it.

This is really the ultimate fragrance from Boss/Baldessarini. Truly is made for men, purely masculine. Opens up with a sharp powerful spicy pepper and then comes in some nice citrus notes which mix well throughout its lifespan with the pepper and balsamic notes. If you’re looking for a daily signature scent to wear to work or even on a night out for under $35 you can’t go wrong with this. If you are into spicy masculine scents it’s worth the buy. Lasts a long time too (8hrs) w/ moderate projection Overall 8.5/10

Solid sturdy presentation (#2385). Sharp spicy opening, that quickly takes on a more balanced and moderate white Floral and slightly sweet Amber turn. The quick-arriving middle-scent more resemble an exotic spice/antique store with its aromas of Leather and Earthiness accompanied with the already greeted Spices and some hints of Mandarin peel. Closing one's eyes; immediately the colour brown and high-end textiles comes to mind. Pleasantly balanced spicy/amber fragrance for the fall. 84 points.

Definitely over 30 years of age type of scent, for some reason I'm thinking more bitter orange than Mandarin. It starts off rather rough around the edges, bitter/spicey so that might throw off some new wearers of this scent. It projects and lasts well into the next morning. This whole morning I've been sniffing the sweater I wore yesterday with Ultimate, it gives the impression of a Fahrenheit-like petroleum aroma. Easily falls into the evening, fall/winter categories.

Smells nothing like viking cologne ppl that say it does never smelled CVC they are voting on notes alone... If you took the opening of guilty absolute and the dry down of L'EAU D'AMBER EXTREME if you took out the vanilla. That's what you get. And to me its more medicinal then animalic. It is really really good though really shines in the Mid. If you like niche its a safe blind buy at the price.

What is this concoction, i love it.. i just sprayed like 10 minutes ago, on my shirt and on my wrist. My wrist smells like decent amount leather mixed with Escentric 04, and my shirt smells like sweet white florals (in other words totally different smell). I am not sure about longevity or projection since i just applied it. But i could totally see this becoming my favourite.

عطر لكل الفصول بإستثناء الصيف أو نهار الصيف خريفي ربيعي في المقام الأول رجولي بحت قريب جدا لبلاك قولد black gold Ormond Jayne لم أشعر بتدرج ملحوظ في الهرم العطري النوتات الواضحة الرائحة هي الفلفل الوردي مع الليمون بشكل خفيف والباتشولي واللبان والجلود بشكل واضح مناسب لعمر أكبر من ثلاثين سنة التقييم 8/10 السعر 10/10 مؤسف أن يتم ايقاف تصنيع هذه التحفة صفقة رابحة

Wonderful. From the first spray with its pencil shaving sharpness, to the warm mellow amber that it soon drifts into, this is nigh on perfect. Very classy. Longevity about 7 hours, sillage is moderate with just a couple of sprays to the neck. You could spray more on (it's cheap enough) but that would defeat the object.

Heard a reviewer who recommended this and I totally agree though he said it lasts between 6-8 hours but with me it was 3 almost 4and a fifth hour less than a skin scent It does smell somehow earthy almost like terre de Hermès but smoother overall for the price you pay its a must have

to the raid of vikings: yes, this really does not smell like creed viking cologne (sorry, I don't know how to use caps lock and insert some exclamation marks to highlight how fking important it is..), in fact, this one smells much better.

Nail polish, paired with an armful of intoxicating solvents gathered from the back of the shed, quickly followed by oiled cricket bat, and never-quite-caught wafts of Jamaican rum. Wondrous and habit forming.

This is what Viking Cologne should’ve been, it’s even better blended than Viking’s Cologne. It’s spicier, deeper, richer and lasts longer than VC... Worth every penny definitely recommend

I got it this week. i am addicted by baldessarini. ultimate is a bit different from previews baldessarini. more like ambre but a bit different. more tasty and bitter. i love it.

smells gorgeous. like refined, sophisticated gucci guilty cologne. stunning. and probably discontinued already. 9/10 Soundtrack: Mercury Rev - Autumn's in the Air

No, this DOES NOT smell like Viking. It’s closer to being like Pasha de Cartier OG but a little more bright in the opening.

There is zero similarity with this and Viking cologne. They are nothing alike. A fact.

underrated and cheap then = 3 x the price today. released way before the viking, btw.

DOES NOT SMELL LIKE CREED VIKING!!

After about four years of having this sit on my shelf completely neglected, I finally enjoy this. When I first purchased this fragrance it was a blind buy. I had done research on what are considered the highest quality fragrances available for a fantastic price at discounters, and I had concluded that this, Encre Niore, and Encre Noire a L'Extreme, would be the ones to bundle up. When I got them all in, I was, at the time, not particularly impressed by any of the fragrances. However, this was (somehow) the least compelling of the three to my family and I. The overwhelming response to the scent was "oh, that smells like pencils." Apparently, we aren't the only ones that get that vibe. But really all that was being said was "woody element" with a leathery vibe. No one hated it, I just didn't care for it. I mean, I had just obtained Sauvage, Acqua Di Gio Profumo, and Versace Dylan Blue at the time, so my pallet was already biased towards what are some of the most likable fragrances of all time. I simply didn't care for the slightly ambery, peppery, woody leather fragrance now in my collection (and it is worth noting, I had been told it was going to be and even better version of Viking Cologne... so I wasn't necessarily happy about it). Eventually, Encre Noire really grew on me actually, and I never thought it was bad, I just had blue monsters to reach for. I eventually purchased the four main Encre fragrances and am wearing Encre Indigo as we speak (really good). I wore Ultimate the entire weekend after realizing I really liked it. It was like getting a whole new fragrance in the mail. It feels clean, masculine, peppery, warm and ambery, and woody. The whole family likes it now as well. I know that my tastes have evolved, and my journey has sort of forced my family's tastes to evolve by proxy, but I cannot tell how much of the change is due to our subjective tastes, and how much is due to what has essentially been aging the bottle for a few years. Probably more so the former than the latter, but I suspect both are playing a role. The leather in this is now actually apparent to me as a major supporting role. It is very well mixed. Some have said online that they love leather fragrances, but not "leather fragrances." Meaning, they love fragrances that have leather as a note, but not as the main attraction (such as something like Ombre Leather). If you are one of those people, this would be a good one to try. The note breakdown is pretty much what you get. I am glad I never gave this away. It is also worth noting that it is one of my favorite physical bottles. Beautiful, sleek, thick and heavy glass, with a strong metal top. Love it. I will be wearing this more often this spring.

I the opening, I get a beautiful (slightly bitter) green opening, with a strong support of mandarin. Soon thereafter, "airy" white florals kick in, supported by a noticeable pink pepper note that will keep it from leaning feminine. In the drydown, the pink pepper then fades out, and the white florals get towned down. Slowly a (very subtle) frankincense and clean patchouli notes will make the transition until the final amber/suede drydown (barely noticeable tbh, since the fragrance is a subtle skin scent at this stage). A great artwork from Geza Schoen, who rarely disappoint, and here demonstrates again that great results can be achieved by using exclusively aromachemicals, without smelling synthetic or cheap. A very versatile fragrance with a personality and quite unique. That said, I have to echo others in saying that, while the opening is stunning, the late drydown is less original (but still pleasant). Also, I have to underline that performance is clearly below average, with a projection fading to skin scent quite quickly and a longevity of 3 to 4 hours max. You may thus want to overspray, something anyone would be able to afford given its current ridiculously low price tag (~$30). I could perfectly imagine Geza Schoen slightly improving this one and remarket its formula to a niche house, for a final retail price 3-5X higher than the current one. A no-brainer for me, that I highly recommend, despite its performance issues. Kudos to Baldessarini's creative director for having offered a piece of artwork to the masses. Unisex leaning masculine, 25+, Spring/Fall days.

At the discounters' recent prices for Ultimate (currently under $30 for 100ml), you get more than what you pay for with this fragrance. The bottle is very nice and the atomizer is high quality. The opening is all citrus and spice. The mid notes are white floral notes that smells unisex to my nose. The base is smooth and marked by an incense-tinged amber (probably from the interplay between the labdanum, resins and somewhat earthy patchouli). There is also a barely animalic leather in the base that adds interest. This fragrance is rather like an old sepia-tinted photo of an exciting resort on the Mediterranean coast: it is familiar, timeless and comfortable with just enough interesting stuff on display to make it enjoyable & unique. I agree with those reviews, below, that suggest that this fragrance is more likely to appeal to mature folks. If you can find it at the discounters, and you are a grown up who likes the notes in the pyramid, you might as well blind buy a bottle. This fragrance smells high quality and well blended to me. I admire how well the corners which must have been cut to get this down to the price-point are hidden. It is most unlikely to disappoint.

This is a good fragrance - just received this blind buy today and at first I was really impressed - it's is a beauty - I am not disappointed certainly not for the price I bought it for for - this is a good scent for more formal occasions not directly the fragrance if you want to go to the gym - it's also a more adult scent so not really for teenage boys - for me this is a really oriental scent with a leatherly dry down - it's a sort of incense smell I usually encouter in a souvenir shop " Hamzah Batik " in Yogyakarta Indonesia - a little spicy the peppers a bit woody - really nice scent - the dry down was not so spectacular as I thought it would be - the most lovely amber smell for the best price is still Ambré Noble from Zara - with a real long longetivity and at price less than €20 - most of you readers would not even enter a Zara for a fragance but the last 2 years they have really improved the quality of their scents at very affordable prices - Baldessarini Ultimate I would give a well 7/10

I purchased this in spring and did a paper test. Decided to save for fall but maybe I didn't need to. This is a fantastic frankincense scent. It's the most prominent note and maybe some woods. Super comfortable and mature. The frankincense in this reminds me of the incense in ADG Profumo and L'eau d'Issey Intense. This reminds me of my grandmother who burned incense all the time. It's a nice and heavy scent that doesn't feel too overbearing even with 3 sprays. The pepper and citrus are noticeable and lighten it up while the leather gives it a bit of sweetness. In some ways this also reminds me of Prada Amber pour homme stripped of its florals. And the woodiness is similar to what I get with azzaro visit or bentley absolute. I'm really pleased when I don't see tonka in the breakdown. This deserves high marks for uniqueness. The dry down is awesome. Beautiful skin scent. Baldessarini is really consistent.

Coca-Cola, suede & Iso E Super. Supported by a soft floral backdrop that is most times not perceptible. This is no doubt a niche smell. Even reminds me of the same Coca-Cola vibe in L'Ombre Des Merveille from Hermes but not a clone by any means. Despite its niche sensibilities, where this scent lacks is the performance and its depth. There's clearly some perfumer trickery going on - budgetary constraints show through in that after 1 or 2 hrs, the scent dies down to a skin scent and despite the unique smell, it comes off thin or flat. It has me imagining what a more expensive version of this scent would be like. Still, you have to give props where it's due. How many fragrances at this price give you a smell like this? 7.5/10 YT channel - The Scentrovert

Just got this. This juice is gorgeous! I get a sweet spicy/cola lovely opening. Later on, I smell pencil leads, orange and spices. This opening is the best I have ever experienced. It's similar to Dirty English and about the same strength. Ultimate is much, much nicer though. This is my sole Geza Schoen fragrance at the moment and he's blended a gorgeous one. Unfortunately, this is too weak, on me anyway - it starts OK but fades in an hour, its a big shame. If this was normal EDT strength and didn't fade so quickly it would probably be my number one fragrance. Anyhow, despite its potency shortcomings, I have to state.......One of the nicest fragrances I have ever smelled - especially the opening.

This is an excellent perfume for people who want to add something new and refreshing to their collection. The opening is warm and reminds me of a cosy spa in a luxurious indian hotel. The scent is deep and sweet-spicy. Definitely a winter fragrance. There is a natural amber wrapped in incense stick and musk. The bottle is heavy-duty glass which is heavy and thick which adds to its character IMO. Performance is moderate and it will last for about 3-4 hours before goes to spicy wood which is a skin scent but pleasant. Give it a go if like a classy german take on eastern spicy colognes like me.

Mature (Geza Schoen, 2015) This Baldessarini in fact is not so ultimate, but it's a solid release. Mature Boss spin-off gave us a mature fragrance. Hard leather and patchouli with a gentle touch of magnolia, amber and resins. A little bit old school, just what today designer perfumery needed, yet Geza Schoen gave his own contemporary twist. I can imagine a hypothetical situation of using this composition with Dior's quality of raw materials. What Suavage this could have been. Rating: 7/10

People reviewed this one really positive. So when i saw the 90ml bottle for 20 euro, I had to try it. The scent is oke. Nice bottle. It will shine in springtime. For 20 to 25 euro i can recommend this. For anything above that, there are better options in that category. Overall a 6,5 out of 10

Very elegant and masculine scent.. but performance sucks. after 30 min you can't event detect slightest of smell, even on clothes. Scent itself smells very luxurious but lack of performance made me dispose of my bottle. If performance was solid, this would be in my top 10.

A quick spicy opening that quickly drops down to a well blended patchouli and floral (mostly the magnolia, but almost has a rose-like quality to it). I personally get none of the amber or leather qualities Ultimate supposedly has.

Not a blind buy, definitely not a crowd pleaser. But is a really interesting and nuanced scent for the price.

خوش بو ساده و شيك خيلي بيشتر از قيمتش مي ارزد.

REVIEW I, 2023 Oct 3: This one is weird, I just don't "get" it. Every few months I give it another shot thinking I'll finally get it, and I don't. I don't dislike it at all. It's perfectly pleasant-smelling. It just doesn't particularly grab me. I wouldn't have expected to see such strong praise for it in the reviews. Goes on with a spicy, peppery edge that disappears very quickly. After that? I guess this is what amber smells like. There's something very slightly white-floral in there, too. To me it leans a little sweet and perfumey, I find it strange that so many people think this is so extremely masculine. I suppose I can see it for an older man, a very specific image men of my generation grew up with... think "Kolchak, The Night Stalker" out for cocktails on his night off from chasing the undead around the sepulchral Seattle underground. I suppose I should try wearing it out and see if anybody says anything. As I round the hump of my 50s, I've leaned into it, and bought a Kolchak-type narrow-brimmed fedora that I've actually gotten a lot of compliments from strangers on. So maybe it'll work. REVIEW II, 2023 Oct 29: Well, here's something I haven't felt the need to do before... come back and drastically revise a previous review. After my last review, I decided to give this juice more of a chance. It certainly was far from bad to my nose, and had so many strongly positive reviews, that I decided to stick with it for a while, give my other favorite scents a rest. So, I put a little of this on every day. By and large, I wouldn't describe the scent in different terms than I previously did. How can I put this? Most of the time, I like barbershop scents. I think Paco Rabanne is lovely. Even cheapo Brut aftershave is appealing. I formerly felt this was similar to those kinds of scents, but perhaps a bit too safe and inoffensive. Either way, nice, but nothing to write home about. But it really came into its own for me the day I left the house and ran some strenuous errands. I came back, not exactly sweaty, but I'd had a few hours an exertion for sure and my skin was not dry. And then, I smelled it. This stuff worked with my body chemistry. It lost a little bit of the powdery/white floral thing and, I don't know, just smelled mild but thoroughly masculine and not at all a scent I would be opposed to frequently smelling like. Since then I've gained an appreciation for it. This is an extremely serviceable scent, entirely suitable for daily wear or as a signature scent for someone who wants to smell good without smelling cheap nor make a giant, attention-grabbing olfactory splash. Think of it like starching your shirts: Nobody is going to compliment you on it, but you're just going to look a little better. I would kind of like to layer it with something to give it just a little bit of a unique edge, but only once I can figure out what will really work with it. I might try a touch of my secret weapon Al-Rehab Sultan Al Oud with it. But I've come to appreciate how well composed this is, I'm not just going to splash pine needles and rocks and seaweed on top of it and think that that's going to improve it.

So a ways back I purchased a bottle of MB Club Black and a vintage bottle of Versace Dreamer (2003) from a fellow frag head on Fragrance Marketplace and he included two official 5mL bottles of Baldessarini, Ultimate and Ambre. I stuffed these samples in a shoe box and haven’t really touched them until recently after seeing Ultimate show up on a couple influencer channels with positive attention and I gotta say, it’s not bad! I haven’t smelled Viking Cologne so I can’t compare the two but I have and adore Creed Viking and this is nowhere near the same style scent so Viking Cologne must be very different to it’s pillar. On the other hand, I have Roja Reckless Parfum (which gets compared to Clive Cristian X) and I can absolutely pick up on some similarities here, just to give you an idea of scent profile. This is of course no where near the quality of Reckless and it doesn’t have the beautiful melange of extremely natural smelling citrus, herbs, florals, and other seasonings amongst its spicy woody base, but in terms of scent profile sure, I can see that. Here I get mostly dry musty woods (almost like that of driftwood) and some spice on top of a semi-sweet ambery base. The mix of florals absolutely create an old woman’s handbag or her dusty old makeup drawer, perhaps even an old piece of furniture in an antique shop or an attic. The only citrus here is a bergamot rind with hints of zest, along with a dash of pink pepper throughout. I don’t pick up on much of the mandarin, but it’s there if I search for it, just not bright and in your face. The olibanum and labdanum are major players here and as always, complimenting the amber nicely, giving it some density and a smooth waxy leathery touch. That’s pretty much it. It’s not multi layered although it doesn’t go through the standard changes offering a more lively opening before settling into a woodsy, somewhat powdery and dusty amber with a waxy undertone. Not sure if I’ll grab a bottle of this yet. I’m tempted because in this overly saturated market of blue, bubblegum candy flossed and caramel toffee gourmands this is somewhat unique, although I’m not sure if I’d reach for it much, the performance isn’t great, it comes off a bit too mature for me, I get somewhat of an Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds old lady vibe and it smells somewhat dated. Regardless, based on the price, scent profile and composition, it’s nice enough to own. I suppose I’ll see how far this 5mL bottle gets me for now.

Very weak performance on my skin. Blind bought, very underwhelmed, I agree it has a classy vibe and is very pleasant, however, smells Unisex to me, almost Feminine which I find very off putting, nice but would not buy again.

Most stupid blind buy in sentures ! Those who put this frag into oriental-spicy group - are you kidding ???

brand slogan... - "Separates the men from the boys". YES!!!! YES!!!! and YES!!!!!

This scent has a beautiful opening which I love. Olibanum, leather, patchouli, labdanum, manly and strong, just gorgeous! But the drydown is completely different, cheap smelling. If you want the smell of the drydown of this, buy the much cheaper arabic scent called Krypton edp "oud" which I own. It's 99% the same. The difference is that Krypton has better projection and sillage from this Baldessarini. Performance is moderate overall.