Lita

While the opening of Lita is definitely reminiscent of Tyrannosaurus Rex, it's rather fleeting, and different enough to support what comes after as nothing like a copy of T-Rex. As it starts to dry down, it reminds me of a gentler more wearable version of Fougere Bengale, which I wish FB was more like. There's that dry, herbal/hay, tobacco quality, but not so in your face, which leads smoothly into its settled groove. Lita ultimately gives me the sense of a beloved leather jacket, stained with the soft scent of many things. Some on their own may be unpleasant, but together they create a scent of lived-in comfort... The scent of you, the scent of lovers, the scent of different places you've haunted over the years... real, remembered, forgotten, and imagined. To walk back through the journey from the start... The opening might be the intense punch of some evening event that is loud and active (not so much the smell itself, but the volume), which could very well be a loud concert and the intense smells that come along with it (very much in line with the collaboration/connection to the band Duo)... it steals your senses in the moment. Later, as you've left with your partner and stopped at some quiet spot for a night-cap, you can finally smell yourself again. It's gone from loud to intimate and, in that intimacy, as you sit closely to each other in your small booth, sipping your cocktails and talking quietly, you both can pinpoint that unspoken sense of who you are through the kaleidoscopic mix of scents coming from an unwashed leather jacket. But now, the night has just begun. Soon, you'll be completely alone together, with your jacket (and the rest of your clothing) lying on the floor. It's soaked up another day of the scents of your life. One night soon, you'll do it all over again. I do notice a slight twist as it gets even further into the dry down. Continuing the theme of the leather jacket cast-off, and being in bed with your partner... the "pickled" smells of the jacket are now more distant, and there remains above that, the faint smell of the bedroom. Maybe linens and some light florals, mixed with whatever your skin has picked up from the day, not yet impacted by the events about to unfold. Lita seems to be most suitable for evening wears in cooler weather. As with other compositions by Gardoni, Lita is quirky and evocative in the best possible ways.

Closest to my senses Lita will be much rounder, smoother mix of Lonestar Memories (sweet myrrha from drydown) with amber and coriander from L'Air Du Desert Marocain. Don't get me wrong, it's not a 1:1 comparison just trying to express how I perceive it's construction. First thought that came to my mind after smelling it in the air - vegetable broth - but in a really good way! LITA is complex, but linear perfume - I got a feeling it hasn't changed much from initial sprays. Most prominent notes on my skin will be myrhh, coriander, cypress, tobacco, ylang-ylang, but it's not everything I can smell - blending is fantastic. Drydown is green, fresh, spicy with more prominent smoke note, but it's burning incense almost, together with cypress creates almost licorice feeling. It's think it's really complex, balsamic, aromatic and overall rich in smell, but may feel subdued, close to the skin - projection is moderate to good for at least 2h (or much, much more - depends on your skin, sprays etc. - I tested 3 sprays only). I like it more than Lonestar Memories, myrhh there does smell dated, oldschool and/or mature. Lita's longevity is crazy 10-12+ in my case. It's refined and sophisticated, multifactional perfume and my apologize - it's not pure smoke, I can't agree on that. You can get a feeling of being surrounded with subtle >mist< of oriental spices and for me it's really hard to put LITA in one certain box of heavily smoky fragrances. Because of originality, blending of the notes I really like and composing them with something extraordinary like champaca, gardenia or ylang-ylang makes it really attractive offering for one looking for polaryzing and unique scent. From what I know the only drawback of this one can be a price or availability. Heavily recommend to try if you're looking for something unique - I will be happy to replace Lonestar Memories for myrrh from LITA. (Sold Lonestar the next day after writing review)

Thoughts on breaking in a new bottle... * Starts out by my getting hit in the face with a bucket of kerosene. * Followed by fresh raw Tobacco leaves like the kind found hanging out to dry at a Cuban hand rolled cigar shop in Miami's Little Havana. * Becomes very bitter like visiting a Cigar Smoke Lounge as a non smoker. * Smoke kicks in heavy and then takes over as it all starts to hang on a while from there. * At this point the silage begins to calm down and becomes more personal. * It continues to get smokier until eventually after about five hours starts to slowly fade away. * Raw Tobacco then reestablishes itself at the back end of this. * And finally Vetiver waltzes in and mingles hand in hand with the Tobacco and Smoke. But not to be outdone Cypress enters thru the back door to join the party. * I must say I do not detect any of the top notes nor do I get any Vanilla or Tonka Bean. * It took several full wears for it to grow on me. I finally understand it and now that we are acquainted I must say I like it very much. * The dark smokiness is supposed to represent the feeling of an old rock concert hall / theatre or night club the kind with live bands in the days when smoking was allowed. * It is very potent and garners respect. Three to four strategic squirts or two (2) full sprays max! Otherwise may be hazardous to you and those in your zip code. * Zoologist's Tyrannosaurus Rex also by Antonio Gardoni is very similar to Lita in the side by side test. I think that the Tobacco in Lita and its smokiness give it slightly more personality overall in the latter stages. * I feel having both would be redundant and so I chose Lita. The more I wear it the more I like it. * Probably best worn with a casual Rock or Grunge look. Old leather jacket and bike boots would be a nice touch. Can be worn day or night. * It has become one of my main go tooz for colder weather.

Lita opens with a magical blast of spicy sandalwood incense. There was a hippie bead shop in my hometown that smelled exactly like this. I am in heaven. Underneath, there is a dry musk, pleasantly dusty-woody, like an antique shop. And, occasionally, an incredibly dark sweet-resinous note like conifer sap comes out. Together they make a marvelously multilayered world. Ornately carved, fragrant wood, glinting with gold ornaments, with dust motes dancing in a shaft of sunlight and smoke. This is Gardoni Does Incense and I love it. Not churchy pale frankincense, not harsh minimalist black smoke, but rich spicy-sweet bright-brown nag champa and sandalwood incense like a head shop. *Happy* incense. As always with Gardoni, you get a sense of 3-D space and intricate texture like a vintage scent, but with bold funky flavors the classics never had.

Lita smells like a independent book store/ antique shop that also grills flowers. It's quite lovely. Reminiscent but still unique. I never smelled anything like it. I see comparisons to T-rex, but that's like the difference between going to the ballroom dance as Oscar Issac, or going as John Malkovich. They are both good actors I guess. But come on. A girl is gonna notice. And I like t-rex. (I know it's the same guy) The difference is Lita doesn't open with a shotgun blast, and instead of mellowing into incense like T Rex, it mellows into light flowers. The burnt flowers mixed with an old book smell is an ultimate comfort zone for me. I bought a large bottle within a couple days of trying this. Which is something I do not normally do - and it was a little challenging to get, tbh. Im very happy with my spontaneous decision.

Fans of the dark side of Antonio Gardoni(T. Rex, Cologne Reloaded) REJOICE! This is a beast. A spinning black record in a fog of vanilla, booze, smoke(both cigarette, cigar, hashish...) and incense. Don't overspray. This one is already a monster performer and the best parts come out around the edges of the sillage. To my mind, the most interesting aspects here are the flowers, licorice and tonka hiding under everything, the ylang especially bringing to mind previous hits like Noun. This perfume has an extremely smooth herbal dryness that seems impossible given the overall scent profile. I don't know how he comes up with ideas like this but I'm so glad he does. If you love this or hate it, I can see why. I happen to love it.

This is a strong contender for release of the year along with his previous release OOOH or Chris Rusaks Relief. This is a charred champaca, Patchouli, Benzoin bomb of a fragrance. I hate comparing fragrances like this but this is definitely a cousin of Noun and T Rex albeit it is an evolution of those in a more mature and classy direction. A rewarding experience to those that open up to it and allow themselves to be vulnerable to what it has to say. All this is fitting because I believe Antonio himself has said this is supposed to be about love and being in love. Take a chance you just might a find a new love in LiTA.

The definition of a masterpiece. To me, this opens up VERY smoky, like a bonfire. Then as it settles down, it reminds me a lot of T-rex by Zoologist. This also reminds me of Cuoium but less leathery, a tiny bit less smoky, and a bit more sweet with the vanilla. Scent description aside from the actual notes - To me, this is like a vanilla ice-cream with a LOT of smoke in the foreground. For most people, this will be difficult to pull off but I definitely could, and I definitely will. 10/10

tldr; I love this - the sweet opening, the smoky cade, the slightly dirty floral, and the resinous dry down. Gorgeous. I'm confused though - why is this being referred to, and compared to TREX other than it's the same designer? Did Gardoni say this is a TREX-lite? Or did people come to that conclusion based on some shared notes/cade? An excellent well-made perfume (for whom it matters, definitely not a TREX replica).

Dense tobacco notes, earthy patchouli & spicy aromatic smoke ground on an animalic interwoven chypre-base that is typical for Antonio Gardoni. A floral bouquet in the background brings light and sophistication to the dark. Reminds me a bit of T-Rex. The Gardoni dino with manners, something like that....

Lita is my first Bogue perfume to try, and what a good place to start. A boozy, balsamic amber scent with creamy florals, spice and smoke, it is a modern, creative twist on a classic that doesn't aim to please everyone. Bold and rich, it is unisex despite its sweetness and is made from good-quality, natural-smelling ingredients. It is a little uneven, with the coumarin in the base taking from it somewhat, but this isn't a dealbreaker for me. It won't appeal to everyone, being strong and intensely sweet, but it is a good amber scent overall with plenty of points of interest. Lita has a boozy opening, with the balsamic amber accord present from initial spray. Some citrus adds brief freshness here. A prominent ylang ylang note follows, adding heady, creamy sweetness, marrying well with the amber. Some peppery spice complements it nicely. It is smooth, rich and sweet here. Soft woody notes emerge during the early stages, and remain throughout. As it develops, the yellow florals segue to a cleaner white floral accord, still smooth and sweet, but not as heady as the opening ylang ylang. I can pick out powdery, clean jasmine here. It becomes smoky here thanks to the tobacco note, and patchouli adds earthiness, but the balsamic amber accord remains at the forefront of this scent, sweetened by vanilla at the later stages. The woodiness persists. I get prominent coumarin during the drydown, adding body to the amber accord, but it feels like a filler or shortcut, taking from the smooth amber notes somewhat. It fades to a smooth, balsamic skin scent. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. It is an autumn/winter scent that is best applied sparingly. A bold, sweet amber scent that is intense throughout, Lita is imperfect but pretty decent overall. It is well-blended throughout, with only small nuances changing as the scent develops. I admire the artistry here - and it feels raw in the manner of small-batch perfume, which adds charm. 4/5.

Incense used in public toilets if you ever visited East Asia. The balsamic notes do give it some more depth and complexity, but unfortunately that's just what it smells like. The resemblance is uncanny and definitely turns me away. Edit: after two years living back in East Asia (and many frags and incense later), I'm happy to say that I no longer find Lita challenging. Those incense-y notes remain but it's the cypress-patchouli combo that truly shine through the composition. No, I wouldn't say it's similar to Lonestar Memories, which I love and still prefer to this one, but a different vibe altogether. Contemplative with its smokiness and playful with the sweet myrrh note. That dark floral note too! Ylang-ylang or champa. Complex but blended well. Maybe it's the maceration after those two years but I'm still happy how it turned out. Would love to try T-Rex some day.

Smells like a rock ballad with a soft side. Opens sharp and a little medicinal. Like backstage nerves before sliding into a rush of citrus, spice, and what feels like leather, even if it's not listed. The drydown is all mood: floral tobacco haze, sweet smoke, and warm incense wrapping around your skin like a velvet jacket. Well-mixed and complex like the entire Bogue line. It’s sensitive, dramatic, and totally unbothered by your expectations. Great longevity and sillage, as expected from Bogue. Maybe slightly masculine because of the tobacco, but fully unisex in spirit. Definitely for someone who leaves an impression. Also, fair warning: the orange juice in my sample is out here threatening your white T-shirt. MOVIE MATCH: Almost Famous — smoky, sensitive, and built to be worn under stage lights.

Feels lie youre in a library that has been abandoned for century. On the corner among the old dusty pages there is a heavily seasoned dried cured meat standing giving off its scent. On the other side you find logs rotting due moisture... And in the middle there are newly freshly cut fruits washed with patchouli water... Not only NSFW as someone mentioned below... its NOT SAFE FOR ANYBODY BUT US

I agree that this is basically T-Rex minus the dinosaur, but this thing is still a beast. Its probably the biggest/longest lasting fragrance I own. If you’re ready to smell like smoke and burning flowers forever, spray on some Lita.

After bravado, becomes a unisex more wearable ELDO Jasmin et Cigarette

Well what to say, this is a smoke bomb and supposedly a sweeter version of T-rex by the same perfumer but different house. I do get that. I found T-rex too challenging, certainly on it's own and even layered. I was hoping this would be less challenging and even though it is, it still is too challenging for me. The skill is recognized and big props for creativity but this falls short for me and if anyone want to trade me for this I would do that.

Lita is terrifying. It smells like charred, burning bones left in the wreckage of an industrial fire. It’s that haunting, organic stench of something that was once alive, now consumed by acrid smoke and molten rubber. There’s a nauseating warmth to it—like the smell of a crematorium mixed with hot asphalt and rusted metal. It’s disgusting, dystopian, and incredibly powerful. This isn’t for the living; it’s for the ghosts of a burnt-out world

I love bogue as a brand, I own MAAI which I truly love. Unfortunately LITA is the first parfume I can not tolerate at all. Its just reminds me on burned plastic. Probably because I am not that expert. Sorry Mr Gardon! Love your work, love T-rex, love MEM and MAAI is one of my favourite, but LITA... NO :(

I say no! Mouth balls and synthetic nightmare. Even if you like it, has to be an at home only because no one else will! Update: After it called down from synthetics so much I get the woodiness more. Still a no, will update if it gets better

I must confess that at first Lita was quite the disappointment for me. Bogue is a house that up to this point has engaged and surprised me at every turn. Each new release has shared a general herbal/heavily contrasting character but the expressions have all seemed profoundly distinct from one another. Lita initially seemed to me to be a sort of friendlier twist on the opening to T. Rex that slowly shifts into the similar confounding bitter floralcy of MEM's drydown. The only other component seemed to be a sweet, toasty vanilla/tobacco accord that hums through the entire duration, wherein an initial smoky sweetness slowly shifts and cools down into an old coffee accord in the drydown, with a mildly off-putting but aromatically intriguing green bell pepper facet, as if the coffee had been sitting in a carafe evaporating off it's water. This is generally still what I get from the scent's development, but I have noticed it growing on me. What eventually won me over with Lita is how as it wears on, it's temperature seems to smolder away until it goes cold, without relying on any notes that are especially "spicy" or "cooling". Oddy I find that Lita emulates ambient temperature of an indoor place quite well. The tobacco/coffee sort of sensation in the far drydown feels mineralic and almost austere, certainly not cozy in the slightest. I picture some kind of rick owens-esque concrete primitivist warehouse with a lone mr coffee drip coffee maker sitting in the middle of it. All very hip and minimalist. Of note in the mid, at least to me and one other reviewer below, is a moth balliness, perhaps a sort of damp wool quality. This is actually my favorite portion of Lita, as it feels reminiscent of an old movie theaters heavy, thick, velvet curtains. At this moment, at the direct middle point between the t-rexish smoldering opening and the stoney isolated herbal bitter drydown, everything sings for just a few moments in perfect harmony. I can't think of a recent fragrance I've tried that's mid has stuck out as an exceptional highlight to me, leave it to Gardoni. All this being said, this definitely doesn't feel as inspired to me as most of his previous work and I hope this doesn't mark Gardoni's shift into more derivative work. I do think I love it, but its a mild, cold-coffee sort of love, certainly not the passionate love affair I found myself in with t rex and Mem. This is one to wear many many times before making any conclusions, certainly.

Finding a sealed bottle of Antonio Gardoni’s 2020 release, LiTA (Love In The Afternoon), feels less like a purchase and more like a rare archaeological discovery. Released alongside a vinyl by the duo Duo, this fragrance is often lazily branded as "T-Rex’s softer, feminine sister." But let’s be honest: assigning a gender to a Gardoni creation is like trying to determine the sex of a (merlot)supernova. It’s an exercise in futility. LiTA opens with a bitter citrus - think grapefruit with a grudge - immediately cloaked in a dry, smoky veil. If you’re familiar with the "Gardoni Tension", it’s present here again. The initial blast mimics the 50/50 DNA of Zoologist’s T-Rex, but where T-Rex leans into a metallic, apocalyptical leather, LiTA takes a turn toward the resinous and the nostalgic. As the perfume settles the bitterness yields to a substantial, resinous myrrh and a balsamic, almost boozy sweetness. This is not a prehistoric mega-flora garden, instead, it evokes a very specific atmosphere: a late-80s/early-90s club where the air is thick with smoke, sweat, and years of spilled drinks. It’s not a leather sofa; it’s a synthetic velour booth that has absorbed every secret told in the dark et connected shenanigans. After three hours, the scent bubble remains significant... pumping out wafts of sandalwood and incense. While it lacks T-Rex's (mildly) animalic savagery and metallic rose, it is by no means "easy." Some noses might still consider it as a challenging, tarpene-flecked jasmine journey that lasts a solid eight+ hours. It is Gardoni, so if you want a "tame" perfume, look elsewhere. If you want to smell like a nostalgic, smoke (and not only smoke) impregnated velvet cushion, LiTA is your rare, wonderful find. Enjoyed the read? Find more of my fragrance ramblings on my NEW YouTube channel: @mostly_just_perfumes

How difficult it is for me to assess a fragrance when I can see its high quality but, from a totally subjective point of view, it is not just an aroma that I like at all. Difficult to be fair and difficult to separate between reason and heart. I'll start with the most objective part. What does Lita smell like? Lita smells of a balsamic and amber mixture (incense, myrrh...), very smoky and with a significant load of tobacco and patchouli. Tobacco appears in its most bitter form, going more to the aroma that is appreciated in perfumes such as Behique de Renier than to aromas such as Tobacco Vanille or Ambre Tabac. Surrounding this central part of the fragrance we find spices and flowers that give it a personal and different character from other similar fragrances (such as Hyde by Hiram Green or Chetyre by Prin parfums). In general, it is a very intense, dense, dark perfume... Not suitable for all audiences or for use every day. And here comes the second part and that is. Still being aware of the great artistic work, the great performance of the perfume. Of the high quality of the ingredients. How well mixed it is... My most subjective side doesn't quite feel comfortable wearing it. It's not that I don't like it, but it's simply not an aroma that makes me enjoy it. I recommend it to those who enjoy intense, smoky aromas and those who like dark woody and balsamic scents. Ideal for the night and more than recommended for winter-autumn. Scent: 8 Longevity: 10 Chairage: 8 Versatility: 7 Originality: 10 Overall: 8.5

Similar to my nose to T-rex. So, is it just a more approachable, toned-down version of T-Rex as some have written? Well, yes and no. The initial association is unmistakable, but with this one I actually get more of a gun powder accord, especially in the opening. It’s nostalgic for me because it reminds me so much of my dad refilling his own shotgun shells. To me it’s like a smell of gunpowder mixed with some kind of lubricating/gun cleaning oil in an old musty workshop in the basement. With T-Rex it was more just at a straight up burnt smell at first, here it is more subtle and nuanced. Then, it transitions into more of an outdoors smell to me, a primordial forest with a fire in the distance, but still retaining that gunpowder smell. T-Rex also has a similar vibe during a bit of its lifespan, but I would say during that stage this one smells more resinous whereas t-rex becomes more aromatic. Then, while still similar, I find the T-Rex drydown is more expansive, fuller, and more thought provoking. Ultimately, I like them both but if I had to choose only one it would Lita, as I just love that gunpowder accord, and I also find it has a nice dose of whimsy, which I think is a common theme in a lot of my favorite fragrances. Then, another things that makes me favor Lita is that it just comes across as more natural to me... it may not be as artistic as T-Rex, but because it feels so natural I find it much more transportative.

As a lover of T Rex I was curious to know what a more wearable version would smell like. I hate it. To me this is far LESS wearable than T-Rex is. T Rex is so rich, characterful, creamy, resinous, green, floral, just a really fun enjoyable time. I know a lot of people say T Rex is smoky and smells like smoked meats, which I don't get at all. However in Lita I get it in spades. The sillage is incredibly smoked meats, and just spraying it on a tester strip and leaving my room, I came back in thinking my neighbours were having a BBQ. There are similarities between Lita and T Rex, but with Lita it smells like you took everything that made T Rex rich and characterful and threw it into a fire.

Wham, bam, thank you, ham.... A fragrance to (perhaps), admire rather than enjoy. There seems little point in talking about the opening, mid or dry-down as, dependent on the day, temperature / humidity it roams between its constituent notes. I can only describe the experience as like being offered a bouquet of flowers and a sticky toffee pudding while the smoke from a fire under a spit roast hog keeps wafting over you. Interesting as it may be, it’s probably best worn when alone, in a wilderness, perhaps on another planet in another universe where you’re unlikely to see another human until the forces of gravity overtake dark matter... or at a sticky toffee hog roast.

Herbal bonfire...yellow floral tinged rot. Nuances of smoldering vinyl and fresh cellophane amongst the darkness of a worn out tobacco pipe. LiTA is truly remarkable and outright weird. This very weirdness and strangeness makes me love it but it’s taken several wearings to wrap my head around it. A dusty pollen laced amber that’s deep, brooding and gothic weaves in and out of the rugged herbal bonfire. The drydown is reminiscent of Corpse Reviver. This is something you’d wear to see Boris or Kikagaku Moyu play in a small, dingy nightclub.

Wow very very T rex. A little bit Maai too, less herbal and spicy though than T rex and less skanky (in a good way of course) than Maii. Lots of spiced nuances here, i smell civet, and cigarette smoke. This one is like a new age vintage, some perfumes have this feel to them they are emulating the vintage genre but still manage to feel modern. Noticeable notes: Gardenia, coriander, cigarette smoke. Feels honeyed too. ** 200 samples for swap UK - check my customs, get in touch! **

Smells like tobacco-mulch just burning away breathing it's last breath on an ash tray but whatever tartness or brightness is in here I feel like it's the works of rhubarb and it's not listed on here. Strange composition but I'm not mad at it. Someone might appreciate it more than I do

Great blend like all of gardoni's work, interesting but not novel enough to justify the hefty price tag. I won't be getting it but I will say this has the most pleasing "burnt" accord I have sampled.

It smells like like a wildfire that burnt through an upper middle class suburban enclave. Yes, there's wood smoke, but also a bunch of charred plastic, vinyl siding, and petrochemicals, too.

Herbaceous amber burnt vanilla smoke. Like eating a bowl of ice cream and a stick of celery next to a roaring campfire. NSFW. I love it. I want it. It's mine.

Cousin to Trex, vinyl and smoke. IG: eatandsmellgood