Brioni Eau de Parfum Essentiel

You don't see the Brioni eaux de parfum in any stores where I live, but I was curious enough to obtain samples of three of them now, all but Éclat. So far they all do something interesting compared to similarly priced offerings from other designers, but Essentiel is easily my favorite. Warm spicy seems a tiny bit confusing to list as one of the main accords. It's true that the opening has some cardamom and sweetness to it. But you also immediately get the green tomato leaf and patchouli notes which to me, overall, give it more of a fresh effect. Past the opening, it retains a subtle fresh and clean, almost soapy streak running through it, but the heart is a lush grassy background that can sometimes smell like a meadow after a rain shower, a very natural impression of wet grass and soil. In addition to that, it has a weirdly pleasant nettly quality. I don't know how else to put it but lots of commenters seem to get this impression or mental image of something stinging somehow. Which combined with its green, plant-like aspect makes me think of nettles. On the whole it feels familiar, yet I can't name a single perfume that does all of this quite the same way. Projection and sillage seem to taper off rather quickly, which does help make it feel office safe despite not being your obvious on-trend palatable fragrance. Besides that, it absolutely is long lasting though. I keep getting whiffs of it throughout the day and it lingers on clothes for days. It's a resolute two thumbs up from me, I was hooked right away and made this my first full bottle purchase of any Brioni fragrance.

I'd genuinely never heard of this before walking into the Brioni store. Never seen it on a shelf. Never heard anyone talk about it. It sits at a 3.95 on Fragrantica, which is the kind of rating that makes most people scroll right past it. Don't do that. I got a sample while I was in the store, tried it when I got home, and honestly wasn't expecting much. I was wrong. This thing smells amazing. The opening is soft but you can still feel it there — it's not hiding. There's a green quality to it that reminds me of the Terre d'Hermès line, which if you know me, you know I'm into. And somewhere in there is this sweet note that I read comes from tomato of all things. Shouldn't work. Does work. It just adds something a little different without going weird or sweet in an annoying way. Longevity runs about six hours, sillage is moderate — it's not going to fill a room but it's not disappearing on you either. Wears well across pretty much any occasion or season. The fact that nobody is talking about this is baffling to me. But I guess that's what makes it a sleeper. If you come across it, give it a shot.

Excellent juice. Not for everyone as it has a more classical nuance about it but, not dated in the least. Think the OG Polo by RL but, modernized for today's tastes. Slightly green and almost pine like with the Grapefruit & Cardamom to start it off. There is no Leather or Moss like type soapiness from Polo but, rather an amber with an earthy Patchouli with Incense while still kissed with a slight sweetness from the Cardamom that stays with the fragrance from start to finish. Great for anytime wear for professional or casual events with a direct lineage to masculine vibes. Imagine Polo Green in the 21st century. That's it with respectable performance. A fantastic modern yet retro like creation from Brioni. World class, period.

I'm in love with Brioni Essentiel. I find the Cardamon and Tomato Leaf play the biggest roles, with the tonka, patchouli and frankincense next. I was surprised how long it lasts for being all natural origin, but of course they've picked ingredients that natural last a long time. It's not beast-mode sillage and I'm OK with that. It creates a nice scent bubble. I find the all natural scent refreshing to the nose and the soul while the fine ingredients used are very addicting, masculine and attractive. I think every guy should give this a try - you might be surprised how much you like it and it's probably been a long time since you've smelled only natural-origin ingredients in a perfume - if ever.

I totally get Penhaligon's Tragedy of Lord George here, with a more accentuated lemony (bergamotte) top-note, and a little less powdery / aftershave-ish vibe then the Lord, so it's more citrus-green in a sense, but the picture, feel, and vibe is totally Lord George. In the best way possible, it smells awesome and mouth-watering! If you're into lemony, green, sweet scents with a slightly (high-class) after-shave vibe, it's a total no-brainer, get it!