Pride

A delightful herby/grassy mix, with zesty bergamot at the opening and a dry down like the passage through a wildflower meadow. There is a green heart to this fragrance, like the scent of crushed spring planting; maybe it's the carrot seed component, which lightens and freshens the drier, woodier notes. It doesn't have much sillage or indeed longevity for me, just a pleasing (though fleeting) vernal vibe.

If you like chypres and Miguel Matos's style this is a must try. If not, skip. Comforting, beautiful, masterfully blended and executed, the narcissus note is the star of the show to my nose, spicy and yellow, ethereal, earthy, never too heady, so balanced... this perfume is a total vibe. Easily a staple in any collection.

The range of impressions from "a really well-assembled chypre according to the canon" to "what was mixed into this chypre? it's like deodorant for the armpits." And this second part appears and disappears. As a result, I did not want to continue the collection of chypres with this fragrance. The brand has more interesting works.

When I was sampling Pride myself I wasn't totally crazy about it. I love Miguel Matos' creations and usually they are quite bold and out there, but Pride is more understated and did not lift off for me. So I put the sample away as not for me. But then my partner tried it one day and I was blown away... It smelled very aromatic and spicy on him; absolutely gorgeous. He doesn't like very opulent fragrances and this fitted his skin chemistry and personality very well. Although Pride is definitely not masculine and very unisex, I think it will resonate with certain people more than others. It is very unique and if you like fragrances with a more herbal, spicy, aromatic and intimate character, definitely give Pride a try.

Definitely not. As soon as I put it on it was way too spicy for my skin, once the top notes had faded to mid and the acrid spiciness came through I actually started to smell like a really dirty public toilet. A hot, sunny mens toilet in a Mediterranean country. After half an hour it sort of fades and becomes more pleasant. It definitely has elements of kouros. The floral spicy pissy smell reminds me of kouros, but it just feels slightly too heavy which is perhaps why I think of toilets. If I catch a vague whiff it is a lovely smell, but if I breathe too deeply? Urinals

It is a chypre, created according to classical canons, however, this perfume does not remind me of anything else I have tried in my life. It has a minimum of sweetness in it, there are poisonous bitter green fleshy stems of wild plants; dusty concrete, heated by the sun and sprinkled with lime juice; it also has pleasant mineral facets which surprised me a lot. At the opening you can notice an alcoholic citrus liqueur with a slightly medicinal vibe. I would call it sort of urban neo-chypre, the roughness of which is smoothed out by white flowers.

Pride is a very delicate moss story softened with a warm amber and sandalwood and deepened with patchouli. It's a perfect ambiance perfume. Like dreaming of the 1980s, in front of the fireplace, in the arms of your loved one..