Potion

An olfactory treat of piquant, aromatic cinnamon over smoky cashmere wood and a plush, pillowy base of amber and warm musk. For those unfamiliar with cashmere wood, think of it as a rounder, hazier type of cedar wood, with something of a lower frequency. An element of mint cools the cinnamon--it's subtle--lending more to the effect of texture and temperature than outright smell. The floral notes are blended extremely well with the darker, stronger aspects, accenting the woody browns,incense grays and spicy reds with softer pastel hues, just light traces of florals hardly noticeable at first but vital to the overall composition. I love how they're treated here. Their absence would surely be noted and change the fragrance entirely, yet while they're present they never distract from the overall effect. For me, this is an example of the perfect use of rose in a masculine composition, as it adds a pretty, perfumed dimension to the woods without sacrificing masculinity. Underneath it all, there is the whisper of cola or sassafras, a sweet, familiar spiciness supplied by an angelica note. It lies within the bed of amber and musk, and serves as a bridge to the cinnamon that started things off. The EDP is a rich but gentle cloud that sits softly on the skin, projecting about half a foot for several hours before receding even closer. Potion possesses the rare quality of feeling both mellow and complete, its relaxed touch created by both its carefully chosen notes and the volume level to which they've been adjusted. This is a full-bodied fragrance, but it never raises its voice. It has the calm, commanding presence of one who possesses wisdom rather than aggression, and a steady, immovable inner confidence. A versatile fragrance best suited for fall and winter, Potion is a superb choice for an intimate dinner out or a small gathering around the fire place enjoying good food and good company. Thumbs up. Think Gucci Pour Homme, Noble Cedar, Carbone de Balmain, and to a certain extent, Bentley Intense for Men.

Cinnamon and wood is a combo that when executed correctly can be comforting and masculine at the same time. DSQUARED has achieved a hit with potion. This is another cheap gem of a scent that really is as amazing as it is underrated. Potion is a well blended scent that really gives us a great example of a solid woody aromatic. Potion is a strong mix of cinnamon, cashmere wood and amber in the opening. This woody spicy salvo is so great and comes off almost a bit boozy. This rich opening is then given a bit of freshness from a dose of mint and angelica and this really plays up the cashmere wood, the evolution of these notes really gives this scent a much needed complexity, and save this scent from becoming something too linear. Some pepper and musk appear and give this scent a masculine punch, the patchouli and florals form a nice earthy, sweet transition to the clean, sweet base of this scent. Potion is a great scent to have in the cold weather rotation, but be warned this is one that needs an enclosed environment to perform. I own the EDP and it has a hard time standing up to harsh cold, or sweater and scarf weather. When wearing potion think office, home or date night where you might spend time in a pub or cinema. Potion would be perfect for wear over the winter holidays, it is warm, cheery and comforting. Potion for me is for the 20 and up crowd, id even say just to the late thirties and then you're pushing it (One can try!). There are a few projection drawbacks with this scent but nothing a few extra sprays couldn't fix. Overall, Potion is a steal for its price and solid quality, and adds a touch of versatility to one's scent wardrobe. Give potion a few sprays when it's the holidays and you need some extra comfort for the many family gatherings that you will partake in.

Update: I had the privilege to test both the Edt and the Edp head to head. The Edp on one wrist and the Edt on the other. One spray each. The first minutes of sharp openings are nothing to be exited about, but when they settle down, the quality shines. The Edp is more powerful and full-bodied for about one hour and a half, as You might expect. Then they are more equal for about five hours. In both cases they are perfectly balanced, dominated by cinnamon, pepper, amber, wood, and then some mint. And, yes maybe a touch of rose. On my skin the patcholi gets more noticeble at the dry down. Spicy-woody on the fresh side, and has character at the same time. Almost alluring. The projection is subtle to moderate, just a bit stronger for the Edp, but the scents are definiately noticeble and as mentioned before heat activated in both cases. Longevity: I applied them at 5.30 PM. At 12.30 AM the next day I could surprisingly still get the Edp close to skin/1 inch while the Edt was gone. Do go for the Edp since it will probably last longer. That is the main differens here. But if the Etd is what You can find, get it! Edp: Scent: 9/10, Sillage 6/10, Longevity 10/10, Versatility: 9/10. Total: 34/40. (Perfectly balanced, spicy-woody on the fresh side, great scent, high quality!) If you are not looking for a sillage beast the verdict is even higher because this is the only down side here. Great, just great scent. Do try!

Absolutely love this one. For me, it's like the smell of extra spicy cola syrup and something that comes together like sandalwood, touched up with something gorgeously floral -- I'm guessing it's mainly the angelica -- all while remaining confidently masculine. It's clean/spicy/woody/flowery/musky/sweet, calming, just a bit mysterious and wonderfully balanced. Can't speak to projection or sillage, but I can tell you it lasts at least long enough to enjoy your own scent for several hours. As good as this stuff smells, that's more than enough for me. Why in the world do I keep discovering these "loves" after they've been discontinued? And why are they even getting discontinued??? For those who know the scent of Blackstone Men's Grooming's "Sandalwood" scented products, you will find this very similar and totally compatible. Oh, and this is not even REMOTELY similar to the dry, woodiness of Gucci PH1. I suppose one could draw connections to the cinnamon/spice/violet heart of GPH2, but even that's a bit of a stretch. Since this one is getting harder to come by, I can confirm that Carner's Megalium is a good replacement, and IMHO even an upgrade in many regards.

Recently received this lovely fragrance in the post. Unfortunately it is Spring/summer here in Australia, and its definitely the wrong season to be wearing this, so i thought why not stock up for winter next year (which isnt very cold anyway). Beautiful scent this one, i love the cinnamon and the musk as well as the patchouli, and right in the background, where you have to dig just that little extra, that slight sweet/medium floral, is the rose (it literally whispers through this scent). So as i said before, definitely not for the humid or hot weather, so this one is definitely a late fall/winter fragrance :) if you wear it in the heat, like i did (i promise i was only trying it on) the longevity and projection of this beauty is gone in about 30mins, so no point even wasting this juice, to just try it haha Bottle is great, definitely not cheap feeling, has a very strong, heavy lid, and the bottle is very nice. A must have for anyones winter collection! Scent = 8/10 Longevity = 2/10 (hot/humid weather only) Projection = 3/10 (hot/humid weather only) Bottle design = 7/10 (Will review come winter next year and update :))