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 :))

This review is for the EDT. On initial spray I get a very harsh herbal shot but as soon as it starts to air out I instantly get that wood that is similar to Gucci pour Homme. That's where the similarities end for me though. Yes this will remind you of GPH but it's not identical. I feel Potion is better smelling, although layering these two would be quite interesting. I also get coca cola gummy bottles out of this. Anyone remember those candies? Delicious. The scent of this for me ranks among the best smelling frags of all time. It's up there with GPH2, ENVY, PURE BLACK, D&G BY, M7...people will think I have a weird tick because I keep sneaking a sniff of my forearm every 5 minutes. It is true that this doesn't project like a beast or last that long I'd say it lasted about 4-5hours, but it's perfect for an evening event, especially suit and tie. Scent is a 10 projection/longevity 6 Very happy with this one. EDIT when you think this one is gone it isn't. It seems to be heat activated, as soon as my body temp went up after a brisk walk it came back real strong...I've had it on for over 8 hours now.

Potion is AMAZING! Love at first smell, which happens to me very rarely, really. Last time was more than a year ago, with Epic by Amouage. Go figure. I tried Potion 2 times so far and each time I adore it more. When I sprayed it on paper, I could smell almost nothing. A barely-there, woody skin-scent. But when I sprayed in on my wrist ... Oh, my! What a perfect blend! Sensual, comforting, smooth, polished ... Amber, patchouli, musk & cashmere wood, all in ideal proportions, just perfect balance. To my nose, spices play the second role. I don't get any from the top notes - like the scent is going straight to its heart to reveal everything best it has. Is it masculine? Yes, it is. Could a woman wear this? Definitely yes ... Potion goes straight to my 'love-list'. My man says this scent smells too manly on my skin, but I love it, everything about it. The sillage is medium, won't bother anyone, but the scent is noticeable. The staying power is good as for DSQUARED2 (4-5 hours) - probably because it'a an EDP - finally. I'm SPELLBOUND! ANNICK MENARDO, I love you. It's official.

I havent tried the original Gucci Pour homme so cant compare the two.I can slightly see the connection with L'instant but I can also throw in the edt version of Heritage.am not sure about Antaues-guess I got to revisit it. what sets this apart is I guess the cashmere wood mixing very well with the amber to give off this intoxicating scent.the woody scent here is reminiscent of ones you get in comme des garcons fragrance and am thinking 2 Man here which am told is a rip off of GPH. the only problem I have with the bottle I got here is the spritzer seems to drip when you apply force to it.I guess am not doing it well. for those who dont like this am not sure what else will please you.I am more than OK with the scent-sillage and longevity are good to me.It is clearly an evening,cold or cool weather scent.it will not work on a scorching day:you'll be choking yourself. I was in love with Rocky Mountain but I can see this one easily taking over.it's clearly a departure from the DSquared range we have become accustomed to. I simply Love It!!!

im in love with potion since it was released in 2011. for some reasons i never purchased it until a month ago. now i find it still great, maybe a bit watered down compared to my memories of 2011 but it's only my impression. during the last year potion is not on the shelves of many local stores anymore but i hope it's only because it doesnt appeal with people, not for out-of-production. the scent is fantastic, woody, resinous, ambery and spicy. it has some similarities with costume national soul but they are not the same. potion is a fragrance with personality and for confident men, not for teenagers(better for 25 and up). the juice is very dense, very brown but the performance is less potent as expected, it's just ok. potion shines during fall and winter, good for any situation. the review is for the EDP. a true underrated gem! ingiustamente sottovalutato. scent-8,5 long-7 sillage-7,5 uniqueness-8,5 versatility-8 bottle-8 compliment factor-8 my vote-8,5 in one word- brown alternative- costume national soul

Ah Potion, I fell in love with it when I tried it out in a store and bought the EDT instead of the EDP. What is the difference? The opening, the EDP was a sharp mint and spices while the EDT was softer. So it opened with a cooling mint, preparing your nose for the next stage which was the cinnamon and pepper and some rose beneath the spices, creeping behind them are the amber and the cashmere woods. It instantly became very interesting.. it kinda came off as if it had a syrupy base being overlaid with smoke and that base smelt like vanilla coke without the fizzy aspect of the cola. Nicely layered and it was not heavy instead it was subtle and soft. Very intimate and sexy. Does it smells like Gucci Pour Homme? Yes Potion is like the dry-down of Pour Homme. Is it better than Gucci Pour Homme? In my opinion I prefer Potion has it felt modern and updated to cater to the new generation. This is some magic Potion. Definitely worth trying out!

A very underestimated scent.Many compare it to the now unavailable gucci pour homme, I think the analogies are minimal, no one will confuse it for gucci.Il perfume of the Italian house, is much more mature, knows more than incense and much smoky. Potion is very valid and of good quality, with eyes on other dsquared perfumes. The bottle that resembles a product by many impressions of what could be the internal juice. It opens with a lot of liquor and medicinal notes, angelica thyme and red mint, and then sweeten, cashmere, patchouli, amber and cinnamon accompanied by high quality musks, sweet and spicy base, very scent of the 80's, but sweetness makes it quite modern.It is now interrupted and I advise you to buy it before the stocks end, considering also the ridiculous price compared to the quality. I tried the EDP but the longevity is not excellent, so I do not recommend the EDT version Rating 8/10

A warm, amber-cinnamon with below average/average performance. (Review is for EDP - I was not aware an EDT was available until reading reviews here.) Potion opens with a rather sweet blast of amber, cinnamon and what I believe are some floral notes. The latter fade quickly to leave an amber-cinnamon concoction which remains throughout. The amber is warm, cozy and, in combination with the cinnamon note, leaves you feeling relaxed and ever so slightly happier with life. The downside, on my skin anyhow, with Potion is its performance. It quickly becomes a skin scent and then only a couple of hours later... gone. (Perhaps still there with nose firmly pressed to skin followed by a big, big sniff...) Final thoughts... A short-lived but warm, amber-y hug. Very pleasant while it lasts. And a thousand times better than the DSquared clothing range.

As soon as seen this on sale in a U.S. chain store here in Canada I swooped in and bought it; Only to realize when I got home this was the EDT version. Which I didn't know existed. Still being well worth the money(29.00). It is indeed not as rich or long lasting. check your testers closely before condemning the longevity of this. Testing the EDP in department stores I remeber it to be a long lasting smokey sweet spicy male oriental. My Edt is A sweet amber with I swear to be a very natural vanilla added to the base, traces of patch and cinnimon. Possibly some Angeliica woods and musk. anything else is not detectable in the edt for me. As i miss the nice red mint from the top notes of the edp and the spicy richness ( even if close to the skin) I may have to go purchase the edp now. as this edt just makes me crave the other more.

I have been very harsh on this scent for like 4 years now. I once smelled it on a paper strip and instantly threw it... It was strong, headache inducing, medicinal herbs smell! Today, I decided to give it another try. This time on my skin... What a wonderful warm and heavy spicy aroma this perfume emits! Paper strips testing never give you the right experience... Always spray the perfume on you! This is a spice bomb but so much better than Spicebomb by V&R! This is cinnamon mixed with some herbs... A green, woody, cinnamon scent perfect for winter days when it's freezing outside. So warm, so comforting it's like hugging someone dear! I only regret not trying this right before as it's too hot for summer and now it's too hot outside... But... This is a perfume I will keep an eye for when the seasons change again!! Overall: 9/10!

I got a sample of this Edt when buying another scent. I must have seen the Potion bottle in the store a hundred times, without taking further notice. Sprayed some on my wrist. -What...? Could it be? A perfectly balanced spicy, yet fresh cinnamon-amber-woody-pepper delight. This is exactly what I have been looking for, just not knowing it. So glad I found it. Wore it yesterday for work. Fortunately it works wonderfully on my skin, dry down is... sooo good! Not a projection beast but it is there for about 7 hours, noticeble enough but not cloing. And I agree, it works better with some body heat. After a walk during lunch it got more noticeble. Perfect for work, like in most occations. My female colleagues gave it thumbs up. I ordered both the Edp and the Edt. I love it. Extraordinary work. Do try it!

There's not too many fragrances that I'd be prepared to pay for a full bottle, but this is one of them. On first spray you're hit with a glorious hot, spicy, sugary, thyme infused coca cola. Yes, this is a busy brew. The cinnamon starts to come through next. Not regular cinnamon, but cinnamon sticks that have been wrapped in rose petals. Over the next few hours what's more noticeable is the sweet musky wood aroma. It's like a toned down cedar with vanilla. Longevity is really good. 10 / 12 hours later there's still a faint cedary rose smell where it was sprayed. Sillage is a strange one. It's heavy, but not straight away. A good hour or so after putting it on it has a strong burst before settling again. Could that be me having a hot flush?!? All in all a most splendid potion from Dsquared2

This is the closest I have smelt to my old time favourute Gucci PH (I now only have 10ml left from my last bottle), though it is simpler and smoother. You cannot fault anyone for claiming they are identical, but the similarity is mainly in the opening. It is the wood, amber, spice and pepper notes that make them similar. The pyramid here states that Wood is at the base, but I could smell it as soon as I sprayed. The aromatic notes are noticeably quieter, and the absence of incense is blatant. This makes the dry down a lot smoother, perhaps slightly sweeter and pulls amber further front. For me this is one of the best mainstream releases of 2011. I would highly recommend this and plan on purchasing when my much diminished supply of Gucci PH is depleted.

I had totally forgotten that I have this! I saw a little square peeking out behind numerous other bottles and grabbed it. The start is almost pure thyme, I checked my nose at the spice cupboard with a bag of thyme, indeed I did. After the initial blast the peppery incense starts to appear. This fume is really very beautiful, why did I diss is it for years? It stays close to skin but it does that for a long time. I can’t stop sniffing myself while wearing potion. It is thick, but not heavy, herbal and enchanting. The bottle is not attractive but the liquid belongs to every fume lovers collection. Loving it! Benefits of a big collection is that sometimes it hides gems that reveal itself at the right moment.

I blind bought this at such a cheap price I felt if I didn't like it Id only be out a couple bucks. First sniff and Im blown away, it smells fantastic! Rich, peppery and spicy but very well blended and soft, this doesn't have a harsh note in it. It also has a sweet root beer vibe that I love. 100% unabashedly male, this is what a man should smell like. Sexy in a retro, 70s Starsky and Hutch/Magnum P.I. kind of way. Smells niche and could be easily sold for 5x what I paid. I almost don't want to post this review as it reveals my new secret. What the hell, blind buy this baby and you won't be sorry. Im going to get a few bottles as back up anyway. Thumbs way way up.

I have bought the 50ml EDP, it starts off very peppery and the musk is quite intense. I can see a slight comparison with Gucci Pour Homme. I also agree with the sexy smoky smell that lingers in this scent. I get a creamy soft woods and a slighty powdery sweet dry down. After wearing this for a couple of days I have to admit although I love the smell of this fragrance for a EDP it fades away pretty quickly. Compared to He Wood fragrances they last longer on my skin and they are EDT. I am pretty tempted to purchase the 15ml Perfume Oil, if anybody has tested the oil let me know regards the longevity, sillage etc. Surely, the oil would be more intense?