F1 III

So this one is 'Overtake 320' and at first (despite liking it's themes) I was like ahhhh this is the overly sweet, gourmand, BOMB of the group and it sort of is, but that's not the whole story. The opening is full of that Mugler, caramel sweetness and candy floss I associate with ethyl maltol but here it's not crude, it's actually very carefully done and much better than sickly stuff like Shay & Blue's Salted Caramel for instance. This is because it develops into dry woody accords not dissimilar to the first two of this collection but always gives warm (what is said to be a tonka bean) vibe in this. I suppose it does smell a bit coumarinic and coffee tinged but it doesn't go all vanillin or vanilla heavy or creamy, it maintains distance from it's sweeter potentially cloying elements. It's like one of those 'Sexy' or 'Night' perfumes of the Men's game a few years ago, but less sledgehammer. I say all this having only sprayed it on a test strip, so not the best way to review but I will update if required. Oh don't be fooled by their representation on here (Fragrantica), the bottle shown (gold one) is part of an exclusive special edition version made from a choice of Stainless steel, titanium, and a gold plated ( the one pictured here) three different designs all of which are AMAZING!!! However, they are 3D printed and the technology for metal 3D printing is absolutely cutting edge and as such these incredible flacons cost a whopping $10k each! so unless you have an F1 drivers salary, it's unlikely any mortal 'fraghead' can afford the bloody things. So just to note then that the 'normal' bottles (retail at £195) which are AMAZING too (just not like the pictured one is my point) are also 3D prinnted but from a much more affordable resin material, in a kind of biomech latticework which reminds me of a combination of muscle tissue, HR Geiger artwork or Cronenberg's New flesh, and the roof of that fancy art gallery/museum in Dubai. I want one quite badly they are seriously COOL!!!