Isle of Man

Isle of Man has that Frapin artisanal DNA, and I adore it for the versatility it offers when worn in changing seasons, when its less obvious facets dominate. Sometimes the marine quality presides, at other times it’s peppery and vegetal, or woody with a slight smokiness. IoM is a also great layering tool, making it versatile and well worth the cost to me. The official Frapin site has it listed as a Citrus fragrance, and Fragrantica as an AromaticGreen. According to Frapin, this is the pyramid Top notes: grapefruit, bitter orange, basil Middle notes: accord of salt, freesia and violet Bass notes: ironwood, Haitian vetiver, musk I would have said that Isle of Man falls under the woods group myself, but you see what I mean. This is a fragrance with many faces. I can’t say I have much in common with the description issued by the house though. “Isle of Man is a resolutely masculine fragrance, a celebration of the fearless and intrepid for those who laugh in the face of death-defying odds. It salutes free spirits and adrenaline addicts who know that truly living means pushing boundaries. You’re never more alive than when life is on the line”. Well....I’m a woman who has never once wanted to parachute/swim with sharks/climb an erupting volcano or even frolic naked across a sporting field during a grand final. I did get a speeding ticket once though. What I do know is that Isle of Man is very weather dependent. On autumn or winter days the musky base notes are warm and cosy, and even better in the cold. On cool wet days I enjoy IoM even more. I don’t find that it works well in high humidity or heat, despite the citrus and green vegetal top and middle notes. Then the musk and woods just annoyed me, so I suspect that might be ISO E Super. I have the same issue with Lana by Santa Maria Novella. That smothering sensation you just can’t escape. It doesn’t happen in many fragrances for me, and because I love IoM so much, I just won’t wear it out in hot humid weather. So, all in all, Isle of Man is a worthy addition to your wardrobe to be worn as Alienor Massenet created it, or as an extremely versatile layering tool. Below are are some options I enjoyed. If you get a sample, have some fun with it. Prada Infusion d’Vetiver, Creed Green Irish Tweed, Eva Santa Maria Novella(citus&musk), Hermes Eau de Marveilles, Dior Homme Cologne, 4711 Basil & Blood Orange, 4711 Pink Pepper and grapefruit, Guerlain Du Coq, Chanel Coromandel (has bitter orange), Givenchy Eau Demoiselle (Basil and citrus) Acqua Allegoria citrus range, Bleu de Chanel Parfum, Chanel Chance Eau Tendre, Santa Maria Novella Fresia, Creed Milessime Imperial, Paco Rabanne Olympoea, Batucada L'Artisan Parfumeur.

I'm obsessed with Terre d'Hermes but I can't wear it because it was the signature fragrance of an ex of mine. I think Comme des Garcons Man 2 is one of the best fragrances ever created but you can't walk down a single street in Melbourne without smelling it at least twice. Bal d'Afrique to me is brilliant, but not enough to warrant purchasing a full bottle (not yet anyhow). I have been on the hunt for a dreamy woody vetiver fragrance for what seems like forever and I've finally found a strong contender in Isle of Man - it fits the bill entirely. Dreamy, creamy, sweet and citrusy vetiver with an uber masculine backing that smells mature, rugged and sophisticated. I am this close to buying a bottle, but there is something holding me back. It's the overwhelming masculinity of the profile that just makes me wonder... can I really pull this off? I don't know how many times I've had to learn the important lesson, that just because you love a perfume does not mean it will suit you. And this is one of those instances where I'm on the fence. I am keeping it on my wishlist for now, if I can’t find something more appropriate I’ll take the plunge. All that aside, it's a brilliant perfume and it deserves a very high rating. I think it's more appropriate for cooler weather and definitely 30+ with a lot of confidence.

I picked this up on a Luckyscent sample binge on a lark — I'm a total vetiver hound and enjoy watching old Isle of Man racing footage, so why not? The ultra macho brand copy had me expecting a classic, masculine barbershop scent, which I'll wear even if it tends to startle people on a woman. Whatever, vetiver is great. I was pleasantly surprised at what I got instead: a note-perfect grapefruit that mellows into a softly salty and powdery driftwood vetiver with the occasional sweet burst of freesia. It's not resolutely unisex; it kinda wobbles between masc of center to almost feminine depending on the minute and the mood. I spent the first half-hour wearing this with my nose pressed to my arm where I'd applied it, huffing deeply, hooked on the vibrant citrus and then reminded of Northern California beaches as the wood and musk came in. It's ocean-y in a cool, bright, relaxed way, and while it's not especially complicated, I couldn't get its light, easy balance of green and wood and floral off my mind, and ended up ordering a full bottle.

For me this is very close to Hermes Vetiver Tonka. Opens very orangey / mandarin, with green notes of vetiver and basil. Then it turns creamy, with the same sweet praline note as in VT. I get really good longevity with moderate projection. I rate this really highly, it's not spoken about much but is worth a try for a very well balanced masculine fragrance

Amazing vetiver fragrance, woody, bitter but still smooth and very enjoyable. It has this salty, creamy, fresh coconut like vibe to it. It has the same feeling as Bal D ́Afrique or Vetiver Tonka.