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.

Salty Orange with Creamy Coconut feeling A little bit weird but after 2-3 times of wearing i really love it. Longivity was good as citrus fragrance

Smooth, slightly salty skin in the morning. This person owns a cabin by the beach and is wearing linen and and a cable knit jumper at night.

Smells like Froot Loops milk. I love it. 9/10

Awesome unique scent not sure if there is quite anything like it. It’s NOT anything like Creed Viking and it doesn’t have pineapple. It has an exceptionally bright realistic grapefruit opening bodied out with a tart orange quickly drying down to reveal a not too strong salty soft wood and musk with a little freesia and a tinge of dried basil behind the orange. It sometimes comes across a little caramel like, nose to skin I sometimes get walnut shell and a little creaminess. The solid orange becomes more prominent and stable over time becoming the more prominent note. For me this is a scent to bundle amongst Acqua Di Parma Arancia Di Capri or Eau D’Orange Vert or Kerosene Summer of 84 or Imaginary Authors Sundrunk. It’s unique enough to have its own spot next to them, I’m tempted to buy a bottle though I know I will have to pour it on. I can imagine salt spray hitting me in an orange grove by the sea side. It’s fresh and light. A number of retailers are listing this as a male scent but it’s definitly unisex. I’ll have to come back regarding the longevity but I fear it’s typical Frapin and a little under par for an EDP but if you like orange citrus I would suggest give it a go!

This starts out with a semisweet, juicy, very realistic grapefruit note. The basil which follows close on its heels adds depth and some warmth. I can feel the salt before I smell it; as with all salt notes, it feels like I've just rinsed my mouth out with salt water and can feel the remnants lingering at the back of my throat. The citrus starts skewing away from grapefruit and towards orange about five minutes in. After a few hours, it transforms into a smooth, creamy vetiver. This is one of very few fragrances which has an early stage I actually like; top notes are usually my least favourite part of a fragrance's evolution, but these are great. It's really nice! It barely projects at all on me, though, and I wish it lasted longer. If the performance was better, I'd definitely buy a full bottle of this. As it is, I'll have to think on it for a while. I definitely suggest trying it out, though, because if it performs well on your skin, you may have found a great fragrance.

Purchased this from a female youtuber recommendation, who described it as a "salty citrus". While those notes are definitely in this blend, the most prominent ones are the woody notes, especially the vetiver. To me it's a crisp, cold woodsy frag with the spiciness of the citruses. The salt helps to mellow it to the skin, making it more wearable. It performs best in cooler weather, with no heat or humidity (which is hard living in Australia, so mine doesn't get much of a workout). Can be pulled off as unisex, but definitely leans toward male for my nose.

A nice easy to reach for aromatic green fragrance. The perfume opens with citrusy aromatic notes of grapefruit, basil and orange peel. The heart is mostly sea salt with a bit of violet and freesia. The perfume settles on a powdery base of synthetic musk, vetiver and cedar. While this is not particularly unique, the perfume has a fresh easygoing feel about it. Masculine leaning with moderate sillage and projection and good longevity. Pleasant but unexceptional. Enjoy!

Isle of Man is described as citrus fruit over vetiver and ironwood, which I liked the sound of. But the smell didn't really match the description for me. When I wear it, the woody notes are overpowered by a juicy fruit smell, but not recognizably orange or grapefruit, or even citrus. In fact, "Juicy Fruit" is appropriate because it reminds me of a "tropical mix" chewing gum with an indistinct blend of flavors like pineapple, mango and kiwi.

Really nice green woodsy scent. There’s a lot of dimensions to it, but they’re all very smooth and subtle, each note bleeding into each other: green leaves, sea salt, a whiff of flowers, a grounded base of woods. The smell of a coastal forest, but softened and rounded out. I’d say it’s full bottle worthy but the sillage and longevity are very low.

- calming, relaxing, and subtle - the vetiver and wood are present yet well-blended; this is not like the other vetiver / wood frags you've smelled 1000x before

Interesting take on the Vetiver which is usually a note I find very nauseating. It is fresh, salty, polite and as often with Frapin, a bit too weak. 6,5/10.

I really love this. Sadly it does not last on my skin for very long at all or give off a large sillage for me. Only reason why I wouldn't get again.

For me this is like a woodsy version of a traditional cologne. Like 4711 + vetiver. It's pleasant enough.

Testing this blind, the opening gave me elements of orange and floral but was quite fleeting and reduced down to a skin scent quickly, leaving me with only a soft aura of itself and not really indicative of any specific characteristics. But later, it blossoms and I get a fresh and slightly sweet powdery feeling. Not sure if my skin warmed up or it just has a delayed reaction, but it was a rebound I've never experienced before. Looking at the name and notes now, while fresh, isle of man I do not get. While the bitter orange, grapefruit, and salt bring in the refreshing feeling it's not breezy, all that salty, or island of anything. The delayed violet and freesia powder is clear and the most apparent. And while I don't doubt the woods provide a base, they're quite soft and far in the background. I don't get the basil at all. Overall, it's pretty light and airy and I don't feel it matches its name.

At first impression, I get sea salt, citrus and basil (weird, but I like how well done the basil is here). Off the bat, it reminds me of a more masculine twist on my beloved Air di Gioia. As the citrus accord begins to fade (around 2 hours in), the vetiver shines through, and the basil remains steadfast. Again, unexpected and a bit weird, but still digging it big time. Longevity is on the longer side of moderate, lasting about 5-6 hours on my skin. For the asking price, I'd much rather go with my Air di Gioia, although it would appear both are discontinued, and are therefore going to be a bit more difficult to find than scents still in active production. I'm glad that I was able to score my back-up bottles of Air at Marshalls when I did. If you find Air di Gioia to be a touch too feminine for your tastes, it might be worth seeking out a sample of Isle of Man.