V.S.O.P.

About 2/3rds through my sample so I think I've finally had enough time to sit with VSOP and form my opinions. First off this is a beautiful fragrance and love-letter to one of my favorite cocktails the old fashioned. (I would like to try one with cognac someday to see how closely it compares to this fragrance) The opening is this long sip of bright orangey cardamom spiced booze that I find intoxicating on its own, it settles down onto the skin pretty quickly and you catch the smoky warm sweetness of the tobacco leaf (I find it almost pulls slightly animalic I think because of the leathery aroma saffron offers here) and I get whiffs of sweet jasmine and rose. Jasmine and rose are a floral combination I often find overwhelming but I love that the florals in this fragrance really simmer during the day and are never trying to steal the spotlight. I'm wearing it today as a daytime fragrance but if it were a warmer time of year I think this may be a predominately night scent. Wore this to the office yesterday too because I planned to go out with some coworkers for drinks afterward (my migraine had other plans but that's besides the point) and the two compliments I received were from an older woman lawyer in my office who said it smelled so beautiful and luxurious, and she had me write down the name so she could find it online; the other from an attractive person in my office who said I smelled confident, I definitely felt that way! I would really love to try the XO extrait someday to see if I like that more, either way would probably get a full size of either variant.

This is great perfumery. VSOP blends the Opulence of Frederick Malle's Portrait of a Lady with the sexiness of Kililan Angel's Share. While this leans a bit more feminine than the scents I typically wear (I am a male and would never wear POAL for example), VSOP is truly unisex. The floral top notes are quickly tempered so well with the resinous, warm spicy notes so the scent never goes into fully floral on one end, or completely spicy/ boozy territory on the other end, contributing nicely to the unisex appeal. After the initial blast of saffron, boozy cinnamon and jasmine notes, the rose takes the stage in the middle notes while the ambery boozy tobacco notes play a supporting role from the sidelines and slowly increase toward dry-down. I'm curious to see if the experience will further evolve with maceration. Would definitely recommend giving it a try if you like luxurious niche scents with plenty of mass appeal. (I would say the effect is more niche than indie, as the scent is so elegant and approachable, not esoteric or aloof like many indie brands.) The order took a while to arrive, but I'm completely fine with that as I love supporting an up-and-coming small brand with such a worthy passion for excellence in fragrance.

VSOP is a great scent for people who don’t really like those the boozy/Amber scents. The cognac note is definitely present, but the florals/musk do a lot of heavy lifting to keep this from feeling cumbersome. I think this line does a great job of providing statement scents that aren’t a chore to wear.

Stunning and complex. I can't get enough of the warmth and depth of this. Creates a beautifully enveloping, warm, spicy, slightly sweet cloud. This is only this perfume’s freshman collection and I'm excited to see what he comes out with next.

When I saw how few reviews Mack n Gnosh had on fragrantica I felt I had to add mine! I just got the sample set the other day and am REALLY enjoying it. VSOP is a very heavy, rich, sexy scent. I’m often intrigued by the idea of fragrances inspired by alcohol but don’t actually enjoy them. The cognac notes in this are tempered by the amber, musk, and floral, not amplified by them, so it’s more wearable to me than other boozy fragrances. I don’t get much of the orange and pink pepper that’s described in the notes on Mack Gnosh’s website - it feels like this perfume skips past the opening and gets straight to the heart notes, at least on my skin. I really enjoy this and think it’s a really unique and special fragrance. It feels like it would be a great “signature scent” for fall and winter parties and dates. I am debating wearing it to a holiday party tonight, but this is not the perfume of a woman in a sequined dress with glitter eye makeup - this is the perfume of a woman in a black velvet jumpsuit and red lipstick. She is holding a glass with dark liquor, of course. Really more of a vodka cranberry girl myself, but VSOP is aspirational.

Unfortunately this business is a scam. I purchased on January 29, 2023 and received an email saying the order was delayed and would arrive by March 1, 2023. It is now July 5 and there have been no updates from the vendor. My UPS tracking number says "shipment cancelled" but I haven't received a refund or a response to any of the 5 emails I sent the vendor.

I’ve been nursing my VSOP sample. Trying to hold on to it until Justin gets himself and the brand back up and running. His site, social media, devices, Shopify account, and bank accounts were compromised so he had to shut down. The fragrance is stunning. It’s warm, boozy, inviting, and elegant. Wore this to a party and got many compliments especially from men. It takes a confidant person to wear this. It gives bad bitch vibes.

Top tier stuff!! Brought this for my boyfriend for Christmas after he had bought a sample pack from the perfumer. VSOP was our favorite of the samples and I immediately bought the full bottle. It last ALLLLLL DAY and into the night.

Justin please bring this back for your Day 1s. PLEASE! 😩😩😩