Karl Hamburg Alster

What you see in the notes is what you get. Great notes separation. Mint and Sage hit strong in the opening, mandarin supports them without stealing any attention. It's not a juicy citrus smell, nor it is sour. It's mostly a quiet, bitter rind of mandarin that blends Mint, Sage and Lavender together. Sage and mint are really "realistic", very herbal and as complex as their true inspirations. After opening goes into drydown, mint hides into background and Sage takes over the scene where it stays until the end, with Lavender in supporting role. This fragrance is all about the Sage. Some people may report that it smells like "cucumber" during first few minutes of the opening but it quickly goes away (combination of mandarin, sage and alcohol seems to give such impression, if someone is not discerning their individual notes). Projection is in my opinion above average - 3 sprays create a surprisingly large scent bubble that can "spice up" the room if you stay indoors for a while. With few more sprays you can stretch it to 2h and make sure that everyone smells you from the other side of the house. Lasting power - After 1-2h it smoothly loses its strength, which takes around 5-6h, eventually giving you a "fresh out of shower" projection. On skin you can smell it until morning. It's a simple fragrance for someone who wants a freshie that's not a yet another citrus. It's really herbal, as if you dropped on the ground and rolled around in fresh summer herb garden.

Having tried hundreds of fragrances, I can safely say that this is my favorite mint-forward fragrance of them all. But it isn't just the mint - it is how the soft mint (which is substantial enough to cool the eyes for a few hours) is blended with a juicy mandarin, airy lavender and freesia (which I usually dislike but truly appreciate here). Nor does this very affordable fragrance stay linear or fade quickly. A candy apple scent (I believe from the sage) joins in with some white musk at about the 30 minutes mark. At an hour, vanilla, rosemary and geranium begin to provide a nice counterpoint. Still later, a modern fougere element including a delicate anise joins, providing a touch of Platinum Egoiste accord. Several of the current KL offerings are modest in their longevity so I like to do 8 sprays of this. The result is that you will still get consistent wafts of this even after 3 hours while those around you will experience a soft, aromatic, fresh scent without necessarily knowing that it is coming from you. That works great for me. This one is hardly known, but it is a worthy companion to KL Mercer Street and several of the Bois De ___ line (especially Yuzu and Amber). Bottom Line: Excellent mint-forward fragrance. Non-linear and longer-lasting than expected. Unique but universal overall scent at a crazy-low price.

**UPDATED REVIEW): The truth is that I’ve been looking for a good summer office fragrance for quite some time. This isn’t exactly my ideal, although in its own way, it comes close... this is the right fragrance for entrepreneurs determined to take on the world, just as it was in its day - the already old, decidedly vintage - Platinum Egoiste by Chanel; perhaps it isn’t a coincidence that this fragrance was launched in homage to Karl Kagerfeld, who raised Chanel from bankruptcy and led it to absolute success during his time. In any case, let it be very clear: I’m not saying that Platinum Egoiste users like this fragrance, probably on the contrary... ok? KL Hamburg Alster is fresh-minty-clean-sweet-woody-musky and expect average duration (for a freshie) with moderate projection. It’s just a modern fresh smell, nothing more and nothing less... but it has that “bold attitude” I’ve looking for. It smells great on me, it's addictive and most important: It isn’t boring, because I would bathe every morning in it. if I have to define this fragrance, I’d label it as “a forward-looking aromatic fougere”: The scent of an immaculate future of white buildings and pristine glass walls. So this is simple like business: adapt and enjoy it.

Nose Note #463 Another spectacular one from Lagerfeld I've found at the rack store besides Vienna Opera. I like this one even better. It goes more in the direction of Creed Himalaya, more soapy, more like modern detergent, but in the best way possible. A bit stronger than Vienna. So I'd say it performs just like 80% of stuff on the market. Smell fantastic. Sage and lavender lead the game. Mint adds cool to the soapiness of lavender. Mandarin is barely there, just for initial interest. Great. Super easy to wear and easy to like. Has some sweetness. Just like Vienna - great value for money. Nothing cheap about it. I love Creed Himalaya and this scratched the itch a bit. 8/10, wonderful hamburger

This is sweet and woodsy, subtle and refined. The balance of sweet, herbal and wood accords is ideal. Although not as memorable as the New York perfume, it is an ingratiating fragrance crafted with care and taste. The bottles in this Lagerfeld line of fragrance are attractive and designed for ease of spraying. They fit well in your hand. I read a lot of disparaging comments about Lagerfeld fragrance but they are not true. Lagerfeld has always produced high-quality products that smell wonderful but may not be as popular as others, hence their assumed second-class status. As the cliché says: The quality goes in before the name goes on. I have always loved Lagerfeld perfumes.