The Poet

An absolute banger of a fragrance. I usually avoid ambroxan, but this is a perfect example of how it can be used effectively. We see both facets of Ambroxan here, the creamy and the salty, paired up with a zingy grapefruit and fizzy frankincense in the opening. The lily/musk notes are always perceptible, but become more salient as it dries down. Becomes even creamier as the sandalwood base starts to peak through. This perfume is wildly skin chemistry dependant, coming across as sweet and sparkly on my girlfriend's wrist, while creamy, floral, and musky on mine. Both smelled amazing, however. As for performance, it's potent juice but the smell is so pleasant that it's hard to feel overwhelmed. Truly a four season fragrance except maybe in extreme high temps (I'll try it on the next hot day and update) and feels appropriate for most situations. Dead center unisex. Edit: I found it overwhelming in high heat and humidity. My personal temp limit would be around 80.

This a beautiful fresh/spicy musky scent that stays close to the skin but lasts for hours if not days. Though the notes don’t make mention of spices, the ambroxan and olibanum on my skin have an almost cardamom smelling effect in the opening. I become anosmic to the middle notes, but the lily is present enough to keep the fragrance from getting too heavy. Towed the tail end of wear, the patchouli and sandalwood notes show their face and keep the fragrance alive for several more hours. This fragrance smells great, but when you pair it with the idea that serves as it basis, it becomes a true work of art replicating the feeling of soft introspection.

I have to say, out of all of my perfumes, this one is going in my top 10 of all time (and I have about 500 samples/bottles all together). It feels like me but better, what JHAG’s not a perfume wishes it was. Reminiscent of the amber musk of 11 11, this is a sweet refinement of your body chemistry. Definitely unisex, too, which is always a plus in my book. It’s smaller sillage allows those who pass you in the day to have a pleasant whiff but not enough to intoxicate them. Close to the skin but available to be enjoyed by those who you closely encounter.

This was addictive and flavorful. It had an enzymatic, prickly/fuzzy quality to it. Reminded me of the Paddywax "Mark Twain" candle. It leaned masculine, but only slightly. After one spritz on my wrist I could still smell it a full 24 hours later. EDIT: I found a passable dupe for this yesterday - Canggu by indie company Bohemian Reves.

Love love love. Went to a niche shop and smelled nearly everything and this was the standout for me today. Leans masculine, sweet musky nostalgic oriental, like a more transparent eau des baux (now called cèdre encens) by l’occitane. Familiar face, and overall very very pleasant!

I'm buying this for my husband I love it so much. Give it a shot sincerely, idk what some reviewers are snelling. Definitely masculine to me, intriguing but bright, sexy but work appropriate.

Found in a Traveling Samples Box. Tried on paper where I found it very interesting and darkly masculine...even sexy...and I rarely find a frag sexy unless it smells feminine. Unlike most frags I try on paper, I liked this one enough to try on skin, where the grapefruit note appeared, the lily became more noticeable, and it seemed better balanced overall (also more unisex). As the top notes fade over time it began to smell more like it initially did on paper. For what it's worth it was cool and rainy here last night when I tried it. Overall I'd say this is a very good, masculine-unisex that's more original and interesting than most and I'd be glad to have a large sample or perhaps a bottle of it. The house (owned by the perfumer) sells 10ml samples for $68 and a 50ml bottles for $175 at this time.

Don't get me wrong, I really love this line so far. However, The Poet is not my favorite, and I feel like the name doesn't suit it. I was hoping for a papery floral with a woody base. The ambroxan in this is quite synthetic smelling, and it's one of the very first notes, then it lasts through the dry-down. The grapefruit lends a slightly interesting angle. It's not super prominent, but it does lend the frag a sharpness. I do get the tonka and patchouli in the drydown, and it's fine but not extraordinary. Overall, solid enough, but not standout enough to buy a full bottle. I will certainly use up my sample and may try layering it.

This is a very beautiful masculine leaning scent. It’s nostalgic for me, as it reminds me of my father’s cologne from when I was a child. There’s a citrus opening but it quickly settles into amber and woods. It’s very warm in my opinion and colder weather leaning. Someone mentioned it was musty on them, but it never leaned that way on me. Scent is such a unique thing!

Its a woody ambrette scent!!! I really did enjoy it!!! Its quite unisex! the combo of tonka bean, patchouli, sandalwood, and frankincense is so bomb in this...... PLUS the hint of grapefruit///,,,

Fantastic on fabric, Horrible on my skin. Exactly what L'Attesa by Masque Milano (not the way it smells) does, which is also great on fabric and despicable on my skin. So sad! On fabric, it gives off a peachy-champagne-yeast factor which feels invisible, the way a fragrance might be sprayed inside a clothing store or inside a cloud of fog at a concert or club. It functions that sort of way, to give off a "vibe" or feeling. Unfortunately, it is so nasty on skin that it smells like burning rubber tires. Can't wear it again, so I sprayed it inside my fabric case which holds my glasses. Each time I unzip the case, I take a sniff to remind me what it was probably intended to smell like. To me, it is better in warm, rainy, or steamy weather because it needs some humidity to bloom. Edit: This is absolutely horrible and I want to gag. I change my mind about fabric too. Now I am stuck with the stench inside my bags and case. Lasts a long time unfortunately. I wrote the review up there before the drydown. However, Upon drydown, The ambroxan doesn't leave and the smooth scent I was hoping for never surfaces.

I’m not sure if it’s because the ambrette or olibanum are so high up in the note pyramid, or if it’s something else, but this smells musty (yes, with a T) on my skin. The grapefruit is also a bit too tart for my liking.

Wow, very different experience on skin vs paper, but that happens sometimes. I'll have to come back to this after a full wear but on paper I almost didn't believe I got the right sample while looking at the notes. On skin I pick up more of the fizzy, sparkling grapefruit and olibanum. After the initial splash it's a spicy feeling, vegetal ambery musk that prevails, but done in a smooth, sophisticated style reminiscent of classic men's fragrances with a focus on tonka. It actually reminds me of anise- sharp, lightly sweet, a little rooty. Or maybe licorice root? I'm not very keen on either, but some combination of ingredients in here makes a good fantasy accord for it. This was the biggest surprise from the house, but just not a style for me. I also want to suggest that this isn't like any of the "my skin but better" styles of perfume out there. It's not "molecular", or extremely ambiguous in it's musk notes.

More interesting than a "my skin but better" but has the same soft-ish quality that draws people to those types of fragrances. The ambroxan is strong when I first spray it, but the dry down is a super smooth androgynous amber vibe that makes me feel warm and grounded without being sweet or overly feminine. It's an early fall-late winter scent for me.