Lieber Gustav 14

For me the strongest impression I get is very reminiscent of birthday cake. Yet it is not the least bit sickeningly sweet. It definitely has a business-like air, with just enough of presence of musk and leather to be taken seriously. I find this to be among the very best you can find in a comfortable, safe fragrance for men. For me it has pretty decent longevity and doesn't project very far, which are nice features for me. I don't want people smelling me walk through a room, but I do want the fragrance to last, and for me, it does.

The opening is like a scrap of leather thrown in a vat of pepper and a tinge of musk. I find the opening quite spicy and a bit smokey. I would never classify this as a clean fragrance. Not enough green notes for me to see it that way though lavender does read fresh. I find in the middle drydown, the lavender more apparent as the leather moves off. Extreme drydown is woods with a bit of lavender and a bit of stinky musk. It's not big on sillage, wears closer to the skin and like all the other Kriglers, has lower longevity.

This light purple-tinted liquid smells like a standard cologne made with a minimum of citrus, mainly lavender and woody notes. As it dries down, however, the lavender takes a back seat to a sweet, very powdery, tonka note. Later on, after a couple of hours, a synthetic lavender note reappears and combines with the powder. Sillage is strong to moderate, and the scent lasts at least 5-6 hours on skin. For a powdery artificial lavender scent it’s not bad at all. In fact, it’s pleasant to wear. It’s just not really my thing.

Having read the brief on Lieber Gustav, I expected something manly that also had a romantic flair to it. After spraying, you quickly understand the gentleman's touch to come from a rich dose of lavender that often came in the traditional barbershop/fougere “lavender bombs”. Where this sets itself apart is in that it has the cedar and tonka base that many Kriglers are defined by. The colliding of the two worlds give this fragrance a gentlemanly cleanliness with a date night appropriateness. Superb blending, excellent depth, and a win for the lavender lovers seeking something new.

On my skin Lieber Gustav is about lavender, mint and wood, I get no leather scent. It is fresh and clean, but not boring at all. I think this fragrance could perfectly suit a classical kind of man, who likes wearing suit every day. It would be a perfect final touch :)