Solo Loewe

Disclaimer: I'm a proud Loewe fanboy and Solo IS my favorite perfume so far. I remember the warm sunny day i decided to spend some time checking out scents at Sephora looking for my first "quality" fragrance. I liked a few and asked for samples. At home, i just sat there and adored Solo on my wrist and the blotter as well. It was so warm, sunny, sparkly and smooth smelling. I loved it so much i ordered myself a near full bottle online for a good price. I used it all the time, buying and trying different scents simultaneously. When my experience and taste developed, i started to appreciate Solo's uniqueness even more. Personally, i like complicated and "blended" scents as long as they feel textured, spatial and not cloying. Loewe does that perfectly, and here are a few standouts in this composition: At the top it has beautiful, juicy tangerine, few other citruses, and a touch of lavender and other spices. They are not like Terre d'Hermes sour citrus, but have more polished, a tad sweet-ish vibe. The top is then perfectly balanced by smooth, oriental, warm and woody mix of many notes, which im not even going to try and name. The important thing is the whole scent has perfect harmony and nothing stands out annoyingly. The base is delicate, with mainly amber notes, as well as resinous, "incense minus the smoke" foundation. I fell like this fragrance is really "compressed" and occupies the mid-spectrum, which works well for its character and projection. Its not a beast in any terms, but blends really well with my skin and clothes. For me, its the perfect signature scent and i can wear it all year round, day or night. In the summer its not cloying or heavy and wears perfecty at warm nighttime, in the winter its an amazing light daytime scent. It shines even more in spring or autumn. It's classy, office or school safe but definitely not boring. It's not outdated at all. It's suitable for every age in my opinion. I imagine a suited man driving wood trim E-Class from his neo-eclectic house to 2000s teal-glass office wearing this, as well as an official, smart casual or even holiday scent today. To this day, i can't find anything even remotely similiar. And because its so underrated, nobody tries to dupe Loewe scents, except the 7. If anyone knows something similiar to Solo, tell me right away.

Notes: lemon, lavender, thyme, mandarine, rosemary, boldo, white ginger flower, myrthle flower, cinamom, Guava, mate, pink pepper, anise buds, cashmere wood, costus, patchouli. This perfume is my favourite from the Spaniard range, and really stands out from the bold Spanish perfumery market. It has a really cool mixture of floral yet spicy notes, with a misterious background of wet stone accord (a blend of guava essence, rosemary, thyme and mate), melting together into a great fragrance, very easy to wear, extremely addictive, sexy as hell, masculine and with a bonus of being quite affordable too. The whole scent is centered in the combination of soft spices with the recreated mineral note of the stone accord, against the evocative, sexy, yet classy crisp notes of mhyrth flower and ginger flower. The juice start zesty but in a dark way (the closest similirity could be Bvlgary Aqva opening despiste of the difference of the notes). The presence of the mandarine gives a straightforward path of the flowers, like a gorgeous heady halo around you, and the initial incorporation of the cinammom just in the background. Specially the ginger flower here is the key,(if you didn't smell it isolated you may try Kenzoki Ginger flower body spray from Kenzo; this is exactly how the ginger flower smells in flesh. Not feminine at all, gorgeous, crisp and kind of citrusy in a way). The myrthle flower is quite hypnotic but it has, at the same time a fresh aroma that bring me nostalgic images of a walk by the sea breeze in the mediterranean. Solo loewe is not aquatic but it has a vague reminiscence of this olfative family. The whole cologne is heady and the perfume dries down marvellous with hints of spices, patchouli and clean woods, with a blink of the top floral notes. The whole formula reamins from the top to the bottom balenced, not overly sweet, not too light, never too flowery. Just calm and glorious. In the dry down the compostion of the stone accord it's more noticiable, marvellous. Solo Loewe is just gorgeous, well done, with a clever perfect blend of noble simple notes.

Update: This is a perfect example of me approaching a fragrance with too much hype leading only to a disappointment...and returning to it later, only to find out the hype was right. This is the bomb. This is orange Joop. (Seriously.) This is Beck's Midnight Vultures flying out of the bottle; Sexx Laws head first in all its neon glory. This is a loud and fun fragrance for men. Forget about mandarin, guava, and lavender. Forget about all that as it will only confuse, lead to false analogies and missteps. Yes, it has a mandarin opening, but forget about the citrusy stuff you've known. I'm picking up a sweet, slightly tangy transparent orange-vanilla candy. And it just goes on from there. The whole thing is unapologetically synthetic, like a Sky Ferreira track. And this is a good thing. And like Ms. Ferreira's work, everything is perfectly blended and works. It works. There's lavender, guava, cinnamon, mint, everything you could imagine, but not like anything you're expecting. And if you give it a chance, it is better. I could definitely wear this for day or night, but particularly for something fun; this is not a boring masculine or a contemplative scent. Perfect party wear, barbecue, club, etc. Spring/Summer. Projection is tops, as is longevity. Be careful with the sprayer, as you could certainly harm yourself and others around--I'm thinking three shots MAX. (I was serious about the orange Joop comment.) I can see why some don't like it, and I understand why I didn't either. Definitely try it before you buy it. Most importantly, expectations can really affect first impressions, especially with this one as it is very different. 4 out of 5

Solo Loewe was a big surprise for me. When I got a sample of this perfume, in 2008 (although it was launched in 2004), I tested it on the skin and I confess that I didn't like it, because it has a very strong smell on the output, something kind of old and sweet, getting quite cloying. But, as I should know, a fragrance is not judged by its output; it is necessary to allow time for it to evolve on the skin and really "show its face". Well, about 30 minutes later, I remember feeling a very tasty smell exhaling and when I smelled my arm I thought: “Wow, this fragrance is amazing!”. I remember, as if it were today, that I couldn't stop thinking about this perfume until the day I finally managed to buy my first bottle. Its concept is to harmonize extremes. It was inspired by the city of Toledo, around the 12th and 13th centuries, where contrasting civilizations lived side by side, in perfect harmony. The guava note is, in my opinion, the great star of this composition: it is different and brings a Latin spirit. Cashmere wood is delicious! So, we have nutmeg, cinnamon, anise, mint, and tangerine in the heart notes. Well, just with those notes I would be able to create another great perfume! To complete the task, we found oakmoss and a wonderful vanilla at the base, together with musk, amber, and wood. What else can I say? Solo Loewe is powerful, versatile, modern, luxurious, etc. The bottle is interesting and the metal finishings convey elegance. Its evolution on the skin is perfect and lasts for more than ten hours!

I received a sample of Loewe Solo Cedro, tried it and had such an incredibly positive female reaction that I went back to purchase a bottle. I got to the local shop that gave me the tester and they did not yet carry it! I purchased Loewe Solo instead. To me Solo smelled like a less cedar forward version that had more complexity. So back into the city I went, again the reaction from women I encountered was incredible. More than a few stares in my direction as well as a barista taking down the name of the scent I was wearing, she wants to buy it for her guy. The day in the city ended with a woman literally asking me to sit closer to her as she walked past and we exchanged glances. Absolutely unexpected reactions I must admit. All of this said, I myself am thrilled and pleased with this masterpiece. I have over 18 scents at my disposal, but this one has garnered quite the reaction while being something I myself can't get enough of. It's a win win for me! Highly regarded! Some info regarding environmental variables: Area used = NRW Germany Temp range = 13-18 Celsius Shower gel used = The Body Shop Olive Deodorant used = The Body Shop Maca Root Sprays = Two in the AM / Once more on the back of the neck on my way out of the office. Spray distribution AM= chest/back rub wrists top and bottom on chest and back.