Silver Blue

This one is really interesting, and masterfully done, in the humble opinion of my nose. Certainly not a blue fragrance by most contemporary conceptions of the meaning of that term, but you can see how they arrived there. What characterizes the base of the Blue de Chanels of the world more than an amber/ambergris/ambroxan base with layer of woods atop, all cascading upwards towards a citrus and clean burst at the opening? The end result of cranking up the wood and amber notes to the limit, and highlighting them to their natural conclusion, isn’t BDC on steroids, but instead results in a floating and heady haze of a masculine cloud. The end result is a nearly BR540-esque fragrance, done in a distinctly masculine direction. It’s more of an essence than a fragrance, more ideal than tangible. In that sense I get the “manly angel’s share” comparison that other commenters have made. However, I don’t think that alone does it much justice. It isn’t some angel’s share derivative or adjacent scent. To me the spark of genius in this one is that it smells so traditional? I struggle with using the word traditional here, because this one is undoubtedly peerless and novel in my collection. But it ends up being so simple a scent (not pejorative) and so ostensibly obvious a concoction that it’s almost shocking that nobody has made something in this vein previously. This ultimately leaves you with a fragrance that is entirely unique in its own right, but is so focused and pointed in its aims that, for me, it is nothing less than a classic. In terms of the accords: I get a sharp and instantly fleeting appearance of bergamot (that isn’t particularly notable, but is the only note that can account for the crispness on first application) at the very tippy top opening above an amber bomb upon first spray. The amber is here throughout, but is a silky and rich amber like that used in heavy eastern concentrations, as opposed to that of a sparkly, screechy amber in the popular blue frags of the west. Like all of the Manceras I’ve experienced, it takes a few moments to settle from an intense opening until it butterflies into its highest moments. And so too like all Manceras I’ve tried this one will grow on you over time, smells infinitely better on skin than paper, and likewise smells better in its sillage and radiance than with your nose pressed up against it. But this one is a woody and amber heavy fragrance from dawn til dusk. That is the overwhelming majority of what I get from it. There is a modest sweetness that lives and breathes as it radiates, but nothing at all unappealing. Again, it’s a swirly haze of dense masculine notes, and I think this one makes great company. I haven’t gotten my fiancé’s opinion on this one yet, but I couldn’t imagine women wouldn’t love it because Silver Blue to me is deeply cozy and sensually and intensely pleasant.

Silver Blue was released originally as a Selfridges exclusive but is now widely available. This resulted in no hype upon it's release. At this point, I have had this for a couple weeks and have worn it 5 times. Caramel and amber on a bed of wood, patchouli and oakmoss. More woody and earthy than sweet. The amber serves as a bridge between the two solitudes providing balance. The caramel/amber interplays nicely with the woody, earthiness without being overly sweet, making this quite appealing. Silver Blue uses the same caramel note as Amber Fever and the caramel is there for most of the duration. It is not an overly-sweet and sugary, toothache-inducing caramel. Unisex leaning masculine and gets moreso as you get deep into the drydown. The drydown is not linear on my skin. The patchouli and oakmoss seem to step forward and step back, forward and back with the caramel note. They play well together. You must like patchouli and oakmoss, making this not a blindbuy if you are sensitive to these notes. Looking at the "Reminds Me of" comps, you can tell it does not smell exactly like anything really. I can concur that - though not reinventing the wheel - this does not smell like your typical mall-frag and will smell very unique to the normies and somewhat unique to most fragheads. There is definitely nothing blue about this except the bottle. Is it easy to wear? Not if you don't like oakmoss and patchouli. These notes do not dominate but they are always there. I think autumn will be the best season for this. It interacts beautifully with the fall air. I suspect it will also work very well in the winter and early spring. Temps in the teens (Celsius) might be it's sweetspot. Looking at it through the prism of my own collection, I think this wears more casual than dressed up. I get over 8 hours longevity. The opening is ok and the drydown is very nice. Very appealing. I catch wafts of myself while walking outside and I find myself sticking my nose inside my t-shirt collar regularly (I'm a chest-sprayer). After 8 hours you are left with oakmoss, patchouli and woods. I really like this but do sample before going full-bottle. For me it was a blindbuy, so I hedged my bets and went with the 60ml bottle instead of the 120ml. You don't need a lot of sprays. Good value on discount-sites.

I have tried two Mancera fragrances now (Red Tobacco and this). Both have performed well. I am impressed with the quality, the longevity, and the unique smells. Both were very strong and had good longevity. I loved both the minute I applied them. Silver Blue could possibly overwhelm someone with the strong almost too sweet and spicy note. I think in the summer or if you run "hot" in body temp, this might get even more overwhelming. It is intoxicating though. I will say with the power of the fragrance, "A little dab'll do ya." Be careful to not overdo it, and gas the people around you. I could see this fragrance being overpowering for some more sensitive people. Don't be that guy or gal. I sprayed one spray from a tester and it is very strong! It does not smell cheap, though, so it's not using low quality ingredients at least. I think some colognes use the overwhelming spice to cover the lower quality of other ingredients. I believe I experienced that with at least one other spicy cologne (No 10 by Mojo Milton Lloyd). As a side note, the fragrance notes suggest caramel but I do not get caramel. I think it's overwhelmed by the spicy and woody notes. I could see maybe the amber and/or labadanum making people think it smells like caramel? I really don't get it though. It is a more floral or plant based sweetness, not a gourmand. In the end, I would absolutely recommend trying Silver Blue if you like quality perfumes with an oriental profile. Edit: I tried it a second time. I love this fragrance. You all are probably going to think I'm weird but there is something in there that once in a while I get a whiff of and it reminds me of decades ago. When various disposable paper products used to have a more woody smell (it was probably less processed back then). This isn't a bad thing, it just kind of shocked me when I got that memory unlocked. Maybe it reminds me of school, too, with the freshly sharpened pencils and other items like sheets of paper and notebooks. But this is just an underlying note, not the whole fragrance.

i wouldnt go so far as to say this is a "fresh and clean" offering. In fact, i find a similarity between this and red tobacco (although red tobacco is admittedly heavier). This, at its heart, is a woody ambery scent with an almost medicinal undertone. I was not a fan of red tobacco, but i am definitely a fan of this. As the drydown matures, it becomes more airy - with moderate sweetness. As with most mancera products, this is heavy and doesn't require a heavy trigger finger. This is a perfectly well rounded - multi season scent - that's as noticeable as it is minimalistic - a nice paradox of sorts. I almost get whiffs of a captivating musk at times. The scent definitely changes - possibly more than any scent i've tried in the past. Overall, this is highly recommended. A must have - a top pick - a 5 star. Best mancera i've tried (i'll miss you black gold). a true 10/10 it's only right to come back and edit this a little... a few things. first, while it is very strong for the first hour or so, the performance is sub-standard when compared to other mancera offerings. i get about 4 hours of projection. Surprising! I have received several unsolicited compliments from strangers...which is weird. last - my comparison to red tobacco only pertains to the opening (literally the first minute or two) - the opening is slightly piercing - in the realm of red tobacco. in no other way does it smell like red tobacco. Just wanted to clear things up - i know people blind buy based on reviews (at least i do!) - so i want to make sure what i'm putting out there is true!

I got Silver Blue as a free sample with my purchase of Navitus Vivamor a year ago and I absolutely hated it. So much so, I threw the sample in the back of my closet and vowed to never smell it again lol. Over a full year later, I was ordering some samples and reorganizing my fragrance closet and came across Silver Blue again. I decided to try it before I threw it away and I am SO glad I did. I absolutely LOVE this fragrance. It’s so dope to see how much my nose has matured from a year ago. I thought this smelled like a spicy mess then. But now, this is the sexiest fragrance I’ve ever put my nose on. The caramel mixed with the woods, patchouli and spices is absolutely intoxicating. It’s rich, sweet, and a little dirty in the best way. This is a perfect date night fragrance for the fall and winter, but do NOT use more than 3 sprays or you’ll choke out everyone including yourself lol. It smells best in the air but doesn’t smell bad up close either. The Sillage and dry down will have people following you, I promise lol. Definitely not for the beginner nose and definitely not a blind buy. You have to be well dressed and confident to pull this off. Thankfully for me, I’m both lol. This went from a throw away to my next purchase. This is one that will grow on you if you give it time. Well done Mancera