DANIEL

Daniel opens up with a soapy lemon peel, likely enhanced by white musk. It certainly hits on a fresh out of the shower feeling, which I can’t help but smile about. It doesn’t feel juicy, but embodies a tart, pulpy zest freshly grated from the rind. Sparkling bergamot with a slight sweetness adds a layer of citric glee, almost bordering on a manner of bergamot lemonade(if it existed), sans the sugar. As I smelled the scent, many things traversed my mind – ruh khus, vetiver, shaded leaves, and grassy meadows. To my surprise, there isn’t any vetiver in this scent. Even though there is a slight Guerlain Vetiver vibe with the musky citrus interplaying with clean, vegetally cooled wood. It’s litsea cubeba, and I assumed that I knew what it smelled like, but it gives me a distinct vetiver aroma in this, and it blows my mind. Perhaps, I need to smell the raw material again. In the heart, ginger sings. It’s not a standard warmly spiced variety, but it’s more of the type that brings dry wood to your mind, and it works perfectly. It’s executed in the same way as Creed’s Original Vetiver, without smelling like it. A touch of elemi gives it a slightly coniferous feeling, harkening to the feeling of a sunny pine forest with a lemony aroma, but it’s not similar any grotesque Pine-Sol aromas, thank goodness. The base elevates the woodiness of the litsea cubeba and ginger. Slightly camphorous Atlas cedar also works to bring the greenery into the base, while also providing a cool, alpine-like lumber sensation. I begin to feel the clove in this phase as well, and I feel like it brings a bit of warmness to scent, keeping the grassy nature notes in check. One of the most surprising things is the use of natural oakmoss in the scent. Shining with the earthy splendor of a mossy woodland floor, it completes the image of a springtime forest with rays of yellow sunlight beaming through a canopy of ancient growth. Daniel is surprisingly easy to wear, but that might be due to my age. I am almost 40, and I have no qualms about rocking Guerlain Vetiver, Chanel Sycomore, or Creed Original Vetiver to name a few. This isn’t a scent that will impress college aged folks, unless you have an appreciation for vintage things. It pairs perfectly with spring attire. A light jacket, tweed blazer, polo, or khakis are perfectly suited for the scent’s vibe. It does skew quite masculine, but if you are a fan of vetiver scents, you will enjoy Daniel. From the boardroom to the golf course, Daniel tells a story of gentlemanly refinement. It speaks of an age that has passed, but with a lesson for modern times. That lesson vehemently claims that you can still make classic scents great, if you include copious amounts of naturals. Oh, and the best part is that Daniel will last throughout a work day. It projects heavily for hours on end and lasts from a morning application well into the night, or around 12 hours. On clothes, you can wash them, and they will still smell like a fine vetiver scent. I usually do laundry every 3 days, so I can’t remark on how long past that it lasts on clothing, but it is still singing off my clothes when I toss them into the washer.

Old fashioned aromatic woody chypre still available five decades after its initial release. The scent opens with a fresh citrusy accord before moving to a spicy resinous heart highlighted by elemi, cloves, ginger and nutmeg before settling into a powdery woody base of synthetic musk, sandalwood, cedar and oakmoss. The masculine leaning scent has moderate projection and good longevity and feels incredibly refined and of high quality. Recommended for those into vintage men’s colognes with barbershop vibes. Enjoy!