St James

I had high hopes for this since Taylor of Old Bond Streets sandalwood is probably my favorite scent of all time in its quality and simplicity but I was a little bit let down. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting, and while this smells great there is nothing to me too memorable about it. It smells very clean and very blue, and definitely invokes memories of the ocean. I’d say it is one of the more realistic scents ocean scents, not in that it smells like the ocean but in that it is very subtle and fits what I say is the abstract concept of aquatics. While most aquatics lean fruity tropical or sporty fresh, this leads more to a somber dark ocean tone. It is more along the lines of polo blue, bulgari aqua, or a mature refined version of Davidoff Cool Water. It is defiantly dressier and gives off more of a nice marina restaurant, yacht club, gulf coast kind of vibe then a tropical resort vibe. The initial blast has some citrus and smells kind of “wet” but it eventually becomes drier and if you close your eyes and take a whiff you can really be transported to the beach. It smells of salty air, sunscreen, that tarp smell on a hot boat, and sun bleached wood. Again it is a nice enough scent, but I guess I came in with unrealistic expectations after I was blown away by the oily, elegant and mature smell of their sandalwood. This does smell mature, and it will probably be a staple on my shelf as I get older and yearn for simple days, but my bias got the best of me. I’ll buy again but this is not the perfect aquatic i have been looking for.

Lavender, spices, aromatic, with a touch of citrus and blue in the opening. Typical of TOBS, a silky, smooth, high quality, old school English scent. Versatile. Old school but not out of date, just very classic. I enjoy wearing it, but not the most unique or distinctly memorable. Scent: 7.5 / Sillage: 7.5 / Longevity: 7

A Great Fragrance... I'm impressed with this one, because it shows that you do not need to spend a lot to smell great. A fresh, breezy fragrance with juniper, herbs, citrus and lavender (a typical masculine combination). Even the orange and amber adds a nice touch. I really like this one given that it can be bought relatively cheaply and still give a luxurious feel. The fragrance dies down to a pleasant ambery smell which is fresh and clean. Give it a go!