The Red

After I had tried The Sum White, I went right to Next - RED! I was chosen to receive the trio Red, White, and Black from The Sum in small vials with a very adequate amounts in which to get a good feel and knowing. First off, the initial sprays came off as warm but clean plastic... and I see other reviewing members had commented the same. No worry, as I like a good plastic note here `n there - strange, but that`s me. I wondered how long will the plastic be in the forefront, and how will it meld and mix? It was not long until the fire started. A warm, spicy fire. A soft fire, soft smoke. Cannot deny the sensuality. The saffron - I find that "smells like a taste" sensation. There it is again, a metallic note, but more mellow than in The Sum White. Mellow, yet rich and softer than in White. Hot and cold fire. Tempting red and golden smoke of spice. That is the best ways I can describe. This is a fragrance you can feel , I can feel on my skin as well as smell. Lol like my White review- these scents are a mish mash on my senses - and it`s a very GOOD thing :D I am in love with Red. This is very well unisex. I cannot wait to get my husband`s take on Red, and spritz him as well. I think this would please the Oriental Parfum spice` heat lovers. This does not remind me of any other frag. I would never pass off as another "Spicy Oriental. I am very surprised ,delightfully so, with Red. Sillage for me is moderate, and longevity is long. Seasons - Fall, winter, and summer .

My second try from the The Sum Trio of fragrances, The Red is predictably a bit more provocative than The White, and in fragrance terms, "red" for me connotes fire, spice, and sometimes sport. The Sum The Red certainly fulfills the first two, a mix of the fake note of fire, along with a whole lot of saffron, and a bit of amber and sandalwood. As it's a creation of Josh Meyer, perfumer of Imaginary Authors, I'd be hard-pressed not to make the comparison between The Red and A City on Fire, except where a ACOF is surely smokier, more burnt, and more acerbic, The Red is fiery but at the same time smoother and almost musky due to the elements of amber and sandalwood. Overall it's very pleasant despite being a bit provocative, and probably most ideally suited for cold weather use despite not being cloying in the summer weather in which I'm sampling it. I'm not sure everyone would like it but those that do would likely find it pretty versatile as far as casual vs. formal as well. Performance is good, solid for an EDP while not projecting a ton. I see this being comparable to The White in terms of longevity as well. Another nice creation from Josh Meyer for The Sum, and I look forward to testing out The Black, which already smelled interesting on paper. 7 out of 10

The Sum's The Red is warm, powdery vanilla and amber on me. Do I smell aldehydes too? There's some type of plastic-y chemical in there somewhere. It's very creamy, and the unisex is mild, leaving this one feeling a little more on the femme side, although it's still very unisex. Good medium sillage and longevity too. Overall, it's nice enough, but much too powdery on my skin on top of not really feeling that inspired. I still prefer The White to this, and am looking forward to trying The Black in the future.

Oh I am so disappointed. On me, this smells like hot plastic. Like a plastic water bottle that has sat in the hot car for a couple days hot plastic. I've been wearing it for several hours, hoping that it will change into something better, but it's just not. Maybe I got a bad sample, maybe it just hates my body chemistry. But this is the weirdest I've ever had a perfume smell on me.

Thank you to The Sum for the opportunity to try this fragrance. Excerpt from my formal review (search "Articles" for the full text): The Red embodies its color with a warm and spicy oriental aroma. Amber imparts a delicate sweetness, but any vanilla notes in this particular amber accord are downplayed. Resins and a pleasant woody tone give this fragrance its depth. Saffron adds an earthy, slightly smoky touch here, especially in the early stages of The Red's development, serving as a pleasant counterpoint to the sweet amber. The fragrance settles on the skin after an hour or so, providing moderate sillage but 8+ hours of longevity. I sprayed this in the evening and could still smell it on the back of my wrist when I awakened the next day.