Kobe

Just received in the mail today (Merci Beaucoup Twisted Lily). This was a blind-buy for me and I did it solely based on my wonderful experiences with the House Of Xerjoff as well as the note breakdown... Please please fragrance community: I do not recommend you go out and blind buy a fragrance @ $260 + Tax. I occasionally do, especially when it comes to outstanding Niche Houses! That being said, I often look at my storage units and shake my head when I am reminded of the occasional "scrub" I ended up grabbing.. Right off the bat I thought...., "what the......, another bottle of APOM"?!?!? Yes guys, this is almost identical -a 95% carbon copy to Francis Kurkdjian's creation. Interestingly, Kurkdjian lists: Orange blossom, Cedar & Amber as his ONLY notes in this blend.... And yet, despite Kobe using far more: such as Styrax, Brazilian Rosewood, Tonka Bean & Labdanum- they two come out basically copies of each other after the blending process.... I dare to say, perhaps very few of us would be able to readily distinguish the two in a blind, side-by-side comparison.... For me though, I detect certain nuances between the two: How so, the Brazilian Rosewood, Agarwood (Oud) and benjoin add certain subtle distinctions in Kobe.... Result? A beautiful creamy texture, supported by that vanilla-like, very gourmand appeal.... In the end, it can be illustration this way: two drivers set out on a journey to the same destination. One driver uses the expressway, while the other is content to use the back streets and side roads. Result? They inevitably arrive at the SAME destination... The proof here is that Francis Kurkdjian lists Amber as one of his 3 main notes, while Sergio Momo (Master Perfumer) utilizes the combination of benzoin with vanilla and labdanum to create that addictive accord of amber. CONCLUSION: BOTH GREAT fragrances, well-blended with distinct alluring phases... What it comes down to- Kobe brings a little bit MORE to the table and we rightly pay that added dollar for such luxury & performance. If you already own APOM, then I don't see the need at all to add Kobe and vice versa. However, if you have NEITHER, then I strongly suggest you fork out that extra $75 or so and get the Kobe... And as you indulge in its decadence, you'll see it's worth every penny it commands........

Got my sample from Luckyscent, I didn’t realise its for men until I read it in here, I think this is more like unisex. Very pleasant and mild very blended where nothing pops up specifically unless you searched for it and then I can recognise the lemon but its so tamed down thats its almost a new scent of its own. This could be because Im used to sharp zesty lemony scents before. I wouldnt mind my man smelling like this tho its not feminine either its really very subtle and unisex to my nose. By the way, there was something familiar about this smell but I couldn’t pin point what it was, now Im vaguely thinking there is something or some element that is similar to Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent. I’m testing this again today ahh so pleasant smell! It now actually reminds me of Serge Lutens Sergui. Just lovely! Have checked both note lists of YSL Kouros and Xerjoff Kobe, which of each are long but only similar notes to be found were: Bergamot, Tonka bean and musk, so maybe one of these scents is so strong that it hovers above the masses and dominates the entire group?

I first stepped into the house of Xerjoff in 2014, with the Shooting Star Collection, when I picked up Nio. Since then I have tried and owned many more but it wasn’t until a couple months ago that I doubled back and finally got my nose under the one that for one reason or another had evaded me. It had to happen this way as I would most likely not have appreciated it then the way I do now. A 5 year search for my next “signature” has come to an end. Kobe creates and projects a seemingly simple yet very dynamic profile that makes it a complete scent to my nose. Dried citrus peels mixed with fresh neroli that are later set in an old fine wooded box that radiates a sweet resinous musk that it has adopted through out its life’s journeys. Originally created to house valued objects, it has over time developed into a scent that I value enough to want to be continually tied to it. Kobe... amore mio

First things first this fragrance smells amazing! My mind was set on a xerjoff when I went to the scent bar, any xerjoff. The employees were really nice and helpful so they let me sniff several samples and testers,and the standouts for me were fars, nio and kobe. I will eventually get the first two but kobe was the clear winner between the three for my nose. I can describe this scent as citrusy, creamy, clean, very aromatic, smooth and just amazing! It is quite unique, just one spray on the chest another at the back of my neck and im set! Because of the oud and tonka notes I will use this fragrance more often in the evening and nio in the day time. In the end this scent is perfect for my nose and it lasts 7+hrs. Im extremely happy with my purchase! Sample before you purchase and trust in your nose. Overall 5 out of 5

I wish my pores could excrete this stuff; it's that good. I wore it exclusively on my wife's and my honeymoon, and it's like staring directly at the sunrise in the morning when the rest of the landscape is still thawing from the overnight frost. There is just something so carnal and lightly smoky that sets it apart from other orange blossoms, it really speaks to the very depths of my balls, makes me feel alive and ready to go buckin' bronco on a bull moose or latch onto the talons of a bald eagle and just let them take me wherever the hell they want, even somewhere dangerous like a plus-size park hopper wrestling match or eel-infested waters or Somalia. I will always have a bottle of this in my collection to remind myself of pure freedom and my crippling optometrist bill.