Troy

From ancient times to present perfume has played a very important part of our lives and wellbeing. We use perfumes for various traditions and occasions. It has been said "A satisfying scent can move many mountains" Throughout my life, I've had a yearning to collect great fragrances which I use in various forms to enhance my character and to benefit my mental wellbeing. Yep’ great smelling fragrance is vital for our mental and emotional wellbeing. The three main characteristics I look for in a fragrance are. Uniqueness Pleasant Longevity Today I'll write a bit about two perfumes which I think has a wonderful scent. They are Oud and Leather by Acqua Di Parma. Acqua Di Parma is an Italian fragrance company located in Parma Italy they release their first perfume Colonia in 1916. Colonia Oud Acqua Di Parma release the Colonia Oud in 2012. The Colonia Oud scent is categorised as: Top Notes: Bergamot and Orange Heart Notes: Haitian Amyris Oil, Russian Coriander and Agarwood oil (Oud) Base Notes: Cedarwood, Leather accord, Patchouli Oil, Sandalwood and Musk The opening scent of the Acqua Di Parma Oud is uniquely amazing and welcoming. It's a well-balanced fragrance which is not overpowering and can be worn in all seasons. If you're an enthusiast of Agarwood (Oud) and seeking an Oud fragrance which is mild with a more modern welcoming twist you should try the Acqua Di Parma Oud. Colonia Leather My other favourite is Acqua Di Parma Colonia Leather. Acqua Di Parma released Colonia Leather in 2014. The Colonia Leather scent is categorised as: Top Notes: Brazilian Orange, Sicilian Lemon and Raspberry Accord. Heart Notes: Red Thyme, Honeysuckle, Petitgrain and Rose Accord. Base Notes: Leather accord, Cedar and Paraguayan Guaiac Oil. Although the fragrance is called leather and does have a leather scent mixed in, the leather scent is not distinct. It does not smell like a leather sofa. To my nostrils and brain interpretations, the Colonia Leather has a very unique, sophisticated and luxurious aroma, a captivating scent which places my consciousness into a calm relaxing comfort zone. Between the two perfume listed, I find a calling for the Colonia Leather over Colonia Oud. Both are great perfumes with excellent longevity with no regrets. Happy smelling.

One of my favourite men's perfume is London by Paul Smith. Reasons being, it has a very pleasant ancient unique odour and it's very long lasting, for example, if I spray it on my skin the fragrance will last all day. If I spray it on my clothes, after two days I can still smell it. Many perfumes when first sprayed will give off a nice fragrance then after a few hours, that nice fragrance fades away and leaves a base note scent, which is different from that first scent. With Paul Smith London it is different. After two days I can still smell the original first sprayed fragrance on my clothes. I bought my first bottle way back in 2004, a 100ml bottle for £30 I think, which was always in my collection, I had two 100ml bottles of the original in total over the years, yep a 100ml bottle of this perfume can last me for up to four years. Three squirts that's all it takes. A few years ago my final bottle had about a quarter left so I checked online to see where I could find a bottle. This was bad news, I found out that Paul Smith had discontinued making it and a lot of folks out there including myself was disappointed. Some people were selling a 100ml bottle on eBay for £200, Yep' folks who were addicted to the nostalgic fragrance of the Paul Smith London were splashing out £200 for a 100ml bottle which cost £30 before it was discontinued. As mentioned before, I had a 100ml bottle of the original with about quarter left, A bottle which I cherished and baby sprayed every now and again hoping to keep the unique scent to the end of my time. Last Sunday I did an eBay search to see how much the original was going for. To my surprise, someone was selling a Paul Smith London in a square bottle. I did a google search and realise Paul Smith had relaunched the fragrance. The same day I went to Boots Beauty and bought a bottle for £25, The Paul Smith London relaunch is even cheaper than the original from a few years ago. I was a bit sceptical on the purchase as I didn't know if it smells and was long-lasting like the original. After comparing both the relaunch and the original I confirmed, yes' the relaunched Paul smith London men's perfume has the same scent and longevity as the original. The only downside is the bottle shape and packaging. The original London fragrance came in a round spiral bottle with a pull-top lid and a round box with a pull-top lid. With the original London, the box was more user-friendly in terms of, I can lift the lid off the perfume box, lift the lid off the bottle and squirt away. The relaunch box is now a standard box, which is fiddly to take the perfume out and back in. Meaning there's no point keeping the box. The relaunch bottle lid is a screw type, which is fiddly to unscrew each time to do a squirt. I guess Paul Smith has changed the bottle shape and packaging to match their other line of fragrances. The relaunched London bottle has the same shape and twists top lid as the Paul Smith Extreme fragrance. Nonetheless, it's the scent that counts and I'm truly grateful that Paul Smith has chosen to relaunch this great smelling fragrance back on the market at an affordable price. In The UK, you can purchase it at Debenhams or Boots Beauty for £25. This time around I'll be stockpiling a few bottles just in case it gets discontinued again. If you are a Paul Smith London fan, I suggest you do the same. Happy London smelling.