HS3

I’ve always liked finding real photos of bottles, rather than just the press release images or product shots that are doctored to look perfect. Those images make it hard to really see what the bottle looks like. A perfect case of that would be this Maîtres Tailleurs.

I always assumed it was more of a variation on the MPG bottles, but in fact, it’s completely different. From the product shots, I didn’t realize it had the flat sides and round front and back. You would also never realize how nicely constructed it is. The wooden cap has great texture and feel – there’s a great deal of heft to the bottle and things fit together nicely like they should. No shoddy Bond No. 9 style caps (I have 3 that the inner metal ring is loose and cames off), or caps that make you think you’ll break them to pull off either.

It has a good, full spray and the mechanism doesn’t seem like it’ll have any issues in the future with fizzling out or leaking (Creed! That’s you, here).

Gorgeous bottle – it has a great color to the glass and picks up different light and seems to color shift. Sometimes it’s blue, sometimes purple. I didn’t have much luck showing that here, but it’s quite nice in the hand. Incidentally, the liquid inside is just as nice – a crisp, modern take on a traditional EDC.

I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into the first time I tried it. I was lucky enough for someone to send me a sample they’d parted ways with. I didn’t have any preconceptions of what it would smell like, but I thoroughly enjoyed what I got. It’s a really lovely super dry patchouli with dusty earth, camphor and grasses as a backdrop. Think sensual without using the usual suspects of vanilla or sandalwood as a cloak or to make it overly rich. It leans more to the masculine side than feminine for patchoulis, but it’s by no means an overpowering scent. It remains a light aura of a scent on the skin as opposed to a powerhouse patchouli scent. I’ve tried plenty of patchouli scents, and where most rely on a richer, more oriental base, this stays crisp without those overbearing, heavy notes you usually associate with patchouli. It makes uses of tobacco notes and hay to support its lead players. Like many of the Nasomattos, there is a signature note that is hard to describe, but is strangely addictive.

It’s a parfum extrait, but it’s not an in-your-face type. I originally wrote it off as having less than stellar lengevity, but I was mistaken after a few wears. It wears closely and doesn’t have a huge, lingering sillage which I think works perfectly for this and sets it apart from other patchouli heavy scents. However, I can still easily detect it with a fluff of the shirt 10 hours later.

I’m sampling The Ten Party by The Party today. I had expected quite a bit from this due to the price point and their level of supposed exclusivity. There’s a great story behind it though – 10 philanthropic friends that the scent was dedicated to for their commitment to brotherhood. They even all wore this for a year before it was released to the public. The packaging looks to be pretty spectacular as well, with a sterling silver cap and silk coverings.

Unfortunately, I’m finding the actual scent to be somewhat of a letdown. It seems to follow a very traditional pattern of bright citrus + lavender opening, a pleasant transition through the middle with the warmth of clove and cypress, and a dry down of nondescript woods, some oakmoss, and a touch of patchouli. The whole ride is pretty fleeting and somewhat confused. They claim to use only natural oils, which the scent would seem to confirm, but that also means its lasting power is a bit compromised.

Overall, it is a very nice scent, but it’s one that’s been done before and done better, at that. At a few points in its progression, it brings to mind Parfums de Nicolai’s New York, but a stripped down and much lighter version with a sweeter, less obtuse approach.  I checked their published notes, and they actually do share quite a few. I suppose if New York is too much for you (it can be pretty intense), The Ten Party might be a good alternative that has some of the same feeling, but in a more reserved and modern fashion.