Chicago High

What a unique fragrance. Very heavy on the booze, but sweet honey at the same time. I haven't smelled anything like this before. There is a small similarity between this and Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille, but I may like this one more. A bit more complex.

A very unique scent, walking around the local department store, sampling probably 10-15 scents that day, I was immediately struck by this one, not necessarily because of it being my favorite of the bunch, but rather by how different it smelled comparatively to everything else. After getting a sample of it I can't say I am particularly interested in wearing or owning it but that intensity of the opening remains astounding, essentially a mix of an effervescent boozy note together with heaps of candied pineapple leading into a honeyed sweet tobacco accord. Unfortunately it quickly turns into a woody ambery oriental base with little character, and it wear overall quite sticky and sweet, but nonetheless if you are looking for unique this is definitely an option.

I had been really excited to try this so getting my hands on a sample was nice. I get a lot of tobacco, amber, honey and there's also a boozy note. No idea if this can be labeled as champagne but yeah, it does smell like some good alcohol, a stronger kind of it perhaps. This comes off as a very cozy scent to me, despite the chic roaring twenties inspo behind it. Longevity is good while sillage appears to be moderate to strong. It seems to share a similar vibe with Ambre Russe which I miss a lot - it has this boozy amber which simply makes me melt. Should make a good winter/fall scent. I can see it being equally appealling on everyone regardless of their gender.

Reading the notes it seems fantastic, but on first spray I get a distinct cleaning product feeling. The tobacco notes comes in strong afterwards. Not a tea like tobacco but a sharp one, with honey far in the background. The leather is comes in as the citrus fades away, it's quite animalic not soft and suede like. I didn't get the bubbly champagne note that I've enjoyed in other fragrances, the honey is very very subtle, the patchouli comes in my in the mid and dry down. It's very sharp and rugged.

Sweet and boozy, but unfortunately, on me it reads like sweet, boozy bacon. There are several other fragrances that read bacon on me--it's a weird phenomenon as I can't seem to find the exact notes that create that aura. My husband--a notoriously tough critic--approvingly described it as "sultry" so I don't think he smelled bacon (or maybe bacon is a positive for him). This reminds me a bit of Tobacco Vanille (Tom Ford), but mainly because that fragrance also gives a bit of bacon (though far less). Personally, I much prefer Tobacco Vanille. Very unisex but masculine-leaning. I imagine this on someone enjoying late-night cocktails in a speakeasy. I do think with the right body chemistry, this could be someone's bold, unique signature scent. Just not mine. 5.5/10