Sunday, February 25, 2007

Not Safe for Work- Parfumerie Generale Coze


Based on the listed notes (canapa sativa seed oil, pepper, pimento, coffee, ebony wood, chocolate, bourbon vanilla pods) I half expected Coze to be Parfumerie Generale's masculine version of Musc Maori. But it isn't. The sweetness I'm getting in the opening isn't gourmand (not a bad thing, actually) but more woody. This opening is so pretty that some men might find a bit feminine, but only for a very short time. Within five minutes it becomes smoky and very incense-like.

On one hand, about half the time I'm wearing it, the dark sweetness is alluring and sexy to the point of it almost feels indicent. It's a night time scent that seems third date ready. The incense is sensual, and even though I'm missing the promised chocolate and vanilla, there is a yuminess aspect that adds to the illicit air. When it is bad, it's really good...

But.

Tobacco isn't a listed note here, but the smokiness definitely has a strong tobacco feel. So much so, that I find it off-putting. I'm a life-long non-smoker (never even tried) and I find the smell unpleasant. Every now and then I'd get a whiff that reminds me of the way my mom used to smell before she quit smoking. A mixture of cigarette smoke, Karl Lagerfeld's Chloe (the old EdP version) and a mystical air of beauty products and general femininity that mothers smell like to their daughters.

While this is not bad at all, the smoker's clothes accord is not my thing, and I find the combination disturbing enough that I don't enjoy wearing it as much as I'd like.

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