So, I received this sample from Sjorn (a salesperson for Essenza-Nobile), and it was one that I was very interested in since I had ordered Musc Ravageur from the same house. Dries Van Noten is brand new for 2013, and has been getting a lot of attention on Basenotes and other blogs. Let's see how it does.
12:10 p.m.: This is the opening of the fragrance. What I get off the top is very sweet and lightly powdery. It has an interesting smooth woodiness here, but it is definitely not a note I'm used to smelling. The note breakdown says it is sandalwood, so perhaps it's the combination between that and the vanilla that is causing this smell. It's not a bad smell, but it has this roasted feeling to it that could be the tonka coming through, and an almost synthetic/plasticy vibe just behind that. Not totally unpleasant, but not the opening I was expecting.
12:30 p.m.: I'm now noticing a milky note coming through. It's not super strong, but it is almost reminiscent of vanilla flavored milk for those of you who've ever bought the syrup. It's still pretty sweet, and that plastic note is still in there.
2:25 p.m.: Things have calmed down considerably. I'm getting the guaiac wood more now, which is a good thing. Much like in the last review, it's interplay with the tonka is very nice and distinctive. The milky notes persist, and the vanilla is more noticeable. It's reminding me of frosted breakfast cereal now.
3:00 p.m.: The softening of Dries Van Noten continues. The woodiness is definitely starting to come up into its own now, but the other players from before are here. I'm not really sure how much longer this is going to last projection wise since it seems like a lighter, softer scent.
4:00 p.m.: It is very faint now, and I assume the drydown is here after 3 p.m. at the latest. I'm still getting woods (guaiac in particular) and a slight vanilla note.
I'm going to stop the time here. It may last a bit longer, but at this point it will be so light that unless someone is intentionally sniffing my shirt, no one would notice. I know 4 hours may not seem very good, but I only sprayed about one and a half sprays from a sample, so I'm sure a full wearing would get you to the 6 hour range that is generally considered the start of the good zone longevity wise.
Overall I'm not super impressed with this release off the bat, but I have a feeling this is one of those fragrances you have to sit with for a while to really understand. I'll probably do a proper review in a few months once I have more time with it. As of now, I like it.
Be sure to check out www.essenza-nobile.de for a great deal on a bottle if you are persuaded enough to pick one up, or are curious yourself.
