450 XFACTOR by Sweet Fumes
It is always with great interest that I put my nose to a new fragrance. With Sweet Fumes, this is even more of a treat as I was invited to the inner circle. I met Sweet Fumes through Instagram and was very interested in their signature fragrance “450 XFACTOR”.
Sweet Fumes offers their fragrances in the following formats:
- Roll-on
- Cologne Spray
- Eau de toilette
- Parfum
The difference in naming convention also implies a difference in the proportion of fragrance going into it. A cologne is 2-5% fragrance, Eau de Toilette is 5-15% and a Parfum is the cream of the crop at 20-30%. As for the roll-on it is unclear, but they tend to be a close neighbor if not the same to parfum.
From my experience fragrances housed in oil tend to come out in a purer fashion as they are unhindered by the noise of alcohol.
Here is the rundown of the notes as per Sweet Fumes:
- TOP: Lemon, Grapefruit, Orange Flower, Cardamom, Mint
- MIDDLE: Tonka bean, Pink Pepper, Cinnamon, Ambroxan
- BASE: Cedar wood, Amber wood, Vanilla, Musk
Based on these aromas, I take it you understand my interest in this fragrance. Ambroxan is the only one in there which I have not smelt on its own and therefore cannot definitely say much about. Based on the descriptions out there, it has wood, amber, earth and musk elements. I would venture that this is another element that would tickle my nose just right.
My first impressions of the cologne pray were: fresh, mysterious and inviting. This is a complex arrangement and I will admit not being able to identify all of the individual aromas in this construct. It is like the notes partly have morphed with one another.
There is sweetness with a very present powdery element. Oddly enough, my nose is focusing on the spices: cardamom, pink pepper and cinnamon with a faint tail end of sweet wood. I can barely recognize the citrus participants.
The spray cologne is an alcohol based product, but that said I am pleased to report that alcohol is not the first thing I identify. In fact, it is perfectly well hidden as the aromatic elements completely take over.
But working with alcohol is not without compromises. Just like any other base, it will exercise its influence on the fragrances. Granted alcohol is perhaps the most dramatic when compared to oil or water as it can not only diluted but also alter fragrances.
Here is where I am going with this. Sweet Fumes was kind enough to make both their spray cologne and roll-on available to me and I was able to detect interesting differences between the two.
In the roll-on the citrus elements are much clearer where lemon and grapefruit are entirely noticeable. The middle notes spices come as a chaser at the dry down phase. I will say that the base notes of sweet wood are omnipresent. In other words, to me they are more of less always there in the background. The result is a tasteful yet humble personality.
As I have been using the roll-on more, I can say that is has very good staying power. Something in the order of 6 to 8 hours. I am an extremely moderate user and a small application on the wrists and neck area is all I indulge in. The projection is moderate as this is what I would classify as a very intimate fragrance. You have to get close and personal to know about it.
When would I wear this? To me this is a like that favorite tee shirt. It’s about feeling comfortable and going about your day while smelling good – in that sense, it’s an every day fragrance.
To sum things up
My nose doesn’t interpret the roll-on and the Spray quite in the same way. In the roll-on the citrus elements are clearer while in the spray, the spice participants are the ones that stand out. As there is a slight difference, I prefer the roll-on. This is modern and manly fragrance that won’t take the room over. It’s more of a mysterious and discreet gentleman. The type that leave you guessing