The spotlight is on our #MyEscentual Fragrance Blind Trial line-up! Now that the results are out The Candy Perfume is sharing why they made it into our ‘Best Fragrances of 2019’.
Diesel’s Only the Brave punched its way onto the perfume scene ten years ago, becoming a visual icon. A bold bottle, shaped like a fist wearing a signature Diesel ring, containing an affable masculine fragrance that was easygoing, so easy wearing, that it quickly became a bestseller. So here we are now, ten years later and Diesel is breathing new life into Only the Brave with a brand new fragrance: Spirit of the Brave.
Spirit of the Brave was created in collaboration with Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr., who I’m told, is very good at football (I have no idea – I write about perfume). Diesel worked with Neymar to create a modern reinterpretation of the classic fougere, subverting one of the strongest masculine codes of perfumery. The bottle has a personal touch – a gold lion motif that replicates one of Neymar’s most prominent tattoos.
What are the notes in Spirit of the Brave?
Top Notes: Bergamot, Galbanum, Artemisia.
Heart Notes: Clary Sage, Elemi, Cypress.
Base Notes: Fir Balsam, Tonka Bean, Labdanum.
How does Spirit of the Brave smell?
Spirit of the Brave opens with a revitalising and punch blast of mouthwatering bergamot. As with many bergamot top notes, this one is dazzlingly bright, pulsing with zippy, citrus energy. Contrast comes in the icy absinthe note of artemisia, which cools the opening with a bitter, herbaceous draft that is unusual and unexpected, in addition to the inky, mossy haze of verdant galbanum. Spirit of the Brave seeks to subvert expectations and right from the outset, that’s what it does.
The herbal facet continues with the soft, earthy coolness of clary sage, which is linked perfectly to the sharp, pine-like quality of cypress. There is a distinctly masculine vein of greenery – of herbs and woods – that runs through the fragrance, from artemisia to cypress, to fir balsam, creating a bold current that is inherently masculine, and effortlessly smooth. In the base, Spirit of the Brave softens, melting into a calming blend of sweet tonka bean and enveloping labdanum, extending that enjoyable smoothness right until the far dry down.
Spirit of the Brave is as easygoing and easy wearing as the original Only the Brave. In fact, I would say it is more so than Only the Brave. This ease, coupled with its interesting inflexions of bitter absinthe and sharp woods, make for intriguing wear that doesn’t demand too much attention. This is precisely the type of thing one could throw on every day – a fragrance that delivers on smelling good, no matter the occasion or outfit.
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• Find out what more experts thought of Wood & Wood in our fragrance blind trial…
