Ultimate by Baldessarini

I expected something different based on the notes. There’s a hint of Hermès DNA right after the initial alcohol hit. It’s a very safe bet, almost ‘safe mode,’ with slightly generic nuances but it smells good. I can’t tell if it recalls a specific fragrance or is a blend; the ingredients and accords are very recognizable. A citrus note, another with that mineral vibe from Terre, the amber side which is generic and mid-quality… and that’s about it, quite abstract. I was expecting a bit more. The performance, influenced by those overdoses of heavy molecules, is inconsistent, but it doesn’t last long by any means.

It gave me pause. I’ve been distancing myself from designer launches for years; they all smell like a room freshener to me. This is a shame; I’m not looking for discontinued or super-expensive niche stuff; I (and my wallet) would be better off enjoying what’s available in any perfumery. Ultimate is loud and commercial, can’t deny its DNA, but unlike 90% of similar ones, I like it. Nothing wrong with using synthetics; you don’t eat off Limoges china every day. It’s a Rafamoresque leather that errs on the spicy/rare side, like the kick from Loewe 7 Anónimo, Spicebomb, or Bang: re-heated synthetic pink pepper that numbs the nose and keeps you smelling its creamy nuances. It doesn’t drive me crazy, but here it doesn’t bother: there are early 2000s formulas, patchouli, soft incense, nothing dry, and above all a delicious vanilla-amber at room temperature. It’s perfectly balanced so it doesn’t get cloying, like adding sexy touches, cigarette ash, incense, amber, and soft leather to a cold vanilla Danette, ending up reminding of nutmeg or cardamom. The leather is evident, nothing animal or tanned, because it’s muddied by the rest. A rich perfume, the idea of a classy gentleman, synthetic yes, artificial too, but very pleasant. I didn’t know it was by Geza Schoen, but as it dried, I caught a glimpse of Iso camouflaged with erotic balsamic cream. An attempt to update spicy barber shop lotions: opens in the day with a hedonistic after-shave taste and settles into a sexy, manly nocturnal paste, with woody sweetness and worn leather. A pleasant bastard to Loewe 7 Anónimo and Beckham Intimately. Trail and sillage are regular, but it was a surprise.

A mess until it makes you gag. Pepper, leather, something balsamic and spicy, all very soft but with an artificially synthetic air. I’ll admit it has originality and the price is fair, but the scent never smells good and lasts very little, especially the trail. Another cash grab they’re trying to sell as ultra-modern but lacking substance and quality. Maybe more creative than usual, and on top of that, the perfumer is Geza Schoen, who has done little of interest and is full of hype, so not much more to say… Bleeehhhhh.

Solid pick from this brand founded by a former Hugo Boss exec. Smells like a mature man, nothing for teens or millennials, with top-notch longevity and a decent trail for the price. Perfect for the office or business meetings. The animal leather note gives it a tough vibe that won’t suit everyone, but it screams class and elegance. Flawless value for money.

I met it through a Darkbeat sample. ULTIMATE DE BALDESSARINI starts with a beautiful spicy citrus accord, similar to some CREEDs I’ve smelled. A mandarin bursting with freshness and joy, a bright, acidic green bergamot, capering, spurred by a sparkling pepper that makes you wish to stay in this clean, fresh, sophisticated, and vibrant opening. It’s like a model walking the spring fashion runway, full of life, moving you to the rhythm of the linen and cotton of her airy dress. Gradually, this welcome transforms into an embracing floral heart, of jasmine, magnolia, and freesia, without falling into the indolic, transmitting clean and paced sensuality, enjoying the preliminary caresses. The aroma evolves with the slowness of a Bach cello suite: developing an idea without haste, enjoying every olfactory measure. The leather appears, very slightly animal, enough to impose personality, warmed by incense and resins, narcotic turpentine vapors of labdanum that blend with a woody and leathery base, with lingering citrus: a true delight. ULTIMATE DE BALDESSARINI is a fragrance of evolution and very well constructed, proving that an affordable price can teach lessons in composition and structure to perfumes that double its price but lack its virtues.