8.4.12

Alan Cumming - Cumming (The Fragrance)

With such a name, I'd expected something extremely challenging, provocative, unapologetic and sort of love-or-hate but, Cumming, is a very easy to like fragrance. Basically this is a leather centered composition with boozy notes, a smoky-cigar accord and something else that strikes halfway bewteen spices and coniferous hints. If all of this may bring to mind fragrances such as Idole De Lubin or cetrain deliveries from Frapin, be advised that Cumming is VERY far from either being surrounded by a remarkable urban vibe as opposed to the spice market allure and oriental quality of both the Lubin and Frapin.

Cumming is modern and with its abstract nature, it clearly shows the experimental aspect of most of the Christopher Brosius' compositions for CB I Hate Perfumes and Demeter. The opening is quite misterious with a boozy accord of whiskey and an extremely aromatic dry-tobacco quality. It's like smelling a cigar and then lick it while holding in your hand an opened Zippo. This accord is very efemeral and it's immediately joined by a bold animalic leather note that brings to mind of saddled horses passing by in the streets of London or New York. The strong animalic presence is handled to achive a metrosexual, sort of urban vibe as opposed to the typical barnyard/cowboy imaginary of most of the compositions that move in the same direction. In this context, Cumming is a damn sexy fragrance that will appeal to both hardcore leather fans and experimentalist-avanguardist perfumistos.

Overall Cumming is a moderately powerful composition that while staying quite close to the skin throghout its evolution, it's still able to provide an incredibly distinctive allure with its oxymoronic dirty-clean presence. One of a kind. An hidden gem.

The only celebrity fragrance worth owning!

Rating: 8.5/10

2 comments:

  1. Damn. I remember thinking - hmmm, leather, rubber, smoke, saltiness. Nice. But now you've made me want to buy a bottle.

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  2. Krista, this is really something that is worth to check out if you have the opportunity. Probably not the easiest fragrance to come across but you can always check "2nd Cumming" by CB I Hate Perfumes that is the "current" version of the original.

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