Selection Verte Creed for women and men

I like the scent but not on my skin; where it turns sour and smells like sweat... Sad.
edit: I agree with you DULLAH, this is one of the most natural fresh scent ever. Creed are making amazing scents, unfortunately, I can't wear this one. If I have to chose, I'll buy Royal Water to replace this merveille.

8/10

Not many scents can legitimately claim the quality of timelessness. Selection Verte is one of them. This scent is the finest citrus/spice/floral I've come across, one which shares some ingredients with traditional EDC's, but has a very unique and optimistic character all it's own.

This starts of with a strong blast of several different types of mint leaf, combined with several different types of Citrus, all of them utterly natural and in perfect proportion to one another. The cool peppery bite of the Peppermint is tempered by the Sweet-leafiness of the Spearmint. The tanginess of the Lemon and Lime is complimented by the sweetness of Mandarin. All of this is underscored by a wonderfully sober bergamot note.

15 minutes later, this cool/tart blast begins to mellow, retaining the same great character. The green leafiness of the mint is now much more apparent than the chilled initial blast, indicating the likely use of a whole-plant-absolute (leaves, stem, flower, root) as opposed to a distilled mint oil. The bitter terpenes of the citrus have also given way to the more aromatic components of citrus, and the other aromatic herbal and spice notes, as well as the floral notes, begin to emerge.

This is the stage I enjoy so much, when the incredibly fresh upper-end essences of the Neroli/orange blossom, clove bud, and Sweet Pea flowers create a quiet aura of new life......of spring. Of course, the lower-registers of mint and citrus are still there, so it almost creates the illusion of the "perpetual harvest", when one is enjoying the fruits of a tree or plant, at the same time that the very tree is putting forth new growth. I cannot stress enough how much i like this stage of Selection Verte.

As the mint and Citrus recede further, the character of that harmonious interplay does not, it seems only to deepen. This is not some work of magic, just the result of well-chosen notes, placement, and blending. the Neroli serves to continue the character of citrus, only sweeter and deeper, and the basil/herbs continue the green leafy character of the Mint, although not cool, now warmer. Even the light use of clove bud seems to continue to build on the small amount of spicy eugenol present in significant amounts in certain species of Green Citrus.

While the theme continues, albeit in a sweeter and somewhat 'warmer' way, a new note, serving the same sobering purpose as the bergamot did in the topnotes....white peppercorns. This note is never too prominent like the peppered note in Penhaligon's Opus1870, it plays it's sobering role quietly and perfectly.

After the tart citrus is gone,and just as the Neroli begins to lessen in strength, and the aromatic herbs risk taking the scent into a rustic, slightly less optimistic direction, a wonderfully green floral note comes in to again set the balance of this scent....Sweet Pea.

When I first saw the note list, I was confused, thinking of the vegetable we all eat, and the opaque, soft greenness of Selection Verte in this late stage kept me confused for some time. Sweet Pea is in fact, a sweetly scented Vine Flower species, with a very unique scent......a scent that is not common in men's colognes, nor feminine perfumes for that matter. No mind, the choice of this green floral note for Selection Verte is a perfect landing, with the light clove, herb, and pepper adding just the right touch of spice to balance the last stage of the composition, which lasts surprisingly well, given how short-lived the topnotes are.

The note list lists Ambergris, but I get none, perhaps the amount is so small as just to help longevity and texture, without being otherwise detectable.

Nonetheless, this is without doubt one of the greatest herbal/floral/citrus scents ever created, if not the absolute best. It's quality and natural appeal are utmost, and it's character is as incredibly fresh and ALIVE today as it was when it was created.