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Friday, November 16, 2007

Perfume Review: Cumming, the Fragrance

Review by Tom

Celebrity fragrances are an odd breed: they can be Old School, Like Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds, or new style like Paris Hilton's (insert name of whatever here), which frankly are usually pretty ghastly. Or they can be cutting-edge, like Miller Harris l'Air de Rien (which, since it was designed for Jane Birkin I am counting) and gorgeous.

Cumming, the Fragrance is certainly in the latter group.

It's hardly a shock to read at the website that Chris Brosius of Demeter and CB I Hate Perfume was the nose behind this one, the only person I would think that would get within fifteen miles of Cumming's opening would be Chris Sheldrake, and he would not have gone so literal: it's rubber and tuffley peat and pine a fair bit of man-juice (I would have loved to be a fly on the wall at the meeting where they went over the notes: I can see Alan Cumming knocking back his second single malt and halfway through his Cohiba, joking "I want it to smell like drunken sex with me in a rubber suit" and CB taking notes, a wicked gleam in his eyes.). It's not Secretions Magnifiques- there's no note of CSI: Coney Island in there, thank goodness. It is more than a bit "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" and I cannot fathom how they thought it would fly at Sephora, but most of that drops out within ten minutes, leaving an earthy leather with a hint of the rubber. After an hour or so, it's left as a very warm skin scent with only a hint of the peaty truffled dirty note that dominates the beginning. I actually wish it was a little more long-lasting; the dissonance between the kinky man-sex opening and the rather demure drydown made me want a bit more.

Cumming, the Fragrance is clearly as personal a scent as l'Air de Rien is, and is clearly made to Mr. Cumming's specifications and likes with no thought as to whether it's commercial. It's clearly made focusing on invention and more than a fair bit of humor. Of course I don't know him, but I would imagine that it's pretty much a reflection of his personality.

Experiment time! I layered with CB I Hate Perfume Musk. It sweetened the opening and middle and made more deep the drydown. I think Mr. Cumming should get an EDP out there soon.

Cumming the Fragrance is available at his website, $69.00 (bien sur) for 3.4 ounces. There are also body products like lotion for $49 for 12 oz, an 8oz soap for $22 and 12oz body cleanser for $39 and a 12 oz body scrub for $45.

Image source, cummingthefragrance.com.

21 Comments:

Blogger elle said...

WHY have I not thought to layer this w/ CB Musk yet? Both are such brilliant scents and I can only imagine how happy their union would be. I'm getting very concerned after reading Lee's post that Cumming may indeed be on the way out. Praying to a variety of perfume gods that it's not.

10:13 PM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

I hope that's not the case- I think it's a great scent that deserves to be kept around. There's no way in hell that it was going to be a hit at Sephora; it should be at Aedes and LuckyScent and other places that will understand it.

Alan, are your people listening?

10:19 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

But maybe it's too silly (in brand image) for the niche places? Y'know I get no man sex from this at all. Just truffle and earth and wet... Not that kind of wet, smutmonkey!

4:05 AM EST  
Blogger chayaruchama said...

I can't help it-
I'm hard -pressed to think of two more original, iconoclastic, delightful men of celebrity I'd love to share single malt with...

Ironically, Aquarius and Cancer [ but Tony Bourdain is a Cancer- so there you are !].

I await w/ glee, my petite package from my soulmate...

[Whoops! I lied ! We've got to add Ian Mc Kellan]

Great review, Senor Tom !

6:17 AM EST  
Blogger Divina said...

I've been waiting to see this around here for the longest time, but noooo. I wonder why, but admittedly, I haven't really been bothered enough to look into whether it is coming (yeah, sorry, completely unintentional..) over here or not. Feels like I'll just remain curious - it's been way too long since it was released.

7:00 AM EST  
Blogger marchlion said...

Phooey, I am so sorry you don't get the good bits for longer, but you do have the skank-eating skin... I hate Rien, a bridge too far, but since it works for you, I wonder how it might layer with Cumming?

I would have loved to be in on this fragrance development. AC seems like a riot to work with. And I think the naughty names of the ancillary products on the site are hilarious.

8:11 AM EST  
Blogger lilybp said...

I need to try this again. I sniffed it only once, and it seemed somewhat. . . light, which disappointed me. I'm sure some CB Musc would have helped!

8:23 AM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

Okay, now I have to get cumming just to try it with CB Musk. your description has my nose ticklers all atwitter thinking about that combination!

10:33 AM EST  
Blogger NowSmellThis said...

It is seriously such a great scent, and while I love the celeb-fragrance joke part of it, I almost wish they would release it under another name just so more people would try it. I understand it was at Sephora for a time, at least at some of the stores, but no longer. Would hate to see it disappear.

11:15 AM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Lee-

I don't know, some of the brands the niche places carry are pretty sill already..

11:17 AM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Chaya, I would love to have those boys on the next barstool, just once.

you too, of course!

11:18 AM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

divina-

I got a decant of it from the perfumed court since Sephora didn't have it.

11:19 AM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

march-

I am pretty happy with what I get from it, even after the deskankotron is through. It's fairly yummy, I m seriously considering getting a full bottle.

11:20 AM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Judith-

Light? jeesh. I did not get light on first spritz...

11:21 AM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

patty-

it's soooo gooooood!

11:22 AM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

nowsmellthis

I hope it doesn't go away!

11:23 AM EST  
Blogger Ducks said...

I had no idea this one would be so reasonably priced. It sounds so endlessly fascinating.

Thanks for the fun review!

11:45 AM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

ducks-

It is fascinating and not bad on the price at all!

1:05 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fun review, Tom! I love the sound of this..."truffly peat and pine...earthy leather.." Yum.

2:44 PM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

denise-

It's definitely worth a sniff!

4:59 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I adore the names - shows Alan Cumming has a great sense of humour. The soap is called Cumming in a Bar and the other products are similarly hilarious. Nothing nicer than a brand that doesn't take itself too seriously.

2:37 PM EST  

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