Dont Look Back by Armand Basi

At first, it caught me by surprise because it’s the kind of scent that gives you that feeling of being at home: a light, versatile vanilla. Half an hour in, a hint of vodka dries out the vanilla slightly, taking away some creaminess, and by the end it returns to being semi-creamy with a woody nuance. It’s 100% unisex, though sometimes it leans more towards men and other times towards women, without fully deciding. It serves for all day and almost any weather, especially in those intermediate seasons. The curious thing is that, smelling it, my brain kept comparing it to another fragrance; that drying vanilla-wood transition gave me the ‘click’: my Armand Basi Homme. To my nose, this ‘Don’t Look Back’ is a less spiced, lighter, sweeter, younger, and more unisex version of the ‘Homme’, which is more masculine and potent due to the lavender, nutmeg, and incense. I think it wouldn’t have gone out of place if they had launched it as a modern flanker for the Homme collection, with the classic bottle design. Performance: very rich for the first half hour, pleasant and well-set, but then I barely feel any trail or projection and it stays stuck to the skin. Duration about 5-6 hours. Presentation: one thing is being ‘minimalist’ and another is selling the bottle without embellishments on the spray, with a regular cap and an anodyne bottle design, typical of catalogue wholesale, whereas Armand Basi used to have us accustomed to pretty designs like the ‘Homme’ collection, with that frosted glass… I’ve seen it for €20, which isn’t a bad price for what it offers, but I’ve also seen it for €35, which I wouldn’t pay even jokingly.

At first, it caught me by surprise in a good way; it’s that scent that gives you peace: a light, versatile vanilla. Half an hour in, a hint of vodka dries out the vanilla slightly, taking away some creaminess. By the end, it returns to being semi-creamy with woody notes. It’s 100% unisex, though sometimes it leans more towards men and other times towards women. It suits all day, especially in intermediate seasons. Smelling it, my brain kept comparing it to another fragrance; that drying vanilla-wood transition gave me the ‘click’: it’s my Armand Basi Homme. This ‘Don’t Look Back’ is a lighter, sweeter, and younger version, whereas the ‘Homme’ is more potent and masculine due to the lavender, nutmeg, and incense. I would have loved to see it launched as a modern flanker for the Homme collection, with that frosted glass bottle they used to have. Performance: very rich for the first half hour, but then it drops to skin level and barely projects, lasting about 5-6 hours. The bottle is very basic, with no embellishments on the spray and a normal cap, very catalogue wholesale style, whereas they used to make pretty designs. I’ve seen it for €20, a decent price, but also for €35, which I wouldn’t pay even jokingly.