Gringo

4 reviews for Gringo

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   Luka – February 16, 2023

   A wonderful airy-sweet concoction. Gringo is a challenging fragrance, but well worth the “effort”. It took me a few wears to consolidate all the notes and their complexity in order to experience its brilliant totality. One time I seemed to smell predominantly frankincense, another just the vanillic sweetness, a third time a combination of castoreum and citrus fruits and so on, but eventually, my nose got accustomed to the complexity and that’s when the magic happened. Hours and hours of an indescribably beautiful sweetness, always keeping the delicate balance between fresh and sweet accords. I usually hesitate to use the term “best of both worlds” as things described in this way more often than not involve the worst of both worlds, but here I think it is a worthy descriptor. Gringo indeed manages to strike a balance between fresh and sweet notes in such a way that the final result is more than the sum of its parts.

   Upon application, a fairly strong minty frankincense note presents itself for a rather spicy opening. It certainly clears your sinuses, but after 10 or 15 minutes, just when it might start to be a little overbearing for some, the spicy warmth subsides and the sweetness starts coming to the forefront. It takes less than an hour for this perfume to fully settle and develop, and it is during this period that the lemon is most present, bridging the gap between the spicy freshness of the opening and the sweetness of the dry down. I would say Gringo is a linear perfume, but a rather special kind of its breed. In my experience, linear perfumes are usually, well, linear, meaning that you can smell one and the same thing for hours to come. With this perfume, though, the associations I get are constantly changing despite knowing the balance of the notes hasn’t really changed. So, while my nose knows I’m always smelling the same delicate balance of sweet notes, at one time it smells like vanilla ice-cream with raspberries, another time it reminds me of sherried single malt whisky or perhaps even a sweet bourbon and so on. It might seem like hyperbole, but I’ve cycled from associations of white chocolate pralines to raspberry jam, to nougat, raisins soaked in rum and also honey. Gringo feels almost like a sugar-infused fever-dream at times, in the best of ways. Subjective associations aside, the dry down is a balance of woody, sweet and slightly floral notes. The actual notes I get once it fully develops (in no particular order) are vanilla, sandalwood (think sawdust), rose, lemon, mint, frankincense, raspberries (probably a facet of the castoreum) and occasional whiffs of a white-floral component, jasmine or something similar perhaps, although this could be a result of certain notes combining.

   On my skin, the vanillic sawdust facet of this fragrance is the strongest, followed by this wonderful raspberry note, which cuts the sweetness a bit. After the opening of the fragrance, the mint and the frankincense subside into the background, occasionally popping up every once in a while, but for the most part just ensuring the fragrance remains fresh, not dominating the olfactory experience. Apart from the brief opening, I wouldn’t describe this fragrance as “smoky”. The lemon and rose add a touch of juiciness, not too much, but just the right amount to make the scent even richer and more three-dimensional. I was approaching the end of this review and realized that I completely forgot to mention the patchouli… I think that says it all, really. While it is definitely there and probably supplies a lot of the chocolaty goodness to this perfume, it is masterfully blended in, to the point where almost all the musty, darker aspects of this note are completely hidden. The handling of patchouli in Gringo is bordering on sorcery, as is this entire creation – in my opinion, the perfect fragrance for those who like sweetness but don’t want to be overwhelmed by it!

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   Mikako – February 21, 2019

   Love it! Beautiful.
   Keywords: sweet, fresh, optimistic, energetic, straightforward, creative, passionate, generous, cheerful, humorous, kind and warm-hearted.

   This scent has Leo sign traits all over it. “Warm, action-oriented and driven by the desire to be loved and admired.

   Fun and flirtatious Leo heats things up as the most expressive sign of the zodiac! Ruled by the vibrant Sun and driven by the warmth of its Fire element, the charming, magnificent, and dramatic Lion is the life of the party and loves attention.

   With its shining heart of gold, Leo is a loyal lover and a proud and courageous leader.”

   I would like to restate the last sentence AbdesSalaam wrote in his description: “Through their clothes they wanted to appropriate only the image of an adventurous corsair, while this perfume exudes his very soul.” Indeed!

3. Rated 4 out of 5

   Isaiah – May 4, 2018

   Joyous and audacious are the words for this -not so- little one.

   Gringo opens up with an unsettling burst of lemon and peppermint with the lurking patchouli acting as the continuum. A tad medicinal, very unusual but all the more pleasing. The patchouli arises and is joined by the cantus firmus of rose and castoreum, coming and going along with the patchouli, creating rich harmonies. In French we’d say : “ça frotte”.

   This scent is musical, it has a real texture, it is vivid and colourful. The sandalwood is quietly present along with the etheral discantus : the frankincense, so logical and natural in this accord that one would almost forget it’s here.

   A tad too light on my skin. This scent will undoubtedly draw compliments. It is the scent of laughter and joy.

   Is it eccentric ? Yes.
   Is it lovable ? All the more.
   Is it wearable ? Hell yeah.

4. Rated 4 out of 5

   Michael Pomianek – July 30, 2015

   Compared to Grezzo, Gringo is more sour (lemon/citrus) at the top and drier throughout. The herbal/spicy accords of Grezzo are replaced with more vanilla and a touch of anise, and the Frankincense is lighter with the void filled with patchouli and mint. Overall, very nice but not as extroverted and compelling as Grezzo. Quieter and more subdued, and a bit musty and medicinal in the dry down.