Extra Concentrated

Extra Concentrated is the gold one, in every sense. Ilias Ermenidis built it around a sparkling contrast that the name telegraphs: crisp green apple against a champagne effervescence, which gives the first few minutes a genuinely fizzy, bubbling quality rather than a flat fruit note. It does not linger there. Within half an hour the praline heart takes over, and this is a proper caramelised nut sweetness, buttery and thick, the sort of gourmand accord that fills a room rather than sits on skin. What saves it from being cloying is the base. White patchouli brings a clean, slightly mineral earthiness that cuts the sugar, and golden amber warms the whole thing without adding more sweetness. The result is unapologetically maximalist, which is exactly the brief for a fragrance whose packaging is a metallic gold juice carton. Projection is the strongest in the range and longevity is good, so a light hand is worth using. Autumn and winter suit it best, and it is an evening and party scent rather than a daytime one. The lane is affordable licensed gourmand, aimed at anyone who likes their fragrance sweet, warm and obvious. Sugar-averse noses should avoid it entirely.