By The Fireplace Maison Martin Margiela Review – Is It For You?
By The Fireplace.
Smells just like it sounds.
Maison Martin Margiela By The Fireplace was released in 2015. It is based on wood, vanilla, and slightly smoky accents. It lasts eight hours on the skin with moderate projection. In this review, I will describe its smell and performance and if it’s worth it.
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Table of Contents
What Does By The Fireplace Smell Like?
The opening leads with a big puff of smoky accords, almost like burning matches. You probably think you don’t want to smell like a campfire, but it is far from that. Warm spice nuances add to the smoke, and the duo leads into a gourmand vanilla flair.
Vanilla is slightly sweet and powdery. More importantly, it is an excellent contrast to the smokiness.
Smoky vanilla is a bulk of the scent, but slowly, the smoke accords fade. The vanilla is retained and gains a warmer nature from additional balsamic notes. If you are unfamiliar, balsamic means warm and resinous. In the background are woodsy tones that never take over.
The rest of the wear is all about the vanillic nature with wafts of wood, smoke, and balm.
By The Fireplace notes:
TOP NOTES
- Cloves
- Pink Pepper
- Orange Blossom
MID NOTES
- Orange Blossom
- Guaiac Wood
- Juniper
BASE NOTES
- Vanilla
- Peru Balsam
- Cashmeran
Performance
The performance is slightly above average. It lasts seven to eight hours on the skin with moderate projection. The first two hours, it pushes out quite well. After this period, it recedes closer to the skin, never becoming a skin scent.
As for seasons, exclusively fall and winter. Just like when you’d be sitting by a fireplace. If you live in a four-season climate, you’ll get a solid five to six months of wear out of this.
It is easy to wear By The Fireplace for all occasions. It has a unique alluring aroma that is great for situations when you want to impress. Yet, the projection is still light enough to never overwhelm someone in close-quarter settings.
Lastly, the mass appeal and likability are excellent. You may have the idea of smelling like a hunk of smoke from the name. But instead, you get an excellent blend of notes that is nostalgic for many people.
By the Fireplace Clones
The best dupe is Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud Lattafa Perfumes. It has the same prominent wood and vanilla accords. However, there is a slight sweetness and a moderate dose of oud. Instead of resins and balsams creating the smokey accent, the oud in the clone is used to create smokey accents.
Final Words
The price is considerably affordable for a niche fragrance of this quality and blend.
So, is By The Fireplace worth it? Yes. I enjoy Maison Margiela’s ability to replicate a smell but give it a unique twist. Vanilla is not typically considered By The Fireplace – at least not mine. But they took it and “spiced” up a simple smoky wood aroma.
By the Fireplace is an excellent cologne and a great winter scent. Yet, don’t just limit yourself to By the Fireplace. Check out the best winter colognes for men. All are primed to cut through the cold air; you might just find your signature scent.