I first came across Frank No. 2 on the Lucky Scent site, where it is evocatively described in such a way that I could imagine sitting in an armchair in front of a roaring fire in winter, with my snifter of cognac and a fine cigar. There isn't much written about Frank No. 2 in the blogosphere, so its hard to find any in-depth reviews, but the notes include bergamot, white lavender, coriander, plum leaves, cognac, plum, fir balsam, coffee bean essence, red maplewood, teakwood and white musk. Let's face it, these notes sound gorgeous and I was salivating at the thought of getting my sample. The opening is a fairly typical citrus assault, which quickly moves into a green, herbal phase that reminds me of a sweeter version of Eau de Iles by MPG. It's that green coffee bean accord I think. I also get a fairly boozy cognac note not too unlike that in Caravelle Epicee. The heart is a mix of woods, vetiver and something slightly resinous, which I take to be fir balsam. I have to say, I quite like Frank No. 2, but I can't help feeling that it's slightly generic, in a been-there-done-that-smelled-that sort of way. I don't mean to be disparaging, but it is a little too safe and boring for my liking, especially considering all these wonderful notes. I know I might not have the greatest nose around, but I honestly struggled to detect plum leaves, maplewood or the teakwood, although to be fair, these are slightly unusual notes (at least to me) and if I'm being honest, I couldn't tell you what plum leaves, teak or maple wood smells like. The dry down is admittedly quite smooth and suave, but ultimately I'm left feeling like Frank No. 2 could have been so much more. However, I would urge you to sample this, as this is only my impression of the fragrance and it might develop better on your skin.
Image credit: Luckyscent.com
