JASON ARSHAN
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If you haven’t heard of perfumer Shawn Crenshaw, it’s about time you take notice. With only his first fragrance released, he has already made a grand entry into the industry. An industry infamous for being closed off to diversity. If the Pinappos’ Legacy Award winning Ovation for Men is any indication, Shawn Crenshaw’s grand entry is only the beginning.
Opening with a lightly sweetened, citrusy, and fresh leather accord, I felt a smooth, welcoming comfort. My first inclination was that this feels like it would work well in an office setting. It smells good and draws in a certain confidence without overpowering those around you. My second inclination was there was something more to this scent. There was more story to tell.
Just when you think you’ve figured it out, things take an interesting turn. As I discovered, Ovation for Men is a versatile scent and it’s how the scent transforms that lends itself to that versatility. My initial experience was absolutely fitting for a day time scent. But when the work day was over and playtime started, there was no need to switch to something new. Ovation had something special in store for me.
Ovation for Men is a long lasting scent. You wouldn’t expect that from how light it smells, but when I sprayed it on in the morning the scent lingered well into the night. It really doesn’t get weaker either, it simply transforms throughout the day.
It was night and I was out grocery shopping. I got a whiff of something, wondering what it was that smelled so intriguing. There was this seductive scent that was following me around. I was in the middle of the supermarket — which these days means I had my mask on and couldn’t investigate the scent further — so I just enjoyed it. I knew this scent would stay in my memory for some time. Then after I finished shopping as I was walking out of the store, I saw Soraya. She had not yet put on her mask and upon greeting me she said, “Ooh, someone got lucky!” Wondering if she was bragging about herself, I asked, “What?” Not one to mince her words, with a devilish grin, Soraya replied, “You smell like sex!”
In case you missed it, let’s sum up. I started my day wearing Ovation for Men smelling like a clean and smooth office worthy scent and I ended the night smelling like sex.
There are companies out there that purport to sell pheromones and with anything like this my stance is that that’s a trillion dollar business right there. If it were real, every major business would be on it in a second. I’m open to being proven wrong, but that’s where I stand on that. Ovation for Men is not a pheromone fragrance, but it has an unmistakably sensual musk. Versatile is an understatement.
So is this an office scent or a date night scent? Yes. It all depends on your mood. And that’s really the thing worth pointing out. I believe that more than anything, this fragrance suits my mood rather than a specific time of day.
At the beginning of this I said if you don’t know Shawn Crenshaw, it’s time you take notice. So I want to repeat his name again — Shawn Crenshaw — give the man a standing ovation. With Ovation for Men being his introduction to the fragrance world, I cannot wait to discover the scent he creates next.
Scent Profile: fresh, sensual musk.
© PRODUCT PHOTOS COURTESY OF WRITER
Having dedicated over a decade of his life to the psychology of scent, "the voice of fragrance" joined Pinappos with the express purpose of sharing his passion for perfume from a unique perspective. During this psychological journey, he has quietly built a reputation as one of the world's foremost fragrance connoisseurs.
