No Limit$ Super Fresh Eau de Toilette 90ml

Warm weather and long days are what Philipp Plein No Limit$ Super Fresh Eau de Toilette 90ml is built around, though the base underneath it is far more serious than the name suggests.

The top is green and slightly bitter rather than citrus led. Blackcurrant gives a tart, almost catty sharpness, fig is milky and green at once, artemisia adds a wormwood bitterness that is genuinely unusual at this price, and lavender rounds it off with a clean herbal sweep. Then the spices come through. Black pepper and cardamom together are dry and aromatic, cardamom in particular bringing that cool, slightly soapy, almost eucalyptus quality, while grapefruit and bergamot lift the whole middle with bitter peel. Ginger is the last of them and the sharpest, a fizz rather than a burn. The base is where this earns its keep. Leather is dry and smooth rather than raw, sandalwood and cedarwood sit creamy against resinous, papyrus adds a dusty, almost papery dryness, and patchouli and amber bring earth and resin. Musk ties the knot. Sixteen materials in all, with a clear shape: bright and bitter above, dry and warm below.

At eau de toilette strength it is lighter on oil, which is the correct choice for a scent meant to be worn in heat. Reapplying at some point in the day is part of the deal. It suits men, suits summer best and spring well, and is easy at work.

The label carries its founder's name. He is a German designer who launched it in 2004 and has since built a group taking in clothes, shoes, jewellery and watches, all directed out of Lugano. Scent is not made in house: a beauty licence was signed in January 2019 and The $kull went on sale that December, with the No Limit$ name following in 2021.