Iquitos

I just got a Vintage, perfect condition 30ml/1oz bottle to try...as I have an affinity for masculine florals - even moreso lately, as I explore deeper into scents that were unknown to me earlier in life. Incredible quality and amazing perfume! This definitely goes on strong - aldehydes, citrus, coriander, ginger and cardamom...spicy and very impressive. About 15-20 minutes into the wear this changes rather drastically (it could have gone a lot of places - but if I hadn't have read reviews - I thought I bought a mature woman's perfume!) When the citrus melts off and the spiciness dissipates, a strong bouquet emerges - jasmine, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley and a single, long-stem pink rose in FULL bloom. A nice touch of fruit, but not strong or boozy, some tropical fruit underneath the loud florals that are very prominent - guava, red papaya, very exotic! This is creamy & gorgeous with the coconut note really showing a way to connect notes and create accords among notes. Beautiful...a tropical bouquet in a bottle! Wow. The touch of civet and honey are there at 40 minutes in (fresh in my mind as I wore Kouros yesterday) giving it a slightly animalic and sweet note. The moss is light - showing up just after, say 45 minutes in, but present. Starting to integrate. A point to throw in as this is developing on me as I write this: Iquitos is probably the most feminine fragrance I have worn. This is very unique and the quality is there. I am very in-touch with my feminine side and adore Vintage Acteur by Azzaro (as another reviewer compared this to). While they both have a rose note that is prominent, Acteur's rose is very deep, dark and almost wilted (probably a couple of petals have fallen off). Iquitos is a fresh-cut bouquet of bright pastels, jasmine, and the ylang-ylang pushes the limit. Acteur is a very masculine rose scent that is, while refined, macho. The rich base of leather, oakmoss (Vintage), vetiver and patchouli create a vividly dark and brooding scent that breathes on your skin. But, there is an airiness and a freshness in here that seems to 'float' on top. Iquitos radiates too - but it smells like a tropical garden and very natural. This is quality fragrance...no doubt. But, would I wear it regularly? No. This is a scent for occasion. A 1oz bottle of this Vintage juice will last me. My wife loves it and said it reminds her of a scent she used to wear. We cannot recall the name - but we remember it had a nice jasmine/rose/ylang-ylang/tropical composition (with a spiciness), but she agreed this was very original (and maybe unisex as she adores it). I definitely would apply it light and at least 45 minutes before leaving the house to get past the phase of development just after the spicy top notes burn off. 1 full hour in: Drying down - there is a definitive coconut (tropical) smell. Mixed with the ylang-ylang from the heart, this is getting very interesting again. A touch of wood and slight oriental-vibe come out as well (the civet is very slight). I have never tried a Chypre like it and would probably classify it as a "Spicy Floral" - with great quality and a chic feel. Overall, it is a great composition - one that stands out. This has a certain South American feel - relevant to the name. Impressive juice...this will not be duplicated, ever. 2 hours in - the fragrance dries down into a warm bouquet with jasmine, lily-of-the valley and rose mixed with coconut oil. This would be wonderful fragrance at a night club in Miami or the tropics! My score - 9/10 for sheer quality and uniqueness. But, not a scent I can directly compare to others...it is Iquitos, and it takes you "there". **Update** - I kept this on my sleeve for the whole day - it is still there after over 10 hours with one spray! Excellent longevity. From the 2 hour mark, as noted above, this really comes together. I am truly impressed. Niche quality juice from 1987...! The scent really has a nice tropical vibe, but maintains a floral quality that could be as fresh-smelling as a quaint, small florist shop. There is nothing off-putting here for over 8 hours of wear. I compared it earlier to Acteur (by smelling the scent on my sleeve next to an open splash bottle). This evening, I did a full wearing of Zino Davidoff - my other favorite masculine "dirty rose" fragrance. I was complimented on it heavily, as it is truly awesome scent. It has dried down now, beautifully. I smell my inner wrist and back of hand - Zino. Back to my sleeve - Iquitos. Two very different scents and not fair to compare. I have to agree with Grottola that a close rose note is found in Vintage Czech & Speake No. 88 - not identical, as there is so much going on surrounding each bloom that is starkly different in these compositions. Iquitos, while it is regarded by reviewers as better in the winter (and it is cold and rainy tonight), I think Iquitos will shine in Spring, early fall and warm evenings (70's to 85 degrees Fahrenheit). A scent to be worn outdoors in the Spring and on long Summer evenings. The bouquet stays fresh during the entire wear and the base of warm amber and touch of wood with moss add depth. The vanilla and coconut oil notes make this breathe - definitely something I will reach for and come back with more notes. Not one I can apply once and fully understand. Truly compelling fragrance and very sophisticated.

My first ever fragrance! I was about 15 when my father gave me the After Shave Lotion (he probably hated it since we have always had different tastes in fragrances) as a birthday present. Little did he know that this olfactory sensation did sent my senses up and down an emotional rollercoaster. This was wild stuff only the coolest of men would wear (my dad was obviously no longer cool in 1988 aged 48) and here I was owning a whole bottle aged 15!! LOL I have not sniffed it since (had it for a few years as I used it sparingly) but recall it to smell of a tropical town (=Iquitos) after a hurricane, when the sun breaks through again and all those plants, fruits and flowers, compete in releasing their phermones. It is utter and absolute aromatic olfactory porn! Very exotic, tropical and intense, like "Carnival" in Rio I would imagine. ICONIC THAT TONIC! Recommended for summer evenings only when you are out to hunt for prey (like the snake in the commercial implies) +++++++ U P D A T E ++++++ May 2012 Finally managed to get a vintage bottle from ebay for a snippet of a price (perhaps a fake, who knows). Feels like I am re-united with a long-lost friend. London is wet and cold presently, so this fragrance works like heating up the prefect storm. It really is a crazy fragrance, once that can barely be classified and certainly is not on trend presently or has ever been. It is just too unique: it's got a bit of everything. Best described as a male floral with ample of amber, musk, aldehydes and a soapy-sour leathery base. It is the male answer to "Poison" with the floral beauty of "Acteur" (rose), the Amber nostalgia of "Halston" (Studio 54), the aldehydes of CHANEL #5, the pine/cedar/fougere accord of "Xerys" YSL and the soapy bathroom feel of a "Kouros" YSL. Yet it is disctinctively its own weird combination. I do get a bit of headache from the Lilly-of-Valley note and it is deffo NOT for the office, lol. 10/10 for uniqueness and creativity. Long-lasting and potent. Pungent and strong.

I had bought this for an ex-boyfriend when it first came out and I loved this on him so much! I could not stop myself from smelling him, the bottle and anything this fragrance touched. I would even steal some to put on my own pillow or jacket just so I could smell it all day- that's how much in love I was with it! Back then, I didn't really know or care about the notes and I wasn't so into the formulas as I am present day. Now I can almost smell every note in this formula and it's amazing how complicated and how wonderfully it all blends and comes together. This is a very unique fragrance and it is not for the faint of heart and also not for everyone. It is bold, handsome, sexy and it is totally what I envision the actor Lee Pace, who plays Brother Day in Foundation or as Thranduil the Elvenking in The Hobbit trilogy, smells like! Complex, mysterious and absolutely intoxicating! (IFYKYK!) Being discontinued, it is so expensive and difficult to find. I purchased one 3.4 fl oz on Ebay and I don't regret it, I am wearing it today and I think it is enough to last me until ???? that day! :)

A brief follow up review...and, you are very welcome my friend, krmarich! After decanting some of my precious 30ml and doing another test wearing, I felt compelled to revisit this scent. Fantastic review yourself, krmarich! This truly is something special and has won my heart (and nose) as well! Iquitos is what modern mass-perfumery (excluding niche) is lacking so obviously today - natural, high-quality ingredients that are blended so incredibly well together! This is art in a bottle. It is stunning. Further wearings have shown even better and more consistent - I don't get the mature woman's vibe anymore. Oxygen has allowed the vintage juice to breathe. What goes on is beautiful rose blooms in a tropical rain forest with moss, nice exotic fruit and coconut blended in...with a wonderful civet note. This is something to behold and admire, not just wear. My score is increased to a solid 9/10 - this is excellence. I hope to, one day, get a larger bottle of Iquitos as well. A scent like this will simply never be made again. This is for those who know....

This cologne along with Roger & Gallet L'Homme - Open, Davidoff Relax - Zino, Ungaro Pour Homme, Versace L'Homme, Chanel Egoiste - Antaeus, Yves St-Laurent Kouros, Calvin Klein Calvin, Pierre Cardin Cologne, Azzaro Pour Homme, Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir, Giorgio Beverly Hills for Men, Tiffany for Men, Elizabeth Taylor for Men and a handful of others were meant to be noticed, loud so to speak, i guess hairy chested as well and for the most part were distinct from each other. The 70's and perhaps more the early 80's were about excess in the olfactory business. Like Barbershop fragrances on steroids. With less companies around and room for creating unique scents, the buying public i feel was spoiled. Today, with so many companies around, main stream or niche, plus virtually every type of scent having been explored it is difficult to find a unique scent. More often than not you have to dish out large sums of money to get something unique and decent these day as the large corporations have lost their touch and interest often obliging you to go niche.