Principe Real

This smells great! I nearly bought this on the spot in a little Portuguese shop on Columbia Road by the flower market. I realised it smells very similar to L'Instant Pour Homme Eau Extreme by Guerlain which I also love. I decided I didn't need two scents which smell so similar, but I'll consider swapping to this when my bottle of L'Instant runs out. Comparing this and L'Instant Extreme side by side, I would say that the main difference is that this is more balls-out patchouli than the Guerlain. It's a little rougher, a little darker in colour, a little danker - perhaps a dark mossy brown to Guerlain's refined creamy beige. L'Instant is drier and more complex, with some gentle floral notes and the astringency of tea, but the heart of patchouli and chocolate/cocoa is pretty well exactly the same in both. Principe Real also has a wonderful warm pipe tobacco note which isn't listed but for me is definitely there. This is marketed as a barbershop fragrance, and the opening is very fresh and barbershop, with a good dose of bergamot and citrus, however this fades away within minutes and you get the warm, earthy heart. Any fans of the better-known Guerlain fragrance should definitely give this a whirl. I honestly couldn't say which I prefer.

I am a fan of this house and this fragrance. I can see the comparison to LIDG, but I think it is MUCH better than LIDG. For starters, it opens far more citrus-forward with a pronounced orange peel note. The middle is full of green notes like leaves from citrus trees and grass. In the base, this goes into a super refined earthy/woody note. It all is blended perfectly with no one component sticking out. And while I understand why some smell chocolate in this, I really don't interpret the note as chocolate. It is the patchouli/orange peel combo that gives this vibe. In that way, this scent is better than LIDG as LIDG has a tendency to come across as more gourmand and more synthetic. Only downside is that this is a skin scent after a few hours, but has good longevity as a skin scent.

I tried this in a little shop in Azores, Portugal on vacation recently. I was searching to try some Claus Porto, but forgot all about that once I encountered this little gem. Principe Real opens with some fresh citrus, but immediately gets into the business it was built for. A supremely sauve, smooth, green and patchouli mixed with a sublime sandalwood and cedar. I fell in love with this one when I smelled the sprayer. I instantly picked up this beautiful woody radiance that instantly relaxed and simultaneously invigorated. Spraying it on skin there is more complexity and nuance, but the stars of the show are the beautiful woody basenotes. Hard to find such a nice woody base without cashmeran, iso-e, javanol or other prickly offenders being overdosed and causing anosmia. The freshness in the opening is smooth and non-synthetic, but short lived. Quickly segueing into the heart with a very gentlemanly, but not at all dated, incredibly attractive mix of gentle spice, patchouli, woody notes, and yes a little unsweetened dark chocolate. I don't care for super sweet, vanilla or gourmands, and this is not that at all! The chocolate is very subtle and plays perfectly into the patchouli and is easy to miss. I see listed vanilla, but it doesn't stand out, and plays perfectly into the creamy sandalwood. Somewhere between a juicy opening, the heart alternates between this and a dryness from the cedar/sandalwood, but it stays smooth and creamy while without being a shaving soap or desert-y creaminess. Notably there is no powderiness, anything prickly, or sharp here to detract from the wonderful basenotes. Truly perfectly balanced and one of my favorite finds. Bonus points that I will always associate a beauty trip to Sao Miguel, Azores with it. Last note on performance, it is middle of the road, with projection in the first hour, but it does last as a gorgeous skin scent for 10+ hours. Perfect for those who wear fragrance for themselves or more intimate encounters. It truly would fit the bill for any season or situation, but would likely get lost in the shuffle in a loud atmosphere like a club or crowded venue. Ultimately, I think this is good enough to appeal beyond genders and ages, and I think it's super special. Very curious to try some the Guerlain L'instant flankers now!

First impressions. The opening is very tart with strong citric elements (bergamot, lemon) and cloves. On the skin, the opening comes off as medicinal, but then the citruses and cloves quickly fade into the background, and the composition balances out nicely. I get associations with Houbigant Fougère Royale (modern version) -- it has a similar sweet fougère accord with light patchouli, some woods and citruses. I would also put it in the same general ballpark as Eau Sauvage, since it sits right in the middle of citrus, woody and aromatics categories, also the performance is similarly light. But it's much sweeter, especially in the drydown.