The Architects Club

The quotation about the perfume included on this page describes the "history" of The Architects Club and serves as the perfect place to begin this review. The Arquiste fragrance collection is curated by Carlos Huber, an architect specializing in Historic Preservation. Holding the belief that "a scent is a time capsule," Arquiste creates fragrances meant to "transport the wearer to evocative moments in history." For The Architects Club, this "moment in history" is Cocktail time, March 1930, London: "Inside a cozy wood paneled room of velvet banquetes and wood, blond tobacco and smoky vanilla mix with the crisp herbal notes of gin. It’s Martini time at a plush English Fumoir bar in 1930s London." Arquiste describes this fragrance as "a comforting, smoky vanilla with an amber woody base and a cool dry gin opening," and that is exactly what it is. I am not a Martini drinker and am therefore unfamiliar with its scent, but I do know that gin should have a strong aroma of oranges, juniper, spices, and woody winter pines and that vermouth should have a robust vanilla aroma with spices and herbs. Put together and garnished with a lemon peel twist, it should become a sophisticated Martini that smells like fresh lemons and clean, cold, strong juniper. The Architects Club opens with a fresh whiff of bitter orange, lemon sfumatric, and juniper berry oil. Imagine yourself in the English Fumoir bar. It is a sudden although unsharp opening – the scent comes to you like a gush of cold, fresh air after a door has been opened. The citrus scent is perfectly balanced and only transitory. The juicy cold air shyly reveals a barely detectable herbal, maybe even powdery, angelica root scent which then blends with the warm interior of the dark wood room; you sense the heat coming back to your skin. The heart would be the moment you sip your Martini and a spicy warmth swells in your chest (heart notes include pink peppercorn, pepper wood, cardamom seed oil). Next, sitting in a cloud of blond tobacco, you detect a smoky vanilla emerging. With time, the scent develops into a smooth, woody vanilla-amber. The room is filled with laughter. You look at the lemon peel twist in your empty Martini glass, and you are left with an incredible sense of comfort – the base. This fragrance definitely reminds me of Diptyque's Eau Duelle EDT and, in my opinion, they are too similar to own both. However, I would unequivocally choose The Architects Club over Eau Duelle. The bitter orange, Italian bergamot, and lemon in the opening combined with the Paraguayan wood, oak wood, cedar wood, and cypriol oil in the base give The Architects Club a depth that Eau Duelle lacks. Each note has been expertly included to ensure seamless transitions between the levels of the olfactory pyramid, also bringing the wearer on a heartfelt, fragrant journey. In terms of longevity and projection, The Architects Club significantly outperforms Eau Duelle. The Architects Club was a rare love-at-first-sniff for me. It is such a delicious woody vanilla fragrance. I can barely help but roll my eyes back with each sniff. Above all else, this fragrance is comforting. It feels like when I wrap myself in a warm blanket inside a wood cabin during the winter. No other fragrance can evoke such comfort in me.

(8 March, 2020) SOTD: ARQUISTE Architects Club Released 2014,CD: Carlos Huber, Perfumer: Yann Vasnier NOTES (via Arquiste website): Juniper berry oil, angelica root, bitter orange, lemon sfumatrice, Italian bergamot, French clary sage, lavender, pink peppercorn, pepper wood, cardamom seed oil absolute, coriander seed oil, black currant bud absolute, iris absolute, guaiac wood from Paraguay, oak wood extract, cedar wood, cypriol oil, Haitian vetiver, vanilla absolute, Ambermax, ambrettolide musk. This is one of those magical fragrances that achieves alchemy to my nostrils. The way in which Vasnier seamlessly blended a laundry list of notes into something so succinctly cohesive yet so sheer and elegant is trulythe hallmark of a master perfumer. Here is all the wondrous green flashes of juniper angelica and sage. These enliven a truly brilliant (in every sense of the word) citrus blend that, even after it fades from center stage, continues to backlight the whole affair. Velvety lavender blooms from the verdant shoots ushering us to a cool yet spicy soiree in the heart. Orris and cassis join the scene and NOW it's a PARTY!! The ultimate dry-down is predominately woody, slightly smoky, leathery and just sweet enough to entice. Throughout its impressive lifespan Architects Club more than meets (exceeds in many ways) its brief and lives up to both its inspiration and its name. Here is alembicated a truly eclectic gathering of interesting, intellectual and iconic ideals (be they perfumed or of the more personal nostalgic type) set against a posh woody background given life with ambers and musk. Old stalwarts meet the new "in" crowd in a scent that has some truly novel vivacity while paying every respect to the classics. Longevity: moderate (4-8 hours) Sillage: moderate yet polite & polished Overall: 4.25/5 My inaugural Arquiste scent, Architects Club has me itching to smell even more of the line. Even more impressive it has me considering a full bottle purchase. The note-list here is actually what drew me in...however; the way the perfumer blends these raw materials is quite unlike what I osmagined and, in fact, is even better! NOW I see (& sniff!) why everyone is so "gaga" over this brand. The perfumers chosen and the creative direction of Sr. Huber make for some pretty damn solid fine perfumes! smell swell & be well, GP xox

An enveloping smoky vanilla with an amber woody base and a cool dry gin opening. She lives up to her namesake, and definitely smells just like how I would imagine an up-scale architects club, pencil shavings, rich woods, with cocktail-like smells of boozy vanilla and juniper gin alternately wafting in the fore- and background. I own Musc Ravageur, By the Fireplace, Tihota and Cherugui, and put this travel spray I recently got on the shelf next to those. In no way a dupe to any of those, just distantly reminiscent second-cousins. Wonderfully unisex and calming, the woods in this are uniquely beautiful- probably one of my favorite woodsies of all time, and boy do I adore a good wood. I also get cardamon here or there (one of my other favorite notes)- thinking my nose deceived me after not seeing it in the notes above, I went on the Arquiste website and confirmed its definitely one of the heart notes and should be added, as this addition is part of what makes this perfume uniquely beautiful. I have a full bottle of Sydney Rock Pool (another uniquely and aptly named fragrance- someone in the moniker department there must get a lot of pats on the back for creativity). I'm not sure yet if I will upgrade to a full bottle of this. While I absolutely love it, her longevity, as others have noted, leaves much to be desired for the price point. The travel spray I got from one of the fragrance clubs is easily transportable, but respraying every 2 hours or so (for me) makes me think long and hard about the ultimate investment for a FB, especially when others in her class, like Oud Wood, linger well throughout the day. I tried layering this with Tihota to boost the longevity, but Tihota definitely took over even initially, and Tihota was all that was left shortly thereafter... In short, she definitely lives up to her current rating as a masterfully well done vanilla-wood-juniper-ever-so-slightly citrus. Longevity is disappointing given the other powerhouses she likely competes with for attention. I find it funny that some architect reviewers shy away from this because of the name - I would be blown away if you smelled like this and then told me what you did for a living.

This is my absolute favorite scent from this house. I wish that it was a food so that I could take a bite of it. Seriously! On first spray, while still wet, this scent smells like juniper, gin, and lemon. Yes, just like a good martini. I'm a lover of gin, so this layer of top notes is extremely intoxicating to me. These brighter notes persist for about 20 minutes, and that's when these dark woodsy, leathery notes start peaking through and taking over. These notes are slightly masculine and can trick you into thinking that this scent isn't a gourmand, but it totally is. You realize this about five minutes later, when that vanilla begins to take center stage. This vanilla is seriously the most addicting vanilla accord I've ever encountered in a fragrance. It is sweet, but not sickly. It smells incredibly real, and it's extremely well balanced against the woods and citrus notes. For the rest of this scent's life, it does a dance between vanilla, woodsy, and citrusy notes that I can't get enough of. In my opinion, this is firmly unisex. Sillage is average for me, projection is lousy, but longevity is strong. It stays on my skin for about 12 hours, but for most of its life, it is a skin scent, so be aware. I think if this had a stronger projection, it would be obnoxious. This is a gourmand that I actually wear year round. I think it's well balanced enough that it's appropriate at all seasons, but that might just be because I enjoy it so much. I think this shines the most in transitionary periods like Spring and Fall. Seriously, if you like vanilla scents and are looking for something a bit different but not too obscure, give this a try. If you're looking for a slightly masculine vanilla, this is best in class as far as I'm concerned.

Finally found my replacement for Diptyque Eau Duelle, which does not last longer than 2h on my skin and clothes. Peppery sophisticated vanilla which becomes a skin scent after 3h and fades from my skin after 5-6h. Sillage: soft. can be build up to moderate. However, a gorgeous skin scent for intimate moments Lovely vanilla alternatives: Similiar-ish (getting the same dry vanilla) but still different, touch more creamy, heavier: Van Cleef & Arpels - Vanille Orchid same vanilla but touch more peppery, horrible lasting power: Diptyque - Eau Duelle also same fresh opening with similiar vanilla (but pulls more differently on my skin) which is a touch more smoky, incense-ish: Atelier Cologne - Vanille Insensee --- After trying out all three now constantly, my final verdict: Receive many compliments with Atelier Cologne - Vanille Incensee and Arquiste - The architects club. Unfortunately, Van Cleef & Arpel's Vanille Orchid turns a tad sour-ish after an hour. Not sure, if my perfume went bad after only 4 months of usage... Clear winner: The architects club. Bright, awakening opening and gorgeous heart with the best lasting power!

This is immediately my new signature scent (mixed with Dedcool's Sunlit Blooms, its even MORE amazing!). The complaints on performance do not track for me, as I get a perfect 6-7 hours on 2-3 sprays and can still smell it all day, and by the time it becomes a skin scent is usually when I am getting home and I WANT to reapply for the evening without it fully choking anyone out. My husband is not usually vocal about my perfume, but he LOVES this one. I immediately bit the bullet and ordered a full-size, and I am so happy that I did as this is the perfect "summerween" fragrance, yet could be worn year-round. I am immediately transported to a late 1920's art-deco era wood paneled room where flappers are sipping gin martinis as light and heat pour in from the summer sun on the lake. This is 100% what I imagine Jordan in the Great Gatsby smelling like, and I am SO here for it! This is what I wanted Replica Jazz Club to smell like, but sadly that just dries down to manly B.O. smell on me. This one is VERY comparable to a more feminine leaning Althair by PDM.

I love this one, I just wish the wood notes lasted longer. Woody notes dissipate fairly quickly, but the vanilla stayed the entire time. I could still smell it on my wrist 12hours after spraying once. Sits close to the skin. My husband said it smelled like a vanilla car tree on my wrist after 10 hours, but I disagree. Debating whether to buy a bottle or keep searching for a similar scent that has longer lasting wood notes. It’s December now. I bought a full bottle a couple weeks after my initial review, and I’m glad I did. This still stays on my chest for easily 12 hours with one spray and even longer on my clothes. I love the atomizers on these bottles (I also bought Sydney Rock Pool this past summer). They create the finest mist I’ve ever experienced from a perfume. I don’t get any of the citrus or green notes people talk about. It’s all vanilla with an indistinct wood somewhere in the background for me. This and Mineral Cedar are my two most worn fragrances. I absolutely love them. The juniper berries and guaiac wood do it for me.

Vanilla, juniper berries, and wood, are what I came back for after testing this subtle aroma, cool yet comforting, refined casual. Not a beast, so if you worship at the alter of projection and longevity, don't get this, limit yourself to what you know will make you happy. It still has moderate longevity for me, which you could extend by spraying on clothes, hair, etc, but still, it will never scream, or demand a room's attention. Actually, it was a toss up between purchasing the more potent Nanban and this, but I have enough heavies at the mo, whereas this manages to balance a vanillic elegance just about unique to itself. Expensive, but Bloom Perfumery (UK), are doing an online Xmas advent calander with different deals every day until the 25th, and they happened to have 30% off their bestselling unisex fragrances on the 4th, so a bargain price of a little less than £1 per ml was paid. Happy christmas to me! A great scent to read a book to, something like The Great Gatsby. Librarians will flock. I haven't scientifically tested this.

This is easily one of my favorite fragrances in my entire collection. To be completely honest, I was not initially impressed because it is 99% similar to Eau Duelle by Diptyque which itself is a beautiful fragrance, but I quickly fell in love with this scent once I experienced the dry down. For a while I even thought that both fragrances must have the same formula however after wearing both for some time, The Architects Club stands out to me as slightly stronger with better longevity. This is a warm, woody, ambery vanilla scent that is not overly sweet or gourmand. It is subtle but noticeable, quiet but strong. I don't know how else to describe this other than to say it is gorgeous, warm, cozy and very addicting. I want to smell it all day. I started with a 1ml sample, then a 10ml decant and eventually went for a full bottle. If you're into vanilla but don't want to smell like a baked dessert, this is for you. As far as longevity, I can spray this at 7am and still smell it on my clothes when I get home around 5pm.

Dang, I love Eau Duelle and have a full bottle, but since getting decant of this, I reach for Architects Club EVERY TIME. Masculine leaning on me, but very unisex. It opens as a very boozy, creamy vanilla — truly reminiscent of an Ivy League (Architect) boys club back in the 60s — and I just love it. Although the profile is more masculine, especially in the opening, I (f) still feel femme and sexy wearing it. The opening kind of gently eases into the dry down for me without any clear mid-notes. The dry down is gorgeous on me — vanilla with a soft lemon and bourbon undercurrent. It has a woody baseline without specific wood notes. As a light sprayer, it lasts at least 6-8 hours. largely as a skin scent, but with occasional sillage that is just delightful. This has become my go-to for fall & winter evenings where I want to feel casual and sultry all the same. Very much what I would choose to lounge by the fire... Also totally appropriate for professional settings — day or night.

I ended up buying a full bottle of this one. Even though the sillage isn't great, it's a gorgeous skin scent, and if you spray a bit on your clothes/hair, you get more out of it. The opening is a fizzy, peppery gin martini, and then it quickly dries to a soft, woody vanilla. It's hard to find a vanilla/wood combo that isn't sweet and cloying or overly-artificial, and The Architect's Club stays beautifully dry on my skin, like a stack of kindling with just a hint of the vanilla. I'm quite sensitive to some chemicals in modern perfumes, but this one doesn't aggravate me. As someone said, it's a great scent for dinner parties, and I would add: airports. I like a comfort scent when I travel, but I don't want to annoy the people who are forced to sit in close proximity to me. This one fits the bill perfectly, when sprayed on the inner arms and my knitwear layers. I even sprayed a tiny bit into my mask on a trip to Australia, and got a gentle, woody fragrance the whole trip.

Starts off with the most beautifully natural and soft smelling vanilla. I checked the official notes and yes--they use real vanilla absolute in this. The difference in quality between this and most vanillas is unmistakable for me. It is perfectly balanced, not overly sharp or sweet, and doesn't turn into a weird bubblegum scent like many vanillas do on my skin. As it warms up it transforms into an equally gorgeous woody-leather scent with the vanilla still supporting in the background. This is what I thought Vanille Insensee was going to be like. The Architects Club is a swoon worthy vanilla for me. Every time I smell it--UGH divine! I am going to test a few more (real) vanilla perfumes, and if they don't beat this one I will certainly invest in a bottle. Update: Sadly I finished my sample vial. I can still smell the gorgeous, rich vanilla on my shirt past 24 hours. I will miss it dearly.

This is a sophisticated type of vanilla, which are my favorite vanillas. I could wear this daily which says a lot for me. It's not overly sweet (although this does get sweeter in the drydown but not in a gourmand way), a little peppery, and woody. It's incredibly smooth and well blended. It's not beast mode, it has very mild to moderate projection but I do find that it lasts all day. I feel like it creates this comfortable, gorgeous aura of scent around you. I'll never shut up about how good this is. I have Diptyque Eau Duelle Edt and I see the similarities for sure. This one has more of a zesty gin and citrus opening and Eau Duelle is more resinous throughout. Eau Duelle is more of a fall/winter fragrance for me, whereas Architects Club could be worn year round which is another reason why I prefer it a little more.

A woodshop with vanilla core. This two main notes keep jumping around every time I sniff it, fairly unsettling or having character as you may call. Wish it were blended better to my preference. Lacks complexity but it is perfect beige or earth tone for the introverts and architects ofc. On skin it turns out to be more muted and quieter, not so long-lasting. 8/10 Will I get it? Probably not, its performance doesn't live up to the price. But I'd definitely be happy to wear it if it's gifted to me. Is Ani by Nishane an alternate to this? Not quite. Ani is much more on the bright side, as yellow flowers on a sunny day but only in your airy memories :) Basically, Ani and the Architects Club share similar compositions but diverge in their scent profiles. I'd much prefer my personality to be akin to Ani.

This is just the way I love my vanilla -- aromatic, woody and bright. Opening with a good swill of gin and tonic, it promises optimism and cheer. The smell of juniper-led gin quickly disappears as vanilla scented cigarillos are lit. Smoky with woody guaiac, gently sweet and spicy with quality vanilla. Luminous amber crystals twinkle in the background, glinting with accents of soft lemon. It quite reminds me of Moresque Tamima which has been on my radar for a while. This seems to be a more accessible fragrance both in price and availability in the US, and equally as beautiful. If the Architects Club is open for membership, sign me up for Friday night cocktails and novel cigars.

This is a lovely cuddly day wear scent that takes the clear herbal, slightly peppery aroma of juniper and angelica and layers it on top of a soft whipped vanilla mousse and amber, backed by smooth velvety woods. The composition balances deftly between feminine and masculine, with the light fluffy sweetness complimenting the dense, vaguely smoky character of the base. It's a bit like standing in a fancy board room and inhaling a ball of cotton wool dabbed with vanilla essence. It has a coziness that makes it perfect for Autumn/Early Spring. If you like dry vanilla fragrances, this a winner for sure and like all Arquiste perfumes, has tremendous longevity and sillage.

A dry, ethereal vanilla soaring above resinous, warm guaiac-- no sticky buttercream here! This fragrance is effortlessly luxurious. It lingers lightly on clothing, but won't leave sweaters smelling stale. I will say that if sprayed too close to the skin, an unpleasant sharp sawdust note can emerge, so don't overdo it. I've since learned to spritz this on a bit more diffusely; when applied in light layers, the notes settle beautifully and the vanilla really sings. If you like vanilla and incense, give this a try and don't be scared off by the citrus and juniper. I would LOVE to get closer to a gentleman refined enough to wear this on a date. :)

Smooth and gorgeous. I avoided this scent for a long time because I'm an architect and I don't need to wear some perfumer's romantic idea of what an architect smells like. HOWEVER, my collection has leaned more and more powdery over the years, I've grown to love juniper and amber and I've never let go of my juvenile love for pure vanilla scents and after taking stock in my taste, I arrived back at this scent. The vanilla smells dry and expensive and there's a crazy realistic pencil shaving note in there. The citruses balance the vanilla but are not prominent. It has the same charm as Vanilla Insensee with a little more sophistication.

Makes me feel like a really beatiful man. Opens green and aromatic with that twinge of citrus in a dry autumn forest way not in a lush way. As it sits in my skin it takes on a warmth and sweetness that’s such a fun contrast with the dry aromatic citrus going on. I’m one of those people with a complex about tooth achey gourmands so I love when vanilla goes in this direction kinda like green vanille from regime des leaurs. The dry down 8 hours later reminds me of eau duelle from diptyque in the way it makes me feel and I just checked if anyone else feels that way and it’s a popular opinion so now I don’t feel crazy.

The more time I spent with my sample I knew this was legit juice. I sold Eau Duelle and picked this up. Very boozy and smoky vanilla. Unisex all the way. Projection and longevity are pretty good on my skin. Usually I am a fragrance sponge but this is such a beautiful blend that it stays with me 6-8. Very very happy to add this to my night out rotation. This will shine in the cooler weather but can also be worn on a cool summer/spring night. I'm not sure if I would wear this during the day. I wouldn't want to waste this on work. Very easy to loose yourself in this juice. A stunner that will get you compliments.