Tribu

Tribu is truly underrated, in my humble opinion. It was released during a time period that many connoisseurs dismiss as a low point in perfumery, but on the contrary, I find the 90s to have some truly innovative explorations from perfumers. It was a time when we were finding the envelope pushed more so than ever before, experimenting with the "overdosing" of materials to create unprecedented effects. Here, Bernard Ellena (younger brother JCE), pushes ionones, particularly beta ionone, to their limit, and what results is something that reminds me almost of boronia, an Australian flower with deep maroon-brown petals, known for its distinct aroma, spicy, fruity, almost tobacco-like (beta ionone is most often used to build a boronia accord). I own some of the absolute, and it is one of my favorite botanical materials; it is unfortunately quite expensive and finds infrequent use in perfumery. Here, this boronia sensation is accompanied by the feel of both redcurrants and blackcurrants, a chamomile accord not dissimilar to that of Vicky Tiel's Ethere, lots of hedione and sheer florals, almost watery in its effect. I am also reminded of iced black tea, sweet violets, wet stones, even clay. I also think of that aroma of being under grapevines in the summertime, with the scent of fresh clusters and sun-warmed leaves above mingling with the fermented fallen fruit below. Then I also am reminded of opening a fresh box of cigars and what immediately wafts out. Furthermore, there is a light, quenching geranium in the periphery, muddled with blackberries. Surprisingly, over time there it diverts to a sweet-accented rosy-cedar woodiness and moss that is heavenly. This is unique and captivating to me.

I used to wear this fragrance back in the late 90's and honestly would wear it again today! I no longer have a bottle HOWEVER, I was able to purchase one (xmas gift) on fragrance.net for $49 bucks. Only mentioning the site and price because I know it was discontinued and super expensive on ebay. I'm assuming its a new reformulation but from seeing the below reviews, most say its pretty much the same. My memories of Tribu is of a strong almost tea like perfume, kind of spicy, and very 90's smelling. Its a strong perfume that I would not recommend to wear in the summer, as it can be headache inducing. If you have not tried it and find it, I think you should blind buy it because its a one of kind type of scent. The best comparison I have to it is a mix of Love Spell from Elizabeth Arden, with Green Tea also from EA and Escape from Calvin Klein. Its not a fresh scent but a heavy hitter, not sure if my review makes any sense just wanted to share the wealth of what a great perfume Tribu was and still is.

Simply delicious. I've been wearing Tribu today and I can't help to reminisce about my adolescense. It was 1993-94 when my sister discovered this fragrance, I loved it immediately. My friends would always comment on it. It is one of the very few fruity and floral frags I love. The blackcurrant-mandarin-violet leaf combo unfolds beautifully upon spraying for the first time...then it mellows during the dry down without losing its essence and other notes come forth; rose, ylang ylang, sandalwood, benzoin....hmmm you've got to try this. I bought it again 13 years ago... and I still have 1/3 of it. Keeping perfumes in their boxes, in a cool and dry place, away from direct light will preserve the juice for years. We all love the beautiful bottles right? having them covered seems like utter nonsense...but trust me... these beauties need to be protected :-) Tribu's longevity is awesome and sillage is great.

Tribu is truly a gem in perfumery...It is hard to find nowadays, but totally worth it. The opening is so original and creative, it starts out with a strong lipsticky accord that morphs into a dark fruity wine. I get strong benzoins in the opening and black currant, mandarin and ylang ylang following right after. When Tribu settles on my skin, the jasmine makes its entrance and blends beautifully with the rest of the notes. But the jasmine note is subtle and not dominant, it is the silky black currant that is the star of the show here... I get no rose and violet leaf notes. Tribu feels dark, earthy, sensual, warm, slightly woody, and even chocolatey at some point, but mostly boozy and like I said a bit waxy or lipsticky...it feels very high end to my nose, this one is daring and fearless... Sillage and longevity are outstanding!

I desperately want to find a perfume similar to this. It is so complex and unlike anything else I have ever smelled. Wore it in high school and college and well after. Recently bought two very expensive bottles that seemed legit, but since it has been discontinued for so long, they had both turned to alcohol. Does anyone have ANY recommendations of something similar? Even this site doesn’t seem to recommend anything that comes even close. Or maybe, if you loved this, have you ever found any other perfume that you loved just as much? It was such a unique scent that it’s hard to settle on another scent else that is just ok.

Tribu how I miss you ...! I remember when I smelled this lovely scent for the first time on another girl. I got a serious whiff of Black currant jam and I loved it. Super youthfull ripe and sweet blackcurrant, chamomille, orangey ylang-ylang on a creamy woody base. I miss this so much and I am seriously considering buying one at a wild price at eBay. Sweet, comforting and feminine ...just yummi. I had both this and the acqua fresca edition. Loved them both equally Edit : I got my hands on 2 bottles 100 ml at a reasonable price. I feel so Rich and I will enjoy them both untill last drop.

I used to wear Tribu in high-school and recently found it in a perfume shop in the mall. I was so excited! Double the price now since it's discontinued, but still worth it. Not only for the nostalgia, but because it smells so good. To me, it smells like sweet iced tea. Nothing has come close to that scent except for Oros Pure's Cloisonné. Definitely NOT a dupe, but similar "sweet iced tea" note on the dry down, but also has a hint of a "fresh cigar" in the background, which is why I said it's not a dupe. Tribu is definitely a scent to experience in my opinion. Happy Smelling!

my mom loved this perfume and when i found it online i was skeptical of the new makers... i read the reviews here before buying it and i must say... it is a hit or miss. My mom loved it and it reminded her of that period of her life. She was very happy and excited. Although she said it has some diff notes to it, the idea of a company making a perfume from the past was cool to her its tough to recommend to the youth as the scents today are not as complex... people want simple sweet or spicy these days and this scent has complexity to it

It's beyond me how anyone could ever decide to discontinue some sublime scents and Tribu is one of them. I've enjoyed it so much and repurchased it a few times and never in a million years have I thought that I'd wake up one day and find it no longer in production. It was plain gorgeous, performed outstandingly well on my skin and lingered for the longest time. A delight to the nose. To me it was in the same vein as Il Bacio by Marcella Borghese. Perfume glory of the nineties at its finest.

I find Tribu unique and i have never come across a perfume which smells like this. Smells clean creamy and fresh at the same time, and it's totally sexy! Makes you feel attractive. Men like this one and i get compliments everytime i wear Tribu. To me it is the most significant and intriguing fragrance that Benetton ever made. If you are into woody pleasant florals, which smell young and fresh at the same time, you should try Tribu. It's a bargain in Germany and it's precious. I love Tribu.

I knew this baby from my Mom and became my second signature scent for almost 5 years when I was in highschool and university. Hahahaha. It was good-old-day, until one of my bestfriend and my sister-in-law wear it as their signature scent too. This is a heavy and mature scent. Two sprays will last for 6 hours on my skin. Pricey for a student but it goes looooong way. Kind of sad to hear Benetton discontinued Tribu. Thanks for all good memories, Tribu!

the scent of "tribe" automatically takes me back to my childhood, this was my mother's favorite perfume in the early 2000`s. I got a bottle a few months ago and it was very nostalgic for me to feel its aroma again. Personally, I really like the notes, the smell is like no other, very unique. in terms of protection and longevity it is a 10/10, you would not want to use it in closed spaces, like the office, since it is very strong.

I got the small vial from fragrancenet and as I sprayed it on the paper of the vial it immediately transported me back in the 90's during my high school days! Wow! This perfume never lost it's captivating aroma that makes me wanna be high school again and experience all the fun and exciting moments with my friends and classmates in high school! This is oldie but goodie and pure gem! Will purchase full 100 ml bottle for sure!

i never wore perfume because my skin becomes very dry when i spray perfume. i even get an allergic reaction but this was the first that didn't do that to me. my husband had suggested me trying this but it was so hard to find because we didn't know it was discontinued. finally, we found it at a fragrance shop at the mall near us and it being the last one so we bargained and got it for cheap. overall, i LOVE this perfume!

Oh.. how i missed this fragrance. I wore it back on my college days. I remembered always carried around this unique catchy bottle in my bag. Even tough i didn’t need to re-apply, because Tribu has a monstrous longevity. Tribu was a cheapie with unique scent. A rebellion with warm heart. Nothing smells like this nowadays. I really wish they bring back this peculiar sweetheart.

On my opinion this is a UNIQUE scent. I love perfumes and i'm always looking for a new one, so i'v smelled lots of them, but nothing smells like this one. I LOVEEE it, its so sexy and original. I'll always use it. Is one of my favorite perfumes. The lasting power is very good on my skin. I'm a gourmand and this one isnt a gourmand at all, but its definatly a MUST HAVE.

I agree with smellysmellycat. I'm the person who doesn't like Floral scented perfumes, but I love Tribu! At first it smelled like beer and wine with flowers. But as it lasts long in my skin, it becomes seductive and sophisticated and so so beautiful. It lasts for hours. I love it! I had it when I as in High school and I still have 1 now, actually I am buying again.

The scent was mesmerizing and although not long lasting on clothes or skin the olfactory perception could be recalled just by imagining the bottle. It was absolutely magical. I loved it for years and had several bottles. Benetton could relaunch it as some limited edition one day! Would make many people happy especially mothers who were teens at its release time.

Another perfume which was sadly discontinued... Found it a couple of years ago in a Benetton store though but did not buy it straightaway. By the time I thought about and came back to buy it, they had stopped selling it. I am still very angry with myself for not buying it straightaway as I had been looking for it for so long.

This is such a beautiful fragrance. The black currant really shines through but plays nicely with the other notes to create something quite special; fruity yet not too sweet, a bit jammy, and delightfully woodsy. There’s a touch of something incense-like in there as well (unlit). I love it!