Londoner SW1X

I'll take you through my thought process here...The opening is bright and strongly jammy rose probably those citruses and pink pepper giving it a sweet boost. That's a wonderful smell don't get me wrong but then the next few minutes SW1X settles down and my immediate thought were... 'Oh no...not another uninspiring (but no doubts quality) Oud/Rose composition which is flat and has nothing to lift it. Guilty of the worst crime in my book...being too heavy on the rose element.' ...But how wrong I was. I can be mistaken for thinking that for the first few minutes after the lovely sweetness of roses settles to a strong rose and not much else. Then as if by magic the oud/sandalwood/saffron and a whole host of other beautiful things take over the composition and it becomes quite earthy rather than powdered and sweet. It is instantly reminiscent of Penhaligon's Levantium and As Sawira in that SW1X is a complex mixture of notes which act to accentuate the oud. The difference being this Bex London creation has one final trick up it's sleeve. After a powerful and joyful wear it goes back to being quite soft and then in the deep, deep dry down some of that patchouli and the soft ambery warmth against my skin. Frankly I don't think this will be everyone's cup of tea and with so many Oud/Rose combo's out there you'd be forgiven for overlooking this or not even being prepared to give it a chance. For those who do however you will find a very well put together fragrance, which is a bit dirtier than you might expect. My respect for Francois Robert grows with each scent I try.

I have a sample of this and wrote on the card 'Gorgeous, for a night out'. I have wore this on hot evenings in Europe and could smell it all the time. Its a strong rose & oud, complex as I can't make out the other notes. I love it and hope to buy.

A pleasant rose/oud combo with smooth leather undertones. Not worth full retail despite the good ingredients, but can be bought for much less, and may be worth considering if you can get it for a sensible price and have a gap in your fragrance wardrobe. Starts off with a dusty rose and a synthetic (but nice) oud note with perhaps a light herb vibe in the background. The rose never gets too bright, and the oud never becomes unrestrained. Saffron and leather soon join the party with just a hint of lily-of-the-valley. Projection at this stage is average and generally below the multitude of other rose/oud offerings. Patchouli then pushes through with some amber, though the fragrance never becomes dirty as the rose becomes warmer and a tad sweeter - my guess is its combining with the amber note. Longevity is above average, and overall this is a pleasing fragrance that simply doesn't wow, nor make me want to reach for it often. It is rather personal on my skin, though I have received a couple of unsolicited compliments. Perhaps if the projection were heavier then I would enjoy this more, but they are plenty enough people who prefer something a little more intimate, and I would say that this fragrance meets that criteria perfectly, which makes it ideal for an office environment. Presentation is of great quality, but for fragrances that are supposed to represent Londoners, the lack of a spray cap on the bottle means it isn't one you can just pick up and travel with - not unless you want it making the inside of your bag smell nice. Atomiser is excellent, and the bottle looks good in a modernist kind of way, if a tad incomplete. Breakdown of the listed notes (strength) Top: lemon 0/10 bergamot 0/10 mandarin orange 0/10 basil 1/10 pink pepper 2/10 cloves 0/10 rose 9/10 Middle: saffron 6/10 osmanthus 1/10 lily-of-the-valley 2/10 jasmine 0/10 olibanum 2/10 Base oakmoss 0/10 agarwood (oud) 6/10 leather 8/10 vetiver 0/10 sandalwood 0/10 tonka bean 3/10 patchouli 5/10 amber 3/10

Strong heavyh rose with a herbal spicey incense in the opening A little old fashion resinous scent, the spice and resin fades to a soften touch with the rose remaining. Its a beautiful old-person vintage scent

A very "now" oud-spicy rose, reminds me of Penhaligon's more exotic offerings, Halfeti, Levantium and Lothair.