Carmen

#1672 in my “Tour de Fragrance” To be clear, I really love this scent. It’s attractive, excellent quality, versatile. As some have noted this smells a lot like Van Cleef and Arpels “Ambre Imperial” plus a hint of incense. Really nice. But there’s the price, around $230 for 50ml. You can do better. Khadlaj “Icon" is this minus tonka for under $30. Add dates to this scent and you have Fragrance World “Moonlit Night”, which goes for under $20, and French Avenue “Lumiere Garcon” under $40. On a per ounce basis the pricing for the Van Cleef and Arpels is substantially better, as is the availability. I’m finding this on eBay for $230 for 50ml, whereas the Van Cleef I can find for $69. Does the incense note really improve the combination by more than three fold? It does not. Does tonka improve the scent by $200? It does not. Would dates make a scent like this too sweet? Not really. But let’s say the price tag is no issue. For around $40 less you can get Daniel Josier’s outstanding “Ambre Tabac” which is more masculine leaning and excellent quality, whereas this is more unisex. So, for the guys I’d say pick the Josier. Good Luck and Good Hunting!

Thanks to the reviewer below for mentioning an estate sale. You nailed it! I smell this beautiful woman’s real wood furniture and even a little bit of lemon-y furniture polish. Perhaps her husband used to smoke a pipe, so just a hint of unlit pipe tobacco and even the ghost of her minty muscle cream. All this is conveyed nose-to-wrist, though. In the air, it’s a great slightly sweet vintage wood scent. Very enchanting!

Dusty, powdery, incense/vanilla fragrance. Absolutely stunning. A little familiar but wtf does that have to do with anything.....it smells GREAT! Smells very classy and rich. Price is killer!! I sampled but working to get a bottle asap. I have to take a break from Xerjoff purchases for this bad boy! You must sample

Beautiful! Mix YSL Magificent Gold with Caftan, add some chewiness and the bougiest brand new and freshly sharpened pencils and you have Carmen. Sweet but not too sweet, beautiful woody pencil shavings over fluffy middling sweet vanilla and spices. So so good as the temps drop. Radiant and loooong lasting.

Wow wow wow!!!! This beautiful, soft,warm,vanilla. I really love this one a lot! From Calaj house this is a more safe buy, as the notes are more common ones. I need a bottle right now!!! I am a big vanilla fan and this is a super yummy vanilla scent!