Sebastian

Sebastian is the scent of tuberose rendered as cashmere, white florals made tactile rather than shrill. It captures tuberose at its creamiest: not the green stem, not the narcotic or indolic headiness, and certainly not the bubble-gummy sweetness that plagues so many modern interpretations, but the buttery, softly glowing heart of the flower itself. What makes this composition exceptional is how tuberose is treated as a material rather than a spectacle. Sandalwood provides a smooth, velvety warmth, while immortelle plays a crucial role, lending a waxy, golden, almost cosmetic richness. Its faint maple-honey, straw-like warmth rounds rather than sweetens, creating the unmistakable lotion-like richness of expensive creams that makes Sebastian feel comforting rather than floral-forward. Vanilla appears not as dessert, but as structure, restrained, textural, and quietly supportive, forming a base that feels like skin warmed beneath fine fabric. The result is a tuberose that smells less like a flower and more like memory: silk slips, polished blonde wood furniture, softly lit Parisian apartments where minimalism costs a fortune. Sebastian envelops rather than announces. It whispers instead of performs, lingering close to the skin with impressive longevity for something so soft-spoken. There is nothing sharp, screechy, or attention-seeking here, just continuity, creaminess, and ease. It is white floral elegance for those who find most white florals too loud, tuberose worn as a second skin that happens to smell like quiet opulence. Verdict: A masterclass in creamy, cosmetic tuberose that feels quietly luxurious and deeply comforting, proof that true elegance does not need to announce itself.

Battle-ready tuberose meets unruly immortelle, but instead of knocking each other out, they lie exhausted in each other's arms after a long struggle, thanks to the peace efforts of sandalwood and vanilla. Beautiful, round, meditative fragrance with light gourmand facets reminiscent of mushrooms or black olives. Mme Roitfeld says: "It's very Carlos Gardel!". Right she is! Perfectly unisex, btw.

~Brace yourself for overuse of the word "soft" in this review~ After quite a pungent opening Sebastian settles into a lovely, soft, fluffy perfume. There is a vanillic-woody base with a soft, almost powdery floral over it. It brings to mind YSL Cinema in its comforting, gentle, soft character. Are you sick of the word "soft" yet? I am! But, well, that's the impression it gives: a gentle, soft cloud of vanilla, wood and powdery floral. I can imagine people describing this as a comfort scent. Don't be confused by it having a masculine name - it is marketed as unisex but I would say it leans to the classically feminine side.

Rather 'meh' at the beginning, Sebastian matures into a cosy scent for winter nights. It reminds me of a soft throw, you can almost feel the fabric. There's a sweet tinge to it from the tuberose, too, and a slight metallic hint, with discernible fresh powderiness in the drydown. One of the more intriguing fragrances in the range.

Green minty tuberose, a little spicy, very sweet but not in an artificial way. Leans femme.

Sebastian by Carine Roitfeld is a fragrance that embodies a captivating contrast between two main accords: immortelle-sandalwood and tuberose-vanilla. The immortelle-sandalwood combination delivers a deep, dark aroma reminiscent of woods and dry earth, while the tuberose-vanilla blend offers a luminous, comforting scent. Inspired by the Argentine Tango, Sebastian alternates between moments of fierce intensity and contemplative serenity. Its dry down features a subtle hint of licorice, and I love it. Overall, Sebastian stands out for its distinctive blend, offering a scent that is both unique and memorable.

I bought a sample of this as I am interested in perfumes with everlasting (Helichrysum) herb. However there is no helichrysum perceptible here, it is dominated by tuberose. A faint wintergreen note (methyl or ethyl salicylate) lends a slightly medicinal aspect. There is a pleasantly coumarinic character to it, like new-mown hay. Worth checking out if you like tuberose.

Very green and wet, mossy with Tuberose. Smells like a cucumber and a mushroom.

This is really nice. The tuberose is not screaming but is very present. I smell it throughout the life of the fragrance, as it has a lasting creaminess to it. Combined with the smooth sandalwood, they both blend very nicely with the vanilla for the remainder of the experience. It doesn't seem beastly, but sticks on the skin for a good length of time. I can see this garnishing compliments but from someone close to you. This is only my second Tuberose heavy fragrance, so I am no where near an expert on that note. However, if other tuberose fragrances are as good as this one, then I look forward to trying more.

To start with the florals wrap around your skin not clashing, not cloying not loud. They compliment each other well, with a lovely vanilla drydown. This is more of a comforting fragrance than sexy, unisex as all of the Carine fragrances are. I would prefer this for nighttime. I feel all of the “7 lovers” fragrances all fit into the collection well, really enjoying wearing all of them.

When I was a kid I’d lean out of the bedroom window watching the birds in the garden. This is the smell of the wooden frame, the putty around the glass, the gloss paint in hot to the touch in high summer. I keep the sample for nostalgia I wouldn’t want to smell it all day on me.