Comme des Garcons Series 2 Red: Palisander

It's been a long time since I smelled this stuff, but I must say it was a real treat to revisit. The first thing I smell is a piercingly bright wood, cinnamony sweet but masculine, almost like Red Hots that were made with something that's very close to, but not quite, cinnamon. Soon, some florals wander in, and it transforms rather quickly into a more soapy, potpourri-like fragrance, a bit more feminine though still with the strong spiced (not spicy) wood component. It shares just a trace of the shampooey-ness that I find in things like Grabazzi, and is now what I would call legitimately unisex. It's as if Gendarme made a spicy soap fragrance to go with their line of green and floral soap fragrances. As it progresses further, I find it very hard to sense what's in the mix because it's so smooth and so well-blended; this is the point where other spice-centered fragrances might get tiringly sharp and insistent. It gets a bit weak unfortunately, and still maintains a slightly strident quality from the sharpness of the last remaining faux-cinnamon, but is at the same time somehow relaxing from the soapy quality. It's very good...a warm, sweet, happy, comforting smell, a lot like Egoiste in the base but less strained or on-edge. I'm especially impressed how much you smell the spices without feeling them burn your nose; maybe that's because they're from chemicals in the wood itself, and not the usual added spices. Truly unique and well-composed.

Palisander opens like a freshly-split log of wood, a flash of blunt realism, invigorating and bright. This eases into a flashback of my father's acoustic guitar, made from western red cedar and Brazilian rosewood. Palisander becomes a tonewood tone poem, a rhapsody of soft spice, pimiento and saffron. It's heart is earnestly wooden, with a notable facet that reminds me of the oil pastels that were used in grade school art classes. I sense just a touch of turpentine as well. Then, a carnation-like, soapy cedar-y, almost doughy dry down melds into my skin—a lasting, meditative hum.

Cleanliness, soapiness, and a little bit of sweetness, cannot seem to get over how amazing this scent is to my nose....

Woody red hots candy, dries down to smell like pleasant kleenex. Unusual but unfortunately fairly short-lived.

One of my favorites from this line. A soft powdery wood that ages well on me.

Ahead of its time, like many CdG fragrances of yesteryear, this one is also an amazing blend considering 2001 that I believe inspired many perfumes that is loved today, for sure Commodity Milk, Le Labo Tonka 25 and Santal 33, Zara - Ebony Wood comes to mind first. Burberry - London for men using a similar accord on a more masculine/aftershave direction with oakmoss and leather. Not caring for the listed notes usually, I get huge dose of Coumarin (tonka) on a layer of cedarwood virginia + Iso E Super + lactonic accord (could be the most lactonic ingredient i know, Methylaitone) and perhaps some sandalwood accord. There is Eugenol clove-spicy effect but I can’t say it’s on the forefront. Amazing scent for its time and still.

A very pleasant rosewood fragrance, warm and spicy, with pepper, cinnamon, and cloves, and some accents of cedar and what smells like sandalwood (particularly the incense-stick kind; it's mildly smoky). Because of the overall gentle, rounded vibe the spice notes come across like a blanket of carnation over the powdery, woody base, and I'm reminded of Prada's Infusion d'Oeillet and Washington Tremlett's Clove Absolute, but this is mellower and woodier than either. Because nothing really stands out here, it does border on being a bit faceless and non-descript, but it's well made and says what it has to say pleasantly enough to get a thumbs up from me. (This review is for the reissue.)

Likeable but not loveable. Sillage is a joke with this nice spicy/woody blend. Most CDG offerings are moderate at best when it comes to sillage but this is a pity. Maybe I have an old sample and maybe it's off but others confirm that it's rather weak so... Even with that being said I like it but will not buy a bottle.

Hubby's staple no 2. Lovely saturated smell of rosewood (palisander), with a rich herbal almost gourmand nature, spicy and a bit floral in the same time lifted by a chilli pepper note in the one side and a waxy old furniture smell. I like it enough but fades easily, so i prefer vetiveru

To me this smells exactly like entering an artisanal soap shop in southern France. Old dry wood stacked with handmade cubes of olive oil soap and dried aromatic flowers. Warm and soothing in a late-summer way.

At first this smelled to me like spiced bread. The "bread" note seems more to be a wood, and it definitely turns more woody in a few minutes. At this first application, it's a strangely sweet, spicy bread. A few minutes later the "bread" seems to be alternating between smelling woody and waxy, and like a synthetic leather at times. For now I can only smell the chili pepper if I breathe deeply. It's a nice note. And now, still later, 20 minutes later? It's deliciously peppery at the forefront, edible really. The background is a herbal mishmash that I can't distinguish the notes of. This is a very strange thing. I'm not sure if I like or dislike it, but I wouldn't wear it. Edit: Yeah, I dislike this.

smells like stale wood shavings for a hampster cage with a slightly spicy bo quality, definitely not for me, i'll have to review it again to find out if my perception changes. The rosewood note is very nice.

Smells like a plastic doll's head.

soapy and powdery not my vibe kinda giving me a headache

The mixture of spices in Palisander perfectly conjures up a hot opening of cinnamon & clove. Due to the fact neither are present I have to put this down to the combo of saffron and spiced pepper notes. The sweet nature of myrrh comes out as it dries down further to reveal the rosewood base. One word for this fragrance...Knockout! I absolutely love the combination of sweet, dry and hot in this woody fragrance it's a really lovely thing and CDG seem to have these odd incense type vibes down to a tee. I find it to be more masculine due to the pimento and woods but it's one of those that is a bit of a oddball and as a result... very much unisex. The downside is the longevity which is tolerable because it lasts okay but goes down to a very low humming skin scent, and quite quickly too. The verdict is a resounding thumbs up from me although I'm not sure it's bottle worthy, needs another wear I think.

Very very nice sweetly spicy woods but terribly let down by weak sillage and longevity. Would buy in a heartbeat if I thought it would or could perform robustly enough. Also the rosewood, while it's acceptably identifiably rosewood not just "general wood notes", is not quite as lush and detailed and special as in some higher end things (thinking of Aedes d Venustas Palissandre d'Or, which is an altogether more luxurious and even warmer experience.) If you're desperate for rosewood in particular and can't stretch to something really expensive, by all means give this a go. But for my money, if a CDG wood is what you're after, Sequoia is stronger and just as spicy - maybe even more so - and hangs on for longer. Still, as a fussy niche woods fan, this is more than acceptable - it's just frustratingly good for something that isn't truly great.

Powdery woods, exotic saffron and a hint of cedar and pepper. Soothing, calm, and peaceful scent, but there is a feeling of just having missed the 'Goldilocks Zone'. Wish I liked it more, but occasionally the Japanese red chili pepper accent disturbs the serenity of the other notes for me. It makes them seem timid instead of tranquil. Like their potency is slashed and doesn't reach its potential. Still, it's lovely!

for woodsy fans, this will be a hit... for me, it's just a little too dry. it's too straightforward, too simple and not varied enough. it needs a floral boost, or a more prominent citrus note. it just comes across as a woodsy scent, and doesn't have enough of a counter balancing element. it's straight woods. don't get me wrong, it's a good wood scent, just not enough happening aside from the woods...

It's intensely dry and spicy (almost savory), not smooth like what's typically associated with rosewood, more astringent like cedar. It's decent for someone who wants a masculine woody scent, but doesn't hit the spot for a palisander solifore.

I found the projection and longevity have increased now its autumn. I had been quite disappointed with both when purchased in summer. Have Found a strong similarity to the aroma chemical iso e super when I sampled that.