Velvet

My goth little heart loves this fragrance so much! It's one of my all-time favorites. I was so sad when Commodity shut down a couple years ago, and so glad when the brand was revived. As others have said, Velvet successfully captures the look and feel of its namesake in scent form. And the color of that velvet is DARK: perhaps the deepest blood red, or dark emerald, or even pitch black. At the same time that it feels dark and sensuous (the black amber, smoke and clove notes), it's also sweet and comforting (the vanilla, rose, almond, coconut and heliotrope). So it's got that quality of velvet where it gives off vampy, witchy, and edgy vibes, but it's also soft and luxe. The combo of the smoky and the sweet notes lends it an incense-y feel, which only contributes to the overall "mood" of the fragrance; Velvet smells like something you'd wear to cast spells. The rose note in this is perhaps the most interesting element here. Rose can easily overpower other notes, but here it was used deftly, in moderation, so it blends beautifully while still being identifiable. The almond note does the same thing; it does not eclipse the rest of the notes at all but instead kind of "cuddles" with them. Although the rose note in Velvet sets it apart, it is indeed very similar to MM By the Fireplace, and I find that they actually layer well together - I'm wearing both right now! It's a cooler day where I am, and I was eager to wear some fall/winter fragrances. This is my favorite in the Commodity line, and I'm excited to try Velvet (+) Bold, the more intense version of this. I will probably have to reserve that one for even colder weather, as I do get the feeling that Velvet would become cloying if worn in any kind of heat, even the less intense version, Velvet (-) Personal. I will also say that this is probably not a safe blind buy, as smoky notes tend to be polarizing, and those notes are on the heavier side in Velvet's opening. They do calm down after a bit though. If you're on the fence, I'd say find a way to sample it first, maybe buy one of Commodity's discovery kits. Duration and sillage are both slightly above average for this one. I wish it had more staying power - not because it doesn't last a good while (7+ hours on skin and clothing), but because I love the smell so damn much and I'm sad when it wears off.

Opens with a super smoky impression that beautifully opens up with a delicate sprinkling of dried rose petals into a burnt creamy nutty coconut. I love the promise of rose in fragrance as I like the smell of roses but I have hated most obvious rose forward notes in perfumes. Thankfully this is far from the pissy, sharp or headache inducing use of rose that I am used to. In its appearance here it just adds to the sensuality of this fragrance. If there was ever a date night smell, to me this is it. I think it begs to be held closer. The performance of this could be stronger, the smell is amazing when your nose is right against it but you really do have to be close to catch it BUT if you were to be caught in a gust of wind, it does travel! the perfume sits for around 5-6 hours on skin and it's strange how saturated it does smell on skin considering it doesn't travel far but I think this isn't such a flaw for a perfume that I find conjures such romantic imagery. This is a smell to be enjoyed in intimacy... For those desiring intertwined fingers walking in the evening over autumn leaves, the person anxiously fiddling as the person they made eyes with in the club comes their way and in a flash they imagine a vignette of their potential love... If perfume is about fantasy and storytelling (it is) than I cannot fault the projection when it makes so much sense here to perform as it does. I have a 100ml of this and am about halfway, I definitely would buy this again maybe just as a 30ml (or a 50 if commodity had one) as it is very nightime and for the colder months so the wearability doesn't demand the size for me as I build my collection. Also I have to say I HATE the spray nozzle cap (atomiser*) commodity use , the perfume sprays out with too much pressure and not in much of a mist which makes spraying this an aiming challenge. Finally I do sometimes get the sour pickle smell lol but I think I usually catch whatever bad impression people note in perfumes but usually only in a brief moment then not again. And I don't smell the by the fireplace comparison.

Commodity's Velvet is a rich, spiced rose and vanilla amber scent; it truly smells like supple, luxurious maroon velvet. I sprayed this at Sephora and instantly fell in love. Velvet opens strongly with cloves and heavily toasted almonds; I can see where the comparison to By the Fireplace comes from, as both fragrances open with a strong smoky note. However, Velvet dries down to a beautifully expressive and deep realistic rose petal note that works wonderfully with the emerging notes of vanilla and amber. On my skin, the dry down is just incredible. It is a slightly spicy vanilla with notes of almost candied rose petals and amber. Around the 2 hour mark, the woody notes started to shine through for me, which compliments the fragrances spices and animalic amber notes. The projection is good, but I would recommend the Velvet+ version if you are looking for strong projection. This fragrance is very unisex, but is best suited for nightime wear during colder seasons. An excellently blended spiced rose fragrance, 9/10 overall.

Smoky turkish delight is my immediate first impression. I can detect the rose and almond immediately, sweetness. Maybe the almonds are roasted and smoked. That smoke haze is divine. Sure it could be related to By the Fireplace, but the first relative I thought of was Lune Feline. Hear me out - I have all 3 of these perfumes and I love them all. I am not saying they smell identical, they don’t. Lune Feline has quality par excellence and any vanilla fan needs to own it, it is a rich vanilla smoky orgasm. By the Fireplace is toasting marshmallows by the fire and is sweeet. Velvet has the rose and almond which makes it quite different and I love turkish delight, but while that edible smoke is present in all 3, I feel that it is better balanced in Velvet than BTF and supremely balanced in Lune Feline. They are all wonderful in their own right and different enough to appreciate individually. Absolutely thrilled to have this one join the ranks.

This is the holidays in a bottle. It's not at all "Christmassy," but has the feeling of sitting around the winter fire, sipping mulled wine with loved ones long after the children have gone to bed. I don't think I have a particularly discerning nose, but I was able to identify nearly every note. It's nuts, spices, rose, and the coconut lends it a certain milkiness. It's heavy - almost cloyingly so - but not quite. It needs to be sprayed with a light hand. I think the distinctiveness of its notes - the fact that it isn't seamlessly blended - is one of its strengths. I don't particularly get "velvet" from this - the clove, in particular, is too sharp and spicy for that - but it's a gorgeous and perfectly unisex winter fragrance. I love many Commodity fragrances, but this is by far one of its highlights, and one of the few that is probably assertive enough on its own to not benefit from their suggested fragrance layering.

Commodity Velvet is absolutely gorgeous on me. Top 3 of my favorites. It is warm and creamy. It is smooth and dreamy. The smell is fairly consistent from first spray and lasts up to 12 hours. The beginning opens beautifully strong, with a heavy smokiness, that almost instantly softens into a warm, vanilla, rose, almond, powder and clove. I feel incredible when I wear this. It’s comforting yet powerful at the same time. It’s mysterious, strong and sexy. It’s sweet and spicy yet soft and smooth. It’s great in all seasons. In warmer weather, I get reminded of that wonderful scent memory of the old Bazooka bubblegum- in the very best way! That sounds weird, but once you smell it, you’ll recognize what I mean. Commodity also sells a - and + version of Velvet. The Velvet- and it smells very similar but weaker. it is good but weak and doesn’t last as long. The Velvet+ smells smokier and less sweet.

it’s a really sexy, winter and night time scent. very woody and has somewhat of a vintage feel. i got this in a swap and wasn’t sure what to expect; the first spray was a no. but coming back and trying it again a few hours later, i feel this is very sultry and mysterious. could easily be unisex. the cloves come in heavy with the rose (two notes i don’t normally gravitate towards) but the vanilla softens that shock. there’s definite smokiness here, that i think is a combination of the woody notes and cloves. i want to go smell by the fireplace to compare; i think i’d love that one but haven’t managed to get my hands on it yet. this is a solid 8/10 for me, and i think that number will increase when it cools down here and i can give this a proper wear. glad i stepped out of my comfort zone for this.

I seriously really love this scent!! It may be my new signature, we'll see. I resonate so much with the mood and the emotions of this smell, but that's just me lol. On first impression, it's smoky, sweet and rosy. If you've ever smelled rose oil, it's nothing like that at all (I was afraid of that extreme cloying rose essential oil smell). It's more like if you steep rose bud tea and add milk to it. Maybe the milkiness comes from the coconut. So warm and comforting, and my favorite for this scent of all 3 of its versions. I was also afraid of this scent being too leathery or masculine and this wasnt at all. I'd say its even more girly than by the fireplace. And I find it so weird how much I love this but hate its bold counterpart. That one is so nasty.

Velvet opens creamy and sweet from the coconut and almonds with an almost aggressive incense-like smokiness from the cloves in the top followed closely by the floral notes in the mid, rose which is the strongest and longest lasting, vanilla flower which lends the distinct vanillic sweetness and heliotrope which, when it combines with the almonds and vanilla, gives a marzipan like vibe. In the base, the scent softens and leans woody because of the blonde woods and birch but also there is a depth from the amber. This is definitely one for lovers of complex, unusual fragrances. 10/10 for longevity, sillage and projection on me. Despite the strong rose accord, the other elements in this composition help it to remain neutral and unisex. Love!

I'm working my way through Commodity's discovery set and I just can't get over Velvet, I absolutely love this scent. I tried the personal version first which has been my favorite so far and is softer and has less of a sillage than this. I find that this projects quite a bit and it's making me kinda scared of how the bold is going to come across. A college who just stuck her head in my office complimented me on my perfume, which is nice but sign that this might be a bit too much for work... This fragrance is giving warm, sensual floras. It feels like a special occasion scent without being too oppulent. Very much dark and romantic. Most prominant to my nose is a sweet and smoky rose.

This is my new favorite. I find it hard to commit to full bottles, but the first time I sprayed this I said out loud, "oh? OH! I'm buying this." It's unique and hard to compare to other fragrances. Replica is heavier, sweeter and smokier to me. Velvet is warm, but not heavy. The rose stays in the background all day, and gives actual rose bush smell with the woods and amber. It's definitely a mature scent (I blame the rose), grounding, steady and only leaving on its own time in its own way. The other reviews mention that it burns down to be very personal and intimate and I could not agree more, almost like a 2 in 1. Velvet knowns when to shout and when to whisper.

Gorgeous vanilla smoke, sweet jammy rose, light coconut and clove fragrance! Easily I would say this is my signature! Unfortunately, Commodity Perfumes is no longer. The closest fragrance I have found to this is By the Fireplace, by Maison Margiela. But I don’t like that one so much. It has a more bitter ashtray smokiness to it that puts me off. Commodity Velvet is smoother, sweeter, more pleasant and has an amazing longevity and sillage that has gotten me many compliments. I made sure to pick up my back up bottle. This is like a precious jewel to me!

I think people are reviewing all 3 versions under the original which has lead to some confusion. Although they smell similar, they’re actually all quite different. The intimate version is criminally underrated. Its beautiful, unique and one of my favourite commodity fragrances. However the other two (especially intense) do smell almost identical to by the fireside. Please just save yourself £20 and get by the fireside if those are the ones you prefer. It has a better bottle with a longer lasting, better projecting, and a better blended fragrance.

Woah I was super taken aback by how much I loved this scent at first spray. I loved a sweet smell that has depth to it and floral notes and this really has it all. It definetly has woody notes and the rose is apparent as well. There is quite a sweetness to it and almost an incense smell as well. I was transported to a smokey jazz club enjoying a sweet drink. This is one that I am really looking forward to wearing out during crazy nights. There is a spice that kind of tickles the nose but is adds just the right amount of spice.

It may be my favourite from the Scent Space collection. I'm a not into rose, vanilla and almond leaning fragrances but blend in this scent is amazing. Love the smokiness and oudiness mixed with saffron and sweetness. Oud and saffron are not listed but I get these in this scent. It's a bit like Oud Satin Mood from MFK but in a smoky version. Almost like a "By the Fireplace" from Maison Martin Margiela. The latter seems to have sother blend and softer smoky note. Breakdown of notes is different on the brand's website.

This one is probably the most interesting I’ve smelled from commodity. This give me such beautiful imaginary of fall. Like a celebration of the autumn equinox in a small midwestern town. Smokey with a vague vanilla, coumarin, and eugenol spicy-sweetness. The spice bridges into some rose and citronellol nuances that gives me some nostalgia of late summer/early fall nights. Some slightly salty ambergris in the drydown, not overly anamalic but also not ambroxan like. Just beautiful.

I adore this. I definitely don’t like to wear mainstream perfumes. I originally bought rain and I just could not smell it. I am a fan of book; it’s my favorite. This one on first spray has a strong woodsy scent. It dries down beautifully into a creamy, soft, comforting scent. I feel like it’s lying on a hammock in the backyard reading my favorite book while I breathe in the scent from our rose bushes. I’m sad commodity is no more because this scent is a keeper.

It was between Velvet and By The Fireplace, and Velvet won. It’s smoother, not so much in your face. I prefer it to sit closer to my skin in the colder months, it’s comforting. And this is sweeter from the rose. Although I have the older version of Velvet in the smaller, rotund packaging. I just really enjoy this fragrance and find it very cozy and soothing for Fall/Winter. The longevity is OK, not horrible on me but not outstanding either.

So lucky to have discovered this. Simply put, the roasted almonds give me a ‘milky coffee’ vibe. It’s like blowing over your latte to cool it down (that has jammy rose petals floating inside) whilst chewing spearmint gum (cloves on me is minty) on straight, white teeth. It’s so special to me and the black amber I portray as ambergris/ambroxan? that gives that sexy ‘je ne sais quoi’ feel about it. Dark, windy night, hair tussling in the air.

Such a beautiful rich dark offering. Not too sweet the almonds give it its creamy note, the cloves a Smokey bitter incense feel. The vanilla for me is nominal it adds just the right amount of sweetness without being cloying. I can see why they called this velvet, it’s a velvet robe wrapped around you, sat by a roaring fire on a dark winters night, snowing outside but your all warm and cosy wrapped in velvet. We can but dream!

I had a past aversion to rose (because rose done wrong can be awful!) and if you also do, this might be one perfume to take a look at. It’s sweet in a vanillic sense with dried rose petals (to my nose, not as strong) with smoke wafting in. The dry down is sooooo gorgeous! A bit hipster, a bit “cool.” My first thought was that it smelled a bit like Oud Satin Mood (but one that I could wear). Unisex (leans feminine IMO).

Velvety smooth creamy and very addicting. I get no coconut from this. It reminds me of Rose Mallow cream by solstice scents with a bit of smoky woods added in. It's like going for a walk on a crisp fall day and you walk by a house that is burning sweet wood in the fireplace while someone is making vanilla custard and hot chocolate with a dozen roses on the table. Very elegant warm and comforting.

I like the rose and toasted almond at the beginning that blends very well together - it has a very unisex vibe to it. When it dries down on my skin it makes me smell like Dreyers toasted almond ice cream served in a wooden bowl, eaten with one of those flat wooden popsicle sticks. And I don't usually like wearing anything with vanilla or sweet notes. I love it!

I thought this might be a little too unisex for my taste. Cloves can pull too strong on me, too. But on my skin, it comes across as a warm rose, with this really yummy Turkish delight drydown that had me sniffing obsessively. My biggest complaint (other than Commodity going under) is that it was over too soon (similar to MM Replicas).

I was looking for a cruelty free replacement for by the fireplace and this was suggested. It has some similar notes, but some completely different so it's not a perfectly faithful replacement. However, I do love Velvet. I love a heavy clove note and that's what I get from this. For me, sillage and longevity are moderate.

top notes: woody, spicy (cloves), warm and smokey leather notes middle notes: rose comes in, still warm spicy and smokey vanilla base notes: powdery and vanilla really wished it had more performance, was very close to getting a bottle. Also, not as sensual as i would want. Maybe i need to try the "+"? overall: 8.5/10.

My FAVORITE out of the line. It is absolutely beautiful, especially if you like cloves. They managed to combine the vanilla sweetness with the spice in a very balanced way. It is interesting, but not loud. I don't see the By the fireplace comparison as this is not smoky. It is a well-balanced spicy sweet scent.

I absolutely adore this one. I remember the first time smelling it I was in complete awe. Has this warm amber, combined with soft powdery rose . Its not grandma-like at all, its playful, complex, feminine, layered. Beautiful perfume. If you like rose scents and warm bases, I think you'd like this one.

Thank you to Fragrantica for bringing me to this fragrance-it appeared in the fragrance horoscope and the notes intrigued me. I'm not usually a lover of rose on my skin, but this is tempered so well with the almond and that lovely smokiness. It's a sexy sweet perfume and a new favourite for me.

I think this smells really delicious and smooth. Soft and lightly floral with a slight smokiness to it. Very unisex. I could see this being a more fall/winter scent but acceptable in spring/summer. Definitely office friendly and easy to like. Full bottle worthy imo if the bottle is on sale.

I like the clove in the top notes. It's quite special. The transition to the rosy middle notes was smooth. I wish it could have lasted longer, though. After 2 hours it has almost gone completely, in a sunny day at 20 degrees Celsius. I will try the velvet bold to see if it gets any better.

I’m in love with this smoky woody vanilla beauty. The faintest powder and rose linger in the background. But in about an hour I’m already missing her, wondering why she teases me so. For such a sexy/night out type of fragrance I wish it projected more or at least left a lasting presence.

Cloves, more cloves - one of my favorite spices, maybe THE favorite - and a rich rose, vanille, black amber. I don't get smoke at all. I get well blended, warm, witchy, powerful notes I've just mentioned. Would be nice to pick up more wood and the heliotrope. But really, no complaints.

Sweet, smooth, creamy, dark, and delicious. It is all the things. A scent that, when others are in your orbit, will make them say 'oh my god you smell amazing.' I love this for nighttime - whether I'm out on the town or cozied up on the couch, it works beautifully either way!

Deep, rosy and woody. Reminds me of the smell of church pews mixed with the paper from the missalettes. Not sure why it gives me that vibe, but it does. My husband just gets the deep rosiness and he loves the way it smells off my skin. Really lovely, underrated fragrance.

It’s like if by the fireplace also smelled like roses. It took me a few tries to like this, I kept coming back to my sample. On paper, it was just chemically wood. But it really is a nice cozy smell on skin.

Literally cant smell the difference between this and By the fireplace... dont get wrong. They both smell AMAZING. But this is a better deal :) I get no rose nor heliotrope tho. Absolutely love it tho!

I really enjoy this strong, smoky rose fragrance. It is quite woody and reminds me of Catholic Church mass. The wood pews, paper missalettes and flowers mixed together.

Somehow they captured the smell of velvet (or what I imagine velvet to smell like), bottled it up, and I couldn’t love it more!

I love this - it kicks off like By The Fireplace, then the rose comes out as it settles. Might be full bottle worthy.

god this shit smells so gooooooddddd YAYAYAYy

I own a full bottle of this one - I had gotten a sample of Commodity Velvet out of extreme curiosity and fell in love, so I bought the full size when they were going out of stock. I will say, you need to be sparing with this one. Too much of this fragrance and the smoking rose can turn quite sour and off-putting, at least for me. But small amounts (like the drops that come from my sample) are endlessly delicious, and remind me of sweet roasting chestnuts on the streets of Paris in wintertime. It does smell like By the Fireplace - I smelled that one on my friend and came home and smelled Velvet - definitely almost the same, except here there is that sometimes tart rose. The reviewer mentioning coffee below is correct - this fragrance has the acidity of coffee that comes with the roasted aroma. I have to be in the mood to wear this because sometimes it wears me, but I really am glad to have a bottle of this rose beauty.

I am really enjoying this as it evolves on my skin on a cool spring morning. To me, this is sipping a hot chai tea at an outdoor coffee café across from a rose garden. I get the cloves, some spice, a warm heady vanilla and a light natural rose note floating in between the smells of the café. This is interesting to me because if I had looked at the notes prior to trying this, I don't think I would've given it a chance. For me, this is a little bit reminiscent of CK Obsession, in that I have always been intrigued by the composition but wear it sparingly because I need to be in a certain mood to pull it off. Even with the spices and vanilla, I would still wear this in warmer months simply because of the imagery I get from it. It's both warm/cozy and lightly floral. This was my first test from the Commodity Expressive test set. Can't wait to try out the rest.

Velvet is a rich, warm scent, just like the name implies. This scent really does evoke velvet - something that begs to be worn for special occasions, yet warm and comfortable. The woody/spicy topnote is what hits you at first, then it settles quickly to a rich amber and oriental rose scent with a hint of vanilla or almond. It's also has a very light and pleasant whiff of a tobacco-like scent. In the way it unfolds, it strongly reminds me of Divine's L'Inspiratrice, which is also a smoky rose and one of my favorites, but it is also hard to find in the US. L'Inspiratrice is just a tad more complex and with the addition of tonka bean to round out the smokiness. All in all, definitely worth a place in my rotation. (disclosure - I have a very similar version of this review was on the Commodity site, but I receive no compensation for reviews)

I recently purchased this fragrance... all I can say is that it is very nice. It reminds me a little bit of Fucking Fabulous and Bois Doré. I'm a sucker for soft, sweet and powdery/smoky scents. And this one is no exception. It truly evokes a velvety feel. The rose is very soft, and doesn't stand out to me at all. It is all well blended, but every ingredient seems relevant. I really like how almond has been almost re-introduced to mainstrem scents. It, along with the coconut, intertwine masterfully to produce this roasted accord. It is heavenly. I can't imagine what a little bit of coffee thrown in could have done with the composition. This will become one of the most beloved scents by Commodity in future years. Mark my words. Overall, this is a very strong release. 9/10

When I first smelled this from the sprayer of the travel size I bought I kind of gagged. lol. I guess I wasn’t expecting it to be a strong as is it was. I hadn’t tried this brand at all. I was going to return it but I didn’t. After a while in the skin it gets better. I don’t think it smells like by the fireplace or like pickles. But I think Decadence by Marc Jacob’s smells like envelopes, so I’m a weirdo. The Clove is very prominent and it seems to linger for quite a while. I sprayed this on my wrist to test it out to give it another chance and I don’t hate it. I know some fragrances have to marinate and they must be sprayed first. The Vanilla is very strong to me, like liquor. But overall, it’s nice. Definitely for the cooler months.

This starts off smoky, in a slightly sooty, charred sense. I actually enjoy that scent, and it lends a really dark quality to a perfume that would be a typical cozy fall scent without it. Once the initial hit of smoke becomes more subtle, the almonds and vanilla warm everything up. Underneath it all is a hint of rose, making this feel really nuanced. Like starting a bonfire, roasting almonds and toasting marshmallows, and in the distance there are rose bushes dropping petals past their bloom. It’s dark and mysterious, vaguely witchy, and gorgeous for evening. It is very similar to By the Fireplace, but darker and with some complexity from the rose note.

This is such a stunning fragrance. I get what others are saying about this smelling like a witch. This is mostly a rose and clove fragrance to my nose, but the way it is blended is really nice. I think some of the notes in the background like the coconut and vanilla really bring this together to give it that velvet feel. I find myself craving this often at night time and often wear it to bed. Personally I don’t think this smells like by the fireplace, but I can understand where others are getting similarities. I imagine wearing this in my make believe gothic mansion wearing a dark purple velvet dress, sitting on a fur throw, and sipping on red wine.

This to me is a sweeter version of Replica's By the Fireplace... I love smoky scents, but unfortunately both fragrances give me an awful headache almost every time I apply them. It's too bad because it's a great fall scent, just a little too heavy/cloying with the sweetness.Basically, I get a smoky and sweet vanilla/almond concoction, which overpowers any other note. I was surprised to see rose listed on the main notes, as I cannot smell that at all. I actually love to layer Roses de Chloe with Replica's Jazz Club, so I may try to layer it with Velvet to bring out the rose note...

A blast of rose, shortly followed by a dirt smell. I definitely have the Velvet Expressive, but the dirt smell made me think of Patchouli. It's not an unpleasant dirt smell though, it instantly reminded me of working in the garden with fresh soil and roses. After the dirt smell, the rose returned, and it seemed a balance of those two notes for a short while before it disappeared. At the end of the day, if I put my nose directly on my skin I could detected a comforting sweet smell, but nothing else. I actually enjoyed this, just wish the longevity and sillage weren't nonexistent.