Secret Woods

Wow. Ok. This fragrance is my new favourite. I’ve been wearing this for three weeks now and can see this being my signature for years to come. It transports me into a dry sauna. Not only does it smell dry, but gives that same experience as when you inhale dry air, incredible! It’s opens medicinal and sour, like a dead, moist log then you’ve just stepped on and split open: absolutely brilliant. The mid is intoxicating. Masculine. Leathery. Woody. Much more tame compared to the open as the sourness fades and that “dry air” effect still lingers. The far dry down is heaven. Smooth leather, sight spice the faintest hint of sweetness, all laying on a base of creamy dry woods. It is like nothing else I’ve ever smelled in the perfume world (still a relative beginner). The cherry on top is that this scent is by far my girlfriends favourite to smell on me; no other fragrance makes her burry her nose into me and deeply inhale like this one. 10/10

The best creation from Julien Rasquinet!! It's super super well done frgrance, Julien its a super good parfuemur. I think that he reached his peak with this art expression. Nothing's generic here, nothing will please the mass. Hell yeah, i love this!! I really appreciate the hard working and the creativity level over here. This is an truly example of how should be done a great fragrance, balanced, rounded, deep, rich, resinous, also i find it quite soily and wet woodsy, i ve never smelled that before. Congratulations Super Similar to Amouage Interlude, but this one its greener and a little bit more rouder, not that austere in your face! Super potent, i ve smelled this and it was love on the first sniff!! A gem! And simple, this reached in my top 4 all time fragrance!

The woods in this are so secret that they are hardly detectable. A more descriptive name would be Resinous Leather. I love CN for their unique, high quality, fascinating releases and this one is no exception. It is constructed in an Amouagesque style- a bold Oriental that is unconcerned with mall-fragrance trends. No, this one requires its wearer to know his business, for it will not appeal to those who view fragrances as a personality replacement (there, I said it!). It will make you feel serious about life, perhaps a little melancholy. Smokey, leathery, with a reminiscence of greenery. When the leaves begin to die on the trees and the earthy scent of autumnal decay fills the air, you’ll know it’s time for Secret Woods.

I went to test this out in store after reading and seeing the comments and comparisons to Amouage Interlude, which I love. When I first sprayed it on I got a bit of Interlude and sort of agreed, but as this got into the dry down I was reminded of the likes of Bvlgari Man Terrae Essence and to some extent Gucci Guilty Absolute, but much more earthy like the Bvlgari. I feel that it is much more wearable then the two aforementioned fragrances and for that I absolutely love it. I really like the others as well but feel they are difficult to pull off. Amazing fragrance. I really enjoy fragrances from Costume National.

Burnt air in prehistoric ages. Coal-like terpenes sending me a peat-like, Laphroig whisky stillness that goes-on forever. This has the hush of a fossil entrapped in an amber drop. Hypnotic and extra-dark, cold-blood and immersive with minimal evolution. A T-Rex in the wait for the next prey. By far the darkest perfume I have come across in some decades. Unique. Thanks to Brame Profumi - Elisa Malagoli, Modena for the guided olfactory trip.

Sexy,charming,smooth dark,elegant,manly. First spray on my skin i can feel some sweetness that slowly is transitioning into a pine-forest balsamic vibe. The leather is smooth,well blended but still present.Shortly after the fragrance "opens" itself. Scent quality it's higher than i espected.(it's my first costume national fragrance btw)

Wonderful work from CN.Green,dusty,wet,earthy and elegant.Like walking in dusty forest under rain. Very good longevity => +9h. Very good silage High quality Not for young boys,clubbers,include seriousness. No one indicated but it reminds me Narciso Rodriguez for him(anthracite bottle) 9/10

Off my skin, this is closer to Amouage’s Reckless Leather than Interlude. Not as harsh as RL. Maybe ever so slightly sweeter with a touch more citrus. For the price tag, if you’re looking for something that won’t break the bank, I’d opt for this over RL.

Hi, Julien Rasquinet is a master in creating scents that change easily, are not linear, for example Creed Aberdeen Lavender and ..... Bravo C.N 👌 Scent:9.5/10 Longevity and Sillage:8/10

I can explain this perfume so easy: Encre Noir by Lalique with some resins. من این عطر رو خیلی ساده میتونم بیان کنم: انکره نواق لالیک همراه با رزین

Under rated gem. If you like CN Homme perfume and FM Moon and like Julian Rasquinet style of perfumery, blind buy it. You wouldn’t be disappointed.

Encre Noire done right and skillfully. Yes, it 2x price but this is still a great value for that scent profile.

Edit: I detect oud notes, not listed in the official description.

من أروع العطور الخشبية, مناسب لجميع الفصول مع اداء ممتاز

I am coming into this review with a lot of positive energy after smelling the fantastic CN Homme, but Secret Woods is quite different overall. First of all it initially appears to be more so leather than woods as the somewhat tart saffron leather accord predominates in the opening. However, as it settles you recognise a bright but substantial gin-like wood core, dry, somewhat earthy and clearly masculine. The problem to my nose is that it feels a bit sour at times, not as in citrusy tart, but rather in a sour, slightly off way, like damp drift wood that is ready to crumble into pieces. The dry down is nicer, but for those 2 hours or so that saffron tartness just really clashes with the earthiness of the patchouli, and that's where those connections with the damp old wood come from I think. At the end of the day it is still something worth sampling because it is indeed something different, but if you have the option try Homme EDP and Soul first as they appear overall more rounded and superior on a conceptual level.

Costume National Secret Woods is a Green version of Interlude Man, which I view as a Blue incense bomb. Of course, Interlude Man is referred to as the "Blue Beast" by many. I wouldn't say Secret Woods is a "Green Beast" but it is on the stronger side to my nose just not beastly. Both are woody and have incense. Both a strong at the start with Interlude pushing longer by a few hours. But the difference is in the green vs blue to my nose. I like both and really don't think these are that similar if you actually smell then side by side. It is a winner of a fragrance. I would sample to make sure this is something you would like... Enjoy!

To my nose, this is a more wearable version of Amouage Interlude. Interlude is too much for my taste and this being softer on silage is really good for me. Very masculine scent profile and suitable for colder weather. Interlude has a sharp note in it that I really don't like and in this it doesn't exist thankfully. I like this but I cannot think of an occasion to pull it off as it's still strong and can be offensive. In the dry down it becomes more leathery and it's very nice. It's creamy leather and not a sharp leather but not too creamy like suade.

Got a decant so impression is based on it. The first sniff is dark and moody. I guess it's juniper berries that are most recognizable but there's more and I cannot distinguish. Smelling this, I am transported to a foggy forest in the early autumn morning. After 5 minutes or so, it's mostly leather notes and for some reason I get a TF Tuscan Leather feel. This leather (and vetiver a bit) remains for the rest of the time. I think it's not a blind buy. And not a crowd pleaser. Certainly has a mysterious aura around the one who wears it.

Very green. I don't find it all that similar to Interlude, but I can understand where the reviewer below is coming from when they say it is a "green version of interlude". I really like the opening, but something bitter creeps in after a couple hours that I am not on totally on board with and it stays throughout the dry down. Trying to downsize my collection, and because I have others I will always reach for before this I sold it.

A very nice twist of Tom Ford Oud Wood; soft and woody, with a spicy black pepper addition. It dries down to a smooth leather that is enriched with the full-bodied smell of juniper berries. Good release overall from Costume National with good performance. It does remind me of Opus VII as well but nothing like Interlude.