34 Boulevard Saint Germain

Who, other than Olivier Prescheux could combine such notes to create a seamless, sophisticated, elegant and elevated symphony? When I first encountered 34 I ✨gasped✨ and whispered “oh wow” as I sniffed the blotter and proceeded to test on my skin. 34 opens spicy with a hefty dose of cinnamon and clove (L’Eau) but the use of a beautiful fig leaf note (ode to Philosykos) and carefully placed green notes, blackcurrant (a nod to Baies/L’Ombre Dans L’Eau) and slightly zingy citruses help to steer this away from being a potentially overbearing and overwhelmingly heavily spiced opening. The heart of this fragrance stole mine... the elegance of rose, slightly balmy, sweet tuberose and waxy iris. In the base there’s a gentle oily, sticky, resinous/balsamic feel, along with refined, smooth woods and a eucalyptus note I find to be refreshing and grounding creating a meditative feel for me. In the late dry down I get a gorgeous, smooth amber. The concept of this fragrance is one I used to question in the sense that, how could it be executed into a wearable experience? How could it not be a total mess? 34 evokes the scented aura of Diptyque’s Paris boutique located at 34 Boulevard St. Germain. I feel it takes various standout elements of their bestsellers both in the home fragrance and perfume realms. The essence of all the olfactory indulgences meddling together, encapsulated. Both their unlit and burning candles, the fragrance has this waxy undertone perhaps from the iris—reminiscent of wax candles, melting wax and polished/waxed pale woods which are used to furnish the boutique. The scent of all their perfumes’ molecules in fine mist permeating the atmosphere. Fragrance infused wood infuser sticks. A myriad of olfactory profiles collecting and settling on expensive, smooth, glossed wooden countertops. Does this fragrance manage to convincingly conjure this essence and imagery? Indeed, all of the above elements have been exquisitely and expertly captured and crafted into a beautiful perfume that which is effortlessly wearable and enjoyable. It is a scent I crave and find enveloping, meditative and soothing. Something I reach for all year round but especially during the cooler months as this really shines on colder days and nights and delivers a delicious balsamic coziness however; beauuuutiful on Summer evenings like somebody mentioned below. My husband loves this just as much as I do. 34 really made me contemplate on the bittersweet fact that we won’t ever have another Olivier Prescheux creation ever again—but his work still remains in the world to be celebrated, to be found, to be enamoured and enchanted by. ✨ A wondrous, comforting amber glow, woody vapours.

"Ummm, what am I smelling?" That was my initial reaction when I stumbled across 34 Blvd while browsing the Diptyque line. The pushy SA sprayed some of everything on my arm: Volutes (Chergui lite), L'eau, Duelle, Tam Dao, Oyedo,34 blvd, and eau de 34. Attempting to be nice, it got so bad I had to sneak away and spray several fragrances on cards before I left. Needless to say, I walked away that day not too impressed with Diptyque fragrances or their staff. But, something on one of the cards (couldn't tell you which card at the time because they were all stashed in the same pocket lol) smelled amazing. The next day, I had to figure out what I was smelling. So I tried Volutes, and while I thought it was a well blended fragrance, I likened it to a weaker Serge Lutens Chergui...this was not the smell that caught my attention. Luckily, the second fragrance I tried was 34 blvd, and again I found myself asking "what is this I'm smelling." I was entranced by the smell; so unique and busy but never unpleasant. It was fresh with the black currant and citruses and also spicy from the pink pepper, clove, and cinnamon. But the scent journey got even crazier when the floral mid began to commingle with the sweetness of the citruses. The base kept everything interesting with a fresh eucalyptus, resinous drydown. I've never come across a fragrance that evokes the feeling of yesteryear; classic and forgotten - almost mysterious. Yet, in that same whiff, conjures images of modernity and flair all while remaining herbaceous, smoky, and sweet...in different phases highlighting light and heavy elements. Just a weird, beautiful composition. "Whose idea was it to make this beauty?" As I stand there in awe of this fragrance, that same pushy SA from the other day decides to walk my way with something in hand. I stopped him immediately, "please don't spray me with anything and tell me what's in this fragrance I'm wearing." After giving me the notes in his little pamphlet, he then goes on to say "this is being discontinued and you'll only be able to buy eau de 34." So, I'm not sure if he was being honest, but after a quick online search for a discounted 34 Blvd (didn't find anything), Diptyque became $100 richer. I wore this all throughout last fall and winter, and even used it during the cooler spring months. I've worn it at sporting events, family gatherings, job outings, etc. I haven't come across anyone that doesn't like this "beautiful mess" of a fragrance. Great job Diptyque! Side note: Is this being discontinued? If not, I feel like I owe that SA a visit! Turned me into an impulsive buyer...shame on that guy! Lol

First of all, this definitely isn't your typical Dyptique. This is a complex, abstract, "everything but the kitchen sink" modern chypre kinda thing that works surprisingly well. If I had to sum it up, I'd say that it vaguely smells like an expensive, fruity, floral scented candle, which, paradoxically, isn't all that shocking considering it's still a Dyptique. It has an old school quality that stems from its structure, it doesn't put a single note at the forefront, instead it's an amalgamation of a slightly ridiculous amount of notes (at least by modern standards), and it has a distinct 3 stage drydown of top, heart and base. It transitions quite a bit throughout the wear, just like the great classics of yesteryear, and yet, it doesn't actually smell like something from the 20th century. It's ultimately a modern scent that adheres to modern sensibilities, it's shiny and transparent, you won't find massive aldehydes, nor strong powdery florals, oakmoss, civet, nor anything remotely animalic for that matter, it's very mass appealing and utterly inoffensive, yet it's not boring, it's cozy, soulful, slightly lived in and undeniably charming. It's very pleasant as a whole, but the real beauty is in the details, and how easily you can actually deconstruct it and smell each individual note, starting from the juicy, rejuvenating top notes of black currant, fig and spices, the floral bouquet in the middle, and the waxy, resinous, yet slightly green base. In other words, it's just a damn good perfume. You should try it.

34 is a scent of many faces. It is complex, multifaceted and hauntingly beautiful. You see, if I tried to do a regular note description, I feel I would fail miserably. I tried this a lot of times and each time I felt a note I failed to spot earlier - I could believe you if you tried to tell me any of the listed notes is present. It has its share of spices, resins, floral notes, woods. All of these notes and vibes 34 gives are pleasant and well-mannered. Even with plentiful phases which intersect at times, this one never feels cacophonous to me. It always smells good, but in an assortment of ways. Longevity of 34 is quite good, but its scent cloud is somewhat personal. I feel this one suits cold weather a bit better, but it is safe enough to be worn year round. Evening and/or intimate wear are the best options for this scent, in my opinion, but casual wear is fine as well. What makes this scent so good in my eyes is its dual nature - it is both heavy and ethereal, both modern and classic. It is also vastly different from any other Diptyque I've tried, because of its complexity and 'perfumeness'. In my book, this is a fantastic scent, but make sure to try it a few times before you make a decision about it. What I find complex may be overwhelming to another person. Somehow, I got the best possible results out of this one. As good of a Diptyque as there is. 9,5/10

Just got around to testing this, out... my first impressions is a beautiful soft scent , some spicy quality to it that I like, the opening was a definite ok ..nice..a bit strong at first sort of fooled me a bit on what the scent would actually be. so quickly this seems to really tame down to just a very nice aroma, it does seem to change a bit as it finds it's transformation.. I see this as masculine but I could also see how women could easily wear this. I really like it.. I only have a small 2.5 atomizer that I got from surrender to chance among a couple of others that I plan on trying...this is a more sophisticated fragrance in my opinion. CONFIDENT MAN. I am taken with it, trying to figure out what I would compare this to? I see some listed and I would agree with a lot of the observations..so maybe not one I could pinpoint. could be different on others. I like that aspect.. overall I am impressed with this one. longevity on me seems quite good, and glad I tried it. I did see a review on you tube about this that sort of tempted me to try it out. prices are a little high.. I would own this though. maybe a future time or perhaps buy a larger sample to wear when I feel like this type of scent. it is one that could make me change another fragrance along this line and upgrade for this..two thumbs up for me.