J'ose

I received a miniature of J'ose as a gift with a purchase. I admit that I took a long time to warm up to it. The packaging, storytelling, and fragrance profile are far from my usual olfactory aesthetic. After just one day of wearing it, I had to eat my words, and a full-size bottle found its way into my shopping cart. Until now, only one fragrance had evoked similar feelings in me: Libre L’Absolu Platine by Yves Saint Laurent. That one seduced me, and J'ose did the same. It is an aromatic composition with a touch of elegant sweetness. Cool and distant, it keeps you at arm's length like an unattainable woman admired from afar. Yet at the same time, it is enveloping and comforting. It is the scent of a woman who is both strong and delicately fragile. Mint and artemisia bring a green, slightly balsamic freshness. The citrus notes are quite gentle, sweeter than tart. The florals, vanilla, and base add a creamy sweetness. J'ose is melancholic and fits beautifully into dark, overcast weather. It is strong and would pair beautifully with power dressing, especially a tailored suit. It is independent and possesses a certain effortless Parisian charm. Longevity on fabric lasts throughout the day, though not spectacularly so. By the end of the day, it requires leaning in close to the fabric to catch it. The sillage is noticeable at first, becoming intimate after a few hours. The flacon is beautifully minimalist. Even the box has almost won me over, though not quite completely yet.

this is my signature scent, one of the few in my collection that actually makes my eyes roll back. it is divinely androgynous, doesn't smell like anything else, it's unique and leaves an impression. i remember J'ose since my childhood: it used to be my mom's favourite scent, but it was very expensive at the time and she would only use it for 'special occasions'. when she would come home after a long day of wearing it, I, a suspicious six-year-old, would think that she's dating a new man and smells like his perfume. like she put her own feminine "amor amor" by cacharel she used to wear back in the day, but it got mixed in with a man's cologne. and the mixture was absolutely blissful. when i found it on sale 15 years later I knew I had to buy it. now it's my scent! as much as i adore the coffee note and seek for it everywhere, i, ironically, absolutely can't feel it here. to me it smells like lavender and tobacco, clean and cold and insanely cool. someone here said J'ose is something a femme fatale would wear, and it's totally true! but not the man-eater-nelly-furtado-bombshell femme fatale, but someone like beth from the queen's gambit. not a seductress, but a rival you can't help but be seducted by. also if you're a bisexual woman, be prepared to get turned on by yourself when wearing this fragrance! the gender-fuckery of it all!

I remember when I saw it for the first time. It was the packaging that got me intrigued. At first I wore it in the colder seasons. I really liked it, but I fell in love with Jose when I used it in the late Summer. What a stunner! Even though it's not listed, I can smell hay! It's like I am teleported to late summer meadow, the sun is not as sharp and hot as in July, it's more of a late August, tamed heat. Maybe the hay impression is the lavender? I'm not sure, but I found this gorgeous note wearing Jose in the warm season. Sadly, I cannot detect the coffee note, but I've got the impression, it's something that just doesn't work well with my body chemistry, or maybe I just cannot smell it. It's long lasting and has a decent projection. Very unique. Love it. Correct me, if I'm wrong, but I heard that those perfume are not available in Denmark (entire Scandinavia?) due to the photo of a girl with the cigar, allegedly promoting smoking. I usually don't comment on the packaging, I prefer to focus on the perfume, but in this case, this badass photo is what introduced me to one of my favorites. Shocking? No. Decadent and classy? Yes.

• TOP NOTES: Bergamot, Lemon, Mint, Jasmine • HEART NOTES: Lavender, Wormwood, Coffee Moka • BASE NOTES: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Moss, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Amber, Musks I don’t get Shea butter from this - that perfume is lovely but smells like body lotion to me - and coffee break is more floral and also has that slight feel of a gourmand body lotion. This is actually what I expected / hoped Coffee Break would smell like before I tested it! To my nose this is more in the realm of Mon Guerlain but it REALLY reminds me of Lush Twilight! Happily in a much more wearable way. I use twilight on my bedding as I love the smell, but the lavender is very strong in that one and it doesn’t work well on my skin. J’ose is very sweet and cosy, a lovely mix of vanilla and tonka. Rather than the cinnamon in twilight or liquorice in Mon Guerlain, J’ose has wormwood, so it has that slightly medicinal tinge but with a slightly fresh accord from the mint. In the main though, it’s smooth and aromatic lavender, slightly powdery sandalwood and very sweet milky coffee. Just beautiful! I’m so glad I took a chance on this one!

This used to be my first signature fragrance, I fell in love in it when I was about 20 years old. Back then I've partied, smoked cigarettes, and dressed nonchalantly, like other art school students- it fit me perfectly and always helped me feel confident. I would get wrapped in its strong, masculine cloud, and feel both elegant and powerful. It's very warm and cold, like amber, coffee and sandalwood mixed with mint and lavender. Reminds me of a beautiful and old, but also dark office in some Victorian mansion. At one point in my life I found it to overwhelming to wear every day and every season. Fall would be my favorite season for it. Maybe it was because I used to feel more insecure. I chose more floral and delicate fragrances most of the time. Now I'm rediscovering J'ose again. I have to say, maybe it can be too strong and too much at times, but I do keep buying new bottles of it for a reason. It it my all time favorite. It' powerful and masculine but also very romantic. Wear it if you want to feel like Sherlock Holmes investigating some dark mystery in an old city.