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.

be very careful of the temperature you wear it in! In my opinion it is only suited to colder temperature. In warm weather it smells like stale men's cologne. It is very strong. It is one of those androgynous perfumes, but definitely with a little bit of sweetness in the coffee/lavender note. The amber makes it mellow, not dry. It has a simple, yet modern feel to it. Definitely try it if you are a women and like unisex/androgynous scents but masculine scents are too much for you.

Mmm, what a nice discovery is J'ose for me. It sounds bitter-sweet, bold, self-confident. On the other hand it is comforting and in some way velvety. I imagine it on people from artistic circle sitting in good cafe with, yes, coffee and cigars. Sophisticated scent, it is hard to estimate it on paper, it opens perfectly on skin.

Just lovely unisex frag. Start off with a barbershop nuance that softly turns into skin scent, tender lavender. Stays with you for 4-5 hours, sits well on scarf only too. Not a safe blind buy, I horrified a few with it. I find it lovely and the bottle is so cozy and elegant too. Not the best value though, it is too expensive.

Deep dark lavender coffee mixed with creamy thick amber. It's strong, heavy, it screams aloud. I get earthy, almost leathery vibe as well. This perfume is like a roaring independent lion. When you enter a room wearing this perfume, you immediately own the whole place. Don't go for this one if you have no guts. 9/10

Perfect every day perfume for winter and fall time. I find it for the people who are bold, straight in your face and daring, just like the picture on the package. The amber note was the first to catch my nose and the coffee smell after a few hours is just gorgeous. The longevity is not the best, but it is worth it.

After several wears I decided this has a very weak silage and it does not last as long as I wish, I wish there was somethig else that smelled like this but more powerful, besides Bvlgari Black. Main notes felt are coffee, lavender and a pinch of vanilla that makes it ''rounder''

This is the scent I go for when I don't want to think. It's musky, with a hint of lavender and reminds of me and expensive body lotion. It has good lasting power and it feels elegant. It's not too sweet, but definitely has a hint of sweetness. I find it very beautiful.

it jumps between smelling like an old man's generic cologne and a really feminine sophisticated sexy and warm scent. i like it, it intrigues me, and i must have it!! it really develops and changes as it warms up

This perfume is quite similar to Black from Bulgari, has a masculin trade in it, but I find it quite sexy, wish it existed in my country also... hhhm quite expensive though and only 100 ml bottles...

really quite reminiscent of Yohji yamamoto... as I remember him 20 years later... will be good for the coming spring... as well as for sunny autumn days. Bright, not cold, not warm, in balance

I finally finally finally found the perfume that is exactly like Bodyshop Shea. The besttttt smell ever ❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️❤️😍😍😍😍❤️❤️😍❤️😍😍 I am totally addicted to it 😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️❤️❤️😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️

My sister had this fragrance years a go. I stole her bottle. Its so sexy and confortable. Unissex. I love it. The Shea butter line from body shop reminds me of this scent

It is almost same with Jose for men and imo it is even better. I think I will get this one rather than for men. Amazing, highly recommended.

if I had to choose one for the rest of my life, that would be it

I am in Love. Delicious, deep, multiface and seductive.

This scent wears someone like femme fatale🥰

So this is a first date in a bottle. But make no mistake this perfume is generic. However it's one of the few times I've experienced generic notes blending into something intriguing. She's not wearing any perfume, just a GENERIC shampoo and a GENERIC body lotion. He's wearing a GENERIC barbershop cologne. They're both wearing GENERIC clothes, one of them is wearing a leather jacket, the other a crisp white shirt and theyre both wearing jeans. One of them is drinking a mid priced GENERIC rum/whisky the other is drinking something GENERIC and "absinthe flavoured". The date starts off with a handshake, a warm cocoa butter body lotion blended with a cool lavender mens shower gel. As the night progresses, things start to warm up, the rum/whisky note comes in sweet and resinous and they relax speaking more freely. Then a dry tobacco/tonka appears and it's a little heavy, they're talking about more serious things, sharing secrets. Before it gets too serious and too sweet they have a few shots of bitter absinthe and conversation is playfully sarcastic again. At the end of the night they kiss and all the notes mush together (the drydown is a complete blend of all the notes, it's like drinking absinthe and rum from a glass smeared with body lotion while getting a soapy shave from a barber in a leather jacket with an unlit cigarette in his/her pocket) This generic little perfume straddles multiple things. Feminine and masculine. Formal and casual. Warm and cool. I'm not sure this was intentional but it really captures the moment between no longer a stranger but not yet lovers. A precarious, uncertain kind of intimacy. NOTE: There's a small booklet in the box that lists all their perfumes accompanied by illustrations which I liked.

I cannot think where to begin with this, so I will say, to get it out of the way, that yes it is very similar to Living by Lalique. But where Living very occasionally leans a little into old-sofa smell territory, and is difficult to wear sometimes because it can be overwhelming, this is more wearable and slightly more feminine too. It is VERY ‘femme fatale’ as other reviewers have said, but not in the way you’d think. It’s different and daring, not seductive in your traditional über-femme rose/oud combo that many would consider femme fatale. No, no rose or oud here. This perfume is the main character. Not loud enough or overwhelming enough to be the sole thing that gets you noticed, but if someone smelled this on you, they’d point it out. It’s not a scent that fades into the background. There’s something cosy about it too though, that delicious lavender/tonka/amber combination that has me in a chokehold when it comes to fragrance - I look for it everywhere and now I don’t need to look anymore. When I say that this perfume is the main character, I mean that it is a chameleon that will twist itself to fit any situation you’re in (much like main characters are never just one thing). This is not just a “night or day” perfume, this is anything you want it to be. It’s cosy, but fresh, but dark, but light. Can you tell I had no idea how to review this? It’s my signature. It’s absolutely, irrevocably my signature and I haven’t got enough words to explain my love for it.

It's ridiculous that this fragrance barely has any reviews. J'ose is an absolute masterpiece among modern fragrances. The best way to describe it is JPG Le Male meets coffee and patchouli. I believe the instant connection I had to Le Male comes from the mint/lavender combination that stays present throughout the hours, but it's quickly met by smoky, dirty base. I also detect hay but it's not the kind you'd find in bright sun among the flowers. It's the type of hay that is mixed up with soil and smoked up by a nearby bonfire. J'ose fears not, doesn't settle down and is not keen on pleasantries. She's fierce, she is experienced, she knows what she wants and she could educate girls on self-confidence. If she ever cared to, that is.

Soothing, contemplative amber, golden indeed. Opening note of herbal liquer is the thinnest note of the composition - stands out only at the beginning and with time it melts into the golden patchouli, softly interwining with rest of the notes till the drydown. J'ose is a spectatular blend, rich, deep but not heavy, very enjoyable. I detected no sweetness at all, still it's one of the rare ambers I can wear without fatigue. starting from bright liquid that may have lost its sharpness/top notes due to age, but nevertheless it was a rich, golden amber drowned in Mosses, coffee and lots of powder...

Good for durability, ethereal, lined ambergris scent. Slightly masculine flair gives lavender and mint, but do not come to the lead.I dont get coffee in the perfume at all. Interesting smell that fits more women who want to be a mysterious, type of femme fatale than men, which is not to say that some men do not fall in love with this. The chords of patchouli and amber gives nice warmth and crosses with a little lavender and musk.The scent is a bit mysterious, good for autumn season. Smiliar to Living Lalique but Jose is sweeter.

This is leaning masculine on me with very strong lavender and mint, I don't get any coffee or much vanilla. Having said that, it's not a bad scent at all, it's unique, very aromatic. It can be layered with vanilla perfumes to make it softer and more feminine. It reminds me a little bit of Burberry Goddess Intense which I like, but this one is more masculine.

I can't decide if it smells more like a lavender latte or a mint mocha. It's refreshing and soothing at the same time. It's like sipping coffee after a nice long massage and you can still smell the aromatherapy oils on you. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to last long on my skin. Maybe I need to try it again, but the longevity seemed very fleeting.

i liked it when i first got it - it smells lika a male fragrance, quite dark, deep, warm and sophsticated. got many compliments from men. it smells of tobacco, wood and spices. it is plesant and warm although not absolutely striking. for women who like male scents it might be worth trying, but there might be better alternatives.

This smell is so but só damn good. So different, so distinct, so elegant and sexy at the same time. The only downside is that it doesn't have enough power for the smell it has. I don't know how to explain it but this smell deserved more strength, to be more powerful. So that would be the perfect perfume.

It's a bit masculine to be one of my top favorites, but it's okaish. I smell a spicy scent when I smell it. The notes are very interesting, but mostly I smell spicy. There's only hint of coffee. Overall, I find this one wearable.

An Extrait version builds up differently on skin, stays longer, diffuses stronger. Maybe there should be a page for J'ose Extrait too?

For me its very sensual perfume. I agree, that it smells like coffee and cigars. It perfectly fits for fall and rainy days.

It starts with an intoxicating lavender-based herbal opening, but after 20-30 min it settles to a different, warm base that loses the uniqueness. This drydown stays very long with us (talking about surviving evening shower and night) and it is almost identical to the dicsontinued/seasonal the body shop brasil nut body butter (probably the same as the shea butter line). This base is too gourmand/sweet/warm for my taste but i really wish to find another scent with the opening. I think my problem is that the initial scent already contains some of the base notes so its more complex than a simple lavender cologne, but later i should live with this gourmand drydown which is not my cup of tea.

If I would describe this scent with the least amount of words, I would say that it smells of bitter almonds. Although the notes listed seems interesting, I cannot distinguish a single one of them. It is veeeeery similar to Rochas Man and Shea by the Body Shop, which I also both own, although the Rochas one is a bit more masculine, the way that most men's fragrances have that 'man-fragrance'-note. J'ose is classified a a women's fragrance. I would call it unisex, leaning masculine. All in all, for the price I paid, for me, it's too generic. If you like Rochas Man, stick with that one. When you are on a budget, the Body Shop will do. Performance wise, J'ose does not last any longer.

This one is not for me. I can smell mint and something herbal, which is not a good thing for me. I cannot smell any coffee, nor lavender. But I can see why people like it. However, it ́s not a safe blind buy, try it before buying.

I can't even call it unisex it's very male. especially at the beginning with fresh lavender. later on the skin yes it's more wearable spicy warm/tonka bean.

Smells very old-fashioned, but in a bad way. I thought I would like the combination of coffee and lavender, but it's weird. This is not for me.

I can't imagine wanting to wear anything else now. It smells like waking up at 7 and the day is already getting hot. The sky is blue blue blue and you're somewhere clean and beautiful, clear and simple. You make a pot of coffee and take it out on to the balcony where you can see the distant sea and admire the garden. That feeling when the day is still young and you know it's going to be fabulous. Pastries too, a box of pastries to go with the coffee. I have been wearing this for a few days now and I still love it. I have to reapply it in the afternoon and again before bed because I really love to smell it and it does fade faster than I'd like, however, respraying is enjoyable because the first notes are good and fleeting so it's a pleasure to revisit them. I have also found that it shares something with both égoïste and ...lynx Africa. I really like égoïste so I don't have any problems with that but lynx Africa is the smell of all the boys/young men I knew in the late 90s and early 2000s so it was a little alarming to find it here in J'ose but I have accepted it as part of the story.

I was sent this as a sample from online shop, and reading the notes I knew it would not be my favourite. In general coffee as much as I looooove my espresso I can't make myself to wear it nor lavanda. I really question the fact that it creates a calming effect on people. Anyway it's pleasant enough to give it a try. I don't mind the smell and it is skilfully crafted. I am not brave enough to put it on my skin yet. I will edit it once I try it when I am ready. It is just my first impression. I get it when people say it's for female fatale I think it's for someone who has the balls, it as a unisex defo.

Phew, I think it won't work with us ;-) This fragrance has a really interesting opening: minty lavender with a mugwort taste attracts attention. J'ose quickly lands in the base, which unfortunately accompanies me like a kind of shaving cream note. It is primarily due to my memory of my work colleague, whose signature fragrance was Rochas Man. So this fragrance note is simply stored in my memory as a men's fragrance. If you don't have this anchor in your head, you might like the scent... ;-)

This is one of the most interesting perfumes I ́ve ever smelled. No, it ́s not feminine... for me, it expresses the masculine energy that every woman possesses. It ́s rebellious and daring. Every time I smell J ́ose, the image of the famous french poet and ,,enfant terrible" Arthur Rimbaud comes to my mind. It ́s a surprise for me that this fragrance lacks a tobacco note in the perfume pyramid. Can someone explain me that? Which notes, when combined, resemble the smell of tobacco?

I met myself in this perfume! I used to change perfumes quite often, always searching for that special smell, until, by a chance encounter a few years ago, J'ose came onto my wrist. Now I am wearing only this masterpiece. I will agree with most of the reviewers here, it is certainly not for everyone and not the typical modern fragrance. The smell is durable, but not overwhelming, and it lingers on the skin all day long. Absolutely adore this perfume!

i have met j'ose like four years ago on my husband (we met the first time that day), afterwards i was looking for a scent like this for me, thou i was unbeliavable happy, that pour femme j'ose is alsmost similar with the men's one. i was visiting one city abroad and have bought the fragrance there. it is so much happened with me wearing this scent, i can't even write a good review. very special and mine for me. it is just scent of my life.

23 july 2012 This is not a review about the fragrance but an interesting fact. I was wondering why i can ́t find this fragrance in Scandinavia and today i got my answer from Eisenberg representative: since there is a woman with cigar pictured on the box of this perfume, here it is considered as a tobacco advertising, so it is not allowed to sell this particular fragrance in Scandinavia. I mean - you can ́t be seroius???!!! :)))

J'Ose is very special. Starts quite masculine, herbal and a bit spicy. Still, it's very smooth, rounded and warm. In the drydown I smell creamy lavender on a base taken alive from Emporio Armani Lei (this one comes from 2001). A very well-blended herbal, smoky, warm composition. Works just great. Sillage isn't amazing, but the drydown lasts for hours and hours. I agree with the reviewer below. 'Sensual' is the word.

This perfume is so strange yet familiar at the same time. It smells mature, warm, thick, a sensual scent, it also smells like a rich but kind mature male or female. If not careful you may smell "old" with this. It is not a catchy scent, you either love it or hate it. It is unique and hard to find in my country

I had a chance to try it on in Douglas. It left me quite confused because it was just Palmolive body wash in lavender with dash of coffee-tobacco. I guess me using this bodywash often killed lavender note in perfumes. I am very happy that I tried it first because I would be disappointed.

Uhm... It started so promising - like a nice, soft herbal cologne with lavenders. But it turned fast to just a dusty lavender smell with nondescript base. Promising at start, but total put-off base. Not good.

I bought near 1 month ago, I have never heard before about Jose, nothing special for me, just sweet with a bit of carmel, not caffe, for casual wearing.