Patchouli of the Underworld

Revisiting my review on this gorgeous piece after 1 year. I have probably worn this only once or twice in this time and I couldn't be more happy to own it. Why? Novelty! I fully stand by the fact that PotU is doing it's own thing and is hard to put in a box. It's not versatile and it doesn't cater to any crowd, neither the mass appeal nor the odd ball stink snobs. Originality is in short supply gentlemen, I'm glad this piece got some coverage on release (probably because of the free bottles) but it's falling into the obscurity that so many novel pieces go to. We complain constantly that so many new fragrance releases are alike but when something new comes along we are ignorant and offended that it doesn't smell like we expect it to. We want originality but don't like our expectations subverted. It's the same here as in the movie/entertainment business and it's the reason big companies like Disney or xerjoff take advantage of us. In a way, we sort of ask them to through willful ignorance and our laziness in educating ourselves and our tastes. It's the "Apple effect", I bought the new iphone at release so it has to be great. By all means don't buy perfumes you don't like but give credit to original thinkers and less money to companies who take advantage of you. I'm sorry if this all comes across as me talking down to people, I'm really not. I have made bad, impulsive, sad buys and my first response was to protect my fragile impulsive little toddler self by repressing. I know it's an effort to look at yourself and see the things you don't want to see but honest to God this is the path of growth and maturity that one has to take, otherwise there is little growth, both in an individual fragrance journey or as a collective community.

Mathys' scent opens with a whisper of citrus and spice, but the star quickly emerges: a deep, velvety patchouli that anchors the composition. Unlike the dusty, vintage-laden patchouli of yesteryear, this one is smooth and rounded. It is reminiscent of the high-quality patchouli found in Psychédélique, but without the musty, timeworn wardrobe vibe. It’s clean, slightly soapy, and softened by amber warmth. As the fragrance develops, a leathery accord begins to unfurl, adding a smoky, slightly animalic edge that leans just masculine enough to give it gravitas. This leathery nuance, paired with the patchouli, draws comparisons to Le Lion de Chanel, though Patchouli of the Underworld is decidedly softer (almost soapier), and less resinous. To be clear, it’s not a clone, maybe a distant cousin. The drydown is where the magic settles. Hints of incense and woods linger closer to the skin, creating an aura effect that feels both grounded and ethereal... so here's your reference to the underworld! The performance is solid: it lasts all day with moderate projection for the first 2-3 hours. While it is appropriate for colder months, careful application makes it versatile year-round. As with most Electimuss creations, the bottle is a (heavy) statement piece. I really like the gold and green livery contrast. The sprayer is excellent, pressurised. All in all, worth sampling if you are into modern patchouli interpretations (and if you are a fan of Le Lion)!

Patchouli of the Underworld is a hard scent to write a review for. I'll start by saying that I bought it, my last purchase of the year, and it's a good one for me. This is original, it smells like nothing on the market and I mean that in a creative, not commercial sense. Nothing does what this does, it doesn't really have any box you can put it into. It is strange and interesting. This one is more of a collection piece than one I'll get a lot of wear out of. It also makes me curious to see what Kevin Mathys will do in the future because this is creative and original. For the scent itself it's well blended, the patchouli is of the green variety, no chocolate here, more old musty. That's honestly all I can say, it is really really it's own thing. My so says it smells like old priest garments from an ancient church, I feel the same way, POU smells of something ancient, in that sense it nails it's theme. It does not nail the brand write-up, please don't buy this if what you want is a seductive leather-patchouli, this is not sexy and it's not appealing, it's not repulsive either. I'll say it is strange and interesting. For me this was a great buy, I think the price is fair because it is completely original, great quality and it makes for a great collection piece. In short, I love it, this is great for the seasoned collector, but try before you buy!

Really good perfume. It's vintage but modern at the same time. Reminds me a bit of Antaeus in the opening due to the animalics, but then turns into a different beast. Quite smoky, leather-ish and sweet. Probably one of the classiest leather interpretations I've tried. Leather accords usually turns into a banana skin scent on my skin, but on this one is much, much less prominent since it's well blended, high quality and used in the right amount. Keep in mind however that this is not a projection beast (around 2-3 hrs). It's not loud and intentionally so. Definitely not for teenagers and casual users. You can still feel that sticky castoreum note lingering around even after hour 9-10. Turns into a skin scent around hour 4-5. So quite long lasting. It's expensive, but it's very high quality.

On the test strip, I wasn't sold. Wearing this made me a believer. Beautiful take on patchouli. My wife can't stand castoreum and barely accepts patchouli. Therefore, I wouldn't get many opportunities to wear. However, she is out of the house today and I will sit at home and soak this up. Love it. Leathery, resinous, and a beautiful patch!!!! It can be found at a reasonable price at discounters. May try to sneak this in my collection. Fantastic. So far, one of my favorites from Electimuss. I also liked Kajal IV but from what I remember, I am not sure they are that similar. Alas, my sample of IV ran out and I can't compare.

Ambery, animalic patchouli. I own many patchouli-based fragrances, but I have nothing like this so far. The patchouli comes across as mildly sweet but mainly earthy, and pretty resinous in the mids from the labdanum. I get an accord that faintly reminds me of baby wipes, similar accord to one I noticed in Aoud Exclusif from Mancera. It’s not strong enough that it ruins the fragrance, thankfully. Perhaps an underrated one from Electimuss, but I can definitely see it being polarizing. For me, full bottle worthy, but definitely not blind buy safe to most people.

This may be the single best patchouli that I currently own. The citrus, pepper, leather and patchouli, immediately jump off of my skin, in a way that it seems almost gourmand. Think of a medium well steak with seared edges and covered in citrus spices. Its unexpected, but delicious. If you are on the fence about patchouli or want a patchouli other than the chocolate smelling ones, give this a try.

Great combo! I like how it combines slightly dirty leathery notes with a nice herbal freshness and cooling peppery spiciness. For me leather note is more dominant here, not the patchouli one. Patchouli just gives it a nice green and slightly dry texture. Interesting! It’s quite masculine, but would be very sexy on a lady as well :) Follow me on IG: scent.guide

I'm hoping this changes from the clean light patchouli to what it was advertised as..being dark and sexy..otherwise this is a ebay fragrance..shame..like Electimuss but not at this price for some sexy and dark when it's light and fresh..very very disappointed..

Need to try on skin to appreciate. This was a blind buy that I tried on paper and initially was disappointed. The smoky amber dry down is absent on paper but on skin. Wow. Very glad I purchased

That's super good. Patchouli with an animalic aspect which goes very well with the leather. It retains an ambery facet and some sweetness to balance it. Really enjoying it.

This is one of the best Patchouli frangrances I own. Last forever and smells unique.

An austere Russian leather accord; smoky, tarred, and shadowed by patchouli. This is, I think, one of the darkest expressions of gothic perfumery: a patchouli + leather combination taken to its deepest extreme. It satisfied me immensely. Styrax is one of those notes that almost always wins me over; interestingly, not because I look for it, but because I enjoy the scent first and only later think, “of course, it’s the styrax” As for the profile: mysterious, dark, and unmistakably gothic. The leather is very prominent, yet never dirty, while the patchouli is highly refined; not the kind that rises raw from damp soil. Earthy undertones are present, but they are never muddy. This is what I would call baroque: layered, luxuriant gloom, richly detailed, opulent, dark, intimidating, and strangely awe-inspiring. It’s an architectural comparison, perhaps, but it feels like the most accurate way to describe it. Taking the idea of the Underworld further, I can’t help but associate this scent with Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders in the Forgotten Realms; Drizzt Do’Urden’s homeland, hidden in the Upper Northdark between the Moonwood and the Fross Hills. I’ve waited a long time to find a fragrance that truly resonates with Drizzt, and this is it. Dark and enigmatic enough to be called a drow scent, yet proud and noble enough to suit Drizzt himself. Days later: the smoke slowly took over; far more pronounced than at first wear. Tag(s): Dark, gothic, leathery, patchouli, smoky, baroque, edgy, bold, earthy, bold, awe-inspiring, drizzt

This is a wonderful fragrance, though not your average people pleaser. The opening is rude, it's rough, it's in-your-face, the sharp and very aggressive, harsh patchouli with pepper in the opening is really a kick in the teeth, but in a pleasant way, like if you descended into some underground half-legal fight club to let off the steam of the daily grind, but then walk to the bar and ask for a double Macallan No6 Lalique Decanter. Besides being aggressive with quite the projection, it's a very classy and elegant scent, but it's not your usual sweet, chocolate-y patchouli, the earthy notes dominate from the opening to the drydown. The floral and musky accords in the drydown are steering it a bit towards a more subtle feeling with smoky, leathery notes coming forward too, but even when it's been on for 5-6 hours, it's very strong with an immense sillage. Definitely be careful with overspraying as this one tends to attach to skin and clothes more than ticks and leeches. On clothes, it easily stays for 24+ hours, on skin, for me it 12+. This cologne is not something I would wear for a date night or any intimate setting, it's more like a statement piece for events, professional meetings when you want to project authority and confidence while still staying elegant and not thuggish/brute - it's definitely masculine too, don't fall for any advertising that says unisex. I definitely don't recommend blind buying this one and stay away from it if you don't like patchouli and very raw, earthy fragrances.

It opens with a very, very deep, dark, dense and damp patchouli - 3x the original Zoologist Bat's opening!! This opening got me intensely invested in the scent as it seemed to capture the mythos accurately. In about 15-ish mins, those spicy, animalic leather notes start making their presence felt but never truly take over that damp patchouli which is still going strong. About 30 mins in, while the sillage is still patchouli-laden, the scent profile morphs into a smooth, resinous-but-airy, mysterious fantasy tale; I suppose this is what Pluto's personality smells like...and I dig that. The scent settles here for a long, long time (>12hrs) while projection starts to wane after the 2hr mark. IMO, it's a really well crafted and unique scent and one that I believe belongs in every hardcore fraghead's collection, esp. if one loves Patchouli. I, personally, would unfortunately never own a bottle for the sole reason below. About 20mins after spraying on my hand, I asked my wife what she thought of the scent, and she goes - Dettol! Dettol is an antiseptic liquid sold in the Indian market which I'd had the pleasure of growing up with...now I cannot experience this fragrance without getting reminded of a hospital ward. :(

As others have said, very unique take on patchouli. It's a petrichor patchouli. Most patchouli's either go quite earthy, chocolatey or headshop straight up and this one goes quite grassy and ethereal instead. The florals mixing with the patchouli and the smoky underneath that comes up more as it dries is quite a nice progression, with the open to middle having quite a pleasant petrichor feeling. I disagree with some of the reviewers that his starts off as very dark. I think it gets dark and even slightly animalic, but starts off lighter and progresses towards those darker depths. I'm probably bringing up too many memories and associations with the name of this and playing the God of War game here :) but I feel like this goes well with the name/theme of kind of old greek gods, with this ethereal floral and transparent yet musky aspect giving this feel of something a bit more than real mixing with the real of the earth and the smoke and ash later on.

I'm not a fan of patchouli, however, I don't dislike this fragrance. The opening is dark, mysterious and herbaceous. Kévin Mathys, the perfumer behind 'Patchouli of the Underworld' says: "This is dark, carnal and animalic: a patchouli perfume with a musky sexuality, power, opulence. It captures the raw passion of Pluto, the darkness of the underworld; as well as the opulence of the hidden treasures of his kingdom, such as precious gems, minerals and glittering metals held deep within the earth’s core." I sincerely applaud him 👏🏼 this fragrance is exactly as he describes it, nothing less, nothing more. Although this is not a fragrance for me, I appreciate the formulation, thought process and inspiration behind it.

Peppery leather amberwoods. Rough leather and earthy black pepper, first and foremost, yet it's not as dark or heavy as those notes would imply. The pink pepper & mandarin lend an effervescence that give it a fresher, lightweight quality, while heavy labdanum envelops everything in the warm embrace of sweet amber. Moderate projection for 2-3hr settles into a comforting scent bubble, longevity 12hr+. Not as challenging as the note breakdown looks, but also the patchouli is surprisingly minimized here.

Mmm. Better that Persphonie’s Patchouli. This mild, semi-sweet Patchouli stinks in the best way. Sits on a bed of leather. Regal, fruity overtone. One of the better fragrances from the house. And I’m normally very critical of patchouli. I’m tempted to leave a 😍 as this would be a cool addition to my collection, but I just don’t see myself wearing this dank, patchouli-musk.

Carnation with cistus giving some illusion of rose. Patchouli leather very backward. Interesting and unique but too simple for this price.

I thought this might be more dark and moody, but it's more a fluffy black kitten than a wild black panther of an animal. I would call this a leather fragrance for the most part with an animalic edge. The carnations prop it up with a spicy note, whilst the dry styrax and hash like labdanum provide an incense profile, which compliment the leather/castoreum. The pepper in the opening are dry and add a certain heat to everything, and when it's all blended together it's pretty sexy, once you've moved passed the fluffy powder stage. The patchouli is the other star of the show here and it's a more woody and earthy variety, not the chocolate kind. This stops it getting into gourmand leather territory and keeps is form being too sweet. The projection and lasting power on this one has some strength and it smells like it uses quality ingredients throughout. (Update) I found that in the drydown it got more sickly sweet, cloying, and smokey. I don't think I could wear this one myself now I've tried it out more, as it's a bit sickly after a while and lasts too long.

An industrial leather, of the Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Homme variety. This is never patch-dominant, becoming more of an industrial soap scent as it wears, much like those old, red-orange carbolic soap bars. And my free-associating thoughts of industrial soaps, languoring in tin bowls in ill-equipped clinics, has me down a rabbit hole reading about Henry Kissinger’s awful role in the Union Carbide tragedy, as a completely unrelated video playing in the background (in/frame/out) plays a clip of Anthony Bourdain saying he’d like to pop Kissinger in the mouth for his “good works” around the world, and I’m reminded by the universe yet again of my New Year’s resolution - to be more paranoid. I’m working on it! And I keep this sidetrack on synchronicity here, as the experience was frankly more interesting to me than this fragrance which precipitated it.

can be skipped, extremely weak sillage and sits very close to the skin, it's interesting for first 30 mins with light pathcholi and gorurmandish effects but very forgettable

One of the stronger Electimuss fragrances unfortunately. Initially and after 2.5 hours of drying down it smells the exact same and just as strong. It smells exactly like the industrial medical cleanser that is used in most dentists offices. Awful simply awful.

Sadly I dont like it. There is an amost plastic/medicinal note in here to me that spoils it. I dont feel the notes are balanced to enhance the patchouli. I definitely wouldnt recommend this one.

On my skin it’s just a whole bunch of heavy leather and a bit of resin. I can’t smell any of the other notes, not even the patchouli amid the loud leathery furniture vibes.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE ! at all costs. It is unnecessarily thick, viscous, oily and very uni-directional. And this is a leather scent, not a patchouli fragrance. Which is disappointing. . YUKH

I agree with the previous reviewer. It's got a very thick and oily feel to it. I don't like it.

Patchouli of the Underworld from Electimuss, to my nose, is a fragrance less evocative of the brutish god of the underworld and his nonconsensual bride than it is a summoning of the bitter heartbreak that’s tangled throughout the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. When I was younger, I was terribly salty on Eurydice’s behalf; all you had to do was not look back, Orpheus! You were so close to having your beloved wife back from the dead! But ...no. You did the one thing they specifically tasked you with not doing. You looked. Margaret Atwood wrote in a poem from Eurydice’s point of view, “you could not believe I was more than your echo–” and I think that’s what Patchouli of the Underworld captures so uncannily, the pale grey echo of that very human doubt and disbelief on his part, and the bitter disappointment that she must have felt, and the sorrow experienced by both of them. Now that I’m older, I better understand and certainly have more experience with the crushing gravity of grief, I know that everyone experiences it differently. And grieving people deserve the gift of grace. Orpheus mourns his wife lost twice over, and Eurydice’s sorrow at being drawn back into the darkness of death because of her husband’s momentary lapse of faith must have been immeasurable. That is what this scent captures so well. Forget the brand’s copy about musky sexiness or whatever. That’s not what this is. It’s the lamentations of one whose fleeting hope was stolen away by the person they loved best, and the devastating sense of regret held by the thief. If one were to distill those echoes of melancholy, that antiquity of sadness, and bottle the resulting essence, the results would be an olfactory dirge of smoky mists of pepper and powder and strange inky-leathery nuances, that, over time, becomes a despairing funeral soapy floral.

Another one dividing opinions from Electimuss, but this time I am a fan. Not for the faint hearted and need to be tested before purchased in my opinion. It's quite spicy at the beginning (peppers), leathery then turns into something sweet I guess patchouli with a bit of citrus to balance, but there is definitely a side note to it that could be challenging for the masses. I also detect a hint of smokiness that is present in Electimuss fragrances, some incense perhaps? Patchouli of the underworld delivers on its promise. It's interesting, has depth but makes you curious. Do I like it, don't I like it. A fun and interesting albeit challenging creation. I would certainly wear it to creative events like opera or visiting galleries, night events, can be quite seductive. It just has that 'it' factor. Very good. 9/10 for creativity, but not something I would use in the office. You have been warned LOL

Thumbs up, but I can’t find the heliotrope button. I want to set it at 100. This isn’t patchouli from the dark underworld, but baby powder from the smooth underside. The effect is comparable to that of MDCI Invasion Barbare, Xerjoff Alexandria III, and Burberry Britt. The dry down is lovely and resembles some others from Electimuss, most notably Puritas. I can imagine applying this scent as a talc after I step out of the shower. For this reason, perhaps a more suitable name would be one that referenced the Roman baths.

This is a very smooth patchouli scent. It has resins, castoreum, pepper, some floral notes. I get a little bit of rose too. It reminds me of something from Chanel. Maybe Le Lion? I don't think it is Coromandel, although these scents have a very similar management of the patchouli note. In the drydown there is a slight powdery sweetness. This is more gentle than what is suggested by it's name. It is a nice scent. Very well done.

This is a masterpiece. It screams sofiatication. The leather is like a greasy industrial leather. It's one of my top 10 favorite scents of all time. It's the Styrax that people are not liking not the Patch. At first I didn't care for Styrax at all. I had purchased the discovery set from ELDO and they use Styrax in alot of scents. The first one I trid I wanted to wash right off.

I would describe this as a naughty green leather. The patch is overdosed here, and really showcases the darkness and depth of natural patch oil. Loads of pepper, bright citrus, and loads of dark labdanum which pairs with the patch so well. And then a dash of cast’ lending it an animalic edge. A riotous success.

Powerful. Beast mode animalic leather+ patchouli The leather overpowers everything. Castoreum in fact. It amplifies the leather. Beautiful scent, but not for me. I would prefer an earthy patchouli, either green or nutty.

The patchouli in here is very reminiscent of Chanel Coromandel and also Roja Fetish Pour Homme.

Quan Chi's signature scent....toasty