5th Avenue Royale

Well I'm glad I blind-bought this based on favorable reviews and the bargain price! Today is my first day fully wearing it and I really am enjoying it. I'm surprised because when it first arrived, I sprayed it on a test strip and really did not like it on paper. It wasn't total hate but it was very far from a like. So I kind of avoided it for a couple of months figuring I'd made a mistake. But this morning I bit the bullet and went for it, and it feels much more balanced and nuanced on my skin than on paper. I had a similar experience with Mont Blanc Signature - didn't love it at all on the test strip, but once I actually wore it I fell for it. Some scents are lovely on the test strip and some just ... aren't. I wonder if this is a reason 5th Avenue Royale is at such a bargain-basement price? Either way, I'm going to remind myself in the future not to write off a fragrance until I've given it an actual test drive. The notes sounded perfect for me when I ordered it, and it turns out they are! :) Today is Halloween and this scent is fitting the vibe perfectly. (For context, here's me in a nutshell: 51 / kinda new at this, only really ever had one bottle of perfume at a time all my previous life / not really looking at "niche" - would be nice but that's not my budget / don't really care about prestige, but I do enjoy a sense of nostalgia.) One more thing on a separate note - I ordered a tester bottle of this without the cap. It's a pretty bottle but I have to admit it's a bit of a let-down without the cap! I didn't think I would care about it, especially for a blind buy, but it turns out that I do. This one in particular, the cap really compliments the bottle and so I'll try to find a replacement cap. But I might not be so quick to jump on a tester bottle next time - that's just me, but I'm figuring out the visual of the bottles is part of my enjoyment in collecting, maybe more so than I thought.

This is bloody gorgeous! I bought this largely because of cocolover56's review. First burst on spraying is a rich, chocolatey, alcoholic raspberry. There's no cocoa or chocolate listed in the notes, so this is probably coming from patchouli, which often takes on a chocolate nuance to my nose. As 5th Avenue Royale dries down, a lovely smooth suede becomes more prominent - and then, I swear I can smell almost creamy woods. If pressed, I'd say this is sandalwood or... oud. Now, I know that there may be people who won't test this because I've mentioned oud - but I urge you to try it. This isn't a dirty, barnyard or medicinal oud, which is why I have also referred to sandalwood. After writing this, I checked online for other note listings, and on parfumo.net I have found this, which I think is far more accurate: Top: Raspberry liqueur, Italian bergamot, orange blossom Heart: Patchouli, Atlas cedar Orpur®, Cypriol Base: Amber, oud, suede, musk 5th Avenue Royale is an outstanding perfume and incredible value for money. Sillage is moderate as is longevity. ETA: This definitely reminds me of something - I think it may be a 4160 Tuesdays perfume, but it's dancing just out of reach at the moment. I'll edit when (if) it comes to me. Ed. 14/2/18 I'm still struggling to place where I've smelled something similar to this. I have L'Artisan Parfumeur Noir Exquise spritzed on my right and 5th Ave. Royale on my left, and there are similarities (so I've uploaded L'APNE to the list above), but that's still not QUITE right. I hate when this happens, but I'm damned if I'll give up until I work it out!

I’m not the least embarrassed to admit this was a “YouTube Made Me Buy It”-style blind purchase. I’m usually into floral and/or aquatic Spring/Summer scents, so I’ve been looking for safe buys to expand my Fall/Winter collection. I was skeptical about this one because I find the original 5th Avenue to be dated and boring. This one, however, has turned out to be the blind buy success story we all dream about. Although oud is not listed in the notes, scrolling through the “Reminds me of” list, it looks like it’s being compared to a lot of oud fragrances. Either way, this fragrance definitely leans oriental on my skin. The booziness and the leather note work really well together, making a perfect “sexy” fragrance for the colder months. Then, there’s a sweetness I’m guessing is from the raspberry. The patchouli may be what is lending it a woodsy tone, but it’s not an earthy/green patchouli. It’s the warmer variety. I could also swear there’s some amber in here, but what do I know? Anyway, this fragrance is absolutely gorgeous and woefully (thankfully?) underpriced. I think the fact it’s a 5th Avenue flanker is the only reason they aren’t selling it for $150 or higher. This fragrance easily gives Montale, Mancera, Swiss Arabian, and Lataffa a run for their money.

Oh wow! 5th Avenue took a quick left turn and I love it! It's dark, leathery, woody capped off with some sweet berries. This is a fragrance I feel slips through the cracks because people who gravitate to 5th Ave may not like these darker woody types, and those that love this genre wouldn't turn to EA or specifically 5th Avenue to find it. Certainly a hidden gem that deserves far more attention. It's a woody leather for beginners, good for those who don't want to dive too deep into these accords. This is for someone who wants to give off bad b$%ch vibes without alienating anyone. For me it's a perfect balance of leather/wood and floral/fruit. A very light white suede certainly is front and centre, cedar is prominent, as is the raspberry and patchouli. But it's the mildest, end user friendly of each note. Cedar is light and airy, patchouli is the warm sweet kind that is almost gourmand, the resins add a warm syrupy feel. Definitely do not get too intimidated by the notes. Projection is moderate which I am fine with, I don't like leaving significant trails. Lasts fairly long on my skin, around 5-6 hours before it becomes a light skin scent.

A complete and utter leather overdose, encspsulated in a beautiful bottle. The design and colour both brilliantly reflect the content. Royale is rather heavy concoction of leather and patchouli. Upon initial application, leather note took my breath away, quite literally :-) Raspberry liqueur is completely dominated by the above mentioned and is barely detectable at the beginning. This stands in opposition to the fragrance pyramid as the head note of raspberry can be mostly enjoyed at the dry down stage, not before. The silage is great and lasting power decent. Royale, to me, is a sister to a long gone and, missed, NEONATURA COCCOON. I have missed this fragrance dearly since it was discontinued and Royale brought its spirit back to me. This gem can make a fabulous signature scent despite its simplistic composition. It follows the good old saying that more often than not, the less is more.