Patchouly Eau de Parfum

Admittedly, this one can be challenging as it opens with an intensely earthy, vegetal, brush fire-type profile. Two sprays on my skin, and as I walk through my house, I get comments (not all good, but they’re not well-versed in fragrances, so I don’t take it too harshly) about its overwhelming presence. I don’t care though, I like it. The drydown is where Patchouly really shines though, as it becomes less dirty and smokey (maybe ashy?), and more of a crowd-pleaser. It’s complex and lasts for hours. The next day, the sandalwood comes through fat and creamy and combines with a sweet, almost flowery scent that I think I can best describe as a sandalwood parallel to the fruity result of a rose and oud combination. Back to the day of though: An hour after spraying, Patchouly turns into something where no note is truly dominant and the interplay is magical. Is it tonka? Vanilla? And what’s making that “sparkling” note? Is that amber and patchouli working off of each other? Yes, yes, and yes. Longevity and sillage are both outstanding in this fragrance. Give this one three wears before you judge it, and definitely sample before buying. Patchouly is not for everyone but if Etro’s clothing line is the inspiration for its fragrances, then all is as it should be. If you don’t like it at first, give this one thirty minutes to an hour to smooth out, or even smell your arm the next day (Yes, really!), and I am confident you’ll find something to love. Patchouly has become an unexpected favorite in my stash for its roulette wheel of accords and the high number of note combinations that come out at any given moment. Like all things Etro, it’s weird and high class at the same time, and it projects effortless eccentricity.

Back in high school it was considered edgy to smell of patchouli (like the pot smokers and nouveaux hippy chicks - though we were neither) so of course my friends and I had little bottles of drug store patchouli oil that we dabbed on to feel unconventional. From there my fascination grew as I've sampled every iteration of this timeless note - from chocolatey to earthy, dirty to spicy. Let me not forget to mention its more controversial aspect - the animalic nature of patchouli. This intriguing element, like civet and castoreum, leaves us to consider what perfumes were meant to do at one time - provide the wearer a pleasant scent bubble, yes, but also garner a pheromone like response from those passing by. The addition of patchouli provided a naughtiness disguised behind ladylike roses and citrus. In modern perfume there is still a distinction to be made between patchouli thrown in the mix and one that is expertly blended allowing this humble herb to raise the profile of an entire perfume. Here, as with other singular named Etro perfumes, the namesake is given the full spotlight but think soprano backed by strings not broadway musical backed by the chorus. This patchouli is meant to be appreciated for its softer side. Here it is a creamy chocolate layered over the gentlest of spices. This is the mystery we sought as young girls, which Etro's Patchouly makes manifest as the sophisticated grown up we hoped to one day be.

If I were not so heavy on patchouli bottles and samples I would run right out and make a purchase. This is exactly what I picture when I think patchouli. Delicious. Patchouli, powder, vanilla, tonka. Sign me up. I don’t see it listed but I feel like there is a little musk in here. I want to like musk because it is in so many fragrances but it just doesn’t click with me. But here it works. This reminds me of Reminiscence but wearable. That one is a musk overdose. Here it mixes with the other notes very nicely. A couple of hours in this gets nice and spicy. Get about four hours of good projection from this. Then it becomes a strong and eternal skin scent.

Another really great fragrance from Etro. I actually tried Patchouly EDT at the Etro store in NYC this summer, and really enjoyed it. I was struck by how raw, scratchy, spicy, and earthy it was. Comparing to that memory, the Eau de Parfum is much sweeter and more chocolatey, with the amber facets turned way up. There are still the raw, camphorous, dirty, earthy qualities here though, just smoothed off with the addition of vanilla, sandalwood, and balsams. There are also the herbaceous, green, dusty touches that many of these Etro fragrances have as well. This perfume has a lot of presence. Big projection for the first few hours. I've had it on now for 4+ hours and it's still much more than a skin scent.

not my cup of tea, at all. It has a stuffy undertone.