Osmanthus Noble

My first ever review! I am in a privileged position to have smelled a draft of this beautiful perfume (so fun to have been able to compare the two, and follow the evolution of the finished product). The earlier version was more feminine and round, similar to an apricot-y vintage Mitsouko. The finished Osmanthus Noble is a splendidly blended scent which stands exactly between the genders, but without being sexless or androgynous in any way. I detect (in no particular order): violets, suede, osmanthus (quite toned down really), oakmoss, tobacco clear as a bell, something cool and soft like orris or iris... maybe vetiver too? It's so elegant, and old fashioned in the best way. Smells like a silent private library, and simultaneously reminds me of the thrilling 60s spy films where everyone was having adventures in dinner suits and cocktail dresses.

Osmanthus Noble, instantly put a smile on my face, as the scent profile is as of my taste. It is extremely smooth and soft leather, osmanthus scent, combined with musky and woodsy notes, subtlety spiced with warm accords of tobacco and amber, the top is just incredible, almost cherry like with red berries vibe. Sublime!

Beautiful and truly well balanced composition. The scent of highest quality suede with a touch of subtle flowers.

This perfume is worth smelling for the opening alone. It perfectly captures the mood of the Rubens painting "Samson and Delilah" referenced in the brief. The opening is opulent, Baroque, dramatic. A heavy velvet curtain in a smoke-filled theater, the moment the lights fall and the room goes silent. It's a symphonic experience. Dark, spicy, smoky, thick and velvety to the point of being almost opaque. Yet there are creature comforts hidden in the darkness - cherry tobacco and smooth suede leather. After those moments - which only lasts a few minutes - the darkness brightens and we can behold a rich osmanthus with shimmering accents of gold. In this floral phase of the opening, the perfume maintains a powerful sillage, and is effusively bright and aldehydic. The drama subsides after a few hours. The much more subdued heart is a sweet suede leather with hints of cherry, peach and saffron, which lingers pleasantly for three or four hours. In the final hours, a soft amber slowly fades to a skin scent. Of the twelve hour lifetime of this perfume, only the first three hours or so really excite me. The remaining nine are pleasant enough. But wow, those first few minutes are something else. Probably my favorite opening ever. It floors me every time I put it on.

Without looking at the notes- an immediate strong smell of dried apples or other dried fruit with a sour note, another association is fruit scented tea. If you like fruit scented tea (dry mix) you will smell like you rolled in it. I understand it should be osmanthus but it`s sort of too fruity. Then there is a light sweet leather/suede note and a light dusty/tobacco note. Absolutely no clary sage and no cardamom (crush a cardamom seed and you`ll see what it really smells like). No citrus either. Dried fruit/fruit tea mix, sweet suede with dusty tobacco. Interesting as an art piece, definitely has a wow effect, but I find it too cloying to wear it all day.

If you are an osmanthus fan, this is on your list. A very suede apricot leather with herbal interest leading into the drydown.. This sophisticated genre isnt for everyone but to those it speaks to, it enthralls. Sturdy for cooler wear

Fruity sweet opens, with cardamom and cherry pepper before revealing itself with bitter leather of osmanthus, sage, stirax, jasmine. In the distance I get ethereal violets, fruity suede of ylang and apricots. It has a nice interesting trail that modulates improving with time, becoming more sensual and deep, still fresh with tobacco, vetiver, musk. A dense leather, which makes itself felt, with a brief evolution until it settles into a long drydown that is more amber, warm, soft woody and still an animalic thread. It's quietly unisex, dated at first but still sexy enough. Honey drydown. It has a ylang that isn't obsessively romantic but more fruity, sweet and raw. However, I see it best on a dynamic career woman. Well!

A fruity sweet (most likely the tobacco note) and herbal suede perfume. I have osmanthus growing in my garden and it doesn’t smell like what’s here. Osmanthus Noble leans synthetic on my skin, and more feminine due to the amped up sweetness factor. I like the dry down better when the leather/suede and tobacco notes are turned down a notch. I’m not impressed, and admittedly it’s not my style.

All I get is a lot of suede and osmanthus, this was one that I really wanted to like based on the hype given to it, but it fell a bit flat for me, perhaps because I am not a big fan of leather fragrances. If you like leather, then you will probably love this. I did not get any mandarin or bergamot from it, there is a sweetness in the opening which is really nice. It reminded me of YSL's Noble Leather due to the softness and smoothness of the leather. Unfortunately, longevity was fairly mediocre for me, about 6hrs maximum. It projected well for the first two hours and then disappeared into the background. For me, the fragrance was ok but I wasn't blown away by it. There are so many other fragrances that offer a similar vibe at a much cheaper price, so Osmanthus Noble was redundant for me.

I bought a sample and fell in love immediately. The masculine woody, yet fresh green spicy combination is convincing. I think that the combination of osmanthus and wood gives me an olfactory illusion of smoke. Absolutely wonderfull, very well crafted. Very happy with my full bottle. If you are a guy and intimidated by unisex fragrances you ought to give this one a try. I think that you will be satisfied wearing a real mans fragrance.