Duel

Duel and I have had a long relationship. We've met several times and I consider us friends by now but can't decide whether there's any further chance of love or romance... To start with, I'd say it has a memorable long life. I used to think this was weak and lasted for a short period but it is one of the only Goutals that isn't gone with the first wind and its citric basenotes are incredibly vibrant. Unlike some other great offerings from this house that start furiously citric and disappear within minutes, Duel ends with an enormous dose of citrus and makes me think of the same in Lalique's Encre Noire pour homme. I love citric notes developing and staying. I see people wonder about the tobacco and I don't remember having seen that listed on their webpage, but what I smell the strongest is the mix of citrus with the paraguay mate absolute. In Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina we drink mate everyday and this is exactly how that herb smells when it's mixed with hot water and sugar. These leaves can have a process of drying that gives them a smoky smell and this is what I see here. I was really impressed when I first tried this on my skin since I hadn't read the notes and felt I had this sooo familiar thing on me and couldn't realise until I read it was mate absolute and then didn't resist and went again for a sample. Now, my problem with Duel is I love it but can't think of anyone under 50 using it. It is redolent of old people drinking "mate cocido" which is the tea version with extra sugar. This is by no means offensive... I just can't think of myself wearing this now but will definitely buy it once. This makes me think of my grandfather, his clothes and wisdom. His slow movements, the cozy atmosphere around him and I'm afraid I wouldn't dare to go dancing with this on, nor would I use it wearing modern clothes. I would definitely feel out of place, as if I was pretending or disguising myself. Its quality is great, its basenotes superb and I'm happy I've finally come to terms with it. I love it but our times differ... isn't it somehow romantic? Our love is not possible YET.

I once had this cologne in its original brown bottle. I miss it being in that bottle. Over the years, I was convinced the formulation changed. The owner, after transition assured me it did not. It did. From what I remember, the tea was once at the top, middle and base of the fragrance and everything else was underlying. It’s now too “perfumey”, although it still smells like nothing else on the market in my opinion. It is dry. It is green, albeit green in a subtle way, not really in a fougere type of way, that is sharp and cloying. The absinthe helps in this regard. It’s also slightly vegetal and a tad earthy. It has a natural sweetness of tea, throughout. It is a very light and airy fragrance. It has a slight pungent dryness, sort of like a persimmon not yet ripe, that can almost make one’s nose pucker. This dryness, lends to its old world feel. I like that someone walking by, would not just be able to pick out the notes. In this way, it is a mysterious fragrance and the original story of knights and chivalry is realized. I wish they’d bring back that brown bottle. More importantly, I wish they’d bring back the original formulation, that was tea, with an almost plum, fig like expression.

I really love this fragrance. At the top, it opens with a refreshing blend of citrus and herbal notes, followed by a subtle touch of tea, a hint of leather, and the smooth elegance of iris. Over time, the scent doesn’t change dramatically—only the citrus softens slightly—while maintaining a natural and comfortable impression throughout. There’s nothing artificial about it; instead, it feels clean and genuinely natural. If I were to describe this fragrance as a person, it would be a gentle gentleman with a sense of comfort and refined cleanliness. The only drawback is its weak projection. The scent fades so quickly that even I can barely recognize it on myself shortly after applying. Still, I absolutely adore this fragrance for its natural, understated elegance. この香水を非常に気に入っています。 トップではシトラスとハーバルの爽やかさが広がり、その奥にお茶の落ち着きや、微かなレザー、そしてアイリスの滑らかなニュアンスが感じられます。時間が経つにつれて大きな変化はなく、シトラス感が少し和らぐ程度で、全体を通して自然な印象が続きます。人工的な香りはほとんどなく、ナチュラルで心地よい雰囲気です。 この香水を人に例えるなら、優しく、安心感と清潔感を備えた紳士が思い浮かびます。 ただ一つ欠点を挙げるとすれば、その香り立ちの弱さです。自分自身でも香りを認識するのが難しいほど、つけてすぐに薄れてしまうのは惜しい点です。 それでも、このナチュラルで上品な雰囲気が大好きな一本です。

Gorgeous. It seems the notes above are incorrect--the maté absolute comes through loud and clear... unroasted green maté with mint and honey is my drink of choice all winter, so I know it well. Duel has a fresh, light, woody, green feeling, without being aggressively FRESH or overly masculine. It occupies a lovely middle ground between dry and sweet. I've been looking for a perfume to wear at work this summer. My job includes alternating between physical work and consulting/selling at times rather pricey home services, all in an environment that is warm and humid during the summer. I naturally gravitate toward sweet and strong vanilla, amber, and spice in my perfumes, but those are too much in the heat. My perfume crush/potential love/maybe soul mate right now is Dzing! But I worry that others will find it unpleasant, and judging from the mixed reviews, this is likely. Duel is the one for me, for now. No screechy or cheap-smelling elements to annoy me, not challenging to others, and perfectly unisex in my opinion.

Big Edit: Rewriting my whole review. This went from a like to love for me. A very realistic, rich black tea that always stays *just* this side of bitter. I get wafts of something slightly sweet/fruity (like a peach/osmanthus) but only here and there. I don't get orris really. It's not quite leathery on me either. This is a very natural smelling green scent featuring black tea and some lovely, soft vegetal musks. It's intelligent, understated, and cozy. Contrary to reviews below, I think this would be STUNNING on a woman. Longevity and projection on skin is quite good.

Wow im really loving this one. Opens a little herbal but seconds later some citrus joins in to overpower the herbs. Into the heart im getting a lot of tea and some musk. Very fresh and uplifting. I just bought a bottle within minutes of sampling this one. That's a first for me! Edit: Got my bottle and gave myself a good spray. Same as before except into the drydown im getting a marvelous hay/dried grass with a background of tea. This gets better every time I smell it! I just hope I get better longevity out this one than others reported.

I was fortunate to find old version. At first spray there's a mixed frougue and bitter/spicy blend from Holly. It has a herbal base with a sweet/warm blend from Artemisia and Oris root. Don't pick up any musk and leather vib. This juice has a attractive mature/sophisticated blend. This is one of those frag almost all year around. This juice does not have a generic aroma. I would buy this juice over what's being released these days. 8.5/10

Green tea with lemon that at a first sniff feels simple, but when analyzed a bit, I can say that it's not just a straightforward lemon green tea. The notes are very well blended, it is transparent, fresh, elegant and very pretty. It’s a quiet scent, though addictive to me. Petitgrain and a faint leather accord in the background from the mate with a crystallized sugary note in the drydown. 8.5/10

This is an absolute fantastic smell. Very natural and well blended sweet-herbal with a very light touch of leather. The bad thing is his low strenght and sillage. Longevity is moderate-low (no more than 4-5 hours.) Perfect to use in all the circustances. Love it. Scent 8/10 longevity: 5/10 sillage: 4/10

I love Duel. Annick Goutal is always great for making natural scent. This one is also. It is fresh light airy tea scent which is relax and uplifting. Tea and petigrain notes together are amazing. Perfect for spring and summer or a day you want to rest your nose from wearing other strong fragrance.

Green tea and citrus with some petitgrain to start, fading to Yerba and new leather. My old Annick Goutal label square bottle still has the new leather smell, it's a lovely contrast with the innocent almost cologne start. Easy and brilliant.

Terribly strange, it reminds me the smell of leather used to make shoes or something else similar

Ethereal, fleeting and wonderful. Herbs, tea, woods. I get the iris too. Unisex 8/10

This is a masterpiece, the scent is absolut fantastic, i just love it.

This is a very unique offering within the massive department store full of infinite variations of woody ambers in which I randomly stumbled across it. Duel is a fragrance that is challenging for me personally, but also very very captivating. So essentially Duel circles around the dense woody herbal facet of matte, feeling all the way through as the equivalent of sipping the supersaturated few drops of tea that are left at the bottom of the mug, deeply natural, dark green, and somewhat bitter. The opening is also quite difficult to get through, tart bergamot with intense greenness, my brain immediately goes to dill pickles. Upon closer examination it reveals a subtle leather, with a certain dusty dimension to it. It is those powdery elements that bring the slightest amount of sweetness in an otherwise unforgiving composition. There is also a certain salty quality to it, or more so mineral-like adding further intrigue. Guaiac wood is also being used in a fantastic way in this one, with it's meaty smoky qualities building the hidden backbone through this otherwise quite airy and ethereal green dust cloud. The closest I can compare this scent to is a mix between Artisan Dzongka and Floraiku I and the Moon, which I would order in the following order: The Moon and I > Duel > Dzongka. Definitely something to sample first, overall excellent, but something I still need to get used to myself.

duel I just got a bottle of this one and tested it today my first impressions although its not in the notes break down I feel some kind of citrus in the opening as its fresh and lemony feel in the opening as it dries down a tea note comes in although im not too familiar with Artemisia note I guess that's that tea note?. as it goes to the base I can detect the leather, musc and wood this is familiar to me I describe the base as smokey leathery with slight musky, notes breakdown are fresh citrusy like a honey lemon feel, greenish because of the tea note finally smokey, leathery sillage pretty soft to moderate last about 5-6 hours poor for a niche frag. Price not so appealing I got this one for cheap new packaging 62usd so I blind bought it and gave it a shot. I find the smell natural its very uplifting and in offensive its a safe scent nothing really exciting or ground breaking IMO. BLIND BUYING is not recommended as its pricey and performance is weak now if they can improve the performance it will all be worth it.

I smelt tea- black or oolong- at first, but now it's fading and starting to resemble a toned-down version of Eau du Fier. With woods. A very serene, relaxing scent. But then... One-hour: Sillage at about 3-4 inches away from skin. Two-hour mark: it is only a faint skin-scent. Four hours: I question whether I can detect it at all. For such a promising forward, this composition seems to be lacking in base-notes to slow down the evaporation. It kind of goes *poof* the moment it is sprayed. If it were priced less, I wouldn't mind carting a spray-vial around with me to reapply, but- as another commentator also remarked- this isn't worth the price tag; the bottle would be finished in no time! I am quite impressed with all four of AG's Les Orientalistes, and Vetiver, Sables, and Eau du Fier are also unique, well-constructed creations. Duel on the other hand (and Nifeo Mio to a degree)- despite the enchanting head-and-heart- simply arrive and depart.

It wouldn't know I'm smelling man's fragrance I would definitely think it's unisex. Sweet, smoky and refreshing citruses at the opening followed by some "aftershave" like spices. It's pleasant, yes, easy to like, easy to wear and probably won't offend anyone, but I have this feeling that I have smelt it before, it feels a bit generic and boring and I bet that you can find the exact smell for a better price, but if you don't care for the price tag and just want something from Annick Goutal, give this a try, it could be a perfect gift actually, really easy to like.

This is a very interesting fragrance and to me unisex. My first thought was tea, hay and some tobacco leaves! The impression is very herbal. It does bring to mind the aroma that assails my nostrils when turning over my compost heaps. Dry herbs that are slightly smoked care of the guaiac wood. I guess that's what you get when combining leather (I don't detect much), petitgrain, artemisia and musk. I have no idea what holly smells like. I dont get any of the orris root. This would be nice to wear on a crisp sunny autumn day. I get moderate silage and longevity.

Annick Goutal Duel opens on me with a citrus green tea, and stays so afterwards. I'm not very familiar with maté, but the 'green tea' I perceive does have slightly bitter nuances. I can barely distinguish leather and iris, but they do provide a smooth base to Duel, instead of more conventional clean white musk. The sillage is of Duel is soft and the longevity is around 6 hours. I find Duel a very pleasant tea fragrance. It's quite natural and very unisex in feel. A versatile tea fragrance, but the performance could have been better.

Woody and fresh it causes, with its top notes, an extraordinary impact to the other people noses. At first sight, reminded me a “common place”, a known scent. After smell my own arm over and over, I noticed that the scent was similar to wet grass when it is rubbed between the hands, with a deep mix of Declaration, by Cartier. This scent is one of those that fits perfectly to the hot weather of Brazil, because of its wonderful freshness sensation. However, it is difficult to find it in Brazilian territory.

I loved the modern so much that I tracked down a carded sample of the vintage. The vintage smells richer up close for ~30min, but the modern is a better wearing experience overall. I get purple hues in the vintage (maybe violet) and more “wet” sensation vs. dry papery/leathery iris in the modern. The bitter and tart tea note is essentially the same in both.

Duel is a fantastic fragrance, but it seems with every rebrand, they reformulate it. I have tried the new ‘Goutal 2018’ version which has been elevated to EDP status and was sorely disappointed. It’s barely detectable after 30 minutes. Side-by-side, with my EDT version, it lasts a fraction of the time! Such a disappointment.

If Cartier L'Heure Fougueuse is dried hay, Duel is freshly cut hay. Very naturalistic but pretty faint. I think if someone smelled this on you, they would probably think you'd just mowed your lawn with an electric mower.

Very good scent, A. Goutal as always with very natural essences , but the base notes in this fragance are very generic , smell and sense in many fragances, longevity good, sillage poor.

While Duel stands out as a highly esteemed entry in Annick Goutal's men's fragrance collection, it is, in fact, a scent that women can confidently embrace. However, within the bitter and robust character of these perfumes, there is an unmistakable touch of masculinity. Essentially, it presents itself as a light and subtle fragrance, making it an intriguing choice for warm summer days. Despite these qualities, it didn't quite capture my favor. In my perception, it leans towards being too mild and exhibits a somewhat retro vibe. A friend even labeled it as old-fashioned, while two others went as far as describing it as reminiscent of a grandmother's scent. Not the most enticing description, is it? Yet, somewhat against my initial judgment, I must acknowledge that Duel possesses a certain allure. This echoes my sentiments towards Gris Clair — no inclination to purchase, but there's a subtle pleasure in catching its scent on the wrist every now and then. Ultimately, Annick Goutal's composition has left its imprint on me. My rating: Ok. (4/7)

Lightly herbal upon application and then dries down into what I can only describe as candied ginger and orange. The dry down is also lightly woody and leathery. It's nice but it reminds me too much of food and the candied ginger vibe is starting to turn sour and weirdly marine (there's a salty driftwood vibe going on) on my skin - I will have to revisit this in winter as I feel like the heat and humidity of summer in my home country (subtropical climate) is ruining this fragrance. Weakest sillage out of the Goutal fragrances I've tried so far.

I don’t know if I have a fake but this one is so weak . The opening is so lovely but so sheer and fleeting that I can’t tell where I sprayed it on my wrist . It does linger in the nose longer then it does on skin . Quite disappointed by this one . Maybe it will be more present when I wear this in a more warm period of the year, as I am trying this perfume now winter time here in Belgium and this seems to be more of a summer/spring perfume. I really hope it will open up more in the heat so i’ll update later on if that’s the case.

The initial impression to me is pure refinement--formal, one might even say austere. It's a tart combination that smells like cranberry at a glance, but if you pay attention it's actually petitgrain and mate painting an impressionist painting of cranberry. If it stayed this way, it would be a worthy scent. Unfortunately, it makes the metamorphosis to a skin scent rather rapidly. In this phase, we are left with a bitter leather and salt. I'm surprised salt isn't listed as a note, because it's so obvious to me as it dries down on my skin. I got this decant along with Mandragore, and Mandragore Pourpre. Both of these scents remain pleasing throughout their life on your skin, however that life is even shorter than with Duel.

This is as bitter as the mind of an 80-year-old who has not had sex for forty-five years. A kind of interesting, pretty clever perfume put together by talented perfumer, but the intensively acrid and badly overcooked scent of black tea that curls your nose and brain makes it far too challenging to be worn with any sort of pleasure. It's almost a scrubber, actually. This is a bit like a light version of Goutal’s another scent, called Eau du Fier, which I like a lot more than this. So sometimes more is better, see!

The citrus notes in the opening are strong and sharp. They remind me of Shiseido Zen White heat for men. I didn't like it. Bitter-sour lemon juice. Tobacco is weak, even in the drydown. I could detect no musk.

I absolutely adore Duel. Built around yerba mate, which happens to be in the holly family, it is rather more a scent that to my nose demonstrates the nuance and elusive bittersweet qualities of black tea. Crisp, bitter, and fresh, there is watery greenness that opens it, courtesy of petitgrain, with an underlying sweetness that almost reminds me of osmanthus. While this is short-lived, what follows is a spectacular unfurling of mugwort (artemisia vulgaris), which reminds me of the broad belts of it that grow in the wildlife sanctuary that I frequent, especially as the plants mature and release their oils into the air on a misty day. This somehow further enhances the tea effect, with its silvery, sage-like, almost reminding me of the foliage of chrysanthemums. It "lifts" the sensation of tea, making Duel, in my humble opinion, one of the most accurate tea scents I've smelled. But wait, there's more (said in a commercial announcer's voice)! An elegant, minimalist leather accord enters the scene as Duel settles closer to the skin, extending the tea effect into its base. There is no smoke, only tannins, and tannins are not only naturally found in tea, but are also used to prevent the disintegration of collagen fibers in the skins, allowing them to turn into....leather. What a brilliant pairing, I just can't get over how ingenious such an understated and beautiful scent Duel is. I am only familiar with my brown bottle version of Duel and cannot vouch for newer versions. I will surely treasure what I do have in my possession.

Duel is a nicely done aromatic fragrance with hints of leather, citrus, tea and rich tobacco. It's subtly done, and is a wonderful choice for Spring and Summer wear. Annick Goutal tends to make rather bold orientals or sharp citrus scents, however Duel is not so 'in your face'. Although masculine, it's not strictly so, preferring to adopt a unisex feel, which is both elegant and unique. While I think Sables has more character, I like Duel's refreshing approach. It's clean and light but not in a boring aquatic or citrus after-shave sense of the word. It doesn't smell generic or for that matter, like anything you'd find the average man wearing. It's quite cozy and lovable. The tea note stands out the most for me, followed by smokey tobacco and subtle hints of lemon and lime. It can be quite linear at times, however I'm not too bothered with its lack of development. I enjoy the scent nonetheless. Perhaps its only disappointing aspect was its lack of lasting power and strong projection. I'm used to Annick Goutal's male fragrances being lasting and bold. In regards to price, Duel is rather cheap when compared to other fragrances from this house. It may be worth trying if your man, or even yourself, wouldn't feel cheated if the fragrance only lasted a few hours and required touch-ups during the day.

I immediately detected petit grain upon applying Annick Goutal DUEL, and what I thought was vetiver! According to the notes, it appears that what I am perceiving as vetiver is an olfactory illusion created out of wood and maté. However, maté can be quite bitter, which this composition certainly is not. DUEL is smooth and calm, and as it dries down, it feels ever-so-slightly leathery, but not in the off-putting, rubbery, synthetic way in which so many in-your-face leather fragrances are today. To my nose, DUEL is neither masculine nor feminine. It is quiet and conservative, not at all a loud cologne guy frag or bracing citrus slap in the face. I rather like this creation and although I do catch wafts of pencil shavings along with the leather, the overall effect is very light and pleasing to my nose. DUEL reminds me a bit of the scent of sand and the sound created by walking along a pebble-littered path, as odd as that may seem. It find this creation quite serene. The quality is indisputably niche. Another fine fragrance from the house of Annick Goutal.

I had to test this one many times at the store before buying. The 1st time on the paper strip, i dismissed it instantly. But it grew on me. The name, Duel, may evoke something far more exciting and dangerous than what this fragrance is actually about. The petitgrain and maté give it, at first, a slightly bitter and raspy edge, like tannins, which i like very much (overspray and it will border on acrid for a few minute though...). This feels very cool and refreshing, but then some other notes appear and they warm up the composition. I prefer to wear this one during the day, in the warmest days of winter, or in the cool days of spring. It is a very peculiar fragrance and to me it feels quite unique. I also think of it as quite unisex. A co-worker commented that this smell reminded her of her grandma, so, uhm... still uncertain about what it may evoke to others... YMMV !

I love tea in general, I love drinking it as well as smelling it. Here we have no tea, actually it's a first fragrance with mate that I've tried. And I fell in love with it right from the first sniff. The opening is citrusy - I feel bitter oranges, I guess that's what petitgrain is. Smells light, very transparent. Yes - mate is there from the beggining. When I wear Duel, it gives me a positive vibe, I'm full of energy and ready for everything. Later on it doesn't change much, maybe it gets a little bit woody with delicate earthy touch to it. It's definitely a fragrance for the warmer days. Perfect for each occasion - formal or casual. Longevity is something around 8-9 hours on my skin, sillage is weak to moderate. A totally must have 'cause it fits perfectly to my taste. BTW, there's no holly in Duel! It contains mate!!!!

Complex. Early stage has a bubble tea (no milk) fragrance. Lapsang Suchong mixed with strongly brewed tea astringency and a honey-floral lilt. Interesting, fresh, strongly tea. Middle stage blossoms out to something very lovely, almost flowery-apricots, still with the astringent tea overtone and a tiny bit of smoke. Middle stage is the nicest - whimsical almost. Like rummaging through a great old wooden chest that had been polished with frankincense and contained tea, with a bunch of old roses nearby (zephryn druin). Reminds me of big old houses and filtered sunshine. Quite addictive in the middle stages - evocative of childhood fairy games. Dry down is powdery (the iris) and although the scent is still wonderful, the powder is the only thing I don’t like. If I keep reapplying, is gorgeous.

FYI: Here are the notes as listed on the Annick Goutal website: green mate absolute, Paraguay petitgrain, iris root, absinth, gaiac wood, leather and musk. The website does not list any tobacco notes. Despite a few exotic sounding ingredients this is a fairly unremarkable fragrance. Not because its not good, but because it doesn't really stand out in a crowd. My impression is that the ratio of price to value is unfortunately lower than I'd like for an Annick Goutal offering. If you're interested in this house, I'd recommend Sables or Encens Flamboyant, which both have more presence and originality than this offering. Sillage: non existant Longevity: 4 hours Overall Rating: 5/10. Look elsewhere in the Annick Goutal line for a truly unique scent experience.

i was quite interested to smell this perfume as few reviewers was comparing this perfume to other perfumes on the pages of the perfumes that i like. so today i tried it. the top note was mixture of things i didn't like, bitterness and a bit of things i didn't even cared about, so i neglect it. later on when it dried down, it gives the essence of a calming tea note, classy tea time, and fun lightly essence of tea tree. although it wasn't my type but it is quite interesting in away that im thinking to get it. this one also could be used as the summer love of freshness, and the clean beaches white silky sands. it's an inspirational love. now, this is the 2nd perfume that i liked from Annick Goutal after Ambre Fetish.

Duel is an excellent fragrance. For me it's holly leather, wrapped in a body of Iso E and guaiac wood. Not very warm as usual with almost all leading leather fragrances, which gives originality, I find the freshness and feeling when you approach a piece of cold to the skin you're sorry and you smell leather. These very complicated feelings of play. It also has a cloud effect caused by a soft musk, possibly galaxolide that envelops you like a second skin, light, soft, not harasses you. This fragrance is very original, different, skillfully mixed, classy and stylish. In my skin it has very good length, but the trail is soft, skin-running in no time, some typical thing Goutal fragrances. Rating: 6

A great name, but after smelling it i wonder what does the duel stand for? Is there supposed to be a confrontation in place, because the citrus, wood and leather get along very well and are actually in an excellent coordination. I have never smelled holly but it's probably what gives Duel that specific damp tea-like aroma, easy to wear though odd. Duel is cool with a soft minty character, refreshing and not very loud, not at all. I don't usually say this but i would have loved if Duel had some more muscle, a bit more voice, and live up to its name (unless this is some kind of snail or a mind Duel - then it will be quiet as this fragrance is) ****(*)

Duel is remarkably green and fresh, and I immediately like what I smell when I apply it. A nice brisk accord of black tea, petit-grain, and a green, clovery note that smells like St. Patrick's Day looks, all bundled into a very aromatic effect. Then, something a little headier, with suggestions of wormwood and vetiver, crisp and bitter. Does this sound a little like a poem? It's not meant to be, but then again it's arguable as to whether Duel is a traditional fragrance or an olfactory poem of sorts. It's fluid, it's green, it's woody, and it's rather inarticulate, but it's the way Ulysses would smell if Joyce's words wafted up off the page.

Oh, Goutal is Hermès for grown ups. Duel is without doubt a beauty. Very aromatic, herbal-bitter holly, green tea, citrus, fresh leather. It is really a perfect balance of all these components. It's lovely. It's definitely the predecessor of Cologne cedrat by Matière Première. They are both centered around the mate, although, Duel has more depth and personality. They are both great, but leaves different impressions. The composition of Duel is more refined. It's not youthful, but discreet and elegant. If you are familiar with the style of Goutal, you will recognise this. Somewhat 'old worldly', but only in an elegant and attractive way.

I believe I have Duel. I have a small 0.83 and thought it was Eau D'Hadrien. The bottle does not smell like Eau D'Hadrien at all. The label just states Annick Goutal eau de toilette. It smells masculine, woody and nutty. The petitegrain is strong, also citrusy but not a really fresh citrus or lemony scent. It's kinda hard to describe. I just thought it was a bad bottle of Eau D'Hadrien but now that I see these reviews and the notes of this scent, it might be Duel. Is this what Duel smells like??? or could it be Eau de Monsieur?? I'm very confussed.

I just experimented with this scent, having read about it and Annick Goutal. My all-time favorite cologne is Hermes d'Terre. MANY colognes, maybe MOST, strike me as much too sweet. Duel is very nice. The herby/grassy notes followed by leather are primary for me. Over the past few days I sampled five colognes I had not tried before and this is the only one that truly appealed to me. Sadly, it's not a long-lasting scent on me.

Like orange juice at a brunch after a wild night. Sort of a citrus without the zing. Sense of something lingering, like cigarette smoke on the skin. This feels old and a bit worn or even stale right from the opening--not necessarily in an unattractive way. The musk is a big player. Reminiscent of other Goutal citrus focused scents, but musky and hazy rather than sharp.

Annick Goutal Duel Here we have an earthy mate herb note, very loud since the opening.... It is a light scent and so bright too. There is a minimalistic usage of leather here, so smooth and easy to wear plus those herbal notes applied. I was expecting more but here we have Annick's dna and i see it is a good scent for sure - that's why people love it

The opening almost lost me because there's something here that I don't personally enjoy. However, I let it settle on my skin and after a hour or two... I started getting a whiff of something very pleasant. I'm going to spend more time with this fragrance and try to understand it better... Goutal may be a new house discovery for me.

Whew, this is sexy! It smells like a well-dressed older gentleman that has his life together. Some reviewers say it smells like an old man but idk I suppose I'm into that kind of thing especially if he smells like this. 😊

very unique. on me it lasts quite a while - i don't have any problems with its longevity. i love the way wearing it makes me feel... i find it hard to describe. it has a mystical, smokey quality to it. leather incense!