Tenue de Soiree

Just to be clear, I’m a man. I originally purchased Tenue de Soirée by Goutal for my wife, and she absolutely loves it. The surprise is that I ended up loving it as well, and I wear it myself from time to time. To my nose, this is very much a unisex fragrance. When I’ve worn it, I’ve even received compliments from coworkers. The opening has a soft bergamot note, but it’s not a bright, sparkling citrus. It feels gentle and delicate rather than sharp or energetic. The iris that follows is also different from something like Dior Homme. It doesn’t have that lipstick-style iris; instead it comes across more powdery and comforting. As it settles, the base becomes incredibly soothing. The mix of patchouli, musk, leather, and caramel creates a soft, almost pillowy warmth. There’s something very relaxing about it, smooth, slightly powdery, and quietly elegant. In the end, it turned out to be a win for both my wife and me. Scent: 8.5/10 | Longevity: 8/10 | Projection: 7/10 | Overall: 8.5/10

This outstanding scent of blackcurrant wrapped in iris, spiced by patchouly is a perfume I never believed would grow so much on me. The notes aren't the ones I usually reach for and on the first few tries this didn't appeal much to me. The turnaround happened once I put it on before going to bed and waking up to it remaining there, soft and sensual. From my own nose, I never noticed it was sweet, since I usually reach for sweet, oriental perfumes but a fellow fragrance lover pointed it out to me. Tenue de Soiree is a perfume I can reach for in any occasion or weather, universally appropriate, and the picture of it I paint in my mind would be the summer evening with a light breeze, dressed in something elegant, fluttering and also cozy. I'm jealous of anyone standing down the wind from me while wearing it. Kilian's Adults is somewhat similar to this one, though I prefer Tenue, which appeals better blended and more sophisticated.

I've only tried this fragrance in warm weather so far but even so I've noticed it changes character quite a lot depending on the temperature so I am very excited to try it in the winter. That being said, on me this is a warm sweet and elegant black current and iris scent. I do not detect much patchouli on my skin, which is a shame since I am a huge patchouli lover. It has a slight kick from the leather which makes it quite unique. While I love it on myself, I certainly didn't expect it to become such a huuuge compliment getter as it did. I wore it on the night out with friends and every guy (Tenue de Soiree seems to attract them like flies) commented on my fragrance and even asked me what I was wearing. That almost never happens, most of my friends are quite nose-blind. This is becoming one of my signature scents for sure. The sillage is quite good, not impessed with the longevity though. I can see this being a safe blind buy.

I am playing with my sample today. Yes, it reminds me of Bottega Veneta which I love, but I am more drawn to this fragrance. Although it does not have oak moss, it is indeed a chypre - the other ingredients pull it off. Secondly, I love the opening! It is not as astringent as BV is, and the inclusion of more fruit and the caramel, softens it more and makes it more wearable in my opinion. The leather is in the backdrop, and it is not too much. I tried all the other frags in the line up from the Oiseaux group, and I think this may be the one I purchase. I don't care for Nuit et Confidences - that is just a vanilla to me although well done. I don't like the Folie one, because it is too masculine Tabaco for me. I will try the Etoile d'une Nuit, and then make my final choice, but I am quite impressed by this one. I love the patchouli which is producing the oak moss effect in my opinion.

I got this after hearing several people rave about for about 2 years, and boy are they right! This was love at first sniff. The initial spray is pretty fresh, but then it sets into an amazingly elegant and sexy powdery sweet iris. I get full iris and caramel. The rose is not overly powerful, more like a suble hint. The patchouli gives it a bit of bite, but doesn't kill my nose. You do get the leather note, but it's more in the line of a fine leather glove. Compared to other scents where I go noseblind pretty fast, this one I can feel for the entire duration. On skin it has great longevity and on clothes it smells for days. The store where I got it sprayed 2 puffs on some wrapping paper, and 5 days later, that paper still smells when you pass by it. I'm apprehensive when it comes to hypes fragrances, but this one definitely deserves its reputation!