Gucci Eau de Parfum

A deep, dark, rich, woody, leathery floral with an aromatic touch. Dramatic yet smooth. Velvety, plush yet has an essence of biting strength laced through (don’t associate “bite” with being bad). I feel the bottle really depicts what the fragrance is trying to portray. It’s heavy, strong glass but entirely gentle and translucent but the juice, a deep, dark brown, almost opaque. A shallow, stout square for a bottle but the lid is round however, but in the same thickness, height and width. The mould made into the square bottle that holds the perfume is curved, abstract, asymmetrical — imperfect. It all comes together to become quite a piece of art. This perfume is moody in the best way. One of Gucci’s best. I can’t quite describe the scent in terms of the notes that I get at each stage, I can only try to portray how it makes me feel and the fragrance it emanates. It is masterfully blended. It is punchy but powdery, more of a herbal, cool aromatic spice than warm, it’s suede like but still a little animalic, it is ever so slightly sweet but not in a “cuddly” or “hug me” kind of way but this would make someone want to embrace you for longer and take in the way you smell. It’s dry pencil shavings in such a likeable and elegant way. You know a perfume is good when there’s a struggle coming to explain it. It is mysterious, smoky... and too good! The perfume in my collection that I would say if it was a person she would be a lone wolf, hard to figure out but still has an aura about her that makes her approachable. She speaks softly and eloquently and makes you feel like you can talk to her about anything and all your special interests she acquires knowledge of too, she knows a bit about everything but doesn’t shout about it. Old soul type of wise. She walks around with her earphones (not AirPods they still have wires) and her playlists are always retro, full of stuff her Dad listens to, bands you don’t know and songs you’ve never heard, an eclectic mix tied to no particular genre. She doesn’t have a fashion aesthetic or follow trends, wears what she wants and that’s usually combinations of delicate vs grunge... elegant septum ring, white puffer sleeve cropped bralet with full length denim skirts and Doc Martens, whimsical vintage dresses inspired by Little Woman with a dark lip or jet black feline liner on her eyelids... mix metal rings of gold and silver, dark nail polish even in the summer, vintage Gucci bag, watch, and men’s wallet... only wears real leather... makes a thrift shop men’s leather jacket feminine and her own by customising it with lace, cutting it off cropped or painting it with moody floral motifs. She will let you get close and she seems semi-relatable once you’ve given her time, but take heed... make no mistake by crossing any of her strong, finite boundaries or defy any rule or non-negotiable in the book she keeps to herself and for you to figure out and pick up on your own you’ll get door slammed in a way that isn’t aggressive or definite or absolute in the moment, but she will let you know once you next cross paths and it will be as if she erased you from her memory and that you never existed. The fragrance is really long lasting and has a beautiful scent trail. Why oh why Gucci did you make the unfathomable mistake in ceasing the production of such artistry like this? Tell me!

For anyone who is searching for a great replica/dupe of this gem: try the rendition of Perfume Parlour. I have had about 6 bottles of Gucci EdP; some of them differ in strength and development, so I have quite some experience how different batches develop on my skin. I personally believe the PP dupe captures the essence of Gucci EdP very well. Yes, some elements aren't that strongly present. A list of the differences I can perceive (I bought an oil version, so the opening is different from a spray version): - The opening isn't that sharp, it's softer and less distinguishable - The caraway and thyme are more mellow compared to the original - The neroli and iris are toned down, but the heliotrope is still noticeable - The basenotes appear more quickly and like the other notes, they are less distinguishable. Whereas the original is more of a smooth calf leather jacket, you could compare the dupe to a suede leather jacket. It's smoother, less detailed but it still manages to capture that wonderful, snuggly feeling of the original: soft suede, smooth incense, wonderful combination of spices/vanilla/wood and a touch of florals. It's worth a shot in my opinion! Can't comment on longevity yet. Sillage is soft, but the original was always soft on me, so I guess that's not a bad thing. I also don't think the original would benefit from a lot of sillage, since it would become too overwhelming. You can consider me quite impressed with this dupe. It's also a lot more economical compared to the prices the original is going for these days..... PS: Not affiliated in ANY way with Perfume Parlour. Edit: So I have had the dupe for quite some time. Compared to two bottles of Gucci, the dupe contains more vanilla and is a bit sweeter. I also suspect it's amped up on the white flowers and the white musk. It kind of misses that spiciness; it doesn't have that 'Dr.Pepper-effect' compared to the original. To conclude, it's a more clean version, albeit a very nice one.

I do understand where people are getting the cough syrup vibe from this, but oh man, if only Robitussin tasted half as good as this smells! On my skin it reminds me a bit of a cross between CK Euphoria (drugstore fruity body spray + wood) and Bottega Veneta (plum, jasmine and leather accords), maybe with a hint of old-formula Dior Addict thrown in to give it a darker cast. I don't get any bitterness or much of a spicy bite from the caraway, but it does give this a nutty unctuous quality that ties together the wood notes and cherry-pie fruitiness of the heliotrope really well. This is how I like my sweet perfumes - not literal sugar or baked goods, but oblique hints at something deep, syrupy and delectable cooking in a slow-burning oven. (I don't want my perfumes to remind someone of something delicious - *I* want to be the something delicious!) To me this has depth, mystery and a hint of cerebral distance with the wood notes that make me think this could work at the office on a cold day (one or two sprays max though, it's pretty damn strong!). This is definitely a cooler-weather date night perfume primarily though - dead-sexy in a very intimate, "brain is the biggest sex organ" kind of way, whether it's a one-on-one dinner in a nice restaurant or sharing body heat and a bottle of wine by a roaring fire. This is the facet of sexuality that matches my personality the best. This is me at this stage of my life. And if this hadn't been discontinued, :-( I could see this challenging my girlier Chanel Chance for my new signature scent. Definitely a new favorite. But I do think the bottle is a bit much - the cap is solid glass and weighs more than the bottle itself! I suppose it's good to keep the bottle and cap by the bed to ward off (and possibly kill) intruders.

I had to add a second review to tell an awesome story. I was lucky enough to find a drugstore in my city that has an amazing perfume section. They have discontinued products just languishing on the shelves, and few people know it's there. The staff doesn't even know how rare these perfumes are now! Sadly they aren't on sale, but discontinued perfumes for regular retail instead of the eBay bidding wars? I'll take it! I'll share the store's name with my fellow DC perfumistas... eventually ;-) But anyway, I was paying homage to the glass cabinet, considering buying a backup bottle of Gucci EDP, their last bottle left (!), and the store assistant who had opened the cabinet for me was trying to sell me D&G The One or Light Blue, and was trying fragrances alongside me. I told her they were okay, but everyone has them and I could get those anywhere. I was pointing out to her all of the discontinued and rare stuff that was just sitting there (YSL Elle, Van Cleef and Arpels First, Ysatis...). Then I gave her the almost-empty tester of Gucci EDP to try, telling her this was discontinued too. She couldn't stop sniffing the bottle, and then went into perfume-induced ecstasy when she sprayed it on her wrist. "I know, it's amazing, right?" "Wow. I love this, it's sweet but so so good. Oh... *inhale* *sigh* This is the best one I think. Definitely. Wow." She kept inhaling her wrist and sighing as she opened the register for me to pay at the counter, and I was laughing and nodding telling her "I know the feeling". I started feeling bad for buying the last bottle, so I wrote down the name for her so she could search on eBay and Amazon for it. And so *poof*, a new perfumista was born, thanks to me and Gucci Eau de Parfum.

Woody Floral Leather I can honestly say that I have never smelled a perfume like this. This is so unique, and it has such a unique character. There is a lightness to this perfume, but there is also a presence. It is never loud, but is always detectable. There is a stunning clarity to all the notes--nothing is obfuscated by large amounts of powder or musk. The perfume manages to be clear without being screechy, or conversely, too soft. This Gucci is simply amazing. Caraway is a unique note. I've never worn a caraway-centric perfume before, but it adds a deep woodiness to the perfume, vs. being spicy. Sweet, clear heliotrope and caraway go together like peanut butter & jelly. After the topnotes melt into the skin, a very discreet incense note joins the mix, and the leather note--the leather is not a beefed up, smoky kind, rather a pleasantly worn leather jacket on a chilly fall day-that kind of cold leather scent. That woody heliotrope-leather accord is to die for. The basenotes become less floral, and the sandalwood, incense, vanilla, and a hint of musk finish things out. This perfume is never loud, but you are reminded throughout the day that you have it on, it projects in just the right way. I know that this perfume is discontinued (I spent a bit on 30 mls of the juice, and then loved it so much that I snapped up a used 50 ml bottle that was 3/4 full) and even though is it is not a floral/fruity/clean perfume, I think that it is perfectly understated and modern and wearable almost 15 years after its release. Bottega Veneta eat your heart out. If you like this sort of thing, get it while you can.