Fidelis

I bought the 15mL size sprayette direct from Histoires de Parfums on their website. All I can say is WOW. This is absolutely captivating. Such a gorgeous take on an oud scent. Blended perfectly. Julien Rasquinet has done something really special with this DNA. Spicy Eastern notes up top with saffron and cardamom while the coffee note takes more of a backseat. It is not a sweet, synthetic smelling coffee, but more realistic dark roasted whole bean. Raspberry isn't overly present but provides an underlying soft tone of fruity sweetness. The Laotian oud provides a strong base, it is slightly bitter and rubbery but very pleasant smelling. Rose is intertwined with the oud but never steals the spotlight. They mingle together perfectly. The patchouli in this fragrance is DELICIOUS. Straight up rounded and chocolatey goodness. The combination of the coffee, raspberry's soft sweetness, and the chocolate patchouli notes remind me of a freshly baked chocolate cake with a drizzle of raspberry ganache over top. Longevity is certified eternal at 12+ hours, sillage is explosive. One small spray to the back of my hand and I was getting huge whiffs for 10 hours as it settles into a strong skin scent and lingers past the 12 hour point. Definitely a statement maker. People will be able to smell you coming. Must wear this one with confidence. Honestly mindblowing. I love this. I've never smelled anything like this but judging my reaction to it I know I have to get my nose on Frederic Malle's The Moon. Quickly becoming one of my favorites. I also have to put in a side note of appreciation for the packaging. Even the sprayette came in a multi-dimensional box with an folding top with beautiful Art Deco inspired graphics on outside and the inside panels. The bottle is solid metal and a brilliant Rose gold. It may not matter to most but I really geek out over presentation. EDIT: Now that I've worn this on my skin and let my thoughts develop, I love this fragrance. To me, I struggle to find one negative thing about Fidelis. Now that I have more experience with this fragrance I definitely get the cumin note but only briefly in the opening. It quickly settles from Middle Eastern spice into the rubbery Laotian Oud and rose note with a heavy dose of sweetness from the raspberry. The patchouli in combination with these notes round out the fragrance and add a chocolatey depth. Absolutely delicious. Every once in a while you come across a fragrance that is truly a work of art. Fidelis is one of those. Hats off to Julien Rasquinet. Such a uniquely beautiful fragrance. 10/10.

Red velvet!! I took my time with this one because it's not an easy fragrance to review.. This fragrance brings together gourmand with heavy oriental with such a beautiful way! It has a velvety effect, some say dustiness but to me it gives the feeling of red velvet! This has the the raspberry which is big here and delicious in contrast with the oud and the saffron that bring something oriental to the scent. The coffee is here but it's in the background with the smokey amber and the spices. This is comprered to "the moon" which is another creation of Julien Rasquinet, in my opinion these two are related but not the same. The moon has more pronounced oud, rose and goes into a more woody, oriental way. On the other hand Fidelis is going more semi-gourmand direction but they share a lot. In my opinion you can't replace the one with the other but if you like one you will like the other! Performance is amazing, it keeps going easily for 12++ hours after a shower or the next day with great projection! I find it easy to pull of in the cold, day or night but you have to control your sprays. It's not the fragrance that will give you a lot of compliments but it will get attention and i find it unisex. Overall, when you talk about niche perfumery this is what comes in mind. A fragrance that is different, creative, unique, with great quality and amazing preformance! This is not an easy blind buy, it may not appeal to everybody but that's the beauty of this hobby!

I shouldn't be compared to The Moon, but you'll tell it's made by the same hands. Now, as much as I don't like comparing one fragrance to another, it is important to take reference from another fragrance to have a general idea where does it fall from and to. Sure, this guy goes to the same bar as The Moon, Interlude, Oud Aquilaria and a few others, but they order different drinks. This guy its own animal, and is a good one. The coffee is prominent on top. Not your sweet creamy Intense Cafe coffee, but your fresh grind coffee bean. It stays strong well blended with the saffron and cardamom. Then the cardamon takes over to unfold the red carpet for the rose, raspberry and the oud. The coffee stays in the background, never really fading, with the other species. In the end, the patchouly and amber work as cheerleaders for the oud, who is still dressed up with that rose and raspberry, being the center of attention. It is a very strong one. Three sprays will take you for an eight to ten hour ride with strong projection. Shouldn't be this difficult to find. Do recommend for a fall and winter night at formal gathering.

A dusty (thanks to the saffronn, cummin and cardomon), chocolate, espresso coffee. A touch bright rose at first too, turns slightly vinegary, slightly balsamic then the oud appears after 5 minutes. There is interplay for the first hour or two but by three hours or so it settles to a dusty dark coffee with oud and nose to skin a bit of chocolate. At this point it’s more of a gourmand for me so I can only feel most reviews here represent an early snapshot of its performance. At this point 4 hours in it looses its strong scent bubble though it is not by any means a skin scent rather it’s just for people in an inappropriate pre Covid social distance lol. It also resembles Pierre Guillaumes new Anti Blues and vaguely Sambaka though darker and deeper in dusty browness. I am happy with my blind purchase and whilst this is a better scent than some alternatives for the price I take offence to suggestions this is one of the best in the HDP line up - it isn’t! 1828 and 1899 Ernest Hemmingway (as a Spicebomb, Initio Rehab, Man in Black, Liqour Charnelle and Divine Vanille copy) are class leading.

Fidelis is the fragrance equivalent of The Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour". It's simply fantastic. Such a compelling blend of gorgeous scents. Opens with a stunning blend of coffee mixing with cardamom. Add in some earthy, leathery saffron and it's a heady start. Some people find the opening to be too much, but I love it. It's just an explosion of scent. You also get the sweet softness of rose and raspberry joining in after a couple of minutes, but they're subdued and never become overly sweet or jammy, in any way. Delicate touch. That gorgeous soft sweetness carries into the drydown where oud, patchouli and especially amber provide the base of the fragrance. Such an incredible blend. It just never stops being mysterious and alluring. I hate to use the phrase "beast mode" for such a beautiful fragrance, but that is what it is. Outstanding projection, sillage and longevity! This is a 12 hour parfum with 3 hours of projection and a sillage trail that will turn heads. Perfectly unisex. Fidelis Five Scale Rating: ⨷⨷⨷⨷1⁄4