Vengeance Extreme

Ravishingly, stupendous, beautiful and absolutely gorgeous perfume! I love it! This has to be amongst my all time favourite perfume alongside TM Angel. It opens with a fresh floral blast of bergamot but it is neither sharp nor lemony, indeed it is soft and sweet but never cloying. This perfume remains 'fresh' the whole journey through and is perfect for the summer. I'm not sure why this perfume is called 'extreme' because that gives the impression that it is a strong powerbomb. It is indeed a powerful perfume which must be applied economically, but it is neither extreme nor over bearing. Instead, this is a beautiful orchestra of florals and patchouli which has been so carefully blended with love and care, to become a soft and musky juice which wafts up at you the whole day, stays on the skin and never leaves you. This perfume is so loyal that I am in love wearing it. All the JHAG fragrances are heavy on the rose and this little beauty is no exception, however the rose is a beautiful soft flower. It is not a sharp or very 'green'rose. For those of you who are not that keen on rose or patchouli, I suggest that you give this a chance as you will be very surprised at how soft and fresh this is. Well worth the price tag, this fragrance will last a long time as one spray is all you need for the day and the silage is wonderful. This fragrance was meant to be enjoyed not just by the wearer, but by everyone who is lucky enough to smell it. If heaven smells of anything, it will be Lady Vengeance Extreme.

Vengeance Extreme delivers on Lady Vengeance's promises. It's dark and even a little bit dirty, but very feminine, sexy and still wearable. It's a rose/patchouli fragrance with an emphasis on patchouli. The first spray can be a bit animalic. Then the dark and chocolate-like patchouli takes the stage and slowly the full-bodied, deep, fruity and jammy rose joins in. There is a hint of vanilla to round it all. I'd say it's just sweet enough, but not really sweet. The patchouli becomes very earthy over the time. In the drydown, there is also some cinnamon-y spiciness, it might be the coumarin from the tonka beans in this, and a warm, slightly animalic musk. A tad leathery even. This is such a multifaceted, warm, but a little sharp and all in all sensual, seductive fragrance. It has very good lasting power, it leaves a hint of warmth on the skin even on the next day. I have had a JHAG sample set for years, but I didn't pay it much attention - there was always something more interesting and frankly, the brand didn't appeal to me that much. Lady Vengeance is nice to me, but not great, and I dislike the whole concept of Not a Perfume. Also, their bottles look like some emo teen girl designed the decor in computer class in the mid 2000s. But Vengeance Extreme is such an awesome surprise, I wish I discovered it sooner!

2nd review, I gave Vengeance Extreme more time to develop. It's gorgeous. I still prefer the minty/rose passion of Lady Vengeance, especially because I smell rose above all notes, but VE has a class on its own. It's extremely sexy and very well balanced. Strong impact for sure, but never rough or rude. Passion with great elegance. Wearable by a man, too, but better for ladies, at least in the West. The rose here is not the absolute queen because she has to share her throne with a King and what a king! King Patchouli in its most lovely, refined form. Forget about dirty hippie and welcome a grand dame in evening gown. One of the most enticing moments is when vanilla comes out as a love child of the Royals. Sweet, soft, non-foody vanilla mingled with Patchouli making it softer and rounder without the typical acrid points out. I can almost smell something like bread. A total pleasure this scent is. It gives me a feeling of far lands in the East, red sunsets, Indian feasts, sensual resting on silk. For sure not for all tastes. Wear with sense, it gives a lot with a little.

I like this much better than the regular Lady Vengeance, which is too sharply woody, slightly metallic and bitter on me. The extreme version is actually much less extreme. At first it's a bit strong and sharp, bit when it dries down it has several stages om me, which are all pleasant. At first is the patchouli and rose, quite sweet, but a little bit fresh too. It's a perfectly done patchouli - I used to not like parchouli, but in here it is very balanced. Then the vanilla appears. When this has fully settled, I clearly smell the almond as amaretto, with vanilla and labdanum and some musk, which gives it a very slight B.O smell (luckily, barely there). Some of the parchouli still there. The trail it leaves is lavender, bergamot and faint rose. The dry-down is kind of a gourmand smell, but in a good way (I don't usually like gourmands, but the patchouli saves this). In my experience, when I spray this on my clothes, I smell the top notes for much longer, but on my body, this goes to the gourmand-patchouli and stays like that.

Vengeance Extreme, or is this Paloma Picasso in a repackage? I find so many similarities in both fragrances! I bought this one as a blind buy after seeing a best of JHAG fragrances by The Perfume Guy, and seeing him rate this one as his #2 pick over all! I found it on eBay for under $50 for the large bottle. When I received it in the mail and first sprayed it, I was catapulted back in time to my college days in which Paloma Picasso figured heavily, and was beloved by many of the girls in my dorm, along with Eternity, Niki de Saint Phalle, and many others. I love the longevity in this fragrance, and love the rich, beautiful depth and warmth of the floral and spice blend. It's absolutely gorgeous, and such a great fragrance for the cold weather and to wear with all black. I love the elegance and have received a number of compliments wearing this one! Highly recommend!!

Ahh I must be an anomaly as I can hardly smell it after the opening has died down and I sprayed a fair bit of it as well. Righto - so I've tried this again and for some reason it was completely different and lasted for a long time. I tried 3 x other Juliette Has A Gun fragrances on various parts of my arms and this one had the best staying power (along with Miss Charming) out of Lady Vengeance, Midnight Oud and Miss Charming. A great opening blast of patchouli (which I adore) and then it gets a bit quieter but the rose patchouli mix is a really great scent. I really like this one. It has quite a bit more oomph than Lady Vengeance but they both have their merits. It depends on your mood and preferences which one you would go for. I like both but I would probably get Vengeance Extreme for a stronger scent and go for Miss Charming for a sweet rose.

When I sampled this, I was instantly captivated. So captivated that I went on to wear it for several consecutive days to really bond with the fragrance. Man, oh man. I've always loved roses and patchouli. But Vengeance Extreme has brought the two together in perfect harmony with a dark vanilla, possibly of the Madagascar or bourbon variety. Longevity is basically until you wash it off and not even a wild rendezvous can get this out of your skin. As a man, I must encourage men to either try it for themselves or buy this for their mates. It's a very sensual fragrance. I've been showered with compliments from both genders. Even teenage girls have given me compliments. Does this contain pheromones??? More of a patchouli fragrance than a rose fragrance on my skin, Vengeance Extreme has dethroned Jessica Simpson's Fancy Nights..

This is my first review. A niche novice. This scent gives me sassy & confident vibes after a screechy introduction. There's a smoky/earthy depth on the dry down that feels so intimate. Like when you want to feel sensual and mysterious on a casual first date in the evening. Or like a woman who knows how to play pool and beat everyone in the room without bragging. It conveys quiet strength since the sillage is moderate enough to get noticed when someone gets closer but won't compromise its cool by shouting, despite its lack of elegance. This is not for the refined or the delicate nor is it office safe. I wouldn't suggest a blind buy either. I love everything about it. I see myself wearing all black with blood red lipstick whenever I wear this.

Vengeance Extreme is not just a perfume; it is a karmic signature. A sharp, uncompromising patchouli that lingers in the senses and refuses to leave the skin even after washing. This is the pure energy of Pluto and the 8th house. It refuses to fade, just like true passion. The rose within it is not gentle; it is proud, dramatic, and regal, in pure Leo style. The fact that it is discontinued, rare, only enhances its Plutonian appeal. It does not belong to the masses, but to those who understand the depth and the price of true exclusivity. This is a scent for a woman who sets boundaries, who plays for all or nothing, and whose pride cannot be bought. Fatal, magnetic, and eternal.

Bold, fleshy, red roses, complete with thorns, rubbery and earthy patchouli, parchment-dry vanilla, and a sharp, nearly leathery cocktail of lavender-musk-lime. The musk here is a barely-restrained nearly-feral grey musk. Not skanky, but not Narcisso-Clean either. The labdanum is definitely present, but melds into the patchouli very nicely. Lime fades quickly, as does most of the lavender, but the musk remains almost leathery and herbal, kind of like saffron. Of my current JHAG rose trio (Midnight Oud, Mad Madame, Vengence Extreme), it is the most wearable, without losing its charming personality. This is what I wanted Agent Provocateur to be.

I smell a lot of bergamot when it's first applied, it's very strong, pretty severe. Then it develops into a pretty rose and patchouli medley with the bergamot and lavender in the background giving it a deeper more mysterious vibe, which is what I smell most of the time it's on me. The drydown lasts about 5 hours on me and the rose and tonka bean are the "last notes standing" and cling close to the skin for a long time (usually until I shower). This was love at first whiff haha. I got a sample of this and decided I had to have it. It's one of my favorites now, behind only Prada L'eau Ambree. I think it's very sexy and mysterious.

I have had Vengeance Extreme for almost a year now and it really is an excellent fragrance in terms of longevity. Fairly linear but as it's delicious, I see no harm in that. Yesterday I bought Jo Malone's Velvet Rose & Oud. Comparing them side by side, one on each wrist, VE lasted hours longer (8hrs plus to the VRO lasting around 4hrs) the main difference was in the dry down. VE has a rougher, skankier side (which is awesome) whereas VRO is far classier and more elegant. Initially they were quite similar but I am glad I have both as they show very different characters in the dry down.

On first spray I was overwhelmed by a blast of patchouli that smelled overly masculine on me and I thought another disastrous blind buy, but then something amazing happened a beautiful rose came out to play, this lasted about 2 hours then it faded a bit and made room for the vanilla and lavender, throughout the patchouli was there throughout but was tamed by the other notes. Absolutely beautiful with decent longevity, it projects well for the first hour then becomes a skin scent which is good for JHAG because the others I have tried completely disappeared within an hour.

Wow, I am head over heels in love with this perfume. This is the first juliette has a gun fragrance I have sampled and based on this one I am impressed. It smells like potpourri from your underwear drawer but in a good way. I think it would be a beautiful comforting fragrance to wear on a cold winter day snuggled up in a warm wooly jumper (or sweater depending on where you're from). Its like warm comforting roses. I wish I could comment further on the fragrance itself but I'm still a newbie when it comes to describing fragrances. Either way, I'm utterly in love.

This fragrance is just flat out deliciousness! Unlike her little sister Lady Vengeance, Miss Vengeance Extreme is sweet from the opening note. That animalistic note which predominates the JHAG line is not so prevalent here. She is warm, dark and alluring. She wants your attention and she WILL have it. Dark like chocolate and just as tempting. Imagine hot melting dark chocolate dripped all over the most gorgeous body you have known and thought it burns a little, the pain is all his/hers! You just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Now this is what Patchouli should smell like. Earthy and dirty, but not rotting, it has that slight sweetness to it which totally gives it life. The patchouli in Vengeance Extreme acts the same on my skin as the one in TM Angel EdT, those are my two perfect patchoulis. Pair the patchouli up with a mellow, velvety rose and Vengeance Extreme is the result. It's sexy, dirty, quirky but also very classic, alluring and beautiful. I always get loads of compliments when I wear this one, everyone seem to love it!

I agree with the comment below: Vengeance Extreme and all the JHaG's I have for that matter last for ages on me... easily more than 8-10 hours. VE and Lady Vengeance are the most lasting of them, with Midnight Oud being a bit weaker than I imagined from the reviews. I wonder whether people might be partly anosmic to the fragrances (I know I am to a couple of perfumes, not from this line though), or the company "experiments" with the concentration. Oh, please, not this again.

Beautiful perfume. I have an extra 100ml bottle for sale . My backup . I realized I’ll never even use up my first bottle, i don’t know what that other commenter got but this perfume is not weak at all, mine is very strong and ppl at my job tell me they still smell it 7 hrs later. I have hundreds of other perfumes I’ve grown to also love. So...if u want my 100ml , inbox me. $100 for this 100ml bottle. US ship only . No negotiating. I’d rather keep it than sell it at a loss.

One of the most intoxicatingly beautiful fragrances in my 100+ bottle collection. I've come to realize that I adore rose and patchouli. I also love vanilla, tonka bean, and musk. This is a very "me" perfume. Longevity is great on me. It smells seductive, sexy, and overall it's just a gorgeous musky rose fragrance. It's extremely well blended. I am devastated that they discontinued it, however, I snagged three backup bottles that will hopefully last me for many years.

I love perfumes Juliette Has a Gun. Hyper modern, unique fragrances, with a good performance. I am a man use it but I do not see labels of male and female fragrances, it has to end. Perfect blend of patchouli with roses you feel any chemical structure and moderate this perfume is amazing. Great fragrance. I classify it thus: Smell: 9/10 Projection: 9.5/10 Longevity: 9.5/10

In the first 15 minutes I get a beautiful, earthy, wet rose. The next 1 or 2 hours I am overwhelmed by an intense patchouli. Then the patchouli gives way to the gorgeous rose. Vanilla, musk, labdanum, and lavender emerge. This is soon replaced by smoke. Slightly sweet, rosey, dark smoke. I'm in love with the drydown. I don't usually like patchouli but I keep craving this.

You cannot pull this off if you think of yourself as a sweet innocent teenager or a "soft" heart woman. This perfume wont attract you and it will project bad on you. This perfume need a mature aggressive and ambitious woman to pull it off and understand its complexity and uniqueness. It is smoky, challenging, daring, loud and not by any meas innocent.

Tested yesterday afternoon and I can still smell it on my wrist the next day! Impressive! Lovely deep, musky rose. Not an elegant or sophisticated fragrance, I would say. If you want a more chic take on this I would go to Eau Capitale. Edited to say, found a good deal on a tester bottle and couldn't say no. The longevity of this really is great.

Oh yes!!!! This is THE ONE! !!!! I am in love!!!!! All that patchouli and beautiful rose has my head spinning in extacy!!!! Absoultly amazing perfume, I will be gettib fb very very soon!! Thank u I love it. I wore this to work and kept smelling something divine. Then realized its ME I am smellin good!!!!!

This was my first ever niche perfume which i chose myself (before i had been gifted a Creed) and i have a soft spot for it. I still always need to have one botlle and i wear it for some nights when i go out dancing, it makes me feel powerful and it gives me that extra confidence boost, i don’t know why!

Breathtakingly beautiful. From another time. Dark rose, that could be melancholic, but is only beautiful. The patchouli and the labdanum grounds it, and makes me calm. Like the love that makes me feel perfectly safe. Everything will be - all right...

Deep creamy patchouli and rose combo. Powerful and long lasting. Heavy and smells somehow...damp, like wet roses on a warm day. Wonderful.

Good scent but a little too much. I still prefer the gorgeous regular Lady Vengeance.

Okay, this is just magnificent and I love it to death.

The greatest trick Romano Ricci ever pulled was the branding for Juliet Has A Gun. The twelve sample discovery box was the first sample set I ever purchased, back in 2018, and boy was I mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore when I got to huff the merchandise. The marketing promised danger, sexuality, intelligence, power...and what I got were twelve sweet-smelling perfumes for good little girls. Lady Vengeance and Vengeance Extreme were two of the most disappointing, simply because of the film reference they failed to deliver on. Okay. Now it’s three years later and I have fifty-odd scents in my sample collection. I’m older. I’m a little bit wiser. I’ve smelled some truly wretched fragrances for women in my time. What do I think of Vengeance Extreme? It’s damn good. It has fun the way a cologne has fun. It’s a woman’s scent that packs a punch. The patchouli plays against the boldness of the rose. There’s lavender and lime and the teasing impression of black pepper. I could and will wear it all damn day. Now, do I have quibbles? Absolutely. The sex could purr a lot more loudly in the background, and the Ambroxan could stand to shut the hell up. While this is the first I’ve stumbled on, Patchouli-Rose is a classic women’s combination, and classic femininity isn’t what I think of when I think of the film Lady Vengeance. But, again, that’s the branding. And the scent is goddamn good. Ultimately, Vengeance Extreme might smell a little good girl-ish. But in the context of mass market perfume, she’s a bare knuckle boxer.

I am shocked I don't like this perfume! (I love all the notes, so why don't I love Vengeance Extreme?!) I was okay with the huge blast of dirty patchouli in the opening, because patchouli is my favorite note. The patchouli didn't stay in the foreground for long, though. An oily, green (bordering on bitter) rose emerged, and this is where my interest in the scent began waning. Don't get me wrong, I love rose, and most of my favorite fragrances contain rose, but here it is headache-inducing for me. I keep thinking I smell geranium in here somewhere, but it could be the bergamot/lavender combination having an influence on how this rose note smells. In fact, Vengeance Extreme almost smells like a darker, more unisex version of Sarah Jessica Parker - Lovely, which I also used to own and love, but it gave me the same headache! I guess I don't have the best chemistry for this, or maybe the weather isn't warm enough yet for me to wear it, but I think people who love SJP Lovely or Narciso Rodriguez For Her, or even Voleur de Roses, would enjoy this one. Update: I retested my original formula manufacturer’s spray sample in 2024, during a time when I was seeking and exploring darker rose scents, and I found that I actually liked this! So I have changed my rating accordingly, but I have no idea what the current reformulation smells like.

I purchased this as a variety after I loved Juliette has a gun citizen queen. I didn't go for lady vengeance because it was way softer and not as sophisticated as the extreme one or the citizen queen When I was wearing citizen queen, so so many people asked me what I was wearing, but vengeance extreme no one asked, maybe because I smell sexual! Because that's how I really feel when wearing it like being animalistic!! It is so potent that 3 puffs are more than enough Long lasting like stays for 4-5 hours But I still can't adapt myself with the smell even after 7 months, maybe bcz it is so leathery I still like citizen queen more, bcz I never get bored sniffing myself when wearing it, maybe bcz I like amber more though it didn't contain patchouli But L`Eau Ambree Prada for women still has both Amber and patchouli and it's great but not as animalistic as the juliette has a gun line of perfumes. BTW, for the lady who said she feels mint on her hand when applying vengeance extreme; patchouli is a heavy perfume made from the fragrant essential oil of a southeast Asian mint (Pogostemon cablin).

Juliette Has a Gun VENGEANCE EXTREME is another rose, vanilla, patchouli perfume in the spirit of LADY VENGEANCE, but with the patchouli ramped way up and some dark elements adding extra oriental interest as well. Perhaps a touch of amber and spice? My initial testing of LADY VENGEANCE left me undecided about that creation, but I was immediately won over by VENGEANCE EXTREME. So I guess this means I'm more a tramp than a lady, because this composition is much more assertive, with a voluptuous sensual quality and big bodacious sillage. I like this a lot. Interestingly enough, when I decided to try the Lady and the Tramp in a side-by-side comparison--one on the left, the other on the right--I came to better understanding of the beauty of LADY VENGEANCE, which boasts much more rose than patchouli, but is also smooth and gorgeous. Now I'm in trouble, 'cause I think I want them both: LADY for daytime, and EXTREME for the night...

Heady rose, earthy patchouli and warm amber and vanilla in the opening. Amboxen is there but it doesn't overtake like it does in many JHAG scents. It may be called Extreme but as with many "intense" flankers VE is smoother, more refined than its pillar. It is the same scent in a nutshell, just a less in your face, more full version. It's a bit softer, less harsh overall, and longer lasting. I enjoy this a lot! I prefer its polished edges and fullness over the original. The lavender is warm and mild adding effervescence and aromatic spice. Tonka always goes well with lavender so I'm happy to find it here. It creates a comfy, fluffy scent bubble you don't want to leave. It's a great one for winter. Absolutely gorgeous! That lavender and tonka really makes it a standout from all the other rose/patchouli combinations out there. This should call to any rose and patchouli lover, it won't disappoint.

I think someone in another review said something along the lines of, "she is gorgeous but i'd be an imposter to wear her" and that's exactly how I feel about Vengeance Extreme. As a lover of patchouli and florals, I knew I would like this one but I didn't expect the patchouli to punch me in the face the way it did. I also get the lavender and sweetness from the vanilla and tonka every so slightly. It's a very deep, dark, wet rose scent, and gives me chic gothic girl vibes. Like heavy on the "kiss kiss but don't fuck with me". It's not necessarily an inviting scent but it is very alluring and extremely sexy. Not delicate, office, or crowd-safe, but still incredibly beautiful. This is not my style or vibe at all, so if anyone is interested, I have a gently used 3.3 oz for sale.

"Vengeance Extreme" is a beautiful, sophisticated fragrance, which grows on me the more I wear it. On initial spray, it smells quite a bit like "Agent Provocateur" to my nose. As it settles however, the rose really comes out, which reminds of big, deep red, tea roses. Then a woody patchouli joins in in the dry down. I just wish it was a bit more "extreme" though, as on me it sadly doesn't last very long. I still think it is a beautiful fragrance, and I have discovered that it layers really well into something quite exotic with Molecule 01! I am really glad to have discovered Juliette has a Gun, as some of their fragrances are definitely some of my current favourites :)

The only one of the fragrance notes above that I really get from this is the Vanilla; which comes in during the dry down. Apart from that I mostly get the same Musk which so strongly pervades Midnight Oud. It's tangy and rich and strong. I suppose the rose is there too, but somewhat dirtied up by the Castoreum note Hedonist222 mentioned below. The Vanilla does become a little Creme Anglaise-esque so not one for the true Vanilla fans. I think this is a sexy fragrance, and very night timey. It's probably best suited to younger women. Sillage is moderate and longevity is good as with most of the perfumes I've tried in this range.

Not sure why this reminds me of Mancera Crazy for Oud as this does not have Oud in it. It must be the patchouli. This is a dark, rose and patchouli forward fragrance with a bit of a dirty aspect to it. I have to be in the mood for it. Not for summer wear for me. This is probably better on a man than on a woman but wear what you like, right? I wear it during dreary winter nights, going out, chunky sweater on, black polished boots, casual look but put together. I am not a fan of the Juliette Has a Gun brand and this is the only scent from this brand that I can actually enjoy.

I expected a lot more from this, but Vengeance Extreme isn't a total disappointment for me because she still REALLY reminds me of Lady Vengeance (2005). Whenever I spray this on myself (more like douse; this is necessary), all I can think about is Lee Geum-ja's pale skin, red eyeshadow and leather jacket. Powdery and soft while also sharp and sour, and weaker than one would expect. This fragrance name is SO apt that I kind of adore it despite my initial disappointment, it's crazy!!!!!! (minus the "Extreme" moniker...)

Now this is a good one by JHAG - my new favorite actually (I like this one more than Romantina). Vengeance Extreme is a wet, hot, dark, sexy patchouli with just the right touch of rose and skank. It melded with my skin in a really hot pheromone-type of way. Quite potent too, I’d say one or two sprays are all that’s needed otherwise you’ll smell like you’re trying to hard. I’ll save this one for winter nights where I’m in the mood to be bad.

This is very nice - it's exactly what the name suggests, an amped- up version of Lady Vengeance. On my skin the vanilla and patchouli in LV never developed and all I got was a very pleasant, sharp clean rose. The patchouli is much more prominet here, still not getting a lot of vanilla. I have to wonder though, if there are not very similar rose-patchouli scents out there that are about half the price - Agent Provocateur comes to mind?

KILLER patchouli rose combo and just like LV OG it's offset by lavender this time the lavender is stronger and combined (very well) with bergamot. All those notes are still present in the dry doe there is a subtle but present warm vanilla / Toka bean coming through. A very well-crafted, classy floral chypre scent that will command respect from others.

The addition of labdanum makes Vengeance Extreme smell more incensy, goth, and powdery than original Lady Vengeance, with a bold, aromatic lavender note in addition to a luxe rose note. Simply a beautiful, bold, incensy rose scent. More masculine than Lady V and titled simply "Vengeance Extreme" making this frag easily unisex. ♂️♀️

The opening is as sharp as pine needles in my nostrils. Like much of this line, it needs a little time to develop, and for those artificial smelling breezes to blow away. After about 15 minutes it turns into a creamy, rose-tinted patchouli. I love the smoothness of the labdanum at the back of it. I'm not wowed, but I enjoy it.

I don't actually find this overly similar to LV, which veers toward a sweeter, almost vanillary rose. This is much more of a dirty, musky smell, with a rose somewhere underneath. Well blended and good projection - a good one for patchouli fans, I think.

Ok so this is the first fragrance that I bought Marketed towards women... I got to say I can totally pull this off. To me it seems like it would be a fragrance Mancera would do If they were inspired by Tom Ford’s black orchid. Very good!!!!

More patchouli and less vanilla than the original. I prefer concentrated formulations most of the time, but in this case, the first Lady V is preferable for me.

"I'm freaked out... is this meant to be strong?? Did I get a dud bottle??? Was I scammed by the guy on marketplace who sold this to me?? I'm afraid I must have been, because I sprayed this on myself and felt absolutely nothing come crashing over me in the way of intensity, or complexity, at ALL. What's going on!? I am in denial... I am freaking OUT because I don't want to have spent a hundred bucks on something I'd heard such good things about and feel THIS underwhelmed. Somebody needs to rush over with their bottle and compare it to mine before I have a panic attack... " — My initial thoughts when I first sprayed this. You will not believe the ordeal I went through to procure this little piece... Visiting my friend who lives in a coastal city for the week. My last day there, a scorcher. 30 degrees celsius outside. I'd been spending the morning trying to organise the pick up with this guy selling a beautiful collection of niche fragrances on marketplace and we're having the most peculiar back and forth. Well I won't go into too much detail, but it was an unnecessarily stressful interaction, complicating what should have been a simple sale. After my friends tried to convince me not to go through with the purchase, I simply couldn't let up the great deal. I got into my car and turned it on and the vehicle began to shake VIOLENTLY. I sat there waiting for a while with the engine running, thinking it might stop, but it didn't. I pulled out onto the street and the accelerator was unresponsive. Dragging behind at 40 km/h I chugged down the main street of the city towards the suburb we were due to meet. At the red lights, the whole car trembled. But hardly a tremble, more a persistent shudder, like when you're freezing cold and your teeth are chattering. I was in such distress, I started crying, thinking it was over for me, for my car, for my perfume collecting... Was I about to spend $100 on a perfume or a tow truck? I finally, miraculously, reached the gas station on the street we were due to meet. I got out of the car, not knowing what to do, went inside the station trying to figure myself out, figure this whole thing out. I was messaging him in distress: 'I'm here? Where are you?' And he then said he'd meet me further up the road! 'Well, no,' I said, 'I'm having car troubles, plus I'd feel safer meeting a stranger in a more public location.' And as I'm figuring this out with the last of my sanity holding on by a thread, the clouds overhead decided they had a different plan for me, and they began throwing down fat heavy drops of hot rain and tossing lightning into the sky, thunder cracking down over the street, and finally, I feel defeated. I did what any 20-something does when faced with a situation out of their depths: I called my mother. As I'm on the phone and weeping helplessly to mum about my circumstances, desperately seeking consolation, the rain evolves into a beast of a higher calibre: hail. Are you serious!? I throw myself into the car and park it under a solitary circular space-aged shelter floating in the middle of the parking lot beside the station, and inside, I'm crying, the guy messages me: 'well forget about, since it's raining, I hardly think it's worth it for one perfume'... Yes, I thought, maybe so... I call my roadside insurance to come to my rescue. Hey, there's a mechanics just opposite the station! How convenient, yet how cruel that today is a public holiday! 'A car will come out to get you. It'll be about 20 minutes'. Then it comes over me... I've gone all this way, gone through all this shit... My mum said to me on the phone 'life will always be full of challenges', and now finally, while I was on the line with the NRMA, the rain had passed, and I get out of my car and message the guy 'I'm coming to meet you.' I'm crazed and running along the street. At first I get directionally confused and start running uphill in the wrong direction. I am on the phone with my closest friend, he's got me on speakerphone while I'm manically attempting to catch him up to speed on the events of this crazed mission, then I check my maps and think 'wait where the fuck am i going?' and I realise my error and start running back down the hill. "This is crazy. This is crazy. But I feel like I HAVE to get this perfume now. I just feel like I've been put through these trials for a reason." Phone is on 4%. Waiting for the insurance guy to get to my car while I've just abandoned it beside a petrol station for A Bottle Of Perfume. Juliette has a gun, and she's pointing it right at me. 'I'm in the white t-shirt' I text the guy, but it's hardly that. I'm in the white Caley's Sweetnsour t-shirt, I'm in the destroyed Bullzeye dad denim jean shorts, I'm in the brown platform Skechers fisherman sandals. I see him in the distance. As I approach I say "I am sooooo sorry about all this. I cannot believe it." The guy is handsome, actually, not what I expected from our interactions, and he seems sweet, reserved. We have a short but climactically cathartic exchange. "As a gift, for your trouble" he gives me a little drawstring pouch with four sample vials inside: Gucci Eau de Parfum, Dior Vanilla Diorama, Givenchy Iris Harmonique, and my favourite, Initio Parfums Prives ATOMIC ROSE. If I can thank one thing from this whole ordeal, it's being able to have the blessing of smelling Atomic Rose... My god what a scent... Oh but Juliette's gun is cocked... Safety's off... Well... I run back to my car and a kind older man here to help me is parked beside it. I toss the box and the pouch of samples in the back seat and get in the car to start it up after I tell him what the problem is. Engine lights up smooth, and not a solitary tremble overcomes it... What does this perfume stand to achieve? I cannot comprehend it. Every time I attempt to crack into Vengeance Extreme to finally figure it out, I feel a distinct hollowness overcome me. An emptiness, a loss, a mourning. This perfume was meant to be my Holy Grail, my raison d'etre, and yet all it has become is just a shiny pillar of empty promises sitting on my bedside table, waiting to be loved. It offers nothing new in the realm of a rose fragrance, it's predictable and too familiar. There is nothing Extreme about this perfume, except that it is Extremely Disappointing. It is not an insurmountable, aggressively passionate vengeance, it is a snivelling, cold, desperate and cowardly vengeance. I suppose it is apt to compare it to the feeling one gets once they've exacted revenge. That emptiness, that rage, that anger, does not go away. It festers... The disappointment and sorrow one experiences in realising the only thing that will free them from the wrath they are ensnared in is acceptance and forgiveness. The camera obscura pinhole projection reveals a vignette of a deep, dark, overgrown forest, a thorny rose bush out of control, its tendrils reaching around anorexic tree trunks thrusting into heaven (hell), its deep crimson flowers pushing through the papery leaves... A pale, wretched body lies twisted in the thorny bed, its face calm in death, eyelids bruised and blue, hanging off the bed and facing up (down) towards (into) heaven (hell). Everything tinged in a cold viridian. Hearing Nick Cave 'Where the Wild Roses Grow', Joy Division 'Candidate', Coil 'Red Queen', Stina Nordenstam 'Mary Bell'. Quickly the light fades and the projection dissipates. It has left you, and you question if you even saw the image at all, or if it was just a peculiar figment of your imagination.

Patchouli with a Vengeance but not at all Extreme. The patchouli here has rough edges, not the refined smooth patchouli of Chanel. It’s more sharp, earthy and gothic. VE is for a chic lady with slightly gothic makeup. The patchouli overshadows all the other notes. Even the rose here is soft and sweet and can’t stand up to the Vengeance of patchouli. But it is not Extreme; sillage soon decreases to a skin scent. It is not nuanced enough; I would have liked to sense more of the labdanum, tonka and lavender. Overall it leaves me wanting more. VE is why I stopped buying full bottles of niche, just decants. While I like the variety and experimenting, I find that the price is just not justifiable for most of them. I have too many gems 💎 in vintages and designers perfumes to be paying such exorbitant prices. Trying to achieve some sanity in this crazy expensive hobby.

Starts out very sharp, then becomes a very pungent powdery rose. It smells very mature. I agree with other reviews that this is the type of perfume that a hardened, accomplished woman would wear. This scent is for a specific type of person, and this is the kind of perfume that can wear you instead of the other way around. You definitely have to be a big fan of rose to like this one. I appreciate the perfume for what it is, but I'm not sure this is for me. "Vengeance Extreme" is an apt name; I can see Azula from Avatar wearing this.