Patchouliful

I went on a patchouli binge recently and tried many of the heavy hitters (Borneo, Coromandel, Psychedelique, along with some lesser known frags). This was one of the last that I ordered, and to be honest, I was ready to dismiss it -- my first test spray just gave me an overwhelming impression of white flowers, which is not what I was expecting. After wearing it a second (and subsequent times, for I am now addicted), my opinion has completely changed -- this is probably the cleanest, most pure patchouli in my collection. And by that, I mean it somehow avoids many of the characteristics I've found in other patchoulis -- it's not particularly earthy, there's no sharpness/skankiness to it. (Of course, I love them all). Yet it remains a distinctly patchouli fragrance, retaining its creamy, mentholic/camphorous, and vanillic properties. As it dries down, the white florals (probably the frangipani) I initially disliked seem to blend in and are tempered by the cinammon and clove, creating an overall effect that is cool and creamy and camphorous, but with a little bit of warm sparkle at the top. Once applied, I cannot stop sniffing it. In the spectrum of patchouli frags I've tested, I would put this closest to something like the dry-down of Coromandel. Which is not to say it is the same, but it is a similarly smooth take, where most of the rough edges are trimmed, leaving a smooth and sonorous composition. It is not my favorite (to me, Borneo is king!) but I could wear this as a daily. One other thing I'll note -- they are not the same, but I think if you like Diptyque's Eau Duelle EDT, you could like this.

This is going to be a brutally honest review: A little context (skip to the next paragraph for the fragrance): I was at the store in Rome and besides being an amazing experience smelling all the scents using a fan so that you can detect how they smell in the air, Patchouliful was the absolute last that I tried. I WAS JUST AMAZED and it is really rare for me to just say out loud "OH WOW" and then the sales rep told me that it is their worst-selling fragrance and at that point, I just gasped in disbelief. He insisted on trying everything outside so that I would not confuse any of the other scents in the air and let me tell you, I went home with a bottle without caring about the performance at all (not typical for me). This is a soft, spicy, slightly chocolatey and a bit herbal patchouli. There is nothing medicinal or earthy to it. I tried it without knowing anything about it and I was completely surprised about the frangipani note. At first you get patchouli and cloves with a small dash of cinnamon (very faint) and as time passes, the scent becomes something clean, musky, almost refreshing and leaning towards a calming spa scent. It is not a performer by any means, but it lasts a long time (8-9 hours) and projects softly around you (I could get whiffs of it from my hand where I tested it). It is a distant cousin of Patchouli Mania from Essential Parfums, but not the same scent by any means. That one is great too, but it's more woody and chocolatey by comparison. If you love patchouli, JUST GET IT, if you hate patchouli, TRY IT!

At this point, Laboratorio Olfattivo can do no wrong in my eyes. I have almost half of their line and I love all of them! They offer amazing quality fragrances, for all tastes and all seasons, with good or great performance for such a low price. You get with them niche for less than designers charges these days. Patchouliful is, as expected, a patchouli focused scent. It has supporting notes of cinnamon, cloves, labdanum, cedar, frangipani, iris and musk. Cloves are the most prominent spices in here and I love that, I love cloves! The patchouli in here is a very polite one: clean, smooth, green and pleasant smelling. The addition of warm, spicy notes, woods and a variety of flowers give the patchouli dimension and creates a beautiful contrast between the depth and earthiness associated with patchouli and the lightness and powderinesss added by iris, bergamot and ylang ylang. Patchouliful is without any doubt a warm, slightly sweet, spicy patchouli but it has multiple layers: tropical, citrusy, powdery, woody which makes the scent versatile and appropriate for wear most of the seasons. Maybe not so much for summer and very high heat. Fantastic scent with great performance and sillage. Got me so many compliments, from both genders, every time I wore it! If you’re into patchouli give it a try! It’s amazing.

This is so good! Extraordinary even. My first impression after spraying on hand and shirt was: wow, this is patchouli with benzoin! Now, checking the notes, benzoin is not listed. Cinnamon and cloves instead? I don't think so. Bezoin part is stronger for maybe half an hour or so, after that it's quite linear but benzoin is still there too. Very good scent! For a good price I'd definitely have more of it. In a certain sense it's similar to Nerotic which is also amazing but they are certainly different, just the fact that they come from the same house is evident to me (perhaps by some other notes' overlap).

The most delicious patchouli perfume I've ever smelled. This is a slightly earthier version of Black Patchouli by Dolce & Gabbana (and MUCH cheaper). I used to hate patchouli, but I've come to find that it's the dank, earthy patchouli that I hate. When mixed with vanilla, amber, or any other sweet note, patchouli really shines and is actually quite delectable