Patchouli Precieux

The scent of patchouli oil is described in Kraft et al.'s "Scent and Chemistry" as composed of three main elements: woody, earthy and camphoraceous/minty. After testing several patchouli dominant fragrances, Patchouli Precieux is the one that maintains the best balance among those three elements to my nose. It's also simply a beautiful perfume, my favorite patchouli. However, if you're in search of a perfume that emphasizes one of those elements over others, particularly if you're looking for a less-sweet interpretation of patch, there are others I'd recommend first. For a patch very heavy on the earthy-chocolatey element, I'd recommend one of the Reminiscence patchoulis (more similar than different to my nose, with the earthy smell of a headshop). If you love the minty/camphoraceous aspect, try Farmacia SS. Annunziata Patchouly Indonesiano. If you're looking for a woody, unsweet patchouli, I'd recommend either the Villoresi or the Nobile 1942. But on to Patchouli Precieux. It opens with a dry woodiness that softens into a simultaneously earthy and minty heart. All three of those patchouli scent-elements are very present. The drydown is so cozy: mildly sweet and vanillic. All three stages of development delight me, earning Patchouli Precieux a spot in my very small and curated wardrobe. **Note: this review is of the current, reformulated perfume named "Patchouli Precieux". Les Nereides's prior version of this fragrance came in the same bottle, similar color juice but with a different name: "Patchouli Antique". That version was heavier on dry/woody aspects of patch, lacking the refined balance of the current version . It also is one of the very few older perfumes to give me a skin reaction. I definitely prefer the reformulation, Patchouli Precieux.

I welcome this loud powerhouse as it marks its territory. It jolts you into awareness with definitive presence. The Patchouli goes on strong but tame. Fresh earth and authentic wood tickle my cilia as I struggle to wait for the drydown. My senses are heightened as this breath of clean, dirty air takes me back to a walk through the arboretum where I deeply inhaled the earthy smell of compost, soil, and mulch. Imagine being at the summit of a roller coaster and swooping down into the serenity of safety. This is what you will experience when you cross paths with Patchouli Antique. Although this fragrance is not complex, it stands out because it is aggressive and docile simultaneously. Patchouli Antique is a warm, feminine, beautiful representation of what fragrance lovers seek when they want the real deal. If you have the courage, take the plunge, just Be Prepared for a wild ride.

This was a blind buy (I was intrigued by the name and the very good price): I am so glad that my intuition worked so well! It starts as a very strong, sharp, earthy and woody scent, and it could be a great masculine fragrance at this point; but then it turns into a delicious musk/patchouli/vanilla scent (but nothing like the dissonant "Angel" notes). It smells so cozy and yummy! As another reviewer said, it is great when sprayed before going to bed, so you can fall asleep surrounded by this beautiful fragrance. The staying power is more than 6 hours on my skin and even longer on clothes (be careful with spraying it on the clothes as the juice itself is dark brown and could stain the fabric). Even though I was very happy of my blind purchase, I would recommend to test it before buying it because the top notes are very powerful so it surely is not everybody's cup of tea.

Beautiful. Warm, comforting, earthy and completely unisex. A very well rounded and smooth patchouli: cocoa powder, earth, something almost moldy like an old stone house, woods, leaves and the feeling if warmth and nature. I have a sample and really enjoy it. -- Update: tested it twice already. When I am wearing it, I can't stop sniffing it. I really, really, really like this one. Warm, earthy, and makes me feel both safe, comforted and hugged, and bigger, larger, stronger. I think I need this one.

splendido patchouli, onesto, solido, persistente, caldissimo. inizia con sentori affumicati per poi assestarsi su sottotoni più ambrati e terrosi, con un tocco di sensazione canforata. l'evoluzione smorza questa austerità per approdare su un territorio morbido di fave di tonka e un lieve odore di cacao. per me è un profumo che si colloca a metà strada da ambre dore di maitre parfumeur et gantier e patchouli inoubiable di reminiscence, richiamando a gran voce gli attar mediorientali. buonissimo.

I absolutely adore this patchouli perfume! You definitely have to love patchouli to enjoy this. I get the patchouli, vanilla, a little balsam and sandalwood. It is divine and I am always going back to this one. For true patchouli, for comfort and coziness, this can’t be beat.

This is a sexy earth mother --- starts out mossy and woodsy then evolves into a beautifully skanky sexy and soothing fragrance. This is a romantic autumn hike in a beautiful valley with its earthy patchouli turning to smooth vanilla musk. Love it!!!

Sooo goooood i agree it smells like antique dust, the best description, smells like museums, as if i've put my head in a huge ancient amphora :) when it settles on your skin its very nice,a bit sweet powdery, lasts for hours! i want this

My collegue wears a lot of patchoulis and this one I like best on her, maybe because of the musk and vanilla. Starts with a bourbonsmell to me, when that ambery smell disapears, lovely powdery patchouli remains.

Update :-) Of all the perfumes I use, this is the only one that always gets me compliments! As mentioned before, close to your skin, it's a little bit bourbon. But the sillage...Wow!

Delicious, hauntingly good Patchouli. Wisps rather than billows, but what fulsome wisps! I delight in it & have already bought a back up...essential to every Patchouli lover.

A lovely dark and earthy patchouli, with a yummy dark chocolate note. A bit masculine, but not in a harsh way, it's great to wear to bed and fall asleep sniffing my arm :)

Smells like an antique wooden pirates cheast with dusty Patchouli drenched in booze. Really cool. (I have the older bottle, with the cerubes).

The best Patchouli ever! I love this winter fragrance! Patchouli, Tobacco & Chocolate mixed together...BOOM!

As many of the reviews on Luckyscent mention, this really does have a musty opening note. In fact, on me, it is bordering on downright mildewy! But strangely, it's mildewy in an endearing, nostalgic way...reminding me of memories made while playing with my cousins in the attic of their summer cabin. Eventually, after not too long, the mustiness fades and I am left with a soft, powdery, sweet patchouly. The intensity of the base is similar to what I find in Imperial Opoponax. I like this scent for the memories it evokes.

From a batch of samples this one has stood out for me as a nice re-interpretation of my old favorite patchouli oil. It is interesting and layered, beginning with a cool mossy patchouli and warming up to a sweet amber in the drydown. Very nice, enjoyable to wear and I would definately buy this one, especially as it's marginally better value than other niche lines for a good sized bottle. Sillage is close to the skin, longevity 3-4 hours.

A very nice deep and powdery patchouli scent with good lasting power and very good sillage. Though when I put my nose to my wrist the scent is somewhat oldish and heady, the whiffs I get -and the others who were next to me in dinner last night- are so much better:-) Warm and comforting and just a little bit naughty. Fot its price tag, it more than delivers.

I can see exactly why this is called Patchouli Antique. because it dries down to vintage powder. this smells vintage. yes it's patchouli. but a well balanced, well behaved patchouli. earthy, woody, slightly sweet and resinous. and although perfectly lovely on its own, i think it might be a good one for layering. lasts 12 hours on me.

Love this- green and smokey in the beginning, then fresh, dark and almost minty. And the drydown is exactly like Ambre Precieux (Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier!

It's an interesting scent - I think that's the kindest thing I can say about it. I received it by accident as I had ordered Imperial Opponax from a French company and they sent me this instead. It makes me think of dusty attics and cobwebs and stale cigarette smoke. I imagine being a child and finding clothes from 80 years ago that still have the faint scent of perfume on them - that's the smell that I get. It's evocative in a way but if I want to smell like this and I could live in a damp house with a bunch of smokers, wear Opium to bed and get up without showering and go out. Not my thing really.

gets kind of a meh for me. I got neither orange nor green at all. Seemed to lean straight into the base notes and dissipated almost immediately.

Not very powerful at all. Hard to catch a whiff before it disappears. I think the Patchouli was there, but not for long sadly.

I recently acquired a couple bottles of this with the older labels (the one pictured above and the label with the angels). I am reviewing the bottle with the same label pictured above, but I think the bottles with the angels label is identical and were made well before the split referenced in the review below). This patchouli is wonderful! It is almost an exact match for the patchouli oil I wore all through high school only of course differs due to the qualities of EdP. This is a gorgeous rich dense patchouli that you can sink your teeth in. I would almost call it a chocolate cake type patchouli, but to my nose this has a sticky caramel type feel. This is in no way a gourmand, I’m referring to the density of the patch and something about it that reminds me of sinking my teeth into caramel. This is strong and vibrant patchouli with a slight sparkle on top. Kind of like a snap crackle in the air. I love it! Edit: I left this review under the wrong one. I am reviewing the original Patchouli Antique.

Did you know that the house of Honore Payan was behind Les Nereides creations? They were producing all of Les Nereides fragrances until 2013 when they got into legal action against each other. It was all about Patchouli Antique which was commercialized by Honore Payan since 1977 under that name, but Les Nereides found it unfair when HP tried to trademark "Patchouli Antique" after their split. Now you know why the change of name... We are talking about a series of fragrances created over 100 years ago by Honore Payan! That's talking about perfume history! Other original Honore Payan fragrances can be bought from their official website at 35 euros per 100 ml including the original Opoponax! The new Les Nereides' formula "Patchouli Precieux" is different than the first Les Nereides launch. You can still find the original formula sold by Honore Payan.

Patchouli Precieux fits its house description: "earthy and woody patchouli, intensive and power at the very beginning, calm, natural and warm in the final notes." The patchouli in this is excellent. Herbaceous, powerful. The open has a gorgeous, rummy fermented note. The patch starts out dominant, but slowly recedes to include a vanilla base. (Not as pronounced or quite as satiny as Molinard Patchouli Intense for those who want vanilla in the mix.) It also has a stony, what some have described musty tint. (Reminiscent of Santa Maria Novella Patchouli, but very faint.) It speaks to the high quality of this fragrance that it has characteristics that remind me of some of the other best, but this stands on its own as a celebrated patchouli perfume. I love the raw patchouli aroma in this, and agree with alfarom. This is "patchoulissimo"!"

The old bottle (the one still displayed here with the angels on the label) contained a perfume that was my favourite! Unfortunately they redesigned the bottle (which isn't a problem) but they also CHANGED the quality of the fragrance, the concentration, a lot less patchouli and musk base tone. At first I thought I was crazy but I compared an old bottle with the new one (and sprinkled on left/right hand) and the 'new' patchouli antique lasts really short! The scent that remains isn't also as good as it used to be. Probably they wanted to save on the ingredients they use to make more money?? Really dissappointed Nereides is doing this to my favourite perfume!!! This used to be the best patchouli ever!! If I order here, do I still get the bottle with the angels on it with the higher quality fragrance in it???

Purchased it some days ago and having a difficult time with it. I just don't get it. I don't understand this formulation. All I can say for now is that it's a vanilla scent rather than a patchouli scent. A vanilla powdery scent with a strong minty vibe. I wished I could smell more distinct patch. Maybe I need more time to become better friends with this strange, but interesting and definitely innocent (the angels on the old bottle) fragrance. The searching for the right patch perfume continues.....

This is Mother Earth's smell. :-) I can detect a bitterness made of pure earth, patchouli, musk, some kind of sweet smoke like a vanilla cigar, and ancient dust. It's very interesting but quite linear for my taste. It does not evolve much. I can't say I donT like it, but I'd don't wear it all alone. I feel to improve its experience with something more, to love it. But it's a really well made solinote for people who love patchouli. A good one.

One of my old trusty favourites. A definite autumn/winter warmer, I love to spray it on my scarves and coats as the whiff of it as the fabric moves makes me happy. I wouldn’t say it’s the scent for the masses, nobody ever comments on it, I imagine it’s because they do not like it. It’s a very earthy, wet patchouli, softened as it wears down with vanilla. Great for layering too, perhaps with amber or more vanilla. Definite unisex scent too.

I tried this today for the first time, and I asked my mother to smell it on me. Trying to be polite, she hid the way her nose initially crinkled at it. “You said this was a patchouli? It smells like the vanilla in those old perfumes, like Shalimar or something.” I’m laughing because my mother is 65, and she thinks this smells old. It does have that vintage powdery vanilla thing going on that always gives me a headache. “Antique” indeed.

This is not simply a patchouli fragrance, this is patchoulissimo. No frils, pleasantly unrefined, simple and extremely earthy patch with powdery/ambery undertones. Honest, unpretentious yet attention worthy for any patch lover...I stick with more complex interpretations of the main theme, but if you're up for a classic no surprise patchouli, check this out, this is quality stuff. Rating: 7.5/10

Vanilla and musk tell you exactly the tone Patchouli Antique means to strike. In its favor, it's lovely and smooth, emphasizing the rich, powdery-dusty side of patchouli. The downside for us perfume thrill-seekers is that from the first sniff I felt that I knew exactly where PA was headed. And I was right. Still, if you just want to relax into your patch, PA does the trick.

Scorpiosheep gifted me a generous sample of this beauty. This is a thick, chewy patchouli, reminiscent of Coze in my opinion. Where Coze is heavy on the tobacco, this is heavy on the chocolate note (though none is officially listed) this is a great winter scent and if you like Coromandel, Borneo 1834 and Coze, this is most definitely a must have. Thanks again Scorpiosheep !

ça fait des années que je connais Néréides Antique, les probleme c'est que j'ai l'impression qu'il est victime de son succes et que plus ça va plus il devient cher... Dommage, j'espère qu'on ne va pas le trouver dans des grandes surfaces car des copies circulent déjà et ce qui faisait son succès c'est qu'il fallait savoir ou le trouver pour l'avoir....

If you want to sniff the real Arabian type of patchouli then this one here is the one. Pure Patchouli to my nose and on a decent price. Quite enormous and superb quality. but i wonder does it last long!

Got this as a sample when I ordered Les Nereides Oppoponax. I must say it`s horrific. Very strong tobacco and medicinal patchouli. So very much not up my alley.

Patchouly and vanilla-a great combination.But you have to love patchouly.Its not for every day,very special.

A bitter and sharp patchouli rounded out with vanillic powder and a touch of earthy, "antique" dust.

Clean long lasting with silage patchouli. I really like this patchouli.

Does someone know in which year this one was introduced? Thanx.

I CAN ALSO DETECT THERE A NOTE OF CHOCOLATE :)