Loewe 7

The tag line in the sample vial insert had me simultaneously intrigued and ready to roll my eyes: "Human and Divine." Big words Loewe, and big words elicit big expectations. Holding the sample vial in hand, I was ready to be disappointed. My initial reaction was extreme indeed, but definitely not disappointment. It was almost an involuntary reaction after the initial spray.. "WOW this stuff is fantastic!" I've got to put in some more wearings to tease out the details of the scent as there are many little nuances that are tucked into an otherwise linear 'spine' but here are my initial impressions: 7 is an amazing ethereal incense that carries subtle floral, clove (pimento berry, actually, although it smells fairly clove-like and that's the easier way to explain it to those who've not smelled pimento berries) and apple notes in its smoky wake. There are elements of TdH here too - a similar vetiver and atlas cedar note, and some of the flintiness, too - and I also get elements of Micallef's Jewel Man, but I think 7 is the best of the three fragrances. Micallef's Shanaan is still a truer frankincense (seeing as it really has no other detectable notes present), but 7 is easier to wear because it has a bit more going on and is thus less austere and also more interesting. The frankincense really is the star of the show in 7 though. Two more frags it shares some similarities with - L'Anarchiste (the metallic aspect, the clovey aspect, the neroli and cedar elements) and Amouage Opus IV. In fact, it's like a stripped down of Amouage Opus IV with less fruits and less adornments in general. It's kind of like the spine of Opus IV, minus the extravagant trappings. Having said that, I don't think that makes 7 a lesser fragrance than Opus IV - in many ways it is as or even more enjoyable. 7 is primarily incense with hints of neroli and rose, a good dose of the clovey pimento berry, and a bit of apple that is detectable from time to time, but I find that it does indeed carry itself all the way down to the base. The incense is augmented by cedar and vetiver, the latter two melding so seamlessly to the frankincense that it is easy to miss them entirely. The cedar adds the slightly angular element that is present in true burning frankincense resin, and the vetiver deepens the whole accord and extends its longevity. Actually, the cedar/incense pairing here reminds me of the incense accord in Chembur by Byredo, but it's deeper and richer in 7, and has none of the hamster-cage associations I sometimes get with Chembur. This scent is extremely masculine and yet modern. While they don't smell alike, per se, 7 does share a lot of the character of Terre d'Hermes - both are very masculine scents that are so unlike the saccharine floral offerings that now make up the majority of the modern men's offerings, and yet both are relatively transparent in weight and feel - so unlike the uber-masculine scents of the 80s. I honestly feel this scent could and should have the kind of exposure on Fragrantica as TdH does. If you haven't tried this, do yourself a favor and track down some samples - on Ebay if you must (that's what I ended up having to do), I'm pretty sure you'll like it if you like masculine woody/incense scents (TdH/Gucci PH/CdG incenses/etc).

There must be something going on here with my skin chemistry, because despite being an EDT this lasts all day on me AND I never go smell-blind to it. I got my hands on an official sample from Holt's, and after using that up I had to buy the bottle. So, for me and my purposes, this is an amazing sleeper gem. But your mileage may vary. For the smell itself, I get frankincense, apple, musk, and pepper. The result is self-evidently masculine, but not coarse. The incense isn't particularly smoky; there's no "burning" or "burnt" smell here. The apple isn't overly assertive either. It all just kind of blends together to form a pleasant and unobtrusively sweet masculine musk. Despite having few to none of the elements of a typical "blue" fragrance, this still somehow reads fresh and, against all odds, blue (possibly a subconscious effect of the bottle color). I'll also say, this seems, to me at least, to be one of those rare "4-season" fragrances. It's fresh enough for spring/summer and deep enough for fall/winter. Of course I've so far only tried it in winter so I could be wrong, but that's my current sense. I can confirm that it works well for winter at least. As others have voted, this smells similar to Bon Parfumeur 602 (2016) and Genyum Painter (2018), though neither of those others have the apple aspect present here. Also, Loewe 7 (2010) pre-dates both of them; if they were influenced, then Loewe would be the original. Anyway, I really liked both of those others mentioned, and I also like this. All three of these have a distinct dry woods and pepper core that I personally enjoy a lot. To my nose, Loewe 7 is ultimately more about pepper than it is about incense. And, again, despite being an EDT, this is one of the longest lasting fragrances on my skin that I've tried recently. For me, it lasts overnight if sprayed in the evening, and the full workday if sprayed in the morning. My perception of the longevity probably also has to do with the fact that for whatever reason I don't go smell-blind to this fragrance. Anyway, I really hope the full bottle lives up to my sample when it arrives...

Now that I've had "7" for a good while, my impression of it has changed rather considerably. First, it really opens up more gently than I ever gave it credit for. This is not nearly as aggressive a fragrance as I originally thought. You can hit it fairly hard and still not offend anyone. In fact, you almost need to in order for it to last. On the down side, it seems to have only moderate staying power, though that seems to really depend on the age of one's bottle. I had a sample that seemed to go on and on, but my new bottle (still old style round) doesn't really persist more than 3-4 hours on me. That may improve in time as the bottle ages, but I'm really not complaining in the meantime. As for the actual scent profile, I get an opening that really splits right down the middle between frankincense, green apple and pepper, producing something that is all at once tart, smoky, spicy and just a bit sweetish. Kinda sorta like a sweet clove, but with much more roundness and dimension than possible via any single spice note. As 7 evolves, I get some sporadic note separation throwing off at times pure frankincense vibes, while at other times more woody or spiced apple, giving 7 an almost iridescent quality, if a fragrance could be so described. Overall, I find 7 to be well balanced and a very relaxing scent to wear. What does it most remind me of? I get some Opus 1870 in there, that gently peppery woodiness, but also a bit of Full Incense or Casbah as well. In terms of vibe and wearability, I think this lands somewhere in the general neighborhood of Gucci PHII or the aforementioned Opus, but with its own bag of tricks. It's also similar to the excellent Loewe 7 Anonimo, with this one being the lighter and generally more universally wearable of the two. Very masculine IMHO, but I think it could also be quite alluring on a woman with a certain gravitas. Layers nicely, too. Today, I'm wearing it over Megalium, creating a seamless layering of aromatic resins and spices. All in all, great stuff!

Summary: A great, unique, clean, and spicy fragrance that I find myself reaching for regularly. Scent: Opens surprisingly fresh and bright yet rich. I mainly pick up on the pepper with a touch of berry-like fruitiness, as well as the apple. This lingers for a while but is joined by the incense quite quickly. Although many say the incense is intense, I find it very balanced and airy, with the pepper adding to the spicy, smoky richness while the neroli softens it, preventing it from becoming suffocating. As it dries down, it continues to soften as the musk and woods come through, while managing not to lose any of its earlier aspects. Character: This is a sophisticated and refined fragrance — very unique and high quality, yet not overly complex. It gives the impression of someone who is put together. Usage: More of a three-season fragrance for autumn, winter, and spring due to the incense. Although it has a sophisticated edge, I think it can be used anytime and not just in the evening or for special occasions. Definitely signature-scent-worthy. It also balances modern and classic perfectly: not the sweetness of modern blue fragrances, but not the harshness of more traditional masculine fragrances either. Performance: Great initial projection, especially for the first 30 minutes or so, before becoming more moderate. Longevity is decent — it lingers for a while on my skin and clothes. The performance is nothing to boast about but not particularly weak either. I’ve had quite a few compliments with this one as well. Overall: A niche-smelling yet versatile fragrance that, for around £100, is worth it. As always, I recommend trying it before buying, as all scents are subjective. A solid 9/10 for me.

Finally got this recently after looking for a good deal to blind buy this. I was hoping it would replace my slowly dwindling bottles of CDG Incense Kyoto which is a good substitute for my all time fave, Tumulte by Christian Lacroix. The CDG is very close but I get rather poor performance from it. Bon Parfumeur 602 is really close as well and lasts longer than CDG but can be tricky to find. I was not disappointed at all. The first spray instantly hooked me. It's right there with the others I mentioned. Loewe 7 starts with a bit of sweetness and even a touch powdery which threw me off at first, but within a few minutes, bam!, there is that woody, zen-like, intoxicating scent! Definitely not blind buy safe, especially for the younger crowd or folks who like all this sweet crap the industry is pumping out. Went with the lady to Ulta recently and smelled every single men's fragrance they had....and let's just say, it made me yearn for the past. Like I don't even like Drakkar Noir, but I would take it over anything they had short of Luna Rossa Black. I really like Azzaro Visit and understand the comps, but to my nose, that one is just a straight up sawdust factory (in a good way) whereas Loewe 7, and the others I mentioned this being similar to, have some incense or something else so well blended that it's hard to separate the individual notes. Old man yelling at clouds time! I am gobsmacked by how many young dudes I pass smelling feminine as fuck! I'm progressive as hell, but BR540 is not a unisex scent. Bro, you smell like cotton candy. Not to mention all these other vanilla super-dosed "men's" frags. Then again, some dudes like being pegged...oh well.