Gajah Mada

Sexy, suave, intimate and almost gourmand. A known presence without having to shout its existence. This fragrance was not meant to overtake a room, but will likely captivate he or she who comes within close proximity of you. Gajah Mada is an invitation to get closer and a warm delight in these cooler temperatures. Balmy, fruity, and earthy with a prominent plum note. Plum is a known aphrodisiac, but one that's not talked about often enough. I can acknowledge every note without having to reach and yet so seamlessly blended. There is also just enough patchouli to provide depth. While it is sweet, it's very balanced. This composition is very skintimate, but you can overspray and it will never become obnoxious or overbearing. Paragon was my number one plum in my collection, but Gajah Mada has effortlessly taken that spot. Gajah Mada (Drunk General) was a commoner who rose to power as prime minister of the Majapahit Empire. He is said to have brought the Majapahit to their peak of glory during the 14th century. I love how Lubin fragrances are based on historical figures and ancient civilizations. It's so much more than perfume, but a timeline. Perfume meets history, meets art.

Beautiful patchouli scent without powdery and chocolaty facets, but fruity, balsamic and slightly flowery. On par with 'Coromandel' and 'Patchouli Impèrial'. Well done!

Glorious. Intoxicating. Slightly sweet but sophisticated. Unisex off my skin. Plum, patchouli, resins. In that order. One beautiful creation.

Gajah Mada is my third sampling from the Lubin Aristia Collection and seems to be one if its more popular entries, and comes off to me as a sweet mix of resins, spices, fruits, and florals, a bit of a marketplace mélange of different ingredients. I almost get a bit of a saffron vibe but the = listed notes are quince, orange, plum, date, tolu balsam, frangipiani, patchouli, benzoin, and sandalwood. I’m not really sure why it comes off so spicy to me; perhaps it’s the mix of the frangipiani and patchouli. It’s a fairly decent mix of sweet and spicy, but it’s definitely decently spicy at the onset to the point that some might find it distracting. Still, it’s fairly harmonious overall and predictably calms down a bit puon drying down, despite certainly feeling like a cold weather scent throughout its life. Like the other entries in the line, Gajah Mada is high-performing, at parfum concentration, and is priced at $290 for 100ml, only sold at select boutiques, one being Perfumology, from which I obtained the lovely discovery set. 7 out of 10

I like this a lot. It's sweet and spicy, just the way I like. Gives Amber Narguile vibes due to the ambery warm spiciness of it, but it's earthier and not as sweet. Smells like amber, dates, woods, incense, nag champa, but the biggest note I smell is damp and earthy patchouly. I also notice lots of tolu balsam, which is sooo good. Arabian Nights, this perfume! I love patchouly, however it's much heavier on patch than I want to actually wear, so for this reason I will not purchase. But it's a lovely and different patch fragrance with lots of character.