Idole

This is definitely the superior version of Lubin's masterpiece Idole. While the EDP is fantastic, it is less defined and comes across more like a loud, thick sweet/smoky winter fragrance. At points, it feels like the EDP's rum/incense combination kind of steps on the toes of the other subtle notes in the fragrance. The EDT is much more dynamic and wearable. While the deep, sweet rum is still there, the leather, woods, orange, and saffron are all much easier to detect and as such the drydown on this smells considerably more masculine (good call on lubin for making the EDP unisex!), complex, and compelling. It starts out with a blast of rum and subtle citrus. Very evocative of a nice high quality mixed drink. It's pretty unique and atypical for a personal fragrance, that is until the drydown when it becomes remarkably accessible. Smoldering yet smooth ebony provides a nice woody base, a strong and noticeable leather adds some masculine kick and the saffron adds some interesting spicy nuance to the whole thing. It works just as great in 30 degree weather as it does in 100 degree weather and as such, it's one of my most worn and favorite fragrances. I totally get the 70's connotation, but by no means does it smell dated. In a way it evokes the endearingly kitschy, masculine, pimp-esque suaveness of a 70's action b-movie hero in the best way possible. If any of that sounds even slightly appealing, you owe it to yourself to track down some of the Idole EDT. It Performs just as good as the EDP and is much more wearable, interesting, and unique. (also, the bottle is much better in my opinion!) 9.5/10

Oh. My. Word. )($)@^%*(^&)(^&@%) ... that's not a typo, it's me swearing furiously at myself , Captain Haddock-style, for even trying this. Not because it's a fail. Exactly the opposite. Because it is almost unbearably wonderful ... and of course discontinued and near impossible to find now except at vintage-gouging antiquarian prices. I have and adore the new Lubin Idole EDP in the modern, curved, ebony-black bottle. Those woods, that rum, that ORANGE, those spices - I'm besotted with it, happy to boogie with its boozy beauty any day of any season. I think of it as the scent of Josephine Baker - gorgeous Jazz Age modernist exotic with a hell of a kick. But I have to admit it doesn't always last as long as I'd like. The EdT solves that problem somehow - it's less syrupy-thick and a little less dark, but that gives it more room to expand, so it manages to project more strongly for longer (7h+). The orange is just breathtaking in this, even zingier and more zesty than the EDP's, the spices somehow pricklier and even more exciting. It makes me WEAK. And the bottle is a work of art. Will I ever find or own this unicorn? I don't know. I wish I hadn't even shelled out for a sample, because I'll pine for it until that most unlikely day. Beware if this sounds like the sort of thing you'd love, because it might be the perfume equivalent of self-harm... deliberately exposing yourself to beauty beyond your means. Aargh! Why did I even go here? Heeeeeeellllllpppp ... I've been Idoled.

Today I was standing on the street waiting for a friend to come and there were 5 young girls close to me. One of them dared to come closer and asked me: excuse me... what perfume are you wearing? it's amazing! I tell you this true story not to boast about my sex appeal lol, but because I loved Idole right from the beginning but thought it wore so close to my skin no one would ever notice it. This happened 3 hs ago and it was sooo hot outside... I had put a little (only 2 sprays) on me and even forgot about it. When she asked me I had to think twice and said: Idole! After this I thought : a perfumist should never reveal his/her secrets haha... but well well... next time if there is such. About Idole... I can't say this perfume is unique or has any special features to it... but it is indeed a great perfume. Its longevity is above average... ten hours later that orangey rum is there and is sooo well done. I was worried about sillage but as I said: no need to worry, you may not smell it but people definitely do. Giacobetti's genius is shown here... you don't need a powerhouse to make a statement and Idole is by no means forgettable. I also thought it was meant for winter time but as it isn't intrusive, I dare to say its best shows up in spring and early summer. It is so elegant and modern. Give it some time, Idole will mesmerize you. Now my next aim is to try Olivia's Philosykos and in case it is as good as people say here, I'll become her new fan.

Well, it's obvious this is a 'love it or hate it' fragrance; no middle ground. It opens with a very boosy note, the rum more prominent than anything else. The 'booze' phase lasts for almost an hour and after that, the spices that have always existed in the background come to the front. I wish I could tell exactly what they are, but to me it's just spice. As it dries down the rum is still there but overshadowed by the saffron and spices and as someone else mentioned, I believe there is some patchouli there as well though it's not actually listed, along with the sandalwood. Fortunately, the orange never makes an appearence on my skin which for me is a very good thing. This can be really heavy for the first hour but after that it settles down into a much calmer and softer scent close to skin that lasts around 6 maybe 8 hours. It is slightly reminiscent of Frapin 1270 though it's not sweet at all and also of Padparadscha and CdG Palisander. Definitely unisex in my opinion, can be worn by either man or woman with equal ease. If you like saffron & spice then you have to give it a try. Personally, as a big spice lover I find it FB worthy. Update: I have been wearing it almost on a daily basis since I got it! This is one amazing scent that I can't get enough of but unfortunately though it doesn't last more than 5 hours tops:( I wish the bottle was smaller so I could carry it in my bag and reapply throughout the day.

platinum14 Not sure where you're located. There are very few of these out there in original bottle like in the picture above edt. I searched for months here in the usa and no luck. I contacted at least 10 distributors on the Lubin website for the usa and they either don't have any in stock or never stocked it. I tried emailing the manufacture. They never returned my email probably because they don't make them anymore and have no answers. There are some bottles in australia at the David Jones Department store online. Unless you know someone in australia you trust to purchase it for you and ship, because DJ won't ship to the usa. There are several in the UK but again the international restrictions from that country won't allow any items shipped that contains any form of alcohol. I found a store in Italy and should be receiving my bottle sometime this week. Try ProfumeriaGM on Ebay. They don't have a problem shipping it to you. You pay more for it, but i think they know because this is a rare find. I guess if you want it bad enough. I won't be using it for the juice so much. I plan to keep it as full as possible only using the juice as little as i can. I've had a sample of the new edp version and its pretty good. But i agree, they shouldn't have changed the design of the bottle. It's collectors piece.

Grab a martini Glass light a ciger and pour yourself a glass of Rum with a shot of Spritzer water and be transported to a chic tiki cocktail houseparty Circa 1959 where men in there Italian Suits Women in there Pastel floral with layers of petticoat ala Christian Dior Givenchy heavly Coilfed hair with High Heel stelettos The music of 50's Exotica flows around the house Incense of oud burns though out the night Partiers Laughing loudy the Children with there Howdy Doody dolls Crewcuts mary janes and bows sleep quiely upstairs there mother goes up to check up on them. While downstairs the party is heating up unbeknowst to the wife the Husband is daliling with Attractive Women out of the heavly smoked room a tall slender woman with jet black hair Bettie Paige hair style Ruby red lips and a strapless form fitting dress with black silk gloves starts caressing the husband with her long Red nails and when is about to kiss him with her full red lips then the campy fast dramatic Closeup of the wife catching her husband cheating! GASPS! she furiorly slaps her husband in the face. and your awaken from your Envisions.

Lubin Idole is a masterful evocation of some hidden African place where ancient trees cast shadows over shaman hallowed earth. The impression starts with the bottle (get the EDT), which is in itself a small work of art, with a Masai mask cap and a full sail shape. I won't try to pull apart the notes except to say I get bits of many of the listed notes and that saffron and woods are prominent. This is one of those scents that I prefer to wallow in when I smell my wrist, turning off all thought processes and briefly entering a Zen-like state of pure experience of the moment. The rest of the time this a lovely spicy-woody scent with modest sillage and extreme longevity. It is even a safe blind buy if you like things like Yves Saint Laurent M7; Idole is a bit less sweet and it has more wood and some vetiver relative to M7. PS Apparently the Masai mask bottle is out of production. The new bottle looks cool too, but the old one was much more distinctive.

Absolutely stunning right from the start! The rum, bitter orange and black cumin let you know immediately you're in for a treat. It's boozy, spicy, warm and a little sweet but just enough so... I'm often cautious about cumin in fragrances, as it can sometimes feel stinky to my nose, but no such thing here. It's just right. Saffron and, I think, something peppery soon joins in and at that point there was no going back: I was hooked. The rum then subsides and the saffron shines; the middles notes remain spicy, with the addition of a gorgeous light smokiness. There is also something fruity, rich and liquorous but always balanced. With time, gorgeous, warm amber develops, joined by sandalwood and, at least on my skin, a very discrete leather note. Beautiful, comforting, warm, spicy but also mellow and velvety, Idole is perfect for cold weather. It's also unisex without a doubt. Sillage and longevity are good. Highly recommended.

Bought this today as a gift from the local representative of Lublin in Limassol, Dora Theophilou haute parfumerie.....which I thank very much for their present. A day before that I tried bentley intense....the two perfumes have similarities but Lubin is deeper and of higher quality. I love the rum note, the smoky leather and the smell of ebony wood. On the paper during the dry down, turns a bit soapy but woody as well. Will try it on the skin for several days and see...you pay more actually but you buy more. The bottle is magnificent. A lot of perfumes have similarities among them but always always you pay you get what you pay....nothing cheap can be compared to the quality of a niche perfume but you have to be in the game to see the differences. For the inexperienced nose, everything seems linear and same....and there is no reason to pay more....but this is not true. The others around you smell the difference.

Idole edt is good stuff. A fantastic rum/bitter-orange scent that smells really authentique and pretty deep and rich for an edt. It is sweet and spicy (thankfully not the vanillic kind of sweetness) and it gets more woody and leathery when time passes but the rum and orange note never leaves. It,s like you,re hanging your nose into a bottle of orangey rum. This scent is very well made that even friends of mine that are not into perfumes even liked it very much. The bottle and the scent are a piece of art and both they tell a story so well done. The perfumer of this made me look at her other creations because of this magnificent piece. The performance is just perfect. Not to loud (the way it should be) but still there never disturbing. I have tried all of Lubin but this one is my favourite of them all. Great scent and a little masterpiece! A classic from the house of lubin already.

I always say this: If pirates would shower and wear perfume.. Jack Sparrow would smell like this! This WILL be my signature scent very soon. I imagine someone of a rockstar caliber would wear it.. Leather jacket and ton of bracelets and rings. Simply not giving a damn about anything other that feeling good and have fun. This suggests a party, leaned back character cause of it's boozy rum note which reminds You of some cool drink.. and yet it doesn't say "someone here is wasted" ;) Great fragrance.. for bold people. P.S. It's sealed in the most beautiful and thought thru bottle that I have the privilage to own in my collection. Just by looking at the bottle You know EXACTLY what kind of vibe You're gonna get.. One truly must be an idiot if dissapointed after wanting to sniff it because of the bottle.. ;)

Very boozy opening indeed you immediately get a sour & sweetness from the rum note. The sourness dissipates after a while && your left with a nice mingling of just sweet rum and leather, the leather plays a nice role in this scent adding just the right amount of smokiness. It's very similar to the EDP for both it's so similar I think it's this would be just as suitable for both. Only with this one the leather is more dominant which is what makes it slightly more masc. I do also strangely find this to be stronger then the EDP the EDP being a little more delicate, lonegevity is brilliant, the sillage is a slightly above moderate which is still pretty good to me, && that bottle, look @ that bottle Lubin's bottles are works of art on their own. A wonderful scent worth the wiff, try it out! Overall: 10/10

A lovely perfume but depending on the time of year. Beautiful, comforting, warm, spicy but also mellow and velvety, Idole is perfect for cold weather.Sillage and longevity are good. Highly recommended. یک کار خاص و جالب.بوی عرق نیشکری که از آن ساطع میشود بقدری قوی است که انگاری همان چند لحظه قبلش یک بطری عرق دست ساز نیشکر را در یک میخانه قدیمی و دنج و گرم در یک محله قدیمی لندن در کنار یک دوست قدیمی نشسته باشی و آنرا تا ته خالی کرده باشی در حالیکه باران ریز و نرمی درحال باریدن است و هوای سرد و نمناک بیرون از میان درز شیشه های پنجره به سختی به داخل میخانه گرم و نرم نفوذ مینماید در حالی که از شدت دود سیگار که همچون حبابی در یک متری بالای سرتان ساکن قرار گرفته نمیتوانی تیرکهای چونی سقف میخانه را ببینی و بشماری. من که از داشتنش لذت میبرم

Madly sexy, dark, exotic concoction in a fabulous idol-adorned perfume bottle (the original with the Masai mask). When I inhale this rum-infused orange and saffron air the connection to my usual mental clatter is blurred and I get a wave of sheer, sensual pleasure; a fabulous aromatherapeutic tool. Loving everything about this complex, characterful treasure with sandalwood-dominant drydown. Distillation: inhaled mindfulness spiced up saffron and dark rum on a pirate ship

I can always tell when people are new to fragrances... I have both Bentley MIT and this and they are not even close lol. This is 100x more better, more depth, extreme difference in quality, and overall scent. Please stop following the crowd and voting for stuff bc everyone else is. Fragrantica is really only good for looking at the notes and photos..

Does anyone know where I can obtain the original EDT of this one? I understand its discontinued and only available in the perfumed version in the black bottle. I would probably like the perfumed version better but id like to have the classic bottle like in the picture above. Any ideas, please email me. Thank You.

Michael 1962, Thanks for the feedback. I will check it out. I have a small sample of the newer Idole and I like it. I just learned that the old classic bottle is discontinued so i had to go hunting. None on Ebay except for decants in the UK. I appreciate info regarding David Jones.

A classier and more complex Bentley Intense- but essentially, to my nose, the same. It lasted quite awhile and ended much more feminine than the Bentley on my skin. I won't be buying it since I am happy with my Bentley Intense which is much cheaper. Nice, but not a "must" for me.

This is absolutely amazing. Unlike anything I have smelled before. I love how dry it is, with just a touch of sugar. I must be smelling the ebony wood and red sandalwood. Super exotic smelling and mysterious. I am totally buying a full bottle of this one!

I smell the rum, woods, leather, and sugar cane mostly in the dry down of idole. When I wear this it makes me feel so calm, cool, and collective when I where it. Makes me feel like I'm a player from the 70s named Leroy lol.