Upper Ten for Her

This is absolutely beautiful. I'm slightly surprised to read Ivana77's review (and wonder whether they may have tested a mislabelled sample), in which s/he says that they cannot smell any raspberry, as - on first spraying, there is a burst of sharp but sweet and peppery raspberry; Upper Ten then turns somewhat herbal, bitter and green, which I think is the wormwood. Contrary to Ivana77's opinion, I find Upper Ten for her very typically "feminine", although I'll qualify that statement by referencing Arabic women's fragrances (many of which I own and love). On drydown, incense and woods are prevalent, although that heavenly raspberry still wafts throughout. If asked, I'd have sworn there's oud amongst the "precious woods", although this slight edge may be coming from frankincense. Please don't be offput by my reference to oud, as it is not barnyardy or medicinal. Sillage is bombastic when first spritzed, so give this a chance to dry down for an hour or so before getting into an enclosed space with anyone, or you'll stifle them. Longevity is outstanding, especially on cloth (we're talking days here). Stunning perfume, but definitely not a safe blind buy. ETA. I have a (very) large wardrobe and I'd describe Upper Ten as a unique, niche, high quality fragrance.

This is probably the most unique fragrance I've ever sampled. The opening smells like a dark chocolate truffle filled with raspberry liqueur, but I would not consider this a gourmand fragrance by any means. The initial chocolate raspberry scent settles to a heart of delicate rose, spicy Sichuan pepper, and incense (like ones I've smelled in a church, not hippie/New Age shops). I see this being something I would reserve for special occasions where I'd be dressed up and would want to smell like no one else in the room. There is nothing linear about this fragrance, so be prepared to let it take you on a journey. Do NOT blind buy this one though! While I don't even get a hint of sweetness in this, I see some other reviewers saying it was very sweet. This dried down to something VERY sophisticated on my skin, while some others found it loud or juvenile. I think it's one of those scents that will be very individual to the wearer, and is definitely worth a sniff.

I have a sample that I purchased from LS (not sure if we can name online retailers) It’s on my wish list because I absolutely love it. I picture whiskey served at a darkly lit sophisticated jazz club. The smokey notes combined with a pinch of gourmand sets this apart from other oud or precious wood noted fragrances that I normally do not care for. It’s a must-get for me but I’m waiting to test Gin Fizz and Black Jade a bit more before ordering it. Lubin has a magnificent history that I would recommend people read up on. This is not a fragrance you can test at high end department stores in large US cities. Instead, it is carried by small boutique off-the-path retailers. I would simply order it straight from Lubin in France. I will make a my purchase in time for late fall when this fragrance will surely shine.

- Longevity beast! - perfect sillage for the evening and summer nights (imagine it especially nice for summer nights..with the raspberry (liquer) note in it) -I cannot stand super gourmand uber sweet perfumes but this is lovely and the sweetness is balanced out wonderfully with the pepper and rose -opens very strongly on the skin and after 1-2h rests as a beautiful rose-raspberry-liqcuerish scent with sexy ladylike light woodish scent..makes me feel very confident and empowering! Update: this perfume gets better the more you wear it...fascinating scent not linear at all. The slightly boozy raspberry liquor note is fantastic and makes this scent unique to me. It lasts days on clothes and develops so so beautifully.

Do you want to smell like an absolute smokeshow? This is your fragrance! Upper Ten For Her is a sultry, mysterious, spicy aroma that stands out from most other fragrances I have experienced so far. It has moderate projection and seems to last most of the day. I would not describe this as "gourmand," but you can smell the raspberry and chocolate notes if you look for them. It's truly more of a spicy, smoky smell (think of a very nice burning incense). Very feminine, very sexy. Since it has not been widely discovered, you can wear this and feel very unique and memorable. Perfect first date fragrance. Wear this for an air of sophistication, mystery, and sensuality.

fizzy grape soda burst for about 5 mins and shortly after it transforms into a slightly burned caramel. Next phase (at about 1hr mark) dry, glossy, smoky woods with inordinate amounts of pepper. I thought it would stay like that but after about another hour it changes entirely and I get sweet resins and amber now mixed with woody tones. A lot of shapeshifting, totally unexpected. I was unable to detect raspberry, roses or chocolate at any stage. In my book Upper Ten is 'Oriental woody' genre rather than fragrantica's Oriental Floral category. Another good one from Lubin.

This is one of my top ten favourites. I find it intoxicating. When the sales assistant listened to what I was after, this was the second she recommended and as soon as I smelled it my eyes closed and I was transported in pure bliss. For me, instead of raspberries, I am visualising juicy fancy dried apricots half dipped in dark couverture chocolate. It is a luxurious and decadent moment. You have to be a lover of chocolate to appreciate this. It is definitely an eye closer.

Yup. This is it. My new signature scent. It works so perfectly with my chemistry, everyone compliments me and every room I’m in smells great. lol . It lasts 12+ hours and sends out whiff's and scent trails the whole time. It is a soft, airy, amber, resin, rose. It doesn’t have a “perfume” smell. In fact, people don’t tell me my perfume smells good, they say “what smells so good”? It is a perfect blend of warm and spicy, light and soft. I’m hooked 💯

Yep. This is excellent. Warm, sultry boozy amber. Wraps you in a womanly blanket of mystery and intrigue. So good. For a comparison it smells like Replicas- Beside the fireplace and Imaginary Authors- Memoirs of a Trespasser. But of the three, this one has the most sexy feminine air about it. 100% recommend for that woman who is in control.

This is class in a bottle. Very well balanced, not too sweet - there's a gourmand trace in it, but toned down by the Sichuan pepper and the incense. I couldn't say it's too warm, I couldn't classify it as too cool. I could describe it as smart and full of personality. It has finesse, I love, love, love, love it.

My favorite fragrance from Lubin!! It has a sweet yummy opening of Dark chocolate and raspberry that develops into a mix of a wood-grapes fragrances. Perfect for fall-winter time and just to go out and enjoy the night Very long-lasting and Strong sillage on me :)

I accidently purchased a sample of this instead of upper ten for him. I'm glad I made that mistake! This is lovely. Rich, warm, spicy, and inviting. I'm a 31 year old man and would happily wear this. Decent longevity and sillage too. Overall: 9/10.

Ive only had this on about 20 mins but the first impression when sprayed is it smells like Big League Chew from when your kid. The pink gum thats all powdery. It smells delicious amd is slowly warming up I love it!

Spicy, sweet with black pepper, raspberry, elemi, and hints of dark chocolate. Nothing like it out there that I’ve come across. One of the best in my collection.

This has become my signature scent, I find it so unique, it’s a hidden gem, you don’t smell it everywhere, which it’s a big plus in market saturated of clones.

I gotta have a full 100 ml bottle of this! This smells delicious! Very cozy and sensual fragrance.

i feel like a sexy spicy candle when i'm wearing this

I like Upper Ten for Her but it is a rather "safe" 21st century creation. It is for the younger generation who want to smell mysterious but are not brave enough to really go for it. This perfume is way to gourmand to be considered daring. Upper Ten starts off with a chocolate and bergamot combination that is pleasant. The bergamot keeps the chocolate from becoming to gourmand, but this is still quite a sweet perfume. As the fragrance develops, I get more of the sweet fruity grape and raspberry port and liquors combining w/ the chocolate and the very slight smoke of elemi resin, which is kept in check, thankfully as it is a resin I find to lemony at times. There is something of the smell of a craft and candle store here, and I personally think the perfumer used nutmeg in this creation which is responsible for that but it is held back just enough to make it wearable. I would ultimately describe this perfume a safe mildly spicy, fruity, mildly smoky gourmand chocolate fragrance that is a nice bet for the holidays. Is it daring and sexy like spicy powerhouses of the past from Estee Lauders Youth Dew or YSL Opium? No, it is safe, easy dumb reach for someone who wants to appear edgy and daring but wants to really play it safe instead. It has that foody aspect that gourmands are famous for and keeps it more a comfort perfume instead of something truly sensual or sexy. I will wear my samples to a Christmas gathering we are invited to as this has quite a holiday vibe about it, and it is quite safe and non-offensive but there are other perfumes from this house I would rather own. If you like gourmands that are not sickening sweet and have some different interest to them give this a try.

This is my first Lubin, and it's a good one! I like scents that combine woody and fruity accords: just fruity can get too girly or even juvenile, and just woody can be too dark or masculine, but the combination saves them both from these tendencies, at least when it's well done. And Upper Ten definitely is: the raspberry and grape notes are lovely, naurally sweet, slightly tart and not synthetic at all, and they're complemented wonderfully by the soft woods, incense and resins. I can also detect a hint of dark chocolate, very light, and very nice; together with the raspberry note it reminds me a little of a liqueur praline, but in a good way, and the darker notes keep it from going too straightforwardly gourmand. All these notes blend together very well too, there's no sharp contrasts anywhere, and the result is a scent that's both interesting and very wearable and comfortable. It also performs well in other areas: it's perfectly unisex to my nose, projection is good, and it lasts all day. So full marks - and I can't wait to explore the Lubin house more.

This could be the sultry berry I'm looking for. The grape and raspberry are lush and juicy and not sweetened at all. There might be a bit of currant in the mix. They are never on the verge of spoiling like some unsweetened berry scents are. They occasionally flirt with soapiness, but always come back to their fullness. The only thing leaning synthetic is that plasticky/doll-like edge that you sometimes get with elemi notes. In the opening the wormwood or pepper gives a bit of a camphor scent but nothing overpowering or long lasting. The incense note reminds me of opium scented stick incense and it and that pepper give it a good dose of spicy oriental elegance. I occasionally get a bit of the chocolate adding sweetness.