Lui

Anyone who has been around the block for long enough has heard this name at least once: LUI. It makes the best lists of many aficionados when it comes to musks, leathers, and more recently, patchouli. I think it's all of that, depending on how old your bottle is, because this beauty has changed over the years. Frankly, I have been on the fence with it for a long time, as the various samples I tried seemed to be getting increasingly sweeter and patchouli-dominant while departing from the musk-leather-heavy emphasis this fragrance had in the past. Finally, I realized the only way to mend that is to hunt for an older falcon, as it seems to be the solution more often than not. Smelling it from this bottle, Lui is not about the patchouli, which plays a minor role, and barely any amber. This is, first and foremost, a civet bomb. The cat slaps you over the face as soon as you spray this. But it's not the way civet usually comes across, which is sharp. Here it has this creamy, almost buttery texture, which I only encountered with another fragrance, an Italian-made gourmand, Cadavre Exquis, but devoid of that one's savory connotations. A big dose of buttery and foul-smelling civet, followed by a strong woody facet that smells like a barn scorched by the summer's heat, allowing all its aromas to rise and permeate the air. And finally, a dry and dusty leather, maybe hanging in the same barn next to a pair of leather boots to go with the picture. The patchouli and the amber accord barely breathe underneath the slab of meat and help to balance the fragrance, next to the woods, preventing it from going completely into a gore animalic show. So, my recommendation, if you are looking for a potent musk perfume with a heavy-handed civet note, go and hunt for old bottles of LUI. I'd even say this is amazing if you want a barnyard and dry leather scent. If you want an amber-patchouli, there are a dozen better options, or you can try the modern versions of LUI, which tone down the animalics significantly. One thing is certain: LUI is pure testosterone juice and truly bad to the bone. IG:@memory.of.scents

Very much a Patchouli-driven fragrance as many have noted but supported by soft amber, creamy sandalwood and leather (in that order of importance), steering away from Patch 'soliflores' like Jovoy's Psychedelique and others. A bit animalic in the opening yes but more of sweaty Cumin rather Civet (no bad breath here)... maybe Castoreum making up for that Leather accord but that's another odor profile. Dabbing from a sample seems very quiet and longevity isn't much to write about however the blend is smooth and the materials seem of high quality. Is it worth it 200 usd for 100ml? Well if you are looking for a Patch dominant fragrance and/or love masculines from the 70/80s (Givenvchy Gentleman, etc) but wish for a refined or upscaled version you won't be dissapointed. As alfarom would say: Me? I'm sold. ------------------------ Una fragancia claramente dominada por el Pachulí como muchos han notado, pero respaldada por un ámbar suave, sándalo cremoso y cuero (en ese orden de importancia), alejándose de los 'soliflores' de Pachulí como Psychedelique de Jovoy y otros. Un poco animálica en la salida sí, pero más en el estilo de comino sudoroso que de Civeta (no hay mal aliento aquí) ... tal vez algo de Castóreo componiendo el acorde de cuero, pero ese es otro perfil aromático. Aplicándome de una muestra parece muy tranquilo en cuanto a proyección y sobre la duración tampoco hay mucho sobre lo que escribir, sin embargo la mezcla es suave y los materiales parecen de alta calidad. ¿Vale la pena 200 usd por 100ml? Bueno, si estás buscando una fragancia dominante de Pachulí y/o amas los masculinos de los 70/80s (Givenvchy Gentleman, etc.) pero quisieras una versión refinada o exclusiva, Lui no defrauda en ese sentido. Yo me anoto con una botella. 8,5/10

WOW! What a, rich, earthy, powerful fragrance! Is this really EDT? It has the potency of EDP! So strong, so smooth, great dry-down...kind of like really aged, aromatic, spicy Scotch. Certainly a dab will do ya! I think I may have grown chest hair after application! lol... Thanks to fellow Fragrantican and aficionado of leather fragrances, Smelly Beast, I ventured out and nabbed a decant of Mazzolari Lui and full heartedly approve of his recommendation. This is totally right up my alley with all the dark, resinous-sweetness; a veritable patchouli bomb so you'd better love, love, love patchouli like I do, not merely appreciate it casually because it will certainly stand up and grab your attention. And if you're not careful with the application, you may risk offending others a few blocks down who may not care for it as much as you do, so do apply conservatively. ADDENDUM: Since this is still my initial take and I'm still witnessing Mazzolari Lui's evolution on my skin, I'm finding the final dry-down incredibly sexy. Much of the brute, rough, patchouli strength has mellowed out and now I'm getting more warm amber and musk. I never quite got the animalic and civet that others described, although I see how some of the exotic patchouli combined with leather can have that effect.

We go from yesterday's review of raw and rough Santa Maria Novella Patchouli to the down and dirty Mazzolari Lui, which (agreeing with the below reviewer FragranEssence), surely is loaded with civet, castoreum and perhaps even Animalis base. This is just as much a favorite musk fragrance as it is patchouli. Musc Koublai Who? This is for me the ultimate skank musk, and the fact that patchouli is a prominent note is testament to the fact that the humble Pogostemon Cablin has an uncanny ability to amplify animalic notes. Lui's furry, feral patchouli is ensconced in cozy woods—a prominent cedar is here, which also energizes animalic accords as well, with some sandalwood and spice (cumin, caraway, coriander surely are part of this melange) lending necessary texture. As it develops, the animals are tamed, curl up into a snuggly bed of amber, but one gets intermittent whiffs of their musks in the somewhat sweeter base that evokes the mildly nutty, round, aphrodisiac-like ambrette seed oil and it is here the patchouli begins to reveal itself completely. Hours of ambrette and patchouli bliss linger on the skin. Incredibly sexy.

BOOM!!! This stuff is the bomb! It's smoky, animalic, sweet, oriental, musky, balsamic, and downright different (in the best of ways)! Mazzolari Lui has lasting power only seen in extreme sports! Projection is beastly, and I always ... ALWAYS ... get compliments. 100% of the times I have worn this, which are many, I have received some sort of positive comment. And if you appreciate looks of bafflement, tell them what it is if they ask. Who has ever heard of this, except for us frag-heads? You will NOT find it at Kohl's or Dillard's or Gordman's or any of those places. As of this writing, you can get it, solely, at Lucky Scent. Oh, and my wife loves it, which is a huge plus, as well. Listen ... once you have it adorning your collection, it is a fragrance to be cherished and utilized only for special occasions! 10/10 P.S. BEEN TRYING FOR MONTHS ... LUCKY SCENT CAN NO LONGER SOURCE THIS SCENT. 'TIS GONE, FOLKS! :( P.S.S. IT HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! Mazzolari, it would appear, was having problems finding a trusted logistics source to the U.S.A.

Opens with a pishy civet bang paired with dark camphorous patchouli like a dark and malevolent shifting shawl. Got to say that’s one of the most bombastic and uncompromising openings I’ve experienced. During the heart amber raises up the background with castoreum giving a slightly ominous but comforting sweetness. Later at drydown wafts of vanilla creep from the depths, and at late drydown morbid and desolate patch powderiness combines and a touch of tobacco. It’s not a fine delicately orchestrated composition, it’s a dirty carnal sexy beast, there’s no room for guilt. It’s creepy, animalic, comforting, malevolent, passionate and ominous. It's my Nosferatu.

Boy, do they have the notes wrong on this one! There is DEFINITELY a large dose of Castoreum and/or Civet in this fragrance. No doubt about it! It's sweet, but it is oh, so animalic, probably to the point where it might scare some people off. However, my wife and I both love it. It is extremely unique, and none of the fragrances listed above that people chose as being similar aren't even remotely close. BTW, it was hard to find. I am in the U.S., and I had to order it from overseas. It took almost 8 months to get here.

Lui is a nuclear bomb made of patchouli and ambrette. It's hysterically animalic in the opening and it fades to something less hysterical but still animalic. The patchouli is dark but gives an almost mentholated vibe in the background. I really try to avoid "genderizing" perfumes, but this is very masculine! Pour LUI indeed! Tremendous! I usually don't give "masterpiece titles" away, but this one deserves the soubriquet: Masterpiece! 11/10

My favorite goat 🐐🌻 پادشاه بزها😈

Very warm. Dry patchouli/vetiver contrasts in a way that’s both cozy and formal. Spice is alluring while leather/tobacco is classy. Woody depth from cedar and sandalwood. Sexy Italian gentleman, despite being a bit dated. Dry down densely sweetens with wood stain/resin and note of choc truffle (without being too gourmand). Intriguing and almost challenging - but a little too stately for me. 1ST TRY: Opens dry and spiced like an intimidatingly classy Italian grandpa. Warm, but stately; not cozy. Soft woody pulp is sweet and nuanced while powdered spices add intoxicating formality. Takes a complicated individual to pull off. Intricate woody tobacco leans a little too elderly despite being curiously appealing. It's different enough. Time travel to the 1920-30s. The more it warms on the skin, the more comforting it becomes. Dry down is extra appealing; sings with smoky patchouli (bright honey and stained wood). Wait an hour before judging!

Lui is firstly a patchouli fragrance. If you don't like patchouli, don't bother with Lui. It opens with an animalic, barnyard scent which doesn't last very long. Although the animalic component diminishes, it remains subtly in the background. As I said, patchouli is dominant but it's supported by the animalic accord, spices and woody accords along with a musky and slighly powdery accord. Didn't really get any floral notes. It's the supporting accords which really make it testosteronic man juice. Definitely not one for the bubble gum boys. Awesome masculine patchouli, dry but with warmth and depth. Longevity was a good 12+ hours for me. It was quite noticeable in the evening after having applied it in the morning. Projection was also strong for about an hour and then it pulled back some to be closer scent bubble. I'd like to pick up a bottle but will have to save my pennies since it is kinda pricey.

Opens to a dirty, alluring petrol, but transitions quickly into an equally met dirty, amber-forward, patchouli. There is some sort of civet facet supporting this dirty profile. I think I had preferred this over the dirty from Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens--it was a matter of taste (@richmilton provides a good estimation of this smell). Soon after, the faint woody, spicy facets make their way as flankers, but are rather minor. But this isn't quite the time-aged, carnal sweat dirty that I was hoping for, though this is probably the closest thing so far, especially with how the patchouli supports the dirty facet that subsides just to the side. I just might end up layering with something else as it's probably too niche for it to be put out in a bottle. Dirty Laundry by BORNTOSTANDOUT is a dirtier, simpler, drier profile of this. Exceptional performance. The search continues!

L'Ombre fauve's spicier, dirtier cousin. Lovely patch, animalic undertones, but as opposed to the powdery furry fluffy cuddly animal in Pg here there is a seething panther lurking. Loving the leathery feel here. Subtle cumin note makes this feel a little dirty, in a good way. Big like! Not too masculine - the right kind of lady can definitely pull this off. I'm also not feeling vintage vibes although maybe kouros has similar animalic aspects.

Animalic Lui is thick, dense, fat, impure, oily, and filthy (in a very good way). Animalic musk with heavy dose of dark patchouli. Really masculine and sexy. This pictures a man, in his 30s, rich, who have sex every single night with different women. Sensual and dirty. Lui... Smell: 8 Projection: 7 Sillage: 7 Value for the price: 8

Lui has a very unpleasant opening that smells of patchouli, turpentine, and rubber fish lures. After it settles, it rewards you with something bestial and cozy, staying very close to the skin. My father once found a lone bear cub on a hike and called animal control. Lui smells a lot like that musky little cub.

This stuff is seriously potent! One spray and it lingers for hours. Definitely a bold scent, not for the faint of heart. I get a lot of earthy, spicy notes with a hint of sweetness. Lui is unique and definitely makes a statement.

Honey and patchouli mix. It looks as like in general Coromandel, APLS, Bentley Intense..Not suitable for young people and not for summer. For winter and 30+ age. Scent: 7.5/10 Long: 8/10 Sillage: 8/10

Scent: 9/10 Quality: 8/10 Originality: 6/10 Sillage: 8/10 Projection: 7/10 Longevity: 8/10 Price VS Size: 9/10

A very nice spicy/woody/leathery/animalic top (reminding me vaguely of Tauer L'Oudh and Nishane Afrika Olifant). It closes on a bed of earthy/smoky/hippie patchouli that unfortunately (for me) also exhibits a powdery/chocolatey facet that becomes way too sweet for my tastes, borderline gourmand (with probably some amberwood in the base), standing in between SL Borneo and Le Labo P24, and ruins the show. The best comparison overall would probably be MPG Parfum d'Habit. Not a fan of either, but had I to choose, I'd go with the MPG. Just ok in my book, but if a schizophrenic fragrance that opens leathery/animalic/masculine and ends up sweet/chocolatey/powdery/feminine is your thing, then, it is highly recommended. Overall, I find it unisex leaning a bit feminine. Performance is good, with average projection but excellent longevity. Still, I'm a bit surprised at all the praise. I enjoyed my sample, but it's a pass for me on a full bottle. You people enjoy it for me!

Very, very interesting. Whilst I can smell it’s a modern creation, there are vibes of 70’s animalic big scents. It’s along the lines of Amouage’s Ubar and has a similar feel to Papillion’s Salome (but no where near as fabulous). This is good though. It’s an animalic, musky amber, honeyed patchouli, powdery oriental powerhouse. Good for fans of vintage-feel statement scents with huge longevity. Just make sure that Lui’s personality is not bigger than your own.