Purple Label

I remember, when I lived in Seattle, walking through Volunteer Park in late summer and picking blackberries right off the brambles. I carried a small bowl along in my backpack and just filled it with the dark, ripe fruit, then found the perfect place to sit and sunbathe by the “doughnut” sculpture near the public reservoir. There, with a view of the meadow peaking through ancient evergreens, I soaked up the late afternoon sun and listened to the spray of the fountain in the reservoir and ate blackberries nearly every Saturday. (Summertime in the Northwest is a most beloved and brief season.) I felt like I was on top of the world, high above the city, with the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline glittering far below the steep inclines of this lovely Arcadia. I remained there until the long shadows of the trees began to fall around me and the faint whistle of the dinner train pulling into the station at Pier 69 echoed from afar into the cool, darkening skies of early evening, my signal to pack up my blanket, bowl and books and return home. The crisp and bright blackberry accord of Ralph Lauren Purple Label reminds me so much of this happy time in my life when all was carefree and the world was before me in so many ways. I almost have a sentimental feeling for this fragrance. While it is true that it seems to want to be a mature and formal attar, there is undeniably an optimistic, cheerful component present in its evolution on the skin. I really think of summer, old friends, and the places I used to haunt when I wear this. RLPL’s structure of tart fruit with smoky tobacco flower (which smells animalistic and quite different from tobacco leaf) seems to surface discreetly through a pomander of piquant herbal notes made even more luxurious by the well-bred embrace of oakmoss and mahogany. Later, the blackberry seems to vacillate within and without the nebulous, musky dry down, but never disappears completely, making this an excellent choice if you like the idea of an expensive aroma lingering discreetly on, say, a cotton shirt. The composition is rich, but also has a kind of outdoor feeling that makes one think of relaxed, halcyon scenes like the one I described from memory with lots of majestic trees, rolling meadows, and fruiting and flowering shrubbery. I think the best fragrances do this kind of romantic magic. Among its many affirmative qualities, RLPL projects that sartorial perfection associated with the top drawer of the Ralph Lauren family (and which its pinstriped packaging implies). The Swiss company, Firmenich, is the nose behind this fragrance and the creator of one of my all time favorite fragrances: Krizia Uomo (the vintage 1984 release), so I had no problem blind buying this on the Ralph Lauren website and no regrets afterward. I think if you like a fragrance with dimension that casts an aura of prestige with something gentlemanly and slightly dandified in the mix, you can’t miss with this gem of a sleeper.

I have to admit, I don't understand all the hatred over this frag. It IS a very fresh and very clean scent, perhaps a bit soapy, but sophisticated nonetheless. It can be a bit pricey, but most big design house frags aren't cheap (and if they are, its for a reason). All this talk about synthetic air freshener are just a bunch of blowhards who want to be heard. Why else would you post multiple negative reviews, one after the other, yet without any real thought or substance in them? Ahh well, back to the frag... I recently acquired some samples of this Purple label and was very pleased with the scent construction- it definitely smells purple, but slight and not cloying in its sweetness. I detect the green coriander, a light floral scent and slight orange in the top. This top combination seems to be what gives it the clean feel. After a few moments, this gives way to the middle notes of a bit of tabacco surrounded by herbal aromatics of thyme and a little sage as well. These top and middle notes are what define this scent for me, as the only base notes i seem to detect is a slight peppery-ness about 45min later. However, There are some notes i detect- lemon, violet flower or lavender perhaps, and later, pepper- that aren't in the pyramid, just as there are notes in the pyramid that i wish were noticable- blueberry and musk. I'm sure this could just be how my skin reacts to the scent as I've seen reviews that those less noticable notes were detected more by others. Overall though, I'd say this is a nice, fresh, slightly crisp and very clean scent but the downside definitely comes with the sillage and longevity. It stays close to the skin, and is unoffensive- being the distinguished gent this frag is- so its good nobody is going to smell this across the room, but rather they must come close to appreciate it. So, the only Real downside to this (IMO) is the longevity- after 10-15 min i can barely smell it even with my nose pressed against the skin. And it also seems to have a gap in the notes, from the time the middle ends (15 min maybe), there is not a noticable smell for a good ten minutes or so then you get a fleeting peppery smell perhaps with a whisper of musk. However I must add that it is winter and very dry, so i will be updating in the warmer months, and I have my fingers crossed that it will last longer then. Alas, I can see this being a very nice everyday cologne for work or play, unoffensive for the office, but nice and slightly unique for intimate setting. This is semi-addictive and very fresh smelling. *Also, I agree that the right woman could pull this off nicely

Wearing this one again for the first time in months. It is finally spring, that magical time of the year when it feels like sunshine and air conditioning outside at the same time. Dressed in a tan linen jacket (sport coat/blazer) on top of a white and blue Ralph Lauren dress shirt, some classic gold Ray-Ban Aviators, a gold ring with a blue stone, a brown leather Ralph Lauren belt with a gold belt buckle, some dressier Ralph Lauren blue jeans, and some dark brown Tecovas' caiman belly leather exotic cowboy boots (the Dillons in Mahagony which they don't officially make anymore unfortunately). A fun business casual outfit for a beautiful day. I woke up this morning and decided that Purple Label by Ralph Lauren had to be the play. I have been wearing classics recently and had just worn Green Irish Tweed by Creed the day before. I had been letting this one sit after I had purchased it towards the beginning of fall last year. I thought it was classy, and I actually felt it had similarities to Creed Aventus in structure despite predating Aventus (it does by the way, not in scent, but in structure), but I just didn't find it particularly compelling. Or, at least, not compelling enough to make me spray it instead of one of my safer fragrances (like blue fragrances during the warm weather and sweet fragrances during the short but strong bursts of cold weather). I like it even more today. It has that fresh blackberry and mandarin, and then quickly becomes a dry woody mahogany/oakmoss and musk. The fragrance does last all day, HOWEVER, it is very important you spray a decent amount. This isn't some "overspray-er" propaganda I promise you. The truth is, this fragrance has one of THE WORST atomizers on the entire market for some reason. You genuinely need to spray 4 (four) sprays in order to get the same amount of liquid out as your average cheap fragrance atomizer like a Cremo fragrance or Drakkar fragrance. So try spraying double the amount you usually would and THEN tell me it doesn't perform (because it will if you actually spray it properly). Very classy, traditional, 1980s-style oakmoss and wood with some fruit mixed in to "modernize" it. I will be wearing this way more often this spring. I think it is perfectly sandwiched between fragrances in my lineup this week, as I will be wearing Drakkar Noir tomorrow.

I obtained my bottle of this from the Ralph Lauren's website a few months back. I like it decently. I have never smelled Bleecker Street, but I will say this: I am surprised that youtube reviewers don't speak about the similarities between this and Creed Aventus. This came out long before Aventus, and it is built comparably. Unique fruit note in the top, a floral/herbal mid, built upon a base of a unique wood and oakmoss/musk. Replace the actual ingredients but keep the formula's structure and boom, you have Aventus. With that being said, this is a different fragrance and doesn't have that compliment getting "it factor" that the more modern and mass appealing Aventus DNA possess. Purple Label is classy, dry, woody, and musky. The projection and longevity are moderate all around, and could hardly be accused of being offensive and/or loud, nor could it be accused of being weak or too light. I would call this a classic gentlemanly fragrance. Not particularly youthful nor particularly old, just traditional and clean. Truly, think of something like Mont Blanc Explorer, but replace the sweet fruits with dry black berries, and a heavy dose of what I believe to be oak moss, musk, and that mahogany. Actually, in that sense, it reminds me of Drakkar Noir as well, but classier. I like it and look forward to wearing it. The atomizer is absolute garbage though, I would love for them to completely overhaul the bottle. Make the bottle glass and metal, make the cap metal and magnetic, and update the atomizer at least to the quality of Ralphs Club. It is strange that their Purple Label fragrance, which is supposed to be the fragrance and bottle that represents those who wear clothing from their Purple Label (extremely expensive compared to the rest of their clothing), is packaged in such a cheap tacky bottle. None of that detracts from my positive feelings about the juice itself though, just a complaint about one of my favorite clothing brands. Good stuff, worth the price at retail, and nice to wear dressed up.

Ralph Lauren Purple Label: Elegance in a Bottle, Confirmed by a Candle I own a lot of fragrances, but only a few feel like home. Purple Label by Ralph Lauren is one of them. It’s the olfactory equivalent of a tailored cashmere blazer—luxurious, effortless, and timeless. The kind of scent that doesn’t need to shout to make an impression. And yet, it does something rare: it lingers in the memory of others, in the best way possible. Here’s proof. My girlfriend traveled for four weeks, hopping between cities, collecting little finds along the way. She returned with a candle from an obscure niche brand overseas—something artisanal, hand-poured, infused with “the essence of sophistication” (or so the label claimed). She lit it, took one breath, turned to me, and said: You smell like my candle. And guess what? The candle smelled like Purple Label. This scent is an exercise in understated opulence. Lavender and sage give it an aromatic crispness, but then the suede, honey, and tobacco arrive, wrapping everything in a warm, velvety richness. The cedarwood and mahogany in the base whisper quiet authority—no synthetics screaming for attention, just pure, seamless blending. It’s Ralph Lauren at its peak: a fragrance for those who appreciate craftsmanship over trends. Performance? Fantastic. While many modern scents tap out after lunch, Purple Label settles in for the long haul, aging like a fine Bordeaux. It’s the perfect balance of refined and relaxed, with a dry-down that feels like the lingering scent of a well-worn leather chair in an old-money library. Purple Label isn’t just a fragrance. It’s a signature. It’s the kind of scent you wear without realizing its impact—until someone comes back from four weeks away and tells you you smell like her luxury candle. And honestly? I’ll take that as the highest possible compliment.