Patchouli

Before buying this, my only real experience with patchouli was with patchouli incense sticks, which I absolutely couldn't stand. They smelled like a damp, moldy catholic church and I gave them away. After reading/seeing a bunch of reviews, I blind bought this anyway, because I was looking for a moderately sweet, earthy scent, that can be worn for most of the year and this seemed to be just that. Also at this price point it wouldn't be a tragedy if I didn't like it, but fortunately, I do. A lot. There is so much going on in the opening, it's hard to put into words, but basically you're getting hit with a whiskey-like booziness, a dark, earthy patchouli, medicinal, herbal notes and yes, there really is a chocolate cake in this, delicious. Not a sugary sweet one, more like dark chocolate dessert with juuuust enough sweetness to make it tasty. The booziness calms down pretty quick, but it stays to the end and things also get more ambery and woody. To my nose the main players of this fragrance are the dark chocolate cake, amber, booze and obviously patchouli. Something about it also smells like opening a pack of indian or japanese incense. This fragrance really has a certain vibe to it. It reminds me of a warm, rainy evening in spring, being in the woods and smelling the damp earth. Somewhat melancholic, but comforting and calming at the same time. There have been quite a few comments about this fragrance having been refomulated a few years ago and that it's weak now compared to what it was. While I can't compare it to the old formula, I can say this stuff performs very well - especially considering it's an EDT. When I first tried it two days ago, I sprayed it on at around 5:30 pm. It projected decently strong for the whole evening and it was still there the next morning. Waking up to the smell of patchouli in the middle of the night is somewhat spooky lol. In my opinion, this is an exceptional fragrance - natural smelling, unisex, great performance, affordable and even the bottle looks nice. It's not modern, mainstream or a crowd pleaser and I wouldn't wear too much of this in an office or any place where people can't escape you, but for what it is, it's great. Probably won't wear this in the summer heat, but other than that, it's surely gonna get a whole bunch of use. Blind buy success!

I'd be hard pressed to find a more perfect patchouli. It's called Patchouli, and there's lots of it, but it's actually a patchouli amber fragrance with hints of cocoa and coffee. I get no vetiver, but it's blended so perfectly everything comes together as a whole. It definitely opens with a blast of patchouli. Not skanky or hippie, or any of those unflattering adjectives people sometimes use to describe patchouli. The patch in Patchouli is bitter, camphorous and dirty (like dirt in the ground). Slightly mentholated. As it develops it becomes sweeter and rounder, hinting at chocolate and dark roasted coffee. There's booziness in there as well. As the patch eases up, but never leaves, the scent becomes very ambery, probably due to the presence of labdanum, vanilla and balsam. I love it so much. Patchouli elevates my mood unlike anything else. It can be worn dressed up, dressed down, reading a book, on a date. Probably not the best choice for gym or meeting the parents. It's quietly alluring in a "you don't know how good you look" kinda way. Sexy as hell and not trying. My bottle has the beautiful stars on it and says "REM French Riviera Patchouli." From what I gather these bottles were made when Reminiscence were called "REM," and they were a jewelry company. I imagine it's many years old at this point, but I bought it sealed and it smells exceptional. The juice is extremely dark. For a fragrance with juice as dark as this called "Patchouli," some might expect a powerhouse. It isn't. At first blast of patchouli there's a moment it goes straight to your head. Then it pulls back and softens as it develops into a deliciously chocolaty, boozy, amber patchouli fragrance. It was made in the 70's, yet smells like modern niche perfume. This stuff is timeless. I'm so happy to finally have a big bottle of this magical potion in my possession. An all time favorite of mine. I'd wear it year round, especially at night and in cooler temps. No hot weather tho. Everyone around you may not love it, but it's not likely to offend either because it's well blended and not in your face. It lasts all day on my skin and days on clothes. Exceptional for an Eau De toilette, could pass as Eau De parfum. Love love love love! 💋

I was born in the 1990s so I cannot speak to the context of this fragrance, though wearing it today felt like microdosing time travel. Not because it smells particularly dated (unless I really try to see it as a 'women's' fragrance rather than the obvious unisex it is to today's nose), just because it feels comfortingly familiar while also being different from anything I'm actually familiar with. It smells 'young' and unconventional, but established and sensible. Most of all it smells DEEP, like the notes just before they drop out of the register of my ears (well, nose in this case). Resinous and dry, it's not 'patchouli essential oil instead of deoderant' 1970s, but something entirely it's own. I feel like I smell as though I read books with an indifference to genre but a deft instinct for quality. Linear scent, which I don't think is a bad thing. Compared to contemporary perfumes it's almost as though this doesn't have any opening top notes, though you can smell the alcohol when you first apply it and that makes it smell like cherry brandy and amaretto in the air. I did drink a lychee juice whilst wearing this and I think some indie or niche perfumer today could play around with a base similar to Patchouli but overlayed with some sweet lychee and neroli or something. It is still lovely and present but not overpowering at the 7.5 hour mark. In fact, it hadn't really faded since the first hour, so it's similar from the end of the first hour up until about how eight, then fades slightly but still there at 11 hours on skin. I'd be hesitant to put this on clothes as it's a deep red-brown wood colour, and ever so slightly oily. Edit: Second day wearing patchouli, and I am noticing the vanilla and sandalwood much more than yesterday, possibly because it's warmer today and opening the fragrance up a tad. It's actually addictive. It's a completely non-gourmand amberry vanilla. I think that on a feminine woman this would be read as a 'sexy' scent, but on a man or would read more elegant/classy. It becomes a skin scent eventually after a very long presence with projection dependant on application strength, and it sticks for about 16 hours. Unlike anything else I have tried so far.

I bought this on the recommendation of Sebastian (The Perfume Guy) on YouTube. I thought it was high time for me to explore patchouli and like I did when trying Encre Noire in my quest to understand vetiver, I figured I'd do the same and throw myself straight in to the deep end. This is described as "chocolate cakey", "earthy", "boozy" etc. so I knew what to expect and on first sniff, it did not disappoint. It was an instant love for me. This is one of the few fragrances which I can smell or at least get hints of all the listed notes. I won't get in to too much detail regarding the the smell as it's already been done by many before me. At times I get chocolate cake and some vanillic tones as well as syrupy sweetness from the labdanum. Other times I get old barrels of liquor, ashy cedarwood and wet forest soil. It smells very classy all the way throughout and smells at least 5-10x what you paid. It's 100% niche quality. Perfectly fitting for winter and autumn dressed smart or smart/casual. The longevity is in fact eternal! My bottle was acquired in December 2021 so I'm sure it's the most recent formulation- it lasts on skin all day and you can smell it on clothes days after application. But what you get in longevity you seem to lose in projection and that really is the biggest downside to this fragrance. It sits extremely close after this first 1hr so it's highly recommended to apply on fabrics to create some silage. Be careful though, it will stain light clothing due to the dark color of the juice. That being said, it is the kind of scent which you will be able to detect on yourself throughout the day and due to it's polarising scent profile, it may be better that way. Overall a solid 9/10! I also recently acquired a bottle of Patchouli Elixir (2015) with the silver cap. Initial impressions are that this one is extremely similar to the EDT but a tad smoother and with more projection. I will have to test it more and will leave a full review on the page once I get more wearings out of it.

you spray it.. black magic comes out.. engulfs you..scares you for a second..be strong ..take it..then ..you feel earth moves under your feet..it shatters you.. reminds you of your roots.. and where you came from.. and where you will eventually end..it smells like earth.. like wet earth.. so earthy.. ambery.. PATCHOULI.. if you love patchouli.. if you can take the strength of patchouli.. if you have the courage.. and guts.. to take in the essence of life.. and earth.. and all that in between.. you will love this..i have been sweet away in the past ten years.. i was afraid before.. i hated earth.. i was in the clouds.. but i have learned to appreciate the strength of the earth.. and my mother land ..and now i feel like nothing else will do.. when i want to go back to my roots.. i go back to this amazing patchouli.. so serene ..so strong.. so soft.. so nurturing.. just like the earth ..it seriously takes you to other realms of being..it takes you in to the unknown..and what might be beyond what we merely see.. there is something so divine ..almost holly.. almost sacred.. its perfect for meditation.. its so smokey.. full of wonder.. and bliss.. so subtle.. yet so empowering ..it wraps you in a vail of holiness and spirituality..its like.. its full of bliss.. full of history.. heritage.. and dignity.. it smells like a million years .. its an amazing perfume surely for the mature...and not faint of heart..its full of mystery sandalwood.. tonka bean.. and 80% patchouli.. pure bliss...its like for a gypsy fortune teller.. or a guru .. or for some mosque care taker..there is something holy or divine about it.. you can almost smell old geruselim roads in it ..yes it is strong..as strong as earth can be..and as brown as earth can be.. but its also as amazing as the sprouts that bud out of earth can be.. i smell creation.. and eternal.. truth.. and life.. and death.. within its accords.. perfume ratting 4.6 out 5 bottle ratting 4.3 out 5 edt 100 ml spray my personal liking ratting 4.6 out 5