Vapeurs Diablotines

Boy, do people love to exaggerate. This isn't anywhere AS shocking or provoking as some reviews below suggest. Certainly it isn't your average pretty scent - so sampling is indeed a good idea. But don't expect to gasp and rush to open windows either - not really. It starts off with the smell that's released moments after you extinguish wax candles - somewhat smoky and ...well...acrid-waxy. But not in a bad way, interestingly. Rather in an atmospheric way, which I think is captured by other reviews below about being in a temple etc. I agree. It's realistic and warm and transports you to some sort of place of worship. In itself that's a very clever metaphor for an olfactive love potion, assuming the nose did intend to suggest romantic love is a form of worship. From the incensey start, it gradually morphs into an animalic, vanillic amber. The incense remains in the background. Not sure when the mood will strike to wear this, but I DO enjoy it AND respect the vision and execution. Great fragrance.

Soft leather with some dried fruits and heady florals (rose, jasmine) and some spicy geranium. Very complex scent that changes A LOT! It becomes somewhat dirty and dark at the dry down. But this is definitely an amazing perfume journey. UPD: its start might be a bit challenging, because it smells a bit like gasoline and burnt plastic for a couple of minutes. Follow me on IG: scent.guide

Masterfully blended, juicy and spicy oriental, with a distinctive faux leather note on top that makes it quite special. Eminently wearable and addictive.

I really like this. Very herbal and aromatic. Definitely perfect for autumn. Has a smokey earthy vibe and it’s warmed up by spices. Animalic but not overly so. It’s sexy and enticing and I keep coming back to sniff myself over and over. A unique blend and FBW.

Very unique, earthy, ambery, but not heavy. I can sniff something like smoky flowers scent. Kind of temples smell. Perfectly unisex frangrance, I think.

Oh, man, I almost love this. The smoky woodsiness is quite unique and is unlike the other perfumes I have in this category. But I can’t get past the soapy accord floating through here. It’s really dissonant with the whole and makes for an unpleasant “after-smell.”

Mmmm, bit too polite and lightweight for me, wish it was more powerful. It sounds great on paper but really doesn't have much presence on my skin, despite several big sprays. I know I've got a problem when I can smell my beard oil more than my fragrance 😕.

For those that say they don't want to smell like anybody else then this is for you. It starts off with a strong gasoline/smoky vibe for 30 minutes but gravitates to dry and spicy with a touch of sweetness. Very bold in character and not mass appealing. I am done using my sample and do not like this not 1 bit. Too animalic and spicy for my liking.

The first SLM fragrance I can confidently recognise as unisex! A bit of a mish-mash though: I get none of the opening citrus/spicy notes or the smoky dry down, just a suedey and faintly animalic scent, a bit like a dog's leash or cleaning day at the leather bar. Hardly a love potion and not something I could ever wear myself.

There's no denying that Vapeurs Diablotines is fascinating in an almost S&M leather bar way. Man, this stuff is not playing around. It says in a deep baritone voice, "who's your Daddy?" I'm a little scared. It takes vintage ashy Jacomo de Jacomo, the rubbery Bvlgari Black, the charred-spice CDG Black, and L'Artisan Dzing! and turns them all up to 11 at once. I am not sure if I can handle ALL of this ALL at once. It's a bit suffocating and has me almost involuntarily uttering "yes sir." There is nothing disarming to ease the bondage, as it were, for a good hour. That's too much for too long. This soapy accord also renders it almost a bit PVC garment smelling, which to be honest, is even more of a horror. This is an after hours that I just do not want to visit. I am sure it will satisfy a certain sensibility, though.

This has become my favorite perfume especially to go out dancing, clean scents tend to smell like burning rubber when you start to sweat so I prefer sweetish scents. It is very comforting yet haunting. It smells like when you go to light a candle to burn at an catholic church and they have frankincense burning in the background, it's kind of damp smelling, kind of sweet like skin naturally is. I spray this whenever I go take a bath and spray it on my hair and burn copal, so it strangely reminds me of a bath, or being inside a sweat lodge. When I go dancing I mix this with shagaf oud, and gourmand bakhoor, to make it extra sweet, smoky, and to boost the insence.

Very spicy, earthy, aromatic, complex. Unisex, but I recommend sampling.