Altamir

Altamir was never meant to be a milestone fragrance. It wasn’t a celebration or a reward or a symbol of anything grand. It was simply one of my first bottles: warm, ambered, a little syrupy, the kind of scent you buy when you’re young and hopeful and don’t yet know how much life will ask of you. I had a small PhD scholarship, a few tutoring hours at uni and a bank account that lived permanently on the edge. I didn’t know then that this inexpensive bottle would become the quiet witness to the hardest, most transformative years of my life. I didn’t know it would become the smell of my PhD. I remember the first morning I wore it. The sweetness rose around me like a soft, golden haze as I walked toward uni on September 2011, backpack heavy with articles I didn’t yet understand. There was something naïve in that sweetness, something earnest, the kind of optimism that only exists at the beginning of a long journey, before you realise how much of yourself you will have to give away. I breathed it in and felt, for a moment, like someone who belonged in that world of research and ideas, even though I was barely holding myself together on a scholarship that stretched thin and tutoring hours that kept the lights on. As the months passed, Altamir changed on my skin the same way the PhD changed me. The sweetness deepened, the leather emerged, the woods settled in. I would spray it before meeting supervisors, before teaching tutorials, before opening another document that needed rewriting for the third or fourth time. It became a small ritual, a private act of steadiness. When the work felt cold, the scent warmed me. When the world felt unstable, it grounded me. When I felt like I was dissolving into drafts and deadlines, Altamir reminded me that I still had a body, a pulse, a presence. There were nights when the campus was nearly empty, when the only light came from the screen in front of me and the only sound was the hum of the air conditioning. I would catch a faint trace of Altamir on my sleeve and feel less alone. It was a scent that didn’t judge, didn’t demand, didn’t pretend. It simply stayed. Through the exhaustion, through the uncertainty, through the quiet fear that maybe I wasn’t enough for this path I had chosen. It stayed when I questioned everything. It stayed when I kept going anyway. And then, slowly, the work began to shift. The final year arrived with its own kind of gravity. The scent softened, or maybe I did. The amber felt calmer now, less like hope and more like acceptance. The vanilla felt like breath returning to my body. The woods felt like something earned: a quiet strength carved from years of pressure. I would smell it on my wrist during late night edits and think, almost in disbelief, I’m close. Close to finishing. Close to becoming someone I had been trying to meet for years. February 2016, on the morning of my graduation, I reached for Altamir without thinking. It felt inevitable. The scent that had been with me from the first page should be with me at the last. I sprayed it onto my skin and felt the years gather themselves into a single, warm exhale. When I took my seat, second row from the front, close enough to feel the ceremony unfolding, far enough to see the whole room breathe. The amber rose softly around me, familiar and steady. It felt like a hand on my back, like a whisper saying, You made it. When my name was called, the scent lifted with me. Not triumphant, not loud, not dramatic. Just present. Just mine. A quiet companion that had walked with me through every chapter of becoming. I crossed the stage and felt the weight of the robe, the warmth of the lights, the soft glow of Altamir settling into the moment like it had been waiting for it all along. The bottle still sits on my shelf. Simple. Unassuming. A little worn around the edges. But when I open it, the years return: the sweetness of beginnings, the leather of endurance, the amber of arrival. It is not just a fragrance anymore. It is the scent of survival, of growth, of the long, winding path toward a version of myself I once doubted I would ever reach. Altamir is my PhD in amber and wood. My journey distilled. My story, worn on skin.

Altamir by Ted Lapidus is a magnific Oriental Woody fragrance for men... and women.... yes, unisex This frag has a great scent and I'm glad I blind bought it. It opens with a very pleasant pineapple and neroli. A couple of minutes later you get a strong creemy orange (orange blossom for sure) and some flower notes. After 10 minutes the devolpment slows down and you get the nicest scent and projection of this fragrance, with a magnificent heavy sweet tonka and a growing very nice amber scent. In all the stages the fragrance had a classy/expensive scent. Performance is above average with a longevity > 10 hours and a peak sillage of 6~8 feet. Projection lasts for 4~5 hours. It really seems to have EDP concentration. I do recommend this Fragrance. I will buy a backup bottle ASAP. My rates for Altamir: - Scent:.........................9.5 (my judgement, classy and hard to beat as an Oriental /Woody) - Longevity:...................9.0 ( >10 hours, 3 initial sprays) - Sillage:........................8.5 (sillage peak at 6~8 feet, projection for 4 hours) - Versatility:...................8.0 (just avoid hot days; good for any situation) - Compliments...............8.0 (3 compliments in the 1st hour; I interacted with 5 persons in that hour) - Uniqueness:................9.0 (some minor similarities with 4 upscale fragrances) - Quality:........................9.0 (it smells expensive and classy) - Presentation:...............9.0 (nice, good over all quality, except so~so sprayer) - Price:...........................10.00 (€13,50 for 125ml tester) Average: 8.89/10.00 @ spiced pikled ginger - I fully respect your opinions even if they are tottaly in opposition to my review. But when you say "Smells cheap. I dislike that word, I prefer 'inexpensive' - but there's really no other fitting way to say it - this smells cheap. I've honestly experienced better for less. ", please share with the Fragrantica community some examples of better for less. As I paid less than 14 Euros for an Altamir 125 ml tester, I really would like to by better than Altamir and pay less than €13.50 for that hidden gem.

The sweetness here is the same sweetness that I get from Halloween Man and One Million, a bit like cola but toned down to a level that is acceptable outside the club and tempered with some nice woods. That isn't to say that it smells similar to those fragrances, it doesn't. I didn't smell any florals here, but I've only worn it once to bed last night in order to test it (I bought it in summer, but I don't think it is seasonally appropriate until fall). I was actually shocked when looking at the notes today and found Neroli, Orange Blossom, and Jasmine which are all florals that I enjoy, but didn't detect at all last night. Overall I was very pleasantly surprised, though I didn't smell of it in the morning so the performance isn't beast mode like some of my other sweet fragrances. Of all my sweet fragrances, this one seems the most office safe to me both because it doesn't really reach out and tug on people's noses and because the woods (vetiver and teakwood) tone down the playfulness here to an acceptable level for a professional setting. Not as serious as Terre d'Hermes, not as playful as Le Male. Quality to price ratio is incredible. It would be signature scent worthy for it's uniqueness (no one else is wearing this), quality, and cost, but I don't think it could be worn year-round as it is too sweet for summer days unless you live somewhere that doesn't really get above 80°F or 26°C at any point during the year. For layering I think this would work nicely with woody or boozy fragrances, and I can't think of anything that would clash with this off the top of my head.

It's supposedly going to hit a toasty 75° today - and in the Pacific Northwest in early Spring, that's pretty damn toasty! Armed with this news, I am continuing the trend of reaching for the delicious vanillas in my collection with hints of florals and a touch of greenery - and donning an underrated gem, Altamir by Ted Lapidus! I don't know how or why I decided to buy this fume - it was likely due to the kind reviews on Fragrantica as well as a ridiculously low price tag. I am so glad that I blind bought it as it is one of my favorite cheapies that I rotate in the Spring and Summer. It opens with a slightly off- putting 80's like vibe with some bitter herbs and florals. Keep in mind that this fume is quite synthetic - I cannot truly detect many notes outside of the neroli and vanilla. So, this odd opening morphs into a slightly woody vanilla after about 30 minutes to an hour. The woody/herby vanilla lasts three to four hours while developing into an absolutely decadent frothy vanilla ice cream scent with the faintest touch of herbs and something my nose decodes as a warm cumin floating in and out of perception (much like the vanilla and cumin combo of CH 212 Sexy Man). I love this stage and it lasts for eight to ten hours while quieting into a gentle vanilla - such an amazing vanilla! If you love vanilla and if you love ice cream, give this treat a chance! Day 6: Just another day Listening to: Daughter - New Ways

Oh man, this is definitely a love from first sniff. It's an ambery floral that has vintage vibes but done so magnificently that it feels like a modern fragrance. So it's a modern take on an old school ambery white floral that is on the border line of unisex, leaning masculine to my nose. Maybe an older sophisticated woman can pull this off. I don't know why I imagined a female judge or lawyer pulling this off. It's starts off with a blast of semi-sweet fruity citrus. I can't tell what kind of citrusy fruits, sweet but pleasant. The muskiness of the florals ties in so beautifully to cut the fragrance and it balances the sweetness out exquisitely. After that, when it starts to settle and begins it's transitional phase, you get this ambery slightly powdery floral scent embedded with vanilla and woods. A little bit of earthiness as well just to give it a back bone and even the florals with the Tonka/vanilla. It's buttery smooth, even though it has a tad touch of a faint powdery feeling at the end of each snif you take. I don't think it's synthetic. It's actually really well blended and of good quality...For that price? Just delicious. I already stacked up a few. If you are a man and you don't like florals in your fragrance, then this is not going to be for you. Leave it for the real men, men with character. who can wear this without having to worry about what others think of them.

First spray: Neroli, Orange Blossom, Amber and to me it has a memorable resemblance to the grape blossoms I used to smell in Eastern Washington vineyards, which gives it a commonality with the original Lapidus fragrance. Perhaps this is from the undertone of the pineapple. 5 minutes: Add a very nice vanilla scent from the tonka and some floral from the jasmine. At this point it becomes sweeter and softer, but not an annoying sweet. 10 minutes: The earthiness of patchouli is starting to wander in, along with a bit of woody bite from the teak. Still dominated by amber/vanilla tones. 15 minutes: The pineapple sweetness has faded a bit and is now a warm and well blended fragrance with a bit of earthiness. 20 minutes: Now I can detect a bit of vetiver and musk, but i think this is where the scent will ride for a bit. 40 minutes: By now it has become a earthy vanilla amber that pops out a note of jasmine on occasion, and teak on another occasion. The pineapple sweetness is gone, and once in a while I still get a whiff of neroli. I think from here it becomes a little more woody. This is a very nice fragrance. I could have only imagined what this could have been like with a bit of cardamom in it. An excellent scent on a blind buy. It's a "comforting" scent.

Honey-roasted almonds, vanilla, amber, orange blossom, and a 'creamy' concoction of pineapple-vetiver...the wonders of this scent is very difficult to describe in words only. A mellow,creamy, and floral fragrance that brings in warm relaxing thoughts. The musk in it evokes warm memories of fragrances your dad and uncles wore in the early 90s. This classy vibe along with the modern floral has given birth to the best fragrance that $25 and under could buy. A more romantic and masculine form of Givenchy Pi with the citrus undertones of Le Male. At times it might almost smell like Le Male...but quickly goes entirely different directions. Le Male goes minty while Altamir goes floral-vanilla. Two sprays of this on the neck and you would soar all day. It is almost like falling in deep love with oneself. I have used a lot of wonderful fragrances under 25$, but this is winner by a loooong loooong shot. I would gladly pay 3 times the amount for this. Again, this cannot be described in words. This has to be experienced first-nosed. Blind buy this with an open mind. This might be the best 25$ you ever spend. NB: Altamir has the best sprayer of any fragrance that I have ever used. Squirts the perfect amount of juice. Still cannot believe I got 4.2oz for 21$.

This is pretty interesting. My mother and I both blind-bought two bottles of this for my father and my brother (we got it at a steal of a price, and bought it despite knowing the two weren't fragrance junkies). Take note that when we sprayed it, it smelt divine on all four of us. Except of course, my brother didn't like it, so I gladly snatched the bottle for myself. It's very amber-vanilla-wood-orange blossom on me. It's very complex, warm, and smooth. It stays on my skin for a long time, but doesn't project very far, but that's okay as I'm still able to smell it throughout the day. I'm surprised to find it labelled as 'men' and not 'unisex', because this could easily be marketed as unisex successfully. If I mixed several of my favourite perfumes together, I would probably get something very similar to this, meaning that this fits right into my collection. Honestly, on my skin, this smells like Tabu by Dana and Ciara by Revlon had a baby, but it's much softer than the two mentioned sillage monster fragrances. This is DEFINITELY staying in my collection, no question. The only reason I'm sad that my father liked the bottle he received, was because I wasn't able to nab that as well!

I love this scent, simply love it. It's like if you were wearing a bouquet of flowers. Maybe some people can find it has a too "feminine" side, but it's a wonderful scent. A rain of white flowers on a vanilla base. I don't see vanilla in main notes, but I feel a smooth vanilla base probably because of tonka beans. It's something similar to Pi by Givenchy, but even slightly more intense and with a more marked personality. After having used both fragrances, I'd say Altamir is better than Pi on my skin. Projection, longevity and sillage are very good, and the price is more affordable than other designer fragrances. This is another fragrance that is perfect for hot and humid tropical countries. The scent of white flowers gives the freshnes, but the tonka beans give the strenght. It has a perfect projection, not too close to skin not too overpowering, a delicious and magic sillage and an unbeatable longevity. Every time I use this fragrance I feel optimistic, cheerful and determined to live and enjoy life. A very good perfume for self confident men that love life. After having tried several TL perfumes I can say Ted Lapidus fragrances are among the best in the market.

Altamir isn't much on the Complex side yet still this complexity manages to create the Illusion of Pleasantly Overwhelming Woody Vanilla. i can't say i find it to be close to Le Male or Silver Shadow at all. overall it is one of the most Unisex Ted Lapidus Fragrances i had, and it seems to draw compliments from older women. in fact some even asked me if it is a Male fragrance. the current Bottle is my Second Altamir bottle. the first one was used mostly during the Middle Eastern Summers and i find it to be a very suitable fragrance for warmer climates where the delicate summer aquatics just seem to vanish quickly this one does the work, and yet with it's noticable hints of Vanilla. manages to suprass the effects of high humidity and sweat inducing weather. in fact it's mixture with my sweat also produces nice effect. it is not as Long Lasting as TL pour Homme or TL Black Extreme. i would say it's Longevity is 70% of the Above ones. and the Sillage is more gentle and Polite than others. for it's Price and bottle size, and also impressive bottle. it is a very good and recommended Purchase. i will conclude with two words that come to my head: Vanilla Charm .

Extremely underrated and overlooked frag. Can be found for an absolute bargain. I would classify it as a 'must-have' and an easy blind buy after checking the notes. Masculine but also sweet. The white floral notes stay throughout the lifetime of the scent but never becomes sickly sweet or too rich, it's very well balanced. What I really like about this scent is that it keeps the top notes and doesn't devolve into the typical boring vanilla/tonka bean base overload that all winter frags have these days. For that reason I think it could be a good signature scent, because I think it's unique and stands out at the price point. Versatility is very good, office and gym friendly. More suited to slightly cooler weather and evenings/nights, but honestly could get away with almost any occasion or time of year. Good for any age as well. Performance overall is above average. Longevity is very good, projection is ok. If you want to really boost projection, it does well on clothes, will leave a decent scent trail with over spraying. Price is silly cheap, it's a steal.

Altamir, is truly a great cologne. Being a lover of anything vanilla based, and Altamir has a brilliantly warm vanilla, Amber and Spicy base. It is similar to Le Male, and Gaultier 2 meets the charm of Givenchy PI. I'd however prefer this over the other 3 I mentioned, this is Fresh yet warm orange blossom, with a bouquet of jasmine showered in neroli andd tonka beans, drizzled in soft alluring amber. Altamir during its mid drydown smells like roasted almonds, glazed with honey, its almost powdery yet bold, welcoming and also soothing to the wearer. despite it being strong and sweet it does not trigger up my sinuses, and it does get me compliments Galore. The women really go Nuts For this, when they smell it off me. Hehe so its a big win from ME. Rating- 9/10. ADD ON- this fragrance projects for like 4 hours and then lays close to the skin, however its Longevity is AMAZING, I sprayed it at 5am one morning and my friend when she hugged me at 7pm was like wow you smell like soft vanilla wood. That is really impressive.

A very likeable scent in my opinion. The floral notes are very minimal to my nose. I get mainly Tonka and vanilla with a hint of sweet orange. It almost smells like cookie dough. After an hour or so it becomes a vanilla and amber scent on my skin and lasts a long time (at least 8 hours on my skin). The floral notes occasionally float through the tonka and musk notes, but this doesn’t really transition through many layers. Projection is moderate, and it’s not a room filler unless really over-sprayed. Overall it’s a warm and comfortable scent, probably better on mature wearers. It’s more unisex leaning to masculine to me. It’s better for cooler months. If you like tonka/vanilla/musky scents this is an easy blind buy for the price. If you don’t like those scents, you won’t like this. I must mention the price... this a low price for a high quality fragrance. Bottle presentation is solid as well. Nice stuff.

Wow. When I sprayed it on paper, even though it is not a note the fragrance smells of a beautiful pipe tobacco to me, reminding me of when my father would take puffs of his sweet smelling Captain Black. While I know it doesn't smell like that, it's the memory that it evokes. I get unlisted velvety nutmeg, neroli, and light citruses (pineapple comes off as citrus to me here) on the open that transitions big time into tonka sweet orange blossom (the star of the fragrance) with jasmine accents. In the base it warms, giving me that Captain Black feeling (less on skin than paper admittedly) as the patchouli, teak, grasses, and musk combine with the tonka and amber to give me that nostalgic scent. I love this. I also believe this is quite unisex; ladies, if you are into scent profiles like Polysnifferous Amberish Absolute Intense and The Queen, you would probably enjoy this as well.

Altamir smells like a cross between Bogart Pour Homme (very sweet and powdery tonka beans) and JPG Le Male aromatic DNA. If you don't like sweet or powder notes stay away, cause this one stays sweet and powdery from the beginning to the end. I bought a bottle in 2019 and the performance is good, in my case it projects moderately for 2-3 hours, after that I get constant whiffs from time to time, reminding me that it's not gone, it's still there. On clothes it stays for 1-2 days, on skin I sprayed at 5 pm (indoors) and I could smell it the next morning before showering. Yes, it's not very masculine, it may not suit certain individuals, it's more unisex, women can wear it too, but is this a bad cologne? No way. People voted here on fragrantica and the rating is 4.18/5, more likes and loves than dislikes. I personally like it too, I wear it regularly in the cold season.

I bought this blindly (based purely on revoews here), and have to say, very happy with the purchase. If you like Fleur De Male, Givenchy Pi and Gaultier2, then this is for you since it becomes similar to one of these 3 at some point of development. Top notes are similar to FDM, then the heart is similar to Gaultier2, but with some spices there (have no idea what creates that on my skin!), and then finishes with the base scent of Pi. Since it seems to be a mix of 3 unisex scents (Yes, PI is unisex without a doubt), off course the end result is going to be unisex too. Now, consider for a moment those 3 fragances this one emulates, and the conclusion must be, this one is a winner. If you add the insane low price for a 4.0oz of Altamir, and that NOBODY may be using it in a 100 miles radius from where you are, and this is no longer a winner, is a MUST BUY NOW.

I have received this cologne as a gift, from a very special friend of mine, and I wore it yesterday for the 1st time. Basically, it is similar to Gaultier2, however with a hint of fruits. For those who think that Gaultier2 is too invasive, Altamir is the perfect option! I could also say that this one is more masculine than the other, even though, Gaultier2 is classified as a unisex scent, it might tend to the feminine according to the person's skin. The fruity touch in Altamir comes from the pineapple leaves, which make an absurd difference. Other difference is that, in this one, there's no vanilla but jasmine, orange blossom and tonka beans, giving a dryer aspect than the Gaultier2, which is "creamy". To finish, it worth remember the vetiver in its base, giving masculinity to the fragrance. Wonderful lasting!

I got this one because I had a coupon and its worth way more that the $15 I paid for it. It smells exactly like L'Envol de Cartier Eau de Parfum to me so much that I think it may have inspired it. It has subtle floral notes and a strong combo of amber and honey. The dry down is where the powdery jasmine notes take over. Its not a loud fragrence so its a real arms length scent so if no one is close to you they may not pick it up. Its perfect for date night/intimate scent For about 6-7 sprays I get 10+ hours and this was yesterday when it was cold outside. We're now in the Mardi Gras season and some of the days have been in the upper 80s and this didn't become as cloying as I thought it would. This was a steal and Im glad I took a chance on it

I am a woman and I bought this for my husband. He usually likes fresh citrus cents but I wanted him to try something else. To me this is a unisex scent and we both tried it. WOW! What a suprise. I will definately use it as an evening fragrance. Somehow it smells familiar but I have not yet identified which one it remindes me of. Lovely, soft warm, spicy, highly recommended. Update. I tried this yesterday after a shower, Atamir on one arm and JPG Classic on the other and they are very smilar if not identic. JPG is a tiny tiny bit sweeter in the drydown while Atamir is warmer and lasts forever (almost). 12 hour after the sprits it was still there, a wonderful soft skin scent, very comforting.

First time i sprayed it i was immediatly hitted by the neroli and that neroli note it's the exact same neroli that Ajmal used in Evoke Him Gold! Because of that i tought this was a redundant buy but luckily i was wrong. That neroli notes fades away after 10 minutes and Altamir becomes a floral-vanilla heaven scent, shockingly good, sweet, a little bit feminine but in the same time elegant and classy. It's impossible to go wrong with this, it's 100% a crowdpleaser. Performances are fine, 5-6 hours on skin with moderate to low sillage. Bottle is gorgeous and the sprayer is garbage. Edit: some of my friends said to me that in the air this smell a litlle bit like 1 Million, interesting.. 9/10