Fanfare

#143 of My Fragrance Journey - Thameen Fanfare: The market after the flowers have gone Getting to the Flower Market before anyone else shows up is either brilliant or a mistake - I'm still not sure which. The stalls are empty under the iron arches, but the air holds everything that just happened. Crushed green stems, wet cobblestones going grey in the cold morning light. It's not the polished boutique version of flowers. It's the raw end of the harvest - what's left after everyone's taken what they came for. That's where this starts. The citrus hits first, and it's expensive. Not loud, not showy - more like peeling a lemon with warm hands while the shower steam's still in the room. Clean, deliberate, unhurried. But if you think it's staying for long, you've misread it. Within a few minutes it just steps back, stops performing, and makes room for something heavier. What comes through next is not easy. Dry vermouth, gin botanicals, green angular herbs that don't soften for you - it's bitter and blunt and completely unbothered by whether you're comfortable with it. It doesn't try to charm you across a room. It just stands there with this quiet, almost physical weight and waits for you to close the distance. The texture gets tactile - damp earth, crushed leaves, something that feels like it's staining your hands. This is the part where Fanfare decides if you're staying or leaving. Most people will decide right here. If you stay, it eventually loosens. The sharpness relaxes, but the presence doesn't - a clean, warm musk rises up from the skin, vetiver and dark patchouli anchoring it underneath. There's something classically masculine in the structure, but not performed. More like someone who's already made their point and doesn't need to repeat it. It moves from austere to quietly comfortable, holds its shape on the skin like warmth left in a room after someone's left. Don't confuse the citrus disappearing fast with weakness - that's not what's happening here. This is an EDP that projects with proper control and sticks around long after anything in its price neighbourhood would have faded. It's not a safe blind buy, and it's not asking for quick approval. It takes patience. But stay with it long enough, and it becomes one of those fragrances that's just hard to look away from. Vibe: iron arches, crushed stems, cold wet cobblestones at dawn Performance: genuine longevity, measured projection - built to last the whole day Fit: mild weather, evenings, anyone who doesn't need their fragrance to be immediately liked Does the bitterness at the start feel like character to you, or does it ask too much before it gives anything back? More scent stories and visuals on Instagram - @lavendercloudsjd

Fanfare: Familiar in structure, but utterly unexpected in execution. 🍋 🧩 🪵 💛 🍸 The opening is: a burst of citrus that’s sharp, almost pungent, and deliciously acidic. That lemon note is bold and bracing, slightly acerbic, and immediately alive on skin. It wakes you up. It tingles. It feels electric. The sharpness doesn’t linger too long, but while it’s there, it’s intoxicating. This fragrance feels effervescent and radiant, playful yet confident, with a touch of impertinence that makes it deeply modern. It starts bright and sparkling, then slowly deepens: becoming darker, warmer, and more intriguing as it unfolds. I find it completely fascinating. I don’t really wear it myself(maybe just a touch), but I love smelling this on a man. It has an undeniable presence. Longevity is excellent, and the projection is strong, but never overwhelming. What truly sets Fanfare apart is the way the citrus and neroli melt into something almost floral and tender: at times reading like linden blossom, before herbal nuances begin to surface. As it settles, vetiver, clean musk, and a whisper of patchouli add depth and sensuality. There’s drama in FanFare and complexity here, but it remains elegant and beautifully composed.

Michael Caine walking down a rainy London street. Sampling this one at the moment and it has become a GRAIL scent. I say grail because at $300/bottle, it's quite a lot to spend on a fragrance...but man I love it. After wearing it, I've found it has this alluring masculine version of a honeysuckle accord created by the neroli, bergamot and vermouth that I find intoxicating. The artwork of this fragrance starts off sharp and almost astringent in an oddly familiar way. Very quickly it softens with a cooling sensation down to a bright citrus. The floral notes sit at the edge and while I don't think it's tuberose, it does give off a yellow edge. As it dries down further, the honeysuckle accord gets a bit stronger. The earthiness of the patchouli creeps in to ground it, while the vetiver (which I'm sure is a Haitian vetiver) keeps it clean and airy. I absolutely love this scent. One of the few fresh scents I would wear in year round... even in the coldest of winters. This is a masterpiece, eloquently executed.

At first, it almost repelled me with its frank eau de cologne vibe, with sharp lemon, juniper berries, and neroli. That's eau de cologne for you! Nothing, as they say, foretold what was coming, but then there was a complete 180-degree turn, which the consultant warned me about. On the test strip, the lemon and juniper lingered much longer, but on the skin, it quickly transitions to the second phase. I feel the softness, and sweetness of vermouth, and light floral notes. The aroma is very delicate, sweet, and somewhat holographic. Sharp and bitter gin with lemon, which suddenly turned into vermouth with cream soda and sprigs of rosemary and juniper. Everything that sizzles on ice and sparkles. Later, I learned that this is only the first fragrance from the "Britcologne Collection" series, so let's wait and see what else Christopher Chong will present. I'm excited to see more.

One of my favourite discoveries of 2025. The way the lemon note is combined with neroli and what I perceive as linden blossom creates one of the most unique scents I have ever experienced. It is beautiful and instantly puts a smile on my face. It transports me into two separate stories, like parallel universes. One straight into July, when linden blossoms fill the streets of Bucharest, and the other to a seaside holiday on the Mediterranean coast, where lemons smell intensely fragrant and other flowering trees mingle in the air. To me, this is cologne perfection. Unisex, refreshing, and long-lasting. Any season, day or night.

I really like this one. It’s strong yet airy, and it lingers beautifully throughout the day, I catch gentle whiffs of it here and there. What really draws me in is the natural smell of linden flowers, it opens like a crisp cologne infused with linden, and as it dries down, it becomes surprisingly similar to Fleur Narcotique!

Christopher Chong never dissapoints. This is incredible, addictive and extremely versatile. I love a perfume that manages to be loud without being obnoxious. The reviewer below who called it seductive rather than fresh was spot on. Smell it as soon as you can!

This is a very unique scent. A sophisticated mix of floral notes and lemon leaves. The silage and longevity are enormous. Not everyone around would like or appreciate this scent tho. The price is too much kinda also.

Cold, fruity, sweet, a little boozy......LOOOOOVE! And while I love Gentle Fluidity silver, this is completely different. Just because a fragrance shares a note or 2 with another, doesn’t mean they are similar.

Beautiful journey! An underrated gem, a treasure to be adored. This is for those who are looking for a non-linear rollercoaster of emotions with various floral notes surprising at each and every step. Lovely!

Genuinamente una de las creaciones mas interesantes con las que me topado, es ligeramente salado y dulce a la vez.

An absolute must for the summer and not only, very good longevity, sillage and uniqueness.. The girls love it!!

Wow very strong. Explosive juicy citrus neroli frag. First thameen I’ve tried and I’m super impressed.

A unique natural note heavy take on that freshie cologne that represents an interesting change of pace for this Oriental focused house. The scent opens with notes of bergamot, lemon, neroli and floral notes. The heart is juniper berries, rosemary and vermouth. The perfume settles on a powdery musk base, surrounded by vetiver and slight patchouli. The unisex slightly masculine leaning scent has moderate to strong projection and good longevity. Overall nice, but not hugely exceptional. Worth trying out for cologne lovers who are looking for something slightly different and more natural smelling. Enjoy!

Oh I absolutely love it since it's so uplifting. Fresh, slightly aromatic, maybe even grassy, citrus and juniper berries. My husband says it reminds of some kind of soap, but I cannot detect it as soapy - or soap-resembling - at all. I only wish it would last a bit longer. I'm interested of trying this out during winter as well since I'm thinking this could be such a mood boost for a gloomy, dark day before it's snowy in December. EDIT: YES, it is such a mood booster during the darkest months of winter! 😍

A New Twist on Classic Cologne - Fanfare by Thameen The Britologne series by Thameen consists of contemporary interpretations of the traditional cologne structure. Fanfare features distinct floral and juniper notes, adding an unexpected twist that really shines in warm weather. Fanfare and the others in this series are labeled as "Cologne Elixir." While I'm not entirely sure what this means in terms of concentration, these fragrances have excellent sillage and projection.

Feels really fresh, like a lemony breeze on a hot summer's day. The first few minutes really remind me of Hermes H24 Herbes Vives, photorealistic lawn clippings. It does settle to a slightly more appealing citrusy (as @PearlGarden stated before me, like peeling a pomelo fruit). For the price I don't think it amazes me enough to be honest, but give it a shot if you can.

Nice citrussy aromatic fresh scent with a touch of wood and florals. It's a nice scent but not worth the price tag IMO. It's perfectly unisex to me. Longevity and silage are both about the average.

I was at Selfridges and looking for a new perfumes when I came sale at Thameen. It was a new brand to me. I asked the salesperson for some fresh, aromatic fragrances, and she showed me Fanfare at first. At first, I liked it, the opening was quite citrusy and fresh. The dry down as well very nice, woody, vetiver, and patchouli. I liked it at the time. But then she showed me Bohemian Infusion. I fell in love with that perfume and end up buying Bohemian Infusion instead. Weeks later, I came across Fanfare on Harrods at 70% off, I immediately bought it. It just arrived today, and when I sprayed it, it's nothing like I remember from the store. In the store it was quite fresh, woody, type of fragrance. The one I got today, I can smell nothing but Floral notes and Neroli in it. On my skin and paper it is quite floral heavy. I liked it at first in the store, but when I bought it, and it arrived today, I can't seem to like it. May be I will let it sit and macerate for a few weeks or months, and see. Fragrance - 3/5 Longevity - 4/5 Projection - 3/5 Sillage - 3/5 overall - 6.5/10 I would say, its not blind buy safe, sample it first. If you can get it on discounter, go for it. Not worth the full price though.

This is a citrusy , green , fresh boozy scent. Really evokes the image of a night bar in a middle of a flowery garden. It's unique as a composition, constructed on a classic cologne accord but made unique by the floral green aroma which has leafy feel, that keeps playing from the top to the dry down with a strong boozy background. An absolute try before you buy scent as it's unique and not easy to relate to other releases. I don't see this as a day summer scent under the sun but a night summer scent due to the boozy and floral qualities that overcome the zesty citruses. A solid unique release but not for my taste. Wish you pleasurable exploration.

In a fragrant universe that has scores and scores of sublime citrus aromatics, easily under 100 dollars, most of which can be for under 50, I find the proposition of charging nearly 300 dollars as being beyond the pale. Using functional grade lemonile to extend that lemon by no means warrants the price tag either. Boucheron Pour Homme is better, even in current formulation, and it can be had for 25 bucks. Fanfare is highway robbery of the niche kind: stop the insanity.

I was excited to sample this. It was supposed to be a floral gin and tonic scent. I have worn it twice and smell nothing but a very floral, slightly orangish scent. I don't dislike the smell, but it didn't exactly come across as advertised on my skin. It comes across very pleasant and realistic, but if I'd paid $240 for a bottle I'd be upset.

This scent reminds me of a store of some kind. As if you are in an old part of town and steps into an antiquarian, curio boutique or similar. I can absolutely appreciate the scent itself, but not as a perfume, neither on me or someone i cuddle with.

Fanfare is a floral sweet citrus fragrance, with almost a hint of cherry. Its def a unisex perfume, however for me its sadly unisex in a way that I don't know who would wear it. Not realy my cup of tea.

العطر جميل لكنه غير منعش رغم وجود الحمضيات فيه إلا أنك تشعر بثقل بسبب وجودها ، يبدو أن الإفتتاحية تحتوي على قشر ليمون أو ليمون أخضر مما يعطي شعور الحمضيات المر فيه عطر جميل كعطر ربيعي أو صيفي بأجواء مكتبية وليس بأجواء حارة

The initial impression of this scent is fresh, and its performance is exceptionally strong. However, the drydown has a scent reminiscent of funeral flowers or an Albatross bathroom deodorizer.

This is a dislike for me, one of the few dislikes of the house. Looking at the notes I would think this to be in the colognia style, but It's like a candied floral and just isn't my thing.

This was such a letdown. I had high-hopes for this fragrance just based off of what I read, but it doesn't live up to the hype, sadly. I got a 10ml sample size of Fanfare at a Niche fragrance store in the city. Starting with the positives, the opening is by far the best part of Fanfare. You get some of the best citrus notes, but not at all overpowering. Sadly, the opening fades away almost as quickly as it starts. The main problem with this fragrance are the floral-notes. They are so cloying and overpowering, that Fanfare becomes this cacophony of screeching florals; a literal flower-bomb. The only thing unisex about Fanfare is the opening. Once that fades, all you're left with is a sickly, sweet floral scent. The vermouth note is so faint behind the florals that it may as well not be there. For a brief moment in the dry-down, it does share a similarity with Thameen's Royal Sapphire. However, Royal Sapphire is far more well-crafted and blended, the notes actually compliment each other. Whereas the notes in Fanfare don't blend at all and are competing with each other to be noticed. The double-edged sword with Fanfare is the longevity; it lasts a for a reasonably long time on skin and even longer on clothing. However, you will not want to smell like this fragrance for longer than an hour. $390 CAD is not only insanely overpriced, but it's almost insulting to attach that price-tag to such a nauseating fragrance.

I want to like this by the listing of the notes, and I do like the citrus aspect, but I'm also getting a skunky sulphuric facet like when you smell boxwood or black currant, which I detest. I pretty much get the citrus, that, and patchouli. I don't mind patchouli when it's used to amplify other materials, but don't generally like it when I can smell it in a blend-and I definitely smell it here. If you don't mind those notes, this may be your cup of tea-it's just not mine personally.

FANFARE, 2024 by @thameen.london Two friends talked with a smile about the day when they watched a musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion (1913). They wanted to remembered the laughs, the joy, and the subvertive elements of that show. So, @brunojovanovicperfumer and @cchonguk envisioned Fanfare. Fanfare is as elegant and eccentric as Prof. Higgins; it opens with a noticable citrus top with herbaceous undertones which makes me think of a cup of a delicate earl gray. In which location? Obviously, the Piazza (Covent Garden Piazza) and its flower market. This is conjured by a floral bouquet, which is very very sublte, but yet noticable. The trick here is to make the accord evident but not ovrwhelming so to not eclipse the evolution of the scent. The notes of the floral acord are undisclosed, but I think there is neroli, a hint of orange blossom, and a suggestion of tuberose. As the afternoon proceeds, Higgins go outfor a drink and Fanfare transitions from tea to an iced glass of vermouth: the accord is so realistic that I suddenly becomes thirsty. The rosemary and the juniper berries gives herbaceous vibrancy to the atmosphere. The woody notes and musks of the late drydown gives depth to the entire composition. With Fanfare, Mr. Chong subverted the cologne genre, reviving that olfactory profile in the same way as Shaw's Pygmalion has been revived by many adaptations in different media. Fanfare is sensual, elegant and aristocratic, but also bold, playful and, in a certain sense, unique. In Chong's words, it is also genderful (and not genderless) "by being inclusive of all genders and identities" and hence is also playfully subverting as much as that great humorist that was G.B. Shaw. And so, about genderfulness: while wearing Fanfare, whether I fell like the aristocratic phonetic accademic that was Higgins or wheter I fell like a shouting Eliza in disguise surronded by bunches of flowers...well, this is up to debate! Consider followinhg me on IG @alexolympia6

Squarely in the herbal liqueur scent category. Scents like this always make me think I spilled a cocktail on myself and decided on leaving it to dry on my clothes. Despite that, this is nice and I think it would be fun to wear. It feels very rich and has a strong, boozy, semi-sweet vermouth note. It's way more dense and syrupy than I thought, which doesn't really lend itself to high-heat occasions unfortunately. The vetiver gives it a leathery feel in the dry down, where I sense a faint rubbery slickness. It's not an effervescent, sparkling tonic of citrus, but more of a seductive medley of rosemary, muddled, fermented fruits, and neroli. There's definitely some degree of freshness, but it's a little balmy feeling with the juniper, and the patchouli further supports a damp and spicy base for the herb cocktail to mix around in. Based on the projection my testing strip was exhibiting I'd say this has great performance too. Whether you like alcohol-themed frags is a personal thing, and because I haven't wanted to dive into that genre this feels unique to my nose. Closest I've smelled that's similar may be citrus leathers, but it's not as scratchy or heavy as those either. Anyways, I'm impressed with the strength and boldness of the herbal accord, which feels engineered to turn heads, but it's not really my style. There's a complexity here that I really can't judge without a full wear though- experiencing the sillage in the heat may uncover more of the spicy-fresh citrus facets, but first impressions have it oscillating more towards the richer side.

Fanfare is a skilful blend of effervescent citrus and beguiling floral notes with herbaceous undertones which captivates as it unfolds. It is a unique and interesting reinterpretation of the classic cologne style with some whimsy and impertinence for the contemporary audience. Fanfare leads with tart lemon, intense freshness of juniper berries and smooth neroli. The acute acerbity of the lemon unsettled me at first but is short lived and the scent journey takes a few surprise twists thereafter. As the sharpness of the citrus settles, the floral heart quickly emerges which adds a sophisticated sensuality to the composition. In the most quiet of ways, there is a honeysuckle note with its distinctive sweetness fused with the fermented aroma of the davana plant and soft moss. The bitter herbal tones are aerated and lifted by the white florals. The vetiver base is joined by clean musk and ends with a whimper of patchouli. There is complexity, depth and drama whilst retaining composure and airiness throughout.

Christopher Chong adds that element of subversion (and what I see as social class struggle) to make Thameen's scents retain their British DNA, but with an added contemporary energy. The Britolognes tell me a story of a time long gone and of friendship and love. It is difficult to choose a favourite, but Bruno Jovanovic strikes some chords with his Fanfare: whether, when I spray it, I feel as Prof. Higging or I feel Eliza in disguise, it is open to debate; but, rest assured, this scent is like a convivial moment with abundance of friends (and drinks) before hitting the theatre to watch George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. A fantastically refreshing glass of Vermouth sitted in the Piazza, surronded by some wiffs of flowers from the market. Interesting drydown that with the vetiver keeps the herbaceous feeling of the opening. Consider following me on IG @alexolympia6

Some people say it smells like a coctail or a lemonde. And yes it does. The other way i would describe this is pretty simple... This smells like tasting skinny lemon slice dipped in sugar. All jokes aside, I think this fragrance is phenomenal because the sillage is extremely strong and performance is impressive, on top of those sugared lemony notes, this is a long lasting and joyful scent. At first sniff, you may recognize this as more feminine scent because of that sweetness. But if a guy loves sweet fragrances for himself this will work extremely well for him. The mix of ingredients smells luxurious, and i could imagine a man wearing this with a linen white suit and tom ford sunglasses in some yacht...

From the Britologne quadruple line of Thameen, this one is the first and, in my opinion, the best! It’s a kind of revision in the traditional Cologne structure to improve performance that has led to a unique interpretation, Cologne Elixir (maybe something like Roja Parfum Cologne). Anyway, who cares, it’s just a perfect performance that works! Fanfare starts with a fresh citrus explosion that doesn’t last long. It then transitions into a rich, herbal aromatic accord with a prominent spicy undertone. This powerful structure pairs perfectly with the orange blossom floral dance on the skin. Finally, a mossy musky bed hints at the classic masculine cologne.

Usually lemon doesn't last long on me or any citruses in fact, but this one has extremely good longevity and projection. Lemon, white flowers and vanilla is what I get from it. Extremely beautiful, fresh, velvety and just amazing. Not sickly sweet like syrup (not like DG- Devotion but if u like it you will enjoy Funfare). Nothing synthetic about this one, one of the best lemon perfumes. safe blind buy. Wow.

This time, the powdery-flowery notes overtook the rest of the composition. The previous times I wore this fragrance, was all about the vermouth and the Juniper berries. Using the 1mm sample from Scent Split. I don't really like the wearing as today. Totally worth buying a sample, not a blind buy safe I'll say. Ill definitely pass on this one.

A bright green, slightly vegetal fragrance with a sharp tart neroli and florals. Drys down to a kind of candied lemon with musk, to my nose. Smells good, but Im not really in the market for this kind of scent right now, as I already have multiple neroli dominant fragrances that accomplish something similar to this.

Juicy lemon, lime and a hint of mint with a green petitgrain following through. A barrage of floral notes to accompany, taking it even further to a middle ground unisex scent. A citrus-focused freshie that actually stays and projects heavily.

Just got to sample this at an in-store. Smells gorgeous, like opening the cooler at the florist. Bright lemon and florals are suspended over a heart of solid musk that supports them properly. This is good stuff.

This scent is exactly like peeling a pamelo fruit. The skin from pomelo. Fresh, complex and citrus. Incredible and original compared to other citrus scents.

Notes and the colour reminds me of Issey Miyake

Will have to revisit was a bit underwhelmed