21 Bonaparte

21 Bonaparte, the new perfume by famed Paris based American couturier Vicky Tiel is classified as Oriental Floral. It is more than that, it is sensual, elegant, refined, a woman’s perfume. Launched in 2013 its creation stretches back many years to a glittering night in the South of France. The night Elizabeth Taylor won her second Oscar for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” The star did not attend the awards in Los Angeles, she was in the south of France and Vicky was with her. When her husband Richard Burton lost the best actor award Elizabeth was very upset and stormed out of the villa heading down the stone steps that plunged into the Mediterranean Sea. Vicky was worried for her friend and followed her to see if she was alright. As she followed she noticed the night was filled with the scent of Jasmine, Gardenias and Tuberose. She stopped and looked about to find that she was surrounded on either side of the marble staircase by the very flowers she filled her senses. She made a mental note on the spot that some day she would make a perfume from that impression. She then continued down to the sea to find Elizabeth. It took some time, 47 years to finally realize the perfume in memory of that night. The name 21 Bonaparte is for the address of the dress boutique in Paris she owned with Taylor. The bottle is a regal beauty worthy of Taylor’s inspiration, the color, purple which Elizabeth loved. The perfume opens a tad sweet and spicy with black current, Mandarin Orange and star Anise. And at first it seemed to me to be a little too sweet. But in moments that sailed away leaving the perfume to become in every way that garden on the French Rivera in 1966. The middle notes are glorious, Jasmine, Gardenia and tuberose. Now it should be noted that true gardenia scent is impossible to extract from the flower and must be created with the expert blending of other white florals. Often times the attempt by perfumers fails to delver a believable facsimile of the scent, but in 21 Bonaparte we have a photo-realistic Gardenia blooming and lush. Here in the middle of the life of the perfume these flowers are joined buy a very subtle smoky vanilla, It seems to waft into the white midnight garden like an exotic incense. The dry down consists of Patchouli, Vanilla and smooth, woody and rich, sandalwood. The Patchouli brings a certain masculine vibe along with the sandalwood making 21 Bonaparte accessible to men. But only those who appreciate the indolic joys of white flowers on skin. The perfume lasts a very long time, around ten to twelve hours with a heavy sillage in the fist quarter of its lifespan. 21 Bonaparte is exclusive to and only sold on HSN. I have tried other perfumes by Vicky Tiel and found Sirene to be very nice, Ulysse for Men stunning, but 21 Bonaparte to me is her grand opus, a fine tribute to her friendship with Elizabeth Taylor and quite simply her best perfume to date. FIVE GOLD STARS ***** (FOR THE STORY THAT GOES WITH THIS REVIEW CHECK OUT MY BLOG SCENTS MEMORY)

Really, Really pretty fragrance. Sort of deep and dark to my nose. A noir type with a hint of "grown up" Fruity sweetness. The first spritz is misleading... overtly grapey somehow. But that quickly goes away and it's quite beautiful. The silage and longevity were surprisingly decent for the price point! And my skin doesn't typically hold even the most intense fragrances for more than two hours tops with very minimal silage. This one lasted about 4 hours with arms length silage the first hour. The price point on this is absolutely unbeatable. Inexpensive without smelling so. I highly recommend testing it out. Perfumania allowed me to test it on my skin before buying and I went back and bought the full bottle. 25 bucks I think on managers special. It smells far more expensive than that though! I often keep my "cheapies" & celebrity scents for days when I'm home alone, but this isn't a fragrance that announces it's low price or that you'd be embarrassed to wear outside the house. It's actually really, surprisingly classy and unique. I would definitely encourage others to test it out. It's quite beautiful! Bonaparte 21 is 100% a night fragrance in my eyes. The enormous silage and dark depth would be ill fitting for daytime use. I love the purple and gold bottle. Royal colors seems suitable. The concept is perfect though the bottle is slightly less impressive up close. But for the price this is just over all really nice. Totally Underrated fragrance in my opinion. Perfumania will happily allow you to test it out if you're looking to try before you buy.

21 Bonaparte is a classy beauty. Smooth, rich, creamy skin scent that lasts until you wash it off. It has good projection, wafting around you like a gentle cloud. No matter how much you spray, you can't overdo this fragrance. It remains non offensive, controlled and civilized. The flowers are very minimal, wrapped in soft deep vanilla. It's hard to detect individual flowers, since they are melded together in what appear to be equal minimal amounts. The vanilla is sweet, but not sugar sweet. Sandalwood is strong, very mellow, rich and deep. The anise is so well blended that it's virtually undetectable. This scent opens with a taste of mandarin and black currant, but that quickly fades. 12 Bonaparte morphs into a super long lasting very upscale blend, NOT "perfumey", flowery, or soapy at all. It's more like a natural clean skin scent. I do not find it even remotely "powdery". It's creamy, NOT powdery at all. This fragrance works very well in all seasons, all temperatures. Hot humid weather slightly enhances the subtle flowers blend. No matter where or how you wear this, 21 Bonaparte remains a restrained, high class, sophisticated, clean, expensive smelling skin scent that's noticeable but not offensive in any way. This is such a clean smooth non-flowery skin scent that it could easily be unisex. It's also good for layering with other perfumes to help give them long lasting power. 21 Bonaparte is unique, perfect for all occasions, from very formal to casual, and definitely a keeper !

Beautiful grown up perfume. Unfortunately the longevity is poor and the projection is weak. Smells really nice on the skin but it's over in an hour or less! It's a perfume that can only be detected up close by one other person. It's a romantic and exotic jasmine perfume. To my nose, this is mostly white jasmine and patchouli, but too toned down to be a real Oriental scent. The opening is blackcurrant with a slight sour and fruity vibe. There's some spicy anise note thrown in there. The white flowers are tuberose gardenia and jasmine but it's not a white flower bomb. It's mainly a discreet jasmine. Then it goes into the patchouli musk and vanilla. The vanilla is very warm and nice. This scent is good for fall and winter. It's elegant, feminine, classy, and perfect for dinner dates and romantic evenings.

I bought this today based on reviews and a desire to move away from so many fruits and flowers scents. It is sophisticated and warm. I'm new to it, sure, but I believe in love at first sight (smell) . It is warm and lovely and not as strong as I feared. Love is in the air.

I fell in love with this fragrance when i first smelled the test strip at my favorite perfume store. It smells like a creamy delicious blueberry pie! It's long lasting and strong but not overbearing.

Nice interesting scent. Initial blast of grape (the berry I am assuming) that quickly fades into a warm dark jasmine and patch with a touch of vanilla. I have to agree with others that the projection and power of this seems weak. Which is disappointing because the scent itself is amazingly nice and right up my alley. Although the scent remains for an acceptable time, 6-8 hours, the scent reminds close, intimate and weak....though still there. This scent really deserves a much stronger bomb element. After all, in this day and age one cannot just ask a stranger to allow you to do a 6 inch nose snuggle of their body, to enjoy their alluring fragrance, without getting strange looks or a visit from the police in any event. Since this scent smells so nice one wants it to actually be noticed beyond 16 inches from you. I do find it's fabric power is a bit higher, as it seems to be quickly soaked up by the skin, so I would advise spraying your clothes as well, if you want anyone to notice it. I do love the scent, I just wish it was more powerful, but certainly do not regret having it in my collection.

I’m not super experienced with patchouli, but the patchouli I get in this seems pretty green. It’s not super strong though so that’s ok. (I usually can’t stand green notes.) There is a dusty vanilla undertone but I wouldn’t call this a vanilla scent. I actually wish it was just a bit stronger because I love vanilla. I’ll be honest, I bought this because the bottle is gorgeous. But I’m liking the juice a lot too. It’s dark and sexy, gothic and mature but not too “old lady.” It has just the tiniest touch of sweetness. Sillage is tiny, but I catch whiffs from the front of my shirt every now and then. Lasts for several hours but not all day. Like a sexy whisper. Definite like, would be a love if it was just a bit sweeter or just a bit stronger. UPDATE: I layer it on top of Al Rehab Rawan oil. The oil makes it last longer, and gives it the sweet boost I think it needs. Together they’re a nice combo of sweet sexy patchouli vanilla

21 Bonaparte really is a lovely fragrance. I decided to do a blind buy based on the notes and the reviews. It arrived today and it is very appealing to my nose and I think it's right on regarding the notes mentioned above. I just tested it so I will report later on the lasting power. I was really really hoping for something different out of my collection and I thought this one would be a stand out but it dawned on me that it bares a strong resemblance to Bath and Body works Forever Red Vanilla Rum. It's not exact but pretty darn close in my book. Vanilla rum is a tad more synthetic and has a cheaper tone to it (while I do think Vanilla Rum is a beautiful creation). 21 Bonaparte is lighter and softer then the above mentioned like a weaker version. I still think it's beautiful just not as unique as I had hoped for. Not quite sure if I will keep or pass it on only because I have something like it.

I just received this EDP today and my first impression was that it is similar to Mont Blanc Presence D'Une Femme. But although I'm a Perfume addict (I have way more than I'll ever use up Lol) my nose is not educated to knowing the notes. This is my first review and hope it is not too amateurish. I think it is a scent that can be used at anytime but if you are close to a spouse, or mate, etc. it can be sexy :-). At least my husband thinks so! I'm usually partial to florals & Oriental Florals, so keep that in mind while reading my review! Even though the above description describes it as oriental - floral fragrance, on me more of the woody notes come through, but in a very pleasant way. Lasting time has been 8 hours for me so far, and I'm still getting a faint lingering scent!

I can test a lot of perfume and not come up with even one out of fifteen samples that I like. And then I stumbled across an article about Vicky Tiel and was intrigued by this scent in particular. Let me add first that I normally do not like tuberose. At all. Typically if a perfume has tuberose in it, I run. But I do love white florals in general if Madame T isn't present. Well I am smitten with 21 Bonaparte! This is beautiful. Elegant. Classy. Sexy. It is soft and creamy. No sharp edges and perfectly blended. Also,the sandalwood is perfect in this for me as it can sometimes be dicey on my skin. I highly recommend this scent. 21 Bonaparte smells very expensive and yet the price point is amazing. Do yourself a favor and try it!

Top notes: cassis crème mandarin star anise Heart: Sambac jasmine gardenia tuberose Base: patchouli vanilla sandalwood When I sprayed this, immediately I thought of Dior’s Poison. Usually I despise these “noir” type scents but the composure of this kept calling me back: it’s gorgeous and settles wonderfully on my skin. I concur with the grapevine note but you’d be remiss if you didn’t wait for the base notes to sing. As it settles it provides you with a multi-layer experience. You can’t accuse this little vixen of being a yawn - she’s got lots of secrets behind her smirk.

I like this scent, it's like nothing I have ever smelled before. So many of the perfumes now a days smell similar, but this one elegantly stands on it's own. I found out about it through free a sample at aperfume store. I loved the complex smooth notes. I was sure it would be an $80-$100 perfume and it was half that price. But it does not smell cheap. It's soft, creamy, smooth and deep. It's not overly sweet or spicey, just classy and beautifully blended. It's easy on the nose and draws you in for another smell; subduing you with it's Luxurious scent.

I like this fragrance. It's sultry and intense. Poison is my signature scent so I don't see the comparison as some reviewers have described this scent smelling like it. I find it to be almost identical to EA Always Red Femme, which is a scent that I love. I would say that 21 Bonaparte is a little less sweet though. A beautiful mix of florals and wood with a touch of spice. The dry down is a soft powder with a light patchouli and vanilla mixture.

I’ve never had to persevere through an initial spray like this. Give it 15 minutes in the skin and it transforms into a lovely, dark “ full grown woman” scent that makes the opening worth it. But I swear to god, initial spray had me smelling a note that I can only describe as skunk. I’m glad I didn’t wash it off like I wanted to so badly. Overall one of my bindbuy success stories, just can’t be re-applicating it out and about.

The opening is heavy on currant, white flowers, and a woody layer. As it warms on the skin, the fragrance releases more of the spicy sweetness of the base. Rich, big white buttery floral throughout. Slightly bitter patchouli threads through it all, keeping it grounded. Powdered chocolate aspect to the patch. Bold, sweet, sensuous, woody and spicy white floral with a strong character. Update 3/5/24: cold grape jasmine

Thoughts after testing 21 Bonaparte by Vicky Tiel Paris: It is a creamy floral with slight spice. I do not get any powdery or amber. Mostly a creamy floral verging on gourmand for me, with hints of wood. Edit: It has long-lasting, deep, sweet presence. I'm not sure when to wear this. Very deep, creamy, very vanilla. I'm curious to read more of what others have experienced. Thank you.

Candied black currant and buttery white florals with a balsamic edge. Reminds me a bit of Madame Gres. Can be enjoyed all year round, I think this profile shines throughout all seasons. I'd wear it indoors on a winter's day and out & about shopping in the spring. 6 hrs longevity, projects very strongly in the first half then becomes a skin-scent. Very affordable too.

This reminds me of Dark Kiss by BBW. It makes me think of Halloween. The jasmine is a little stinky and the anise sits on top. This is new to me but so far I like it.

The black currant does give off a grape vibe, but on my skin this is extremely similar to Burberry Brit. I think it's the creamy vanilla citrus aspect.

This is berry berry good!!! The black Currant shines here. It's juicy, almost plum-like. The dry down has that 90s business woman vibe. Love it.

It's very synthetic, which I usually don't like, but it's so sultry that I still enjoy it.

I should not have to place nose to skin to detect a scent, why do they waste my time. However, I do like this. It's pretty. Dark. Warm. Actually, hot, is more fitting. This seems like a scent that should be loud and almost offensive, but it sits there so quietly. Confusing. But I like it. Disappointing. But I like it. Edit- It's 3 hours later and I can no longer smell it on my skin. I sprayed quite liberally, too. Poor sillage, poor longevity - why bother?

Trashy rubbery grape jelly and I can’t tell if I like or hate it

I got it purely by accident. I was at Perfumania store, buying something else but they had a special if you buy something over certain amount, you were supposed to get certain fragrances on special for 10 dollars(or something like that). This perfume was one that was being added for $10. I smelled it, thought it was not bad so I added it to my purchase. I know Vickie Tiel fragrances but I never heard of this one. Never in my life would have I thought it had tuberose in it?? My nose is usually finely tuned to tuberose but I can't even smell a hint of it. This is very heavy on patchouli so if you don't like patchouli , stay away. On me it stays the same from start to finish-patchouli, vanilla and sandalwood. The end. No florals, nothing. I kind of like it, just because its different. If I had to compare it to something it would be maybe original Rhianna perfume, I forgot the name. But I don't think it smelled like that BBW limited edition Vanilla Rum-there was not heavy patchouli present in there so I don't see simularities

The first time I smelled this perfume I was immediately taken back in time. I couldn't tell you what time in my life but I assumed I'd smelled the scent on someone way back in my past. It made me very happy. For such an affordable fragrance I find this to be rather divine. Not 'old school' in scent composition but rich, luxurious, mature yet fabulous. The story behind the scent involves Elizabeth Taylor in the 60's. Wine and heady flowers, a moonlit night and her violet eyes. I love the rich currant intro that melds so well with the anise and patchouli. The bottle is not overembellished but nicely elegant..a wonderful deep purple. ✨

ok, coming back to this now that the weather has warmed up, the vanilla and gardenia are finally beginning to sing. weird, it smells wintery but it performs better in warm weather. EDIT: This is another one of those scents I grew to love after my Covid recovery. I get way more vanilla than previously mentioned, but it's more like a fall scent than a winter scent. It's "mature" vanilla rather than super sweet gourmand vanilla, granted, I think assigning ages to fragrances is bogus, but it's distinctly grown-up and would be suitable for a mature woman by the standards of current society.

I bought this for my sister. Of course, I had to test it out on myself. I have to say that it's very creamy smelling, not harsh at all, almost calming. The flowers and wood scents are perfectly blended, with just a touch of sweetness. I find it very feminine smelling on me, although I can see how a man might like it for himself. And I love each of the bottom notes and tend to steer towards them when selecting a perfume. So far so good. I may decide to keep this one for myself.

Reminds me of a grown woman version of a grape body spray that I used to buy in my early 20s (out of the KIDS section!!!) I love it. I have several customers that think that this smells very masculine. And one customer that is a man that buys it for himself. I suppose to them it smells like Paco Black XS and Armani Code had a baby, and in that regard I can see the appeal..

Well I was Trying SO Hard to like this one but I'm Just Not getting ANY kind of projection Or An IODA of Lasting power...I'm Struggling to see how this is an EDP when I barley get the concentration of a Eau de Cologne...more like a Body mist on me...which is a shame because I DO Like the initial 10 mins that it lasts on me... But Then POOF it's gone as quickly as that!

This reminds my of Elizabeth Taylor's white diamonds lustre. Its got that same sensual grape smell but not as sweet as lustre. This isnt overpowering but not tooo light, just the right flow in the air when you move your body with intrigued delight. I'd recommend this because an adult can wear this everyday!

All I get out of this perfume is sickening sweet vanilla. Whatever warmth or floral notes that may be there have the life choked out of them by the vanilla. Gorgeous bottle, though. If anyone would be interested in a swap, I have a full, unboxed bottle. 2 stars

This is stunning!! It's warm, woodsy, sweet vanilla & a hint of floral & spice. It's very well blended. Love it!! Doesn't remind me of anything else I own

I love it BUT it wears like a whisper on me. The patchouli makes that whisper ever so provocative so wear it I will again and again.

Nice pretty green patchouli with zero sillage and minimum longevity but only costs some change so will gladly reapply often

flowers, mostly tuberose, and smarties candy, i would know, i snorted a line of smarties when i was 19

A cooking star anise that dissipated after a few minutes