Patchouli Nobile by Nobile 1942

Lemon, Incense, Pepper, Jasmine, Labdanum, Patchouli, Cedar, Guaiac, Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Tonka Bean.

Patchouli is a love-it or deal breaking note to many enthusiasts. It's earthiness and connection to bygone days is simply unpleasant to the folks who eschew it and a reason to love it for those who do.

I suppose my perception of a smooth patchouli can be found in a few Reminiscence releases, with the more bold and unadulterated renditions readily available in numerous others. Naturally, there are houses other than Reminiscence that create upscale patch perfumes, but the majority showcase a more stripped down and in your face version of the note. Patchouli Nobile leans more toward upscale than it does anything else and its presence has been tuned to display a more conservative stance.

What tempers the note best for me and directs a patch dominant scent from rugged to refined is the addition of Labdanum and spicy smoke. The success is in the ratio of these players augmenting the patchouli note. Right out of the bottle, Patchouli Nobile has the potential to be just another middle of the road patch release. What you get is a blast of alcoholic patchouli accented with mild spice and hard to perceive citrus. You also cannot know from the first few minutes that the overall volume dissipates to a conservative level within 5 minutes.

Patchouli Nobile begins to display its more elegant, genetic footprint once 10 minutes has elapsed. Labdanum, subtle smokiness and woods quietly make their entrance. They remain for the life of the wearing and reign in the coarseness that an all-patchouli fragrance sometimes exhibits. This is uncomplicated, very wearable and evolves a nice sensuality once the heart and base accord get involved.

Patchouli, for all its connotations, is an extremely versatile note in the hands of a parfumeur. It's included in most perfumes to some degree and it's one I've always liked when blended correctly with others that I'm fond of. Patchouli Nobile succeeds because it recruits the help of other, very pleasant notes. It succeeds because it morphs into an earthy and sexy aroma that can be worn by either gender. Lastly, it succeeds because it is blended and tuned for contemporary sensibilities.

Sillage is average, yet longevity is very good, affording the wearer 3-4 hours of vitality before morphing into a personal space scent. Thumbs up from Aromi for Patchouli Nobile and as always, a sample wear is highly recommended.

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...

CarolFebruary 11, 2014 at 12:47 PM
I seriously do not need another patch, but boy does this sound tempting!
AromiEroticiFebruary 11, 2014 at 3:21 PM
Hi Carol. It's a nice patch and I do own ones I like better, but good is good. If you like, I can send you a decent sample. Hit me up at davebrusco@hotmail.com and LMK.

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