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ererlyciz – :
Bizarre – my experience of this is completely different – it’s a lovely, spicy, even peppery thing on the open, then mellowing to mild sandalwood, but with unbelievably poor longevity – gone in a couple of hours. Vaguely reminiscent of Donna Karan Black Cashmere or even a super-diluted Papillon Anubis (high praise indeed) at the incense/spice end, and with a gently natural feel to the wood.
(Oh, just read the comments below about this being another reformulation that ruined a great original – which is a real shame as I liked this a whole lot – just didn’t note down all my impressions in time, before it was completely gone…)
I might try and hunt down a vintage bottle then. The new version is very well priced so worth trying if you think your chemistry might boost it rather than kill it- but for me it’s a heartbreaker: so lovely you want more of it – more sillage! more projection! more everything! but you just won’t get any.
Colonel – :
This is a very light sandalwood perfume…so light for a “woods and incense” type of perfume (my absolute favorite style)…there is a hint of sweetness to it, just a hint, that I find comes and goes…longevity on this is amazing – 12 hours later and it’s still there, but it’s so light…a great unisex woodsy perfume you can wear in summer and at the office…love it…
JEK – :
I’ve just bought the 20 years edition as seen advertised in the black and white bottle with red top. It was a blind buy based on the notes listed here – I presumed it would contain essentially the same notes as the one above. According to the site I purchased it from the notes are the same save for resin and incense, which they say the one I have does not contain.
In any case, this fragrance wasn’t what I was expecting. At first I thought I could smell something sweet and fruity, plummy almost. And I wasn’t enjoying it. Now that I have re-read the notes and some of the comments below, I think it is probably the geranium and musk and perhaps the sandalwood. But it is a lot sweeter than I was expecting. I had hoped it would be much woodier. I do love geranium (adore it in Apercu) but the mix in this is just not doing it for me unfortunately. Which surprises me because I was expecting to love this based on the list of notes.
I’m not sure if my memory is accurate but it immediately reminded me of another I gave away – Secret Obsession. They may not actually smell the same, but there is something in that “slightly turned” fruity sweet smell that they both have which I just don’t like. Sadly. I was really looking forward to this fragrance offering something more quirky and unusual.
I wonder if this 20 years edition is in fact different to the one listed above?
TEODOR – :
A light, green, woody sandalwood. A smooth and suave sandalwood, graciously supported by the rose (and perhaps geranium). This isn’t your typical oud/rose – it’s a very light, elegant, understated fragrance. The oud and rose are very much support characters in this refined sandalwood story. So unusual for a woman’s fragrance, which nowadays is dominated by sugar and/or flowers, this could easily be worn by men. Really, 10 Corso is a throwback to when women’s fragrances were interesting and each had their own unique character. The character of this one is refined confidence.
ols12 – :
10 Corso Como is a beautiful, all-season unisex sandalwood: light and musky with a nice soft blend of resins.
Predominantly, I smell sandalwood and rose geranium in equal measure — I really enjoy geranium as it offers some floral nuances with the freshness of herbs without being too heavily flowery or feminine.
The balsamic air is laced with frankincense and ladbanum — atmospheric and musky. Oud is fresh and earthy at the same time, adding dimension to the woody heart.
This smells like a wooded forest after a rain, but without any greenery, just sweet lively woods enveloped in damp fog. Completely uplifting and enchanting!
andrew.rumin – :
This hit me like a meteor. A resinous oud Big Bang followed by smouldering embers of mysterious incense, rounded out by a dust fall of spice. Coriander and black pepper make appearance at nightfall, to join the resin.
Hailing from the land of citrus freshies & airy, iso-E, Hermes jardins; 10 Corso Como is a portal to a whole new world. Like Alice down a rabbit hole, or Neo taking the red pill, my eyes are opened to a new dimension. Is this my gateway drug to resinous spices? It’s an awakening to something extraordinary!
A generous fragrantician added this used bottle of Como to a batch transaction, and it turns out this is the stand-out of the bunch. Running on less than 4 hrs of sleep, as I’ve now gotten out of bed *twice* to spray some more on. Can’t get enough of the opening blast, which makes a lasting impression.
Reviewers below have noted longevity issues, but I suppose it’s all relative. When your collection’s mostly citrus, 3-4 hrs is a remarkable endurance.
abr-11 – :
Just lovely. I put this on and immediately started smiling and saying “I need more of this on my body” out loud. Very soft and wearable, yet I felt incredibly sexy with it on. The sandalwood here isn’t dark or creamy as you usually find it in other perfumes. It’s fresh and light. Stunning, really. It opens with a really elegant, natural wood. Once it dries down, at least on my skin, the geranium really came to prominence. It’s mostly floral about an hour in, but you still catch that fresh wood at the bottom of it which prevents this from becoming basic. Uncomplicated, could easily become my new daily scent for spring/summer if it lasted longest That’s the only downside: after 3 hours I was barely able to smell it on my skin… Other than that, I’m in love. I see a lot of fragrances on here described as elegant but this is the first time I’ve been able to wholeheartedly say that about a scent.
hovlan – :
*****EDIT: I got my hands on a vintage bottle and it is MUCH more potent! There is a sharp oud note in the beginning which I personally don’t care for as much, and then it dries down to a pretty linear sandalwood and stays that way. The vintage wins for longevity and sandalwood strength, and the newer version wins for being a more soft and wearable (no season or time limitations) skin scent although it fades way too fast.
10 CC is my new perfume love, sadly though it disappears on my skin with 2 hours. With how much it costs and how hard it is to find, I have to reserve it for special occasions or I’d blow through the whole bottle in a month. There is a green note to this (geranium?) balanced with the creamy sandalwood that makes it so fresh and addictive, and the final dry down is a clean musk that leaves me wanting more. I really can’t get enough of this beauty. It reminds me of walking through the cedar forest in Glacier National Park when the sun comes out after it has just rained. I can imagine the sun warming the damp wood and the freshly washed buds and leaves of all the other plants in the forest lending their smell as well.
TanS – :
This does not work on me (female), but is one of the most beautiful perfumes on my boyfriend (male). I love it now, just not on me… 🙂
hunternaxov – :
Everyone should try this at least once in their lifetime. A must-have for any sandalwood lover. Beautifully done with just the right amount of spice. Smells like an autumn day to me. Cool crisp days,falling leaves, dry wood and warm spices. A classic.
vmycyk – :
My bottle arrived today hmmm what to make of it? I get an incense blast which is fine I love incense, a little like Marni Marni, I wait patiently for the rose which is the main note I bought it for, I wait and I wait.What I get is a woodsy smell perhaps the vetiver then it sinks to a barely there skin scent which smells like a cheap deodorant.I much prefer Marni I’m not over impressed with this one.
sbusd – :
Smells amazing. Like burning fall leaves and a fire place. Spice, wood, smoke, and incense..Very warm and alluring. Reminds me of the toasty smell of a heated furnace. Creamy like a chai latte with crushed leaves and cream. Costes smells very similar.
vqc973elipseskism – :
I cannot relate to all the negative reviews I have seen here, as a I have never tested the older version of this fragrance. But 10 Corso Como does it for me. Great unisex perfume. It opens with a non-offensive balsamic, agarwood note, which then molds itself into woodsy, resinous type of scent, This cocktail has a great chemistry with my skin. It makes me feel both elated and aware. The sillage is not strong but I like it this way – I am a private person. I think this will become one of my “go-to” winter and fall perfumes. By the way, lucky for me, I did not smell any rose in it.
nenny – :
I love this fragrance. I heard it was one of Tom Ford’s favorite. It is more masculine to me. It smells of cut lumber with a heady sweetness and complexity of other scents combined neutrally so as to make it hard to identify what is all there. I don’t smell the balsamic notes reported.THough a soft tartness is in the background. The sweetness is more sugary, with incense and a sort of alcohol buzz. IT isn’t something that projects so much that is bothers folks in a fragrance sensitive setting. Its resiny, woody, and habit forming. People don’t seem to be on the fence with this fragrance. They love it or want to pitch it in the trash. When it dries and sits on my skin awhile it is a comforting woody meadow. On some people’s skin it is reported to be sour smelling. I haven’t experience that.
kaligula221 – :
10 Corso Como is all dry, lofty sandalwood, smoky desert resins, and earthy, weirdly off-kilter – almost alien or at least otherworldy- florals. It calls to mind a mysterious, aromatic wooden chest, unearthed by a strange sandstorm. At once both sensual and spiritual, and without a doubt a very, very handsome scent, I find myself frequently craving it and nothing else will do.
georgcun – :
I never tried 10 Corso Como before it got reformatted, but the new one is not that good. It actually smelled pretty bad on me. It smelled like spoiled balsamic vinegar, if such thing exists.
oloband – :
The opening little puff of rose didn’t indicate whether I would like this fragrance or not but as it settles it’s my kind of deal. Balsamic, spicy, woody all good so far and the sandalwood develops as it dries down.
Reminds me a tiny bit of the new Tobacco oud from Tom Ford.
However there’s nothing outstanding here and the longevity is pathetic, I mean seriously poor! I never smelled the original formulation but if this was stronger and more ballsy with more oud, good quality sandalwood, a longer lasting rose note and perhaps some more spices? It would be a winning (and completely different)fragrance.
Don’t get me wrong I like the smell but there’s many better perfumes out there.
andreirav – :
I was excited to try this fragrance because of the description and the hype, but was severely disappointed when I received it. The scent is very boring and not unique at all. It is dark and spicy but nothing about it makes it special. I’m so glad I only bought a sample. I am wearing it only so I don’t waste the $4 I spent. If I want a dark and sultry that develops with a woody & incense base I would wear something from Tom Ford’s Oud line or the Tobacco Vanille.
neolegovich – :
I simply love this one. It is not easy to get it in Asia though. The floral key notes mixing with sandalwood adds a lot of complexity to the perfume.
fegotwere – :
just adding a new review for the current version – don’t bother with your money … really. i’m not just being a negative reviewer – this is NOTHING like the fragrance that i used to wear heavily back in the early 2000’s – it’s maybe 1/10 of the strength and 1/20 of the quality. don’t bother with the solid either – just as weak. you might as just wear a sandalwood pomade.
1) there is nothing left of the original sandalwood presence that made this scent so very long-lasting and special
2) there is barely the same presence of agarwood that the original had. the original made you wince with an almost eye-watering, gasoline-like strength – nothing like the agarwood aromachemicals used commonly in today’s atrocities. now, it’s as bad and flatulent as a weak, synthetic “truffle” oil that’s found drizzled on bad pommes frites in a multi-location chain restaurant.
two words – and you’ll thank me, really you will – DON’T BOTHER.
BMW – :
If you’re old enough to remember it, this starts like mimeographed paper–a shock of alcohol and wood pulp, weirdly comforting and enjoyable. A sad balsam eventually limps in and that’s where we’ve been for the past several hours. This definitely won’t offend anybody but I don’t see the point of a scent that is hardly detectable.
Sillage–inches
Longevity–several hours
Fabulousness–The Invisible Man
Value to price ratio–outrageously bad
andrei-mal – :
Somehow this manages to smell both watered-down and headache-inducing. I mainly detect sandalwood, spice, and electrical fire.
Certain whiffs of it almost smell good, but 10 Corso Como never quite rounds itself out. When I breathe it in, the inside of my nose burns, even though this is not a loud fragrance.
Geka13 – :
I received my sample of this today and immediately fell in love. I ordered it based on the fact that it is recommended on a lot of different sites when searching for sandalwood scents.
But when I read the reviews here, I am dumbfounded and confused. At first I thought, maybe I received the wrong fragrance? Maybe my sniffer is broken? I don’t get it because I love this scent so much. The only other explanation has to be that this is a chemistry thing because I think it smells divine on me.
I don’t smell anything close to what the other reviews have noted and I can’t really pick up the notes listed either. I wouldn’t say that I think the sandalwood is really prevalent but it is there. All I smell is a light, fresh, clean, soft, and dreamy blend. I will agree that it was not at all what I expected based on the notes listed. Maybe I did receive the wrong sample?
Edit: After applying more, I definitely get the incense in this and the woods. But it’s also fresh and clean which speaks to me. I still love it but for the price, I find the longevity poor. That’s the only thing I don’t like about this.
Alex1380 – :
Something in this doesn’t work well with my body chemistry. Perhaps it’s the overwhelming sandalwood. I want to like it, but it is a bit much on me and turns sour before the day is done.
Coldejas – :
It smells of hairspray on me, fancy hairspray.
I guess it’s better than dousing yourself in aquanet.
postile – :
10 corso como taught me a valuable lesson: Never buy into cologne hype. I decided to purchase this upon reading the rave reviews on lucky scent. After reading the notes, I figured that i couldn’t lose. I’ve never been so disappointed by something that seemed so promising. This fragrance should be called 10 flat because the notes are very linear. There is absolutely nothing transcendent about 10 corso como. This is a likeable fragrance only for those that like their scents close to the skin.
humax5400 – :
Kankri is right IMO, there is not much I can add to this review other that sometimes I it like but most of the time just stinks like piss
Ger – :
I find this boring. It sits very close to the skin, I pretty much have to press my nose right into the skin to smell this at all.
Once I put it on, Corso Como is a weak, bitter vertiver layered on dry, bleached sandalwood. There is a hint of oud around the background, but it is not very noticeable, and I am not a fan of oud. This ends up smelling both medicinal and bland; it most reminds me of a wooden tongue depressor, with something herbal at the edges.
As it warms up, the vetiver comes out more, and I detect a strange sweetness. It doesn’t make much difference to me; I would not recommend this.
dry – :
I never knew this one in the past like some other reviewers, but the current formulation is totally forgettable. It smells like it might have held promise at one time but it’s only a shadow of something now. Boring, not very spicy, barely any oud, you end up with a “what was that” feeling like you have when something goes whizzing by and you can’t identify it. It’s just boring and faintly unpleasant. Don’t waste your money. Thank goodness I only got a $3.00 tiny decant and I regret even spending that!
Mauritius – :
Intense. This is a misterious, dark, obscure, sexy fragrance. The oud and the incense combine wonderfully and give this amazing fragrance its unforgettable note. I detect berries which give it a sweet freshness. It’s a very elegant, dry fragrance, and it lasts for ages. I bought my bottle about 2 years ago, so I don’t know if this is the original or the new formulation, I can only say that it has captured my imagination. It is not for all occasions, I put it on when I know that I want to fix in my memory a special event: I wore it for a dark Gary Numan concert a few months ago, and now every time I put it on I recall that evening. I simply love it.
wertyui – :
This fragrance has changed drastically over last decade. It used to be really nice – amazing even. I acquired my first bottle almost ten years ago when agarwood products in western fragrances were beginning to make their appearances. The oud was quite strong, almost gasoline-like in its intensity and the sandalwood was just perfectly warm and enveloping – plus, the longevity and sillage was remarkable. It was so unique that it never failed to garner remarks from those who smelled it upon me.
Last week, I just bought another bottle and I must say that I’m incredibly disappointed – sad actually. It’s now a hint of its former self – anemic, light to the point of being more of a skin scent, and the oud is nearly imperceptible. A close friend of mine expressed the same sentiments over the solid perfume compact – it was gorgeous to look at, but the scent was hardly the strength of a lip balm. She returned it – I wish I could return mine.
Don’t make the same mistake I did – it was a very expensive one.
danpivo – :
28-yo male here. I’m surprised this is classified as a female fragrance. I bought this in the men’s fragrance section at Neiman Marcus a few years ago…unfortunately the bottle broke thereafter!
I like it, it’s not my favorite but it’s attractive to the female nose.
Can someone agree that this smells a lot like Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy for Men?!
If you want a cheaper version of this fragrance, I’d suggest Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy for Men (which I also have) =]
wpy508Diobtetty – :
I really, REALLY wanted to like this perfume, but even after several tries, we are not friends. It is not warm or mysterious at all, but somehow cold…antiseptic…and…?!?!…SOMETHING else that I just couldn’t put my finger on until now. On me, 10 smells just like Comet–that old powdered bathroom cleaner. O, the horror! Argh! And a couple of unprintable expletives!!
Does anyone have some not-so-clean incense suggestions?
dryncpymn – :
I love spicy, exotic perfumes, especially if it has oud. The smell did not match the description. There’s a layer of modern, souless, sweetness that covers any woodiness or possible incense. I’m so disappointed because it was supposed to be all things I love.
azika – :
this one isn’t feminine enough , it could be unisex,
oriental check
incense check
woody check
leather check (at dry down)
similar to Guerlain line, they made such of complex perfume,
in my childhood i was played around a huge pine tree , this kind of pine tree when axe it , its bleeding a glue, so its kind of Resins tree
long story short this perfume remind me the smell of that tree in my childhood
i love it, and i think I’ll give it a try to see if it will work with me!
neurov – :
This scent seemed like a good choice for me to wear today, its been a rather rainy, dreary, day. And I find this scent can be somewhat self-soothing. It opens strong with a spicy woody blast that at first smells like cinamin and wood. As it dries I get a the smokey incense note along with the woods, and that oud note. The spices dont stick around too long. Soon enough this scent dries down very close to the skin, and I think it works for periods of self reflection. This is a scent that I would wear to induce a mood, not one I would wear for others. I like it. But I wouldnt buy a FB. I dont find it versatile enough.
butch1975 – :
What happened to 10 Corso Como?
I tested years ago in the same store because I used to work very close to it and went dare to test almost everything!
Of course I also tried 10 Corso Como and felt knocked on my head. Strong! Very strong unrefined sandalwood with a special vibe that I would call Indian rather than Italian (where has anyone seen sandalwood trees in Italy?!?)
It smelled to me like a posh styled enigmatic Indian lady or man, quite an expensive design version of a hippie if it makes sense.
Recently I got a few vials and tested again. But what happened? Reformulation? It’s much watered down now and smells more vile, much less mystical and tone-up than before.
If you want a glorious sandalwood go for Tam Dao.
6apaga39 – :
If you are in search of a fragrance with an Italian attitude, look no further – 10 Corso Como is the one! Being half Italian and very familiar with Italy, I knew I had to get it as soon as it came out. It’s a unique perfume with an interesting blend that begins with a very fine sandalwood that marries perfectly with the incense. It immediately creates a spiritual brew which captures the vibes and aura of the sacred Duomo in Milan.
Next, a grandiose blast of geranium accompanied with the essence of rose and surrounded by musk transports you away from the cathedral steps and into the hot spot piazza shopping mecca at 10 Corso Como. At this point you suddenly feel fashion savvy and yes, oh so Italian. But hey it’s not over yet, enter the exotic Malay oud-wood oil with all its mystery and seduction and you have now experienced the ultimate fragrance of its kind. It makes you want to scream Encore! The longevity of this fragrance is unbelievable, almost 8 hours if not more.
10 Corso Como is, Gothic and Italian, sexy yet innocent, woody and musky, light yet dark and I can continue on and on with seemingly excessive verbiage about this scent that is so abundant in character. So to break it
down I’ll just use a little Italian 101 and say 10 Corso Como is “Tutti Buono”!
endrio2000 – :
Actually I love 10 corso como-it’s such a clean and strong sandalwood and doesn’t remind me of a cedar closet! It is very wearable and the lasting power is incredible- it’s perfect for a long shift at work. My boyfriend thinks it smells like ajax but this hasn’t dissuaded me.