Description
Agent Provocateur is the signature fragrance of the house. Its sharp very intensive animalistic and very provocative juice has become a modern classic combining Indian saffron, coriander from Russia, Egyptian Jasmine and Vetivert from Haiti among other exotic elements.
The fragrance is in a wonderfully tactile precious porcelain bottle with the shape of an egg (or a bomb?). It is so rosy and innocent, contrasting with its wild and shameless erotic scent.
The composition starts strong and sharp with a spicy note of saffron. Warm floral notes of magnolia, Indian jasmine and gardenia blend together with strong woodsy-chypre scent. There is very animalistic amber and musk notes in the base.
The perfume was created 2000 by Christian Provenzano.
Little Devil – :
Strange and very unique. I imagined a sweet rose perfume but is very dark and with a vintage vibe that i didn’t expect.
Never smelled someting like this.
The opening overwhelmed me, but i really want to explore this scent, it starts very bitter and strong, i sprayed only one time (and i’m a big oversprayer of heavy perfumes).
In the developing i get woody and very stong musky notes…very very strong i’m so surprised.
The rose? A dry red rose, left on an antique vanity table, you wouldn’t expect it… but the scent has remained. Outdated? No! just mysterious and very perfumey like what i imagine smelling a long lost bottle founded in a wooden trunk in the attic.
Yes the opening can be scary, but if you like strong fragrances like Elizabeth Taylor Passion, Boudoir and similars you may be surprised and intrigued by Agent Provocateur.
I don’t think is a safe blind buy unless you are a lover of powerful and even strage scents, i got a large sample and i’m happy with it.
npaulaox – :
I loved this once upon a time..
I still do….
I just can’t spray more than one spritz..
It’s strong & in your face, it may make you nauseous, and those around you may not like it.
You need an extremely cold & rainy night to pull this mad monster off.
Can’t & won’t go for this in warm weather.
Such a sexy musk though 🙂
Lasts ages.
xaz777 – :
The notes for this looked really good so I ordered 200ml of this without even smelling it in store first.
DEFINITELY not my cup of tea. It smells terrible (almost medicinal?) the first 15-20 minutes and it’s headache inducing. I do like the dry down though.
RopeTatsCoept – :
No, the branding for this is so wrong. Smells nothing like a tart in trashy lingerie would smell, though I have no first-hand knowledge of how such a person would smell. But it’s not vulgar and sleazy. It’s beautiful.
A rose is not just a rose. Sometimes you have a clean bright spring rose, a five petaled single Dortmund. This is not that kind, it’s a centifolia burgundy rose. And while rose is the centerpiece, what makes this so pretty is the spice, musk, and vetiver that frame it.
Yes, the initial part is kind of scary, but I like that because I know how good this will be when it settles down. Not a perfume you wear for others; this is one you wear for your own enjoyment. Stay rosy!
Mollymish: probably the interaction of rose and saffron…It’s dissonant in a good way like an unresolved chord. But maybe your nose reads it as metal.
Фокин А – :
This has a real Metallic smell that I just can’t stand! What could be in it that smells like metal?
sanche174 – :
I am on my third bottle of this stuff! I love it so much! At first, I did not like it, but an hour later I was wondering what was smelling so heavenly and it was me!!!
The lasting power is very good! On my skin, I get 6-8 hours. On my clothing…forever! haha
I am completely obsessed with this scent now!
Liddia – :
My first impression: Urgh! Smells like a dirty urine-soaked public toilet which people have tried to improve by spraying a cheap copy of Clinique Aromatics Elixir (possibly costing £1 from a tacky shop in a rough area)
Couldn’t give it much more of a chance because it made me gag.
Pocomaxa – :
On me this smells like fly killer spray! It’s awful …it’s given me a headache…and I feel nauseous since trying this on today.
alex408609 – :
I am so confused about this fragrance. Full disclosure – my nose is pretty basic; loyal and hardworking, but not sensitive. I just miss all kinds of notes. It’s sad, but … that’s the way it is. I love fragrance – but I’m not a talented smeller. So: to me (drumroll please!) this thing smells like a combo of Aromatics Elixir and Bvlgari Black, in a ratio of 8:2. I love Aromatics Elixir (in small, artful dabs) and Bvlgari Black (on days when I want to feel like a burning tire holding aloft a spray of jasmine. … yes, this is what BB smells like to me …happily, I like it. ) Unlike AE or BB, there’s a prickly undertone to this that makes me feel sneezy without the joy of sneezes.
Update, one week later: *Now* I get it! Perhaps with a less sensitive nose, you need to slather yourself with a fragrance for days to pick up on its nature. (I check with more reliable noses before I leave the house, as in: ‘…ok, just tell me — do I smell too loud?’) Now I can smell the ‘dirty rose’, and an undertone of leatheriness … It smells lovely. Floral, a bit animalic, and not a frontal attack on innocent bystanders. I’m really enjoying this one, and wish I could find a bottle of ‘L’agent’.
GrPeegualgala – :
Ive noticed that the one made in UK is more refined and has some sharp spiciness (yet cooling feel) and i can smell the roses better whereas the US made one differs in that it is more rounder and doesnt smell as expensive in comparison.
Only if you are particular about the scent then this will be evident otherwise you may not notice the difference.
I happened to notice it and am not sure whether the UK one has been reformulated as i have an older bottle and the US one was recently purchased.
Im smelling them side by side and i do like the roundness of the US one with both smelling strong so far.
I also got to smell the one made in Italy and that is similar to the one i have which is made in the UK.
maoBlues – :
This was a blind buy a few months ago, along with L’Agent. I’d seen it recommended again and again. A sexy, musky rose? ‘That’s for me!’ I thought. Then it arrived, and I sprayed it on…and hated it. I waited for the dry down, and still didn’t like it. The same with L’Agent. They both got tossed in a drawer, but not forgotten. Every now and then I would get them out and try again, but still didn’t like either of them. I couldn’t quite bring myself to get rid of them though, although I almost did several times.
Fast forward to today…choosing my scent this morning some madness overcame me, and I sprayed on Agent Provocateur. Not just a cautious, tiny test spray on a wrist – I full-on sprayed this stuff on – five good sprays! Madness, I tell you! And yet…and yet…I’m finding it beautiful. And I’m loving it! I’m even looking at buying a bigger bottle of this stuff. It’s almost as if my brain had been subconsciously processing this smell and finally decided the time was right. Whatever, I’m a convert.
AP has finally shown me that sexy, musky rose I was promised. I’ve read a couple of people saying it resembles Narciso for Her. Well, perhaps it does but I’m all but anosmic to NR so I wouldn’t know. I’m anosmic to a few modern musks although I never used to have a problem with older ones, so I’m really happy that I can smell this one. I’ll be trying L’Agent again soon, too.
If you try this and don’t like it, wait a few weeks or months, and try again. You might find yourself as surprised as I was!
Dimonxxff – :
Omg!! This was a blind buy and it was so worth it!!
The first 10 minutes it’s a little too strong for me, but after it calms down it is such a lovely scent. It’s like expensive musky soap!
I didn’t even finish the first bottle and had to buy another one! This along with NR will be my signature scent!
I sprayed it on before meeting my friend and while I was eating i kept getting whiffs of myself and I was in love!
I put my top in my wash basket and this morning while throwing it into the washing machine I could still smell it! I took a big sniff of my blouse before tossing it in.
kuss-tik – :
Bought 100ml USA version. Beautiful and powerful opening of dark roses and safron, clean and gourgeous. Fall in love for first two hours. Then roses faded and white flowers stepped in close to skin and very discrete, end of the day this perdume showed it’s dirty tale. Don’t know other versions but I expected more on longetivity and silage. Not bombastic or strong in any means, truly real woman perfume, not for girls, but not and old woman. Batch 17158
edubreflupe – :
I went for a long holiday in a forest town, away from any mainstream entertainment and, for some reason, spent my time reading EVERY SINGLE ONE of the reviews on this forum for this frag. Thanks all!
After buying two bottles, it has come to my attention that:
1) It’s an addicting smell, although sadly missing some unidentifiable thing which could have made it a contender for my as-of-yet undiscovered signature scent (maybe leather?)
2) It has changed. The first bottle I have is pinker and the font is curved upwards (as in the picture above). It has the dirty / rose-y scent so many of you talk about. The second, also bought from a legitimate, mainstream (albeit different) store, was just a tad more mauve-y and the font lacked the concave curve. Before you ask, yes, it was definitely the same scent – not L’Agent. This bottle has half the sillage, absolutely no mustiness and very little rose – its sweeter and sharper and far more mainstream than the other bottle. I agree with a reviewer further down whose family smelt those pink musk sweets one used to get, with a touch of incense. The pinker bottle was far creamier (which I usually wouldn’t like, but which worked with the musk, and deeper).
I investigated and it seems that some retailers have both types on their shelves. No one can tell me why – I suspect reformulation, which would be very upsetting.
vanoxxru – :
A couple of years ago I smelled this on a stranger, a young woman around my age (late 20s/early 30s), & I will never forget it. At this point I had been collecting fragrances for a few years, & it would take something unusual &/or exceptional to really grab my attention. She was out shopping with another young woman who was unmistakably her sister & a baby, wearing jeans & a big, comfy looking over-sized sweatshirt, very casual & pretty obviously not seeking anyone’s attention. She was standing in front of me in line at H&M.. & the scent of her gorgeous perfume radiating all around her hijacked all of my senses with an effortless immediacy, holding me utterly captive. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I just have to ask what fragrance you’re wearing..”, I gushed. “Agent Provac”, she said, in a graciously unaffected, knowing way. She was a pretty girl, though in all honesty not the type who would typically capture my intrigue so strongly.. but wearing that perfume, she could have done anything & everything she wanted with me & I would be helpless to do anything but beg for more & bury my face in her..
plormaerolo – :
I just now spritz a whole bunch of this on me. I bought the (great deal) 6.7 oz on fragrance net. There are days I like it, slightly hate myself for buying it, or easily gotten in some type of mood while giving the scent another chance. I’m olive skin, and my composition tends to bring out the woodsy and rose in this fragrance, which I love. It fades beautifully, and very unique. Because I have so much of it, I will spray my bed. I do agree it is sexy, but it does have to suit your personality. There’s days when I don’t feel this kind of burlesque sexy.
Butal – :
Warning: This is a very negative review so you might not want to read it if you love this perfume.
I am sorry to put it in these words, but, honestly, this perfume to me smells absolutely horrible and the very opening is quite close to being an olfactory monstrosity. My sister had the very same reaction to it. I bought a sample of this because I heard multiple people that it smells like a brothel or a brothel madam etc etc and I was VERY intrigued. Well, maybe I don’t know anything about men, but this is probably the LAST perfume I would ever wear out of all that I’ve tried if I was trying to appeal to men. It smells like dead flowers and weird herbal medicine who have been sitting for decades in an old, damp, wood cupboard who someone has finally taken out and then poured a bit of Swedish bitter over. It’s not sexy, provocative or any of those adjectives, in the slightest. It’s toxic, sinister and tenebrous. Someone lower said it smells like death.Yes, I agree. I feel fear and anxiousness when smelling this. I can imagine that the retired old courtesan mentoring Marguerite Gautier, the main protagonist of La Dame aux Camélias, would wear something like this. That is not my idea of sexy. Maybe it would have been sexy, 150 years ago. After half an hour to an hour it becomes more tolerable but nothing I would wear.
The 5ml sample I have is too much for me to ever use up.
Edit: Oh wow, I keep trying this day after day, because I have very often changed my mind dramatically about certain perfumes, but I am blown away every single time about how truly awful this one is, it’s like it gets worse every time I try it. I will forever be grateful that I didn’t just blind buy it, like I was tempted to. I would’ve probably thrown it in the trash and try to repress the memory of having spent money on it. I’m a bit pissed that I even spent $8 on the gianormous sample I have (1ml was not available).
cmy714speagoessenda – :
One word: propolis 🙂
romarik – :
Straight up vintage dark rose scent, heady. You took the water from a vase of wilted roses, poured woody oils, and swam in it. Could be your really old grandma’s perfume, if she tried to be sexy…. which.. you can imagine will probably be a peculiar sight.
Oh well. I have accidentally purchased this, having loved my mother’s AP eau emotionnelle as a kid. I only realised I had bought the original AP instead once I smelt how different this was (they have the same bottle, just different ribbon stopper + subtle pattern on the bottle). This is the less friendly, cold and medicinal grandma of the eau emotionnelle version which is creamier and more pleasant, alluring, flirty and sexy.
HOWEVER, I’ve found that this could be quite pleasant and less nauseating after hours of wear. For that reason, I recommend spraying it on the air and walking through it. I only like this when I do that.
If anyone has a bottle of eau emotionnelle and would like to trade with me, let me know.
Stileatty – :
If you love rose scents, this is a must for your collection. 10/10.
ВИКТОР000 – :
It smells like Arpege in 50 % for first 2hours! And thats wow.
Then it finally changes to a sweet rose with a hint of gardenia and musk. I did not expect to find this change after 2 h, but it does.
Still it is so special i can not wear it daily. Even ever, hard to find an occasion to wear it. It is so special.
vittorio555 – :
This is a very luxury, seductive scent that lasts all nigh long. It leaves a musky, woody, oriental base.
Not a mainstream scent.
Love it.
d06p0 – :
I love this perfume, it smells terrific,very sexy and seductive.A real winner.Rating 10/10.
draga20 – :
It’s Sleeping Beauty’s perfume, not seductress’s one.
The opening hit me with strong coriander notes. However, once its pungent smell go away and settles into a generic-flower sweet warm resin smell dusted with a quite a lot of powder it becomes rather soft pink, sedative and safe suitable for a day wear. I might call this perfume dreamy romantic and is good for a cuddle and candle time with your loved one. The silage is arm length, longevity is reliable and long enough to get you through the day.
PS. 12 hours later I can finally smell the rose with gardenia. Dreamy romantic.
vladtimkov – :
My first try with AP perfumes. I have the 200 ml USA version. Very strong at first, overwhelming, spicy, needed time to get used to this. But it dries down with a woodsy musk, clean red rose and strong vetiver. It’s nice and in a way quite seductive,for strong women , longevity good, it lasts about all day (better on clothes), but close to the skin! I rarely use it and only in cold weather. Not very glad with the purchase! Having such a big bottle I use it to spray my sheets from time to time!
yih965JeomiWogkig – :
Kelly Hart: Hello, I have USA 100ml version tester. Longevity is relative good, but sillage is really close skin. :/ I like this perfume, so I will try buy 50ml next time and I hope it will not be from USA. 🙂
alextelenkov – :
Ladies! Could someone who has USA version in 100 ml tell me about scent/longevity/sillage?? I’ve heard that Italy/UK/USA versions are very different from each other. Also, heard that USA version in 200 ml seems “diluted” and a lot less lasting. If someone has USA version in 100 ml, how does it feel?
Yann – :
True rose with the green stems and thorns. I find this to be very sensual. The scent of roses is supposed to be an aphrodisiac. AP is also clean, sophisticated at the same time. Joy by Jean Patou is my favorite rose fragrance. But this has a more powdered, musky backdrop for the rose. Rose is still central for me.
I think this is special. I personally adore the curvy pink bottle. If you like rose, try this. If you like vintage classic florals, you must give it a try.
kip – :
Powdery boudoir rose, sharp woody vetiver, musk and strong saffron. The saffron in this has a quality that smells like dirty hair, which I dislike. The overall scent is very boudoir but in an old fashioned way that doesn’t leave me smelling or feeling very sexy. It might work wonderfully for lovers of vintage frags though. Mild dislike to meh for me. I have a grenade bottle that I really need to get around to swapping one of these days. I just hate going to the post office and wrapping things haha 🙂
vitya.kolyadin – :
I received this blind in a swap, so I wasn’t sure what to expect even after reading a lot of the reviews.
I try to give all perfumes a chance, because some that I disliked initially transformed into loves with time. With Agent Provocateur, I feel like I’m going to have to climb Mt. Everest barefoot to get anywhere near liking it. This is probably the worst reaction I’ve had to a perfume since I started this hobby.
I need to start by saying that I love vintage perfumes. Vintage L’air du Temps is my signature, and it’s a fragrance that’s often dismissed as ‘old lady’ smelling and the like. I’m 26 and nowhere near being anyone’s concept of ‘old’ (with the exception of children), and generally I don’t like boxing scents in as old or young, male or female, etc. But Agent Provocateur smells -old-. It smells ancient, NOT vintage. It doesn’t even smell like a person so much as it smells like a mummy. This mummy died from smoking too many cigarettes and was buried with rose potpourri that’s been collecting dust for 100 years. It smells like death. And that’s after it dries down… it smells like poop when you first spray it.
It smells nostalgic to me in a strange way. Not so much because I think it smells old (that’s a separate issue), but because it brings to mind vivid images of places I’ve been, like bingo halls and casinos in Las Vegas. It smells like places that are worn out, like old leather furniture that has soaked in the scent of cigarette smoke. I remember being babysat by a woman who smoked, whose house was infiltrated with the scent. Her rouge, her leathery skin. She’s reappeared in this bottle.
Honestly, I haven’t even tried it on my skin… I need to put aside a night to do so because just spraying it on paper upset the people around me. I might come back with an update when I do.
EDIT: Somewhat better when *LIGHTLY* applied on skin. I forget where I read this tip, but I spritzed a cottonball with AP and then dabbed my inner arm with it. It smells leagues more tolerable this way. I can see how this fragrance teeters on trashy and classy, though it does so in a way that a foul-mouthed yet kind woman would. Reminds me of Amy Winehouse today? I stopped hating it, at least.
EDIT EDIT: Uhhhhm, transforming into a ‘love’ for me? Because it’s so challenging. Today it smells stinky like intoxicating marijuana. The vetiver is very cold and herbaceous. The saffron acts as a good contrast, warm but still earthy. They smell leathery when taken together as an accord. The rose is still dusty like old potpourri, but it smells interesting to me now. Weird how your perception can change almost overnight.
стас стас – :
I recently repurchased this one along with some other AP fragrances. I love Eau Emotionelle more than this which is surprising for a flanker but it’s a bit lighter and to me more pleasing. But the original is still beautiful, it’s a strong very musky leathery floral. If you like the darker side to this be sure to try Strip from 2008.
zarjagen – :
I bought this untested because it cross matches with many of the perfumes I already have and love (Alien Absolue, Dior Poison, Shalimar) and it was on an incredible sale. But I hate it. I dont get woody, I dont get amber, I dont get powder. All I get is old lady Ashes of Roses. Even after an hour and washing my wrist three times I can still small my granny! I Amy try it again in summer (Its now Jan in the Highlands!) and maybe that will change my mind. I very much doubt it but im prepared to give it a go. I realise now I’m probably more suited to AP L’Agent…
986660000 – :
It seems like Agent Provocateur is a love it or hate it kind of perfume. It is not sold in any stores in my country, but I did get my hands on a 5 ml decant. When I first sprayed it, I was struck with the feeling, that I had smelled the scent before. On my skin it smells exactly like Narciso Rodriguez Narciso edt (the black squared one). The scent itself is rose imbedded in a dusty musky and woody base. It has a very dry quality to it, which I love!
ddkor05 – :
I rarely write reviews but.. this one deserves it. For a lingerie brand this was a very brave launch. Not only in 2000 when it had it’s premiere it wasn’t fitting trends (aquatics, gourmand, orientals) but it still now doesn’t fit any trends (even more sweeter gourmands, lighter perfumes, greens). So what does it really stand for?
This is a little, weird pink egg with something outstanding inside. To sum it up easy – it’s a rose scent with some wood and smoke to it. The problem is, it’s far from being “easy” or a “rose scent” how we define it today (f.e. Chloe Chloe, Parisienne, Stella, Tresor Midnight).
This is a very dirty and even kind of stuffy rose. In a good way. More like a rose incense. Some of You wrote that it even smells like a wet cigarette. And that’s true. I think vetiver and saffron are to “blame” for the wet cigar smell (I love it though, it’s awesome). Cedar gives the impression of smokiness or incense.
I thought about it a lot and it really is a very retro perfume. It reminds me of classic chypre fragrances. Very dry and very bitter but also ultra sensual. Sometimes even sour. There’s not a single note of sweetness to it that is reminescent of todays bestseller fragrances. After Angel it’s becoming even worse and worse – there are gourmand bombs everywhere. It’s almost unimaginable to think of something non-sweet in terms of “sexy”, “seductive” or “feminine”. Agent Provocateur proves otherwise. It brings back memories of Paloma Picasso, Mitsouko, Bandit, Magie Noire, Chanel 19.
Those are difficult and very demanding perfumes. So is AP. If You want something very different but in a way familiar, super ballsy, loud and smart about it, try AP. It’s a very hard to put in a frame perfume. Full of individuality and very retro-chypre-inspired.
ps It’s funny how I think people long for more ambicious perfumery. There’s always a perfume like AP, that doesn’t fit any trend of it’s time but somehow is super-popular despite it… (others f.e. Alaia, Sisley Soir d’Оrient, Bottega Veneta, Gucci Rush, Midnight Poison, Kelly Caleche, Kenzo Flower).
puza2409 – :
Bought 25ml of this as a blind buy due to fragratica recommendations
Well…
Thank you!
I wear this for work…its such a lovely rose musk and not too strong
Lovely
indi20 – :
If you’re looking for a heavy hitting rose scent this one can’t be faulted. While when it’s first sprayed, I do get a very sharp musk note, it never reaches the BO territory. I think the saffron or something deeper keeps the musk anchored, but again I can’t fault it for that cause I usually hate musk. It is quite strong, and I think if I tried to wear it out in public it would seem a little out of place, I don’t have the strong willed sassy attitude I think is required for such a straight on scent that may or may not offend the people close by. The woman who wears this wears it cause she likes rose perfumes and she doesn’t care who knows it or what they have to say about it. I’ve been offered some layering suggestions to make this one a little smoother, and I’m intrigued by the possibilities enough to give it a shot, perhaps if it’s sweetened up or toned down a little I’ll feel worthy enough to showcase her beauty to the world.
Longevity is over 6 hours, but it does soften a ‘little’ after the dry down. The dry down does not differ in smell, only in it’s powerful deliverance of the notes. After this happens which is about 3-4 hours, I don’t mind having it around, it’s worn itself out from all the screeching and is willing to just sit there and play nice, but 4 hours is a long time to have to sit there and take an unrelenting rose scented beating…
ultralight86 – :
It just blows my mind every time I spray it. Starts like Habanita, ends like Narciso Rodriguez for Her.
Pure feminity and I am in love forever.
frostnight – :
Rose,musk and woods is what I get from Agent Provocateur. It is not a fresh,clean,crisp rosy spring scent though. It’s quite deep,sultry,dark rose better used in night time. The base is quite musky and woody. I would say I smell something like insence, although I don’t see insence in the notes of the scent. Not something breath-taking but quite interesting and sexy scent for night time.
ByShekineC – :
When I first test it it smells heavy, but when I saw that in a couple of moments the rose & musk came in front I was in love. It reminds me a lot of is very long lasting, unique, powerful rose fragrance which the same is very musky and at first is quite heavy.
Is very long lasting, unique, powerful rose fragrance.
qwzx13 – :
This popped up on my radar because I love vintage scents! From the reviews, I gathered this was a “throwback” scent to vintage glamour/sex appeal, and the idea of this perfume being “old smelling” made me curious. I loooove vintage Miss Dior, any Guerlain, old chypres, etc…
And I get that lingerie companies like AP or Victoria’s Secret often capitalize on the pinup-retro glamour for their aesthetic. The red lips, liquid liner cat eye, complete lingerie getup with garters and stockings. So this perfume makes sense.
I get it. But I’m not sure about it. I don’t love it or hate it.
It’s rose, musty-dusty rose– which for me that isn’t a bad thing. But I think this tries too hard. A modern vintage? Hmmmm…. I’m not sure it works.
This scent is funky. At times I smelled paint thinner and roses… some spice/patchouli/pepper… sometimes it was sour or medicinal. Sometimes it was amazing and divine. I do get a vintage rose-soap overall (I think musty-dusty scents are actually interesting and fun). And I did get a faint chypre that reminded me of Aromatics Elixir or Miss Dior. But in all– it’s not enough. It’s too messy?
I got some musk, but not really like female-musk. More like what you’d expect some blonde bombshell’s cleavage to smell like. And in that case- this succeeds. Or it smells like lingerie in a cedar drawer.
I found the sillage to be light actually, but the longevity was long on clothing. My skin eats perfume, and if this is applied to skin, it’s a skin scent for me, but also radiates off me with heat/movement, etc…
Basically, this is old time vintage rose soap. It’s soapy, but musky, spicy, dirty… it does smell vintage, but you can tell it’s not. It could be sexy? I think the right person needs to pull this off.
I could go both ways with this. I could end up loving it, or just being “meh” about it. I don’t hate it. The thing is… at least it’s interesting! I have a feeling this will change depending on the climate/clothing/etc… I put it on during rainy cold fall/winter in Michigan, but I also didn’t leave the house. Haha.
I have tried Eau Emotionelle, and I DO see how that is a light EDT of this. However, EE is such a tiny fraction of the EDP.
weu178Bessinepome – :
I recently bought a huge (200ml) bottle for a really reasonable price, without testing. I was always wondering about this one, but I never really dared to go for it, then I read all the reviews here, and got even more confused and discouraged..But I just had to try it so I jumped at the 30 euro sale and now I have a bottle of my own. It`s an eau de parfum too, so my impressions are about the eau de parfum.
At first spritz it was more of a `oh no, Grandma X Village House in the Woods` – probably because of too much moss or vetiver mixed with the rose, it kinda smelt like an old paper box that`s been sprayed on with a very heavy rose perfume and then put away and let the mildew cover it entirely before being pulled out from under the bed again..uhh and brrr..No, not pleasant. I kept waiting and sniffing. Not much has changed. Tried again half an hour later – a bit better maybe?
I must say I started to give up on it but then about an hour later it all started to tone down and the scent was falling right into place: the rose and especially the saffron – suddenly it made me reminiscence about a few other scents I liked – at some point Lanvin Rumeur – probably rose-related – and another moment L`Instant Guerlain..
I still don`t like the opening though, but now I know it takes a bit of time and patience and the scent WILL turn into something truly adorable. I think it will be this year`s winter scent for me.
sova1 – :
It is quite special and not for everyday use. Night time at the opera perhaps or if you are attending some fancy party with a lot of people to impress. You will get noticed…It’s a little spicy and loud, then turns creamy and smooth. Something a little vixeny about it for sure.
Gigatt734 – :
A love of vetiver is a requirement for wearing this scent. If those old-school chypres had vetiver as the star instead of oakmoss, Agent Provocateur would be the result. It’s bone dry, soapy, and vintage as hell, but somehow so, so inviting and cozy without veering into dated territory, at least to my nose.
The rose note does not project on my skin as much as the saffron does, which makes for an earthy, dry, aromatic floralcy over the stunning vetiver base. In heat, the rose blooms a little bit more, but still stays somewhat subdued, austere, and rather stately for a purported boudoir scent. To make the rose pop more, I like to apply One Hundred Roses lotion from B.Witching Bath Company first, which really bolsters the existing rose in a delicious, sensual way. I can’t help it, I am an incorrigible rose lover.
As the scent settles, I can detect the vaguest white florals, but mostly on my skin this projects a really robust vetiver enshrined by dry rose and saffron, which flicker in and out of my olfactory perception like a desert mirage. I detect zero animalics or musk whatsoever, rather to my disappointment, but hell if I won’t keep wearing this to try and find them!
I’ve also experienced the comparison to Aromatics Elixir that other Fragranticans have commented on here! I even fooled my boss, whose mother always wore Aromatics Elixir for special occasions. When she asked me if that’s what I was wearing, I certainly surprised her with my answer! Because of how dry and vetiver-woodsy-centric this is on my skin, I’ve found it to be a perfectly inoffensive scent for daywear and the office, which seems somewhat contrary to all the sexualized ad copy for this scent. It is unusual enough to warrant a few second glances from others in the vicinity, but I have found myself wishing it was a little MORE provocative than what’s been advertised!
anden08 – :
One thing is sure- it’s not for everybody, everywhere and all the time. I agree this scent is to love or hate.
I can’t recognize all notes, but there’s clear rose, sharp spices, amber and some wood notes. Maybe I can sense saffron, which hasn’t been into my favourite scents so far.
For me, Agent Provocateur is strong, very unique and unusual, but also addictive fragrance. Actually, there is something appealing and sensual. R