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ALANCITT – :
This is a wonderful Nouvelle Vague take on the classic American hippie stank, like the perfume version of Brigitte Bardot purring “Foooord Mustang,” on Serge Gainsbourg’s Comic Strip. Freshly sprayed, it is pungent and very strong patchouli, but the earthy notes are quickly whipped into a silky, glossy, light-as-air finish, heavy on the tonka and musk. It’s camp af, like a patchouli macaron, and far too stylish to be turned on, tuned in, or dropped out.
delisafar – :
This is very nice, but I agree with others that it doesn’t last long. I put this on about an hour ago and it is almost gone. I will also add that on me, Patch is not the main attraction. I love Patch, and am always searching for a patch party in a bottle. This isn’t it. It smells like it contains amber, but doesn’t, so I can only guess it is the combination of other notes. The Patch does not sail into port as the scented victor. This is very nice, but for a more long-lasting scent with patch upfront and in the spotlight, I prefer Molinard Patch (purple bottle), Il Profumo Patchouli Noir (a rootbeer edge), The Body Shop Patchouli (straight up Patch). Molinard Patchouli Intense is great if you can get past the opening which has the dreaded doll’s head smell. I think what bothers me is the nougat, but once gone, Patch Intense is awesome. Always looking for patch. Any suggestions welcome.
Gamebeer – :
I grew up in the late eighties and early nineties when most fragrances were still powerhouses and made a statement. Times have changed and we are in the era of fruit, candy, and cakes barraging our olfactories from every corner. I do love a good sweet smell like the rest of ’em, but I absolutely adore the statement “look at me…SMELL ME” scents (they are still around, but not like before). This is one of them. Patchouli has been used for centuries as a perfume in many cultures worldwide. This fragrance is patchouli done right. It starts off with a cedar masculine note with earthy patchouli coming up behind. The patchouli sneaks in like a slinky cat sitting on its favorite window sill. The scent of milky thick chocolate wafts in beside the patchouli like a 70s hippie with “special brownies” fresh out of the oven. This scent is my all time favorite patchouli hands down!! For all you patchouli lovers, give this bombshell a go!!
Deroxcwszy – :
Love the smell. Starts out strong then softens up to nice rich woody warmth. The only problem I have is that its so soft and subtle on me that I cant smell it after about an hour or so. Other than that, it smells awesome!
zhigulinaaa – :
This perfume is the one I wear at work, when I lack confidence.. I didn’t know why, but everytime I sprayed it on my wirst, this perfume made me feel better, it gave me strength. I read later on a website that the essence of patchouli had a special power : it gives you strength, confidence… you can also look for acorelle patchouli if you look for an organic one. For the review of this perfume, I’d say like other comments that it’s flower power in a bottle! First, it’s a very strong patchouli thanks to the woods (sandalwood, vetiver) and a few hours later : sweet with vanilla and tonka bean. Not as gourmand as Angel, but enough sweet to remind you quality chocolates 😉
lena2606 – :
Since it was launched 1970, it MUST be the mother of all patchouli scented perfumes/oils/lotions&potions that engulfed hippie movement and invaded flower-children’s of that era, masking their body odors. I include ChristianDior’s Dioressence, technically speaking it is a follower or one of the beautiful daughters of this scent. GuyRobert either consciously or inadvertently was following a “trend” his nose got used to since the beginning of 70’s or even 60’s.
Patchouli, is the only remaining perfume, or “potion” that stood carrying this plant’s name as its commercial name, because a lot of “generic” oils and perfumes took that name on their labels for almost 2decades and then people saved the “gut” of their noses for more subtle/less earthy smells of the next decade.
I read most of the reviews here and didn’t see any likening with Dioressence, mostly they confirms and underscores the ‘spiritual-religious-meditation’ effects Patchouli creat.
I saw also a mentioning of validity for “layering” with other scents, which I totally agree with, but didn’t and will not try even, as I’m not a layer master or a fan of this kind of arts.
“Patchouli” is a love-it-hate-it perfume, no teen will ever com close it and be careful if you carry a child that they might hate you and refuse to stay calm in your clutches.
Edit: another similar perfume, “Ambre Sultan” by SergeLutens
NastyaMalina – :
This is clearly the Mother of YSL M7.Yes.
катя86 – :
Reminiscence does patchouli best. I love patch and have tried many patch fragrances and my favorites are from this house. Patchouli is a little sweet and a little smoky. This is strong earthy patchouli at its best. There is great longevity and the silage is moderate. I get a chocolate vibe with this one as well. Inoubliable elixir is more resinous and “darker” a bit stronger, and it WAS my favorite but this one is equally beautiful and it’s really hard to chose a clear winner now.
TuthNeulala – :
This is a soft, nicely balanced scent but the patchouli is obvious. I can’t say I got clear wood notes, but I used a half spritz to the stomach (just above the navel). This suggests it’s quite strong with two or more full sprays. I’m not a huge patchouli fan, in that I like it when it’s mild and isn’t the star of the show, but I can imagine wearing this one once in a while. Also, it can be used for layering purposes, which I intend to try out one of these days with it. I got a good deal on it, but I can’t say I would spend $100 or so on 100 ml, since I already have a couple of Molinard patchouli scents that I like, though I’m certainly glad I bought a bottle when a great opportunity came my way. To those who say it’s too strong, are you kidding? You can get a dozen dab vials on ebay for next to nothing, then decant some into it and dab on a tiny amount. The 100 ml bottle of this then might last you a lifetime. Don’t look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth!
vensult – :
I am new to Reminiscence line so this is my first review of the brand.
A very lovely soft version of Patchouli. Even though this is an EDT it holds it’s essence very well. It reminds me of Prada’s L’Eau Ambree EDP. I also purchased the Ambre Reminiscence perfume and am impressed with that as well.
This Patchouli is very smooth and soft. I sprayed it on before bed and still smell a soft faint aroma the next morning. While earthy and somewhat dirty it’s not heavy and thick like some Patch fragrances tend to be. Bottom line – if you enjoy soft patchouli that is not super dirty or dark this is a great choice. Some patchouli’s can be very earthy on me and have that 70’s vibe. This one is more modernized and very easy to wear. Unfortunately for me though after trying it about three times I realize it just does not suit me as it should so I will be parting with my bottle.
конструктор – :
I am guest below. Somehow I slipped out of my account. Could not delete it. Stupid technicalities. Copy-paste:
Tried this on papper some years ago. My daughter got damp forest and I got an unventilated mouldy basement. Totally uninteresting. A while ago I got a free sample. It took a while before I tried it, thinking it was a waste of time and I would wash it off soon. I was very wrong. When this goes on my skin things happen. It is a very nice dirty earthy patch. I like it a lot. I love labdanum and it is noticeable. Nothing mouldy here. Only nice warm earthy and a bit naughty. Round and soft but still some oomph. One spray and is not very strong and the longevity is medium. Good one to me.
Less – :
A blind buy. I loathe patchouli and don’t want to smell like a dirty hippie. With that said, I am foraying out of my comfort zone. I blind bought this and was surprised. I wish it projected more and lasted longer. It does NOT smell like patchouli oil. It smells like the infusion I did of dried patchouli herbs in vodka mixed with water for a medieval fragrance. It goes one top notes very bitter, herbal and medicinal but quickly dries down to a soft, powdery patch with some vanilla. In the top you really get the dry woods, too, the cedar and sandalwood. Thankfully, those disappear with time, too. This doesn’t last more than a couple hours on me as a skin scent, but I like it. It would go well layered with other fragrances that are sweeter. Maybe a rose or Raghba.
ionmen – :
Blind buy in a way. I usually like patchouli in my perfumes. It’s great by itself but I also have other Reminiscence perfumes like Tonka, Vanilla and Amber. I spray the Vanilla, the Amber and the Patchouli on, one right after the other and WOW! Love it! So you can use it alone or with others that enhance this beauty. I highly recommend this fragrance for anyone who wants to carry a beautiful scent where ever she/he may go. Yes, a man could wear this too. I think it’s maybe more for a woman but these days, we wear whatever makes us happy and beautifully scented.
slavik092 – :
For a long time I have been looking for a chocolate fragrance that is dry, really dark and absolutely inedible. I am not partial to the contemporary take on chocolate in perfumery, I really dislike chocolate brownies as personal fragrance, etc. I’ve always enjoyed patchouli in perfumes, especially the raw, earthy variety, so that’s what I was expecting when I tested Reminiscence’s iconic fragrance in a perfumery. However, I would have never thought that I find my chocolate here! Yes, this is exactly what I was looking for, this abstract, dense, chewy, pitch dark chocolate! It mingles wonderfully with the scent of freshly turned earth (big love!) and some discreet embellishment from woods and tonka beans, but mainly this is chocolatey+earthy patchouli at its very best.
I grew up behind the Iron Curtain, which gives me the advantage (one of the few) that I absolutely don’t have the headshop association, and can enjoy this lovely perfume for what it is. And enjoying it I do, immensely!
Also, Patchouli is a great layering fragrance. Mixed with Nirmala I end up basically with Angel, I can create a lovely rose patchouli with Perfumer’s Workshop’s Tea Rose, I can use it with my favourite violet perfume to conjure the spring earth under the flowers, etc., the possibilities are probably endless.
All in all I find Patchouli a great quality, versatile perfume with good sillage and decent longevity. Highly recommended!
Tex – :
I’m very short about this one, it’s disgusting. I like patchouli a lot but this turns into a very mothball aroma. I can’t formulate it different. Just not for me.
lenocka – :
One of my favorite patchouli scents. It’s just lovely. A friend gave me a mini and it’s very rich and warms up nicely on the skin. Smells natural and not synthetic like some patchouli can.
enlafrofe – :
This dark, thick juice… don’t be afraid, friends. You like patchouli, right? You don’t mind a little sweetness, a little edge to take off the earthy, wet slap in the face you’ll get in the first few seconds? Then you’ve found it here. This is overturned earth and sweet warm dirt; beautiful and full of caramel smeared kisses from a five year old that you wish wouldn’t wash away so quickly.
sever0ff – :
The drydown is in the same vein as vintage Coty Wild Musk. I own both and did a side by side comparison and they both have that earthy ethereal aura I love so much. Fantastic.
Brekcer – :
Sublime soft patchouli, not very typical, close to skin, unisex, pleasant, lasting, but very unusual mix, not something you expect from perfume called patchouli, not very impressive for me, since I like more pronounced patch notes.
But intimate and wearable fragrance.
коляныч1 – :
I sprayed this on a paper strip in the store and took it home. At first I really liked it but after keeping it on the table next to me for a couple of hours it started sickening me. I threw it away because it was so overwhelming but the scent remained ON THE TABLE for days after and I could even smell it through the plastic of the trash bag! This scent is like an evil demon that won’t leave me be. The devil ;(
dyn863Bessinepome – :
Good LORD this stuff is potent! This is EASILY one of the strongest 3 fragrances I’ve ever smelled. 1 spray fills a room and I have to breathe through my nose for a few mins before I can take it.
That said it smells VERY strongly of ambergris to me, which I suppose is actually tolu balsam. The patch, tonka, and vetiver/cedar pepperiness are all afterthoughts compared to the intensity of this earthy, almost smoky-dark scent I’m detecting most of all. In all honesty I get a sort of playdoh vibe behind this dirtiness as well, much as I did from Calypso’s Figue.
My initial impression is… I simply can’t pull this off and don’t want to. It is the heaviest, most dank patch, earth-covered scent I’ve ever smelled. Hands down.
I bit off more than I could chew with this baby but one thing is undeniable: this is STRONG JUICE and I’ll be looking into more of Reminiscence’s scents for that fact alone. They clearly don’t pull punches and I love getting what I payed for! ;D Too bad this one makes me smell like WOODSTOCK and, ah, that’s just not my bag…
andreypush – :
I would like to know where can I find this fragrance and the Vanille. Can it be found at Sephora? Thanks in advance!
dimathepro – :
This is a rather Nice Patchouli . starts of kind of earthy and the smell of Earth and weth moss came to mind. I also often think of dryed peas when smelling this and other dry patchoulis, im a bit put of at that point .. But then after a little Wild the other notes comes in to make a Symphony .its still very Earth, Smokey, rather hippi like some state before me. This makes me think of witches and People Close to nature ecploring it living of it. This i would say is a very apropriet perfume for someone Close to Earth,working for the cause of keeping the Earth clean and fresh .
This is also absolutly apropriet for Fall,think of colourfull leaves in the garden . burning leaves on the bonfire . jolly happy People around. I think someone else mentioned this aswell. and its so spot on that i cant get the image out of my head
This is a perfume that makes you dream and make Pictures and sceneries.
The Vanilla and Tonka bean, Cedar and vetiver is also noticable . mostly the sweet smells come out in the end . and makes it worth the waith.. im a sweet lover 😉
But i have to add that i think you must be used to dry Patcholie to be able to pull of this kind of scent. the drydown comes first after many hours on my skin..
This is a beauty for the right Woman, just not so shure that woman is me .. I think this one has to go
Nick27 – :
One of the most beautiful patchouli.
A piece of art, strong in the opening, woody, earthy and wet in the middle notes, sweet and vanillic in the drydown, musky the day after.
A deep and warm fragrance you can wear in cold weather and in summer’s evenings.
Pefect and unisex, oriental sensuality and spirituality in a bootle.
Réminiscence, je me souviens du sous-continent indien, dont je connais désormais le parfum. Magique et Baudelairien.
“J’ai plus de souvenirs que si j’avais mille ans”.
motormerc – :
Just got this I the mail today. On first spray, yes divine patchouli of my dreams.
However, as it is drying down…(an hour later) it is morphing into something that is a little too sweet for me. I am not into sweet smells at all.
To be fair, I will have to give this a few more chances. Right now, as I smell my wrist…it is sicly sweet. I hope tomorrow will bring it more in favour with me. Otherwise I will give itto my sister who loves sweet smells.
Escotsoxibiop – :
This one opens with incense shop and dry cedar wood. Then, a creamy vanilla and praline ensues and tempers the rather moody patch note at the bottom. It’s like teleporting from a Moroccan side street to a Venetian cafe for gelato. I thought at first this one was bitter, but comparing it to Molinard Patchouli and Montale, it’s actually on the sweet side. And I really, really, love it. It is a hippie gourmand essence, but harkens back to some more innocent and hopeful hippie hour; before 1968, say.
gloating – :
I just wanted to add, if any Aussies are interested in this perfume – not denigrating the art that is Reminiscence, but it smells A LOT like Spiritual Sky Patchouli Amber oil. Not the American version, the Australian one. I highly vouch for it – sillage and longevity is intense – 1 drop easily lasts 12 hrs on the skin – and only $7 a vial as opposed to $120+ for reminiscence!
Make sure its the Australian spiritual sky oils – not American ones.
Australian version comes in a square glass vial with a black lid – American one in a roundish bottle with a Hindu looking pictures.
There’s an Australian website called Magic Essence that carries the whole range and has pictures. I don’t know that they’d ship overseas but either way you could probably find them on Australian ebay.
etv058speagoessenda – :
I searched for this fragrance for years and years. My cousin went backpacking through Europe and returned with this dark liquid. Her favourite is Angel and I find these similar in a way… I was in love with it, she told me I’d never find it and that made me more dedicated.
This year for Christmas my husband bought me 100ml after I’d been going on about it since we met. Its pretty cool in a way to know you’re not going to pass anyone on the street wearing this.
But this isn’t one for everyday, it’s very strong and earthy. I have to say… it smells quite fecal – I’ve heard the same said of Musc!
Its very unique, very bohemian chic, balmy, 70’s fragrance – PERFECT for fall – has to be the quintessential Autumn perfume when the air smells like damp leaves and earth.
juliokron – :
@NebelGeîst
Absolutely. Especially if you like unconventionally sweet scents (Patchouli does become a tad bit sweeter as hours pass but in no way feminine-sweet). It’s heavy, thick (wanted to say dense, but to me, Borneo is dense, and this is definitely thick (creamy, maybe? I flounder at the terminology people use for these things sometimes)), enveloping, but I’ve surely seen sweeter male fragrances. So, unisex, definitely.
Шевченко Иван – :
Very unisex very woody and earthy
Lana201275 – :
By reading the describtion and have a look at the main notes.. I wonder if this is really a women´s scent or if it would be suitable for man as well?
Haven´t seen it yet (but that may be caused by the fact that I don´t look for women´s fragrances ^^), so I never smelled it.
So what do you think? Maybe unisex?
msi64 – :
you spray it.. black magic comes out.. engulfs you..scares you for a second..be strong ..take it..then ..you feel earth moves under your feet..it shatters you.. reminds you of your roots.. and where you came from.. and where you will eventually end..it smells like earth.. like wet earth.. so earthy.. ambery.. PATCHOULI.. if you love patchouli.. if you can take the strength of patchouli.. if you have the courage.. and guts.. to take in the essence of life.. and earth.. and all that in between.. you will love this..i have been sweet away in the past ten years.. i was afraid before.. i hated earth.. i was in the clouds.. but i have learned to appreciate the strength of the earth.. and my mother land ..and now i feel like nothing else will do.. when i want to go back to my roots.. i go back to this amazing patchouli..
so serene ..so strong.. so soft.. so nurturing.. just like the earth ..it seriously takes you to other realms of being..it takes you in to the unknown..and what might be beyond what we merely see.. there is something so divine ..almost holly.. almost sacred.. its perfect for meditation.. its so smokey.. full of wonder.. and bliss.. so subtle.. yet so empowering ..it wraps you in a vail of holiness and spirituality..its like.. its full of bliss.. full of history.. heritage.. and dignity.. it smells like a million years .. its an amazing perfume surely for the mature…and not faint of heart..its full of mystery sandalwood.. tonka bean.. and 80% patchouli.. pure bliss…its like for a gypsy fortune teller.. or a guru .. or for some mosque care taker..there is something holy or divine about it.. you can almost smell old geruselim roads in it ..yes it is strong..as strong as earth can be..and as brown as earth can be.. but its also as amazing as the sprouts that bud out of earth can be.. i smell creation.. and eternal.. truth.. and life.. and death.. within its accords..
perfume ratting 4.6 out 5
bottle ratting 4.3 out 5
edt 100 ml spray
my personal liking ratting 4.6 out 5
jiascik – :
So divinely enveloping and calming, I absolutely loved the clean balminess of Pathcouli. That’s certainly the next best thing to Montale’s Patchouli Leaves which I declared as my number one. I’ll not compare the two here though. In its own right, Reminiscence’s Patchouli is one of the best, cleanest, dreamiest patchouli fragrances you can ever try. No sharpness, no mustyness, no zesty/citrusy or artificial extra notes whatsoever… That’s the real stuff (some good quality patchouli oil) which has a distinctive “oily” smell reminding me of pure unadultered olive oil. In this respect it’s certainly “exotic”, quite Middle Eastern indeed, and I want this exotic to be the norm for me. I feel at home wearing it.
Longevity is very good, sillage so surprising: Despite it feels more of a skin scent to me (after many spritz!) people around me smell it well. It’s soothing and detectable without being cloying or headache inducing at all for neither parties.
bugaev222 – :
I’m not a patchouly lover because it smells kind of musty to me, like when a dress has been worn one too many times and the remains of a few different fragrances still linger on the fabric and mingle with some body odour (not armpit, just body odour).
Anyway, this one’s different. It’s saved by the massive presence of musk which may be offensive to patchouly connoisseurs, but it’s a good thing for me.
This patchouly gently sits on my skin and smells rather fresh and pleasant.
Kellen – :
I like it but to me this is not patchouli but musk, musk, musk. My boyfriend said it reminded him of the (blue) denim after shave lotion.
bar-ten – :
best perfumes
fanterad – :
Such a unisex scent if one ever existed. Warm earthy and rich as a orange harvest moon on a crisp autumn star filled night. On a woman’s skin it is avant garde and artsy. On a man’s skin it is warm masculine and debonair. I never understood the need to market a Pour Homme edition for we all know couples share this fragrance.
Aleks_24 – :
I love this fragrance most of all.
Verry nice fragrance, i like patchouli verry much
100%
wooooooow
artem7711 – :
After a couple of years wearing only this, began a phase of obsessive collecting… Still, there is only one true love in my life.. Patchouli. Very heavy, oriental, spicy and sweet at the same time. Use sparingly. This amber – gold juice is not easy to pull off.
blok_ada – :
A very beautiful and quite heavy patchouli on a woody base.It smells quite like patchouli oil,very concentrated and powerful.Reminds me of Micallef Patchouli,but Reminiscence’s Patchouli is way stronger and darker.The drydown is a bit sweet patchouli with wood.A hippie patchouli,all the way!It has very good lasting power and sillage!
erazonlesmese – :
Classic, exotic and enticing…. I get so many compliments when I were this. This is my signature sent and can base fragrance when I experiment in layering and blending. Fabulous on a hot summer night and romantic enough for a winters eve in front of the fire. An all time must.
Tasterractiva – :
I really liked this fragrance when smelt it on a friend of my mother’s so I bought it a few weeks later. Maybe I didn’t let myself enough time to make sure I really liked it but now all I can smell is sweat and dirty patchouli! It really doesn’t suit me. My bottle is almost unused.
vitaliy_maksimov – :
This is just… I have no words for it. There is NO perfume that is as good as patchouli. I’m in love with it. It’s so nice people always say: ‘You smell good, what perfume are you wearing?’. When I bought it, everyone was like: ‘OMG, Patchouli? That’s for hippies…’ Now everyone likes it. It’s just my scent. I wear it everyday. I have other perfumes I really like, but none can compare to this one. So worth it.
stas009 – :
I bought a bottle of 200 ml at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris in 1990. One sniff catapulted me back to the flower power era. I just love patchouli. This one is not as “dirty” as others due to the wonderful cedar note which dominates and “tames” it. I stopped wearing it for about 15 years. Last autumn I rediscovered it and found it goes along perfectly with Bohemian chic.
spasateli 2011 – :
i love this fragrance. reminds me of Obsession by Calvin Klein “which unfortunately did not suit my skin” but this one is more elegant, lasts longer and i can feel more amber in this “which is not in the notes” i couldn’t stop smelling my hands all day, and night! perfect lasting power
rqh010elipseskism – :
I love this fragrance most of all.
I strongly feel patchouli and Sandalwood and sweet vanilla.
In comparison with “Inoubliable Elixir Patchouli”, this feels sweeter taste.