Iquitos (1987)
by Alain Delon

The Foetidus's review is exaustive and clarifying, the soaring and airy effect of aldehydes in a first time and of patchouli later are able to soar higher and higher the influence of spices, citruses, aromatic-coniferous elements and woods in order to push up a wonderful indentend and chaotic initial dust. A central heart of rose-jasmine, spices and woods holds on the chaos. This phase is immediately obscure and in a few time animalic because of the final woodsy base of musk, leather, amber, vetiver and moss. The shadows are dreadful, the sweetness is faint, a touch of smoothness softens the blend and the dark rose starts finally to stand up the podium. Excellent.

21st August, 2011. (Last Edited: 7th January, 2012.)

Remarkable that a movie star kown for his macho image produced this one of a kind, confusingly androgynous cologne for men. Dior released Poison for women roughly at the same time, and to me Iquitos was in the same realm. Almost intoxicating, mysterious to the point of something sinister, therefore possibly a little too out there for most men. But are vampires not the latest old revival thing right now? Lady Gaga's videos would go terribly well with a somptuous splash of Iquitos.

Named after a notoriously seedy and dangerous city in Southamerica, as Alain Delon explained it the counterpart to Marseille, there is definitely something "fin de siècle" about it and maybe it lacks a contemperary sence about it, but I went through 3 bottles and loved it immensely. Anyway, reveling in decadence was hot in the eighties, what about names like Obsession, Opium, etc?

1st December, 2010.

My greatest blind buy ever...

With some trepidation, I bought Iquitos online, "scent unsniffed." Based on the previous reviews, I expected at least something interesting. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised by just how good this is. At risk of gushing, this is now easily in my top ten and may move into my top five. Is it the rose, the patchouli, the musk, the leather...? Frankly I lack the olfactory sophistication to definitively say. What I can say is that this is fascinating.

I experience none of the longevity or projection issues that several others have lamented: on me I get 8-plus hours of high-quality radiance. No, it's not Lapidus powerful. It's much more refined and subtle than that, but I don't find it a wallflower. Speaking of flowers, this is the best rendition of rose in a male-oriented scent that I have yet come across, at least among designer offerings. Damn unique, I could see this on Dean Martin or even on Monsieur Delon himself. Unabashed, unqualified thumbs up.

30th November, 2010.

This is the fragrant equivalent of owning a pair of velvet trousers – quite beautiful to experience, but a very impractical item to wear successfully. Sweet without ever being remotely cloying, floral without being excessively feminine - Iquitos runs a fine line along some difficult terrain.

I am delighted that it was created with such limited potency - it allows the subtle nuances and general coyness of the notes to leave you wanting more. For an intimate evening out, or even for the aromatic narcissist, Iquitos is a beguiling companion

27th August, 2010.

I never encountered Iquitos at the time of its release in 1987, but it must have smelled either like a daring departure or an odd duck next to its mainstream contemporaries. The bold, butch leathers and aromatics of the 1980s had largely run their course, while Cool Water and New West would emerge within months to launch the brighter, aquatic and fresh fougère styles that would dominate the next decade. Iquitos, with its powdery, aldehydic rose, its sweet spiced amber heart, and its mellow fruity suede drydown, belonged to neither party, and floated adrift in the crisp, clean tide of 1990s masculines.

In some respects Iquitos is not merely out of its time, but out of any time. Some aspects – the rose, powder, and amber – hearken back to Edwardian masculines like Hammam Bouquet. Others – the apricots and suede in the drydown – anticipate fruity niche leathers like Daim Blond. For all that, I feel Iquitos lacks the flair of some other non-conforming scents of the late 80s and early 90s. The Third Man, Insensé, Globe, and Ungaro I all had bolder profiles, while Patricia de Nicolai’s comparatively staid New York mirrored Iquitos’s overall mood in a sturdier, more resolute structure. Wearing Iquitos would please me more if it were a touch more assertive in its floral facets and if its base notes lasted longer and projected farther. As it is, I find it mildly interesting, but not inspiring.

14th February, 2010. (Last Edited: 16th February, 2010.)

A lovely masculine rose scent - a shame it doesnt last all that long but nonetheless a very nice fragrance pity its discontinued - why ?

16th December, 2009. (Last Edited: 29th January, 2010.)