Duel (2003)
by Annick Goutal

I bought Duel a few months ago. I must say I like it very much but the longevity is indeed short in comparison with other niche parfums on the market. This is the reason I will not buy Duel again when my bottle is empty. It is a pleasant citrus and leathery musk smell so If you do not bother the longevity, try it out.

Maybe there’s a reason for all the short reviews preceding this one. Heck, I’m rarely at a loss for words about a fragrance (i.e., I often ramble), but I can’t find much to say about Duel. Straightforward tea on a thin leather base, and not much else. Disappears within an hour. Next…

Thoughtful, highbrow, playful, naughty and refined. Returned again and again to a miniature of this one and was all set to go plunk down for the 100 ml when at the last moment I was swept off my feet by Duel's brute of a brother, Sables. When Sables has worn me black & blue and no longer cares if I see other scents, I'll come crawling back to Duel. Will it take me in?

It’s not so bad. A semi-dry aromatic tea scent. As with many tea fragrances, the aroma can smell very rubbery during the drydown.
I presume it has few drops of birch tar in it.

This is very smooth scent without any depth. It lasts many hours.

Slightly smoky, sweetening earthy base is quite entertaining.


This is a distant cousin to A.Tauer`s Lonestar memories. I like Duel, but can’t eventually see a single reason why I would actually buy myself a full-size bottle.

I get a lot of citrus tea and not a lot else. It's great if you love tea. However, I think you might get the same vibe from Gucci PH II a lot cheaper.

tried this the other day and.... meh. i was informed of it's 'all natural' pedigree by the SA, which did nothing but prepare me for the shocking longevity - i big spray to the back of my hand was gone in no more than two hours, and severely diminished after one. at first it smelt like lemony wood, like lemon furniture polish on old, varnished wood. i was actually reminded of the shiny, cracked-varnish wood of the benches in the school gymnasium when i was very young. it's very inoffensive really, light, old-style freshness, but i couldnt possibly recommend it, on any grounds. as for tea - there is a mellowness to the scent which is similar to that of of tea, but to me it was just old timber and polish. blah.