Reviews of Timbuktu (2004)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

AMAZING from the start. For me, the wood and 'incense' start from the beginning, I do not get any mango at all. The woody accord is very well balanced with the vetiver and fougere elements. It stays close to the skin and has good longevity. A very unique scent, people will remember you when they smell this on you (in a good way). I am merely a beginner in the fragrances, but I already recognize that this is the work of a perfume-genius. I have to get one bottle once I am in a higher salary bracket. Thumbs and toes up.

Quietly exotic. Slightly musty, sweet, spicy, creamy overtone from the cardomum, after a tart, crisp beginning. A softly pungent dried fruit heart, like apricots and raisins leads to the dry, earthy vetiver, woods and incense drydown. I can't help but feel as if I'm tasting delectable, Indian Malai Kofta when I wear this. If asked for a scent it reminds me of, I would say Dior's Dune, but a much more interesting, rounded, warmer, and joyous scent.

Loved it from beginning to end. Can't think of another fragrance this good that's similar, which nowadays is a feat in itself. Lovely peppery opening, refreshing green notes and a beautiful woody/incensey finish. There is also another lovely complimentary note, which must be the Karo Karounde flower that makes this so special. It is a challenging fragrance though, so wouldn't blind buy.

My perception of Timbucktu is a dry, peppery/floral accord on a couch of masculine olibanum and anchored to a base of myrrh and vetiver. I love it. This scent has incenses but it's dry and wearable, not churchy. This is a thoroughly composed perfume with no pretense whatsoever. I have worn it in many types of occasions: business, casual and formal, and it always feels right in place!

What a wonderful smell!
Makes me think of wandering round an ancient cathedral with the wafts of frankincense and myrrh over the light spicy topnotes.
Although it teeters on the side of being a bit heavy, the green notes give it that bit of lightness that keeps it beautifully balanced.
My only problem is that I can't find enough excuses to wear it as often as I'd like as my wife isn't too keen and I think it's a bit exotic to wear to work.

I wish I could love this, I really do. I love the notes on paper, the idea behind it, the fact that it's based on the Wusulan perfume ritual of Mali--well, who knows if that's really true, but hey, they get points for weaving an intriguing narrative, and people pay good money just for stories, you know!

The problem is a single offending agent that ruins the whole composition for me, and which I assume must be the karo karounde because it smells like nothing else I've ever smelled before. Unfortunately, it's also the very heart of the composition. It's a shame, because I can faintly imagine what the fragrance might be like without it, and I think I would love that fragrance.

Too dry and much too like Terre d'Hermes to me (which I don't like but is "wetter"). Earthy and clingy like a boring girlfriend who won't let go. I have to say, it's a good scent, but I'd just can't wear it the patchouli turns me off.

This review is under revision.

Mysteriously floral and resinous at the same time, this combines the African karo karounde flower with frankincense and myrrh;it supports these with earthy vetiver and patchouli and crowns it all with spicy pink pepper and green notes of mango and papyrus.Unexpected combinations reveal Bertrand Duchaufour's art. This is an uplifting and cheerfully mellow scent, great to wear when you want to feel good.

Oh dear. I can't remember a packaged fragrance that has turned my stomach the way this one did. No kidding, I really thought I'd heave right there in the fragrance shop. I might have liked the smell better than Timbuktu, too.

To make matters worse, there was no opportunity to scrub it off before I had to appear at a business meeting. I spent the whole meeting wishing I could fart to cover up the scent.

The development? Well it got a little less pungent, and a bit sweeter, but not enough to make it wearable on me. Good sillage (heaven help me,) and lots of lasting power.

I'm going to assume it's my skin that is the problem, and not the scent itself. In any case, my idea of olfactory hell is being dipped in this stuff and then hung out to dry.

Just as in L'Artisans' Mandarine Tout Simplement, Timbuktu makes great use of my most favorite spice note - cardamom! I absolutely adore it, and am very pleased to find it so prominently displayed. Timbuktu is really a masterpiece fragrance. I say that because of all the vivid imagery it creates for each individual, including this wide array of perceptions...

'...Irish Spring soap'
'...angular beauty'
'...a fave L'Artisan'
'...sophisticated drydown'
'...Arabian bazaar'
'...fart to cover it up'

...and a few reviewers changing their minds about this frag after spending more time wearing it. For me, it is more of a masculine scent. A clean incense with perfect pitch! Put this one on your list of fragrances to try - definitely!

Toot, toot. The Passage d'Enfer train has taken a detour and ended up passying by an Arabian bazaar instead of going to Hell (Enfer). I think of this as a related scent, less pungent, but still woody and fragrent. The main notes that I register are cardamom, a papery aroma (which is probably the papyrus), and the vetiver. It is gently sweet, light, airy, and doesn't last long on me, but I enjoyed it. The vetiver base was particularly pleasant. I have to be in the mood to wear it; I don't see it as an everyday type of scent for me.

Gucci pour Homme on holiday in west Africa. Warm woods, spicy peppers and a wonderfully subtle use of frankincense -- by no means the "in your face" frankincenses we're all so used to in other incense-based frags. The patchouli and vetiver provide a stable base and make for an incredible dry-down, too.

That taste in the back of your throat right before the general anesthetic kicks in.

A lot of people complain that Artisan perfumes do not have much staying power. This stuff stays on me all day--maybe it's just my skin, I don't know. Anyway, I find this to be a very warm, woody scent, but I would not describe it as "exotic". (Piment Brulant is more exotic and fun, I almost got that one.)

Certainly not nearly as bad as most new fragrances, but not the greatest either. I get a lot of soap in the mid notes and green wood in the drydown. It's pleasant enough for day wear, but there isn't anything the opposite sex would be drawn to. The subtle reminders of Irish spring soap throughout the day makes me feel clean and lets everyone around me know it too. Kind of a why bother frag for me, but I'll keep it in a drawer and visit it occasionally.

At first, Timbuktu smelled a little bitter, but that went away very quickly. I didn't detect any fruit in this scent, but my husband thought it smelled citrusy. The skin scent is amazing - patchouli, woods, vetiver, frankincense. So warm, smoky and sophisticated. Whoever said it was similar to Gucci Pour Homme is right on the money. I was looking for a similar unisex or feminine scent when I found Timbuktu. The two smell similar on me, only I feel a bit less masculine wearing Timbuktu. I'm not as enamored with Timbuktu as I am with Gucci PH, so I will keep looking, but I would wear this fragrance again for sure.

As of 12/06, Timbuktu (along with Patchouli Patch) has made its way as perhaps my new winter favorite. Warm, rich, earthy, with something sultry underneath, this one is a truly incredible fragrance. Definitely not the faint of heart, it is great for those who like subtle fragrances that still have kick. Like most L'artisan, I find it a little hard to describe, as it changes character depending on the situation/temperature, etc. As far as quality, sillage, and longevity, I've been happy with all three.

My next vacation is in Timbuktu, Mali. I just received my bottle today and I am putting ALL my other fragrances up for auction :). I love this perfume...every other scent I have ever owned, I had to warm up to the notes. This one, however, went on amazingly well with my skin and unfolded beautifully! The smoke, spices and the wood composition are so well balanced that I couldn't help but dream about Africa. Ladies, this is THE scent to try for a clean and sophisticated dry-down.

A modern fragrances that i tested. great opening with green mango and
gently pink pepper & cardamom, but
undoubted its root are papyrus wood
and karo karounde flower.
some notes of it its similar to Gucci PH: Frankincense (Olibanum), papyrus wood, and vetiver in drydown.
I like most of L'Artisan's because they
are unique - but between them Passage
D'Enfer, Tea for Two & Timbuktu are
a bit smoky because of in it:
frankincense & smoky tea.
overall Timbuktu is high recommended.

Well, 6 months later and it's time to eat crow yet again. I spent some more time with Timbuktu and must say that my opinion has changed significantly from that of my earlier review. With no other scent - save for Acier Aluminium - have I had such an about-face turn-about. I read my earlier review and wonder how I did not smell the fruit in this, especially in the topnotes, but persisting lightly throughout, as well as the peppery tingle. In fact, at times there is something herbal, almost minty, floating around within Timbuktu. What before smelled like plain charred wood to my nose now smells like burning incense and wood.

My opinion of this scent vis-a-vis Passage d'Enfer is that this is the more exotic, tribal incense, while Pd'E is the more traditional "churchy" incense, as in Roman Catholic Church. Pd'E smells more effeminate to this nose, probably because of the lilies, while Timbuktu smells like a masculine, almost rustic, potion concocted by a female tribal elder. Interesting and even intoxicating, I've found that when it mingles with my clothes I get nearly day-long longevity from it as well. And while it doesn't develop as much as a Lutens or Villoresi scent, in this case that is a good thing. It would not be the same if the slightly and lightly sweet fruit note were to vanish altogether.

A slight touch of sweet at first—fruity, lightly spiced—different—seems tinted with an aromatic—maybe the cardamom and / or possibly it’s the patchouli reaching up into the top notes. The scent quickly changes to a patchouli / dry wood accord which I enjoy immensely. The excessive (and wonderful) dryness of the papyrus wood, I think, is attributive to the frankincense which has joined with it. This same accord continues for an hour or two. It is quite unique and very enjoyable. The dry down is exceptional—earthy vetiver and patchouli tinted with myrrh and benzoin. Its longevity is great, but, as with many scents with arid dry downs, I would like this to have a tiny bit more power and presence. Timbuktu is a very impressive fragrance.

A vetiver based scent that I can't get a beat on. It's extraordinarily dry. I can't get a strong feeling for it either way, though there are some days where it works. It's a scent that's unique enough to warrant trying, but I really can't get a full bearing on what I think of it. I have to be in the exact perfect mood to wear it....regretfully that isn't very often. It has enough going on in it to warrant a test drive, but I can't figure out what it's trying to do.

Roasted red peppers marinating in Indian spices at the bottom of a leather satchel abandoned in a church. Ugly-sexy.

Overall, I get a very dry wood, and that about sums it up. I actually like the scent, but don't really wanna wear it.

Looking at the notes, I would expect this to have some sweetness in it. However, that is not the case. It smells really dry and woody to me, like an old tree. I suspect it's the vetiver note that makes it earthy and musty. This isn't a scent that I see myself wearing. I don't usually think scents pertain to certain age groups, but this one doesn't smell like it could be pulled off by a teenager or early 20's person.

Like wearing a bar of deodorant soap. Sharp soapy and rather harsh note bothered my nose. Not a "good clean" feeling. May be that L'Artisan and I were just not meant for one another with all the raves they are getting. I wanted to like this. Just didn't work on me.

I have been testing this fragrance for a while now and have decided that on me, I first smell an earthy, peppery patchouli and then it slowly turns into a more traditional patchouli smell. Drydown on me? Patchouli. I do love it but I am not sure I will buy a bottle.

Timbuktu has become one of my fave L'Artisan and work scents! It's simultaneously relaxing and invirogating. It's fruity without being too sweet, woody without being too heavy, spicy without the spice-rack effect. To my nose it's mostly fresh, tart green mango, beautiful, spiritual frankincense, soothing, calming vetiver. This is a scent of exotic, vibrant colours, it makes me see turquoise, coral, terracotta, ochre... After wearing it for over a year I've grown more and more fond of it.

Only L'Artisan scent I really dislike. I think Timbuktu is too woody and sharp. Also I'm getting extremely fed up with the use of incense in modern scents, it often takes over, dominating the blend, This is certainly evident here. In the same genre I'd pick YSL's excellent Body Kouros instead.

This is an odd one. It’s a very dry and earthy fragrance. It’s very heavy on Vetiver, and has an odd fruit note. The fruit is always in the background, while the dry grassy and woody notes are dominant. It’s very exotic and always reminds me of a far away place. It’s not exactly the most wearable fragrance in the L’Artisan line, but it is worth owning/sampling. I like it.

VERY dry scent. Like Passage D'enfer without the flowers. Not really made my mind up about this one yet.

I almost didnt try this one because I didnt really want to know what the french think africans smell like, but I am glad I did! Rather than being overbearingly sweet and stanky, this is a well balanced and charming perfume - and rather on target too I must add. It begins with what I can only call a dry leather smell, with some sweet liquor and warm soft woodsiness, and develops into a mildly astringent but sweet gingerbread like fragrance, all the while being help together by that warm dry wood. It bring to mind palm trees baking in the sun and ocean breezes. With time it becomes sweeter and a little more citrusy, with maybe a little coconut oil and patchouli giving it a sweet depth. NOT a stanky patchouli smell - overall its just warm, mellow, aromatic and a tad smokey. Perfect.

Though Timbuktu is not a scent I would wear, I love it for its gloriously evocative quality. When I applied Timbuktu to my wrists, I was hurled back in time approximately 30 years, landing with a thump in the hayloft of Grandpa's big old barn. Yes: that aroma of aging wood, the greenish spice of dried alfalfa hay, the faint tang of a rusting iron plow. In the dusky atmosphere broken shafts of sunlight sneak in through the cracks, illuminating the quiet dancing of dust. Timbuktu, thanks for the memories!