10 Corso Como (1999)
by 10 Corso Como

This is a subtle rose, cedar and sandalwood fragrance that is an introverted cousin of Rose 31 by Le Labo. Where Le Labo has a similar presentation, the personalities are different. In comparison, Rose 31 is more upfront, with greater projection and longevity. 10 Corso Como is wonderfully subtle and understated. A great place for a guy to experiment with rose. Why is this listed as a woman's fragrance only? Guys and gals will like this, or love this depending, on their appreciation for very subtle fragrances.

I received a sample of 10 Corso Como as a freebie. I tried it on a cool, crisp morning without much in the way of expectations and it totally wowed me! Cedar is the predominant note in 10 Corso Como but it is tempered with sweet sandalwood, musk and light incense. Having mentioned the incense, I must say that I normally find incense off-putting (no Bond Chinatown for me!). However, 10 Corso Como did not have that effect at all. Rather, the incense note was warm and woody, kind of like incense that you might find burning in a sophisticated apartment in Milan in October.

I found 10 Corso Como to be very similar to Ormonde Jayne's Isfarkand, only with a bit more warmth and without the pink pepper rush.

In closing, 10 Corso Como is an expensive smelling scent that would be the perfect to wear in the fall, just as the leaves are turning and you snuggle into a Loro Piana cashmere sweater for the first time that season.

As others have already mentioned, skin chemistry plays a very important role here – wearing this could either be a pleasure or simply a nightmare. For me, there is something about 10 Corso Como that I just don't like. On my skin, it smells like cheap red wine (which is supposedly the plum note) - this sharp resinous accord takes ages to subside and irritates more than it intrigues. I did detect some oud but it wasn’t as evident as I had expected. As for the drydown, this was nothing more than a whisper of sandalwood with remnants of what went on before (i.e. not much). Although its lasting power is okay, its sillage is below average.

10 Corso Como isn't a complete failure, though - more a sore disappointment. Definitely a case of try before you buy.

Harsher version of Vettiveru on me. I'm surprised it is registered as 'feminine'. Stays all day though and sillage is good -- doesn't soften at all -- also very sexy imo. Cute bottle.

Kaern

The first note I discern in 10 Corso Como is a very smooth, nutty, and somewhat sweetened vetiver. The vetiver is soon joined by incense, sandalwood, and rose, all well-blended in a very dignified accord. There is some oudh in the mix as well, but it's only a grace note, not a lead player, and like everything else in this scent, it's very smoothly integrated.

"Smooth" keeps coming up as I describe 10 Corso Como, and I realize that this is an exceptionally suave and civilized scent. Surprisingly for a fragrance featuring rose, vetiver, incense, and oudh, it's also quite soft and mild, and wears close to the skin. It grows progressively creamier as it develops, with the oudh lending a certain coolness to the composition. Over the course of hours, 10 Corso Como also sweetens and becomes more resinous, as the gentle oudh and smooth (again!) sandalwood lead it into its clean musk, wood, and incense drydown. This is nie stuff, and I find it very easy to wear. I see it as a solid, sophisticated daytime scent for those occasions where you want to project poise and decorum.

I was expecting 10 Corso Como to be something like Costes. It isn’t. Costes comes on straight and strong—10 Corso Como doesn’t: It is not so attainable—it takes time, I think, because of its greater depth and subtlety. Its list of notes contains some of the most typical notes in fragrancedom: sandalwood, frankincense, musk, rose, geranium, and vetiver, and they are coupled with oud—one of the oldest fragrance notes, making 10CC bordering on mythic as well as being solidly traditional. But it has a translucent spirituality, too, and I think it should be approached primarily in terms of its translucency. It is a clean scent—its sandalwood is raw-pure and recessive and it joins seamlessly with the oud, which gives even the wood a certain airiness that works in concert with the incense. Within this translucency and airiness, 10CC’s depth and crypticness are there, too, waiting to be discovered—subtle rose, musk, and vetiver. I find 10 Corso Como both exotic and ethereal: It has a bit of sensuality but it’s really something like an iceberg—most of its message is lurking beneath the surface.