Costes
by Hôtel Costes

For years I wanted this fragrance. I wonder why it took me so long to get a bottle. I REMEMBER! It is dang so expensive. Thank goodness for eBay for the acquirement of a barely used bottle for less than half the retail price.

Costes is a subtle, sharp, but woody fragrance. The balance of this fragrance is impeccable. Therapeutic and makes you feel sophisticated all at the same time. It has a soapy kind of smell to it due to the rose, but it is perfectly tempered by the bay, pepper and coriander.

This is the perfect scent to start you off in the exploration of incense based and niche scents.

Opened subtly spicy...(can you say "cardamom"?) herbaceous flowers drifted in and then a curl of censed myrrh. Wafts nicely. Elusive and classy - I forgive it for not lasting very long!

I largely agree with shifts here, and I'll add that the original CdG fragrance is like the concentrated version of this, in that it has a "thick" quality whereas this is more "transparent." The original CdG also has a strong honey note, which this doesn't. Both have a scented candle/soapy quality. I don't get much incense from Costes (or it may be that it's blended with other notes and gets masked somewhat) and the lavender blends nicely here, unlike so many fragrances where it slaps you in the face. This is not a "beginner's" fragrance. For the novice, I suggest getting a sample and coming back to this every month or so, assuming you are doing some sampling in between. After several months, you will then know if this is for you or not. This is the kind of fragrance a "newbie" buys, hates and swaps off, then smells again months later and is angry with himself or herself for letting it go. Sillage is moderate, while longevity is very good.

At first it smelled like sweat. I thought there was cumin in this but that didn't seem right then it hit me: cloves! Smells like my mother's spice drawer. Interesting scent for an entire hotel to smell like a kitchen. Maybe it's to "feel at home" or something. I wouldn't mind this being sprayed in the air but to wear as a perfume, for me, it's a bit too far out there. Too herbal and edgy, like being brow-beaten.

Spicy cloves, bay, cinnamon, and lavender that reveals a rose laid upon sandalwood that is lightly touched by incense.

Very nice, soapy, and medicinal -- stays close to the skin.

After hearing wonderful reviews about what a lovely spicy woods fragrance this is, I was so optimistic that I would love it. However, on smelling it, I get overwhelming rose, and not much else. I have encountered a few other people on other boards who agree with this assessment, so I am reassured that I am not completely alone, but hmmmm... still no idea why the rose in Costes is so incredibly prominent to my nose. If I liked rose scents, I would probably like this one, but I'm just not a fan in general - preferring rose to be a minor note, when present. AND, I'm hesitant to recommend this scent to people who are looking for a rose scent since so many other people seem to not smell the boatload of rose here that I smell. It's definitely not one to buy unsniffed - especially if youre sort of ho-hum on rose.