Intrigant Patchouli 08 (2005)
by Parfumerie Generale

Fragrance Notes:

Top
Mandarin, Lemon, Citron

Middle
Patchouli, Sandalwood, Civet, Castoreum

Base
Amber, Musk, Benzoin, Honey, Vanille

A great (great) fragrance. IP opens with a blast of patchouli and a considerable dose of animalic notes of rare charme. Castoreum and Civet are perfectly blended to other ingredients to never be overwhelming, and are used to add extra depth to this master composition. Then pathcouli, musk and amber start to play together to create an incredibly comfortable yet intriguing and misterious drydown. Patchouli is a very crowded territory but this interpretation is a total stand out. Bold but not pompous. Traditionally modern. Simply Sublime.

I used to think that Parfumerie Generale was offering too many inconsistent fragrances but I had to change my mind. It looks like I'm learning to love Pierre Guillame, his subtle "special touch", his ability to create fragrances that are sophisticated and refined but never too affected. His enviable sense of elegance.

17th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 2nd November, 2011.)

I am not a lover of patchouli and even I can do this one ! Gone is the hippy heady patchouli and in its place is velvet smooth patchouli and amber . Quite warm and exotic. Long lasting as most patchouli scents seem to be .

27th July, 2010.

Intrigant Patchouli is intriguing indeed, with one of the most interesting developments I've experienced in some time. It marches in as a sweet, somewhat ambery patchouli with subtle and exotic fruit and floral notes hovering in the background. The floral notes strengthen over time, and even threaten to become overly heady, but the steady, clear patchouli and an undercurrent of very animalic musk offer an effective counterweight and keep the composition nicely balanced.

Yes, I do find something of the head shop in this scent, particularly as it gains in sweetness over the first hour of wear. Happily, I also sense some astringent aromatics in the background, and these notes lend the heart accord a sense of clarity not always found in patchouli-based scents.

The drydown takes a superb surprise turn from animalic patchouli toward powdery amber and moss to finish up soft, sweet and seductive, with plenty of lingering licentiousness. Intrigant Patchouli has quickly risen to the top of my patchouli list.

13rd January, 2010.

Gritty & "Dry" accord of patchouli weaves around you in it's opening notes with barely any hint of sweetness. Notes so gritty, it feels as if one were inside a tobacco shop; those which sells tobacco for pipe and chewing purpose..? the openin accord is as pronouced as standing inside one. as with all PG's it takes an hour or so to resolve it's differences and spread evenly with layers of notes gleaming from underneath.
By Mid notes - IP reveals a very musty, almost animalic note under the spiced up powdery accord of patchouli. Patch is pretty much softened by now and to an extent one can easily seek some comfort in the vanillic ambery sweetness. the sharp contrast of notes between being gritty & Raw in it's opening to sweet init's drydown is very typical of PG. i guess he really likes his scents to progress in stages, stages which are visible and are often in sharp contrasts to it's preceding accords.

28th September, 2009.

Parfumerie Generale Intrigant Patchouli

For those of us who grew up in the 70's our first exposure to exotic oils probably took place in a "head shop". That store of illicit smoking paraphenalia and along with that went incense and essential oils. The most pungent of those oils was patchouli but there were hints of others underneath the smell of patchouli which created a signature "head shop" fragrance. Pierre Guillaume in 2005's Intrigant Patchouli has faithfully recreated the smell of a "head shop" circa 1975. The only question is do you want to smell like that? Intrigant Patchouli gets right down to business form the first spritz as patchouli comes right to the front and for most of the development of this scent stays right there, center stage. There are supporting notes of sandalwood, cinnamon, and vanilla; which is appropriate becasue these were also common essential oils available in any "head shop". Intrigant Patchouli never really evolves from that strong accord from beginning to end, on me. Which makes it the only linear scent I've experienced from Parfumerie Generale. Like most of the Parfumerie Generale line this has above average longevity and average sillage. The funny thing I've learned is that while I like the smell of the "head shop" I realize I don't want to smell like a "head shop"

22nd August, 2009.

If you like patchouli you do need to try it. Smooth amber patchouli. Very strong but not overpowering. It's almost a straight up patchouli but is a little sweet. Crazy stuff. There are attempts of spices, vanilla and other typical Parfumerie Generale accords to soften the patchouli but they are just background noise and the patchouli remains.

30th May, 2009.