Patchouly
by Profumum

I really can't make my mind up about Patchouly. It certainly is one of the best patchouli scents I've come across, with a boozy (and slightly menthol) opening that gives way to a warm and deliciously gourmand drydown. However, I'm not a big fan of patchouli-dominant scents and can't see myself feeling the need to own a 100ml bottle of this, nor do I feel that its asking price is justified. However, if it was available in 50ml, I'd certainly give the prospect of owning a bottle more serious thought.

A thumbs-up, however, for its amazing sillage and longevity (and for having the balls to deliver).

[Original submission date: 05 January 2009]

Excellent patchouli: deep, rich and incensy. I don’t get as much amber in the accord as the others have identified, but I think that the amber accounts for the deeply rich fluidity of the fragrance. The patchouli, sandalwood, amber, and incense form a quite dry, dark behemoth of a fragrance. Yet, in its potency, it is an elegant fragrance that doesn’t resort to rawness or roughness. Patchouly is just as smooth and rippleless as silk and glass. On my skin this doesn’t come off as animalic, but it doesn’t need to… It’s about as imposing a patchouli scent as I’ve encountered – long lasting, too.

A very dark, smoky, ambery patchouli, similar in general character to Mazzolari's excellent Patchouli, though a bit higher pitcehd and less leathery. As it ages, Profumum's Patchouly grows drier, with a very smooth sandalwood note that takes some of the sweet edge off of the amber. Over time the patchouli and sandalwood blend into a seemless, off-dry accord of mesmerizing beauty.

Profumum Patchouly remains an extremely viscous, decadent scent, one whose depth and animalic undertones speak of indulgence. It's too glamorous to suggest a head shop or a cheap oil lamp. Instead it smells like a dark, velvet-uupholstered room in the back of some obscure, yet fabulous Asian nightclub. Rich stuff, and very enjoyable: one of my favorite patchoulis.

Mmmmm...warm powdery patchouli with an interesting beginning, animalic and bitter, much like that of a high quality oud note, or that animalic/hay undercurrent found in Dzing! Not a sweaty patchouli you smell in this one but more of the musty type that I revere so much.

This is the dirtiest patchouli I've ever smelled. Patchouli's not exactly the cleanest scent, but this is like patchouli encrusted in wet dirt. There's some smokiness here that's present right from first application, and to me the sandalwood smells more "woody" than "sandalwood" to me. Although I'm not a huge fan of patchouli, this one scores points for being different than most. This potent scent clings to the skin. Nuetral because it's not for me, but I can respect it standing apart from a typical patchouli. Longevity is outstanding. I woke up with this still going rather strong on my wrists.

This is the last of four Profumum scents I bought online as 1/32 oz. samples. Patchouly is a odd fragrance - yes, there's Patchouli in all of its' rooty. cola, hippy goodness. It seems very sweet at first, as if there's honey or vanilla in it as well, and a shimmery note that must be the amber talking. It seems to me that this is all basenotes and nothing to really get in the way. Unlike the other three scents I've tried, this one has a massive wall of sillage: I put these on my wrist to gauge area of effect and I can't hold my arm far enough away that I can't smell the stuff. It just sits there, radiating huge sweetness and that oddly synthetic/rooty Patchouli note. Really potent, and you'd better like patchouli.