Juozas Statkevicius / Josef Statkus (2004)
by Juozas Statkevicius

Juozas Statkevicius

I can and I will not be so objective, how many it is fragrance of the designer of my country. But for me they are fine, the difficul, pleasing, are quite suitable for special cases .Can be as a unisex has begun to smell.Very good.

Also known as Josef Statkus, this is one designer fragrance that succeeds in offering something truly niche, without the need of adding an expensive exclusivity tag (even although it’s not easy to get hold of outside of the US and Lithuania, and US sellers have inflated its retail price). Josef Statkus / Juozas Statkevicius is a beautifully warm and soft incense fragrance. Its notes include white jasmine, patchouli, coriander, incense, vanilla, benzoin, amber and musks but, personally, it comes across as more unisex than feminine.

While most incense fragrances smell too cold and churchy, clean and metallic, or just too musty, Josef Statkus manages to avoid such pitfalls. The blending of the vanilla, amber and floral accords provide this composition with more sensuality than sugary sweetness. Also, the incense accord remains present throughout most of its duration, lingering softly around the wearer like a mysterious aura.

For me, Josef Statkus offers the perfect solution for those who found Avignon too cold and somewhat synthetic – there’s more complexity, warmth and natural smelling accords to be discovered here than in the Comme des Garçons creation.

Its staying power is pretty good (at least six hours) but, unfortunately, I do not find it bottle-worthy as it reminds me heavily of Tauer’s L'Air du Desert Marocain (but with less oriental spiciness and without the birch tar note). Still, this definitely deserves a thumbs-up even if there is some déjà vu about it.

[Original submission date: 01 March 2009]

Juozas Statkevicius

Juozas Stakevicius is a Lithuanian Fashion Designer and while not particularly well known out side of Lithuania he asked Fabrice Pellegrin to design a signature scent for him in 2004. Until recently it was a difficult to find scent, which increased its notoriety. As a confirmed incense lover this one had been high on my list because of the good things I had read about it. In this case all of those writings were right on the money. Right from the top the incense announces itself and at this point Juozas Stakevicius doesn't stand out from many of the others on my incense shelf. It is the next shift, which happens fairly rapidly, that makes this a stand-out. As the incense pulls back just a little, first jasmine comes out to play and combines with this and makes for an amazing floral composition. Then the floral fades and vanilla comes in. This is where the sharpness of the incense keeps the sweetness of the vanilla in check to make a sweet and spicy combination of excellence. Finally the warmth of amber in combination with the incense ends this one in a combination of two of my favorite notes. This is just a beautifully done scent and one I will wear over and over again.

I'm pretty much loving this perfume! Let me confess, notes of incense have never really been my sort of thing. Usually I find incense frags either 'churchy' or 'musty/dusty', making me feel solemn and sneezy. In Juozas' blend, the incense is top-loaded with jasmine (one of my faves) creating a brighter character overall. The basenotes are luxurious heavy hitters, giving staying power and overall balanced longevity. This is clearly a winning scent, for men and women alike. Also, this is one fragrance you won't smell on every Jack or Jill who passes by, very unique!

I agree with all of the other reviews. It IS a unixex fragrance which makes it all the more amazing. Lucky Scent and Beauty Habit carry it and you might want to try a sample before purchasing the real deal. I love it and it's sure worth a sample.

For me, this is a "chill-out" fragrance. The incense and jasmine are languid and luxurious. The scent is perfect for hanging out at a coffee shop or cafe with a friend or two and not in a hurry to go ANYWHERE! It's charming and sexy at the same time, exotic and deep.