8 88 (2007)
by Comme des Garçons

This is far too vague and inexpressive to gain much interest from me. If you could bottle pretension, it would look a lot like 888. The faux exotic ingredients are a good indicator that this is going to be all smoke and mirrors. A dull, uninspiring opening is followed by an identikit floral dry down, with few surprises or pleasures. Clean, predictable, and very boring.

Watery peppery scent, smells like a nondescript washed "perfume" like any number of women's scents from the dollar store.. Weak and uninspired. Sharp, sour, metallic, green... all notes that don't say "love me". Dries down into a talcum powder like rub but without the powdery texture, this amber base feels really dull.

A couple of new words for me to learn here: safraleine and curcuma – I googled “curcuma” and it turns out to be wild turmeric. “Safraleine” is the synthetic saffron already discussed by other reviewers Had I known that 8 88 has a major saffron note, I wouldn’t have bothered testing it, and I would have been the loser in that decision. This particular saffron – safraleine – is obviously not the same saffron note that I dislike in other fragrances. I have come to love this one. It is not as strong nor is it as annoying as other saffron notes. Safraleine, in combination with the coriander, pepper, and wild turmeric, is rich and inviting. I didn’t like it the first few times I tried it. Now I love it. The rich safraleine accord that I get in the opening dominates the fragrance for fifteen or twenty minutes. The coriander and pepper(wood) in the background broaden the dimension of the accord, but I can’t identify the wild turmeric of the opening – I would assume that it is there tweaking the saffron, but I can’t identify how it is doing that. The saffron accord is outstanding, but I am disappointed at how weak the incense note comes through to me. It’s there, but it just doesn’t make it across to me enough, so I feel I am missing much of the breadth of the 8 88 because I love well-done incense notes and I think that, in time, this fragrance could use that extra dimension. As lovely and rich as the saffron / spice note of the opening is, it thins down to a vague, unfulfilling linear wisp to my nose. When the drydown arrives, it, too, is a bit of a letdown when compared to the opening. The drydown is an attractive patchouli / amber that is quite elegant and beautiful, retains a bit of the spices, and is too understated; on my skin it is a skin scent. 8 88 has very good longevity. I find that my nose quickly tires from the notes and, as I move through the fragrance, I have to avoid sniffing it for fifteen minutes before I can again catch its accords. I applaud the creativity and beauty of this fragrance but wish that the middle and base had more presence. Except for the first half-hour its wearability is a minor disappointment, but still, because of its creativity and the excellent opening, I feel impelled to give 8 88 a reluctant thumbs up.

This seems to be a love it or hate it fragrance, so I'll give it a neutral ! The reason why relates to my dislike of geranium if featured prominently, which I'm guessing is the case here. I can certainly imagine many liking this, especially if they like fragrances that have little or no sweetness, but I also get the "insect repellent" vibe too. It comes across as "harsh green" but slightly "metallic aquatic" to me. It did not come across as an incense fragrance, though. I'd like to know what would happen if the geranium was cut down and more amber was added to the formula (possibly more saffron and incense too). I get my saffron fix from Derek Jeter Driven Black, which is constructed more to my olfactory sensibility. This is definitely a sample first fragrance.

888 is one of my current favorite perfumes but it is so artfully blended and unusual that I can't figure it out. For some reason, I always think I smell a bit of red or black grape in 888 (a la Mona di Orio's Nuit Noire). At other times it seems like a wonderful spicy mixture of white flowers (esp. orange flower) and white musk. The "official" information put out by Comme des Garcons is that 888 is meant to smell like gold but whatever it is, it always smells wonderful and "like me". And like a magpie attracted to shiny objects, I can't get enough of 888's stylishly flat gold bottle. Divine!

Per The Perfumed Court, here are the notes for 888: "Safraline (a molecular derivative of saffron, created by Givaudan), pepperwood, curcuma, coriander, geranium and amber."

Metallic pepper overlaying a heart of rich saffron and incense. I love the smell of this stuff, and it keeps up the show all day long.

Unfortunately it makes me feel dizzy even if I apply a tiny amount. I've had to part with my bottle, which is a real shame. Still giving it a thumbs up, as i can't blame Antoine Lei for my allergy!