Costume National 21 (2008)
by Costume National

CN fragrances to me, are like a sheep in wolf's clothing. Their minimalistic shiny flacons and stark, monochromatic advertising campaigns suggest that the scents themselves should follow suit: clean, linear, unembellished. But if the truth be known, 21 is yet another perfume in the CN portfolio that challenges this very notion. It contains 21 components that run the gamut from cold milk and fragrant saffron, through royal jelly and creamy tonka bean, to spicy cumin and smokey oud. Though there appears to be a striking diversity in its individual components, a rare sense of balance and harmony has been masterfully achieved. 21 intoxicates the senses and captures the imagination.

This scent opens with a crisp scattering of orange blossoms that are cushioned by a comforting lactic milk accord skimming just beneath the surface. It transitions rapidly into something warm and really rather profound... saffron, pepper, cashmere wood, musks and amber all lend their radiant heat to the mix. Curling wisps of labdanum and olibanum and oud contribute a balsamic richness... the effect here akin to something of a smoky tobacco accord. I can also detect dark earthy pits of patchouli (similar to Tom Ford's interpretation in White Patchouli) and bushels of fragrant vetiver. But there is also an ever-present softness - vanilla, sandalwood and smooth tonka bean that allow this scent to last for hours and hours on the skin. This being said, 21 is not a "sweet" scent by any stretch of the imagination; Ennio Capasa's perfume innovation is a clever marriage between white purity and veiled complexity. A fragrance that again epitomises the Costume National ideal of modern sophistication melding with timeless elegance.

This is a great scent, and to me could be even FBW in the future. Almost as good as Intense, but not quite.
Creamy, quite mysterious blend of saffron, caraway and soft woods. Drydown developes an accord which reminds me of the smell of sweet pipe tobacco. Quite complex as it keeps changing on my skin in regular basis.
I was hoping to sense that oud (listed officially elsewhere) a bit more strongly.
I didn`t any problems with the lasting power.

Wonderful soft Oriental in a beautiful bottle. Recommended for sure.

Outstanding! At last Ennio Capassa returns to roots of the original and superb, Costume National Scent! This has a similar structure to the original but this time its kinda milky and creamy. As if the original scent was dropped in some custard! Lasts an age too. I'm already on my second bottle!

This is a very woody, yet at the same time lactonic, creamy scent. There is a good deal of spice in this, and some perfumer-arty things like bergamot, moss, and clary sage (very sophisticated and traditional notes). Kashmir wood in the top is backed up by vetiver, cedar and patchouli in the base. The labdanum in the heart gives aid to the creaminess, yet veering off a little toward ambergris, its closest scent equivalent. Tonka and vanilla add an oriental dimension and a roundness to the woody and spicy notes. To me , this is one of the best of the Costume National line; milder, but at the same time more complex, better balanced and more skillfully constructed than the other offerings from that house. This is also an EdP strength. A very welcome addition from Costume National, and a clear demonstration of how good their stuff can be! Kudos to Juliette Karagueuzoglou, the nose responsible for this.

If Scent Intense was the color of dark dark grey, I'd say 21 would be creamy white with a little pinch of yellow.

On me, what I got was a strong (but velvety) milky/caramelly wood with very noticeable whiffs of spices (cumin? saffron?). I'd say it's organic, warm, comforting, and "enveloping." It's complex, sophisticated, and has very decent longevity as well. I like it a lot and find it interesting and different, but I'd go for a bottle of Scent Intense first. A bit on the feminine side -- but can be pulled easily by just about anyone.

Another comfort scent that I am passionately drawn to. I love the interplay of the notes, and the development from a soft orangey milk accord into sweet woods and then an enriched and nuanced vanilla. The woods thread in and out with the spices in a most interesting way. On me it is not terribly long lasting-maybe 2-3 hours, but it's also not prohibitively expensive, I believe, so re-spritzing does not seem extravagant!