Costume National 21 (2008)
by Costume National

Woody, spicy, creamy. The second favourite of mine by Costume National after the darker and animal Scent Intense. Glamour and chic, as usual for this trendy brand, oriental in a masculine and very modern way. Any flower is listed between the notes even if i think this is too sophisticated to be without flowers hidden somewhere. In my opinion this is a "western oriental" cause is not mysterious in the way of L'air du Desert Marocain, Opium or Ambre Sultan but just trendy and enigmatic in its power of seduction as Scent Intense or Alien though in a different way. A great surprise anyway, a silky blend of milky notes, spices and woods. Don't be fooled by the confused tornado of the beginning cause, few hours later, each note settles in its right place and the orchestra starts to play. The milky note is one of the key element. There is a milky-creamy backbone made by amber and notes of milk in the top, by labdanum in the middle and vanilla in the base. Since the beginning the milk is spicy, orangy, with the typical mildness of precious woods and the pungent and aromatic exoticism of the saffron. Woodsy and green elements balance resins and vanilla of the base where a wonderful vetiver-patchouli duet with the support of smoky tonka and black pepper impress a manly temperament to the concoction. The complex final outcome is a smell that is creamy in an orangy and mossy way with the addition of spices (saffron, pepper) the sophistication of cumin, clary sage and floral-citruses and the masculine trait of earthy and smoky patchouli. The synthetic temperament is fenced in the limits of tollerability, longevity and projection are very potent. Really, really outstanding sensual fragrance.

20th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 13rd December, 2011.)

Love it! I would reserve this one for the colder days. The longevity and sillage are good when sprayed on clothes but I was still able to subtly smell the two sprays that I applied on my neck for many hours afterward. You definitely have to wait a short while before this one develops since it can smell strange when first applied. This was a pricey blind buy for me and I am glad that I took a risk with this one. Can't really add much except a thumbs up!

19th December, 2009. (Last Edited: 1st March, 2010.)

Costume National 21 is an amber fragrance, and while it shares some similarities to the famous ambers such as Ambre Sultan, Ambre Precieux and Ambre 114, it's anything but generic-smelling and easily stands apart from the aforementioned ambers due to it's unique notes and modern feel. It's more or less a smooth amber fragrance with milky overtones, a perfect dose of patchouli and slight accompanying facets of clary sage and vetiver. In the base is a sumptuous vanilla with a touch of oud and other ambery resins, giving it a sexy edge without going into animalic territory. I see it as the younger, sexier and less austere version of L'Air du Desert Marocain.

Modern, sexy, somewhat unique and trendy - there's seriously nothing missing here. Add to that good sillage and longevity and you've got a wonderful piece of work, worth every penny they are asking for it.

Quite possibly my favorite modern interpretation of an amber fragrance.

9.25/10

26th November, 2009.

First time I tried 21, I could not tell any difference between this and a zillion other spicy orientals.

I'm so glad I revisited.
This is really, really wonderful. It has that same rum-raisin cinnamon candied fruits goodness going on that Ambre Narguilé does, but the sweetness is toned down with a is softly spicy heart, unisex teetering on the edge of masculine. There is a smooth milky quality about it that makes it intensely comforting to me.

4th September, 2009.

It's totally synthetic and I hate it. Consider this entirely personal, but I'm 100% finished with this style of early 21st century perfumery. 21 resurrects key notes of Scent Intense and blows them up into a more projecting variant with a kilo of woody-anisic fuzzy cashmeran, iso-e-super and vanillin orientalness which is Disneyland cardboard to the depth and artistry of a Shalimar. Professionally engineered olfactory elevator music of this kind leaves me ice cold these days. Will be forgotten by 2010.

17th June, 2009.

Absolutely beautiful. Warm, creamy and relaxing. I love it and my wife loves it on me. Great longevity too. This will be with me for a long, long time.

22nd May, 2009.