1740 Marquis de Sade (2008)
by Histoire de Parfums

1740 is a sort of Goutal´s Sables perhaps with a more noble treatment, less crude. Its opening is fascinating ,with that mixture of immortal, tobacco and leather, nuanced with a sort of floral breeze, but It becomes a bit cloying at the end of the day with that liquorous sweetness that never ceases to fade away.The immortelle here, you may like it or not but is sure that It will not leave you indifferent.

16th December, 2011.

Opens with a boozy, pipe humidor combo. Cumin, smoke and cedar follow, with a funky, sweaty aspect - a nod to the Marquis? Dry down develops a light note of sweet hay and also dried fruits and honey. I like this but it never really comes together for me as a wearable scent.

11th October, 2011.

Yum. I have the older version of 1740, and it's like a Lutens-esque oriental done right. Loads of honey, dried fruit, and tobacco, with a nice, tasteful dose of cumin, leather, and other spices. Very nice oriental, though it may be too over the top for some. Personally, I love it. It's kind of like a more extreme version of the Parfum d'Empire's Ambre Russe. Has nothing to do with the historical Marquis de Sade, for better or for worse !

18th August, 2011.

This review is for the older, vintage version. Like a 1000 sledgehammers pounding on your nostrils. This one is Intense with a capital I. Thick as thieves and not much clarity in sight. Heavy on davana and labdanum and not much else. Had high hopes for this one but in the end, it overtook me and I struggled to find my way back to civilization. Buy only if you like extremely heavy scents that offer no quarter.

2nd July, 2011.

I've to be honest, I expected something more challenging, or maybe I should say I expected something different. Don't get me wrong, this is an AMAZING juice but considering the concept and inspiration behind 1740, I was ready for a stark, austere leather concoction. Instead 1740 is quite an easy wear. An extremely pleasant sweet pipe tobacco fragrance enriched by a very classic leather accord and a bold immortelle note. Sublime, well crafted and endlessly wearable but very far from the sadistic imaginary evoked by De Sade. In the end we shouldn't forget that the term "sadism" has its roots in the marquis's name and 1740 evokes everything but sadism.

On the other hand, if you think about De Sade as a character devoted to libertinism, decadent luxury, sinful behaviours and extreme lasciviousness, 1740 perfectly fits the bill.

That being said, 1740 settles at the top of luxurious masculine fragrances as one of the most fitting examples of "pure pleasure". It's not so easy to find a masterpiece in contemporary perfumery but if I'd have to chose one to present as a candidate I'd go for 1740. Incredible sillage and lasting power (almost 24hrs on my skin).

Rating: 9-9.5/10

30th April, 2011. (Last Edited: 14th January, 2012.)

This certainly lives up to the (quiet) hype. Boozy, Spicy, Leathery warmth. A drunken pirate seated before a Christmas dinner spread. Gourmand and rich - if without the overt sexuality suggested by its namesake. It lasts the voyage and remains true to the heart throughout. I never fail to get complements when wearing this.

I would highly suggest this to all of those out there enamored with Bond's New Haarlem (which I, admittedly, do appreciate quite a bit). However, with the superior Histoires release, you get less pancakes and more sultry skin with your maple syrup. More leathery richness and less burnt-butter sweetness with that starbucks smell. And certainly more pay-for-your-scent as apposed to pay-for-your-bottle than Bond's take on the foody, boozy gourmand.

In my top 10.

22nd April, 2011.