Davidoff Adventure - tested again. So HOT I burned myself!

Ok, I didn't really burn myself. But it IS very very hot and spicy!

I have been thinking about this ever since I last sampled it and made comparisons to LdDM, TdH, and Timbuktu. The more I sniff it now, the more it reminds me of Timbuktu, but it's been a long time since I've worn Timbuktu. To give a rough idea, I'd say it's something like what you'd get if you mixed 3 parts Timbuktu, 2 parts TdH, and 1 part L'Air du Desert Marocain. Well.. sort of!

It starts out with a huge blast of pepper and warmth - not just your usual black pepper but chili peppers too, along with some citrus to mitigate the spice attack a bit. Given the environment of the store I couldn't really clearly detect the citrus notes except to say they were there. Actually, the initial spray was not quite such a blast of spice, it was a minute or two later while wandering around the store looking for gifts for some hard to buy for people that I was surrounded in this extremely warm spicy glow. I've yet to sample anything this spicy and warm; the aura was truly magnificent. Just breathing in all this warmth helped to shake off the chills from the freezing temperatures here today.

This accord slowly transitioned into the heart accord which is dominated by sesame seed along with more pepper, and cedar, with a hint of the musks from the base making themselves known. I was contemplating purchasing the frag then and there but decided to grab lunch first. I didn't really plan it but ended up getting a turkey sandwich on a sesame seed bagel, and I must say, Adventure is THE frag to wear while eating anything on a sesame seed bagel.

It's been about 3.5 hours now and the sesame accord is still present with hints of a dry and unsweetened cinnamon note behind it, with the cedar intermingling in such a way that it almost smells like a dry sandalwood accord dusted with cinnamon and sesame seeds. The pepper note is still strong too.

Sillage at first is incredible, and seemed to be fairly strong for the first two hours. The frag is quieting down a bit now, but still I'd consider the sillage to be moderate to strong.

This is the spiciest and warmest frag I've come across. The sesame dominant heart is entirely unique, and the transitions are flawless. I don't know why this frag has gotten such negative opinions, and I don't understand the "it's so weak" statements unless people are anosmic or suffering olfactory fatigue. Given the extreme spiciness of the opening coupled with the gigantic sillage, I'm guessing it might just be olfactory fatigue.

To me, Adventure is what I wish Terre d'Hermes was. It doesn't have the mineral accord that I enjoy (although the extremely long lasting pepper note does smell a bit similar), but it evolves more and has more depth and warmth and life to it - something that I find TdH doesn't always have, especially not in the colder weather. Adventure doesn't give me headaches either, which Terre has a tendency to do. I wanted to like Timbuktu but found it got too sweet in the drydown, and found it warm and dry but never terribly interesting. L'Air I love and enjoy and will one day own - it is far sweeter, rounder, and smoother than Adventure. And if you thought L'Air was dry.. you'll think Adventure is sun bleached! They are definitely different enough to justify owning both.

All in all, the most interesting and unique designer frag of '08 imo. I urge you to resample it and give it an isolated wearing, a spray to each arm and a few to the chest. If it doesn't warm you up on a cold winter night, nothing will!

edit: Again, for any who have tested this and have also tested Timbuktu, what do you find to be the longevity of both? My nose is suggesting to me that they both share a chemical in rather large doses, and I know some find Timbuktu to last forever (it does on me), while others find it to disappear quickly. I'm willing to bet that those who find Timbuktu disappears quickly will find the same with Adventure, while the rest will note good to great longevity.

edit2: At times the heart notes almost have a slightly meaty accord - something like a peppery steak sandwich on a sesame seed hoagie.. not literally, but in an abstract manner. Of course, this might just be coming to mind because of the release of Flame. Sniffing again and I just get peppery sesame with woods.. ah, where did you go, mystery meat note?

Further into the drydown now a cumin like note has emerged. A fairly strong cumin note.. in a mainstream designer fragrance. Didn't think I'd sniff that anytime soon!

I'm starting to wonder if it isn't just a huge dose of iso e super in here, and that is what is causing this frag to 'disappear' so quickly on some - just like Molecule 01 does for most, KenzoAir, Poivree Samarcande and other scents that have a lot of iso e super (i've even heard of people finding TdH to be shortlived).

Also, this has that same quality that TdH has that it becomes lighter and more and more ethereal as it dries down - almost as if it's floating above the skin. Does that also happen with KenzoAir, Poivre Samarcande, etc?

Hopefully someone who found it short lived will re-test it wearing about 4 sprays, at least a few to the chest (to aid in the sillage effect, since that is where the scent is most noticeable), and see if they find it to last longer. It's been almost 6 hours now and it's still very strong on me. TdH lasts 20+ hours on me - with one spray to the chest being MORE than enough. Maybe I am particularly partial to iso E super?

I guess it would make sense that Adventure also has a huge dose of it as it does contain the iso e super signature scent - peppery, cedary wood.

I'm going to have to order a sample of Molecule 01 soon just to clear this up for myself.

To those who found the longevity on this lacking, please resample it when you can. There's just no way something this potent could actually disappear in an hour. Thanks in advance for helping me to clear up my anomalous experience with this frag.

Just thought I'd mention that after 12 hours I finally washed off the vetivery, slightly powdery musk drydown, which was still lingering and noticeable, to make way for my SotD today. IMO, that might be it's one drawback, 'excessive longevity.' I really don't like my frags to last more than about 8 hours.

Thanks bbBD. I remember reading your review and was shocked at the thought of 4 sprays to the arm. I think I'd be choking.. it's very very potent to me at first and really for quite a long time. I would think that focus testing would reveal these anosmias if they are as common as they seem to be, and while I don't think that's a reason not to release what I find to be a great frag, it would be nice if there was an explanation on the packaging or perhaps some information provided to the SAs. If anything, it might prevent people from thinking the brand churned out an extremely watered down and cheap frag if there was some mention of anosmia (and even better, the chemicals inside that some/many were anosmic too, so you could cross reference it with other frags).

Alternatively, I suppose it is possible I am hyperosmic to some particular ingredient, but haven't had many other situations where my opinion on longevity/sillage have been completely against the grain, so I don't know.

What? Wow, I don't get that at all. Oriental.. yes, but soft and almonds?

Just curious Stereotomy, did you test it on a card or on skin, and also, if on skin, how many sprays and where? Am I the only one who is strongly smelling the notes listed (and I mean,strongly!)?

I'm starting to think I'm hyperosmic to some chemical in here. The chili pepper note in particular is just so strong on me. It's really enjoyable except perhaps too gourmand - not in the usual sweet/cakey/almond/foody manner but in the 'sesame stir fry' manner. The mid notes seem to come and go. Just as I thought they were gone I'd step out of the store or something and whoosh, I was once again surrounded by them.

I know iso e super and other chemicals are too large to smell constantly. They actually collect on the olfactory bulb and after the initial contact, can't be smelled anymore. I'm assuming such large chemicals make up the majority of L'Antimatiere, along with all of the iso e super oriented scents. I've often found that when I think I can't smell something, some kind of sudden change often kicks the olfactory system back into gear and I can once again smell the scent. For instance, turning your head quickly to the side and inhaling, or (if you are alone ) moving your arm back and forth rapidly under your nose while sniffing. If I'm inside, I often get wonderful whiffs of whatever I thought had disappeared the moment I step out into the fresh air. Movement seems to be the key.

I'm bummed almost nobody else can smell this! A few of the reviews mentioned it being strong and long lasting, but it seems like we're the minority.

It's still quite noticeable on the card I sprayed almost 6 days ago. The one other card I had, Allure Homme, was undetectable by day 3.

Anyone else enjoying this more now? I just bought a bottle online so should be able to offer more detailed thoughts in a week after it gets here and I get to test it some more.

The funny thing is, almost all of the reviews here complain of terrible longevity, while almost every review on every other perfume site has listed "great longevity" (Perfume Emporium, Scentiments, etc). I wonder if it has to do with application method/location? I noticed it seemed to disappear quickly on my arm, but when applied to the chest, I got whiffs of it for 8-10 hours or more.

It lasted on the card for a good week or more, easily twice as long as Allure Homme Sport lasted on its card (the only other thing I card tested that day.)

I agree that blotter longevity is mostly irrelevant. Still though, I got really good longevity from this one, a bit more than I'd normall ylike, but then I went with a heavy application last time I tested it. It does seem to 'fade in and out' though. I'd think it was gone for a good 30 minutes or more, and then I'd start to catch whiffs of it.

As one reviewer mentioned, it seemed to be subtly different everytime I'd catch whiffs of it. Mysterious and spicy. I can't wait to see how I feel about it after testing it in a more personal environment where I can better analyze it. I just knew I had to buy it when I kept thinking about it after each testing. Rarely does that happen to me.

I still haven't tried D&G's The One, but now look forward to doing so.

Does anyone else get any similarity at all between Adventure and Timbuktu? I don't mean to imply that Adventure smells like a clone of Timbuktu because it's not that close, but Adventure had a similar dryness, I thought, but was more varied overall (more progression, where Timbuktu stays pretty linear on me until the end where it sweetens up a fair bit.)

You were definitely right RP, everyone seems to get something different out of this.

Weird. Now that I've got a full bottle, I've been able to better discern the opening (hard to do in the store with everyone spraying this or that around you). There is a fair dose of pepper but it starts out with a rather refreshing and tart citrus, not that dissimilar to Allure Homme Sport or Versace PH's opening. It's not nearly as hot and spicy as I was picking up in the store, as I think I was somehow interpreting the tart citrus and pepper blend as only pepper, perhaps because it was almost nose stinging (in a good way). It's not nearly as hot as I perceived in the opening, which is a shame because I loved that scent/sensation I got in the store, but it's still a nice if formulaic opening.

I still think the heart is reminiscent of LdDM, but lighter, and fresher. A bit more synthetic too, thanks to the lack of an authentic vanilla note (at least it smells like real vanilla in L'Air) and more musks present. Sometimes the allspice (pimento) and sesame and woods combine to create an almost cumin like note. It seems to come and go. The heart is hard to pin down.

I'm almost inclined think of this as "LdDM Fresh." Might be worth checking out for those who feel L'Air is too heavy to wear in the summer.

Unfortunately some of the best notes of Adventure stick close to the skin and aren't nearly as noticeable in the sillage.

Wearing this again for the first time in a long time - and during what looks like the last of the autumnal weather here in Wisconsin - just reminded me how excellent this scent is. Especially in autumn.

This and L'Anarchiste are both excellent fall scents. They share some similarities, too, both have a nice orange note, cinnamon/allspice, and a large dose of cedar, but L'Anarchiste is a bit cooler overall while Adventure is far warmer. One of the warmest scents I've smelled - even moreso than TdH (although not as dry!).

For some reason Adventure is one of those frags that I don't wear often, and tend to forget how enjoyable it really is in the interim between wearings. With that in mind coupled with how enjoyably yesterday's wearing was I thought I'd post this comment. Upon every wearing I am always left thinking, "This frag deserves more love!"

The sesame seed note is still unique and marvel, too!