Royal Scottish Lavender VS. Gendarme 20

[Scentronic]

Just got a sample of Gendarme 20, featuring a nice lavender note that goes away pretty quickly. I was investigating the 20 as an upgrade to the original Gendarme, but now I think that if I'm going to go with a lavender, I might as well check out some others.

RSL is my first thought. Haven't smelled it. What can I expect? Am I even in the right ballpark?

I really like the 20, but I really like the original gendarme too. I don't think owning both would be justifiable though.

I guess what I'm asking for is something with some good lavender, similar to that which you'd find in the topnotes of 20, but enough of a departure oherwise to set itself apart from the gendarme.

I know there are some real lavender freaks reading this, so I wanna know what you've got to say!

[hirch_duckfinder]

Sorry don't know the Gendarme 20 but Royal Scottish is my number one! It is quite similar in construction to Caron Pour Un Homme, lavender on top and vanilla underneath. RSL has more citrus notes I think and a cleaner, purer vibe to it, with a really beautiful vanilla note which holds the lavender just enough to remain fresh. Caron has a little good aminalic dirtyness to it buried right at the bottom, I think (can anyone confirm). I like then both but if I had to choose I would go with the creed.

I hope you know C.P.U.H. otherwise this post is not much use to you, couldn't resist the chance to talk about RSL though.

[Scentronic]

No, I haven't had the chance to try ANY Carons yet, believe it or not. But I do appreciate the clean/dirty comparison you've given, as I am realizing I do have a preference for "clean" scents.

[zztopp]

There are no similarities between Gendarme 20 and Royal Scottish Lavender.

Gendarme 20 is similar to the original Gendarme - a light lemon musk scent. Light, well made, and surprisingly long lasting.

Royal Scottish Lavender (RSL) is an amazing lavender fragrance - I have yet to smell lavender so natural (this is no Creed hype). I am glad I bought the large flacon at a sub $150 price - this is some fantastic stuff.

Caron Pour homme is great...great value for the $10 that you can buy it for. Its a lavender/vanilla construction and very good one at that. RSL is a citrus-lavender scent. Caron pour homme is a classic, but RSL is in a totally different league altogether.

[Thrax]

Pour Un Homme nearly made me gag it is so powdery. It smells like you took the cheapest vanilla candy, shit loads of lavender and a gallon bucket of baby powder and mixed them.

[zztopp]

Pour Un Homme nearly made me gag it is so powdery. It smells like you took the cheapest vanilla candy, shit loads of lavender and a gallon bucket of baby powder and mixed them.

LoL man, not a vanilla fan are you Thrax

I admit that at first it was a bit too "barbershop" and vanilla for me - it won me over eventually though/.

I like lavender, though I can understand why some people might not warm up to it (vanilla being the main culprit).

[Thrax]

LoL man, not a vanilla fan are you Thrax

I admit that at first it was a bit too "barbershop" and vanilla for me - it won me over eventually though/.

I like lavender, though I can understand why some people might not warm up to it (vanilla being the main culprit).

Vanilla is absolutley my favorite note of all time. Sometimes I like the cheap drugstore stuff that just smells like vanilla and sugar. But the vanilla in PuH is the most horrible, abominable, messed up, repugnant shit I have ever smelled.

[Scentronic]

Quote: "the vanilla in PuH is the most horrible, abominable, messed up, repugnant shit I have ever smelled."

I'm liking our evolving use of foul terminology to describe things here. That whole thing about spraying myaccolades wrote is like my new testament. lol

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Thanks for making the comment about the 20 and REL being totally different. I'm on the right track.

Now when you start mentioning terms like "Barbershop", then you've got my attention. Hugh Parsons, Dunhill, Gendarme, Rive Gauche...This is my turf - - - If you can suggest a "barbershop" lavender for me, that'd be the ticket.

Well - I guess the Gendarme 20 would be that, wouldn't it? Sorry, I'm thinking out loud now. (and going in circles)

[fredricktoo]

Sorry don't know the Gendarme 20 but Royal Scottish is my number one! It is quite similar in construction to Caron Pour Un Homme, lavender on top and vanilla underneath. RSL has more citrus notes I think and a cleaner, purer vibe to it, with a really beautiful vanilla note which holds the lavender just enough to remain fresh. Caron has a little good aminalic dirtyness to it buried right at the bottom, I think (can anyone confirm). I like then both but if I had to choose I would go with the creed.

I hope you know C.P.U.H. otherwise this post is not much use to you, couldn't resist the chance to talk about RSL though.

I hate the smell of C.P.U.H. when I first apply it. That dirty little musky scent as if someone just emptied a cat's impacted musk gland just before you used the toilet.
Yes I've noticed it. It disappears for me after 10 minutes and then becomes a heavenly scent.

I smell the vanilla as the bottom note and it lasts 24 hours.

Great stuff if you can get past the smell.

Gary

[costello]

Royal Scottish Lavender (RSL) is an amazing lavender fragrance - I have yet to smell lavender so natural (this is no Creed hype). Caron Pour homme is great...great value for the $10 that you can buy it for. Its a lavender/vanilla construction and very good one at that. RSL is a citrus-lavender scent. Caron pour homme is a classic, but RSL is in a totally different league altogether.

I completely agree with the above said. RSL is a very good lavender/citrus combo and eventually due to the citrus notes it could be called a "clean" lavender scent but it has not that much to do with Gendarme 20 which has IMO no detectable lavender note in it. I love Pour un Homme and its perfectly blended combination of lavender and vanilla. Someone here on the board wrote in his review "simplex est sigilium veris" and indeed its simplicity at its best. Two notes perfectly blended, thats all...

So if you are interested in a pure ("clean") but not a "barbershop" lavender you should try to test Caldey s Island Lavender by the Monks of Caldey. Its not listed in the directory but there were 2 or 3 threads about it. Its absolutely natural smelling and very inexpensive an can be ordered at:

http://www.caldey-island.co.uk/

Check out the review of Luca Turin. He says it better than I ever could:

http://www.nzzfolio.ch/www/d80bd71b-...b0f626cb3.aspx

Christian

[zztopp]

Vanilla is absolutley my favorite note of all time. Sometimes I like the cheap drugstore stuff that just smells like vanilla and sugar. But the vanilla in PuH is the most horrible, abominable, messed up, repugnant shit I have ever smelled.

You should try Angelique Encens and tell us what you think

[Scentronic]

Costello - thank you. I base my Lavender comparison in gendarme 20 on the premise that 20 is supposedly a 20% concentration of perfume oil (as opposed to gendarme's 12%), with the addition of a lavender note that seems to command quite a bit of praise, as per the reviews anyway. I do find there to be a quite relevant addition to the normal composition, and although the notes play off of eachother in such an equalized way, I am assuming that this addition is the lavender I am smelling. It plays off the leather and citrus so nicely, I'm really starting to consider getting the 20. (what the hell, I collect fragrances, right?) Anyway, it's whatever I'm smelling that I want to further explore, be it the lavender alone or the lavender/leather combo. It's almost play-doh-y or bookbinding gluey or new ream of papery for a little bit (in a good way, somehow), but seems to fade too quickly. I don't have an atomizer for it, so I feel I'm not getting the full effect, as I use about a dozen sprays of regular gendarme. (sniffs wrist again) damn this stuff is good.

Anyway, a friendly basenoter is sending me some Royal Scottish Lavender to try, so I'm one step further along on my lavender search.

Thanks for the help and keeep the suggestions coming please!

[LushLife]

I sprayed G20 on this morning, and its still going strong. The longevity with this one on me is major
The lavender in the opening is fantastic, but i also dont notice it sticking around long enough
I smell like laundry