Patchouli by Comme des Garçons LUXE - A Painful Revelation

[WindyCity1014]

For me, it happens maybe once or twice a year. After sampling dozens and dozens of scents, I finally come across one that I absolutely love from start to finish. That elusive magic moment just occurred again last night when I dabbed on a sample of Patchouli by Comme des Garçons LUXE.

This is, by far, the smoothest and finest patchouli I've ever tried. Patchouli and immortelle blended together seamlessly--there's simply nothing else like it and I knew immediately that I wanted a full size bottle. However, my elation was soon tempered by the painful realization that this juice is outrageously expensive. $290 for 45ml?? WTF?!

I thought it was a little nuts when I recently bought a bottle of Eau Noire for $225, but at least that was 250ml (i.e., five times as much juice for $65 less than the CdG Patchouli)!! Although I've always believed that there's no point in buying expensive cologne if you're not going to use it, I'm not sure that I'd have the cajones to actually use this stuff except on the most special of occasions (which kind of kills the fun).

Help me out here guys! How can I possibly justify this expense?

[manicboy]

Nope, the whole Luxe range is an expensive joke. If you really want a nice patchouli-based frag, get vintage Gentleman or Pour Lui. Won't break your bank either.

[Sugandaraja]

With any purchase, it depends on just how much you want it. I had a similar dilemma with Pure Oud, but in the end it wasn't that much better than some much cheaper alternatives. I have heard the Luxe Patchouli is fairly unique, though - it's been recommended to me by a few folks as a great immortelle fragrance. I've avoided trying it and Luxe Champaca because of the exact dilemma you're going through, honestly.

[Kevin Guyer]

Have you tried Annick Goutal's Sables? Very similar and usually available nicely discounted online.

[WindyCity1014]

Have you tried Annick Goutal's Sables? Very similar and usually available nicely discounted online.

Good suggestion, but I have tried it. Really wanted to like it and hoped it would be like a more powerful, linear Eau Noire. I found it to be "musty" for lack of a better word. It was good, but not really wearable.

[merry.waters]

... kills the fun

Help me out here guys! How can I possibly justify this expense?

Yeah, that kills the fun with CDG at all. "No.2 MEN" was plain iso E super after 1 hour. Horrible simplistic, an insult to the customer.

A first lesson learned on business school is to find a good price for an item to sell. Cheap with a lower margin each will attract many customers -- expensive will lower the count of sold items but increase the margin for each.

Then, especially with luxury goods a boombastic price tag will justify itself: Exclusive because expensive, expensive because exclusive. That attracts wealthy customers - and morons. I think You have exactly two alternatives: not to buy or being wealthy. If the first is no option just try the second.

[WindyCity1014]

Yeah, that kills the fun with CDG at all. "No.2 MEN" was plain iso E super after 1 hour. Horrible simplistic, an insult to the customer.

A first lesson learned on business school is to find a good price for an item to sell. Cheap with a lower margin each will attract many customers -- expensive will lower the count of sold items but increase the margin for each.

Then, especially with luxury goods a boombastic price tag will justify itself: Exclusive because expensive, expensive because exclusive. That attracts wealthy customers - and morons. I think You have exactly two alternatives: not to buy or being wealthy. If the first is no option just try the second.

You make some very good points. I guess I would be a fool to drop so much money on such a small amount of juice, even though I love it. Oh well...

[merry.waters]

You make some very good points. I guess I would be a fool to drop so much money on such a small amount of juice, even though I love it. Oh well...

You know it wouldn't be the last frag ever. Always there will be an other later on. Throwing Your money out of the window now will most probably prolongate the time You'll be waiting for the new. That waiting would start as in every case before very soon. Skip - the offer is "a piece of conceptual art". It can't be honest.

[cpk]

As I wrote in my review of Patchouli Luxe, if you are looking for a signature patchouli scent the expense is totally justified. This is simly the deepest, driest, most longlasting patchouli I have ever tried. The 45ml will go a very long way. Immortelle is very strong in the opening a la Sables, even stronger. But nothing in the market comes close to the earthiness and dry cocoa note of LUXE. It smells amazingly natural and raw. On the opposite spectrum of all other CdG scents which play with the idea of synthetics. IT feels like an oil, it smells like an oil.
In any other case Patchouli LUXE is a must-try but really very expensive.

[mikeperez23]

Buy a decant of it. See if you LOVE LOVE LOVE it after you finish the decant. Maybe you won't. If you do, then splurge.

[WindyCity1014]

As I wrote in my review of Patchouli Luxe, if you are looking for a signature patchouli scent the expense is totally justified. This is simly the deepest, driest, most longlasting patchouli I have ever tried. The 45ml will go a very long way. Immortelle is very strong in the opening a la Sables, even stronger. But nothing in the market comes close to the earthiness and dry cocoa note of LUXE. It smells amazingly natural and raw. On the opposite spectrum of all other CdG scents which play with the idea of synthetics. IT feels like an oil, it smells like an oil.
In any other case Patchouli LUXE is a must-try but really very expensive.

I feel myself swaying back towards buying it. It really is something special, but damn them for charging so much for so little juice! How many sprays do you use to last you all day? How's the sillage?

[cpk]

Longevity is beyond desription. I have only tested it at the store but it is up to 24 hours. A blotter still smells.

[jrd4t]

I actually dabbed it lightly when I tried it last year and as I didn't really put on enough, it didn't wow me and I forgot about it and tucked it away in a drawer. A few weeks ago, I grabbed it as my random thing to put on my hand and sample through the day. This time I loved it. I agree - it's an incredible patch for immortelle lovers... easily the best example of the two notes blended.

I justified it by selling off bottles I was ready to part with - that way, it felt more like a re-allocation of scent "funds" rather than me just plunking down that much money.

I took a few pics of the (gorgeous) pyramid bottle here.

[WindyCity1014]

I actually dabbed it lightly when I tried it last year and as I didn't really put on enough, it didn't wow me and I forgot about it and tucked it away in a drawer. A few weeks ago, I grabbed it as my random thing to put on my hand and sample through the day. This time I loved it. I agree - it's an incredible patch for immortelle lovers... easily the best example of the two notes blended.

I justified it by selling off bottles I was ready to part with - that way, it felt more like a re-allocation of scent "funds" rather than me just plunking down that much money.

I took a few pics of the (gorgeous) pyramid bottle here.

I saw your incredible photos and sent you a PM in the midst of my Patchouli-induced ecstacy. I won't take it personally that you haven't responded. ; )

As a huge fan of the maple-syrup immortelle accord of Eau Noire, I might just have to splurge on this one.

[LiveJazz]

You could always get a larger decant of it (5ml = $48 on TPC). Yeah, you'd technically be screwing yourself even more on a per-ml basis, but it's still less of a one time blow, especially if you can make the decant last.

[merry.waters]

I saw your incredible photos and sent you a PM in the midst of my Patchouli-induced ecstacy. I won't take it personally that you haven't responded. ; )

As a huge fan of the maple-syrup immortelle accord of Eau Noire, I might just have to splurge on this one.

Immortelle can be cultured even in Canada. Patchouli isn't a mystery too, if not to say, it's a darn cheap ingredient. I've got some Immortelle absolute, 30$ per 5ml. It's a bit more spicy than honey. A bit more hay/tobacco than maple. The absolute last forever. I spritzed a dilution to lower than 1% on me before bed. It lasted 2 full days, granted! And I've taken my showers.

Does that "piece of conceptual art" really need You to grease the machinery?

[jrd4t]

I saw your incredible photos and sent you a PM in the midst of my Patchouli-induced ecstacy. I won't take it personally that you haven't responded. ; )

As a huge fan of the maple-syrup immortelle accord of Eau Noire, I might just have to splurge on this one.

Haha, yeah, I have the pink tab on the top with a few unanswered. I'm still 3 days behind in replying to work emails. I promise I will soon!

[jrd4t]

Immortelle can be cultured even in Canada. Patchouli isn't a mystery too, if not to say, it's a darn cheap ingredient. I've got some Immortelle absolute, 30$ per 5ml. It's a bit more spicy than honey. A bit more hay/tobacco than maple. The absolute last forever. I spritzed a dilution to lower than 1% on me before bed. It lasted 2 full days, granted! And I've taken my showers.

Does that "piece of conceptual art" really need You to grease the machinery?

You could say that for most scents. We should probably just give up and just buy oils.

[merry.waters]

You could say that for most scents. We should probably just give up and just buy oils.

If it comes to very certain NOTEs, yes, agreed. If it is the composition, no.The composition can be adored. But, it isn't the true story. Consider the price tag as a piece of art. Would You buy that price tag - I mean it literally. If so, be it. If not, the scent can't be worth it, either.

[jrd4t]

Would You buy that price tag - I mean it literally. If so, be it. If not, the scent can't be worth it, either.

I did, so I guess it was worth it to me. Though I love the bottle, I purchased the composition inside.

[merry.waters]

I did, so I guess it was worth it to me. Though I love the bottle, I purchased the composition inside.

I've got a price tag of "5500.-" Euros left. Interested?

[cpk]

So merry.waters do you actually believe that esthetically speaking, LUXE Patchouli = immortelle 1% dilution?
Come on.....

[merry.waters]

So merry.waters do you actually believe that esthetically speaking, LUXE Patchouli = immortelle 1% dilution?
Come on.....

No, may be less. 'Esthetically speaking' the price tag itself is 'a peace of art'. It should - and does painfully - reveal the rules of this business.

According to Your avatar - the skull labeled 'DIOR' - I could relate that artistic concept to the Roman gladiators. A few die for the sake of a revelation of the rules of life and death, which many find quite entertaining. An other association is the practice of human sacrifice with the Inca. One dies to remind many others of the rules, being mortal. Doesn't the bottle resemble an Inca pyramid?

Back on topic, a few pay that symbolic price, while others find it quite entertaining how mad people can get. To make it clear, the show is not the scent, but the business around it. By now I personally would like to leave towards an other sensation, though.

[cpk]

No, may be less. 'Esthetically speaking' the price tag itself is 'a peace of art'. It should - and does painfully - reveal the rules of this business.

According to Your avatar - the skull labeled 'DIOR' - I could relate that artistic concept to the Roman gladiators. A few die for the sake of a revelation of the rules of life and death, which many find quite entertaining. An other association is the practice of human sacrifice with the Inca. One dies to remind many others of the rules, being mortal. Doesn't the bottle resemble an Inca pyramid?

Back on topic, a few pay that symbolic price, while others find it quite entertaining how mad people can get. To make it clear, the show is not the scent, but the business around it. By now I personally would like to leave towards an other sensation, though.

I see your point. But I really question the validity of rules in this case. The pricetag is high but the "statement" is not as "bold" (or annoying) as the one Xerjoff are trying to make with their pricetags for instance. And if you actually give Patchoyli LUXE a wearing you realize that in terms of concentration is closer to extrait rather than edp. So if you are really into patchouli and are going to make the most of it, it really isn't that expensive. There are many houses out there with a much lower presence/price ratio and I think it is not fair to target this one for criticism.

[Sugandaraja]

Having just tried this, I'll say - worth every penny. Yes, it's immortelle and patchouli, but somehow, so much more.

Remember, you only need one kidney to live. Just saying, you know...

[musclegod007]

Scrap the idea, spend 200 on 200 mls of Sycomore by Chanel. Vetiver is the new Patchouli.

[nthny]

I found this thread looking for info on White, but I thought I'd add my thoughts. This fragrance also wowed me, as few have. I used to think it was a holy grail scent but have since changed my mind. I was so close to buying a bottle and I hate to be a downer but I'm glad I didn't. I bought a 2.5 mL spray from TPC and have had it for a year. ... I mean, I know I'd wear it more often if I owned the bottle but first, I'll say, I like dabbing this much better than spraying. I wish this came with a blotter. Secondly, once I actually owned a small amount of it, I found it was not the most wearable fragrance. If I lived up North, I probably would have purchased it. But living in the heat, I just never wear it. It is, just exquisitely rich though. Just get a bit at first and see what you do with it. The emptying of a small decant and then missing that fragrance is what usually inspires me to purchase. I'm curious, what'd you end up doing?