Intrigant Patchouli 08
Parfumerie Generale (2005)

Intrigant Pachouli is a patchouli scent with powdery, some sweet (?? floral, ginger) and spicy notes. I guess I had higher hopes for this fragrance and while I do wear it, I'm not a super-fan.

The initial opening is all patchouli-like and nice enough...some amber approaches, too. The mid-notes seem to fade away with amber and wood definitely present, slightly so. But the dry-down is where the fragrance loses my interest. IP's base lands on my skin and within 30-minutes or less, morphs into a close-to-the-skin, powdery, slightly spicy, musky note. On my skin, the dry down nearly turns sour.

Not unpleasant, I did blind-buy a full bottle. But IP is just not my style and I will not be buying it again once I put the blind-purchase to rest.

It is like a great filter if you want to push some weak,cheesy boys away, yet attract the bigger,stronger men.the first woods to describe it would be vintage-y,but without the common vintage notes like aldehydes and civet that many people dislike,so it's actually pretty easy on the nose, unless you hate patchouli. it's not sexy in the common meaning.it smells interesting and it gives you character. this is why i love it.

I smell mainly resin,the type you encounter with when you wax your legs.the hed-heart notes are embedded in a powdery base,amber patchouli for sure it envelops you in a warm,rich,and comforting cloud.i didn't really detect any distinct flowers such as the rose but it surely has some kind.the aroma is strong and convincing,gives you the feeling of being confident and independent. glamorous night in a bottle.

Powder, flowers, spices, benzoin and patchouli of course. It opens with something very aggressive, hospital-like, but this disappears softly for great softness. Full bottle worthy.

A ripe to bursting patchouli, a study in brown, black and purple. Inflections of almonds, damp earth, chamomile, and mould within its odour profile providing a substantial and grown-up experience without the headbanging volume. There even seem to be white flowers in the background done in the grape soda Poison manner. A bit like the friendlier sister of Goutal's Mon Parfum Cheri which, depending on your taste, could be either a positive or a negative – I personally prefer MPC's high seriousness.
Perfumes that are so full spectrum and ‘dark' invite reflections on the nearness of fecundity to decay. Except that this one has diffusive musks to let in some air and light, and keeps patchouli's often notorious sillage at an acceptable level. Until, that is, one reaches the deep drydown a couple of hours in, when the acceptable drops to the just perceptible, and the remaining impression is chiefly of old lipstick.

The notorious Intrigant Patchouli from the respectful Parfumerie Generale is an amazing honeyed-spicy patchouli ideally smelling like a blend of the spicy Coze 02 from the same brand, some "vintage/petroleous/waxy/rosey take on patchouli from Histoires de Parfums (vaguely Rosam), hand made honeyed british soaps and the venerable woody-oriental Patchouli from Molinard. The waxy/soapy/honeyed (old school chypre in style) vibe is dominant with its exotic floral spiciness (vaguely a la Patchouly Noir by Il Profvmo) while the yet present earthiness is soom soothed and musky-oriental in perception. This is an extremely elegant and distinguished fragrance with an aristocratic twist on my skin (yes dusty, freshly incensey/aldehydic, earthy, potpourri, aromatic, mellifluous yet not overly sweet). The honeyed-soapy feel makes this juice original if not yet one of a kind. I get a sort of fresh lavender's (slightly icy-aldehydic and fougere in style a la Ysl Kouros) presence enhancing the classic and slighly minty-detergent-balmy temperament. This feel makes this juice surprisingly versatile and dynamic (also for everyday use despite you could proudly wear it in the most aristocratic of the british castles). Honey, white flower's nectar, probably rose, amber-honey and ghostly liturgical resins enhance the courtier vibe (a la Etro Patchouly, especially in its smootherdry down) of this nostalgic take on Victorian atmosphere. A touch of moldy-camphoraceous feel closes the round of a really remarkable fragrance which I recommend to all the lovers of patchouli (and not) with any hesitation.
P.S: along dry down saldalwood and may be a touch of salty vetiver/tobacco/amber are more evident making the aroma more intense, "like old/dusty books smelling" and kind of virile/animalic.

Intrigant Pachouli is a nice “dark” and mellow patchouli scent with a peculiar sort of “powdery dead flowers” feel all over, a vibrant romantic mood with a slight stale aftertaste – like a dusty, old pot-pourri of dry flowers. Actually there is no flowers apparently, but the feeling of a “ghost of a chypre” is quite there in my opinion, I guess due to musks and benzoin. On the base I even smell something similar to ambergris – that same salty-rooty-mineral organic note. The addition of ginger provides a nice touch of spicy sweetness, which blends perfectly with amber to “warm” up the scent. I don't find this that “intrigant” to be honest, rather – and pleasantly – gloomy and nostalgic, with a palpable melancholic and neoclassic refinement. A sophisticated and clever harmony played around patchouli, dark yet sweet and cozy, an elegant souvenir of a powdery-earthy chypre – like smelling your old aunt's scarf. As other reviewers already noticed, it surely has a nice “vintage” feel, yet not smelling like a plain ripoff of an older scent. Not a masterpiece, but really pleasant, clever and creative.

7,5/10

I am not really a patchouli lover since it can come across as too blunt or rough. But this is my favourite patchouli fragrance. It is rather soft smelling, elegant and well blended and balanced with florals to create a sophisticated fragrance.

Long lasting on my skin and with a good projection. Completely unisex.

I have been marching through patchouli scents as of late, and I must say this one stands out nicely! This fragrance is rich and heady. Somewhat sweet, but a powdery-like quality tones it down. It is classy, yet ever so often I get a faint wiff of head shop that grounds it. After a loud, announcing opening, it settles in to a rich, spicy, vanilla scent that surrounds you like a velvet blanket! An easy two thumbs up, and a must purchase for certain!

Got a sample, as I normally love Ouds, patchouli amber etc,

The first spritz is very heady, powerful and rich, but I get synthetic hardness too, which puts me off a little,
On the dry down though, the powder note sits high, patchouli is there, albeit muted in the powder smell.

It's nice, and wearable, sliding more to a femme frag for me, but it gets a thumbs up as a nice frag.

This is a big ole powdery, ambery patchouli with more than a pinch of civet in it. In tone and feel, it recalls the big dirty floral fragrances I used in my youth in the place of sexual confidence. Shift a few of the set pieces around here and you have Joop! Femme, which was my weapon of choice back then. And yes, I am aware that there is nothing even remotely floral here. But there is something about the mixture of musk, honey, patchouli, and civet that conjures up a phantasmagorical white flower like jasmine or tuberose, especially in the first few minutes. Sexy, lush, and yes, strong as hell.

The powdery effect of the benzoin and musk persist well into the dry-down. The patchouli dies off completely, as does that lush (and probably non-existent) floral note. Underneath, the civet bubbles away, and overall, it smells like what I'd imagine the scalp of Marie-Antoinette smelled like underneath that massive powdered wig after a hot day swanning around in the grounds of Le Petit Trianon. Powdery, dirty, and slightly scalpy. It is intriguing, as the name suggests, but vaguely occupies, for me, the same territory as the filthy L'Air de Rien. Which is to say, too sweet, too suggestive of unwashed scalp, bad breath, and the unhealthy air of closed-up places. I'm giving it a neutral because it is a very interesting and original take on the patchouli theme.

Genre: Chypre

Intrigant Patchouli is intriguing indeed, with one of the most interesting developments I've experienced in some time. It marches in as a sweet, somewhat ambery patchouli with subtle and exotic fruit and floral notes hovering in the background. The floral notes strengthen over time, and even threaten to become overly heady, but the steady, clear patchouli and an undercurrent of very animalic musk offer an effective counterweight and keep the composition nicely balanced.

Yes, I do find something of the head shop in this scent, particularly as it gains in sweetness over the first hour of wear. Happily, I also sense some powder and faintly astringent spice deep in the background, and these notes lend the heart accord a sense of cleanliness not always found in patchouli-based scents.

The drydown takes a superb surprise turn from animalic patchouli toward powdery amber and vanilla to finish up soft, sweet and civilized, with just a hint of licentiousness lingering in the amber. Intrigant Patchouli has quickly risen to the top of my patchouli list.

I wanted to like this perfume so much. It seems to be one that captures the perfumery equivalent of that perfect combination of high and low art that every other form has examples of, and the innermost sanctum of the cognoscenti recognize intuitively. Think Warhol during the 60s in NYC. Perfumeries Generale has to my mind a well-earned reputation as a line of distinction with decidedly less bullshit than most niche firms. Smart, always interesting, willing to make an attempt and fail, but usually succeeding. So there's the high art. Hippy patchouli: there's the low art.

All the fumies love it, and give the blogging equivalent of a knowing nod when using it as a reference point. I get one big, gorgeous nose-full of hyper-patchouli, and then can't smell it at all. Believe me, I know it's there from the comments of those around me when I've tried it. Apparently it's a patch bomb to most noses, where to mine it's effectively a glass of water.

So this is my low self-esteem perfume. The one that captures the best of all worlds in perfumery and tells the world you've got smarts and taste. And I'm left scratching my head.