Patchouli info sought

[BarryR]

For the last year, I've been on a cologne roll and now have at least 70 different ones (mostly decants or samples).

I've developed some sense of many classic elements like vetiver, sandalwood, rose, lavendar, etc, but I still don't know what patchouli smells like. I understand it's very 60's ish.

What would be the classic patchouli colognes?

 

[john parker]

Barry, I can't help much from personal experience; smelled it several times, but don't use it. Having said that, I suggest you explore Basenotes where I am sure you will find many references, or department stores/stores with essentials oils (Whole Foods, The Body Shop) where you will find some to get a sample. Good luck, John

 

[mdunn]

its a musty, mossy kinda scent - hard to describe. Best advice would be to find a couple of fairly different scents with it in it and smell the commonality

 

[sleestax]

after decades of Phish and Dead tour, it's difficult for me to seperate the smell of patchouli from the smell of dirty hippie. Patchouli smells earthy, musky....really nice...just don't mix it with BO.

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

Earthy, mossy, heavy and a little woodsy.

I like it, but not as much as other notes. SMALL doses are recommended if a frag is patchouli-heavy, lest you wish to relive the unwashed years of your youth.

One thing's for certain -- you'll either love it or hate it.




















...or you'll think it's OK.

 

[Emmett]

I still don't know what patchouli smells like.

:9898:

 

[tsmba]

Patchouli oil has been used in incense and developed an association with "hippies" and the "drug culture" (no, it doesn't smell like weed). For the most part, it comes blended with other notes. One of the newer ones is LeLabo "Patchouli 24".

Their gimmick is to claim their stuff is "mixed to order" (as if that makes a difference) and custom-printed labels. Marketing BS aside, the EdT has a smokiness in the opening that, to me, is reminiscent of a smokehouse. As it dries down, notes of vanilla come forth and lead to a nice soapiness. Another product is Fresh "Pure Patchouli", which (again, IMO), smells nothing like patchouli oil.

 

[theperfectstorm]

Try:

Montale's Patchouli Leaves,
L'Artisan Patchouli Patch,
Santa Maria Novella,
Lorenzo Villoresi,
Le Labo Patchouli,
Mischallef or Pharmacia Annunziata.

All are good, solid, pretty straight-forward patchoulis.

 

[tgarza]

+1 on the Hippys

 

[MoJoe]

I find it to be a very smoky scent. As a noob, I made the mistake of not understanding some of the basic scents and purchased a product with a very strong pacthouli scent. I will not be making that mistake again and at least I now know the basics - all of them. BTW, if you like sandalwood or vetiver you will not like patchouli.

 

[tsmba]

BTW, if you like sandalwood or vetiver you will not like patchouli.

Huh?? I don't agree with that statement. Patchouli, by itself, is not "smoky". I think "herbaceous" would be a better description. These three scents are in MANY colognes, but don't stand alone nearly as often. Search out a way to test the essential oils to experience them by themselves.

 

[BarryR]

I find it to be a very smoky scent. As a noob, I made the mistake of not understanding some of the basic scents and purchased a product with a very strong pacthouli scent. I will not be making that mistake again and at least I now know the basics - all of them. BTW, if you like sandalwood or vetiver you will not like patchouli.

Huh?? I don't agree with that statement. Patchouli, by itself, is not "smoky". I think "herbaceous" would be a better description. These three scents are in MANY colognes, but don't stand alone nearly as often. Search out a way to test the essential oils to experience them by themselves.

Well, we'll see how it goes.
I LOVE Sandalwood and Vetiver is close behind.
I think I have a decant of MPG Georg Sand coming which has Patchouli in it (it hasVetiver and Sandalwood too) so there's a good chance I'll like it.

 

[StylinLA]

It's interesting, I kind of think Patchouli is a little like a combo of vetiver and sandalwood. It's got some of the bite of vetiver, and some of the "woodiness" of sandalwood.

As a pure fragrance, it sort of weirds some of us older guys out because it was EVERY FREAKING WHERE in the late 60's/early 70s. And it did very much come to be associated with hippies and head shops.

It's a very nice scent for the most part. It is a basenote in many frags.

 

[BarryR]

As a late baby boomer (I'm 47), I'm sure I'll recognize the "hippy scent" more than I'd realized.

 

[Lopyswine]

I can't ever describe the scent. I just know it when I smell it.

 

[blantyre]

If you are near a Whole Foods or most "health food" stores you can probably get a drop from the essential oil testers. The scent I'm most familiar with that has a notable patchouli component is Givenchy Gentleman.

 

[Niles]

I definitely agree that testing Givenchy Gentleman will give you a good idea of what patchouli smells like.