Series 2: Red - Sequoia by Comme des Garçons

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Series 2: Red - Sequoia Comme des Garçons 2001

7.6 / 10 96 Ratings

A popular perfume by Comme des Garçons for women and men, released in 2001. The scent is woody-spicy. It is being marketed by Puig.
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Main accords

Woody

Spicy

Fruity

Sweet

Resinous

Fragrance Notes

Rum

Mahogany

Chinese oud

Opoponax

Apple

Karo Karounde

Perfumer

Bertrand Duchaufour

Ratings

Scent

7.696 Ratings

Longevity

7.266 Ratings

Sillage

6.561 Ratings

Bottle

6.662 Ratings

Value for money

7.119 Ratings

Submitted by Sani, last update on 05/18/2025.

Interesting Facts

In 2017, the scent was re-released as part of the series Olfactory Library.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Apple Brandy New York

Santal Wood

Pomegranate Noir Cologne

Fille en aiguilles

Brutus

Timbuktu

Reviews

6 in-depth fragrance descriptions

03/25/2023

Emrego
23 Reviews

Emrego

2

A classic

Like the rest of the series Red, Sequoia, being my absolute favorite of them all, is a pioneering fragrance. People go crazy about Initio - Oud for Greatness since 2018 and here we have the father of that formula. Much respect to Bertrand Duchaufour for this timeless creation. I strongly believe Initio is inspired by Seried 2 Red: Sequoia. I get a great black peppery blend with oakmoss, Cashmeran, cloves, cedar, and woody ambers like Ambrocenide or AmberXtreme. Oud note is probably an illusion created as usual by Cypriol oil and Kephalis (another woody ingredient).

Instant love, nuf said.

03/22/2021

Art
68 Reviews

Art

2

Smoked dark wood

For me, CDGs Incence Series was always kind of a logical continuation of their Sequoia (first, it was in a red bottle, and now it’s in a white one) - very balsamic and resinous perfume, but still so spiritually-meditative! I imagine an old, noble wood, soaked in dark balsams, church smoke and a little rum. Must be poured into a black bottle and sealed with wax. :)

02/12/2025

8Scent

celeblas
119 Reviews

celeblas

1

Bark in the Sun

While the woods are nice in this, and it has the CdG element you would expect, it wound up too similar to CdG 2 for me, and was far too sweet and heavy, not the forest experience I was hoping for. It's not at all a green scent, it's not the needles and branches as much as it is the bark sitting in the hot sun.

There is a heat and sap to this which is beautiful and inviting. Cozy.

02/24/2011

6Scent 5Longevity

CdG
39 Reviews

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CdG

Top Review 13

Drunken Timbuktu

“Sequoia” begins with an alcoholic-sweet opening that immediately reminds me of forest berry liqueur. The top note quickly transforms into a heart of rum and woods, where floral-balsamic and bittersweet undertones emerge. This slightly dissonant and unconventional blend rests on a base where Opoponax and agarwood (oud) can be sensed, among other things.

When you take a closer look at the individual creations of Bertrand Duchaufour, especially in his earlier compositions, two circumstances stand out: On one hand, Duchaufour seems to have a preference for exotic flowers and woods - in the case of “Timbuktu” and “Sequoia,” it is Karo-Karoundé - and on the other hand, his fragrances often literally stand out with an “olfactory peak.” In other words, many of his Eaux contain a component that can be distinctly detected.

In “Sequoia,” that peak is a sweet-alcoholic rum note, which I believe I have also rediscovered in the “Vanille Absolument” (L’Artisan Parfumeur) created eight years later. I am almost tempted to speak of a rum cloud here, as it stubbornly overshadows everything else for about two-thirds of the entire fragrance progression. Unfortunately, it is precisely this scent component that bothers me about “Sequoia.” If it were absent, what would remain would be a kind of unfinished “Timbuktu.” Without meaning to judge, it seems to me that “Sequoia” would fit well into the lineup of fragrances from L’Artisan Parfumeur.

Although I have not yet had the opportunity to smell the scent of Californian redwood, I am aware that the giant sequoia is classified among coniferous trees. In light of this, I would have expected “Sequoia” to have significantly more ethereal wood notes and less of the berry-sweet rum cloud of a lumberjack working on the cypress with his axe.

But be that as it may: In the last third of the fragrance progression, “Sequoia” reveals its true beauty - unfortunately a bit too late, in my opinion. I would have liked to be much more enthusiastic about Duchaufour’s interpretation of redwood. Nevertheless, I do not want to overlook the clearly recognizable craftsmanship quality of this fragrance.

By the way, the use of Karo-Karoundé in perfumes and cosmetics has since been banned by IFRA and the EU due to the high content of (toxic!) benzyl cyanide. Whether this circumstance will also affect the availability of “Sequoia,” “Timbuktu,” and other Karo-Karoundé-containing perfumes like “Pleasures” (Estée Lauder) and “Shaal Nur” (Etro) remains to be seen. If necessary, reformulation will have to happen, which I wouldn’t find so regrettable in the case of “Sequoia.” ;)

06/01/2018

8.5Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

Ignika
76 Reviews

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Ignika

4

Diluted, but not weakened

Out of curiosity, I ordered a sample from AlzD five years ago. Sequoia immediately appealed to me, but I still find it hard to describe. I will try anyway.

The absence of a note pyramid already suggests: Sequoia is linear. All notes seem equally long-lasting and almost equally strong. Apart from the mahogany note, all notes are more or less sweet, even the Chinese oud: it is described as first medicinal, then strongly woody and sweet with a dry finish. The sweetness (almost) of all notes is complemented by a certain fresh-fruity hint from the apple, fine and not overly sweet. If I had to guess, I would say Granny Smith, but I'm not very experienced with apples. The (light) woody-sweet mixture is further enhanced by the rum as the last notable factor. Characteristically subtly spicy, also sweet, but more than sweet... watery. It doesn't come across as alcoholic to me. I recognize the same sweet-spicy dilution from Kilian's Straight to Heaven and Joop's Homme Wild. Since the note is not too dominant, it gets a bit overshadowed in all compositions, here behind wood and apple.

The longevity didn't strike me as particularly positive or negative, sitting in my green zone at around 7 hours. The sillage always seemed quite close to the body, but once in a club, someone did mention it! Unfortunately, not because they liked it, and not from the opposite sex. Very unfortunate :/

So: Sweet, woody, with spicy and fruity hints. Sounds strange, but it is; it's better than it sounds, and it sounds like it's worth a few tests.

More reviews

Statements

22 short views on the fragrance

Stacia

2 years ago

2

Boozy top notes, then bark peelings decomposing in the hot sun. Wood chips on a pirate ship.

SilverHiccup

2 years ago

5.5Scent 5Longevity 5Sillage

1

I get a harsh, raw boozy scent, but as it dries down, a pleasant woodiness emerges.
That initial punch is so off-putting though.

Ergoproxy

3 years ago

9Scent 8Longevity 6Sillage

28

47

A typical Duchafour. A wood scent with its own unique timbre. Slightly fuzzy, polished, sweet-spicy. Reddish-brown as a color fits.

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SchatzSucher

7 years ago

7.5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

14

4

Bittersweet medicine, administered with a wooden spoon. Feels cool, balsamic, ethereal. More herbal liqueur than rum. Interesting combo.

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Torfdoen

5 years ago

8.5Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

13

6

Unfresh on the chemical block. No rum on hand. Therefore twisted cigarillos made from dry bark, sealed with essential resin.

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Rieke2021

3 years ago

7Scent 7Longevity 5Sillage

9

7

Treehouse built in a giant sequoia. First there's (healthy) Granny Smith, then rum. Bright, dry artificial wood that I like. Sweet, warm, resinous.

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Kovex

7 years ago

7.5Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

9

2

Rum in fragrances is great :) After that, it becomes mild-balsamic-woody with a light and airy opoponax
Unfortunately, it gets too sweet for me in the end.

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