Oh how wonderful, a Creed fragrance that hasn't been extensively reviewed yet! What a stroke of luck that I was in London over Christmas. And yes, just like every tourist, I visited Harrods. But I can tell you, I somewhat regretted it. On one hand financially, and on the other, it probably wasn't such a good idea to visit this "mecca of consumption" on December 23rd. But the dear family was on my back and insisted on getting some little something from the most famous department store in Europe.
So there I stood in front of the displays of the Food Halls, the tea department, the perfume aisle, the hermetically sealed room with treasures of "High Jewelry." Who thinks they can shop expensively at Wempe, haha. Yes, I have to laugh. Harry Winston, Tiffany, Chopard, Cartier, van Cleef and Arpels, etc. are all represented here. I almost overlooked the most expensive ring in the display, but not the price tag: 375,000 hefty British pounds, which is nearly half a million euros at the exchange rate. It became clear to me why there were hardly any people in this corner of the department store. But very friendly old-school salespeople were there, no wonder if you can leave tens of thousands there.
But alright. Now quickly back to the overcrowded main halls - too bad, but I couldn't afford a brilliant Jaeger-LeCoultre for 60,000 pounds - to the Japanese tourists, families with strollers (crazy, who struggles through there!), through the green-gold chaos of bags.
And by pure chance, I found myself in front of the Creed stand. Strange, I thought, why are all the fragrances of the house somewhat hidden away and the shelves only filled with green bottles with golden writing?
"Well, you see, this Creed fragrance is so exclusive, you can only find it here, in the venerable Harrods," the somewhat conceited lady told me, who thought she was just as noble as the perfumes she was allowed to sell. Well, I tested all the usual classics. Bois du Portugal, SMV, GIT, Aventus, and Pure White Cologne (nice EdC, but the price is completely inflated).
But then, as a crowning glory, this 1849 was sprayed on me, unasked. Thank goodness the others were all nicely on exclusive Creed paper cards. The lady beamed at me expectantly, as if I were about to smell liquid gold. Now I was rather skeptical. What makes this fragrance better than others from the company? Apparently the price: 225 pounds for 75 ml. While I was there, someone actually bought such a bottle. That was fine by me, as I had more time to sniff around and the snooty saleswoman was busy! When I asked for samples, she reacted as if I had asked her for a liter of her own blood, thank you very much. Then not. On to the scent:
Top notes, yes you can do that, Mr. Creed. Fresh bergamot, more citrusy than orangey, so fleeting that the heart notes shone through immediately: spiciness, a really nice spiciness, maybe only 20% of what you know from Bois du Portugal. And along with it a lovely bouquet of flowers, what exactly, phew, that could have been anything, probably patchouli or jasmine. But I'm almost sure that the greatest emphasis was placed on the base, as the scent smelled somewhat one-dimensional, but not bad, on the contrary. Woods, spiciness, musk, and the flowers remained. Like a rounded mix of GIT, Bois du Portugal, and a splash of Néroli Sauvage. But overall, a rather traditional mix for the more mature gentleman, from about 40 plus. Images from the series "The Paradise" or "Mr. Selfridge" come to mind. Now it may also be clear for whom this fragrance was intended: for the distinguished older, seriously grounded, and well-dressed businessman of the old school or the somewhat conservative dad. The gentlemen Olivier and Erwin didn't reinvent the wheel, but they probably never looked beyond Aventus. Compliments will probably be few, as the sillage remains manageable, hello office life!
Longevity, quite decent. Lasted my shopping trip from one in the afternoon until seven/half past seven in the evening, not bad! Completely okay for Creed.
A traditional fragrance for a traditional and old-English department store founded in 1849. Hence the name. For the thematic implementation, I give full marks, for the fragrance itself not so much, it's a bit too generic for me. However, if you stop by Harrods and think, hey, I can only get this here: feel free to grab it. The fragrance is a real universal remedy, works anytime, anywhere, doesn't offend anyone. Subtle elegance. If you're looking for individuality, you're in the wrong place, there are nicer options for cheaper, even at Creed. As a reminder of London and the traditional department store, it serves its purpose well. But at Harrods, there are many things that are very exclusive, including a fragrance from Bond No. 9 in gold-green. But that's another story. So now I hope I could create a reasonably decent impression of this "Most Exclusive" little water. London, I will return, Harrods, yes to you too, but not anymore on December 23rd!
Top Notes 
Calabrian bergamot
Heart Notes 
Ylang-ylang
Cedar
Jasmine
Patchouli
Base Notes 
Bourbon vanilla
Sandalwood
Musk
Oud
Eggi37
Strehliwood
Schakaa
